October 2006 Dover Bay Secondary School - Schools - School ...

October 2006
Dover Bay Secondary School
I. PRINCIPAL’S COMMENTS:
Dear Parents and Guardians:
We are rapidly working our way through the first semester.
We will shortly reach the mid-point and report cards will be
issued next month. With that thought it mind it is important
for all students to be “up to date” in completing any
outstanding assignments, projects or tests. Students should be
checking directly with their teachers or with the marks’
spreadsheets on many classroom walls to ensure completion. I
have had the opportunity to visit many classrooms in my first
six weeks in the school and have been very impressed with the
student work ethic and “on task” behaviour. I keenly await
the first report cards and, based on my visitations, anticipate
some terrific marks.
It is exciting to see the many extracurricular activities
happening in the school. I would like to thank the many
parents who have been actively involved in supporting these
activities. I know that volunteer coaches and activity
organizers appreciate any assistance that parents may be able
to provide. So thanks again for your help.
I would like to congratulate the Students Council for the
variety of activities that they have sponsored so far this year.
They have made the school an even more fun place to be and
for that I am thankful. Keep up the good work!
I would like to encourage Grades 8-10 students and their
parents to attend the Study Skills presentation, sponsored by
PAC, on November 2. Very useful tips will be provided to
help students in their classes. Please attend if you are
available that evening.
In closing, I would like to congratulate Dover Bay graduate
Devin Trudeau for earning two College Board Advanced
Placement Awards. Devin received the AP Scholar with
Distinction and National AP Scholar (Canada) Awards. We
also welcome new teachers Alana Ausmus and David Phillips
to the Dover Bay staff. Finally, special congratulations to
teacher James Duthie for winning the Teacher of the Year
Award at the 2006 Provincial Social Studies Teachers’
Conference.
Rob Strachan
PRINCIPAL
II. IMPORTANT DATES:
Nov. 2 - PAC meeting, 7:00 pm Library
Nov.13 - Remembrance Day Holiday
Nov. 14 – Pro-D Day (School Based)
Nov. 23 – Report Cards / Parent-Teacher Conferences
(early dismissal 1:50 pm)
III. STUDENT ACTIVITIES:
STUDENTS’ COUNCIL: Devon Harrington
The Dover Bay Students’ Council had a successful kick off
to the year with our Fun From a Jar week. Thanks to all who
came out to watch and participate in this messy event.
We have been hard at work planning all of our upcoming
events. Look out for a Prom fashion show, pancake
breakfast, winter ball, door decorating competition, can drive
and Operation Christmas Shoeboxes, all before Christmas.
And don’ t forget to dress up and come out to our annual
Halloween parade.
AQUATICS (SWIM/SYNCHRO) TEAM: J. Saunders
The Aquatics team continues to train hard three times per
week in preparation for the Island Championships to be held
Sunday, November 5 th at the NAC in Nanaimo. Dover Bay
is hosting the meet, and is hoping to improve on last year’ s
performance. Forty swimmers from grades 8 – 12 are
working on fitness, strokes, turns, starts and relay events.
Each swimmer is hoping to place in the top five on the island
and qualify for the Provincial Meet. The synchronized
swimmers will be defending their Provincial Championship
in Victoria on Nov 17 th and 18 th . We wish them luck.
FIELD HOCKEY: J. Saunders
The girl’ s field hockey team has been busy with games both
home and away. The girls have worked hard under coach
Peter Luff and will conclude their season at the mid-Isle
Tournament being held at Brentwood College on Tuesday,
October 24 th . Best of luck team!
CROSS-COUNTRY: J. Saunders
The cross-country team is going strong preparing for the
Island Championships to be held in Victoria on October 25 th .
To date the boy’ s team has finished 1 st in two meets and 3 rd
in one meet. The girl’ s team has placed 2 nd and 3 rd in meets.
Any Dover Bay runner who places in the top 20 at the Island
Meet will qualify for the Provincial Meet held in Victoria on
Saturday, November 4 th . If either the girls or boys teams
place in the top three, their top seven runners will advance to
the team competition at Provincials. Good luck to all the
runners!
Congratulations to Dover cross-country coach Steve
Osaduik, a former Dover Bay student who won the Victoria
Marathon in a record time of 2 hours, 16 minutes, 47
seconds. This is the fastest marathon run by a Canadian in
three years and broke the 25 year old record by two minutes.

IV. PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
NEWS:
WE NEED YOU
The PAC is desperately in need of a new president. This
position is essential to maintaining a functioning PAC and
Gaming License. We risk losing our $60,000 in gaming
funds if a new PAC executive is not in place in November.
Once lost, we will never be able to regain the license, as
there is a long waiting list for these valuable fundraising
tools. It is our students who will lose if this happens, as the
PAC assists with student activities throughout the school.
