Nicole's Notes: Volume 16 (Dec. 17)

Best Bowling with Turkeys Team EVER!
Colin MacKay, Tanner Mendoza, Brianna Higdon
with Ms. Haire :-)

Happy Monday TOSH Parents and Guardians! 

ONE MORE WEEK!! :-) We have lots of great things happening during our "'Twas the Week Before Christmas" week and some fun stuff has already happened. On Thursday, I threw together an impromptu team for the "Bowling with Turkeys" event and we dominated, thanks to Tanner Mendoza's "Fred Flintstone" technique! Never a dull moment during noon hour here at TOSH, that's for sure!

Here is a sneak peek at the events for the "Twas the Week Before Christmas" week ahead:

Monday:
*Christmas Wrap Challenge on stage at noon in the caf
*Dodgeball with the Summerside Storm at noon in the Gym
Tuesday:
*Wear Your Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
  (Judging at noon on stage in caf)
Wednesday:
*BYOM (Bring Your Own Mug)! Hot chocolate and cookie decorating in caf at noon
Thursday:
*Wear Your Christmas Hat Day and receive a treat!
 *Christmas Video in caf at noon
Friday:
*Wear Green and Gold Day!
*Regular class in the morning
*Afternoon schedule includes:
      *Reach for the Top (Students vs Teachers) at noon in LT
      *Christmas Classic Basketball game in Gym
      *Coffee House in caf beginning at 1 p.m.
      *Video Game Tournament in LT beginning at 1 p.m.

Upcoming Dates to Note:
December:
17       Grad Potluck (2013 Grads Only)
18       EURO 2013 Parent Info Meeting (rescheduled)- 7 p.m. in the Library
20-22  Annual TOSH Christmas Classic Basketball Tournament
21       Last Day of Classes-afternoon activities

January:
3         First School Day for 2013
28       Final Exam- Block A  (AM Only)
29       Final Exam- Block B  (AM Only)
30       Final Exam- Block C  (AM Only)
31       Final Exam- Block D  (AM Only)

YOGA FUNDRAISER FOR CHRISTMAS FAMILIES 

Krista Hickey has generously offered to put on a Yoga Class next Tuesday, December 18th in the TOSH gym from 5:45 - 6:45pm with the proceeds going to students in need within in our school community! Admission is $5. Please come out and de-stress in this Christmas rush and support a great cause! Please spread the word and let's fill the TOSH Gym!  

EURO 2013 PARENT INFO MEETING TUES!

The information meeting for parents of TOSH students interested in participating in the November 2013 Vimy Foundation Trip to Belgium and France has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 18/12 at 7 p.m. in the Library. We need to get fundraising for this trip off the ground, so please make a point to attend if your son/daughter is interested.

TOSH CHRISTMAS CLASSIC IS COMING TO TOWN!

Our Annual TOSH Christmas Classic Basketball Tournament kicks off on Thursday, Dec. 20! This is a great opportunity to see some great high school basketball action and catch up with old friends. We look forward to welcoming all TOSH Grads home for the holidays and hope to see lots of community support as our Three Oaks Axemen take on 6 other men's teams from across the Island and the Martimes.

Here is the schedule:

Follow @TOSHathletics on twitter for Tournament news and updates

Green Pool: Red Pool:

TOSH Charlottetown Rural

Westisle                                                     Colonel Gray

Bluefield Amherst

Prince Andrew

Thursday Dec. 20th:

5:00  Bluefield vs. Prince Andrew                         5:15   Gray vs. Rural  @  Rural

6:45  TOSH vs. Westisle (PEISAA league game)                          

Friday Dec. 21st:

9:00 Bluefield vs. Westisle

12:30pm Westisle vs. Prince Andrew                 10:45 Gray vs. Amherst

2:15 TOSH vs. Bluefield

7:00 TOSH vs. Prince Andrew                              4:00  Rural  vs. Amherst

* 3 point Contest and Star Shooting @ 5:30 (2 players from each team)

Saturday Dec. 22nd:

10:00am 1G vs. 2R                                                                                                                10:00am 2G vs. 1R

11:45am 3G vs. 3R

1:30pm 3rd place game (Losers of 10am Games)

3:15 Championship (Winners of 10am games)

* All games at TOSH except for one Thursday @ rural and one of the 10am games Saturday (TBD)

* Dec 22nd : If TOSH vs. Rural happens at any point it will count as PEISAA league game

* Game times are approximate, play will be continuous.  20 minute warm ups.  

CELEBRATING THE GOOD AT THREE OAKS!

Colin MacKay ready to launch a turkey!

TOSH Band Performs!

Becky Clark, Joel Hansen and Ryan Nicholson
~Lunch Buddies!~

Melissa MacKay and Keisha Poirier having fun with Brock Shaw
at the Staff Kids' Party!

CHRISTMAS DANCE KUDOS!!

A huge shout out to the students who helped Ms. Barrett SET UP for the Christmas dance:

Abbey McQuaid, Ellen Arsenault, Alya Ahmed-Praught, Wayne Pike, Andrew Brawn, Brandon Adams and Sarah Lynn Williams

And an HUGE thank you to those who helped TEAR DOWN:

Abbey McQuaid, Ellen Arsenault, Alya Ahmed-Praught, and Luke Thompson

An awesome time was had by all! Thank you to Ms. Sarah Jane Barrett for her leadership with this event and to all TOSH Staff who helped supervise!

