Parent Newsletter, February 2016

BANTING MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
Working together for a
Bright, Mindful, Healthy & Successful Community
Principal J. Shako
Vice-Principals
N. Arnold-Sallows
J. Underhill
B. Millsap
PARENT / GUARDIAN NEWSLETTER
February 2016
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
After completing a successful first semester at Banting Memorial High School we are looking forward to a
new semester with a continued commitment to student achievement and well-being. The report your child is
bringing home with this newsletter is an indicator of your child’s achievement thus far in high school, and
specifically with respect to semester one. The detailed information provided on the report card is intended to
assist your child in setting goals and assessing his/her progress, and to provide you the information you need to
help support your child at home.
Of course the report card is one indicator of student achievement. Teachers are available throughout the year
for parent-student-teacher conferences, interviews, and telephone calls. Please contact your child’s teacher/s if
you have any questions or concerns.
Guidance News
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
Scholarships are a wonderful way to help reduce the expense of
post-secondary education. We encourage you to explore the many
opportunities by visiting the following:
www.yconic.com and www.scholarshipscanada.com.
COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS
On the Completion of Requirements for Graduation
Form, you will find indication of the student’s
accumulated Community Service hours. Please ensure that the number of hours is accurate. Remember, performing
the 40 hours of community service is a diploma requirement. For
students intending to graduate this year, the deadline to submit all
accumulated Community Service hours is June 10th. Guidance
must have evidence, by this date, that a student has completed the
40 hour diploma requirement.
UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS
Following the receipt of semester one marks,
Ontario Universities may make a conditional offer of
admission to an Ontario secondary school student.
Offers of admission will continue to unfold until
May 27th, 2015 with the majority of offers being
made after receipt of April mid term marks. June 1st is the earliest
date by which Ontario universities may require a response to an
offer of admission and a financial commitment of any kind.
COLLEGE APPLICATIONS
College applications were due to the Ontario College Application
Service (OCAS) on or before February 1st, 2016. Offers of
admission will begin to unfold after that date. By May 1, 2016,
applicants must confirm their acceptance of an offer of admission
to their chosen program through: ontariocolleges.ca
COURSE SELECTION PROCESS
The course selection process for the 2016-2017 school year will
begin on February 12th, when we will be holding Grade 10, 11
and returning Grade 12 student assemblies to review the on-line
procedures. Grade 9 students will be completing their on-line
option sheets at school, in computer labs, with the assistance of
guidance counsellors. Our Course Calendar and the on-line
Option Sheet may be accessed through the Banting website:
http://ban.scdsb.on.ca
- Guidance Link - Course Selection Link
Parents and students are free to print the calendar in
its entirety or print only those pages pertaining to
their grade level.
For those students requiring assistance with their
on-line Option Sheet, Guidance Counsellors and
Special Education teachers will be available for appointments
from February 12th to March 5th. All students are asked to
review their education plans with their parent/guardian.
COURSE SELECTION DEADLINES
February 22nd - Access to the on-line application closes for all
Grade 10, 11 and 12 students
March 4th - Access to the on-line application closes for all
Grade 9 students
After this date, changes can only be made by contacting the
Guidance/Special Education department at the school.
IMPORTANT DATES
School Council Meeting
Option Sheets Due: Gr. 10-12
Option Sheets Due: Gr. 9
Parent/Guardian Night
March Break
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Grade 10 OSSLT
PA Day (new)
Semester 2 Mid-Term Report Cards Out
February 18
February 22
March 3
March 8
March 14-18
March 25
March 28
March 31
April 15
April 29
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Bus Cancellation Information
In Case of
Inclement Weather
Winter is just around the corner in Simcoe
County, and with it comes the possibility of
severe weather, challenging winter driving
conditions and, as a result, possible bus and school event
cancellations. All information regarding cancelled buses in
Simcoe County is posted on the Simcoe County Student
Transportation Consortium’s bus information website at:
www.simcoecountyschoolbus.ca.
Our school is in the South Zone. When buses are cancelled,
please remember that schools are still open (unless otherwise
noted) for student learning.
