Calendar of Important Dates (May)

It is getting closer and closer to THE DAY now. Graduation is just around the corner, and I know this is going to be a very, very busy time for many of you. Don't give up, don't slack off - make your final push for another month or two, and you will be there!

There are a lot of events happening in May. For those of you who have applied for post-secondary institutions, you may have received admission notices by now. Please be extremely mindful for deadline dates for i) accepting an admission offer; ii) paying the registration deposits; and iii) meeting faculty-specific deadlines. Unlike that in high school, you would not be given a "grace period" for being late - if you fail to accept an admission offer, for example, your seat at a university/college may be taken back!

Here are some general dates to remember:

• May 1: TWU's admission deposit and early housing deadlines
• May 1: UBC's housing application deadline
• May 1: VCC's music application deadline
• May 7: Non-instructional day at Templeton - school not in session
• May 11: Valedictorian Nomination Forms due at 3:30 p.m.
• May 14: VCC's digital graphic design application due
• May 15: TWU's course registration opens
• May 20: Instructional Planning Period
• May 21: June's Lunch Envelopes due
• May 24: Victoria Day - school not in session
• May 25: Year-end Music Concert
  

Also, a reminder: post-secondary schools will begin verifying your interim grades through their electronic PSIs. If there is an error, you should contact the post-secondary institution directly to rectify the situation. Be proactive.

Calendar of Important Dates (April)

Here are some important dates in April that may be of interest to you:

• April 2: Application deadline for the motion picture production program at Capilano
• April 10: Final SFU Super tour for this academic year
• April 10: Kwantlen Polytechnic University Open House: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. @ Kwantlen's Surrey campus
• April 12 & 13: Phase I of Sister School Exchange (Temp students @ Magee)
  
• April 14: VCC Info Night at its Broadway Campus (4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.)
  
• April 19 & 20: Phase II of Sister School Exchange (Magee students @ Temp)
  
• April 21: Registration workshop for UNBC
• April 26: IDEA program portfolio deadline at Capilano
• April 30: Capilano University's Excellence Scholarship (CAPX) application deadline
• April 30: Self admission closes for BC/Yukon students at UBC
• April 30: PSIs must be completed electronically for students wishing to have their interim transcript information forwarded to BC and OUAC.

Please note: starting in April, I will be frequently away from my office working on the school's timetable for next year. If you cannot find me in my office, please fill out one of the blue notes that I will place in the hanging folder on my door. Leave me your name, a brief message, and a block/time that would be best for us to meet. I will do my best to get in touch with you at the earliest possible time.

Calendar of Important Dates (March)

Spring is just around the corner (it starts officially on March 21), and this is an exciting month for a variety of reasons. The following are some important dates that you may need to mark on your personal calendar:

• March 1: Capilano University and VCC re-open after the Winter Olympics
• March 1 - 7: Students who wish to be considered for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Kwantlen for the Spring 2011 term must submit their applications
• March 3: Music Spring Dinner Concert at 6:00 p.m.
• March 4: Grad "Hang Out" in the new gym
• March 5: Last day of classes before spring break
• March 15: School re-opens after spring break
• March 15: Capilano U's HKIN program and document deadline
• March 16: End of Term 2 + Term's 2 GT assignments due date
• March 16: Kwantlen U's scholarship application deadline
• March 17: UBC self-admission opens
• March 24: Lunch envelopes for April due
• March 25, 26: 30-hour famine
• March 26: Term 2's report cards sent home
• March 31: BIG info session and program fair at BCIT
• March 31: Application deadline for Selective Entry undergraduate programs at Kwantlen
• March 31: Self-reporting phase 2 closes at UVic

Please note: individual scholarships' application deadlines are not listed. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that scholarship applications are submitted on time. Please be considerate in asking staff for reference letters. Generally, allow 2 weeks for a teacher to write a reference letter for you.

Enjoy a festive March!

Calendar of Important Dates (February)

February is just around the corner, and this promises to be an eventful month inside and outside of the school. In the school, we have our mid-year break; outside of the school, it is Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, and of course, the 2010 Winter Olympics. For grade 12s, please be reminded that a lot of your admission/scholarship applications are due this month (or on March 1), so you have to really use your time to fill your application forms, and write your resume, application letters, and essays. Don't forget also that your teachers would need time to write a reference letter for you as well. Please give them at least a two-week notice! As for the important dates for this month... there are many:

• Feb 1: Emily Carr's final portfolio submission deadline
• Feb 1: Langara's application opens for the January 2011 semester
• Feb 2 - 5: Mid-year Activities at Templeton
• Feb 2 - 12: Theatre Temp Drama/Film Production
• Feb 11: Parent-teacher Interviews: early dismissal at 1:45; interviews begin at 6:00
  
• Feb 12: Capilano U and VCC Downtown campuses closure for the Olympics
• Feb 12 - 28: Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Winter Olympic Games
  
• Feb 15: Non-instructional Day: school not in session
• Feb 18: Instructional Planning Period: 2:00 - 3:15 p.m.
• Feb 24: Abbreviated Day: 12:30 dismissal; Grade 7 articulation visits: 12:30 - 3:00 p.m.
  