Challenge:  Make plans to spend some quality time as a family this holiday. Life is busy and we need to embrace this time as the gift it truly is!

Quote of the Week: "Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace."

                                   ~ Buddha

Wishing you and yours all the best for a restful holiday and a wonderful New Year!

Looking forward to seeing your son/daughter on January 3!

Nicole                             

Nicole's Notes: Volume 15 (Dec. 10)

Happy Monday TOSH Parents and Guardians!

Let the countdown begin! Two more weeks until the holidays and we have lots to do at school between now and then. Classes will continue as usual, so please continue to encourage your son/daughter to stay focused and to get the work at hand completed. We will only have three weeks left of the semester when we return to school and final exams will be here before they know it! Students who have outstanding assignments for their classes should leave school Dec. 21 with a "make up plan" for over the holidays. Some of you, like me, will soon be welcoming home sons and/or daughters from their post-secondary studies. Having all the pieces of your heart in one spot is the greatest gift of all!

I began my visits to Block B classes this past week, and I will continue to visit every class from now until I finish. I call my chat the "Ms. Haire's Term 2 Gut Check", and I hope that our students will take this opportunity to "check" themselves against our school's criteria for success. I told them that if they feel they are taking care of business in all areas to give themselves a pat on the back for a job well done. If not, I asked that they consider how to make some personal adjustments as they move forward this year. The two topics I covered were: Academic Focus and Positive School Climate. I will be finishing up Grade 10 classes at the first of this coming week and then heading in to see the Grade 11's and 12's after that.

The EURO 2013 trip to Belgium in November, 2013 has been approved by the school board. Mr. Chisholm will be hosting an information meeting for the parents of interested students on Monday beginning at 7 p.m. in the TOSH Library.

Upcoming Dates to Note:
December:
10       Meeting for all parents of students interested in participating in the EURO 2013 trip to
             Belgium in Nov. 2013: 7 p.m. in the Library
11       Band Concert- 7 p.m. in the cafeteria
15       Christmas Dance
20-22  Annual TOSH Christmas Classic Basketball Tournament
21       Last Day of Classes

January:
3         First School Day for 2013
28       Final Exam- Block A  (AM Only)
29       Final Exam- Block B  (AM Only)
30       Final Exam- Block C  (AM Only)
31       Final Exam- Block D  (AM Only)

CHRISTMAS DANCE THIS SATURDAY 

Our annual Christmas dance is this week on Saturday, Dec. 15. Tickets have already been sold for this semi-formal event, and we look forward to seeing our kids all "spiffed up"! Please note that this has not been called a "prom" for several years in an effort to make the dance more inclusive and less expensive for those wishing to attend. Dress code is "nicer than a regular school day". Loved ones are welcome to come to the school from 7-8 p.m. to take pictures in the designated areas and the dance runs from 8-11 p.m.

WATER FOR CHANGE 

We need your spare change!! Every $25 raised will provide clean drinking water for someone for LIFE! Our student leaders have petitioned our feeder schools for help with this project and have put collection jars in the place of participating businesses around the city. Please give generously to this important charity initiative. The campaign ends December 18 and all donations can be brought to homeroom with your son/daughter or dropped off in the Main Office at TOSH.

TOSH ENVIROTHON TEAM RECOGNIZED

Andrew Farag accepts the plaque from Minister Webster

The Hon. George T. Webster, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry for PEI, was at Three Oaks this week to present our Envirothon team with a plaque for winning the provincial Envirothon competition again this year. The team has earned the right to represent PEI at the Canon Envirothon in August 2013 to compete with the winning teams from the other provinces and states. This competition will take place in Montana, USA this year. Thanks to Dr. Pringle and Mr. Higginbotham for coaching and supporting our team!

 "Embrace the Storm"

KUDOS TO OUR KIDS!

To the Summerside families (some of whom have kids at TOSH) who have each "adopted" two Storm players for the duration of their season, agreeing to share a weekly meal and some Summerside hospitality with them:  Basil and Mary Haire (Zach Graham), the Poirier's (Brett and Taylor), the Murray's (Pat), the Richardson's (Noah), Mrs. Power, and Sandra Hickey.

To the TOSH students who will be recognized by Basketball PEI with awards to be presented at a banquet in January!:

Team of the Year: TOSH AAA Men (2011/2012)

Junior Male Player of the Year (17 and under): Patrick Murray (Co-winner)

To Noah Richardson for being nominated by Mayor Basil Stewart for the ACTIVE-8! Campaign which recognizes youth leaders who promote the empowerment of women and girls, global social justice for all, and/or environmental sustainability in their everyday lives! Also, thank you for representing the Student Government Council at the Parent Council meeting on Monday!

To Maria Dalton and Bradley Murphy for qualifying to represent PEI at the Youth Challenge 5 Pin National Championships in Gatineau, March 21-23 2013! Matthew Crozier – who attends KISH, but takes the Aerospace Program at TOSH each day-also qualified.

