Monday 28 May 2012
Updated from Comparative Civilations 12
Report Card Pickup in June
Wednesday, June 28th at 10am
Students go to their Period 1 Teacher to pick up their report cards. Once students have picked up their report cards, they are free to leave.
Students go to their Period 1 Teacher to pick up their report cards. Once students have picked up their report cards, they are free to leave.
Thursday 24 May 2012
Updates from the English Department
This has been an exciting semester for the English department. In mid February the English Department attacked the entire school with poetry. From scribing snippets of poetry across windows, reciting riddles during announcements, crashing classrooms with love poems and preparing a poetry slam, including workshops at the end of the week, English teachers were buzzing with poetic energy. The poetry slam itself was spectacular, with three slam poets, whose words were “off the hook.” Later that day, two of the poets conducted Spoken Word workshops for all interested students. These students were treated to writing and performance techniques that only Spoken Word professionals could provide. All in all, it was a memorable week.
April 23rd was William Shakespeare's birthday, and on that theme, several Sullivan Heights English classes were fortunate to participate in amazing Bard on the Beach Shakespearean workshops. Activities ranged from hurling Shakespearean insults, to acting out scenes from plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, to discussing the historical context of the Bard's plays. The workshops allowed students (and teachers!) to view Shakespeare's plays in a new light, as theatrical dramas with intricate and expressive language, rather than simply a dry and boring text to be read in class. A big thank you to the PAC for funding these inspiring workshops!
Some neat activities have been occurring in classrooms as well. In Ms. Farrant’s class, Grade 10 students made pins during their study of The Hunger Games. Ms. Garr’s class made bookmarks with “Macbeth” and “Romeo and Juliet” and created graffiti walls with “Romeo and Juliet”. Ms. Freeman’s class used twitter to do character tweets during their study of “Taming of the Shrew” and Ms. Nielsen’s grade 11 class performed scenes from “Macbeth” just to name a few.
Ms. Nielsen - English Department Head
April 23rd was William Shakespeare's birthday, and on that theme, several Sullivan Heights English classes were fortunate to participate in amazing Bard on the Beach Shakespearean workshops. Activities ranged from hurling Shakespearean insults, to acting out scenes from plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, to discussing the historical context of the Bard's plays. The workshops allowed students (and teachers!) to view Shakespeare's plays in a new light, as theatrical dramas with intricate and expressive language, rather than simply a dry and boring text to be read in class. A big thank you to the PAC for funding these inspiring workshops!
Some neat activities have been occurring in classrooms as well. In Ms. Farrant’s class, Grade 10 students made pins during their study of The Hunger Games. Ms. Garr’s class made bookmarks with “Macbeth” and “Romeo and Juliet” and created graffiti walls with “Romeo and Juliet”. Ms. Freeman’s class used twitter to do character tweets during their study of “Taming of the Shrew” and Ms. Nielsen’s grade 11 class performed scenes from “Macbeth” just to name a few.
Ms. Nielsen - English Department Head
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Enriched Workshops for Comparative Civilization Students
This semester the Comparative Civilizations 12 class has been enriched by experiencing two drum workshops, both featuring the use of the West African Djembe drum. The first session, on March 1, was taught by Fana Soro, master drummer from Ivory Coast. Fana emphasizes the use of the drum in West African culture and teaches the students rhythms that would be used at community events such as weddings and other celebrations. He also incorporates some West African singing and dancing. He was impressed by the participation level of the students. Fana has recently moved to Ottawa but, because he has been coming to Sullivan Heights for several years, we were fortunate that he made a point of fitting in a visit to our school on one of his trips back to BC.
The second drum workshop will be May 24 and taught by a local drummer, Mr. Billy Knudson, who leads the Rhythm Well drum group. Billy’s philosophy is that everyone has rhythm, that everyone has the potential to be a drummer if their rhythm is “released”. For Billy, drumming is an important stress release that leads to wellness.
Both drummers have extensive experience conducting both student and adult workshops. Both styles emphasize the amazing amount of non-verbal communication made possible through drumming. Both sessions were generously funded by the Sullivan Heights PAC.
