“Success, Community, Tradition”

“Success, Community, Tradition”
A
s we all enjoy the first few glimmers
of spring, there is a fresh new air of
optimism and enthusiasm, hope and
excitement moving through the halls of
Bayridge!! With spring sports kicking off
the season, Environmental initiatives in full
swing, Student Council elections and activities underway, play rehearsals and set construction occurring for the upcoming production of ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ Skilled Trades
preparation for Provincials, Math and Writing Contests occurring, to name a few….the
school is buzzing with a positive and productive energy!!! As always, we are extremely proud of our Blazers and the many
things they accomplish, each and every day!
support charities, community projects, environmental change or global responsibilities.
This unique and highly regarded Bayridge
focus on supporting others, both locally and
globally, has resulted in all students making a
commitment to their roles in helping others
while enhancing a positive school culture.
This past week, in particular, has highlighted
this focus with the completion of another
successful ‘One Earth, One Chance’ summit
challenging Environmental clubs across the
district, both elementary and secondary, to be
actively involved. I am extremely proud of
all of the achievements of our staff and students and the impressive learning environment they have created – the powerful potenAs we enter the final quarter of the year, it is tial and influence of the combined efforts of
rewarding to reflect on all that we have
our Blazers is inspiring!
achieved and to draw on this inspiration to
tackle the busy months of April, May and
The enclosed midterm report card outlines
June. Our students have excelled, academi- your son/daughter’s academic achievements
cally and athletically, in all areas - highlights and progress in learning skills so far this seof some of these accomplishments are outmester – please take the time to review this
lined in the articles of this newsletter.
information and discuss next steps to reach
personal and academic goals. Please do not
Whether looking at the impressive Universi- hesitate to contact any of the teaching staff,
ty/College acceptances and scholarships be- student service counselors or administration
ing offered to our senior students or taking
if you have any questions, concerns or renote of some of the local awards our students quests for support. We look forward to
have been recognized with, it is clear that our working with you as we complete another
students are committed to using the skills and busy and successful year at Bayridge!
encouragement gained at Bayridge to take
full advantage of the opportunities provided.
In addition to these individual achievements,
our students continue to work collectively,
enriching the fine Blazer reputation, by organizing and participating in activities which
Proud to be a Blazer,
Caroline Worthy
Principal
PAGE 2
BAYRIDGE NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2015
News from Student Services
ATTENTION GRADUATES!!
ourse selections wrapped up before March Break, and the
timetable for the 2015-2016 school year is in the process of
being created based on these selections. Students are encouraged
to continue to make appointments with their respective Grade
Counsellor should they have any questions regarding their
course selections. Students may also visit Student Services for
information regarding post secondary opportunities, Dual Credit
opportunities with St. Lawrence College, Summer Session registration, Specialist High Skills Major or Focus Programs.
A meeting for all potential 2015 graduates
will occur on Tuesday, May 5, 2015, at
10:30 a.m. in the main Bear Pit. At this
meeting, students will receive a grad package that includes very important information, including details about the graduation ceremony, graduation fees, major
awards, grad breakfast, and more. It is essential that all graduates attend this meeting. If, for any reason, a potential graduate
is unable to attend this meeting, information will be available from Ms. Leonard
or Ms. Moore in Student Services after the
meeting.
C
Chris Bertrim
Student Services Secretary
334
Carrie Moore
Head of Student Services, Grade 10
Counselor
Grade 9 Counselor, e-Learning
319
339
Greg Cusson
Grade 11 Counselor,
International Students
Grade 12 Counselor, Specialist
High Skills Major, OYAP
Cooperative Education
Heather Stewart
Lead Student Success Teacher
329
Nancy O’Brien
Adolescent Care Worker (ACW)
363
Geoff Stewart
Claudine Elvidge
Stephanie Leonard
327
330
317
If students are looking for information regarding post secondary
opportunities, there are books and resources available to borrow
from Student Services. Students may also find a great deal of
information using the “Career Planner” tool in their respective
myBlueprint accounts. Forgot your username or password? See
Ms. Moore for help in resetting your account details.
International Week
Bayridge Secondary School is looking forward to celebrating
International Week - occurring May 4 - 8, 2015. Students are
organizing international and cultural activities for all Blazers to
enjoy, as well as house challenges, and a wonderful hot lunch.
The International Hot Lunch in Semester 1 was a deliciously
popular event – this lunch is sure to be the same!