The position is only a few hours a month, planning and
chairing the monthly meetings, and handling financial
requests with the treasurer. From there it can be as much or
as little time as you choose. If you feel you can spare a small
amount of time but are unsure of the commitment, please
feel free to contact me and I will explain the job more fully.
It is not an onerous task and can be very rewarding.
The budget below is an example of where PAC funds go
each year.
DOVER BAY SECONDARY PAC BUDGET
2005-2006/2006-2007
2005-2006 2006-2007
Athletics 14,000.00 14,000.00
Athletics Score Board (one time only) * 6,000.00
Uniforms 2,000.00 2,000.00
Band 4,000.00 4,000.00
Drama/Media Studies 3,000.00 4,000.00
Awards/Bursaries 2,000.00 2,000.00
Skills for Life 2,000.00 2,000.00
Library 2,000.00 2,000.00
Healthy Schools 1,500.00 1,500.00
Student Council 4,000.00 4,000.00
Guest Speaker 250.00 500.00
Yearbook 1,000.00 1,000.00
Dry Grad 1,000.00 1,000.00
Technology (Lab Upgrade) 16,000.00 10,000.00
Technology (Parts Replacement) 1,000.00 1,000.00
Department: Phys Ed 500.00 750.00
Departments: Math 750.00 750.00
Department: Science 750.00 750.00
Department: Social Studies 750.00 750.00
Department: English 750.00 750.00
Department: Art 750.00 750.00
Department: Business Ed 500.00 750.00
Department: Info Tech 500.00 750.00
Department: Modern Languages 750.00 750.00
Department: Cooking 750.00 750.00
Department: Sewing 750.00 750.00
Department: Woodworking 750.00 750.00
Department: Power Mechanics 750.00 750.00
Department: Industrial Ed (Tech Ed) 750.00 750.00
Department: Alternate Program 250.00 250.00
Department: Resource Rooms Jr./Sr. 500.00 500.00
Department: Learning Assistance 250.00 250.00
Miscellaneous (PAC Discretion) 1,250.00 2,000.00
Extra Team Achievements
(Tournament)
1,000.00 1,500.00
TOTAL 66,750.00 70,000.00
*Surplus funds being used towards scoreboard.
THANK-YOU for considering this important position before
the November 2 nd meeting - the position must be filled at that
date. THE PAC MEETING THAT NIGHT WILL BE AT
6:45PM
We are also planning our Apple Pie sale, for November
24/25 th - order forms are at the back of the newsletter. Come
join us in a fun weekend making pies, or stock your freezer
for Christmas gifts. SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS.
V. MISCELLANEOUS:
GRADE 12 GRADUATION PORTFOLIO
PRESENTATIONS: J. Bailey
At the beginning of September we sent a letter home to all
grade 12 parents regarding graduation portfolio
presentations. For this school year (2006-2007) the Ministry
of Education has announced that graduating students can
choose whether or not they wish to present a graduation
portfolio. Here is a summary of the two options available:
Option 1 Students complete and present a graduation
portfolio and receive a mark for Portfolio. In this case, the
portfolio mark will form part (75%) of the calculation of the
students’ eligibility for Passport to Education. (Passport to
Education is worth $500 for Grade 12s.)
Option 2 Students do not present a portfolio. Students
will receive SG (Standing Granted) for Portfolio. For
students who do not present, their Passport to Education
eligibility will be based on their five best courses taken in
Grade 12.
Letter for Grade 12 Parents
The school needs to know as soon as possible how many
grade 12 students intend to present a portfolio, and how
many prefer to go with the Standing Granted. For students
who are presenting, we need to support them by helping
them prepare, and arranging interview dates and times.
Grade 12 students will be bringing home a letter at the end of
October outlining the two options and asking parents to
select which option they wish for their child, and sign and
return the letter.
Letters must be returned to the school office by Friday,
November 10. Students who wish to opt for Standing
Granted MUST return the signed permission letter by
that date.
If you have any questions about the Graduation Portfolio for
grade 12s this year, please contact Mrs. Bailey or Mr. Rounis
at the school.
PROM 2007: I. Albrecht
The next Prom Meeting for all interested parents and grade
12 students will be held on Tuesday, November 7 th at 7:00
p.m. in the library. This meeting is for ALL graduating
students and their parents or guardians. General information
regarding Prom will be provided. Grads, if you have any
ideas, concerns or wishes for General information regarding
Prom will be provided. Grads, if you have any ideas,
concerns or wishes for your Prom, please come to the
meeting.
In a fundraising effort for Prom, an account has been set up
at the Mostar Bottle Depot. If you would like to donate your
recycling bottles, please inform all your family, friends,
neighbours and all Dover Bay students. Please remember to
specify “ Dover Bay Prom 2007” account to the depot staff.
Prom Committee Chair – Isabel Albrecht 756-4219 for any
questions or concerns.