Ms. Harris - Comparative Civililations Teacher
The second drum workshop will be May 24 and taught by a local drummer, Mr. Billy Knudson, who leads the Rhythm Well drum group. Billy’s philosophy is that everyone has rhythm, that everyone has the potential to be a drummer if their rhythm is “released”. For Billy, drumming is an important stress release that leads to wellness.
Both drummers have extensive experience conducting both student and adult workshops. Both styles emphasize the amazing amount of non-verbal communication made possible through drumming. Both sessions were generously funded by the Sullivan Heights PAC.
Ms. Harris - Comparative Civililations Teacher
Friday 18 May 2012
A Successful Year for our Theatre Deptarment
The Theatre Department had a very successful year staging a full Production of “An Evening At Fawlty Towers” last fall and no less than 8 - one act plays this spring. But perhaps the most memorable moment was the evening we all got together to go to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre to see the Broadway show, ‘Cats’. Our Theatre Arts community is certainly growing and we look forward to new adventures next year!
Mr. Trottier - Drama Teacher
Mr. Trottier - Drama Teacher
Career Centre Year End Highlights
The Career Centre here at Sullivan Heights has had a very successful year. Here are some of the highlights:
- Three Sullivan Students accepted/enrolled in the District Plumbing Program
- One Sullivan Student accepted/enrolled in the District Auto Mechanics Program
- One Sullivan Student accepted/enrolled in the District HairDressing Program
- One Sullivan Student accepted/enrolled in the District Chef Training Program
- 90 Co-op Work Study student placements
- 20 out of 25 Work Experience Student Placements
- Over 200 successful Grad Transitions Interviews
- Over 80% of Sullivan Grade 9 students took part in Take our Kids to Work Day
- 500 grade 8/9 students took part in business/employability skills works shops (Junior Achievement)
- Grade 10-12 Funny Money Financial Literacy Presentation (Brought to you by our Sullivan PAC)
- Youth Philanthropy Initiative ---$5000 in funding won by Planning 10 students Leah Kobetitch, Pryia
Johal and Simran Gill for their chosen charity "Harmony House"
- "Drop it and Drive" road safety presentation
- ICBC Road Sense Safety Presentation
- Three Sullivan Students accepted/enrolled in the District Plumbing Program
- One Sullivan Student accepted/enrolled in the District Auto Mechanics Program
- One Sullivan Student accepted/enrolled in the District HairDressing Program
- One Sullivan Student accepted/enrolled in the District Chef Training Program
- 90 Co-op Work Study student placements
- 20 out of 25 Work Experience Student Placements
- Over 200 successful Grad Transitions Interviews
- Over 80% of Sullivan Grade 9 students took part in Take our Kids to Work Day
- 500 grade 8/9 students took part in business/employability skills works shops (Junior Achievement)
- Grade 10-12 Funny Money Financial Literacy Presentation (Brought to you by our Sullivan PAC)
- Youth Philanthropy Initiative ---$5000 in funding won by Planning 10 students Leah Kobetitch, Pryia
Johal and Simran Gill for their chosen charity "Harmony House"
- "Drop it and Drive" road safety presentation
- ICBC Road Sense Safety Presentation
Global Issues - What a Year!
Over the past year, the Global Issues Club organized a number of events in relation to humanitarian and environmental causes. Keeping with tradition, annual campaigns were held, but at the same time, new ones were also introduced. Here are some of the events we held.
- Supporting Victims of the famine in East Africa
- World Aids Day
- Operation Christmas Child
- Gingerbread House Fundraiser in support of Local Women's Shelters
- Critter Care Fundraiser
- Earth Week
Dry Grad Update (Change in Venue)
Dry Grad 2012
11:30 pm – 5:00 am
Location now changed!
Will be held at the YMCA
(Parents are to pick up grads at the YMCA at 5:00am Sat. June 9th)
Dry Grad update now available. Check the Dry Grad Facebook page here.
11:30 pm – 5:00 am
Location now changed!
