October 2015 - Saint Thomas Aquinas

Volume 23, Issue 2
Page
541 West Keith Road, North Vancouver, BC V7M 1M5
Principal: Mr. J. Campbell
Vice Principal: Mr. C. Campbell
Vice Principal: Mr. T. Horton
Tel: 604-987-4431
Fax: 604-987-7816
Web: www.aquinas.org
VOLUME 23, ISSUE 2
October 2015
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Walk-a-Thon
2
School News
3
Academic Advisor News
4
Student Achievement
5-6
Community News
7-8
IMPORTANT DATES
IN
NOVEMBER
STA Craft Fair
1
DPA & Service
10
HOMECOMING FOR A ST. THOMAS AQUINAS GRADUATE
Hours Due
Remembrance Day
11
School Closed
School Mass
12
Spirit Day
17
Pro-D Day
20
No School
STA Fall Grounds
21
Clean Up
Report Cards Distributed
24
Parent/Student/Teacher
Interviews
30
St. Thomas Aquinas Regional High School was honoured with a visit from a very
special guest and former student earlier this month.
The Honourable Mike Bernier, the new Minister of Education for
British Columbia, visited classes at his alma mater and spent some time
reminiscing with two of his former teachers, Mr. Chris Campbell and
Sister Denece Billesberger. Since graduating in 1986, many things have
changed at STA, including the introduction of computers. The library, cafeteria
and science wing were built to accommodate the increase in population from 200
to 600 students. Mr. Bernier is one of four siblings to graduate from STA. They
followed the family tradition as their parents were both members of the 1963
graduating class.
Mr. Bernier toured the classrooms and spent extra time in Mr. Andy Grenier’s
Social Studies 10 class. The students were intrigued by this impromptu visit as it
Continued on page 3
Page 2
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
STA WALKATHON HITS AN ALL TIME RECORD
T
he Save-on-Foods After the
March Party was a huge success.
Students who earned the privilege
of dunking our administrators and
teachers can attest to that.
Thank you to the following individuals who
braved the cold waters:
BEFORE
Principal Campbell
Vice-principal Campbell
AFTER
Mr. Grossling
Mr. McCaffery
Mr. Chan
Mr. Jessiman
Ms. Hidalgo
Mr. Dear
T
he staff and students who
participated in the
2015 Marching Saints
Walk-a-Thon broke all school
records by raising $76,531 with 58%
of the student population raising $1
or more.
There were 1,101 donations from 967
donors averaging $68 per donation the largest individual gift was $1,000!
The STA Grade 8 students lead the
way raising $18,807 and 68% grade
participation with the Grade 10
students close behind them raising
$18,496 and also 68% participation.
The top individual fundraiser was
Dante Agosti-Moro (Grade 10), who
raised $2,864.49 edging out Joseph
Minni (Grade 8) who raised $2860.
A special congratulations to these two
who displayed amazing school spirit
and gamesmanship with their
fundraising.
The Save-on-Foods End of the
March party was a chance for staff,
students and donors to celebrate as a
community and refuel with some hot
dogs after their 10 km march. The
dunk tank was a big hit for the
students as they got to see nine of
their teachers and administrators
dunked. A special thanks to those
teachers who volunteered for the dunk
tank and to all the parent volunteers
that helped make the party a success.
A sincere thank you for your ongoing
support of STA.
Volume 23, Issue 2
Page 3
HOMECOMING FOR A ST. THOMAS AQUINAS GRADUATE Continued from front page
tied in nicely with the discussion they were having about the upcoming federal election. Mr. Bernier taught the students
about the geographically vast riding he represents (Peace River South) and the mechanics of how the provincial
legislature works.
Mr. Bernier has been appointed to a very challenging government portfolio undergoing a very exciting time, as it
rolls out the new B. C. school curriculum. The new Kindergarten to grade 9 curricula, to be implemented in September
2016 and the Grades 10- 12 curricula currently being revised, aim to meet the challenges our children will be facing in
our rapidly changing, technology rich world.
We are proud of our STA graduate and wish him well as he leads the new direction for education in British Columbia.
John Campbell, Principal
PARENT/TEACHER/STUDENT INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEW DATES
BOOKING APPOINTMENTS
Report cards will be sent home on
Tuesday, November 24.
Parent/Teacher/Student interviews will
take place on Monday, November 30,
after school and on Tuesday,
December 1, during the day. School
will be in session on Monday,
November 30, there is no early
dismissal. There will be no classes on
Tuesday, December 1 to allow for the
interview sessions.
