May's Buss Pass

Just to let you know that your bus passes for May have arrived. You can come to my office at your convenience to pick one up.

If you have submitted an application for a buss pass but is not receiving one, you need to speak to Mr. Mustapich to review and/or to appeal. As mentioned in the past, students may request for a bus pass if they are in a District program, if they live more than 4.8 km from the school, or if there is a financial need. Not providing the necessary documentation and information on your application form may result in you not receiving a bus pass.

Student Loan Information Session Reminder

Just a friendly reminder to you all that there will be an information session on student loan Wednesday at lunch (April 28th) in the library.

Bring all your questions; bring your lunch; bring a pencil and a few pieces of paper - there will probably be quite a lot of information that would be of interests to you.

Bell Schedule Revision

Beginning Monday, April 26, we will return to the original daily bell schedule with a 45-minute lunch period, and a 5-minute break between 3rd and 4th blocks in the afternoon. Specifically:

Monday to Thursday:

• Period 1 (1.4 and 2.4; blocks D and H): 8:45 - 9:45
• Break: 10:05 - 10:20
• Period 2 (1.3 and 2.3; Blocks C and G): 10:20 - 11:45
• Lunch: 11:45 - 12:25
• Period 3 (1.2 and 2.2; Blocks B and F): 12:30 - 1:50
• Period 4 (1.1 and 2.1; Blocks A and E): 1:55 - 3:15

* times in bold represent the revisions made

Friday:

• Period 1 (1.4 and 2.4; blocks D and H): 8:45 - 9:45
• Period 2 (1.3 and 2.3; Blocks C and G): 9:50 - 10:55
• Lunch: 10:55 - 11:40
• Period 3 (1.2 and 2.2; Blocks B and F): 11:40 - 12:40
• Period 4 (1.1 and 2.1; Blocks A and E): 12:45 - 1:45
  

Term 3's Grad Transitions Forms

For those of you who have missed the instructional planning period (IPP) this morning, the term 3's graduation transitions assignment is now available to be picked up from me.

Term 3's assignment focuses on the topics of making a transition plan, financial planning, and creating the necessary document to make your transition plan a reality. The assignment itself is fairly self-explanatory, but should you need assistance, you can come in to see me, or visit Ms. Ward for more details.

For students who are not taking PE 11/12, of course you would have to continue filling in your physical activity log for this term.

Both assignments are due June 18, 2010. That said, since provincial exams are happening the weekend after this due date, we are recommending that you finish those assignments a lot sooner than that.

During IPP, Ms. Ward also mentioned that the final component of graduation transitions is an interview you would have to do with one of the three administrators. Sign-up sheets would be posted outside Mrs. Roberts', Mr. Mustapich's, and Ms. Ward's door some time in May. I will let you know about this when it happens.

Finally, for those who still have not completed your term 1 and/or term 2's graduation transition assignments, you may still submit them to Ms. Ward. If you are not sure whether or not you have successfully completed your GT assignments, refer to your term 2's report card. Search for the course "graduation transitions," and read the comments attached. See the screen shot below (click the image for an enlarged view):
Bottom line, have your GT assignments done ASAP - it is a 4-credit requirement that no grads should be missing.

VLN Online Summer School

A poster for VLN's summer program has arrived at my office, and I have made copies of it.

For students who may be missing a course you need for graduation and/or a post-secondary program, and for students who may wish to upgrade a course you did not do so well in during the school year, VLN is offering a 5-week completion program for a variety of courses at the grades 10 to 12 level.

Summer school program runs from July 2 to Aug 6, with July 15 - 20 being the midterm period, and August 3 - 5 being the final exam period. All students must write the mid-term and final exams in person. No exceptions.

International students need to come into the main VLN office in Room 123 - 530 East 41st Avenue to register.

For more information, you can visit VLN's website (click here) or e-mail its staff at vlnsummer@vsb.bc.ca

Instructional Planning Period - April 22

April's IPP will focus on your third term's graduation transitions assignment, which deals with the topic of financial planning and the budgeting process. Mr. Mustapich may also have some information regarding the graduation ceremony to pass along.

The bell schedule for the day will be a little different from usual. Stay posted for the actual schedule.

