Nicole's Notes: Volume 35 (May 20, 2013)

                                                                  Happy Monday TOSH Parents and Guardians! 

Andrew Harbord is stylin'!

Happy long weekend and welcome to the last four weeks of school before Final Exams begin! The Grade 10 parents out there are likely realizing just how FAST these three years are going to fly!; Grade 11 parents are recognizing that their child will return to TOSH in the fall to have grad pictures taken (Yikes!); and, Grade 12 parents...I feel your pain! This is my third time in three years watching a piece of my heart cross the TOSH graduation stage, and it doesn't get any easier (It's that whole "if you love someone, set them free" thing!). The good news is that they usually come back to roost, and you will have many holidays and summers in the future filled with extra laundry and elevated grocery bills to look forward to! I'm living that reality as we speak with a BIG smile on my face! I wouldn't have it any other way! :)

I am headed to Edmonton, AB on Thursday of this week (May 23-30) to participate in the Alberta Student Leadership Conference. I will be checking my e mail daily while I am away, but if you need immediate assistance, please do not hesitate to contact one of our Vice-Principals: Jason Gallant (xjgallant@edu.pe.ca) or Gerald MacCormack (gkmaccormack@edu.pe.ca). Both can also be reached by phone: 888-8460.

GRAD PROM MAY 25!

Our 2013 Graduation Banquet and Prom will take place at Credit Union Place on Saturday, May 25. Doors open at 6 p.m. for pictures (please note that it is best to take pictures beforehand, as only the front foyer is open to parents and friends) and the banquet begins at 7 p.m. The dance will follow the meal.

PLEASE NOTE!:  The Prom Party that some students have purchased tickets for is NOT a school sanctioned event and no TOSH staff will be on hand there to supervise. Despite what parents may be told, this event poses potential danger for our students and is not exclusive to TOSH students or people of that age group. We deal with the aftermath of Prom Party each year at school and pray every year that no one gets seriously hurt or worse. Please make sure that you have complete and accurate information before granting your son/daughter permission to attend the after prom party. If you wish to call the school and speak to an administrator, we can definitely paint you a picture that might help you make your decision more quickly.

Upcoming Dates to Note:

May

20      Victoria Day- No Classes
22      Student Loan Information Night- 6:30 p.m. in Lecture Theatre

24      Relay for Life- Community Gardens, K'ton

25      Grad Prom

          PEISAA Badminton Championships (and 27th)
30      "Standing for the Silent": Kirk Smalley presentation to parents- 7 p.m.
31      Kirk Smalley Keynote- Full School Assembly

June
1       Band Banquet
4       Extra-Curricular Awards Assembly
6       TOAD: "Three Oaks Activity Day"  (11:50 a.m.- end of the day)
8       Athletic Banquet
10     GRADE 12 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK A
11     GRADE 12 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK B
12     GRADE 10, 11, & 12 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK C
13     GRADE 10, 11 & 12 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK D
14     GRADE 10 & 11 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK A       
17     GRADE 10 & 11 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK B
18     Grad List Posted- 9 a.m.
20     Graduation Breakfast and Rehearsal
         Graduation- Credit Union Place- 7 p.m. (Open to the public-no tickets required)
         Safe Grad to follow
25     Report Cards for Grades 10 & 11: 9-10:30 a.m.
28     School Closes for the Summer!

DRESS CODE:  WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Although the warm weather is most welcome, we are starting to see more fashions coming to school that are in violation of our school dress code, particularly the length of skirts, dresses, and shorts. Some years, the "styles" work against us and this seems to be the case this season. Please ask your daughter to be sure that her skirt or dress extends below her fingertips when her arms are held by her side. It is more difficult with shorts, because very few in stores meet our "finger tip rule". However, "short shorts" are definitely something to wear in another place/time, and we will have discreet conversations with any students who prompt a raised eyebrow or two. We continue to monitor all aspects of our Dress Code, but this seems to be our biggest issue at the moment. We appreciate you being proactive at home by monitoring what your child is wearing to school each day.

NO TRESPASSING POLICY REVISITED! 

Summerside Police have indicated that students have begun to frequent the woods bordering the rugby field (across from the cafeteria doors) once again. This is private property and there are "No Trespassing" signs clearly displayed. Any students found by police in that wooded area will be charged with trespassing and will receive a suspension from the school, as well. Please review this policy with your son/daughter and make sure that he/she knows to steer clear of this wooded area. I made an announcement to this effect, as well, last week.

KIRK SMALLEY PRESENTATION:

 MAY 30- 7 PM@ TOSH!!

