Nicole's Notes: Volume 7

Hello TOSH Parents and Guardians!

All those June bugs flying around these days are a great reminder that we are heading into the final month of our school year! There are some busy weeks ahead, so thanks in advance for helping us to keep your son/daughter's eyes on the goal. We want each and every student to finish strong as we cross the finish line together!

Upcoming Dates to Remember:
MAY
28    SGC Oath Taking-caf stage at noon
JUNE
5      Extra-curricular Awards Assembly
7      "TOAD" (Three Oaks Activity Day-PM only!)
9      Athletic Banquet
11    Grade 12 Final Exams-Block A (9-11:30 a.m.)
12    Grade 12 Final Exams-Block B (9-11:30 a.m.)
13    Grades 10-12 Final Exams-Block C (9-11:30 a.m.)
14    Grades 10-12 Final Exams-Block D (9-11:30 a.m.)
15    Grade 10-11 Final Exams-Block A (9-11:30 a.m.)
18    Grade 10-11 Final Exams-Block B (9-11:30 a.m.)
19    Grad List Posted-9 a.m.
21    Graduation Practice Breakfast and Rehearsal (Grade 12 Grads)
        Graduation- 7 p.m. (Credit Union Place)
        Safe Grad Activity following Graduation
26    Report Cards distributed for Grades 10-11 (9-10:30 a.m.)
29    School Closes for Summer Holidays!


STUDENT GOVERNMENT COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS! 
Congratulations to Noah Richardson (President), Rebecca Drummond (Vice-President), and Maria Dalton (Communications Officer) whose For-Oaks party will form the first ever TOSH Student Government Council Executive. Thank you to all the candidates who participated and gave their best to their campaigns. The new government members will take their oath on stage in the cafeteria at noon on Monday.



DRESS CODE:
Please help us hold our students accountable to the school dress code by reviewing it with your child and making sure that they go out the door in the morning dressed appropriately for school. Here is the policy as it appears in our Student Handbook:


TOSH DRESS CODE -Three Oaks Mission Statement encourages students to show respect for
themselves, their peers, and their teachers. In light of this, and in the pursuit of a positive learning
environment, the following are NOT considered appropriate school attire:
* clothing, including hats, jewellery, or accessories associated with drug, alcohol, tobacco, sex,
obscenity, discrimination or violence.
* short shorts or short skirts, revealing necklines, exposed midriffs, or shoulderless shirts.
* outer clothing that does not completely cover underclothes.
Students may be asked to change or cover up if their dress is considered inappropriate or makes
someone uncomfortable.

Please note:  Students have been reminded numerous times this year that the length of shorts and skirts should not be shorter than the end of the fingertips when arms are extended by one's side. That seems to be one of our major infractions as we head into the warmer weather. Thanks in advance for your help with this and for your support if we have to ask your child to head home to change.

Bake Sale at TOAD Day- June 7  
The TOSH Parent Council will be running a bake sale during Three Oaks Activity Day (TOAD) beginning at 11:45 a.m. on June 7. If you would like to donate items for sale that day, just send them to school with your son or daughter to bring to the Main Office. The proceeds from this sale will go toward a graduation bursary for a deserving Grade 12 student on graduation night.

GRADE 12 PARENTS!
If your son or daughter has received a post-secondary scholarship for next year, and you would like that fact recognized on stage during the 2012 graduation, please make sure that your child brings in a copy of the scholarship information to give to Mr. Donovan in Student Services. If we do not have this, we can not celebrate your child's accomplishment the way we would like to on graduation night!


Quote of the Week: "A child is not a vase to be filled, but a fire to be lit."~François Rabelais

Kudos to Our Kids!
To the following students who participated in provincial Student Council Executive Training on Friday with Tom Yonge at the Loyalist:  Noah Richardson, Rebecca Drummond, Maria Dalton, Nicole Gallant, Brooke Blanchard, and Katie MacKay.

To Kayla Butler for being Tom Yonge's "official photographer" during his sessions last week!

To Kayla Butler, Morgan McLellan, and Sarah Eddie for making the sign to welcome Tom Yonge!

To Hannah Graham for introducing our speaker at the assembly on Thursday!

To the LED 621 students who helped facilitate the track and field meet on Thursday!

To the POL 621 students for their help running our recent elections!

To the following students who recently passed the pre-Calculus test for UPEI admittance: Larissa Carr,
Lucas Coughlin, Blake Gallant, Beth Giroux, Brianna Meade, Kaitlin Moore, Emily Oftedahl, Daniel Simmons, and Sarah Walker.