As per usual, we will be meeting in the cafeteria for our IPP.

See you there!

Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services' Youth Outreach Academy

Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services is offering a Youth Outreach Academy for students who want to learn some life-saving skills and to challenge themselves.

The Academy runs from May 17th to 21st, 2010. It is a challenging program of life saving and fire fighter skills. The goal of the academy is to help students build self-confidence, interpersonal skills, teamwork, and community spirit.

A complete application form contains the following components:

• VF&RS Release of Liability Form
• VSB Parent/Guardian field studies consent form
• VSB Medical/Emergency consent form

If you are interested in the program, please come to see me for an application form.

Information about Provincial Exam Scholarships

One of you came and asked me about scholarships that are given out from the provincial government when you do well on government exams. The following is taken directly from the graduation handbook the Ministry of Education has put forward. For more details, you can download the handbook (click here) and read Chapter 5.

A student will receive a $1000 Examinations Scholarship if he or she:

• meets the basic eligibility requirements (i.e. be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident at the time the provincial exams are written)
  
• achieves at least a “B” final mark (provincial exam and school mark combined) in English 12, Français langue premiere 12, or English 12 First Peoples
• achieves 86% or higher on each of his or her three best Grade 12 provincial exams (can include the English 12 provincial exam)
• fulfills the graduation requirements of either the 1995 Graduation Program, the 2004 Graduation Program or the Adult Graduation Program (Mr. Leung's note: all of our current grade 12 students are on the 2004 Graduation Program)
  

A student will receive a $2500 Examinations Scholarship Award if he or she:

• qualifies to receive an award (above)
• ranks among the top twenty scholarship students (based on his or her percentage score).
  

Any student who achieves a perfect score (100%) in each of three Grade 12 provincial exams will also be awarded an Academic Medal of Excellence.

When a student has two different percent scores for the same Grade 12 provincial exam, the higher percent score will be used. Scholarship scores do not have to be earned in one school year.

So, basically, there is an advantage in writing these optional provincial exams. Some out-of-province post-secondary schools, and some international post-secondary institutions, still require the writing of these provincial exams.

Student Loans Information Session

Mr. Hayes from the career center has just informed me that there will be an information session on student loans on April 28th (Wednesday) at lunch in the library.

Representatives will come to Templeton to speak to you about the many topics on student loans. Among the topics are:

• What is the difference between a loan and a grant?
• How much money is available?
• What is the application process?
  
• How do I fill the application form?
• How are the federal and provincial loan programs different/similar?
• And many more...

For students who are planning on applying for any type of financial assistance, this workshop is probably very important to you. Please make arrangements so you can attend this workshop - grab your lunch early that day!

Out of Office Notice

I will be away from my office from 12:30 to 3:30 Thursday, April 15. I will be down at the school board's office working on the school's timetable for next year.

If you need to see me, please write a note and slip the note under my door. Write down your name, a brief description of why you need to see me, and a best time to contact you on the note. I will try to get back to you ASAP when I come back.

For emergencies, please see either Ms. Gallpen, Ms. Robertson, or Mrs. Morgan. You can also contact any of the administrators: Mrs. Roberts, Mr. Mustapich, or Ms. Ward.

See you on Friday!

Sarah Mclachlan Music Outreach

The Sarah McLachlan Music Outreach is an Arts Umbrella project. The project allows young people to explore their creative potential and develop positive peer connections that will inspire them to succeed in life, in addition to building a life-long love of music and enthusiasm for learning. The program is guided by the vision of founding partner, international singer/songwriter, Sarah McLachlan.

The programs are led by professional musician instructors, who guide students in an exploration of their creative process through songwriting, playing in an ensemble and recording their original work.

If you want to apply for this project, you must submit your application by Friday, April 16. Application forms can be obtained from the office, or you can go to Arts Umbrella's website (click here - the Sarah McLachlan Music Outreach's info is at the bottom of the page, while registration information can be found at the top of the page) for details.

Hot Dogs on Sale for $1 all week this week!

The yearbook class is raising funds this week by selling hot dogs! Get you hot dog(s) all week this week (Monday to Friday, April 12 to 16) in the cafeteria during lunch time. Each hot dog is sold only for $1, so get them fast.