Thank you to all who came out to watch The Bully Project documentary on May 16.  We are hoping to fill our gym on Thursday, May 30 beginning at 7 p.m. for Kirk Smalley's presentation. His son, Ty, committed suicide at the age of 11 after being relentlessly bullied. PLEASE DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WITH THE SESSION THAT IS HAPPENING AT THE CUP THAT WEEK! We scheduled Kirk to come (and are paying to fly him here from Oklahoma) to speak to interested parents/community members (May 30), as well as TOSH staff and students (May 31). Apparently, a parent from another school has decided to run an independent event on May 31 at the CUP while Kirk is in town. We are hoping that our parent community, and anyone else who is interested in hearing Kirk speak, will come to Three Oaks on MAY 30 to support our original event. Kirk's presentation that evening will be followed by a Youth Support Service Expo in the caf and the evening is sponsored by the TOSH Climate Crew and Parent Council. Bring some friends and come out to hear Kirk's message of hope and healing!!

STUDENT LOAN PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT!

There will be an information session for parents and graduating students interested in applying for student loans-both federal and provincial-on May 22 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the TOSH Lecture Theatre. There will also be some information provided about various bursary programs our province provides including: George Coles and Island Skills/Student Awards, along with provincial debt reduction grants for those who qualify upon completion of their studies.

PING PONG!!

Noon hour table tennis (fondly known as "PING PONG"!) began last week and all students are welcome to come try out one of our four tables. There is also lots of room for spectators up in the balcony, so please encourage your son/daughter to come to the gym and enjoy the fun! Thanks to Mr. Gregory for securing two brand new tournament style tables through grant monies and to Mr. Arsenault and the Athletic Council for their organization of this activity! 

Ball Hockey is happening in the yard of the CTEC building, as well, at noon hours. Students are encouraged to listen to the announcements for dates and times!

ASSEMBLY UPGRADE!  

Those who attended the movie night last week had the privilege of enjoying the two new LCD projectors and big screens that were recently installed in our gym. These will significantly improve our ability to use technology to enhance school assembly presentations and can also be used creatively by our Phys Ed teachers as visual aids! The screens are controlled automatically and the projectors are protected by metal casings fabricated by our Welding teacher, Mr. Beaulieu. Thanks to Mr. MacCormack for everything he did to make sure that this system was up and running on time for our May 16 activity!

"IN OUR OWN BACKYARD" PROGRAM DONATION!

Special thanks to the Summerside Christian Council for their generous donation of $1000 towards our new "In Our Own Backyard" program that helps us provide healthy food for students in our school community who would not otherwise have this option. Our daily Breakfast Program is always in need of funding, and we have also been "adopting" some students as a staff to ensure that they have a healthy lunch each day. We know that students who come to school hungry will struggle with their learning and we want the best for every child in our building. Anyone who would like to help with a donation to this program is invited to call the school or e mail Nicole: nmhaire@edu.pe.ca. "It takes a village to raise a child."

MS. HAIRE'S  FRIDAY "HAPPY WANDER"!

Sometimes, when the weeks get busy, I feel the need to leave my office to check out the awesome things that are happening in our school and connect with the wonderful students we serve here each and every day. I find that these "wanders" help me keep my focus and are usually "what made me happy" that day! These photos were taken in the final 20 minutes before we headed out for the long weekend on Friday. Enjoy! :-) 

Daniel Bridges and Ms. Allen hiding out!

  

Noah and Jill claim the Library's comfy chairs!

Mr. Higginbotham teaches about enzymes...I think! :)

Learning through movement: COOL!

Best seat in the house!

Our hard working cleaners: Flora and Marilyn

Happy to be in Math class?! :)

Robbie and Amy ready for weekend practice! Well done!

A cold, wet Bus Duty day! Colton Profitt offers support :)

     KUDOS TO OUR KIDS!

DJ Gaudet: Proud 2013 Graduate!

To Nicole Gallant for making the initial contact with Kirk Smalley and arranging his visit to PEI!

To Thomas Stavert and the Summerside Western Capitals for making the finals (as of Sat. evening) of the RBC Cup! 

To our TOSH Men's Softball team for their 10-1 win against Evangeline on Friday...in cold, wet weather! Winning pitcher was Owen Arsenault and top batters were: Zack Mallet  3-4, 1 run scored, 3 RBI; Chasse Gallant  2-3,1 run scored, 2 RBI; and Matt Barlow 1-4, 2 runs scored, 2 RBI!

To our Women's AA Rugby team for their decisive win against Bluefield Thursday evening!

To Ellen Arsenault and Abbey McQuaid for their work on the Grad Prom Committee!