To Emily Wolfe on her acceptance into Officer Training at the Royal Military College of Canada for next year.

Have a wonderful week!

Nicole

Nicole's Notes: Volume 6

Hello TOSH Parents and Guardians!

I hope you all enjoyed a restful Victoria Day weekend with those you love. We celebrated my eldest daughter's 19th birthday this weekend. Wow! I'm not sure where the time has flown, but I intend to be present to each and every stage as we fly along!

This is a busy week coming up at Three Oaks with elections, a guest speaker, and prom. The ride to the end of the year is often a bit of a roller coaster ride, especially for our Grade 12 parents. I encourage you to strap on your seat belts and read on!

Upcoming Dates to Remember:
MAY
21    Victoria Day- No Classes 
22    SGC Election Day
        Grade 12 assembly-At-risk Behaviours-Block D
        Presentation for parents (Safe Grad Info and At-Risk Student Behaviours)- 6:30 p.m.
24    Full School Motivational Assembly: Tom Yonge-9 a.m.
        Leadership 621 Workshop with Tom Yonge following the assembly
        TOSH Band Concert-6:30 p.m.
25    Provincial SC Training Day
26    Grad Prom
28    SGC Oath Taking-caf stage at noon
JUNE
5      Extra-curricular Awards Assembly
7      "TOAD" (Three Oaks Activity Day-PM only!)
9      Athletic Banquet
11    Grade 12 Final Exams-Block A (9-11:30 a.m.)
12    Grade 12 Final Exams-Block B (9-11:30 a.m.)
13    Grades 10-12 Final Exams-Block C (9-11:30 a.m.)
14    Grades 10-12 Final Exams-Block D (9-11:30 a.m.)
15    Grade 10-11 Final Exams-Block A (9-11:30 a.m.)
18    Grade 10-11 Final Exams-Block B (9-11:30 a.m.)
19    Grad List Posted-9 a.m.
21    Graduation Practice Breakfast and Rehearsal (Grade 12)
        Graduation- 7 p.m. (Credit Union Place)
        Safe Grad Activity following Graduation
26    Report Cards distributed for Grades 10-11 (9-10:30 a.m.)
29    School Closes for Summer Holidays!

NOTE:  Parents are asked to help us enforce our school Dress Code now that the warmer weather is upon us! I have asked all staff to be diligent in addressing infractions, and students who are not dressed appropriately will be asked to make adjustments on site or go home to change.

Important Meeting for Parents May 22-6:30 p.m.!
TOSH Cafeteria
6:30 p.m.: Safe Grad Info Session (Mrs. Dia-Lynn Keough)
7:00 p.m.: Presentation by Youth Service Workers, Clayton Ellis (TOSH) and George Kinch (Westisle), about some of the at-risk behaviours that can threaten the safety and very lives of our students. They will also have some important realities to share about the "prom party" that some of our students plan to attend post-prom on Saturday night. If you think you know what that is all about, my guess is that you really don't. Please plan to attend this important parent information session!

Election Update!
The two weeks of campaigning are over, and it is now time for our Grade 10 and 11 students to cast their ballots! The vote for our newly formed Student Government Council will take place on Tuesday, May 22 during homeroom. A party must receive 50% + 1 in order to be declared the winner, so we are prepared to run a second ballot on Wednesday if needed. Good luck to all the candidates!

Tom Yonge In the House on Thursday!
TOSH welcomes Tom Yonge, a motivational speaker and celebrated

Tom Yonge with two graduating students

Leadership teacher from Edmonton, AB, to our school on Thursday.
Tom loves working with students and serving the local and global community.  In the last five years, his Leadership program at Strathcona High School has raised over $200, 000 for charity and they had a ton of fun doing it!  In 2006, Tom was the recipient of the Alberta Provincial Teaching in Excellence Award and has recently been nominated for Edmonton’s "Top 40 Under 40" Award. He will deliver a full school keynote address in the morning and then work with our LED 621 class before heading to KISH for a repeat session. On Friday, Tom will be facilitating the Provincial Student Council Executive Training workshop at the Loyalist.

Grad Prom 2012
The graduation prom for our Grade 12 students will take place this Saturday, May 26 at Credit Union Place. Students who are attending should already have purchased a ticket at the school. The prom begins at 7 p.m. with a grad banquet and the dance ends at 11 p.m. Parents please note that any social gatherings that happen after the prom (i.e. "prom party") are not school-sanctioned events and will not be supervised. Parents whose children plan to attend this party (which involves hundreds of people of all ages from in and outside our school) are encouraged to come to our parent information session on Tuesday, May 22 in the cafeteria beginning at 6:30 p.m. "Prom Party" is NOT a "safe" event, and if your child decides to attend regardless, you will need to have a plan to keep him/her as safe as possible that night. We want ALL our grads present, healthy, and happy at graduation on June 21!