In order to book appointments use the
following link:
http://thomas.aquinas.org/pti
The link will be active from 9:00 am
on Wednesday, November 25 and will
close at 3:30 pm on
Friday, November 27.
INFORMATION YOU NEED
You will need your student name and
5 digit STA number, located on the
report card.
GRADE 11 RETREAT
T
he grade 11 class went on their
three-day retreat from
October 7-9 at Camp Stillwood.
Throughout the three days, STA staff
and alumni led the class in discussion,
presentations, and prayer, with the aim
of coming to a deeper understanding of
their relationship with Jesus. There was
also lots of time for games, skits and
campfire songs that helped the grade
11's grow closer together as they
continue along their high
school journey.
Jeremy Keong, Campus Ministry
Page 4
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
NEWS FROM THE ACADEMIC ADVISOR…..
POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTE NIGHTS
On Monday, October 19, twelve PostSecondary Institutions from BC, (Capilano
University, Corpus Christi University, Douglas
College, Kwantlen Polytechnic University,
Langara College, SFU, Thompson Rivers
University, Trinity Western University,
University of Northern BC, University of
Victoria, BCIT and the Royal Military
Academy) came to STA to discuss campus
life, academic and extracurricular programs
as well as the admission process. The
presentations were very well attended and
received as students and their parents
found the evening most informative.
POST-SECONDARYINSTITUTE SELECTIONS
All grade 12 students had the opportunity during
HACE week and their Grad Transition classes to
register through the BC Ministry of Education
Student Secure website to enable BC and
Ontario Post-Secondary Institutes to access their
transcripts which lists their courses and marks.
Students must create an account if they have not
done so yet. This is done through the
Ministry of Education website:
https://www.bced.bov.bc.ca/exmas/tsw/tsw/student
UNIVERSITY ADVISORS COMING TO
STA THIS FALL
The following Universities will also be visiting STA. Students
are aasked to register for these presentations by completing the
form posted on the door outside of Ms. Paruzzolo Academic
Advisor’s office.
UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO
November 3
10:00 am
UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
November 9
3:15 pm
MCGILL UNIVERSITY
November 26
8:45 am
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
November 27
10:30 am—11:30 pm
UBC PRESENTATION
All grade 12 students participated in a presentation from UBC
during one of the HACE week, Graduation Transition Classes.
The presentation was very informative as details regarding
general transition to Post-Secondary Institutes, as well as more
specific procedures, policies and criteria were discussed.
Students have the ability to select Post-Secondary
Universities outside of BC and Ontario as well
through this website to ensure each Post-Secondary
University listed has access to transcripts for
admission requirements.
Deadline for Major Entrance Scholarship Applications
POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTE APPLICATIONS
January 31, 2016
Application deadlines and procedures are
different for each Post-Secondary Institution.
Students are strongly encouraged to visit the
website of each Post-Secondary Institute they
are interested in attending to ensure they are
aware of specific deadline date, application
process and costs.
Deadline for Residence Applications
December 10, 2015
Deadline for Entrance Applications
May 1, 2016
It is strongly recommended that students interested in applying
to UBC start the application process early.
Volume 23, Issue 2
Page 5
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
STA Senior Boys soccer team won the BC Catholic Championship in Kelowna on October
8-9. The team and their coaches pictured above after their win.
The STA Cross Country Team had an outstanding meet on Thursday where the Junior Girls and
Boys both came in 1st place amongst all AA schools. The Senior girls came 2nd and the Senior
Boys came 4th. Congratulations for an incredibly successful year and to the following students
who have been selected to represent the North Shore at the Provincial Championships:
David Onak (Grade 10), Josh Cox (Grade 9) and Chanelle McPhee (Grade 10)
Go Saints Go!
KURUME SHINAI CULTURAL EXCHANGE
O
n October 16, STA was very excited to
welcome over 100 staff and students from
our sister school, Kurume Shinai, in Japan.
These students and teachers had a five day stay in
Canada and spent a full day touring STA. During
their stay, STA staff and students greeted Kurume
Shinai with a warm Saints welcome and an
assembly featuring a fantastic performance from
our school choir and band. Kurume Shinai and STA
worked together to create a cultural sharing exhibit
where students and staff experienced many
wonderful facets of the Japanese culture, including
a tea ceremony, calligraphy, and traditional
kimonos. The STA students were excellent
ambassadors and represented the spirit of STA
with warm hearts. We would like to thank staff,
students, and the entire STA community for making
our Japanese friends feel at home and are looking
forward to our visit again next year!
