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

Nicole's Notes: Volume 10

Happy Monday TOSH Parents and Guardians!

Our new Career and Technical Education Centre (affectionately known here as the "CTEC" building) is officially open! A HUGE shout out to our trades students and staff for hosting such an awesome event. The Premier, Minister of Education, and all in attendance were impressed with your professionalism and passion for what you do each day in this awesome new facility!

There are only three days of classes this week due to Parent Teacher Interviews on Thursday and the provincial PD day on Friday. Please note that there will be no school next Monday, Nov. 12 due to the Remembrance Day holiday.

The next Parent Council meeting is Monday, Nov. 5 in the TOSH Library. All parents/guardians are always welcome! If you were there for the last meeting, remember to bring a friend this time!

VOLLEYBALL PROVINCIALS!

Congratulations to our TOSH Volleyball teams who all won medals during the recent provincial competition:

A Women- Silver Medalists!

AAA Women- Bronze Medalists!

AAA Men- Bronze Medalists!

Dates to Remember:
November:
5           Parent Council Meeting- 6:30 p.m. in TOSH Library
7           Remembrance Day School Assembly- 1 p.m.
             Parent Teacher Interviews (PM)
8           Parent Teacher Interviews- No classes
9           Provincial PD Day- No classes
             TOSH Christmas Craft Fair Begins
10-11    Craft Fair
12         Remembrance Day Holiday- No classes
21         Grade 11 Trip to Tour UPEI and Holland College

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!

MATH 421 PBL:  "HOLE IN ONE" (Nov 6th  from 7-9 p.m.)
The Grade 10 Math  "Hole in One"  PBL trade fair night is happening this coming Tuesday from 7- 9 p.m. at the school. Students will need to arrive no later than 6:30 p.m. to get their display booths set up.

Curriculum outcomes this project addresses: Solving problems that involve linear measurement using both the SI (metric) and Imperial systems and converting between these two measurement systems, as well as calculating surface area and volume of three dimensional objects. 21st Century Competencies include: Communication and collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving.

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS 

Parent Teacher interviews will take place this week on Wednesday, Nov. 7 from 3:45-5 p.m. and 6-9 p.m., as well as Thursday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. If your son/daughter has not given you an interview request form to sign, ask him/her for it and send the completed form back to the main office asap. If the form has been lost, simply call the school and request your interview times.

PLEASE NOTE: Interviews are only 10 minutes in duration. If there is an issue you wish to discuss with one or more of your child's teachers in depth, please call or e mail Nicole Haire to request a more intensive meeting about your child's progress: nmhaire@edu.pe.ca.

STUDY SKILLS SESSIONS!

Ms. Peterson and Mr. Higginbotham will be running Study Skills Sessions in the Lecture Theatre on November 5 and 6 for those students interested in learning how to better prepare themselves for assessments like tests and exams. Each session will run from12:00-12:40 p.m. each day and students can choose the date that suits their schedule best!

TOSH CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR! 

Believe it or not, it's that time of year again! We welcome everyone to come out to our annual TOSH Christmas Craft Fair here at Three Oaks beginning on Friday November 9, from 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM; Saturday, November 10 from 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM; and Sunday November 11, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM. This is an excellent opportunity to start/finish your Christmas shopping and/or purchase some holiday decorations for your home. There will be more than 100 vendors from PEI, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Admission is $3. Canteen and babysitting service are available. We also have a debit machine in place this year for your shopping convenience! For more information visit: http://www.toshcraftfair.com/. All proceeds from the Craft Fair go to support student programs, activities, and events here at Three Oaks. 

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.

TOSH BAND FUNDRAISER

Please consider supporting our TOSH Band Program Frozen Cookie Dough Fund Raiser! Just in time for holiday baking! This is our biggest fund raiser of the year and will be especially helpful as we prepare to take the Senior Band to Ottawa for a week in the spring.

 3 lb. pail $10 each

-Scoop and bake directly from the pail.
-Tamper proof pails
-Re-freezable
-Each pail makes 48 1oz cookies.
Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Ginger, Double Chocolate, Rainbow Chip, and Shortbread.

**Orders are due on November 5, and the product will be picked up by each student seller on November 20th. If interested, see any TOSH Band member or e mail: kxcarruthers@edu.pe.ca.**

GET YOUR STORM TICKETS HERE!

Three Oaks Athletics is partnering with the Summerside Storm and will sell $5 tickets for home games this season.  Tickets will be available from basketball players and for sale in both the PE office and the Main Office at TOSH. These tickets can be used for children, seniors or adults.  All money supports school sport at TOSH.

PUMPKIN PATROL THANKS!

