Spartan Speaks - Stouffville District Secondary School

May 10, 2019

Upcoming EQAO Assessments

On June 13 and 14, 2019, our Grade 9 students will be taking part in the provincial Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics created by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), an independent agency of the Government of Ontario. This assessment is administered to all students in Grade 9 applied or academic mathematics courses in Ontario’s publicly funded school system.

The assessment consists of two test booklets, and students are given 60 minutes to complete each booklet.

EQAO assessment questions are directly based on the expectations set out in The Ontario Curriculum, which is what teachers teach in the classroom every day. Therefore, your child does not need to prepare in any special way. Students will write the test in their regular classrooms with their regular teachers and can prepare as they would for any other secondary school test.

Please note that part of this test will also be graded by your child’s Math Teacher and will count for 5% of his or her class mark. Please avoid scheduling any appointments or vacations that will require your child to miss school on these days. Thank you in advance for your support!

Congratulations to the Robotics team! Congratulations to Stouffville's Robotics team for their excellent showing at the Ontario Skills Competition that took place this week at the Toronto Congress Center. The first day of competition saw our team win 6 out of 7 heats in the remote control part of the competition and the autonomous team did more than hold their own by getting 38 out of a possible 48 points. The competition was much tougher on day 2, but we still easily made the playoff round. Even though we were up against many robots that could easily be classed as University level, we were able to make it to the quarter finals, but unfortunately that is where our impressive run ended. Everyone should be proud of how the team pulled together and represented our school in a way that showed everyone that Stouffville is able to compete at a technical level that is as good as any high school in Canada. Congratulations and thanks again to all the team members, Abdul A, Abdul M, Arhum, Faraan, Jay, Kalapan, Liam, and Zahid and to their fantastic teacher Mr. Piechota!

Student Carnival The Annual Student Council Carnival is on its way! Come check out all of the great events happening during the lunches on Tuesday, June 4th.

SDSS B.R.E.A.K. (Build Resiliency, Energy and Knowledge) for Mental Health!! On Wednesday May 8th, the Well-Being Team at SDSS organized a special day that allowed all staff and students to take a 70 minute break to support their mental health. Participants engaged in one of 40 wellness workshops and activities of interest that were led by our staff and community guests during this break. This wellness initiative modeled and brought attention to the value and impact of making time to address and improve our mental wellbeing. Students and staff had the opportunity to connect and build relationships, while participating in activities that were fun, relaxing, and/or informative. The event was a huge success. Additionally, during lunch, many partners were invited to participate in a community fair to also promote strategies & activities for our

students’ well-being. We thank all who were able to help make this initiative a success. SDSS truly cares. Student Achievement Awards by Alliance of Educators for Black Students

SDSS is proud to have celebrated two students at this year’s Annual Student Achievement Awards on Thursday May 2, 2019 hosted by Alliance of Educators for Black Students. The event honours students of African/Black heritage from various high schools recognizing a variety of achievements. SDSS is proud to honour Julia C. who received an award for athletics and Elijah G. who received an award for school involvement and leadership. These two students are not only proud to have received this award for their community, but are also proud to represent the amazing things happening at SDSS.

Student Council Election Student Council Elections are underway. Election Speeches will occur on Thursday, May 30, and the vote will happen in homerooms on Friday, May 31.

York Region Tamil Student Awards

At the York Region Tamil Student Awards two SDSS students were honoured: Anjali R. demonstrates excellence in academic achievement by maintaining high grades in all her courses, while also studying dance, music, and holding a part-time job. Saranya T. demonstrates excellence in academic achievement by maintaining a grade point average of 98%. In addition, both students demonstrate active citizenship in their desire to make SDSS a more equitable and inclusive place for all, as evidenced by their participation in various clubs and committees.