We are hosting a special "STUDY SKILLS" presentation
on November 2 nd at 7pm in the multipurpose room. Students
and parents are welcome to attend this valuable workshop
with speaker Aleta Crawford. It would be especially helpful
for grade 8 - 10 students.

GRAD 2007: Mr. Ward
Attention all Grade 12’ s! Graduation is actually closer than
you think!! It will take many months of preparation from a
number of people to prepare for your June 2007 graduation.
We are in the process of ordering your Cap and Gown for the
ceremony (as well as ordering your diploma, booking
Malaspina University, etc…) You should have received a
Homeroom Fee Package sheet on your first day of school.
You can still pay fees individually, but all grad fees must be
paid by Thursday, November 30 th , 2006. Please come to the
office to let us know your height so we can order the correct
gown for you. At this time also indicate if you will be
graduating in JANUARY!
GRAD 2007 CLOTHING: Mr. Ward
Grad Clothing will be going on sale starting Monday,
November 6 th to Friday, November 24 th at lunch in the
atrium.
¾Champion Hoodies at $40.00
¾Champion Sweatpants at $30.00
COMPUTER USE AT DOVER
We would like to remind parents and students to review the
“ Computer System Student Use Guide” on pages 12-14 of
the Student Handbook 2006-07. In particular, on page 13 it
states “ Games are not considered an appropriate educational
use of the school’ s computers.” Furthermore, students “ may
not use the system to communicate using Chat lines, ICQ,
Telnet, MSN Messenger, IRC, message boards or similar
functions.” Students who use poor judgment in these areas
will lose access to the system, administration will be
informed, and the classroom teacher will inform parents.
Loss of access can range from 2 weeks up to entire semester.
Before regaining access to the system, the student will have
to put in writing an agreement with the system administrator
and school administrator to change their behaviour with
respect to Dover computer usage. This document should
reflect an understanding of expectations and a willingness on
the part of the student to meet the school’ s expectations.
Parent signature is expected on the agreement BEFORE the
returning to system can be negotiated by the student.
Bring your cash/cheque (cheque made out to: School District
#68) to the office. See Mr. Ward for further information, or
to answer any questions.
DRY GRAD 2007:
Dry Grad needs more volunteers. The Dry Grad Society has
begun planning for 2007 Dry Grad. Dry Grad is a
community event that celebrates graduation in a fun drug and
alcohol free night on June 30 th , running from 7 p.m. until 5
a.m. It is an evening of games, prizes, music and food for
the graduates of eight high schools in Nanaimo. Last year
83% or just over 900 eligible grads enjoyed entertainment
and activities wrapping up with draws for cash prizes
totaling ten thousand dollars. To make dry grad a success is
a huge effort. We need people to sit on committees such as
kitchen, fundraising and entertainment to name a few. The
number of core volunteers has dropped in recent years
perhaps because people mistakenly assume after 17 years
Dry Grad can run itself. We would like to encourage the
participation of parents and students from grade eight to
twelve. Our next meeting is our AGM on October 30 th at 7
p.m. in the library at Wellington.
One way to support Dry Grad is to ask for and use Co-op gas
cards at any of their Nanaimo or Gabriola Island locations.
For every ten dollars of gas you purchase Co-op will stamp
the card and when it is full they will donate five dollars to
Dry Grad. You may also donate your cans and bottles at any
Dugy’ s Bottle Depot or ask for your points at Quality Foods
to be donated to Dry Grad. We will by having car washes
and hotdog sales in the spring as well as our third annual
fashion show at Country Club Mall sometime in April. Due
to gaming regulations we are not able to have bingos or
conduct raffles so fundraising is always challenging. Please
check out our website at www.drygrad.ca for more
information.
Please feel free to contact Brenda if you have any questions.
Cheers, Brenda Hirst at 755-5670.
16 TH ANNUAL McGIRR/RANDERSON RIDGE
CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR
Friday, November 3 rd
6 – 9 p.m.
Saturday, November 4 th
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
100 local crafters and small businesses, bake table, raffles,
door prizes and a concession. Admission is only $1 (kids
attend free).
For more information contact Heater at 729-0269
SECONDARY SCHOOL APPRENTICESHIP
Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA) has seen significant
growth in all schools over the past year. SSA allows
students who are working in a trade to register as an
apprentice and then earn 16 school credits for the learning
that takes place at the work site. Currently there are over
150 students in the process of registering for this program
with new SSA candidates identifies every week. Students in
the process of registering for this program with new SSA
candidates identifies every week. Students who graduate,
achieve a C+ average in their grade 12 courses and continue
in their trade for at lease 6 months after graduation are
eligible for a $1000 scholarship.
