April 9, 2010 - Thornlea - SharpSchool

Thornlea Secondary SchoolE-Bulletinhttp://thornlea.sharpschool.comthornlea.ss@yrdsb.edu.on.caPrincipal: S. EpsteinVice-Principals: H. Henricks, D. Smith April 9 2010Thornlea’s Co-op students are working and experiencing a variety of positions that span a widespectrum of career choices ranging from business to medicine to the trades. The students arestarting to realize the joys, challenges and the daily grind of the work force.The following quotes are taken from student journals as they commence their journey to futurecareers:Although it’s still early in my Co-op experience, I feel that I have started to learn more about myselfand gain knowledge that I can use to plan my future…The goal of a career is choosing somethingthat will make you happy and something that you will enjoy doing for the rest of your life.Melissa Shears – Adapted Aquatics Program(see full story page 6)Inside this issue…….VICE-PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE 2EARTH DAY ON APRIL 22, 2010 3SOAPIER THAN EVER BEFORE…….THEATRE 219 4-5CO-OP STUDENTS AWAKEN TO THE REALITIES OF FUTURE CAREERS 630TH ANNUAL NORTH AMERICAN CHINESE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT 7STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS 8-9SENIOR BIOLOGY AND BIOLOGY CLUB EVENTS 10TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT…...MAKEOVER MADNESS! 11-13WORKSHOPS FOR PARENTS 14-152009-2010 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 16

2Dear Families and Community Members,As April showers will hopefully bring May flowers, we are reaching the homestretch for this school year. Under the direction of Mrs. L. Gatti, our Grade 10students participated in yesterday’s Provincial Literacy test. Many thanks go outto Mrs. Gatti for the hours of preparatory work that she did to ensure all studentswere well prepared for the tasks they were presented with. Last night,parents had an opportunity to meet with their child’s teachers to discuss studentprogress. We now await the midterm report cards which will be distributed onApril 30 th .There are some exciting events taking place at Thornlea over the next few weeks.The Drama Department will be presenting their One Act Plays from April 13 th –16 th . Performances begin at 7:00 each evening. On April 15 th , the student body isencouraged to dress in pink to support the anti bullying and anti discriminationmovement co-sponsored by Thornlea’s own ESP and GSA groups. On April 20 th , wewill be promoting the wearing of green to raise awareness of tissue and organ donation.We hope you will support your child’s efforts to be part of the Thornleafamily and participate in these two worthwhile causes.If getting involved in the Students’ Council is your child’s forte, the election campaignfor Executive positions begins next week. Grade representatives will beelected in early May. These are both excellent opportunities for students to getinvolved in student body leadership.Please feel free to contact the school if you have any questions regarding any ofthese upcoming events.Regards,Diana SmithVice Principal

3To celebrate EARTH DAY on April 22, 2010, Thornlea's Environment Clubis encouraging the entire Thornlea community to take part in our Third AnnualRECYCLING DRIVE.For the month of April, we are asking all homeroom classes to fill thestorage bags provided to each class with the following items:1. pop tabs-- (these areused for wheelchairs!)2. used batteries3. ink cartridgesThe Environment Club would like to divertthese items from landfill sites and will insteadtake them to a waste managementfacility where they can be disposed of in asafe, environmentally friendly manner.The homeroom class with the MOST recyclable items will win a prize courtesyof the Environment Club.Please do your part for the environment and help us make our communitya more environmentally friendly one! Encourage your children to bring inrecyclable items for our Drive! - Thornlea Environment Club