Durham Track Classic Yesterday the Track & Field team travelled to Oshawa to compete at the Durham Track Classic. This meet featured over 1200 athletes from 44 different schools. Top athletes include: Graham L. 5th in discus, Sam L. 6th in 400m, Liam R. 2nd in hurdles, Andres S. 4th in long jump, Nate M. 2nd in long jump, Jathushan V. 3rd in hurdles, Bradley B. 2nd in shop put and 1st in discus, Connor S. 4th in 200m and 2nd in 100m. Isaiah G. beat all his other competitors by almost a full second, he was 1st in 100m. The midget boys relay team earned a 6th place, and the junior boys broke a 39 year old school record to win the 4x10m relay. Overall out of those 44 schools, our small team of 16 athletes finished 19th in overall team points. Congratulations team! Big congratulations to the team’s hard working coaches Mr. Jimmo and Mr. Atkins! Be sure to check your entries today for next week’s YRAA championships.

Character of the Month Throughout the school year we recognize and celebrate those students who have demonstrated great character. The month of April recognizes Integrity, meaning that we are truthful and sincere; that we ensure consistency between what we say and what we do as well as between what we believe and how we behave. Congratulations to the following students for demonstrating outstanding Integrity: Sana A., Mika L., Simon H., Maegan W., Jacob H., Ryan H., Samuel C., Robert H., Tatiana C., Will H., and Max J. We have so much to be proud of here at SDSS. Congratulations to all our students of the month. Please see Mrs. Taccone for your certificate.

Students enrolled in Co-Op for 2019-2020 school year Please note the following deadlines for centralized placements: Markham-Stouffville Hospital, York Region Police Safety Village, Y Space, YRDSB Information Technology Service, all applications due to Co-Op office on June 14th by 4:00pm. For all Co-Op students for 2019-2020 school year, draft cover letters and resume are due to Co-Op office by May 31st. Please contact Mrs Hewitt if you have any questions.

Updates from the SDSS Library Learning Commons (LLC) Our transition from a Library to a Learning Commons! We have worked very hard this year to transition from a Library to a Learning Commons. While this transition is still underway and will be ongoing in many ways, it is fun to see how far we have come! Click HERE or go to: http://bit.do/sdss-llc-slideshow-2019 to scroll through the photos which showcase our transition (you must be logged on to your GAPPS account). Click HERE or go to: http://bit.do/sdss-llc-about-us-2019 for a link to our About Us webpage which highlights our guiding principles and philosophy. Click PRESENT in the top right corner for a full screen view. PRIZES!!!!! Follow the SDSS Library Learning Commons on Twitter: @SDSS_LLC All new followers to our BRAND NEW Twitter page will be eligible for a prize. Any re-tweets will also be entered, so the more times you retweet, the more chances you will have at a prize! Winners will be announced on Mondays. April 29 Winner: @VigneshBhakiar2 Congrats! Come by the SDSS LLC to claim your prize.

News from the Guidance Office

Secondary Summer School Registration

Register on-line effective April 1st - June 28th, 2019 using myPathway Planner.

Onsite Registration July 2nd-4th, 2019.

May 23rd course selections will be updated as they become full or if they are cancelled.

Secondary Summer School e-Learning on-line effective April 5th, 2019.

Please:

1. Print and return a copy of your signed registration to the Guidance Office.

2. Obtain a "Future Course Selection Change: Summer School" form and return the signed copy to the Guidance Office.

If you require assistance, please come to the Guidance Office to make an appointment with Mrs. Luciani.

International and Indigenous Languages (IIL) Program- Credit Courses

Students can earn credits while learning a language. International and Indigenous Languages offers over 15 languages for students in Grades 9 to 12. Level 3 language credit courses can even be counted towards college and university acceptance.

For the upcoming 2019/2020 school year, we are excited to announce that the Indigenous languages, Ojibwe and Cree, will be offered. Please see our credit course offerings on our website: IIL Credit Program

The course offerings and sites are available on My Pathway Planner login page. Students can register through My Pathway Planner from May 1st until September 11th. For assistance, view the My Pathway Planner Tip Sheet. Print a copy of the sign-off sheet and obtain parent/guardian signature before submitting the registration form on the first day of classes at the selected language site.