Volunteer Hours
Students are reminded that 40 hours of community service are
required for graduation. Community Service Reporting Forms
are available in Student Services and may be handed in to Chris
as hours are completed. Many organizations in the community
are continuously looking for volunteers. If you are looking for
ways to earn volunteer hours, please visit the Volunteer Board
outside of Student Services, listen to daily morning announcements, speak to a Guidance Counsellor, or contact Nancy
O’Brien at extension 363.
If any potential graduates have questions
regarding graduation requirements, they are
encouraged to see Ms. Leonard in Student
Services as soon as possible. While the Student Services department is tracking all
student progress closely, all potential graduates are also encouraged to confirm their
total community service hours earned to
date, to ensure that this aspect of graduation requirements is complete.
Bayridge Robotics Club
Receives LLF Grant
T
he Bayridge Robotics Club would
like to thank the Limestone
Learning Foundation for their support.
The club was awarded a grant of $938
to be used for a portable 3D scanner,
some rangefinders and some wearable
electronics projects.
These materials will be used for students who attend the club to do technology projects that involve the broader student population and demonstrate
some of the creative fun that can be
had with electronics.
BAYRIDGE NEWSLETTER
APRIL
2015
PAGE 3
News from the Social Sciences Department
T
he Social Sciences Department welcomed back
Mr. Stephen Gambicourt and Ms. Elizabeth
Convery to the team to teach in the Grade 9 and 10
programs. We also had several teacher candidates
working in the Geography and History areas:
Ms. Lesley Baird taught two Grade 9 Geography classes while Ms. Chantel Martin and Ms. Hanna GrunowHarsta taught the Grade 10 History classes. Thank you
to these individuals who brought excellent and creative
ideas to each of their classrooms. Also thank you to
Ms. Brenda Scarlett, Mr. Dave Dwane and Ms. Elizabeth Convery for volunteering to be associate teachers.
One upcoming field trip is the Grade 10 History trip;
always a popular excursion for the students who will
travel to Ottawa and Carp in late May. The students
will visit the Museum of Civilization, the War Museum
and the Diefenbunker. Thank you to Ms. Alida French
for planning this trip and offering this opportunity to
our History students.
Other upcoming field trips will be the Grade 11
History of Civilizations Archaeological Dig, the Grade
9 Ecological Footprint Workshop at Little Cataraqui
Creek Conservation Area and a possible Ottawa or
Toronto field trip for Grade 9 Geography students. All
are in the planning stages at present.
Hsu spoke to the five Civics/Careers classes in the
afternoon of February 10. In celebration of the 50th
Anniversary of the Canadian Flag, MP Hsu spoke to
the classes and gave out beautiful posters regarding
the History of the Canadian Flag; wonderful resources for the school which teachers have been using in their classrooms. MP Hsu also spoke of his
role in the federal government and responded to
questions from Bayridge students. Thank you to
Ms. Brenda Scarlett and Ms. Alida French for setting
up this opportunity for the Grade 10 classes.
Mr. Gerald McCaffrey from the YMCA spoke to the
Grade 10 Civics/Careers classes on March 24. The
students learned about the Entrepreneurship and
Youth Programs occurring through YMCA. He
spoke about various opportunities on offer and students were receptive to his presentation. Thank you
to the Careers/Civics teachers for setting up this opportunity: Ms. French, Ms. Craft, Mr. Gambicourt
and Ms. Sparrow.
The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI), has
made for a busy time for both Careers and Civics
students in Grade 10. The objective of the Youth
and Philanthropy Initiative is to increase student
awareness of the social issues in their communities
and to encourage them to assist where they can. StuOver 30 students from Grades 9 to 12 attended the
dents research local, grassroots, social service chariYouth Forum on Global Development at Queen’s Uni- ties and explain the positive role each organization
versity on February 26. It was offered by Queen’s Pro- plays in the community, as wells as how the charity
ject on International Development (QPID). A confer- would benefit from a donation of $5,000.00. The
ence filled with engaging workshops on current devel- finalists will present at a major presentation to be
opment issues thoroughly made the day a memorable
made on Thursday, May 22. For second semester,
one for the students. Thank you to Ms. Brenda Scar- the finalist groups will be determined by the end of
lett for organizing this opportunity for the Bayridge
April. The group of students with the best presentastudents.
tion for the school will win $5,000.00 for the charity
they researched. This program is funded through the
Four students, Ashlee Redmond, Quinton Bradshaw,
Toskan-Casale Foundation and TD Financial Group.