• Feb 28: Application, scholarship and residence deadline at SFU
• Feb 28: Priority application deadline at Trinity Western
• Feb 28: Major entrance scholarship deadline at UBC
• Feb 28: Early application deadline for high school students at UVic
  

Calendar of Important Dates (January)

2009 will soon be a thing of history, and I know things will get extremely busy for many of you once 2010 rolls around. Here are some important dates of note in the first month of 2010:

• Jan 4: School re-opens
• Jan 4: Self-reporting phase 2 opens for early admission at UVic
• Jan 5: Applications begin for entrance scholarships at Kwantlen
• Jan 10 - 11: Grad photo sessions at Artona
• Jan 11: Mental Health Workshops for Counsellors at VSB - I will not be in my office that morning
  
• Jan 12: Education and Career Fair at the Telus World of Science (aka Science World)
• Jan 15: Final application deadline for Emily Carr
• Jan 21: Counsellors Conference at Capilano University - I will not be in my office
  
• Jan 22: Lunch Envelopes due at school
  
• Jan 26 - 28: 3 blog nights at BCIT
• Jan 27 (tentative): Grades 8 - 11 Information Night at Templeton
• Jan 30: Super Tour at SFU

Before you know it, the new year will be here... 6 months to go until GRAD!

Calendar of Important Dates (December)

December is fast-approaching, and there are some important dates in December that you want to be mindful of:

Upcoming December Dates:

• Dec 2: Langara Counsellor's Information Day: I will not be in school that day
• Dec 2: Term 1 Ends (attendance for Term 1 ends this day; marks "cut-off" may have happened already
  
• Dec 3: BCIT Counsellor's Information Day: I will not be in school from 8:00 to 2:30 p.m.
• Dec 3: LPI Templeton Sitting - Location: Library; Time: 3:20 p.m. to 5:50 p.m.
  
• Dec 5: Emily Carr's National Portfolio Day: from 12 - 4 p.m.
• Dec 7: UBC Counsellor's Information Day: I will not be in school that day
• Dec 9: Report cards will be printed and reviewed
• Dec 11: Non-instructional Day - school not in session
• Dec 15: UNBC Leadership Award's Application Deadline
• Dec 15: SFU Self-reporting portal opens
• Dec 18: Last day of class in 2009
• Dec 19 to Jan 3, 2010: Christmas/Winter Vacation

Term 1 is ending, and so is 2009. As many post-secondary/scholarship applications are beginning, you are going to be very busy, in spite of the two-week break. I hope your break is restful and fun, but I also hope you will use it wisely in preparation for the final six months of your high school life.

Calendar of Important Dates (November)

Starting in October-November, I will be posting an entry like this one towards the end of each month. In these entries, I will list important dates that would be coming up the following month. While every effort is made to make this list of dates accurate and complete, I may not be able to cover all of them. It is up to you to stay organized and informed. And finally, don't procrastinate! Have your applications ready, and submit them early!

Upcoming November Dates:

• Nov 1 - Financial Aid Application Opens for Trinity Western University
• Nov 1 - Application for the Fall 2010 semester opens at Kwantlen Polytechnic University
• Nov 1 to 7 - BSc Applicant for the nursing program at Kwantlen must submit their applications this week
• Nov 4 - SFU Counsellors' Day - I will not be in my office that day
• Nov 5 - Parent-teacher Interviews at Temp
• Nov 12 - Post-secondary afternoon at Temp
• Nov 12 - MacLean's OnCampus Virtual Tour (3:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. PST)
  
• Nov 15 - Early award application deadline at UNBC
• Nov 18 - Part-time studies information session at BCIT
• Nov 19 - UBC info session at Temp (during instructional planning period)
• Nov 20 - Registration for January 2010 semester begins at Langara College
• Nov 28 - SFU Super Tour
• Nov 30 - Self-reporting phase 1 closes at UVic

If I have missed an important date, please let me know via e-mail. Thanks!