To Nicole Gallant and Millee McKay for helping out during the movie night May 16!

To the members of the Chorale Ensemble for being invited to compete at the provincial music festival later this month!

To Rachel Mundy (Musical Theatre), Michaella Donovan (Senior Vocal) and Grace Bowness (Senior Piano) for being invited to compete at the provincial music festival!

To the Seniors for Seniors group on a successful hot dog barbeque fundraiser last week!

To Mr. Chisholm's Global Issues 621 classes, and invited guests, for their attention during the Bolo's Africa presentation last week!

To the top five Grade 10 Math PBL groups who made it to the final round of competition judging!

To our Carpentry students who are doing an awesome job on the United Soccer building outside the gym!

To our TOSH students who participated in Rachel Parise's "Class for a Cause" Random Acts of Kindness event last week. Awesome!!!!

Challenge:  Add Kirk Smalley's presentation on May 30 (7 p,m,) to your calendar! This is a MUST SEE event and we hope to have as many of our parents there as possible. Bring some friends along and students are also welcome!

Quote of the Week:   "What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right."~ Albert Einstein

Have a wonderful week and a SAFE PROM everyone!
Nicole

Nicole's Notes: Volume 34 (May 13, 2013)

Happy Monday TOSH Parents and Guardians!

And Happy Belated Mother's Day to some of you! I trust that our TOSH moms had a restful weekend and that they were "loved up" for the time, love, and support they provide our TOSH students on a daily basis. I know WE appreciate the work you do and the support you show us as we work with your kids!

For those who did not receive my e mail communication late last week, I just wanted to provide our parent community with some clarity around the incident that happened here at Three Oaks. A student did fall from the upper skylight and no other students were involved in any way. The student is recovering well in hospital and, thankfully, is going to be o.k. after receiving the proper treatment. I am also grateful for the quick and professional response of some of our TOSH staff members in dealing with this crisis. Our thoughts and prayers remain with our student and the family.
This is a difficult time for one of our own, as well as for those closest to this student, and I am asking for your support in helping to stem the rumours and gossip that often transpire in a small community following an event like this. I have asked our TOSH students to respect this student's privacy by not engaging in on line discussions about this situation and most have respected that request. We have been trying to instill a "treat others the way you would like to be treated" philosophy here at Three Oaks, and this family deserves to have its privacy respected. Anything you can do from home to help us in this regard would be very much appreciated. 
There will be no details shared with the media and please be assured that supports have been put in place here for any students who need them. If your son/daughter needs anything from us, please let us know right away.

Upcoming Dates to Note:

May

15      Badminton Zones- Single (KISH @ 3 p.m.)

          TOSH Trivia Night Fundraiser (Proceeds to our sister school in Africa)

16      "Bully" Video showing in Gym-Free admission and everyone 12 yrs and older are welcome

            (7 p.m. start: 90 min video)

18      Badminton Zones- Doubles (TOSH @ 3 p.m.)

20      Victoria Day- No Classes

24      Relay for Life- Community Gardens, K'ton

25      Grad Prom

          PEISAA Badminton Championships (and 27th)
30      "Standing for the Silent": Kirk Smalley presentation to parents- 7 p.m.
31      Kirk Smalley Keynote- Full School Assembly

June
1       Band Banquet
4       Extra-Curricular Awards Assembly
6       TOAD: "Three Oaks Activity Day"  (11:50 a.m.- end of the day)
8       Athletic Banquet
10     GRADE 12 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK A
11     GRADE 12 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK B
12     GRADE 10, 11, & 12 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK C
13     GRADE 10, 11 & 12 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK D
14     GRADE 10 & 11 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK A       
17     GRADE 10 & 11 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK B
18     Grad List Posted- 9 a.m.
20     Graduation Breakfast and Rehearsal
         Graduation- Credit Union Place- 7 p.m. (Open to the public-no tickets required)
         Safe Grad to follow
25     Report Cards for Grades 10 & 11: 9-10:30 a.m.
28     School Closes for the Summer!

DRESS CODE:  WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Although the warm weather is most welcome, we are starting to see more fashions coming to school that are in violation of our school dress code, particularly the length of skirts, dresses, and shorts. Some years, the "styles" work against us and this seems to be the case this season. Please ask your daughter to be sure that her skirt or dress extends below her fingertips when her arms are held by her side. It is more difficult with shorts, because very few in stores meet our "finger tip rule". However, "short shorts" are definitely something to wear in another place/time, and we will have discreet conversations with any students who prompt a raised eyebrow or two. We continue to monitor all aspects of our Dress Code, but this seems to be our biggest issue at the moment. We appreciate you being proactive at home by monitoring what your child is wearing to school each day.