Will be held at the YMCA
(Parents are to pick up grads at the YMCA at 5:00am Sat. June 9th)
Dry Grad update now available. Check the Dry Grad Facebook page here.
Thursday 17 May 2012
Athletic Banquet - June 5, 2012
This year's year end Athletic Banquet will be presented in a new format. On Tuesday, June 5th at lunch time in the school hub we will be celebrating the year in school athletics with a media presentation showcasing the numerous highlights and memorable moments our students have experienced in these extra-curricular activities. We will also be acknowledging several students who have made valuable contributions to our school's athletics program through coaching and other forms of volunteer work.
A complimentary Subway lunch will be provided to athletes as part of their athletic fees paid at the start of their season. Students must register for a food ticket at lunch time in the hub from May 14th - May 18th.
Congratulations AP (Advanced Placement) Students!
Ms. Garr and Mr. Pacheco would like to congratulate all of our Advanced Placement students who wrote the AP Psychology and/or AP English Literature exams in May. These exams were the culmination of a challenging, yet highly rewarding year for both students and teachers! We are confident that regardless of final exam scores, the "lessons" that our students learned this year range far beyond the content of the courses, and we wish them well in their post secondary pursuits. A reminder that exam results will not be released until mid-summer and that students and parents can log on to the AP College Board website for further information.
Friday 11 May 2012
Principal's May Newsletter
To the Proud Parents of our Sullivan Heights STARS,
It’s May and the sun is finally shining. The days are getting longer and the heat feels good on our face! Summer is just around the corner.
If you haven’t already done so, now is definitely the time to check in on your children and ask them how they’re doing at school. If you have a child that responds with the usual grunt or comment that “all is fine”, I encourage you to dig deeper and ask more open-ended questions to suss out what is really going on. Research tells us that parents who actively engage and get involved in their child’s education, are more apt to have children that succeed in school.
Our most recent update at Sullivan Heights is that we have finally made the decision to move to a flexible schedule for next year. Our new schedule involves implementing a five period day to accommodate our increased population. The intricacies of what the bell schedule will look like are still being decided. What you can expect to see is a day that starts at or very near to 8:00 am, has five periods, a lunch and a nutrition break, and finishes at approximately 3:45. The day will be structured so that our grade 8, 9 and 10 students attend school from periods 1 – 4 and our seniors attend from periods 1 – 5. Overall, our staff is quite enthusiastic about the change and we are all looking forward to helping our students and school community make the adjustment.
Our Grad 2012 update is that our Commencement, Grad Dinner Dance and Dry Grad Event will not be affected by the current BCTF withdrawal of volunteer activities. Through the support of our district Safe School Liaisons, the school administration and our volunteer parents, grad activities will still take place. We are looking forward to Commencement on June 6th and the Grad Dinner Dance and Dry Grad on June 8th. If your child is in grade 12, please ask them to check the Grad Bulletin board in the school to ensure they have completed all the necessary checks to be able to attend these activities.
We are continuing to work on our mechanisms to communicate with our parents. The best way to keep abreast of what is happening at Sullivan Heights is to follow this link by adding your email in the Follow by Email box. As well, if you haven’t already done so, now is the time to check out our very own Sullivan Heights Twitter hashtag at #1000awesomethingsaboutsulli or follow our account @sullivanHeights. Note that you must have a Twitter account to view the hashtag. This hashtag started in the first semester and has allowed many students and staff to post instant messages about how great it is to be a STAR at Sullivan Heights.
Here are a few Sullivan Heights highlights from the past few months include:
Advance Placement English and Psychology (update by Ms Garr)
• Our AP students began the year with an excursion to Bard on the Beach, viewing a lively performance of the comedy “As You Like It”. Their first foray into live Shakespearean theatre was an eye opening and enlightening experience. It allowed our students to bond as a group, and was a great kick off to the year. Psychology students were also able to sit in on a 1st year lecture at SFU and participated in the Connecting Minds Conference. Technology also figured largely into the AP program with students benefitting from our new ipads and iclickers to supplement and enhance classroom instruction.