To Sydney Dalton for agreeing to represent TOSH in the Journal Pioneer's "Teen Scene" column!

To Jesse MacFarlane for showing leadership skills!

To Joel Hansen for agreeing to represent the LED 621 class at the Presidents' Council table this semester!

To our 8 Council Presidents for a GREAT meeting on Tuesday!: Becky Clark, Michaela Walker, Becca Gallant, Andrew Farag, Brett Poirier, Noah Richardson, James Brown, Jaime MacLean.

To James Brown and Dakota Oliver for sharing their musical talent and representing the TOSH Music Council so well (VERY early in the morning!!) on Island Morning for the CBC Turkey Drive broadcast!

To Breanne Hastings, CJ Kitts, Kaitlyn Bridges, and Jill MacIntyre for giving such a great interview to promote their Water for Change initiative during the CBC Turkey Drive broadcast! 

To Marcus Richard and Logan R. MacLean for taking the initiative to publish their original works of poetry!

To the AAA Men's Basketball Team for their excellent play this weekend at the Colonel Gray tournament!

To Millee McKay for representing the Community Works Council so well in the Journal Pioneer interview she gave during the Lights for Life event last week!

To Jaime MacLean for showing the true meaning of Christmas!

To CJ Kitts for walking the talk!

To the Activities Council members who volunteered their time at the Staff Kids Christmas Party here at the school on Sunday afternoon!

Challenge:  Look for ways to show the true meaning of the season through Random Acts of Kindness this week. 

Quote of the Week:  "Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love."~Lao Tzu

Hope you have a wonderful week and that you can enjoy the ride to the holidays!

Nicole

Nicole's Notes: Volume 14 (Dec.3)

Happy Monday TOSH Parents and Guardians!

And Happy 50th Birthday to Mr. Mike Trainor (pictured above with his class last week)! Who knew Santa was only 50 years young?! :-)

We are well under way in Term 2 of the first semester and we ask that you encourage your son/daughter to keep their focus as we motor toward the Christmas holidays. We are trying to keep distractions limited, but it is an exciting time of year and homework can sometimes slip on people's priority lists! Believe it or not, we will be looking toward final exams when we return in January. Time sure flies when you're having fun!

PARENT SUPPORT REQUESTED!
It takes the school, parents, and student working together for a student to be successful in school. From now on, this "three legged stool" icon on my blog means we need parent support in a particular area.

I will be visiting classes this month to check in, say hello, and review some of our safe schools policies and academic expectations with our students. Kids tend to live up or down to our expectations, and I need all students in our care to know and understand that our expectations are high! We have worked hard to develop a positive school climate and commitment to learning at Three Oaks, and everyone will play a part for that to continue in a positive direction.

Please remind your son/daughter that "Liking" something negative or degrading to others (pictures or video) on Facebook, or encouraging/attending a physical confrontation between students on or off campus, makes him/her an accomplice to the larger problem. It is important to note that there are school discipline measures that could be associated with that role. We also need students to complete their assigned work in order to assess them properly. It is difficult for teachers to assign a passing grade to students who haven't given them much to work with! I saw many teacher comments on report cards inviting students to come for extra help, meet to discuss a plan for catching up, etc. I am confident that the school is doing everything it can to set students up for success. Term 2 has begun, and there should be a sense of urgency on everyone's part to get those assignments in and those marks up! Anything you could do on your end to help with that would be appreciated. If your son/daughter is currently on track, give them a pat on the back from us!

NOVEMBER 30 PD DAY UPDATE 
Our instructional staff spent the day on Friday doing work around our school's Literacy goals. The morning was spent developing specific strategies that each department will focus on this year to improve critical literacy in our students. The afternoon was divided between the Grade 10 PLC teachers learning about moderated marking and the remaining staff reviewing formative and summative assessment practice and considering a best practice way to report home on the behaviours and attitudes that make students successful in school and work. I presented on the topic of Literacy to the UPEI student teachers, as well, and our WRT 421 teachers met to create a common assessment approach for final exams. Our support staff participated in a morning session about student mental health and then worked on student portfolio creation for the afternoon. It was a day chock-filled with learning and professional reflection, and we are excited to see what we discussed in our day to day practice.

TOSH TO RECEIVE AWARD!
TOSH is the winner of the Tami Martell Verbal Abuse Prevention Awareness Award! This has traditionally been awarded to one school in each of the province’s school boards each year. The honour is named after a mother from Montague who continues to speak out to create awareness and action on verbal abuse and its consequences. Her work led to the establishment of P.E.I.’s Annual Verbal Awareness Prevention Week. We are being recognized for the climate intervention work we began last year with Phil Boyte's "Breaking Down the Walls" program and the "It All Starts Here!" workshops at the Loyalist. We continue to try to raise awareness about, and address, bullying issues as well as promote positive connections within our school community. Funding for these climate intervention activities were made possible by the CSLC 2008 Legacy Fund.


Upcoming Dates to Note:

December:
3         Parent Council Meeting- 6:30 p.m.
11       Band Concert- 7 p.m. in the cafeteria
15       Christmas Dance
20-22  Annual TOSH Christmas Classic Basketball Tournament
21       Last Day of Classes

January:
3         First School Day for 2013
28       Final Exam- Block A  (AM Only)
29       Final Exam- Block B  (AM Only)
30       Final Exam- Block C  (AM Only)
31       Final Exam- Block D  (AM Only)

PARENT COUNCIL MEETING HAS GUEST SPEAKER THIS MONDAY !! 