We had another successful Pumpkin Patrol event, keeping Summerside's Trick or Treaters safe! Special thanks goes out to the eight Summerside Storm players who joined us on patrol and for celebratory pizza afterwards. We are grateful to the following sponsors for making this event possible!:

Summerside Consolidated Credit Union
Brothers 2 Restaurant

PEI Police Association

Atlantic Superstore Summerside

Transcontinental PEI

Greco

Samuel's Coffee House

Summerside Storm Basketball 

TOSH ROCKS THE PEI ENVIROTHON COMPETITION

...AGAIN! 
The provincial Envirothon competition took place Friday and Saturday of last week. Each team is made up of five students, and this year we had a mixture of students from grades 10, 11, and 12:

Team 1: Rachel Barry, Caitlin Gallant, Zach Phillips, Matt MacNeill, and Damien Paugh.  

Team 2: Andrew Farag, Kristen Pyke, Patrick Steele, Ian Hink and Shobhitha Balasubramaniam. The competition involves tests of knowledge and skills in five areas of study:  Aquatics, Forestry, Soils/Land Use, Wildlife, and Current Issues in Environmental Sciences. They are also presented with a challenge related to the fifth topic and have to prepare and present a solution to the challenge before a panel of judges. The overall winner of the competition was TOSH 2 and this is our school's 9th provincial win in 10 years! The winning 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 will take place in Montana, USA this year! Congratulations to all who represented us and to the teacher advisors, Mr. Higginbotham and Dr. Pringle!

GRADE 12 PERSUASIVE ESSAYS TO APPEAR IN JOURNAL PIONEER SOON!

The Grade 12 English 621 students in Mr. Hockin's class have approached our local paper, the Journal Pioneer, about having some of their persuasive essays published in the paper. Stay tuned, as the folks at the Journal have agreed to do this sometime in late November/early December. We'll keep you posted!

UPEI RESEARCH:  ISLAND PARENT SURVEY

Dear Island Parents,

Your roles as caregivers, protectors, and encouragers for your children make for one of the most rewarding, yet challenging jobs ever. At different times and in different ways, parents may need support – but unfortunately, the support some parents need may not be available in the form that makes the most sense and works best for them.

The International Parenting Survey – Canada (IPS-C) is looking into this issue.  The survey is a project which has the potential to enhance services for local parents of children from 2-12 years of age.  The on-line survey will ask you questions about your child’s behavior, how you manage your child’s behavior, the supports that are available to you as parents, and your preferences for how to get support in parenting. In families where two parents are living, we would welcome each parent to complete the survey.

We will develop a local, P.E.I., report on parents’ responses. We will share this report with local policy and practice decision makers.
A few minutes of your time to respond to this survey will be greatly appreciated!
To take part in the survey, visit www.ips-canada.net.
If you have any questions, please contact Elena Buliga (ebuliga@upei.ca) or Dr. Philip Smith (smithp@upei.ca).
Sincerely,
Elena Buliga                     Dr. Philip Smith
BA (Honours) student      Professor of Psychology

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 in November. 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!

KUDOS TO OUR KIDS!

To Ellen Arsenault, Abbey McQuaid, Becky Clark, Drake Gallant, Lauren Sheidow, and Nathan Stavert for volunteering at the Summerside Storm Slam Dunk game on behalf of Three Oaks Athletics!

To the following Fall athletes who were honoured as Provincial All-Stars in their sport:
A Women's Volleyball- Sarah Thususka and Becca Gallant
AAA Women's Volleyball- Emma Kennedy and Laura O'Neill
AAA Men's Volleyball- James Meek and Alex DesRoches (11)
AAA Men's Soccer- Andrew Richardson and Josh Arsenault
AAA Women's Soccer- Ellen Arsenault and Jill Curley
Field Hockey- Kayla Arsenault and Jaime MacLean

Also invited to attend their respective All-Star games:
A Women's Volleyball- Shelby MacNaught
AAA Men's Volleyball- Tanner Mendoza

To Jordan Black for his excellent volleyball play in provincials during his grade 10 year! Very impressive!

To the members of the Summerside Clippers Football team who are also TOSH students! Excellent semi-final game Friday night! The score was 55-15 when I had to leave with 5 minutes remaining in the game. They advance to the finals this coming Saturday in Charlottetown.

To members of the Pumpkin Patrol and Halloween for Hunger crew who represented us so well while doing such important work on Halloween night!

To the members of the Activities Council for some great Octoberfest activities!

To Millee McKay and Noah Richardson for organizing our "Movember" initiative! Be prepared for some "scary mustache" pictures in the weeks to come! Thanks to all involved for raising money and awareness for prostate cancer.

To our Grade 10 and Senior Concert Bands for their excellent performance with the UPEI Wind Symphony on Sunday afternoon!

To Julia McIntyre for her performances on French Horn with all three ensembles on Sunday!

Challenge:  Make arrangements to come to Parent Teacher interviews, or at least make e mail contact with your child's teachers, to get a sense of his/her progress to date (Staff e mail addresses are available at: www.edu.pe.ca/threeoaks). Your child's success in school depends on a three-way partnership: the School, the Parent, and the Student. Encourage your son/daughter to come along to interviews with you, as it will encourage them to take ownership of their education. Hope to see/hear from you this week!