• Another highlight of the AP English Literature experience this year was our Victorian Christmas party to complement our study of Victorian Era literature. Students made period appropriate ornaments, while snacking on various delicacies and listening to the gentle music of The Nutcracker Suite. Our students were also treated to a heart-felt rendition of Clement Moore's “T'was the Night Before Christmas” read to them by by our principal Mr Hayes.
• April 23rd was William Shakespeare's birthday, and on that theme, several Sullivan Heights English classes were fortunate to participate in amazing Bard on the Beach Shakespearean workshops. Activities ranged from hurling Shakespearean insults, to acting out scenes from plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, to discussing the historical context of the Bard's plays. The workshops allowed students (and teachers!) to view Shakespeare's plays in a new light, as theatrical dramas with intricate and expressive language, rather than simply a dry and boring text to be read in class. A big thank you to the PAC for funding these inspiring workshops!
Athletics
• Our very own Sullivan Junior Girls Basketball Team won the Surrey Tier 2 Championship
Bhangra Dance Team
• Our beloved Bhangra Dance Team won first place overall and most entertaining team at the BC High School Bhangra Championships.
Physical Education (update by Mr. Brown)
• We are all very thankful to PAC for helping fund and support our new Weight Room re-design and installation of our new treadmill.
Art (update by Mr. Pelech)
• Our Grade 12 student Thomas Nelles won the City of Surrey, "Creative Achievement Award," as part of the Annual Youth Recognition Awards ceremony, held last weekend. The award is given out to the "top" student engaged in school & community fine arts.
As you see Sullivan Heights is a vibrant and exciting place to be. As a final note, I want to thank the many parents who volunteer their time in support of our school. Your committed support and dedication is what makes our Sullivan Community a family.
Just like stars have gravitational pull, our STARS have gravitational pull from the positive relationships that form at Sullivan Heights!
Rex Hayes
Principal
It’s May and the sun is finally shining. The days are getting longer and the heat feels good on our face! Summer is just around the corner.
If you haven’t already done so, now is definitely the time to check in on your children and ask them how they’re doing at school. If you have a child that responds with the usual grunt or comment that “all is fine”, I encourage you to dig deeper and ask more open-ended questions to suss out what is really going on. Research tells us that parents who actively engage and get involved in their child’s education, are more apt to have children that succeed in school.
Our most recent update at Sullivan Heights is that we have finally made the decision to move to a flexible schedule for next year. Our new schedule involves implementing a five period day to accommodate our increased population. The intricacies of what the bell schedule will look like are still being decided. What you can expect to see is a day that starts at or very near to 8:00 am, has five periods, a lunch and a nutrition break, and finishes at approximately 3:45. The day will be structured so that our grade 8, 9 and 10 students attend school from periods 1 – 4 and our seniors attend from periods 1 – 5. Overall, our staff is quite enthusiastic about the change and we are all looking forward to helping our students and school community make the adjustment.
Our Grad 2012 update is that our Commencement, Grad Dinner Dance and Dry Grad Event will not be affected by the current BCTF withdrawal of volunteer activities. Through the support of our district Safe School Liaisons, the school administration and our volunteer parents, grad activities will still take place. We are looking forward to Commencement on June 6th and the Grad Dinner Dance and Dry Grad on June 8th. If your child is in grade 12, please ask them to check the Grad Bulletin board in the school to ensure they have completed all the necessary checks to be able to attend these activities.
We are continuing to work on our mechanisms to communicate with our parents. The best way to keep abreast of what is happening at Sullivan Heights is to follow this link by adding your email in the Follow by Email box. As well, if you haven’t already done so, now is the time to check out our very own Sullivan Heights Twitter hashtag at #1000awesomethingsaboutsulli or follow our account @sullivanHeights. Note that you must have a Twitter account to view the hashtag. This hashtag started in the first semester and has allowed many students and staff to post instant messages about how great it is to be a STAR at Sullivan Heights.