(Disclaimer: the hot dogs you purchase may not look exactly as illustrated here, but the money you pay will help fund the yearbook class)

Ms. Kim, I have done my advertising for you out of the goodness of my heart. Now, where's my free yearbook? :p

Canada Student Loans and Grants Brochures

Costs for post-secondary institutions and trade schools have gone up in recent years, and if you are from low- or middle-income families, paying for your education is probably a concern for you.

Canada Student Loans and Grants, together with provincial or territorial student assistance programs, can help. Recent changes to federal student financial assistance mean more money is available in grants, meaning that you can receive the same amount of funds, but have to repay less in the form of student loans. New for this year are $250 and $100 per month grant for full-time students from low- and middle-income families.

Brochures on Canada Student Loans and Grants have arrived. I have about 20 copies but can photocopy more for you. Alternately, you can go to Government of Canada's student loans and grants site for more details (click here).

The Canada SOARS Awards Program 2010 (Update)

The Canada SOARS Awards Program recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional achievements in the areas of academics, arts, and community services. The program invites applications from secondary school students in grades 11 and 12 with a minimum grade average of 73% on their most recent report card. A panel of interdisciplinary professionals from the Canadian Club of Vancouver will select winners from both levels for each category of award.

This year's applicants must write an essay of no more than 500 words on the topic "The use of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter by youth as a means of building a stronger Canada." In the essay, articulate your thoughts on the importance of social networking, its benefits or its problems drawing on your own experience within your school or beyond.

Each award will consist of a special Canada SOARS plaque and a scholarship of:

• $200 for two runner-ups in each category (there are 3 categories)
• $500 for the award recipient in each category
• $500 for Award of Excellence runner-up
• $750 for the Recipient of the Award of Excellence

For an information brochure, or an application form, please come in to see me. I can also e-mail you the information brochure and the application form. For this, please e-mail me at my vsb e-mail address.

Application deadline is May 3, 2010. (deadline has been extended)

The Go Physics! program at Triumf

Ever wonder what Einstein discovered? What are the greatest mysteries in physics today? Do you have aspirations to become the next Stephen Hawking?

The Go Physics! program is a one-day camp to supercharge your theoretical physics brain: from Einstein's warped space time and the weird quantum world of atoms, to the greatest challenge of all: a unified theory of everything, you will be participating in hands-on labs, "minds-on" challenges, and of course, you will be meeting some new friends.

The event will take place on Friday, May 28, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at TRIUMF, Canada's National Laboratory for Particle and Nuclear Physics. It is sponsored by TRIUMF, as well as BC's Science Fair Foundation.

You must be in grade 11 or 12 physics and have a keen interest and strong ability in both physics and mathematics to apply. Recommendations from your physics teacher (Mr. Hengeveld) is needed in this case. There are only 30 spaces available for this opportunity, so please act fast.

For more information, you can contact Patti Leigh at pleigh@sciencefairfoundationbc.ca for details. You can also ask Mr. Hengeveld for a copy of the information poster.

Templeton Foundation Bursary Applications DUE

It has been over a week since the deadline of the Templeton Foundation Bursary applications has passed. Mrs. Maruno and I have to send the applications into the evaluation committee, so tomorrow (April 9, Friday) will be the last day I will accept an application.

If you are unable to submit the application for any reason, you MUST come and see me during the day on Friday. Otherwise, I will not be able to accept any more applications after Friday.

Important Notice to all VLN students

I have just received, from the VLN, students' second term report card. There are several pieces of important information that I need to point out to you. To illustrate the problem, I have taken the liberty of capturing a "typical" report card that shows my concern. To protect the privacy of the student, no student information nor instructor information is displayed below:
The VLN report card contains a term mark, followed by one or two comments from the instructor. Because VLN courses are self-paced, your term mark is determined ONLY from the work you have completed up until the time the report card is prepared; that is, there is no fixed deadline as to how much course work you have to complete by the term's end (though your instructor has probably given you a timeline as a reference).