All are welcome to attend the Parent Council meeting on Monday, Dec. 3/12 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Library. The meeting will begin with thoughts shared by Superintendent Jane McMillan on the topic of Literacy and student achievement. This will be one of Superintendent McMillan's last public addresses before she leaves her post as Superintendent in January. She is an excellent presenter and her message applies to every one of us. Hope to see you there!

CBC TURKEY DRIVE  

Our Music Council members will be providing entertainment at the annual CBC Turkey Drive broadcasting from the Salvation Army Thrift Store on Tuesday, December 4 from 6-8:30 a.m. Our students plan to arrive around 7 AM. and anyone out and about that early is welcome to come out and enjoy some great music while you support this important cause! Donations from December Charity Jars will be in support of the Salvation Army.

CHRISTMAS DANCE DECEMBER 15

Tickets will be going on sale this week for the Christmas dance scheduled for December 15. Please note that this is NOT a "prom"! It is a semi-formal dance and the usual school dance policy applies. Students do not need a "date" to attend the dance and sign ins must be students currently attending an Island high school in good standing (grade 10-12), or must be graduates in good standing from the TOSH Class of 2012. The school policy around dances and proms (rules are a bit different for signs ins for the Grad prom in May) are located in the Student Handbook.

WATER FOR CHANGE 

We need your spare change!! Every $25 raised will provide clean drinking water for someone for LIFE! Our student leaders have petitioned our feeder schools for help with this project and have put collection jars in the place of participating businesses around the city. Please give generously to this important charity initiative. The campaign ends December 18 and all donations can be brought to homeroom with your son/daughter or dropped off in the Main Office at TOSH.

KUDOS TO OUR KIDS!

To our TOSH students who showed The Mural Project so much respect and contributed in a positive way to the banner paper provided for its two week stay with us!

To the students who participated in the focus study group on The Mural Project last Thursday:
Kendra Poirier, Ashley Moore, Carolyn Crossman, Quentin Wedge, Alan Gallant, Milad Haidar, Saralyn Williams, Elijah Henderson, and Jaime MacLean. Thank you!

To Maria Dalton who is attending the Jervision conference in Ottawa (on Hepatitis C prevention) this week!

To the students in Mr. Harvey's Automotive class for winning "Third Place Overall" in the Downtown Summerside Santa Claus Parade!

To the students in Automotive, Carpentry, Welding, Aviation, and those with the Activities and Community Works Councils who participated in the Santa Claus Parade last week! TOSH spirit was well represented!!

To Taran Price for qualifying for the Skate Canada Challenge this week in Regina, SK! Good luck, Taran!

To the TOSH students who are involved in Fandago's community production of "Beauty and the Beast"!:

Cast Members:

Quinton Gallant- Le Fou

Rachel Mundy- Wardrobe, Silly Girl, Wolf

Charlotte Thompson- Babette, Silly Girl, Wolf

Katarina Oram- Silly Girl, Wolf, Serviette

Ensemble Members:

James Brown, Justin Campbell, Morgan Dehmel, Michaella Donovan, David McNeill, Taylor Poirier, Jillian Russell, Devan Surkan,

Gargoyles:

Alex Gallant, Caitlin Gallant, Nicole Gallant, Sarah Hilvers, Umara Muhammad, and Charlie Steele.

Production Team:

Dakota Pardy- Assistant to Stage Manager

Prop Construction- TOSH Drama Students

Set Construction- TOSH Carpentry Students

Sloane Rioux- Set Painting

Congratulations to TOSH staff members: Ms. Cameron (Artistic Director), Mrs. Callbeck (Stage Manager), Mme. Vialle (Actor), Mr. Harvey (Stage Crew), and Mr. Corkum (Set Construction and Assembly), as well as the many TOSH parents who were involved in this production. A job well done by all!  The musical production continues to run this Thursday-Saturday at the Jubilee Theatre.

Challenge:  Take some time this week to discuss the role that the silent observer plays in negative social situations. When people who witness wrongdoing stay silent, they are actually saying they agree with what is happening.  Help your son/daughter come up with a positive plan re: what to do if he/she finds himself in this situation.

Quote of the Week:  "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."~ e.e. cummings

Have a wonderful week and let us know if your son/daughter needs any support at all. We're here to help!

Nicole

Nicole's Notes: Volume 13 (Nov. 26)

Brandon Bagnall and Frankie Reeves

Happy Monday TOSH Parents and Guardians!

And another week begins! Happy start to Term 2 of the first semester and I hope that you enjoyed reading the comments from your son/daughter's teachers on the report card that went home with them on Friday. We put a lot of time into those and tried to make them as descriptive as possible. Please note that there is still lots of time for our students to "take care of business" before final marks are entered in January, so let us know if you need any support with that!