"Into the Woods": A New Policy!
Rationale:  There has been an ongoing issue with TOSH students-past and present-going "into the woods" beside the school during the school day. This has resulted in students missing class time, so we felt the need to set a policy in response to this issue.

We have been informed that the wooded area (bordering the rugby field beside the cafeteria and behind the Welding shop) is private property and our students are no allowed to be there. Signs will be posted clearly indicating that this area is off limits. Our students were presented with this new policy information by their teachers during Block B on Friday.  Summerside Police will be stepping up their patrols of this area and student found there will be brought back to the school where trespass letters will be issued.

New Policy:
1st Violation:  A warning from the school administration, a trespass letter issued for the area in question and cc'd to City Police, and a phone call to parents.
2nd Violation:  A one day suspension with a phone call/letter home to parents and a trespassing report to City Police.
3rd Violation: A three day suspension with a phone call/letter home to parents and trespassing report to City Police.
4th Violation:  A five day suspension with a phone call/letter home to parents and trespassing report to City Police. A meeting with the student and parents to discuss the problem and the specifics of the suspension may also be requested.
5th Violation:  A five day suspension and parents will be notified that they must contact the Director (WSB) of the school to arrange a meeting to establish the terms that must be met if the student is to be reinstated.

We thank you in advance for your support with this new policy and hope that you will review it with your child.

Kudos to Our Kids!
To Alec Parise for receiving the Juvenile Boys Athlete of the Year award from Volleyball PEI!

To Greg MacCormack for being selected as a Page in the Senate of Canada in Ottawa beginning September 2012!

To the Class Officers for planning a successful grad outing to Crystal Palace last week!

To Morgan McLellan for agreeing to make the "Welcome" sign for Tom Yonge's visit!

To Rachel Gallant for her hard work this year maintaining the "Student of the Week" board!

Have a wonderful week and thanks for sharing your great kid(s) with us!
Nicole

Nicole's Notes: Volume 5

Hello TOSH Parents and Guardians!

I am writing this week's update from the 30 Hour Famine overnight event! What better way to get some things checked off the "To Do" list than to hang out with some awesome kids at school from 9 p.m.-7 a.m.! They raised a substantial donation for World Vision and a lot of awareness around the issue of world hunger. What a  positive way to end a busy week and what a privilege to work with such globally minded students!

Upcoming Dates to Remember:
MAY
14    Parent Council Meeting-6:30 p.m.(TOSH Library-Everyone welcome!)
18    Advance Polls for Student Government Council Election
21    Victoria Day- No Classes 
22    Grade 12 assembly-PARTY program-Block D
        PARTY program presentation for parents- 7 p.m.
22    SGC Election Day
24    Full School Motivational Assembly: Tom Yonge-9 a.m.
        TOSH Band Concert-6:30 p.m.
25    Provincial SC Training Day
26    Grad Prom
28    SGC Oath Taking-caf stage at noon
JUNE
5      Extra-curricular Awards Assembly
7      "TOAD" (Three Oaks Activity Day-PM only!)
9      Athletic Banquet
11    Grade 12 Final Exams-Block A (9-11:30 a.m.)
12    Grade 12 Final Exams-Block B (9-11:30 a.m.)
13    Grades 10-12 Final Exams-Block C (9-11:30 a.m.)
14    Grades 10-12 Final Exams-Block D (9-11:30 a.m.)
15    Grade 10-11 Final Exams-Block A (9-11:30 a.m.)
18    Grade 10-11 Final Exams-Block B (9-11:30 a.m.)
19    Grad List Posted-9 a.m.
21    Graduation Practice Breakfast and Rehearsal (Grade 12)
        Graduation- 7 p.m. (Credit Union Place)
        Safe Grad Activity
26    Report Cards distributed for Grades 10-11 (9-10:30 a.m.)
29    School Closes for Summer Holidays!

Election Update
Last week we had our inaugural "Leaders' Debate" in the Lecture Theatre at noon. We took down the walls to open up the space for the 100+ students who came out to listen to our Student Government Council Presidential candidates speak to the issues. It was enlightening for all and will better prepare our student voters to make an informed choice when they go to the polls on May 22. A big thank you to Mr. David Gallant for facilitating and to Mr. Trainor for his organization of the event. This coming week will feature campaign rallies in the caf at noon.