6(continued from front page)As I work every day at an auto body shop, I realize how hard it can be to make money.I thought it would be easy to make money…If I can give other students advice, I wouldtell them to takeCo-op…They will experience how hard money making is in life and it will help themduring their future careers as it is helping me a lot.Steven Hong – Auto Body ShopMy Co-op experience is helping me to know more about the finance industry, and it isstarting to make me think that I am suitable for this career…Co-op has changed mypoint of view of finance. It is not as boring as I thought it would be…Originally, Ithought I would work in hotel management, but now I have decided that finance is myfuture career.Joyce Qin – Capital Management FirmBeing able to work out of school as a Co-op student and deal with the real world hasmade me see many different things. People in the work force are always busy and alwaysworking…It gets me thinking about how important choosing the right programand the right post-secondary institution is. I have started thinking about my own futureand my chosen path.Tiffany Sun – Interior Design StudioTo be honest, in the past when I wanted to choose Co-op at course selection time, Ihesitated because I thought it might not be useful. But, as every day goes by, I havestarted to realize how really important it is to have Co-op experience. I think about myother classmates who do not have this experience, and I realize that I have a great advantageas a result of this program.Januja Debalathas – Mortgage and Insurance Office

The NACBAIT is an annual event that unites the top Chinese basketball players fromacross the U.S. and Canada.It provides a unique volunteer experience:The Canadian Chinese Youth Athletics Association will be playing host to the 30th AnnualNorth American Chinese Basketball Invitational Tournament on May 28-31 2010in Toronto. This tournament will feature over 1,500 Chinese basketball players (boastsNCAA and CIS backgrounds) from across the Continent and promises to be one of themost exciting events of the year for the community.We are seeking enthusiastic individuals interested in a unique volunteer experience!Email: kay.selena@gmail.com with your name and contact information to get involved!DEADLINE to apply is May 1, 2010Tournament Background:The North American Chinese Basketball Association Invitational Tournament is an annualevent that unites the top Chinese basketball players from across the U.S. andCanada. This unique tournament features participants from Boys 15 & under, toWomen’s Elite to Masters 35 & over. In the Elite Mens’ & Womens’ divisions, many ofthe players boast a college-playing background (both NCAA and CIS) and in somecases, overseas professional experience.With over 1,500 participants expected, this tournament is truly one-of-a-kind in natureand promises to be the largest Chinese sporting event in Canada for 2010.The 2010 North American Chinese Basketball Association Invitational Tournament(NACBAIT) consists of a number of events:· Friday Night Jam Session - a ‘player-welcome’ event featuring a BBQ, videogame tournament, live music and basketball skills exhibitions· Tournament - to be played on May 29 - 31 at York University and HoopDome· Tournament Awards Ceremony and Banquet at Hilton Suites Markham ConferenceCentre- over 1,500 people expected in attendance7

8The executive elections for next years council will be held from Monday April 19th- FridayApril 23rd, and voting will take place on April 23rd in all grade 9, 10, and 11 homeroomclasses. If you are a grade 11 student in a grade 12 class, come to room 247with your timetable before 9:30 and you will be able to vote. To run for any executiveposition, students must be going into grade 11 or 12. The pre-requisite to run for Presidentis to have a minimum of one years experience on student council and is enteringgrade 12. The six executive positions include: President, Vice President, Internal SocialCoordinator, External Social Coordinator, Internal Affairs, and Treasurer. If you areinterested in running for council, it is strongly recommended that you go onto theThornlea website and click on student council to access our constitution. In this, youwill discover more about the position you are running for. As well, speaking to the currentexecutive members will help you learn more about the position you would like torun for. Student Council is a great way to get involved with the school and an incredibleexperience. Be sure to listen to announcements for further information.Student Council had a Fun Wednesday right before march break, where students wereable to decorate their very own cupcakes with icing, candy, and sprinkles, while listeningto music in the cafeteria. This event was a huge success as people came back forsome more! Looking ahead into the last few months of school, Thornstock, our annualschool carnival is coming up in May, along with the student council grade rep elections.Students can look forward to more exciting events on the CAF stage during their lunchperiods. We hope to see you all there!