I appreciate Brandon Bagnall and Frankie Reeves taking the time to console me on Friday after the students beat the teachers in a game of Dodgeball at noon. (See photo above)  They even brought me a treat! :-)

The provincial government has posted a video on YouTube capturing the spirit of the Official Opening of our Career and Technical Education Centre Oct. 29:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL43AED4EF5801598F&v=s9EL7xY0CXA&feature=player_embedded
Thanks to our staff and students for making us all look so good!

Best wishes to our student nurse, Kayla Perry, who will be finishing her placement with us this Wednesday. Kayla will be running information sessions about drug and alcohol abuse with selected classes on Tuesday in the Lecture Theatre.

Welcome to Ms. Samantha Perry who will be filling in for Kendra MacLaren for the remainder of this school year. Mrs. MacLaren is on secondment with the Department of Education where she is now the Language Arts Curriculum Specialist. All the best to her as she embraces this new professional challenge!

The Parent Council Meeting is next Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the Library and will feature a guest speaker: Superintendent Jane McMillan. This will be one of her final appearance as our Superintendent and we encourage all parents to consider coming out to this event.
Just as follow up: Three parents came to our session on Mental Health last Monday, which was a bit discouraging considering the scope of this issue in our school and society. We will continue to provide opportunities for parents to come into the school for various information sessions throughout the year, and encourage you to make some-or all-of these a priority in your busy schedules. I promise that the topics will always be relevant to student life here at TOSH!

NOTE:  No school on Friday-PD Day!

Dates to Remember:
November:
29       Memorial University Info Night for Parents and Students- 7 - 9 p.m. in Lecture Theatre
30       School Based PD Day- No school

December:
3         Parent Council Meeting- 6:30 p.m.
11       Band Concert- 7 p.m. in the cafeteria
15       Christmas Dance
21       Last Day of Classes

January:
3         First School Day for 2013

LIGHTS FOR LIFE
The annual PCH Lights for Life campaign is well underway and this year Three Oaks will be putting Charity Jar donations toward the purchase of a Snowflake and a Gold Light in memory of Destiny Arsenault.
Last week, we had a "Wear Purple Day" on Wednesday in honour of Destiny on what would have been her birthday. On Thursday, we received a picture taken of  Westisle Composite High School students who had also worn purple that day to show their solidarity with our staff and students.  A heartfelt thank you to Westisle's Leadership teacher, Darcy Harris, for organizing this. We appreciate you!

CBC TURKEY DRIVE 
Our Music Council members will be providing entertainment at the annual CBC Turkey Drive broadcasting from the Salvation Army Thrift Store on Tuesday, December 4 from 6-8:30 p.m. Our students plan to arrive around 7 p.m. and all are welcome to come out and enjoy some great music while you support this important cause! Donations from December Charity Jars will be in support of the Salvation Army.

T Shirts-$18

Raglan shirts-$25

ATHLETIC COUNCIL SHIRT SALES
Our Athletic Council is selling TOSH Athletics T shirts and raglans from now until Christmas in the Phys Ed Office. Sizes are Small to Xtra Large and there are "sizers" that can be tried on in advance of purchase, as well. Please note that we also have lots of other TOSH gear on sale through our Axe Outlet Bookstore every Wednesday at noon (top of the 600's staircase). TOSH gear makes a great Christmas gift for our students! 

STUDENT FEDERAL BUDGET CONSULTATION PROJECT
Our Political Studies classes are involved in this project that has the students of 175 teachers across Canada registered to participate in providing input to the federal Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty on the upcoming federal budget. The consultation will run from November 26th through to December 17th and a two minute video describing the project can be viewed on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/civixcanada

GOOD LUCK AND BREAK A LEG!
All the best to our TOSH students and staff who are involved in the Fandango Production of Beauty and the Beast opening Friday, November 30 at the Jubilee Theatre in Summerside. The show runs until December 8 and tickets are available through the Jubilee Theatre Box Office. Kudos to Ms. Cameron for her direction of this community production.

Katelyn Bridges

WATER FOR CHANGE!

Ever want to get rid of all those pennies you have at your house? We'll take them! Some of our Leadership students and Free the Children group members have joined Free the Children's "Water for Change" initiative. Every penny bag we fill with $25 worth of pennies equals water for LIFE for one person in another part of the world. The campaign runs from now until December 18 and we have accepted a challenge from KISH to see which school raises the most money! Penny donations can be dropped off in the Main Office or your son/daughter can participate in the homeroom challenge here at school. Thanks in advance for your support of this important cause!

Alex Perry, Mrs. DesRoche, and Chris  MacAusland in SCI 701

KUDOS TO OUR KIDS!

To Ryan Gallant (12) for helping Ms. Haire bring in the coffee on Friday morning for the Staff Breakfast!

To the TOSH Band members who represented us so well this past weekend at the PEI Senior High Honours Band!:

Ami O'Brien
Shanae Rogers
Emmalee Dunn
Grace Bowness
Kelsey MacIsaac
Emily Eddie
Dakota Oliver
Julia McIntyre
Marc DesRoches
Tanner Harvey
Kyle Doucette
Robbie Squires
Brohan Brennan
Veronica Sullivan
Zak McLure

To the TOSH members of the Summerside Dolphins Swim Club who competed so well this weekend at the swim meet held at the CUP!