Alyssa Kingston, Mikaela Reavie and Catherine
Noble participated in KCVI’s Model United Nations
In Grade 9 Geography, Youth Mentoring Youth
Conference from April 8 - 10. Also a popular confer- from Queen’s University spoke to the period one
ence, students enjoy the opportunity to attempt to dis- Geography classes on March 23. The workshop encuss, debate and hopefully solve the issues of today.
titled Local Food Systems was an excellent overview
Thank you to Ms. Brenda Scarlett and Ms. Alida
for the students on agricultural systems. This issue
French who promoted and organized the event for
will be further addressed in the Liveable CommuniBayridge students.
ties unit. Thank you to Ms. Kate Sparrow for organizing this opportunity.
Guest speakers have visited many classes. MP Ted
Continued on Page 5
BAYRIDGE NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2015
PAGE 4
News from the Communication Department
I
n the final quarter of the 2014 - 2015 academic year, teachers and students are assessing what has been
done and what still remains to be accomplished to bring the year to a successful conclusion.
While the OSSLT results have not yet been determined, our Grade 10 students have expressed self-assurance
with their performance, confident that the intensive preparatory work undertaken in the months prior to the
test imparted a good understanding of format, terminology, time management strategies and expectations.
Our thanks go out to the Grade 10 teachers for working so diligently to ensure our students’ comfort and
success.
Communication Department staff is currently involved in a number of initiatives designed to improve curriculum delivery, student performance, and the learning environment. One such endeavor is a number of crosscurricular collaborative inquiry projects, each centered on an exploration of the relationship between skill
acquisition and performance objectives.
In planning for next year, the Communication Department is pleased to announce the addition of two new
courses. Presentation and Speaking Skills is designed to enhance students’ comfort and effectiveness in their
delivery of oral presentations to both small and large audiences. This open-level course emphasizes the
knowledge and skills required to plan and make effective presentations and to speak effectively in both formal
and informal contexts, using such forms as reports, speeches, debates, panel discussions, storytelling, recitations, interviews and multimedia presentations. The development of oral communication skills forms a significant part of the Ontario Secondary School Curriculum. Also new next year is the F.U.E.L. program, a junior
level 2-credit program designed to strengthen both the mind and the body of the student by combining personal fitness and weight training with a concentrated focus on developing literacy skills and achievement in reading and writing. We are also pleased to see the return of Writer’s Craft, a senior creative writing course open
to both university and college-bound students, in which students will have the opportunity to engage in handson activities that focus on the writing process in areas such as personal memoir, fictional narrative, informational report, opinion piece, procedural writing and poetry.
Kingston WritersFest -- So Y ou Think Y ou Can Write Contest enjoys a r etur n engagement at BSS. A
set of five words to be incorporated into the writing is provided to the student participants. Original poetry,
short story, memoir and essays are all eligible genres for the contest. The deadline for submissions is
April 17. Entr ants’ wor k will be judged and finalists contacted by June 12. Winner s will be announced
at the Kingston WritersFest International Marquee event on September 24, 2015. For more information,
contact Ms. Kirby or Ms. Campbell.
Continued on Page 5
BSS Is Now On TWITTER!!
Keep connected with BSS by following us on TWITTER! Information about academics, athletics, clubs, arts events, Student Council initiatives and many other school activities will be posted on TWITTER regularly. This is a great opportunity for students, parents/
guardians, and the entire community to stay updated about the latest BSS news!
#BSSRocks! Follow BSS on TWITTER at BayridgeSS_LDSB
BAYRIDGE NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2015
Social Sciences News
PAGE 5
Communication News
Continued from Page 3
Continued from Page 4
Queen’s Project on International Development (QPID), also did a
workshop: Mapping Our Closet, on March 26 for the Periods 1 and 3
classes. This simulation was engaging and the students were able to
use the concepts learned to connect to the Changing Populations unit
and clearly apply it to their action project this semester: Water Well in
India. Vibrant discussion occurred with all students enthusiastically
participating.
On May 28, Mr. Keene and Ms. Craft
will be escorting French students to
Montreal to visit Old Montreal and
Arbraska Adventure Park. The trip is
open to all French students. As it will
likely fill up quickly please, see
Mr. Keene or Ms. Craft for additional
details and permission forms.
Finally, the Geography classes have
been actively fundraising for Water
Well #8 in India.
