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