To the hockey players from TOSH who competed in Charlottetown all weekend at the Early Bird tournament!

To Evan Tynski and Torri Dexter who are representing us at Encounters with Canada this week! Safe travels!

To Jaime MacLean for her selfless donation to the Lights for Life campaign! Thanks, also, for writing the thank you card to Westisle!

To the Water for Change student leaders for organizing and facilitating this campaign!:
Katelyn Bridges
Chelsey Bulger
Hannah Hunter
Hailie Melanson
Jill MacIntyre
Megan Doherty

To Becca Gallant for her leadership in getting the Extra-Curricular Council up and running!

To the members of the SADD committee for all the positive sticky notes that were plastered around the school last week! What a great way to make people smile!

To the Activities Council members for organizing and working at the dance Thursday evening. A good time was had by all!

To the 30-40 students who came out to give the teachers a run for their money in the Student vs. Teachers Dodgeball game on Friday!

To Caitlin Carr for filming the video with Mrs. Schurman on Friday!

Challenge:  Encourage your son/daughter to set an academic goal for Term 2 and put it up somewhere he/she can see it everyday. It will help bring some method to the madness on tough days!

Quote of the Week:  "Affirming words from moms and dads are like light switches: Speak a word of affirmation and the right moment in a child's life and it's like lighting up a whole roomful of possibilities."~ Gary Smalley

Have a great week and thanks for partnering with us! We truly care about your/our kids!
Nicole

Nicole's Notes: Volume 12

Happy Monday TOSH Parents and Guardians!

Well, the Annual TOSH Christmas Craft Fair has been over for a week, but I couldn't help but share this awesome picture (above) of "Santa" (aka TOSH teacher, Mike Trainor) shown here with some adoring fans. If you are not in the Christmas spirit just yet, all you need to do is head to the County Fair Mall. Santa will be landing there too eventually, it seems!

This Monday we are going to be having a special, in house, celebration. TOSH Social Studies teacher, David Chisholm, is a 2012 recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal!  David was one of only 4 teachers nominated in Canada for this prestigious award that celebrates an individual's positive contribution to Canadian society. David is being honoured for his work over the past several years planning the EF student tours to Europe to commemorate WWI and WWII battles. The most recent tour was last spring's Vimy Tour to France for the 95th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Honourable H. Frank Lewis, Lieutenant Governor of PEI, will be on hand Monday to present David with his medal. A CBC radio interview will be aired on Island Morning on Monday at 8:15 a.m. if you would like to listen in! David will be holding a meeting on Monday evening at 7 p.m. in the Library for the parents of students interested in a possible trip to Belgium for Remembrance Day in November 2013. We are just gauging interest at the moment, as this trip still has to be approved by the school board.

Dates to Remember:
November:
19       The Mural Project-Open to parents and community members- 6:30 p.m. (Cafeteria)
           Meeting for possible EF tour trip to Belgium in Nov. 2013- 7 p.m. (Library)
22       School Dance: 8-11 p.m.
23       Report Cards Home (NOTE CHANGE!)
30       School Based PD Day- No school

December:
3         Parent Council Meeting- 6:30 p.m.
15       Christmas Dance
21       Last Day of Classes

NATIONAL BULLYING AWARENESS WEEK
We would argue that EVERY week should be "Bullying Awareness Week"! That being said, we tried to be conscious of the issue this past week and Ms. Haire had the privilege of debriefing a Dateline NBC documentary about this topic with Mrs. Arsenault's Block A WRT 421 class this week.  Alexis Stephens is shown here sporting her pink, Anti-Bullying t-shirt at school on Friday.  The climate work we began last year will likely continue into the new year, as we all could use the constant reminder that everyone has the right to be and everyone has a story worth hearing!

A "STORM" DAY AT TOSH!

On Tuesday, our Athletic Council members hosted the players from the Summerside Storm team for lunch at our school.  "The boys" were awesome guests and mixed and mingled very naturally with our students. All involved shared a meal in the cafeteria before heading out to tour the school. Eventually, they ended up in the gym...go figure?! Posing for a group photo are members of the Storm and our awesome TOSH hosts!

TAKE YOUR MP TO SCHOOL DAY 2012 

It was a big week for important guests! On Wednesday, the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue, joined us at Three Oaks for a Q & A session in the Lecture Theatre with our Political Studies students.  Minister Shea shared the story of her journey into political life with our students and then answered questions about her job and challenges as a federal cabinet minister. We thank Minister Shea for taking time out of her busy schedule to bring a real "face" to federal politics.

THE MURAL PROJECT: USING VISUAL ARTS 
TO COMMUNICATE THE EXPERIENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH
We are proud to be hosting The Mural Project this week and next at Three Oaks. We are one of two Island schools who will be hosting The Mural Project for two weeks (November 15-29). The mural is the culmination of the artistic work done by eight adolescents who had experienced mental illness and who worked with an artist to capture their visual perceptions of this. Our students will be interacting with the mural throughout the school days, and we will be opening the school to parents and community members who wish to view the mural on Monday, November 19 beginning at 6:30 p.m. The evening will begin with a half hour session on the topic of mental wellness in the cafeteria. Mark this important session in your calendar! We look forward to seeing you there!