The class decided
to continue the
tradition after
learning about India and the role
Bayridge has
played in helping
people help themStudents participating in the Cake Walk for India
selves in this reWater Well at Parent/Guardian Night: March 26:
gion of the world.
Maria Stakheiko, Keirsten Miller and Becky Stewart
The Grade 9 Geography classes orgath
nized the 7 Annual Cake Walk on Thursday, March 26. Promotion
for the event occurred on Wednesday, March 25, when students sold
cupcakes at lunch hour. Over 14 cakes and dozens of cupcakes were
made by Geography students, and other dedicated students at
Bayridge, and we are ecstatic to report that over $300.00 was raised.
Another unique fundraiser for this development project began on
Thursday, April 2 when the Geography classes planted seeds to grow
vegetable plants to sell in late May. Students are learning about local
foods and the simplicity of growing gardens within their own backyard as well as giving back to their global community. Thank you to
Ms. Brenda Scarlett and Mr. Stephen Gambicourt for organizing and
providing these opportunities for their students.
Finally, the Canadian Geographic Giant Traveling Map will be at
Bayridge in late April. Students will be exploring Arctic Canada!
More news on this awesome and unique event in the June newsletter.
Exciting opportunities are occurring in the Social Sciences! Students
are asked to check out the Social Sciences bulletin boards for future
contests, volunteer opportunities and upcoming events. If you have
any questions or would like to become involved, please contact
Ms. Brenda Scarlett at the school.
A group of junior and senior BSS students will travel to Toronto on May
11 to attend a performance of Romeo
and Juliet delivered by the Classical
Theatre Project. This young company
specializes in student-oriented productions inclusive of interactive
workshops and post-performance talk
-back. A limited number of tickets
are still available for purchase. Please
contact Ms. Campbell for information. Such enrichment excursions
are becoming increasingly accessible,
and we are pleased to be able to offer
our students these opportunities.
Should you like more information
about any upcoming events or to discuss your child’s experience in the
BSS Communication classroom,
please do not hesitate to contact departmental members through our general number or check our website.
If your child will be
late or absent,
please remember
to leave a message
(in advance)
on the 24-Hr
Attendance Line
613-389-8932
or e-mail
bss.attendance@limestone.on.ca
PAGE 6
BAYRIDGE NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2015
News from the Environmental Club
E
nvironmental Club has had a great start to
Semester 2! We have been working to plan activities for Earth Week (which will be April 20 - 24
this year) including our Earth Summit, which will
be held on Thursday of that week, as well as other
initiatives around the school!
Bottle Day/Wear Blue Day on Monday, Pitch in Day
on Tuesday, Green T-shirt day on Wednesday, a
Walk-to-School day Thursday and a House Challenge Friday!! The One Earth One Chance Environmental Summit will be held on April 22 this year,
and we are all very excited! We will have awesome
guest speakers, food, and it’s a great learning opporBack in October and November, Bayridge hosted
tunity! Thanks to all the staff and students who have
the ‘Recycle My Cell’ program, whetr we collected helped organize, will be presenting or volunteering,
old or broken cell phones to send to a facility where and to those who will be attending the summit! It’s
they could be recycled. We have recently received a going to be a great day!
recognition certificate on behalf of the company for
participating in the challenge. It will soon be put up Environmental Club has continued to track recycling,
next to our Ecoschools plaque and other awards on composting and garbage throughout the school. Blazthe wall by the cafeteria!
ers have been doing a terrific job at sorting their
waste, and have been helping to make Bayridge an
On Friday, March 27, we participated in the board- even more environmentally friendly school!
wide Earth Hour initiative. Bayridge turned off
lights from 11:10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. on Friday and Thanks to everyone who helped get Semester 2 off to
saved 35-kilowatt hours! That much energy could
a great start this year, and we hope that the rest of the
power 2692 CFLs (13watt) light bulbs for one hour, year will be just as successful!
save 11 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions, or
power a laptop for 778 hours. Combined LDSB
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world; indeed,
schools saved approximately 833-kilowatt hours!
it's the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead
Way to go Blazers!! Thank you so much to the staff
members who worked hard during our lunch period
Isabelle Burns
to turn off all of the lights and make this possible.