Quote of the Week:  “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
                                        ~ Dr. Seuss

We are looking forward to hosting you all here on Wednesday and Thursday. Cookies will be provided by our FDS 421 students and those are definitely worth the drive to 10 Ken Moore Ave! :-)

Have a great week!
Nicole

Nicole's Notes: Volume 9 (Oct. 29)

Happy Monday and Happy Halloween TOSH Parents and Guardians!

It's hard to believe that we are already into Octoberfest activities and approaching Halloween! Our TOSH Pumpkin Patrol will be hitting the streets again this year on Halloween Night, keeping our younger Trick or Treaters safe. Big kids helping little kids: Priceless! Kudos to Mr. Oulton for overseeing this important event again this year and thanks to all of you who agreed to volunteer as drivers!

If you get this message in time, just a reminder that hypnotist Wayne Lee is performing here at Three Oaks Sunday, Oct. 28 beginning at 6 :30 p.m. The doors open at 6 p.m. and admission is $5. This event is open to the public and promises to be an awesome show!

There are other fun Octoberfest activities happening this week that will encourage our students to enjoy coming to school to learn with us. Halloween Dress Up Day on Wednesday is always a big hit for students AND staff, so encourage your son or daughter to participate. They will NOT be the only one dressed up, that's for sure! There's still a little kid hiding in all of us! :-)

The first Grad Activity (Grade 12 students only!) is the Halloween Costume Dance on Tuesday, Oct. 30 from 8-11 p.m. These Grad activities happen throughout the year and are organized by the Class Officers. They allow the graduating class the opportunity to come together and make some positive memories during their final year of high school. Encourage your grad to come out and have some fun!

The next Parent Council meeting is Monday, Nov. 5 in the TOSH Library. All parents/guardians are always welcome!

Dates to Remember:
October:
29         Octoberfest:  Fear Pong on stage in the caf at noon
             Official Opening of CTEC building- 1 p.m. (invited guests only)           
30         Octoberfest:  Scavenger Hunt at noon
             Grad Halloween Dance in caf from 8-11 p.m.
31         Octoberfest: Halloween Dress Up Day, Costume and Hallway/Block Decorating Contest                  Judging
          
November:
5           Parent Council Meeting- 6:30 p.m. in TOSH Library
7           Remembrance Day School Assembly- 1 p.m.
             Parent Teacher Interviews (PM)
8           Parent Teacher Interviews- No classes
9           Provincial PD Day- No classes
             TOSH Christmas Craft Fair Begins
10-11    Craft Fair
12         Remembrance Day Holiday- No classes
21         Grade 11 Trip to Tour UPEI and Holland College

East Prince Career and Technical Education Centre (CTEC) Official Opening!

We are pleased to be hosting the official opening of the CTEC building on Monday, Oct. 29 at 1 p.m.(attendance by special invitation only). There will be speeches from Premier Ghiz; Minister MacIsaac, Education Minister; Gary Doucette, representing the Board of Trustees; Nicole Haire, representing the three principals whose students learn there; and Johnathan Gamble, representing the Trades students. The media will be there for the event, so be sure to watch the news on Monday evening! We hope to have a tour of this awesome new facility for parents during one of our Parent Council meeting nights, and parents of students currently studying Trades courses here will have an opportunity to meet teachers in the CTEC building during Parent Teacher interviews both semesters.

Basketball Coaches Needed for 2012-13 Season!

The Three Oaks Athletic department is seeking basketball coaches for its male 'AA' basketball teams. 
Anyone interested can contact Joel Arsenault by email:  jyarsenault@edu.pe.ca  or by phone at 888-8284. Tryouts start Nov. 5th!








Bluefield HS Friendship Hockey Tournament
Any A or AA Minor Hockey insured players (male and female) who are interested in playing on a men's or ladies' Three Oaks team during the Bluefield High School Friendship tournament in March (week after March Break) are asked to see Mr. Arsenault in the Phys Ed office asap. This is also a fundraiser from which our school can benefit. More information to follow!

Study Skills Sessions

Ms. Peterson and Mr. Higginbotham will be running Study Skills Sessions in the Lecture Theatre on November 1, 2, 5 and 6 for those students interested in learning how to better prepare themselves for assessments like tests and exams. Each session will run from12:00-12:40 p.m. each day and students can choose the date that suits their schedule best!

 Kudos to Our Kids!   

To the members of our fall sports teams who have completed their seasons:  Women's Soccer, Men's Soccer, Women's Field Hockey, Golf, and Cross-Country teams.  We appreciate the time and dedication you have shown to your school team. There were some hard fought battles to the end and we are proud of your efforts!