Scholarships and Bursaries
This is a busy time of year in Student Services as our potential graduates fill in any number of scholarship and bursary applications available to them. Having seen my daughter through her first year of post-secondary study, I can tell you that these awards help A LOT and will offset some of the trips you will have to make to the "money tree" growing in your backyard as fees come due. If your child is confused about the process, please encourage him/her to stop into Student Services and see Mr. Donovan for help. The door is always open and the bursary list is available via the link on our school website: www.edu.pe.ca/threeoaks.

TOSH Women's team with their championship banner!

TOSH Men's team with their championship banner!

Voye Memorial Rugby Tournament Double Gold!

Congratulations to our Three Oaks Women's and Men's rugby teams who captured gold at the tournament hosted by our school this past weekend. This was a first time tournament banner for our ladies and number 6 for our TOSH men. Looks like an interesting run to the provincials this year! We might have to extend our gym hallway to accommodate all the banners our TOSH athletes keep bringing home! Proud of everyone and thanks to our coaches, as well as to Mrs. Sue Thomson and Mr. Joel Arsenault who set everything up and kept it running smoothly all weekend!

Gerard Moulins with his
Golden Apple Award

A TOSH Retiree!

Congratulations to our Woodworking teacher, Gerard Moulins, on his decision to retire after 36 awesome years of teaching this June. Gerard is a "Founding Father" of Three Oaks, beginning his career in the shop he loves when the school opened in 1976. He has been an active contributor to our school community and we will feel his loss on staff in September. We know that he will find lots to keep him busy, however, as his skills are numerous and transferable. Many of our staff have benefited from Gerard's teaching and mentorship and we will wish him well during this next stage of life. Gerard will be celebrated at the Western School Board's retirement dinner on June 2 and tickets are available from Pam Rodgerson in the main office. At Gerard's request, we will not be hosting a tea at the school in his honour.

Did You Know This Fun Fact?:
Queen Victoria (whose reign we celebrate next Monday and who survived 7 assassination attempts!) wore a white wedding dress when she married her first cousin, Prince Albert, thereby setting the trend for wearing white wedding dresses? Who knew?!

Quote of the Week:
“Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.” ~Maya Angelou


Kudos to Our Kids!
To Nick Kelly (Automotive) and Brandon Neal (Outdoor Powered Equipment) as they represent our school at the National Skills competition this week.

To our AP Calculus, English and Biology students for giving their best effort on the AP exams which finish up on Monday. Thank you to Mrs. Keough for her leadership and organization of this program!

To Logan Crossman  for being selected as this week's "Student of the Week"! Our bulletin board was FILLED with the great things that many of our students are doing and Logan's name was chosen to receive a prize donated by Summerside Consolidated Credit Union.

To Alex Mitchell for the many noon hours he spends offering friendship to our students with special needs.

To Hannah Graham for her tireless effort in planning this year's 30 Hour Famine activity and to Greg MacCormack for his help with set up and running the event.

To the 30 Hour Famine participants for their participation and help to make this year's Famine such a success!

To Olivia Fraser and her Leadership 621 crew mates for their work at the Voye Memorial Rugby tournament this weekend. Mrs. Thomson said they could not have run the tournament without their help!

Enjoy your week!
Nicole

     

Nicole's Notes: Volume 4

Hello TOSH Parents/Guardians!

Welcome May! With that comes the warm weather and the promise of summer holidays. Believe it or not, we are a mere five weeks away from the start of Grade 12 Final Exams! Right now, many seniors are in "prom mode" (an exciting time for them, as well!). Anything you can do to help us keep their eyes on their academic goals as they ride the wave to June would be much appreciated! We also need your help on the topic of dress code. Clothes that are "in style" are not always appropriate school attire. Please review the school's Dress Code with your son/daughter so that we can avoid the awkward situation of having to address infractions at school.

Dates to Remember:
May
7      Student Government Council (SGC) Campaigns Begin
8      Michael Kennedy Workshops
        Michael Kennedy session for public: 7-9 p.m. Cost is $8/person
9      Michael Kennedy Workshops continue
        SGC Leaders' Debate in LT at noon (moderated by David Gallant)
11    30 Hour Famine Overnight Event
        David Voye Memorial Rugby Tournament
14    Parent Council Meeting-6:30 p.m. in the library-All are welcome!
18    Advance Polls for SGC Election
21    Victoria Day- No Classes 
22    Grade 12 assembly-PARTY program-Block D
         PARTY program presentation for parents- 7 p.m.
22     SGC Election Day
24     Full School Motivational Assembly: Tom Yonge-9 a.m.
26     Grad Prom- Credit Union Place
28     SGC Oath Taking-caf stage at noon

NOTE:  The date for this year's graduation ceremony is June 21 (7 p.m.) at Credit Union Place.