IT'S REPORT CARD TIME! 
Believe it or not, it's that time of the semester already!  I will be reading all report cards early next week, and then we will be sending them home to parents via the students on FRIDAY, NOV. 23!  Feel free to remind your son/daughter to dig theirs out of their backpack so that you will be updated on his/her progress to date! Please remember that the marks indicated on this report card are PROGRESS marks to date! There is still time for students to dig in and complete the work needed to meet curriculum outcomes in their courses. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the teachers or myself via e mail or phone.

GRADE 11 VISITS TO UPEI AND HOLLAND COLLEGE
Only 50% of our Grade 11 class returned their permission forms for the scheduled tours of UPEI and Holland College on Wednesday. That would have seen over 150 students remaining behind at the school that day with no scheduled classes. As a result of this, and a busing mix up, we are cancelling this tour for this year. There will be classes as usual for Grade 11's on Wednesday.

SCHOOL DANCE THURSDAY 
We will be having another school dance on Thursday evening from 8-11 p.m. and admission is $5. Any students wishing to sign in a friend (who is in good standing) from another Island high school must do so in the Main Office by the end of the day on Wednesday.  We have not had any issues that we have discovered yet this year, but it wouldn't hurt to remind your son/daughter that there is a very strict Board policy re: drug and alcohol use during school events.**See page 21 of the Student Handbook (available on our website). "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". We look forward to celebrating the term's halfway point with our kids!

T Shirts-$18

Raglan shirts-$25

ATHLETIC COUNCIL SHIRT SALES
Our Athletic Council is selling TOSH Athletics T shirts and raglans from now until Christmas in the Phys Ed Office. Sizes are Small to Xtra Large and there are "sizers" that can be tried on in advance of purchase, as well. Please note that we also have lots of other TOSH gear on sale through our Axe Outlet Bookstore every Wednesday at noon (top of the 600's staircase). TOSH gear makes a great Christmas gift for our students! 

Jason Hogan in Mr. Ramsay's class 

WELCOME PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS!
We are lucky to have 6 Pre-Service (Student) Teachers working with us over the next few weeks. Some are in their first year of study in their Bachelor of Education degree, while others are in the final year of their program. We know they will be contributors in their time with us and welcome them to our TOSH family! Here are their names and the name of the supervising teacher(s) to whom they are assigned:
Joel Banks (Krista Hickey)
Roslyn Riddington-Abbott (Mario Fiset)
Michelle Morrison (Rochelle Sullivan/Erin Peterson)
Jason Hogan (David Ramsay)
Neil Toombs (Laurie Callbeck)
Nick Cameron (Joel Arsenault)

KUDOS TO OUR KIDS!

To Morgan Boyd (picture above) who has spent the past several weeks in Mozambique, Africa serving others on a mission trip! Safe trip home, Morgan!

To the members of the Athletic Council for making the Summerside Storm players feel so welcome at TOSH!

To the students in Mrs. Evans afternoon Art 421 class for helping with the installation of The Mural Project on Thursday!

To Kennedy Clark for her leadership in her Adopt a Family project!

To the members of Mr. Trainor's POL 621 classes for your thought provoking questions to Minister Shea and for representing our student body so well!

To the CUL 801 students who are ROCKING their PBL "meals on wheels" (my term!) gourmet meals for staff!

To the following students who will be learning at Encounters with Canada this week: Chad Townsend and Kristen Pyke. Have fun and safe travels!

To Justin and Cecilia Campbell for showing awesome care and empathy as swimming instructors to a child with special needs at the CUP last week!

Challenge:  Sit down with your son/daughter next weekend and review his/her progress report. Read the teachers' comments carefully (I have asked them to be sure these offer descriptive feedback about your child's progress) and help your student set some academic goals for Term 2. It's a short hop to final exams and then the year will be halfway over!

Quote of the Week:  "Even as kids reach adolescence, they need more than ever for us to watch over them. Adolescence is not about letting go. It's about hanging on during a sometimes very bumpy ride."-Ron Taffel

Enjoy your week and we hope to see you at school for the mental health information session Monday at 6:30 p.m.!

Nicole

Nicole's Notes: Volume 11

Happy Monday TOSH Parents and Guardians!

Another TOSH Christmas Craft Fair is behind us! Thank you to all who came to shop and to all TOSH staff and students who volunteered their time to make this event such a success. It takes a whole school community to run a Craft Fair, and we appreciate the work of our staff planning committee in leading the way!

Thanks to all of you who came to Parent Teacher interviews last week, as well! There were 1237 interviews conducted on Wednesday and Thursday. If we assume an average of 4 teachers/student (not an exact number), then approximately 309 parents were involved in discussions about their child's progress. No wonder we ran out of cookies Wednesday night! :-)

Thanks, also, to the parents who have become involved with our Parent Council. There are some exciting projects and goals underway and the next meeting is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m. New members are always welcome!