9Even as the school year comes to an end, it's still not to late to join a club or sportsteam.For more information about when clubs meet listen to announcements and check theThornlea Website under Student Council. You can contact Joon Oh for more information,joon_oh@hotmail.comPharley’s, Thornlea’s school store is fully up and running! If you haven't yet stoppedby, you are missing out. With a ton of candy and chips being sold, along with jewellery,cards, books and many other things from the Global Citizenship club, there is somethingfor everyone. If you never got a chance to order your spirit wear during first semester,now is your chance! Stop by and pick up an order form!As always, if you have any questions or concerns the easiest way to get in contactto student council is by e-mailing their President, Reema Dibe. Her e-mailis reemadibe@gmail.comYours in leadership,Student Council

10The week of April 18-25 is National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week acrossCanada. Once again this year the Biology Club will do their part to raise awareness inthe school regarding the importance of transplantation and organ and tissue donation.Besides our usual campaign of having green ribbons and registration forms availablefor the Ontario Donor Registry, we have two new exciting initiatives.On TUESDAY APRIL 20, we are encouraging all staff and students to wear green tocelebrate Wear Your Green Day to show support for organ and tissue donorawareness.On WEDNESDAY APRIL 21, we will be creating a symbolic Living Green Ribbon byhaving students and staff assemble outside and line up in an organized manner tocreate the shape of a green ribbon. Trillium Gift of Life will be providing us with“green ponchos” to wear and we will be taking an aerial photo. Hopefully this maybecome an annual event at Thornlea.Currently there are approximately 4000 Canadians on thewaiting list to receive organs. Last year, 1631 of these individualswere from Ontario. Unfortunately one of these peoplewill die every 3 days, due to the shortage of availableorgans for transplant as a result of Canada’s very low donorrate. Through donation, one person can give life savingorgan donations to 8 other people and enhance thelives of up to 75 others through tissue donation. In Ontario,less than 25% of the adults have currently registeredto be a donor on the Ontario Donor Registry, which can bedone through www.giftoflife.on.ca. Trillium Gift of Life, inconjunction with the Ministry of Education and Ministry ofHealth has produced a new curriculum support documenttitled “One life.......many gifts”. This will help all secondaryschools in Ontario integrate the topic of transplants andorgan and tissue donation into many different subject areas.The aim of this project is to raise awareness of thisimportant issue within today’s high school students.

Makeover Madness!Thornlea’s first ever Cosmetology class has recently embarked on a joint venture withPhotography students to complete a Makeover Photo Shoot. This was an opportunityfor our Cosmetology students to experience the excitement and pressures of developinga makeover theme to create a new look for a model including hair, makeup andclothing! This joint project gave our Photography students experience working withmodels while practicing lighting and photography techniques to further develop theirskills. All of this required planning, creativity and time management with an excellentoutcome as seen in the before and after pictures below.11Special thanks to Ms. Yuan’s photography class for making this possible.

14PICKING UP THE PIECES- A 6 session group for parents and children who are going throughdivorce and want to address the normal stress associated with adjusting to their new situation.Groups for children cover the common feelings and experiences, developing new problemsolving strategies, understanding their individual concerns and how to communicate them totheir parents. The parents groups will explore the impact of the divorce on their children, helpingtheir children to communicate with them about their feelings, and look at their relationshipwith their co-parent in regards to the children’s needs. Starts the week of April 12/10. ContactJanice Shaw ( 905-882-2331 X 232) for assessment and registration informationADULT CHILDREN LOSING A PARENT- A six session group for adult children who have recentlylost a parent. Topics include: coping with grief, loss and legacy and resolving unfinishedbusiness. Tuesday April 13/10 at 4600 Bathurst St.- Lipa Green Bldg. from 7:30 to 9:00p.m.LIVING WITH TEENS- Parenting your adolescent without losing your cool. A six session groupfor parents of teenagers. Topics include: setting limits, letting go, parents rights and responsibilities,keeping the lines of communication open, realistic expectations, and the pressures ofdrugs, alcohol, dating and sexuality. Tuesday April 13/10 at 4600 Bathurst St. - Lipa GreenCentre from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.WIDOW/WIDOWERS 65+ BEREAVEMENT- A six session daytime group for men and womenwho have recently lost a partner or spouse. Topics to be discussed may include: coping withgrief, living with loneliness, changing relationships, and new beginnings. Wednesday April14/10 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. at 4600 Bathurst St- Lipa Green Bldg.BEYOND THE CHUPPAH, BECOMING A COUPLE- A five session Marriage Preparationgroup for couples who are going to be married in the next year. Topics include: Changing rolesand expectations, finances, conflict negotiation and resolution, communication, and Jewishhome and family life. This program is offered in partnership with the Rabbinical Assembly- OntarioRegion.Begins Wednesday April 14/10 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Beth Tzedek Synagogue.Also six sessions on Monday April 26/10 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at First Narayever.SUCCESSFUL STEP PARENTING - A six session group for couples living in blended familieswanting to discuss building a solid couple relationship, the myths and realities of step-families,and helping kids to adjust to step-family life. Wednesday April 14/10 from 7:30 to 9 p.m.at The Promenade Mall- suite #313