PARTY Program Presentation for Parents: May 22 at 7 p.m. 
We have decided to move our PARTY program presentation for parents closer to the date of the prom. It will take place on Tuesday, May 22 beginning at 7 p.m. and the focus of the presentation is some of the at-risk behaviours that young people can engage in during this time of year. Our goal is to work with you to keep our kids safe. Please make time in your busy schedule to come to this important information session. NOTE:  This session is not only for parents of Grade 12 students! This is an important topic for all parents, especially considering the fact that students of all grade levels seem to be buying "tickets" to attend the prom "after party" (which is NOT a school-sanctioned event). In fact, this is not a "safe" event for your child to attend, despite what people tell you. We deal with the after-effects of this party annually, and it is not something we endorse our students attending.

Prom Policy
The prom is in celebration of those students who are in a position to graduate from Three Oaks in June 2012. We have reworked our Prom policy in order to create some flexibility for students who wish to bring dates who are not current TOSH students while still trying to keep the participants age-appropriate for a high school dance. Prom dates must be: students out of high school no more than 2 years, no older than 21 years of age, and students in good standing at their last school. All prom dates are subject to administrative approval and all school rules apply at the prom. Prom tickets were on sale this past week, but there will be a "late sale" on Tuesday of this week for those who neglected to get their tickets on time. NOTE: All late book and student fees must be paid prior to prom tickets being issued.

Advanced Placement Courses 2012-2013
At Three Oaks, we value the enrichment of curriculum and instruction for all students and we will continue to offer Advanced Placement courses where enrolment numbers warrant. This year we will be offering the following AP courses:
*   Grade 12 AP Math
*   In English, we will be offering our usual ENG 611(Advanced) course with the option for those students to write the AP exam in the spring if they choose to do so.
* CHM 621S and BIO 621S will not be offered this coming year due to low enrolment numbers
I will be meeting with AP designated students on Monday, May 7 and sending an information letter home to parents that day. If you have further questions, feel free to contact me via e mail or call the school.

Student Government Council Elections!

The process is well under way for this year's Student Government Council elections. Here are some media links-in case you missed the recent coverage-that might better explain the new student leadership model we have created for next year: "Student Council 2.0".
CBC Radio: http://mobilevideo.cbc.ca/u/ref~s-audio~~1~1~37737852~000020623622/1
CBC Compass: (Scroll to 17:28)
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/Canada/PEI/Compass/2179017826/ID=2230541311
Journal-Pioneer: http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2012-05-03/article-2970356/A-new-era-begins-for-TOSH-student-council/1

Bringing Home the Golden Apple Award! 
We are proud to announce that one of the two Western Area Teachers' Association "Golden Apple Award" winners this year is our own Gerard Moulins! Gerard is a founding faculty member of Three Oaks and has served students here for 36 years. His involvements in the school over the years have been extensive with special mention going to his roles as Student Council and Class Officers advisor and the part he played in the creation of Safe Grad. Gerard meets his students where they are and then takes them farther than they thought they could go, both academically and as people. It is wonderful to see Gerard's ongoing hard work and dedication recognized!

Kudos to Our Kids!
To Maggie Finkle-Aucoin for being selected to participate in the Quebec exchange next year!

To Maria Dalton for being selected to attend the National Student Commonwealth Forum in Ottawa this week!

To the candidates running in the four parties for Student Government Council election:

The Revolutionary Student Government (RSG) Party: 

Kitt Carey-Campbell, Clayton Smith, and Andrew Farag

The New Age Student Association Party:

Wayne Pike, Patrick Strongman, and Mitch Rayner

The For-Oaks Party:

Noah Richardson, Rebecca Drummond, and Maria Dalton

The Rhinoceros Party:

Joel Hansen, Liam McDonald, and James Brown

To Brendan Ronahan for his excellent representation of a Confederation "father" during our assembly on Thursday.

To Dakota Oliver for her beautiful rendition of "O Canada" at the assembly.

To Ryan MacArthur for his awesome spotlight work at the assembly!

To Greg MacCormack and Hannah Graham who were our emcees!

To the LED 621 class for providing the spirit!

To the Student Council members who ran the barbeque at noon!

To TOSH alumni, Alex Clark, for his help with the assembly video!

Quote of the Week:  "Sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny."~George Dana Boardman

Have a wonderful week!

Nicole