Dates to Remember:
November:
12       Remembrance Day Holiday- No classes
15       The Mural Project installed
19       The Mural Project-Open to parents and community members
22       School Dance: 8-11 p.m.
23       Report Cards Home (NOTE CHANGE!)
30       School Based PD Day- No school

December:
3         Parent Council Meeting- 6:30 p.m.
15       Christmas Dance
21       Last Day of Classes

ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE INFORMATION SESSION

There will be an information session for the Rotary Youth Exchange program at Three Oaks Senior High on Nov. 13, 2012 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Contact Jim Donovan for more information: jddonovan@edu.pe.ca.

ROGERS' "RAISING THE GRADE" PROGRAM

The Summerside Boys and Girls' Club has been chosen to receive a grant from Rogers Communication so that they can provide assistance to students who wish to explore and establish their pathway to a meaningful career. Students will be paired with trained student mentors and will be expected to attend sessions for one hour/week (Wednesdays) between 4-9 p.m. at the Boys and Girls' Club. There is the possibility of participants earning a $1000 scholarship toward their post-secondary education if they participate in the program for two years. TOSH students who are interested in participating or would like to be mentors and earn Community Service Bursary hours are asked to see Mr. Donovan in Student Services ASAP!

THE MURAL PROJECT: USING VISUAL ARTS TO COMMUNICATE THE EXPERIENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH

We are proud to be one of two Island schools who will be hosting The Mural Project for two weeks (November 15-29). The mural is the culmination of the artistic work done by eight high school students who had experienced mental illness and who worked with an artist to capture their visual perceptions of this. We will be opening the school to parents and community members who wish to view the mural on Monday, November 19 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Mark it in your calendar!

AS WE HEAD TOWARDS WINTER: 

A Note for Parents from the Board

SCHOOL CANCELLATION

All school cancellations will be announced on local radio stations and posted on our websites by 7:00 A.M. If all schools are closed, it will be announced that all English language schools in the province are closed for the day. In some instances it may only be necessary to close an individual school or a >family of schools=.  Partial school closures or delays will be announced by family of schools. The Three Oaks Family of Schools includes:  TOSH, SIS, Athena, Miscouche, Elm Street, Greenfield, and Parkside.

ONE HOUR DELAY

If a decision on cancellation cannot be made by 7:00 A.M., a one hour delay will be announced whereby all schools and buses will operate one hour later than usual.  A further announcement will be broadcast by 8:00 A.M.

LATE BUSES

In some instances, even in fine weather, buses may be delayed.  Parents will be notified via radio broadcast that a bus will be delayed (i.e. Bus #97 is running 30 minutes later).

SCHOOL CLOSURES DURING THE DAY

It may be necessary to close a school or a family of schools part way through a school day.  Detailed announcements will be made on local radio stations and school board websites.

EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS DURING SCHOOL DAY

Should Transportation Infrastructure Renewal and/or the RCMP recommend that school buses remain off Island roads, students may be required to remain at school beyond their normal dismissal time (unless picked up by a parent or designate).  Announcements will be made on local radio stations and school board websites.

 SUGGESTIONS FOR PARENTS:

1.       The final decision to attend school or to travel to school via school bus always rests with the parent. 

2.       Please do not drop children off at school unless you are certain that school is operating that day and that staff are present to supervise the children.

3.    Please listen to the radio and check school board websites frequently between 6:30 and 8:00 A.M. daily to determine if schools are operating.  Every effort will be made to have announcements broadcast by 7:00 A.M.

4.    Please do not call the school, school board office, or the radio stations for information on cancellations or delays.  Such calls tie up telephone lines which may be needed for emergency use.

KUDOS TO OUR KIDS!

To the students involved in the Math 421 PBL "Hole in One" project! Your presentations on Tuesday evening were very impressive!

To our TOSH students who are attending Encounters with Canada this week: Katelyn Bridges, Megan McNeill, and Ben Smith!

To the Presidents of the 8 Councils for an awesome "Presidents' Council" meeting on Tuesday at noon! You are leading your Councils in some pretty exciting directions! Proud of you!

To Noah Richardson, Student Government Council President, for representing Summerside's youth and for speaking so well at the City's Remembrance Day ceremony at the CUP on Sunday! Well done, Noah!

To all TOSH students who were so incredibly respectful at our Remembrance Day assembly on Wednesday! SO proud of you all!

To Brye Caissie, Matthew McNeill, and Grace Bowness for their powerful reflections about their experiences on the Vimy Ridge trip at this year's Remembrance Day assembly!

To Blaire Guptill for her excellent rendition of The Last Post and Reveille at the assembly!

To Danielle Gosse and Jenna DesRoches who stepped up and helped the custodians get chairs ready for the assembly during their lunch hour on Wednesday!

To the students who came in at 7 a.m.(!!) Thursday morning to bake more cookies for the Parent Teacher interview day ahead:  Bruce Ramsay, Holly Hartlen, Ciara Arsenault, Sarah Lo Iacono, and Scott Richard!

To the students from the various extra-curricular groups and Councils in the school who gave so much of their time during the Craft Fair weekend to work the doors, deliver food to vendors, work the Axe Outlet table and babysitting room, set up and tear down, count money, and serve food in the cafeteria! We could not have pulled off this event without you!

To Scott Richard for going above and beyond at the Craft Fair-start to finish!!

Have a wonderful week and we encourage all our students to dig in and focus on the work at hand as we head toward the end of our first reporting term Nov. 16!

Nicole