To Justin MacEachern and Albert Taha who were very articulate in the interviews they gave for CTV News Live at Five who filmed at our trades building here on Friday. The segment will be aired on the Monday CTV evening news. Thanks for representing us so well!

To Dakota Oliver for singing O Canada at the CTEC Official Opening on Monday!

To Johnathan Gamble for agreeing to speak on behalf of the Trades students at the CTEC Opening!

To the members of the Activities Committee for a fun-filled Octoberfest schedule!


Challenge: Take a moment to chat with your son/daughter about the importance of respecting our school and its property. We are seeing an increase in damage done to lockers, mess left in some of the washrooms, garbage carelessly thrown on the floor, etc. We will be addressing infractions with individuals who are caught in the act. However, your help in being proactive and talking to your child about how people's actions affect others (i.e. our hard working custodial staff!) would be greatly appreciated!

Quote of the Week: "Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." ~Elizabeth Stone

Have a wonderful week!
Nicole

Nicole's Notes: Volume 8

Happy Monday TOSH Parents and Guardians!

Monday is Career Day for our students and their folks! Yes, they eventually leave home! ;-) Just joking! Having two of my three children away at college/university means that my house is MUCH quieter than it used to be...maybe even a little TOO quiet at times! These high school years definitely fly by quickly, and it is never too early (or late!) for our students to be considering what their next step will be after they leave Three Oaks. There will be representatives from Maritime universities, colleges, and training programs set up in the gym on Monday to chat with our students (grades 10-12) during the afternoon. In the evening, Grade 12 parents are invited to come to the Lecture Theatre from 6-7 p.m. for a session with Mr. Donovan re: post-secondary "must knows". From 7-8:30 p.m., all TOSH parents/guardians (Grades 10-12) are invited to come to the gym to chat with recruiters about what their particular schools have to offer your son/daughter in the form of post-secondary education or training. We hope to see as many of you there as can possibly make it. You will have richer conversations with your son/daughter about his/her post-secondary plans if you get some of the information directly.

Good luck to our Women's Field Hockey team and Men's and Women's Soccer teams who are all playing on Monday in qualifying games for provincials! GO TOSH!

Dates to Remember:
October:
22         Grade 12 Parents' Meeting (6-7 p.m. in Lecture Theatre)
             Career Day (7-8:30 p.m. for all parents in gym) 
23         Yearbook Sales End!
24-31    Octoberfest Activities
          
November:
5           Parent Council Meeting- 6:30 p.m. in TOSH Library
7           Remembrance Day School Assembly- 1 p.m.
             Parent Teacher Interviews (PM)
8           Parent Teacher Interviews- No classes
9           Provincial PD Day- No classes
             TOSH Christmas Craft Fair Begins
10-11    Craft Fair
12         Remembrance Day Holiday- No classes
22         Grade 11 Trip to Tour UPEI and Holland College

Yearbook Sales!
This year's edition of the Three Oaks Enhancer yearbook will go on sale from Wednesday, Oct. 17 until Tuesday, Oct. 23. The cost per full colour book is $45 ($50 if you want your son/daughter's name printed on the cover). Please make cheques payable to: Three Oaks Yearbook and avoid disappointment when they arrive for distribution in June! There may not be extra copies for sale at that time.

Basketball Coaches Needed for 2012-13 Season!

The Three Oaks Athletic department is seeking basketball coaches for its male 'AA' basketball teams. 
Anyone interested can contact Joel Arsenault by email:  jyarsenault@edu.pe.ca  or by phone at 888-8284. Tryouts start Nov. 5th!

Hypnotist Show: Wayne Lee

October 28~ 6:30 p.m. @ TOSH

Looking for something fun to do as a family? Wayne Lee's hypnotist show is part of our Octoberfest activities and is open to all TOSH students as well as their friends and families! Doors open at 6 p.m. and admission is $5/person.Comments from previous shows of Wayne's include:

"Everyone from our restaurant managers to our vice-presidents enjoyed the show. It was the best entertainment in years. You were energetic, funny and had the whole crowd mesmerized. People are still amazed at the power of your hypnotism. ~Annette Willoughby, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Ltd.

~You Won't Want to Miss It!!~

ATM Machine

Our school has been approved by the Board for the installation of an ATM banking machine effective asap. Students were informally surveyed last year and there was overwhelming student interest in having one available for the purchase of food on campus. The proceeds from the use of the machine will go towards activities and events that directly benefit the majority of our students. Colonel Gray High School in Charlottetown has had their ATM machine for five years and have not had any issues with its presence in the school. It will also be available to shoppers during this year's Christmas Craft Fair!

 Slam Dunk Game- Oct. 26 @ 7 p.m.(Credit Union Place)
TOSH Athletics is proud to be partnering with the Summerside Storm pro basketball team again this year. We have a number of tickets available for the Slam Dunk game on Oct. 26 beginning at 7 p.m. at the CUP. Tickets are available in our Main Office and the Phys Ed office at a cost of only $5 each! Buy your Storm tickets through us to save yourself some money and support the important work we do with student athletic programming!