Parenting the Child with ADHD-This is a four week group for parents of ADHD diagnosedchildren who are wanting to learn more about ADHD and develop strategies for assistingtheir children at home and at school. Starts Tuesday April 20/10 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at4600 Bathurst St- 6th floor. Call Pam for pre-group interview at 416-638-7800 X 315.New- Aspergers 101- A one session workshop for anyone ( professional or family members)wanting to know more about the myths and realities of Aspergers Syndrome. It is being presentedby Margot Nelles from the Aspergers Association and Aspergers et al. She will discuss:What Aspergers is, and isn't, How Aspergers related to mental health and the mentalhealth system, How to work with Asperger individuals. Wednesday April 21/10 from 7 to 9p.m. at the Lipa Green Centre- lower lobby room # 7. Registration is required as spacewill be limited to the room capacity.THE CHALLENGE OF ANGER FOR WOMEN- A six session group for women to learn howto express their anger in an assertive, non- aggressive way. Wednesday April 21/10 from7:30 to 9 p.m. at 4600 Bathurst St- Lipa Green Bldg15COUPLE COMMUNICATION- A four session group for couples wanting to learn communicationskills to help them deal better with day-to-day issues, resolve conflicts and build a moresatisfying relationship. Thursday April 22/10 at Promenade Mall- suite #313 from 7 to 9p.m.NEW- Stepping Stones for Women: Creating Your Journey Towards Employment - Is aone session workshop for women who are looking to enter or re-enter the workforce. Thisworkshop will be interactive and explore such topics as: Obstacles to finding work, wat youare bringing to the table, The difference between fields vs. occupations, how to research anduse networking skills. It is being facilitated by Tamar Kagan who is a Career and Life TransitionsCoach. Wednesday April 28/ 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Lipa Green Centre- lowerlobby room # 9. There is no charge for this workshop. Registration is required asspace will be limited due to the interactive forum of this workshop.LIFESKILLS FOR TODAY’S WOMAN- A six session group for women wanting to make achange in their lives by enhancing their life skills. Topics include: building self esteem, timeand stress management, assertiveness and improving communication skills. Begins ThursdayApril 29/10 from 7 to 9 p.m. at 4600 Bathurst St- Lipa Green Bldg.As always our groups and workshops are open to anyone in the community regardlessof race, religion or cultural background. For more information or to registerplease call Shawna Sidney at 416-638-7800 Ext #215 or go online to our website atwww.jfandcs.com.

16April 13-16April 19April 22April 30May 3-14May 3-6May 7May 12May 17May 18-21May 19May 20May 24May 27June 1June 3-18June 8 –11June 10June 11June 21-25June 28June 28June 29-30Theatre 219! The 14th Annual StudentOne Act Play FestivalSchool Council Executive Campaigning7:15pmDECA InternationalsMid-Term Reports DistributedAP ExamsGrade Rep CampaigningGrade Rep ElectionsTIP Parents NightSchool Council Meeting 7:15 pmOutdoor Ed TripMusic ConcertThornstockVictoria Day (No school today)PromArts BanquetMath EQAOGrade 12 DramaGrad RehearsalLocker Clean OutExamsExam Review DayGraduationPA Days