Thank you again for your interest in our programs. Please do not hesitate to e-mail us if you have any questions: international.languages@yrdsb.ca.

SHSM Summer Co-op

1 Credit Summer Co-op o Date: July 2-26, 2019 o Location: Dr. Bette Stephenson CFL o Application Deadline: June 3, 2019

Summer Co-op 2019 Flyer - Dates and Locations.pdf

OSAP

Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) applications for post-secondary financial support are now available. Register Today https://www.ontario.ca/page/how-apply-osap More Information https://www.ontario.ca/page/osap-ontario-student-assistance-program

Graduation 2019

Graduate Responsibilities Effective Deadline Location

Grade 12 Students - Commencement, Cap & Gown $40 Now March 31st in office - Volunteer Hours Submission Now June 10th Guidance - Private School Marks Submitted Now June 14th Guidance - Graduation Gown Pick Up June 17th - Commencement Ticket Pick Up June 17th - Commencement June 25 th TBA - Diploma, Transcript, Report Cards July 8th-11th & Aug 26th-30th

*Must be signed for by the Student

*Summer Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 9:00 A.M. – 2:30 P.M.

Post-Secondary Deadlines Date

University – Latest Date for Offers of Admission May 29, 2019

University Admission Confirmation Deadline June 3, 2019

Semester 2 Final Marks Transmission to OUAC & OCAS July 4, 2019

Summer School Grades to OUAC Aug 1, 2019

Current/Upcoming Events – May 2019

MONDAY

13

TUESDAY

14

WEDNESDAY

15

THURSDAY

16

FRIDAY

17 Accounting in school trip

2:30pm-3:15pm

Spirit Day – Jersey Day

MONDAY

20

TUESDAY

21

WEDNESDAY

22

THURSDAY

23

FRIDAY

24 Victoria Day

(no school)

Accounting in school trip

2:30pm-3:15pm

OAPT

In class period 2-5

On behalf of the York Region District School Board, the YRDSB Recruitment Team (HRS) will be hosting an upcoming drop-in Information Session and Career Fair specifically targeting French Teachers and Educational Assistants (including various classifications, CYCW, DSW, etc). Please flyer below for details.

Moderated and Facilitated by Lyndsay Thompson

Hummingbird Hub (6331 Main Street, Stouffville)

7pm Adults $10 Students $5 Winter / Spring

No Parking / Designated Fire Routes

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on

PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN DESIGNATED FIRE ROUTES Any designated Fire Route needs to be clear of vehicles and ready for use by emergency vehicles. In an emergency (fire, medical, lock down etc.) time is of the essence and emergency vehicles need access. Fire Routes are signed “No Parking.” What does that mean? 1. This means that you cannot stop your vehicle and get out of the vehicle even for a short period of time.

2. You must obey the signs at all times regardless of the time of day or night. In 2017, the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville will adopt a zero tolerance approach to vehicles parked in designated Fire Routes. By-law Officers, Parking Officers, and Fire Prevention Officers will be issuing tickets when infractions are witnessed, to ensure the safety of all those using our schools and other buildings within the Municipality. If you have questions or concerns, please contact: Whitchurch-Stouffville Fire & Emergency Services at 905-640-9595 OR By-Law Department at 905-640-1900 Ext. 225

Please check out the following web sites for current Board and school information:

1) York Region District School Board - www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca

2) Stouffville District Secondary School - http://www.stouffvilledistrict.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/

SDSS Contact Information: Rose Walker, Principal, 905-640-1433 Jeff Foran, Vice Principal, 905-640-1433 Karen Parris, Vice Principal, 905-640-1433 Elizabeth Terrell-Tracey, School Trustee- East Gwillimbury and Whitchurch-Stouffville, 905-953-0562