OCTOBERFEST 2012

~October 24-31~

Our Activities Council has lots of fun events planned for our students to help celebrate Fall and Halloween! Students who participate this week will have the opportunity to earn ballots that might allow them to be part of the hypnotist show on Sunday! Here is the list of Octoberfest events!:

Wed., Oct.24 - Bingo in the caf at lunch
Thurs., Oct.25- Cookie decorating at lunch
Fri., Oct. 26- Dress up day: ALL BLACK EVERYTHING. Coffee house at lunch (Music Council)
Sun., Oct. 28- Hypnotist Show: Wayne Lee
Mon., Oct.29- Fear Pong on stage at lunch
Tues., Oct.30- Barbie Doll Scavenger Hunt- noon
Wed., Oct.31- Halloween Costume Dress Up Day and Hallway Decorating Contest

Encourage your son/daughter to get involved and have some FUN! :-)

Study Skills Sessions

Ms. Peterson and Mr. Higginbotham will be running Study Skills Sessions in the Lecture Theatre on November 1, 2, 5 and 6 for those students interested in learning how to better prepare themselves for assessments like tests and exams. Each session will run from12:00-12:40 p.m. each day and students can choose the date that suits their schedule best!

Bluefield HS Friendship Hockey Tournament
Any A or AA Minor Hockey insured players (male and female) who are interested in playing on a men's or ladies' Three Oaks team during the Bluefield High School Friendship tournament in March (week after March Break) are asked to see Mr. Arsenault in the Phys Ed office asap. This is also a fundraiser from which our school can benefit. More information to follow!

 Kudos to Our Kids!

To Maria Dalton for being chosen to attend the Terry Fox Centre in Ottawa for a conference promoting the prevention of Hepatitis C!

To the following TOSH Band members for being chosen to represent our school in the provincial Senior High Honours Band (Nov. 23-25):

Shanae Rogers (Flute)
Amy O'Brien (Flute/Piccolo)
Marc DesRoches (Oboe)
Grace Bowness (Clarinet)
Emmalee Dunn (Clarinet)
Emily Eddie (Clarinet)
Kelsey MacIsaac (Clarinet)
Dakota Oliver (Alto Sax)
Julia McIntyre (French Horn)
Tanner Harvey (Trumpet)
Kyle Doucette (Trumpet)
Robbie Squires (Tuba)
Veronica Sullivan (Percussion)
Zak McLure (Percussion)
Brohan Brennan (Trombone)

To Jay Oram for being picked up by Team Western for the Arizona Junior Fall Wood Bat Showcase!


To Megan McNeill for holding strong in nets for our Women's Field Hockey Team on Friday night! Our ladies won the quarter finals against Colonel Gray in a nail biting shoot out to the end!

To Trevor Profitt and Ben Smith (Multi-Media Council) for their work in progress on our new school website!

To Scott Richard for the thoughtfulness he showed the students in Room 615!

To the students of Room 421 for surprising Ms. Haire with a homemade lunch on Tuesday of last week! YUM!

To our Cross-Country Team for their effort shown at the recent provincial meet. Special mention to the following runners who achieved Top 10 status:
Ryan Merrett- 1st Juvenile Men
Brittan Turner- 10th Senior Men
Kayla Arsenault- 9th Senior Women
Carrie McGuire- 4th Juvenile Women
Michaela Walker- 3rd Senior Women

Challenge: Come out to the Career Fair on Monday evening in our gym from 7-8:30 p.m. and bring your son/daughter along with you for some important conversation about his/her future!

Quote of the Week: “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”~Sir Richard Steele

Hope you have an awesome week!
Nicole

Nicole's Notes: Volume 7

Happy Monday Parents and Guardians!

I just realized that I did not send my e mail "reminder" about the blog update last week. That means you will have to scroll down and read two entries! Sorry! If that was the only ball I dropped last week, I consider myself lucky! :-) We packed a lot of punch into two school days and the Annual Convention offered our staff a lot of food for thought (You will find some updates below). Congratulations to our staff member, Pam Walsh, who chaired the planning committee for this year's event!

Please note that the next Parent Council Meeting is on Monday, Nov. 5. There was misinformation provided in the "This Week at Three Oaks" column this week.