Here are a few Sullivan Heights highlights from the past few months include:
Advance Placement English and Psychology (update by Ms Garr)
• Our AP students began the year with an excursion to Bard on the Beach, viewing a lively performance of the comedy “As You Like It”. Their first foray into live Shakespearean theatre was an eye opening and enlightening experience. It allowed our students to bond as a group, and was a great kick off to the year. Psychology students were also able to sit in on a 1st year lecture at SFU and participated in the Connecting Minds Conference. Technology also figured largely into the AP program with students benefitting from our new ipads and iclickers to supplement and enhance classroom instruction.
• Another highlight of the AP English Literature experience this year was our Victorian Christmas party to complement our study of Victorian Era literature. Students made period appropriate ornaments, while snacking on various delicacies and listening to the gentle music of The Nutcracker Suite. Our students were also treated to a heart-felt rendition of Clement Moore's “T'was the Night Before Christmas” read to them by by our principal Mr Hayes.
• April 23rd was William Shakespeare's birthday, and on that theme, several Sullivan Heights English classes were fortunate to participate in amazing Bard on the Beach Shakespearean workshops. Activities ranged from hurling Shakespearean insults, to acting out scenes from plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, to discussing the historical context of the Bard's plays. The workshops allowed students (and teachers!) to view Shakespeare's plays in a new light, as theatrical dramas with intricate and expressive language, rather than simply a dry and boring text to be read in class. A big thank you to the PAC for funding these inspiring workshops!
Athletics
• Our very own Sullivan Junior Girls Basketball Team won the Surrey Tier 2 Championship
Bhangra Dance Team
• Our beloved Bhangra Dance Team won first place overall and most entertaining team at the BC High School Bhangra Championships.
Physical Education (update by Mr. Brown)
• We are all very thankful to PAC for helping fund and support our new Weight Room re-design and installation of our new treadmill.
Art (update by Mr. Pelech)
• Our Grade 12 student Thomas Nelles won the City of Surrey, "Creative Achievement Award," as part of the Annual Youth Recognition Awards ceremony, held last weekend. The award is given out to the "top" student engaged in school & community fine arts.
As you see Sullivan Heights is a vibrant and exciting place to be. As a final note, I want to thank the many parents who volunteer their time in support of our school. Your committed support and dedication is what makes our Sullivan Community a family.
Just like stars have gravitational pull, our STARS have gravitational pull from the positive relationships that form at Sullivan Heights!
Rex Hayes
Principal
Thursday 10 May 2012
Updated Grad Information
On Wednesday May 9 Sullivan Heights held an extremely important assembly with updates to some of our upcoming grad events. In case you missed it, the PowerPoint slides of the assembly are here.
Thursday 3 May 2012
Athletics Parent Information Meeting
Sullivan Heights will be hosting an open meeting on May 15th at 7PM in the Gym to clarify the current coaching situation and answer any questions our students and parents may have.
The meeting will NOT have a political agenda and will be attended by teachers and administration. The goal of this meeting is to explain (in relation to athletics) any misinterpretations of the BCTF's current actions to withdraw extracurricular activities. Further to this, the goal is also to continue to maintain positive relations with students and parents based on mutual understanding and respect.
All student athletes, parents and teacher/coaches are welcome.
The meeting will be chaired by our Athletic Director: Mr. Ryan Neufeld.
The meeting will NOT have a political agenda and will be attended by teachers and administration. The goal of this meeting is to explain (in relation to athletics) any misinterpretations of the BCTF's current actions to withdraw extracurricular activities. Further to this, the goal is also to continue to maintain positive relations with students and parents based on mutual understanding and respect.
All student athletes, parents and teacher/coaches are welcome.
The meeting will be chaired by our Athletic Director: Mr. Ryan Neufeld.
2012 Youth and Philanthropy Initiative Winners!
Sullivan Heights would like to congratulate this year’s Youth and Philanthropy Initiative winners! Congratulations to Simran Gill, Leah Kobetitch, and Preya Johal who represented the "Harmony House" charity for immigrant women who are victims of domestic abuse. Thanks to Simran, Leah, and Preya's hard work and advocacy "Harmony House" will receive this year’s grant of $5000! Way to go girls you made Sullivan very proud!