As you can see from the above screen shot, this student has a percentage mark of 80% in Planning 10 (in the green rectangle). Had this been a regular report card issued at the school, this mark would indicate that the student has received a mark of 80% based on all the course materials from term 2. However, if you look at the teacher's comment on the right (circled in red), you can see that this student has only completed 5% of the course by finishing the orientation assignment. What this means is, this particular student, in reality, has gotten 80% on one assignment that is worth 5% of the course. It is similar to a student in my old science class receiving an 8/10 on the title page - it does NOT mean the student will be receiving 80% for a term, much less the course! Mathematically-speaking, it means the student actually has only gotten a mark of 4/100 in a course, with about 2 months of school remaining! Bottom line: you must look at both your term mark and your teacher's comments on a VLN report card to see where you are really at.

Many of you are taking a VLN course to upgrade a course you have previously taken. Some of you are taking a course online to fulfill graduation/post-secondary requirement. Not completing the course, particularly not completing a course that is required for graduation, bears some serious consequences. It may mean that you would not have a pre-requisite to register for the program of your choice at a post-secondary institution, or it may mean you would not have sufficient course credits to graduate! I am urging you to contact your VLN teacher immediately to see what you can do to rectify the situation. If you require any assistance, please see me immediately.

UBC: Request for Special Consideration for Admission for Disability-Related Reasons

This information pertains ONLY to students who are applying to UBC.

Special considerations may be given to applicants to UBC who have a known disability (more info will be listed below) and have a competitive grade-point average. The following was taken directly from the letter I have received from Student Development and Services:

Rationale for Special Consideration:

Requests for Special Admissions for disability-related reasons may be made by students whose Grade Point Average is close to the admitting competitive grade point average but not sufficient for Admissions. As well, students should demonstrate a disability-related exceptional circumstance such as one or more of the following:

• lack of accommodation at a previous academic institution when requested by the student despite the provision of appropriate documentation;
• accommodations were not received because the student was not aware of having a disability or diagnosis did not take place until after the completion of studies;
• student’s disability was diagnosed mid-studies after which disability-related accommodations resulted in marked improvement in academic standing;
• relapse of student’s documented disability resulted in academic performance, which did not accurately reflect the student’s academic ability. Duration of relapse was short-term.

For more information, please see me, Mr. Mark, or Mrs. Roberts.

CFIG 2010 National Scholarship Program

Grade 11 and 12 Canadian resident students who are planning to enroll or expected to enroll in a post-secondary program of at least 2 years may be interested in this award.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) is giving away one national scholarship of $6000, and 12 regional and high school scholarships of up to $1500. To apply, you must:

• Write a 1000-word essay with proper referencing on one of three topics related to independent grocers and the food industries (details on the essay topics can be obtained online by going to CFIG's scholarship website - click here)
• Provide a list of academic achievements, awards, and extra-curricular activities
• Provide an official transcript of grades
• Submit an application form

Applications must be sponsored by a CFIG store. To find a CFIG sponsor, e-mail kkwo@cfig.ca with your name and area to which you live.

The application deadline for this award is May 31, 2010.

For more detailed instructions or to apply, visit CFIG's scholarship's website: click here

I also have a few information posters in my office, if you need to obtain one.

Barry MacDonald Scholarship

The Barry MacDonald Scholarship is aimed at providing financial support to a Vancouver student in their pursuit of post-secondary education. It will be awarded annually to a grade 12 student who has demonstrated exceptional ability in the use of technology in education. An emphasis will be placed on students whose technological expertise and creativity are directed toward improving learning opportunities, or otherwise integrates computer technology into educational programs in the school or community. The amount of the scholarship is $400.

The application deadline for this scholarship is Friday, April 30. Because this is a VSB-sponsored award, completed application needs to be sent in via intra-office mail. This means you would have to complete your application before the actual deadline, and give your application package to me to send in for you.

For more information, and for an application form, please come in to see me.

Final Block Rotation Change: April 8 & 9

Just a friendly reminder that the final block rotation change will take place this Thursday and Friday, April 8 and 9.

On April 8 (Day 1, Thursday), blocks will go 4-3-2-1. Using the A to H notation, it means classes will go D-C-B-A.

On April 9 (Day 2, Friday), blocks will go 4-3-2-1 as well. That means, in the A to H notation, they will go H-G-F-E.

Please mark this down on your calendar, and don't show up to your 1.2 (Block B) class first thing on April 8.