Friday, December 16, 2016

Please see the Stouffville website:

http://www.stouffvilledistrict.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/

for more information.

Don't Miss Stouffville District S.S. School Council Meeting Monday, December 19th At Stouffville District S.S. in the library, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. There will be special guest speakers from York Region Community and Health Services, Addiction Services of York Region, and York Region Police discussing:

drugs commonly used by youth strategies to help youth delay or prevent substance use common misconceptions about drug and alcohol use adolescent brain development in relation to substance use legal implications resources on where to seek help if needed

Please RSVP to Diana Bohemier (School Council Chair) by December 15th diana@dlbconstruction.ca to help us to plan the evening. Thank you!

Student Registration Verification All students have received a form asking for parent signature to verify the contact information that we have on file. If your address or phone numbers have changed within the last year, and if you have not already returned that form to the school, please give us a call to update this information. It is very important that we be able to reach parents/guardians, especially in case of an emergency. Thank you.

OSSLT – After School Literacy Course

If you feel your son or daughter would benefit from some extra help with reading and writing in order to build skills for the grade 10 OSS Literacy Test (to be held March 30, 2017), please complete the attached registration form and return it to the main office before December 23, 2016. Teachers will also be making recommendations for who should participate. Your son/daughter will need to attend all sessions to get the maximum benefit from this program. The after school program consists of seven (7) sessions of one and a half (1.5) hours each on seven Wednesdays between January 18th and March 22nd, for intensive practice with reading and writing skills and strategies. The following dates are scheduled for the after school literacy class: January 18th; February 8th, 15th, 22nd; March 1st, 8th and 22nd. There is no fee to attend this class (except for International Visa students). Please contact Renee St. Gelais (teacher) or Karen Parris (VP) if you have any questions.

ATMOSPHERE

S.D.S.S. is a model of learning excellence providing a rich diversity of academic and social opportunities. Its

caring, dedicated staff and responsible motivated students encourage the development of values and

character to promote lifelong learning.

EQAO Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics All students registered in grade 9 Academic or Applied mathematics this semester only will be involved in writing the Ministry of Education EQAO Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics on Monday, January 23 and Tuesday, January 24, 2017, during their regular math class. Parents and guardians are kindly requested not to schedule any appointments during those times, as attendance is mandatory, and the assessment counts as 5% of the final summative mark in mathematics. Students have been preparing for this assessment all semester in their math class and it will be included in your child’s final mark. Prior to the test, students will receive a large review package to work on in school and at home. Additional support materials can be referenced on the EQAO web site: www.eqao.com. Please contact the school or your math teacher as soon as possible if there is an appointment which cannot be rescheduled. Thank you to all parents/guardians for your co-operation and support with this important assessment. Students taking grade 9 Math in semester 2 will write this assessment in June. Official results (individual, school, board and province) will be reported in the fall. Best of luck to all students!

Announcements from the SDSS Guidance Department

The Guidance Department has been meeting with grade 12 potential graduates to discuss graduation requirements

which include i) the successful completion of the OSSLT ii) the submission of paperwork indicating the completion

of 40 hours of community service and iii) the accumulation of 30 high school credits by June 2017. Students who

have met with a counsellor have been given a letter to take home indicating if these requirements have and/or will

be met based on their success in the courses on their current timetables. Please encourage your son/daughter to

address any issues identified on the letter as soon as possible and feel free to contact the guidance office if you

have any questions related to this letter.

C. Chartrand (alpha A - H) ext. 1193

R. Luciani (alpha I - O) ext. 1192

E. Marinis (alpha P-Z) ext. 1194

In addition, we would also like to encourage all students to visit the university and college application websites -

www.ouac.on.ca and www.ontariocolleges.ca - to work on and/or complete their applications before and during

the holidays since university applications are due by Wednesday January 11, 2017 and college applications are

due by Wednesday, February 1, 2017. If your son/daughter requires more information about college or university

programs we recommend they visit and explore the websites www.electronicinfo.ca and www.ontariocolleges.ca.

If they are still exploring career options we suggest they visit www.careercruising.com and www.realtalk.careers

before making their educational pathway decisions.

Family Studies News Congratulations to the Gr. 9’s this semester for all their hard work and perseverance. Throughout the semester we discussed at length the importance of developing their character as young adults. Empathy - understanding what it feels like to be in another’s shoes - is an area of personal development that takes time and commitment. However, we discovered that empathy is not only important in the development of family and friend relationships, it is important to develop for the greater society. Compassion creates a society that is giving and being empathetic allows us to “give” without expecting anything back. This semester, students worked diligently to learn how to sew in order to create pillowcases that will be donated to the cancer ward at Sick Kids Hospital. Each time a child goes in for treatment they will receive a new colourful pillowcase to brighten up their room. I am pleased to say that my wonderful Gr. 9 class will bring “smiles” to many faces and I wanted to say “Thank You”. Be proud of your work, I know I am. For more information about Ryan’s Case for Smiles please visit www.caseforsmiles.org “Helping kids feel better to heal better”. All the best during the Holiday Season! Mrs. Perrella

Milk Bag Bed Our Milk Bag Bed campaign was a great success! Instead of going to the landfill, over 3600 milk bags were made into 12 beds that will be used by disadvantaged people in developing countries. Thank you to all the students who volunteered time over their lunch hours to make the beds, and to our School Council Chair Ms. Bohemier and Ms. Taccone who supervised the endeavor. Bravo!

No Parking / Designated Fire Routes PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN DESIGNATED FIRE ROUTES Any designated Fire Route needs to be clear of vehicles and ready for use by emergency vehicles. In an emergency (fire, medical, lock down etc.) time is of the essence and emergency vehicles need access. Fire Routes are signed “No Parking.” What does that mean? 1. This means that you cannot stop your vehicle and get out of the vehicle even for a short period of time.

2. You must obey the signs at all times regardless of the time of day or night. In 2017, the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville will adopt a zero tolerance approach to vehicles parked in designated Fire Routes. By-law Officers, Parking Officers, and Fire Prevention Officers will be issuing tickets when infractions are witnessed, to ensure the safety of all those using our schools and other buildings within the Municipality. If you have questions or concerns, please contact: Whitchurch-Stouffville Fire & Emergency Services at 905-640-9595 OR By-Law Department at 905-640-1900 Ext. 2258

Parent Workshop-Secondary School and Course Selection Please see the attached flyer for upcoming parent workshop (Cantonese and Mandarin) on “Secondary School and Course Selection”. The workshop will be offered at the Markham South Welcome Centre on Dec 15 from 6:00-8:00pm. Family Services York Region Please see the attached flyer for more information about several support groups for parents.

Scents Excerpt & Green Cleaning Recipes See attached for more information.

School Bus Cancellation Notice Please see attached flyer for more details on procedures regarding school bus cancellation due to inclement weather.

CURRENT/UPCOMING EVENTS

December 2016

MONDAY 19

TUESDAY 20

WEDNESDAY 21

THURSDAY 22

FRIDAY 23

School Council

6:30pm-9:00pm

Ugly Sweater Day 9:10am-3:46pm

Last Day for Semester 1 Field Trips

MONDAY 26

TUESDAY 27

WEDNESDAY 28

THURSDAY 29

FRIDAY 30

Winter Break

Winter Break

Winter Break

Winter Break

Winter Break

Please check out the following web sites for current Board and school information:

1) York Region District School Board - www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca

2) Stouffville District Secondary School - http://www.stouffvilledistrict.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/