City of Surrey Youth Photo Contest Winner!
Congratulations to our very own Michelle Wong in grade 9 for winning the grand prize in Surrey's citywide youth photo contest. Students were assessed on their creativity and technical skills. Michelle's digital file will be enlarged and screened on canvas for permanent display in the Fraser Recreation Centre. Way to go Michelle!
Wednesday 2 May 2012
Report Cards Distributed Today!
We will distributing report cards today. At 2:35 pm, students will report to their home rooms and they will be able to take their report cards home.
Regarding course with provincial exams, here are some important notes:
Grade 10 Courses (English 10, Math 10, Science 10) from Semester 1:
Regarding course with provincial exams, here are some important notes:
Grade 10 Courses (English 10, Math 10, Science 10) from Semester 1:
- Final grade has not been blended with the provincial exam mark. Therefore, the final mark listed on the report card represents only 80% of the student's final grade
- The provincial exam mark will be blended by the Ministry of Education at a later date
- Final grade has not been blended with the provincial exam mark. Therefore, the final mark listed on the report card represents only 60% of the student's final grade
- The provincial exam mark will be blended by the Ministry of Education at a later date
Tuesday 1 May 2012
Grad Dinner Dance and Dry Grad tickets sales are starting!
The time has come! Dinner Dance and Dry Grad tickets will go on sale in the school starting Wednesday, May 2!
Please note the following important details:
Dinner Dance Ticket $120.00
Dry Grad Ticket $50.00
Total $170.00
Tickets can be paid with one cheque - made out to Sullivan Heights Secondary
Tickets will be sold at lunch in the hub the following dates only:
Wed. May 2nd
Wed. May 9th
Wed. May 16th
Thurs. May 17th
Fri. May 18th
Last Day of Sales - Friday, May 18th
Students with guest passes must have their approved guest pass forms with them when they purchase their guest's ticket.
Please note the following important details:
Dinner Dance Ticket $120.00
Dry Grad Ticket $50.00
Total $170.00
Tickets can be paid with one cheque - made out to Sullivan Heights Secondary
Tickets will be sold at lunch in the hub the following dates only:
Wed. May 2nd
Wed. May 9th
Wed. May 16th
Thurs. May 17th
Fri. May 18th
Last Day of Sales - Friday, May 18th
Students with guest passes must have their approved guest pass forms with them when they purchase their guest's ticket.
Commencement Tickets Available Starting May 2nd!
Grade 12 students can pick up their Commencement tickets from the school office
starting Wednesday, May 2nd.
Each grad will receive 2 free tickets and a request form for more tickets will be attached. A maximum of 3 extra tickets can be requested at a cost of $5 each.
Requests must be back into the office no later than Friday, May 11th. Sorry, no late submissions will be accepted.
Please note - due to limited seating in the Bell Theatre, there are no guarantees that all requests will be honoured. Preference will be given to family members. However we will do our very best to accomodate the needs of everyone.
starting Wednesday, May 2nd.
Each grad will receive 2 free tickets and a request form for more tickets will be attached. A maximum of 3 extra tickets can be requested at a cost of $5 each.
Requests must be back into the office no later than Friday, May 11th. Sorry, no late submissions will be accepted.
Please note - due to limited seating in the Bell Theatre, there are no guarantees that all requests will be honoured. Preference will be given to family members. However we will do our very best to accomodate the needs of everyone.
Student Travel Opportunity
Spend a week in Ottawa attending Canada's largest youth forum for only $675!
Students interested in participating in the "Encounters with Canada" program next year must visit www.ewc-rdc.ca and apply by writing a letter explaining what would make them a good candidate for the program. The letter must be handed in to Ms. Stevens in room C211 or to Ms. Bourassa in the counselling office before Monday May 7th, at 3pm.
Students interested in participating in the "Encounters with Canada" program next year must visit www.ewc-rdc.ca and apply by writing a letter explaining what would make them a good candidate for the program. The letter must be handed in to Ms. Stevens in room C211 or to Ms. Bourassa in the counselling office before Monday May 7th, at 3pm.
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