TOSH A RUGBY WOMEN COLONEL GRAY TOURNAMENT CHAMPS!
Congratulations to our A Women's Rugby team who won the final game against Colonel Gray (10-5) to win the Colonel Gray Rugby Spring Tip Off Tournament in Charlottetown this past weekend! Our TOSH A Men's team represented us well also and we are proud of all our TOSH athletes!

PETER AND CORINA BOLO'S "AFRICA" PRESENTATION THIS WEEK!
TOSH welcomes retired teachers Peter (Westisle) and Corina (Alberton Elementary) to our school this week to share the experiences and insights they gained from a recent trip to Africa. They will speak to both of Mr. Chisholm's Global Issues 621 classes and then to selected classes during Block C. While in Africa, Peter and Corina helped build schools and worked with orphans in communities raged by AIDS.




TRIVIA NIGHT FUNDRAISER WEDNESDAY!

Our Free the Children/People Helping People club have organized a Trivia Night for this Wednesday, May 15 from 6:30-9 p.m. in the TOSH cafeteria. Admission is $3 per person and participants are invited to come in teams of 2-5 people. All proceeds will go to benefit our sister school, Ndunyu Secondary School in Kenya, Africa.

TOSH CLIMATE CREW AND PARENT COUNCIL PRESENT TWO IMPORTANT EVENTS FOR PARENTS IN MAY!

Please mark your calendars now for the evenings of May 16 ("Bully" movie showing at TOSH- 7 p.m.) and May 30 ("Standing for the Silent" evening featuring a presentation by Kirk Smalley at TOSH- 7 p.m.) Kirk is the father in the "Bully" video from Oklahoma who lost his 11 year old son to suicide as a result of the bullying he endured. More information about his organization, Stand for the Silent, can be found at:  http://www.standforthesilent.org/ 

We will be opening both events up to community members and parents from other schools, so please help us spread the word! Both events are free admission, as well.

STUDENT LOAN PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT!

There will be an information session for parents and graduating students interested in applying for student loans-both federal and provincial-on May 22 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the TOSH Lecture Theatre. There will also be some information provided about various bursary programs our province provides including: George Coles and Island Skills/Student Awards, along with provincial debt reduction grants for those who qualify upon completion of their studies.

KUDOS TO OUR KIDS!

To Rebecca MacCormack for being chosen to participate in the Quebec Exchange next year! 

To our Calculus 611S and English 611 students who wrote their AP exams last week!

To our Climate Crew members who are facilitating the showing of the "Bully" movie on Thursday!

To our Grade 12 French Immersion students who completed their international DELF testing last week!

To the Global Issues 621 students who participated in a project display fair last week which allowed them to learn more about the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals! (Pictures below)

Challenge:  Plan to attend the showing of the movie, "Bully" on Thursday evening, May 16

-7 p.m. start- and bring along some parent friends. This documentary explores the important issues around bullying and is not appropriate for students under age 12.

Quote of the Week:  "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."~ Dalai Lama

Have a wonderful week!

Nicole

Nicole's Notes: Volume 33 (May 6, 2013)

Friends Celebrating Ellen's Birthday in the Caf :)

Happy Monday TOSH Parents and Guardians!

We are looking forward to our first full week of school in a bit and know that it will offer us the opportunity to get some momentum going as we head towards the final weeks of this school year. There is still a lot of work to be accomplished despite the many distractions that this time of year brings, including warmer weather and our Grad Prom (May 25). The final day for Prom ticket sales is Monday. After that, there is a late fee imposed on the price of the ticket. All school fees (library books, lost textbooks, student fees) must be paid prior to purchasing Prom tickets. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns (nmhaire@edu.pe.ca).

PARENT COUNCIL MEETING MONDAY, MAY 6
The Parent Council will be meeting on Monday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the TOSH Library. All TOSH Parents and Guardians are welcome to attend and bring a friend!