Dates to Remember:
October:
22         Grade 12 Parents' Meeting (6-7 p.m. in Lecture Theatre)
             Career Day (7-8:30 p.m. for all parents in gym) 
         
November:
5           Parent Council Meeting- 6:30 p.m. in TOSH Library
7           Remembrance Day School Assembly- 1 p.m.
             Parent Teacher Interviews (PM)
8           Parent Teacher Interviews- No classes
9           Provincial PD Day- No classes
             TOSH Christmas Craft Fair Begins
10-11    Craft Fair
12         Remembrance Day Holiday- No classes
22         Grade 11 Trip to Tour UPEI and Holland College

PEITF Annual Convention Update
The theme of this year's Annual Teachers' Convention was: Reaching Out: A Voice for All Students.  
Keynote presenters were:
Dr. Jeffery Wilhelm: Teaching Literacy for Love and Wisdom
* importance of teaching through inquiry
* the need to connect what students are reading and writing about in class to their real lives
* how to activate students' prior knowledge and then build on what is missing
Dr. Debbie Silver: Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8. Teaching Kids to Succeed
* the importance of students building self-efficacy (ability to dig deep when things get tough)
* the importance of student engagement if learning is to take place
* making connections with students and raising the bar for them to achieve more is the job of the teacher
Angie DeMarco: LD Means Learn Differently
* what Learning Disabilities are and are not
* how LD's play out in a student's school experience
* what teachers can do to help

There were other, worthwhile workshop sessions to choose from as well. Personally, I attended one facilitated by the Bluefield High School's  "RAP" (anti-bullying awareness) Team and another on Differentiating Instruction to meet the diverse needs of students. Kudos to TOSH teacher, Sarah Jane Barrett, who presented a workshop based on her Masters thesis work entitled: "Ahead of the Class: Teaching the High Achieving Student". All in all, the two days offered an opportunity for reflection on our own practice, some tips on how to improve and grow as educators, as well as a chance for some valuable networking opportunities with colleagues from other schools.

Yearbook Sales! 
This year's edition of the Three Oaks Enhancer yearbook will go on sale from Wednesday, Oct. 17 until Tuesday, Oct. 23. The cost per full colour book is $45 ($50 if you want your son/daughter's name printed on the cover). Please make cheques payable to: Three Oaks Yearbook and avoid disappointment when they arrive for distribution in June! There may not be extra copies for sale at that time.

Career Day 2012: Monday, Oct. 22
Students will have the opportunity to visit the post-secondary and career displays in the gym during the school day on Oct. 22. Parents are encouraged to attend the evening session (and bring their son/daughter along!) from 7-8:30 p.m. that same day. GRADE 12 PARENTS NOTE: There is a session for you pertaining to post-secondary applications from 6-7 p.m. in the Lecture Theatre that same evening. Having a career goal in mind often lends "method to the madness" for many students. They tend to commit more willingly to their course work during high school if they "see the point". See you there!

Attendance Matters! 
We are trying to stay on top of calls made home when students are missing class time for unexcused reasons. Too many "excused" absences can cause issues, as well, but we can at least offer supports if we know why a student is missing classes. Parents should be checking SAS regularly to track their child's attendance. Please give us a call or drop me an e mail if you think a mistake has been made. If you require a SAS login/password, please e mail Mr. Jason Gallant: xjgallant@edu.pe.ca. Students fall behind quickly when they miss too many 73 minute high school classes. Let's work together to make sure every student is present and ready to learn each and every day!

 Basketball Coached Needed for 2012-13 Season!
The Three Oaks Athletic department is seeking basketball coaches for its male and female 'AA' basketball teams. 

Anyone interested can contact Joel Arsenault by email at jyarsenault@edu.pe.ca  or by phone at 888-8284. Tryouts start Nov. 5th.






Kudos to Our Kids!

To Joel Hansen, Matt Dehmel, James Brown, and Logan R. MacLean for their awesome entertainment at the Academic Awards Assembly. I had "Wagon Wheel" stuck in my head for days! :-) "Not A Band", but very talented!

To Carlie Plooster and Brandon Bagnall for helping tidy up the CSLC Room after our Swedish visitors ate lunch there on Tuesday!

To Noah Richardson for taking over Teacher of the Week duties!

To Katarina Oram for overseeing the Student of the Week board!

To Jacob Gallant for serenading our Swedish visitors in the band room on Tuesday!

To Jayme Misner, Maria Dalton, MacKenzie Clow, Logan Crossman, Adam Cousins and Matt Montgomery who represented our school so well in the provincial finals for golf on Tuesday! The boys finished a very respectable 5th place out of 14 teams and the girls finished 5th and 7th in the individual competition.

Congratulations to Adam Gallant who scored FOUR touchdowns during his football game last weekend!

To the following students who were elected by their graduating class last week to serve as Class Officers:
President- Becky Clark
Vice-President- Erica Gillis
Secretary- Alya Ahmed-Praught
Reunion Chair- Abbey McQuaid
Valedictorian- Ellen Arsenault

Kudos to all Grade 12 students who put their names forward for these positions. We appreciate your leadership!

Challenge:  In anticipation of Career Day next week, take some time to chat with your son/daughter about what he/she would like to do after finishing high school. If they do not know what specific area of study or training they wish to pursue, at least talk with them about where their strengths lie. That is always the best place to start!