Are you working in a trade? Would you like school
credits and a $1000 scholarship? Please visit your schools
Graduation and Career Center or contact Kathy Smith, the
Coordinator, at 752-4074 or ksmith@sd68.bc.ca
WANTED: Mr. Robinson
Wanted - Lawn mower engines for Dover Bay’ s Power
Mechanic’ s class. If you have an old mower or small engine
that you would like to donate to our auto shop, it would be
very much appreciated. Please contact Mr. Robinson. Also,
Mr. Robinson is looking for steel offcuts and bicycles – big
and small, working or not, for school projects.

FILM & TELEVISION II
This years film class are just completing their Super 8
shooting schedules. Next week they will be in post
production and Dover can look forward to viewing them at
the next film festival in February. Shooting for their next
film in mini DV format begins in November.
Also this year in film is a new project that will take a year to
complete. Students are working on a one hour long film that
will be 100% student driven. Scripts are being finalized and
soon to be expanded into the screenplay. Listen for more
details to come next month.
WORKSHOPS
WORKSHOP I: Let’ s Get Organized
Thursday, November 2, 2006 – 7 p.m.
Many students experience academic difficulties because of a
lack of motivation and organizational skills. “ Let’ s Get
Organized” is a workshop designed to address these issues.
Parents and students can expect to come away with some
hands on tools to deal with issues relating to
5Learning/teaching styles
5Motivation
5Homework/assignments
5Study centers/schedules
5Notebook organization
Come prepared to learn and do. This is not a passive
workshop. Those in attendance will be expected to be part
of an active learning environment.
WORKSHOP II: Test Taking
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Believe it or not, there are strategies to help increase the
benefit you get out of your study time and taking better tests
is a skill that can be learned. This workshop will address
issues such as:
5Using your study time wisely
5Objective exams
ƒMultiple choice
ƒMatching
ƒTrue/false
ƒShort answer/fill in the blank
5Subjective exams: Essay/paragraphs
5Exam day
Come prepared to learn and do. This is not a passive
workshop. Those in attendance will be expected to be part
of an active learning environment.
2006 BC SUMMER GAMES
Congratulations to the following students for their
participation in the 2006 BC Summer Games.
Athletics – Ben Anderson, Sean Brown, Katelyn Currie,
Brett Montrose, Doug Oxland
Baseball – Cody Chartrand, Brydon Peace
Basketball (Boys) – Trevor Davidson
Basketball (Girls) – Cassandra Knievel
Golf – Amanda Baker, Kristian Hrabowych,
Softball (Girls) – Kirsten Bassett, Brittany Myhal, Kadie
Washburn
Synchronized Swimming – Meghan Dougan
Volleyball (Boys) – Jordan Church, Devon Kuziw, Trevor
Short, Andrew Short, Eric Wallace
Volleyball (Girls) – Sophia Negrin
Water Polo – Taylor Olson
MOVE MORE, EAT WELL
Regular, balanced meals and snacks
Source: www.bcma.org/healthykids
Did you know?
Breaking the Fast
Although it is the meal that most people often choose to skip,
breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.
In many families, breakfast is simply squeezed out of the
busy morning routine. But many specialists say that
breakfast is not something to overlook, especially for
children.
Preparing a healthy breakfast doesn’ t have to take a long
time in the morning.
Doctors, dietitians, and the Canada Food Guide agree a
balanced breakfast should include three of the four foods
groups.
Fast and healthy breakfast options:
ƒ cereal with milk and fruit
ƒ toast with peanut butter and a glass of juice
ƒ an egg and toast and a glass of juice
ƒ a yogurt and fruit shake with a muffin
Skipping breakfast?
50% of BC teens skip breakfast on school days
Skipping breakfast often leads to overeating during the rest
of the day and we end up overcompensating for what we
missed at breakfast time.
Our bodies need to refuel after fasting for 8 to 12 hours
while we sleep. If children and adults don’ t get the fuel they
need in the morning, their bodies will not function as well
throughout the day. You would not starve yourself all day, so
why do it after sleeping all night?
Studies indicate that children who eat a balanced breakfast
ƒhave better concentration and learning abilities in school
ƒmake healthier eating choices throughout the day
ƒhave fewer problems controlling their weight
For children in particular, starting the day with a nutritious
breakfast helps to provide the right sources of energy and
fuel needed to focus and stay active all day.
BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS TO IMPROVE LITERACY
• Continue with the established homework routine.
Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon
for working on big projects, especially if the project
involves getting together with classmates.
• Encourage your teenagers to explore magazines or
appropriate websites on subjects that interest them.
Your local library will carry a selection of
magazines on science, fitness, mechanics, or
politics.
• Have your teenagers take 20 minutes each night to
review their notes for the day or rewrite them using
colours to highlight important information.
• Keep an assignment calendar on the fridge for quick
reference of due dates, exams and how they fit in
with other activities.
• To help alleviate eye, neck and brain fatigue while
studying, have them close the books for 10 minutes
every hour and take a break.