Upcoming Dates to Note:

May

3        Area Association Day- No Classes
3-4     Voye Rugby Tournament
6        Band Returns from Ottawa
6-10    DELF Testing for Grade 12 FI Students

7        Presidents' Council Meeting (11:45 a.m.)

15      Badminton Zones- Single (KISH @ 3 p.m.)

18      Badminton Zones- Doubles (TOSH @ 3 p.m.)

20      Victoria Day- No Classes

25      Grad Prom

          PEISAA Badminton Championships (and 27th)
30      "Standing for the Silent": Kirk Smalley presentation to parents- 7 p.m.
31      Kirk Smalley Keynote- Full School Assembly

June
1       Band Banquet
4       Extra-Curricular Awards Assembly
6       TOAD: "Three Oaks Activity Day"  (11:50 a.m.- end of the day)
8       Athletic Banquet
10     GRADE 12 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK A
11     GRADE 12 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK B
12     GRADE 10, 11, & 12 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK C
13     GRADE 10, 11 & 12 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK D
14     GRADE 10 & 11 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK A       
17     GRADE 10 & 11 FINAL EXAMS- BLOCK B
18     Grad List Posted- 9 a.m.
20     Graduation Breakfast and Rehearsal
         Graduation- Credit Union Place- 7 p.m. (Open to the public-no tickets required)
         Safe Grad to follow
25     Report Cards for Grades 10 & 11: 9-10:30 a.m.
28     School Closes for the Summer!

DRESS CODE:  WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Although the warm weather is most welcome, we are starting to see more fashions coming to school that are in violation of our school dress code, particularly the length of skirts and dresses. Some years, the "styles" work against us and this seems to be the case this season. Please ask your daughter to be sure that her skirt or dress extends below her fingertips when her arms are held by her side. We continue to monitor all aspects of our Dress Code, but this seems to be our biggest issue at the moment. Shorts are a bit harder to enforce because very few that are available in stores are that long. However, "short shorts" are definitely something to wear in another place/time, and we will have discreet conversations with any students who prompt a raised eyebrow or two. We appreciate you being proactive at home by monitoring what your child is wearing to school each day.

DAVID R. VOYE MEMORIAL RUGBY TOURNAMENT RESULTS!

Our TOSH AAA Men's and Women's Rugby teams had strong showings at the tournament hosted by our school this past weekend. The boys made it to the final game which they played against a formidable team from Unionville, Ontario and they ended up placing second overall in the tournament. The boys warmed my heart on two occasions: Firstly, when they celebrated a teammate who was playing for the first time and, secondly, when they had their team picture taken after the final with the team who beat them in that game. We have GREAT kids and they prove that over and over through their acts of kindness and integrity. #classact

Our TOSH Women had an exciting back to back tournament win in the end and are to be commended for their excellent play all weekend. The weather was nice enough to cooperate and the event was extremely well organized (thank you Mr. Joel Arsenault!). Below are some photos from the weekend (the better ones were taken by parent, Jacqueline Reeves :-)):

TOSH CLIMATE CREW AND PARENT COUNCIL PRESENT TWO IMPORTANT EVENTS FOR PARENTS IN MAY!

Please mark your calendars now for the evenings of May 16 ("Bully" movie showing at TOSH- 7 p.m.) and May 30 ("Standing for the Silent" evening featuring a presentation by Kirk Smalley at TOSH- 7 p.m.) Kirk is the father in the "Bully" video from Oklahoma who lost his 11 year old son to suicide as a result of the bullying he endured. More information about his organization, Stand for the Silent, can be found at:  http://www.standforthesilent.org/ 

We will be opening both events up to community members and parents from other schools, so please help us spread the word! Both events are free admission, as well.

NOON TIME FUN!

Is your son/daughter looking for something fun to do during noon hour at school? This week will see the start of recreational ping pong in the gym (Thanks to Mr. Gregory who helped secure the tables!) and ball hockey in the CTEC building compound. There are other ideas in the works for ways our students can get positively connected at school during noon hour, so stay tuned!!

STUDENT LOAN PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT!

There will be an information session for parents and graduating students interested in applying for student loans-both federal and provincial-on May 22 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the TOSH Lecture Theatre. There will also be some information provided about various bursary programs our province provides including: George Coles and Island Skills/Student Awards, along with provincial debt reduction grants for those who qualify upon completion of their studies.

KUDOS TO OUR KIDS!

To our TOSH Band members who received a "Superior" rating at the Rhythms International Festival in Ottawa this weekend! Thank you for representing our school so well!

To Justin MacEachern for being chosen to attend the Student Commonwealth Forum in Ottawa this week!

To our Choral Ensemble members who will be performing in the East Prince Music Festival this Wednesday!

To Andrew Farag for making a friend's day special by organizing a birthday party for her!

Challenge: Spread the word with other parents about the two events happening May 16 and May 30! We hope to get as many parents out as possible to hear this important message!

Quote of the Week: "I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty, but as a profession that was fully interesting and challenging as any honourable profession in the world and one that demanded the best that I could bring to it."~ Rose Kennedy

And remember, "happiness is always an option"!: http://www.wimp.com/happinessalways/

Have a great one and enjoy the sunshine!

Nicole