Quote of the Week: "Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort."~Franklin D. Roosevelt

We are looking forward to getting some momentum going at TOSH this five day week. Hope this is a positive week for you and yours!

Nicole

Nicole's Notes: Volume 6

Happy Thanksgiving Monday Parents and Guardians!

I hope everyone had a restful long weekend complete with meals shared with family and friends! It has been a busy start to the school year and we are headed full-tilt into the interesting month of October, complete with Octoberfest activities, preparations for the Annual Christmas Craft Fair, and the Annual Teacher's Convention this Thursday and Friday. We have two days of classes this week and I realize that there can be varying opinions about the importance of professional development for teachers. I can assure you that our staff are doing their best to stay current and "cutting edge" when it comes to meeting the learning needs of our students/your children. I will update you on my next blog about what we learned this week. In the meantime, rest assured that this is time invested rather than lost!

Dates to Remember:
October:
8            Thanksgiving Monday (No school)
9            Umea University Education Faculty visit (Umea, Sweden)
              Pre-Service Teacher Observation Days
              PEISAA Golf Championships
10          Lockdown Drill- 10:40 a.m.
11-12    Annual PEITF Teacher's Convention (No school)
22         Career Day (7-8:30 p.m. for parents in gym) 
           
November:
7           Remembrance Day Assembly- 1 p.m.
             Parent Teacher Interviews (PM)
8           Parent Teacher Interviews- No classes
9           Provincial PD Day- No classes
             TOSH Christmas Craft Fair Begins
10-11    Craft Fair
12         Remembrance Day Holiday- No classes

Welcome Pre-Service Teachers!
On Tuesday we will welcome five pre-service (student) teachers from the Bachelor of Education program at UPEI to our school. They will observe classes this week and then return to us in November to begin their practicum placements. They are:
*Joel Banks who is placed with Krista Hickey.
*Roslyn Riddlington -Abbott who will be working with Mario Fiset. 
*Michelle Morrison who is placed with Rochelle Sullivan/Ms. Peterson.
*Jason Hogan and Neil Toombs who will be working with David Ramsay and Laurie Callbeck.

Umea University Guests!

We are also hosting some visitors from Umea University in Northern Sweden all day on Tuesday. They are part of an 11 day visit to PEI in conjunction with UPEI, and we were asked to provide a program for them that showcases some of the innovations happening at our school. They will be accompanied by Carolyn Francis and Basil Favaro from UPEI and will be visiting the following teachers/classrooms:

David Ramsay (SCI 421), Laurie Callbeck (MAT 521E), Erin Peterson (Learning Support), Karen Gaudet and Shirlee Anne Campbell (Independent Study), Trades Teachers (Auto, Aviation, Carpentry, Robotics, Welding) and Rochelle Sullivan (CUL 801).

Yearbook Sales Coming Up!

This year's edition of the Three Oaks Enhancer yearbook will go on sale from Wednesday, Oct. 17 until Tuesday, Oct. 23. The cost per full colour book is $45 ($50 if you want your son/daughter's name printed on the cover). Please make cheques payable to Three Oaks Yearbook and avoid disappointment when they arrive for distribution in June! There may not be extra copies for sale at that time.

Christmas Dance Date Change!

We have a number of students involved in a local theatre production in December that has led us to consider a change in our Christmas Dance date. It was originally scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 8/12 but will now take place on:
Saturday, Dec. 15/12 instead.
I announced this at school but thought parents might like to know, as well. Please note that this is NOT a "prom": It is a "dressier than usual", semi-formal school dance and all the usual school dance rules apply. See page 23 in the Student Handbook if any clarification is needed.

Kudos to Our Kids! 

To D.J. Gaudet for placing 13th in the high school division in Cross Country last week. D.J. advances to the provincials!

To our Men's AAA Volleyball team who finished the Dal tournament this weekend with a 4-2 record, winning the "Black" division!

To Marcus Richard who received an Honorable Mention for his poetry submitted in the Rotary Club of Charlottetown's Royalty Creative Writing Awards for Young People (Senior High Division)!

To Matthew McKenna for getting this month's inaugural edition of The Oaks newspaper out to readers!

To all award winners at our Academic Awards assembly last week! A complete list of recipients will be posted on our website soon and placed on a banner to be hung in the cafeteria all year!

Challenge:  Discuss with your son/daughter how best to use their time off school on Thursday and Friday. Maybe they could catch up/work ahead in classes, read a good book for a bit, do some volunteer service, or do some chores around the house for you! 

Quote of the Week!: "I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."  ~G.K. Chesterton

Enjoy your week and thanks for sharing your kids with us!

Nicole

Nicole's Notes: Volume 5

Happy Monday (Still!) Parents and Guardians!