The Consortium, in conjunction with bus operators, will make
the decision to cancel school buses before 6 a.m. and as such,
will make every effort to post announcements between
6 and 7 a.m. Parents should also note that inclement weather
cancellations are effective for the whole day and buses
cancelled in the morning will not run at the end of the day.
VISITORS AND PARKING
All visitors are expected to report to the office upon
entering the school. Visitors to the school must sign in
and out at the office and obtain a visitor tag. For the
safety of everyone, we cannot have visitors in the halls
or outside classrooms.
To avoid traffic congestion at the start and end of school,
please do not have your vehicle standing in a non-parking
space in the parking lot. Traffic congestion in the front
parking lot is blocking access to disabled parking. A
reminder also to observe parking signs on streets around
the school.
School board property is private property, and in some
cases (eg. after hours) vehicles could be towed from
parking lots to facilitate snow removal. Unauthorized
parking in school lots overnight and/or weekends is at the
sole risk of the vehicle owner.
You can also subscribe to receive bus delay notifications
here:
https://scstc.ca/Subscriptions
and
you can follow the Consortium on Twitter
@SCSTC_SchoolBus.
PA Day added on April 15
An additional Professional Activity (PA) Day has been added
to the 2015-16 school year calendar for Simcoe County
District School Board (SCDSB) elementary and secondary
schools. This PA day is scheduled for April 15, 2016.
The school year calendar for 2015-16 now includes
187 instructional days and seven professional activity days.
The additional PA Day is part of the settlements that were
centrally negotiated with the Elementary Teachers Federation
of Ontario (ETFO) and the Ontario Secondary Schools
Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF). View the updated school
calendar at www.scdsb.on.ca and click on ‘Schools’ and then
‘School Year Calendars.’
English as a Second Language –
Register now for winter sessions
Do you or someone you know want to improve your English
language skills? The SCDSB Learning Centres can help. English as
a Second Language (ESL) classes for adults are
offered at the Barrie and Bradford Learning
Centres, and at the Allison Learning Centre
(pending enrolment numbers). Please visit
www.thelearningcentres.com or call for more
information:
Barrie 705-725-8360, Bradford: 905-775-4432
or Alliston: 705-435-7778.
Recognize a STAR at your school!
Our employee recognition program, SCDSB STARS,
provides the opportunity for members of the school community to
nominate an outstanding SCDSB teacher, custodian, educational
assistant, early childhood educator, administrator, office staff person, etc.
who has done something wonderful to support students in our system.
Nominees will be informed of the nomination and the staff person will
receive a personalized thank you and commemorative lapel pin from our
Director of Education. It’s just one way to recognize the shining stars in
our education system who make a difference every day in our schools,
facilities and classrooms. Nominate an outstanding staff person by
visiting www.scdsb.on.ca and clicking on ‘Staff’, then ‘SCDSB Stars.’
GRADE 10
OSSLT Preparation
Message from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit:
Coping with Anxiety
Feelings of anxiety can be common among teenagers.
Sometimes normally happy teenagers will become anxious or
fearful about something for a day or two but will return to
normal without any need for help from their parents.
However, some teenagers seem to suffer from more intense
and frequent feelings of anxiety that prevent them from
participating in normal everyday life. Creating a positive
family environment, encouraging regular school attendance
and helping your teenager face their fears can help.
OSSLT TIPS Program
On March 31st, grade 10 students will write the Ontario
Secondary School Literacy Test. In order to support student
preparation for the test, Banting is offering the OSSLT TIPS
program. This lunchtime program will begin on Thursday
February18th and run until Tuesday March 29th. The series of
Tuesday/Thursday sessions includes lunch.
Registration forms can be found in the main office as well as on
the Banting website:
www.ban.scdsb.on.ca
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Travel the world and earn credits through EduTravel
The Simcoe County District School Board, in partnership with EduTravel, is offering
Grade 9-12 students an opportunity to reach ahead and earn a full high school credit while
travelling abroad this March Break and summer. Study Biology in Fiji; Environmental Science in the
Dominican Republic; English in Boston, Washington, Philadelphia and New York City; Fashion or
International Business in New York City or Civics and Careers in Ottawa, Montreal and New York City! If you
are interested in finding out more about these travel for credit programs, please visit www.edutravelforcredit.com or
contact Amanda Hickling, SCDSB EduTravel Coordinator, at ahickling@scdsb.on.ca.