Page 6
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
CLASSROOM NEWS
T
STA Art Club
is open to all
French 12
he French 12 class did an
inquiry based research
project on a Francophone
country of their choice. Their
presentations varied from movies, to
brochures, to period piece letters
from World War Two. They
celebrated their hard work and
research by bringing in a typical dish
from the country they studied.
students, not just those taking art. Projects
vary from month to month so check the
announcements page for dates and times.
In October students made lovely candles.
LIBRARY NEWS
O
n Tuesday, October 20,
several STA students visited
United Library Services to
acquire new library books for the
school library collection. (United
Library Services is a behemoth of a
book wholesaler working
predominantly with public libraries
and schools.) Keen student readers
used their skills to help choose new
fiction and non-fiction titles, even
assisting other adults shopping for
their respective schools and
libraries. After the shopping was done,
students enjoyed refreshments
courtesy of ULS and even shopped for
their own books using STA's generous
discount. Thank you very much to all
the students who helped:
Dante Agosti-Moro,
Katsy Concepcion, and Adrienne
Louie from grade ten; Brent Keller
from grade twelve; Alyssa Duro and
Maya Thiersch from grade
nine. Special thanks to Mrs. Agosti
who was able to chaperone this well
behaved group. Watch the
announcements page for the next
shopping opportunity sometime in the
new year.
In the meantime, please read "This is
What Happy Looks Like"
by Jennifer E. Smith. It's a light,
entertaining romantic comedy for
teens and is perfect for escaping the
early darkness and growing chill of
autumn. A
recommended read,
perfect for silent
reading!
-- John Mendoza.
Volume 23, Issue 2
Page 7
SNOW WHITE is Cast and Ready to Wow You!
A
fter a very busy month of
preparation, the Production team is
excited to announce that
"Snow White" is now cast and pr epar ing
for their full cast read-through with
newcomers Teresa Laporta (grade 10) as
Snow White and Claire Traille (grade 11) as
the Evil Queen. We cannot wait to unveil
our fabulous show to you from
April 28-30, 2016 at the
Blue Shore Financial Centre for the
SCIENCE FAIR
NEEDS YOU!
Performing Arts at
Capilano University!
Mark your calendars!
Also, if you are building and carpentry
inclined and think that you may be able to
assist us with our set in any way this year,
please contact Cristina McAllister at
mcallister@aquinas.org.
See you there!
-Cristina McAllister, Director
S
cience Fair Judges Needed – We Want
YOU! We are looking for judges for our
Fourteenth Annual Grade 8 Science Fair.
This event will take place from
8:00 AM until 4:00 PM on
Wednesday, January 13.
Training for judges will be provided on
the day of the event, as will lunch! While
YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE A
BACKGROUND IN SCIENCE TO BE A
WONDERFUL SCIENCE FAIR JUDGE,
this is certainly an asset. All interested
parents or STA alumni should please
email Ms. Treacy at treacy@aquinas.org.
Page 8
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
SCHOOL UNIFORMS
USED UNIFORMS
Used uniforms are available for purchase
throughout the year. Sweaters, pants &
kilts are $20.
White shirts, gym shirts & shorts are $10.
The old style sweater is still permissible
for two years before it is phased out. Any
uniforms you wish to generously donate
can be left at the office.
Please call or text Kimberly Shortreed
at 604-317-1529 .
STA Uniform supplier is:
Cambridge & Company
135-1305 Welch Street
North Vancouver.
STA PARENT ASSOCIATION NEWS
We would like to welcome our new co-chair Laura Pous. Laura has already stepped in to help
co-ordinate the Walkathon.
Many thanks to Laura and all the other PA members and
volunteer parents and members of the STA family that
helped with the Walk-a-Thon. It could not have been
done without you. Thanks are also due to our teachersponsor, Ms. Joanne Treacy
for all her hard work.
The next PA meeting is on
Thursday, November 5,
Room 207 in the Convent,
at 9:15 AM
Diana Bagaric
Chair, STA Parent Association
Fall Clean Up Event
Help Clean Up STA Gardens!!
Saturday, November 21
8:30 AM to 2:30 PM
If you have your own gardening tools, please bring them along with your gardening gloves
Volunteers with pick up trucks are also needed to transport garden debris
Parent Participation program Credits and Student Service Hours will apply
Refreshments will be provided
For more information, please contact Arleen Asi
Email: Arleen30@shaw.ca
Cell: 604-537-0233/604-347-9773
newsletter@aquinas.org
Please notify the office if you move or change your e-mail address.