First of all, please accept my apology for the late post this week.
I accompanied three of our students (Michaela Walker, Brooke Blanchard, and Katie MacKay) and their teacher advisor, Dia-Lynn Keough, to the Canadian Student Leadership Conference (CSLC) 2012 in Weyburn, SK last week. We had a fun day of flying home yesterday on very little sleep, hence the delay in my post! All in all, it was a fantastic conference experience, and I can't wait to see all that the girls learned play out in our school culture and events this year. This conference, which TOSH hosted for the first time on PEI in 2008, is coming home to Montague High School next year. Check out the Closing Ceremonies "conference promo" that they performed on Saturday evening in Weyburn!:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmVddxI6EQc

Dates to Remember:
October
1           First Parent Council Meeting:  6:30 p.m. in the library. Everyone welcome!
2           Academic Awards Assembly (2011-2012 school year)
3           PEI Principals' Association Meeting (Nicole out)
8           Thanksgiving Monday (No school)
11-12    Annual PEITF Teacher's Convention (No school)
22         Career Day (Post-secondary information meeting for Grade 12 parents: 6-7 p.m. 
                                  Displays in gym for all parents: 7-8:30 p.m.)

TOSH Parent Council
The first Parent Council meeting on Monday, Oct. 1, 2012 was VERY well attended! Thanks to all who came out to show their support and share ideas. The Council has set three goals for this school year:
1. To assess TOSH student readiness for post-secondary study
2. To consider ways to more actively connect parents to our school and to make some of these a reality
3. To define the Council's mission statement/purpose

The Co-Chairs of this year's Council are Pam Montgomery and Karen Smith. The next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 5 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the TOSH Library. Plan to come out and bring a friend!
The PEI Home and School Federation has been updated, as well: www.peihsf.ca.


Academic Awards Ceremony- Oct. 2, 2012

We will be celebrating students who achieved academic success during the 2011-2012 school year on Tuesday of this week. Students may receive recognition in the following areas: Grade 10 or 11 Honours, Highest Standing in a course (Subject Prize) and/or Outstanding Effort or Improvement.  The names of all our award winners will be proudly displayed on a large "Academic Wall of Fame" banner in the cafeteria until this time next year.

TOSH Good Neighbour Policy!

We are fortunate to have great neighbours bordering our school property: The Summerside Presbyterian Church community. They have been a wonderful support to our students over the years, providing the popular "KD Thursdays" lunches for anyone who wants to drop in and a final exam daycare space for our CHD 701 students. We are asking that our students not "hang out" on the church property-either on foot or in cars. If students are found disrespecting this policy, there will be school-related discipline as a result. Please have a chat with your son/daughter to make sure that this rule is clearly understood. I will be making an announcement, as well.

Formative versus Summative Assessment

You may notice on SAS that some of your son/daughter's marks are indicated as "Formative" assessment. This is assessment "FOR" learning. You can think of it as the "practice" students will do as they work towards learning a concept or achieving a curriculum outcome or goal in the course. Practices don't really "count", but they do help you to do better on game day! "Summative" assessments are the things that "count" toward the student's final grade (assessment "OF" learning) and these happen after there has been lots of practice and feedback about how a student can improve. These marks ARE counted toward the student's final total in the course for the year. If you do not have a SAS login and password, please contact Mr. Jason Gallant: xjgallant@edu.pe.ca.

NOON TIME WORKROOMS ARE NOW OPEN!

 (GRADE 10 FOCUS)
As part of our new Grade 10 initiative this year, we have established two assignment completion centres in the school which are open and staffed at noon time each day: Math/Science (620) and English/Social Studies (619).  Students in Grade 10 who do not complete required assignments for completion of any core course will be required to attend a noon hour "catch up" session until the work is complete. Our goal is to have all our Grade 10 students working at maximum capacity and meeting curriculum outcomes before heading into Grade 11 next year. This space is also open to Grade 11 and 12 teachers who want to mandate its use with their own students. There will be teachers there to help each day, and we will need your support if/when your child refuses to attend his/her assigned work session. If that happens, we will contact you to let you know! School success depends on three partners: teachers, students, and parents. We promise to do our part, which is to offer help as needed and keep you informed of your child's progress throughout the semester.

TOSH Councils (Stud Co. 2.0)

There are EIGHT Councils now active in our school. Students were elected to Student Government Council as Homeroom Reps last week. The remaining seven are open for free membership any time! Your son/daughter can choose to join:

Activities Council

Athletic Council

Community Works Council

Extra-Curricular Council

Fundraising and Finance Council

Multi-Media Council

Music Council

He/She can see me in the Main Office if further information is needed about how to get involved in this way!

Challenge:  Talk to your son/daughter about how he/she can get connected to our school community via extra-curricular clubs, teams or Councils. Happiness starts with a sense of belonging!

Quote of the Week: "We should all stop counting crayons and start colouring pictures."~ Mark Scharenbroich

Have a great week and thanks again for your patience!

Nicole :-)