Doodle 4 SCDSB contest open to all students
The Simcoe County District School Board
(SCDSB) is holding a Doodle 4 SCDSB contest,
inviting students of all ages to create a ‘doodle’
using the letters SCDSB, and telling the world
“What makes me unique.” This exciting contest is
modelled after the Doodle 4 Google competition,
but is designed specifically for our students!
There will be one winner from each grade
grouping: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-10 and 11-12/Continuing
Education. The grand prize includes a 3D Doodler
EduBundle ($1400 value) for the winner’s class,
and their artwork will be featured on the SCDSB
website and next year's student agenda. A runner
up from each grade category will win art supply
bundles from Brault & Bouthillier Canada and
Baldwin School Supply.
Find out more at www.doodle4scdsb.blogspot.ca/.
The deadline to submit a Doodle is Feb. 26, so
students -- get your creative on!
OTIP Teaching Awards
Nominations due
by March 31
Want to recognize a teacher who does great
work at our school? For many years, the Ontario
Teachers Insurance Plan (OTIP) awards have
recognized the excellence of teachers in publicly
funded education. There are three categories of
awards: elementary school teacher, secondary
school teacher and beginning teacher in the first
five years of teaching. Winning teachers attend a
fall awards ceremony in Toronto where they are
presented with a personal award of $1,000 and a
Certificate of Recognition. Their schools are also
recognized with a $1,000 prize and a Certificate
of Recognition. Visit www.teachingawards.ca for
details. The deadline for submitting nomination
is March 31.
Go to camp, earn a credit
Get credits, develop leadership skills, earn volunteer hours and get
First Aid/CPR certifications! The Simcoe County District School Board,
in partnership with the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka, offers high school
credit courses in the summer at Geneva Park near Orillia.
The Young Leaders program for students in Grades 9 and 10 runs
from July 3 to 30, and the Advanced Leaders program for students in
Grades 11 and 12 runs from July 31 to August 27.
The cost of each course is $2,150. Financial support is available
through the YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign. Visit
www.ymcaofsimcoemuskoka.ca
(click ‘Want to go to camp’ and then ‘Youth Leadership) or
call 705-325-2253 for more information and to register.
Nominations invited for
Character Recognition Evening on May 18
The Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) recognizes
students, staff and volunteers who demonstrate good character in
their daily lives at the annual Character
Recognition Awards Evening, taking place on
May 18 this year.
Each year, nominations from schools and the
Education Centre are received highlighting the
good character of our students, staff and
volunteers. Nominees are invited to the
Education Centre on May 18 to celebrate
those who exemplify the SCDSB Commit to
Character attributes. The nomination process opens on Feb. 8 and
ends on Feb. 26, 2016. Recommendations can be made by email or
fax. More information and the Character Recognition nomination
form is available at www.scdsb.on.ca under ‘About Us’ and then click
on ‘Commit to Character.’
There will be an OPP presentation
on Drug Awareness in the library
on February 18th at 7:00pm.
The school council meeting follows
immediately. All are welcome.
Operations Appreciation Day
A chance to say ‘thank you’
Feb. 17 is Operations Appreciation Day in the Simcoe County
District School Board. On that day, school communities across the
county will celebrate the positive impact custodians and operations
maintenance employees make. The work they do to keep our schools
safe and clean effects each of us—they help to create the positive
environments for learning and working we all enjoy.
We’re grateful to Walter McKinnon, George Beattie, Tony Grasso,
Jamie Hare, Deborah Metcalf, Rodney Miller, Wanda Morrison,
Scott O'Brady, Bonnie Regimbald and Barb Thomas.
Please take a moment to thank the SCDSB operations team on
Feb. 17. Share your support on social media using #props2ops.
Message from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit:
Protect yourself and others from the health hazards of secondhand smoke
Remember, it is against the law to smoke ANYWHERE on school property at ANY TIME. This includes
smoking in your vehicle on school property. It's also against the law to smoke or hold lit tobacco in a vehicle
carrying anyone under age 16. Fines for smoking on school property while in a vehicle with children under
16 years of age could total $460. For more information or help with quitting, visit
www.simcoemuskokahealth.org or call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520.
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