Student Council
We have been busy planning our activities and spirit
Minister of Environment
days for Earth Week - all five days we will have
something different going on. Watch out for Water
News from the Arts Council
A
rts Council is jazzed about all the groovy opportunities we've been able to provide Blazers
with thus far into the second semester. We started
up the semester with a funked up coffee house, the
best way we know how. For Valentine's Day 2015,
in partnership with Bayridge's own acapella
"Singsations," we sold singing telegrams and offered the students of Bayridge the chance to have
their friends serenaded with beautiful melodies.
We are delighted to once again be orchestrating a
Student Art Auction, in conjunction with the upcoming musical, May 12 - 15. This is your chance to buy
fabulous original student artwork and support
Bayridge student artists! Bidding will be done silent
auction style and will be open before the play and
during intermission each evening.
Lastly, we would like to extend an open invitation to
our Evening of the Arts night, on Thursday, May 21,
to celebrate the arts and culture in Bayridge with one
At our Wednesday meetings we've been hard at
work planning new designs for the Paw Shop, locat- last hurrah.
Ashlee Redmond
ed in the front foyer, and are excited to get to work
Co-President
at putting them in motion.
BAYRIDGE NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2015
PAGE 7
News from Interact Club
I
nteract Club was very fortunate to have several senior
members attend “The Poverty Challenge” at
Rotary is sponsoring two students to attend the RYLA
leadership camp at Paul Smith’s College on Lake
Queen’s University on Monday, March 30. Through Placid this summer. This leadership camp is held
role playing, this challenge introduced students to the from June 26 - 28 and is a great way for students to
local issue of poverty in Kingston. It was an eyestart off their summer, improve their leadership skills
opening experience that taught about the determina- and meet new people. If your son or daughter is intion and resilience of people living in poverty.
terested in applying for this great opportunity - they
can pick up a form in the Main Office and drop it off
Interact Club and interested Bayridge students partic- in the drop box in the Main Office by April 24.
ipated in the Vow of Silence on Thursday, April 16.
This is a Free the Children Campaign that was creat- Finally the Interact Club members are looking into
ed to stand up for others who cannot stand up for
giving back to our community by volunteering at a
themselves. In essence this event required you to; “go local charity that provides food services. Second sesilent for those who are silenced.”
mester is going great thanks to our dedicated members and the support of the Bayridge staff, students
Throughout April, Interact Club will also be raising
and community. Thank you for your continual supawareness about cancer in Canada through the “Who port as Interact Club endeavours to make a difference
are You Fighting For?” campaign. Daffodil pins will in our local and global community.
be provided to students for a small donation and all
donations will go to the Cancer Society. Students
“When you come together, you can truly create change”
can also fill out a poster about who they are personal– Craig Keilburger
ly fighting for - whether it is a family member, friend
or relative. By doing this, we will show our support
for people who have won, lost and/or are currently
Alyssa Burrows
battling cancer as we work towards better cures for
Interact Club President
the disease.
BAYRIDGE NEWSLETTER
PAGE 8
APRIL 2015
News from Environmental Leadership
T
he Environmental Leadership Program focuses on environmental issues and is filled with outdoor adventures! E.L has had a very successful semester thus far. Throughout our hard work and determination we have
accomplished many things such as winter camping and hiking along with
earning our Wilderness First Aid Certification.
In February, E.L tackled our 4 day winter camping trip in Gateau where we
learnt how to cross country ski and survived sleeping in quinzhees that we
built ourselves! Throughout March we prepared for our hiking trip in
Frontenac Provincial Park that took place in April. We were all pushed to
our limits both mentally and physically and had some amazing experiences.
Environmental Leadership is playing a key role in Bayridge’s annual One
Earth One Chance Summit this April. Furthermore, this semester we will be
planting over 6,000 trees to raise money for our upcoming trip to Palmer
Rapids and our 7-day canoe trip on the French River and Georgian Bay.
In addition to our personal contribution by tree planting, we are selling both spring bulbs and organic coffee, tea
and hot chocolate. You can place an order with an E.L student or teacher if you wish to contribute to the Environmental Leadership Focus Program and the Bayridge Outdoor Gardens.
Amanda van Steijn and Jazmine Wykes
Important Upcoming Dates
May 15
May 18
May 22
June 3
June 10&11
June 15-17
June 18-24
June 25
Bayridge Secondary School
presents
Grad Fees Due
Victoria Day - No Classes
P.A. Day - No Classes
Athletic Banquet
EQAO Days
Review/Sum./Eval. Days
Exam Days
Exam Return Day
Graduation (4:00 p.m.)
A Note about Final Exams...
Our students will receive their exam schedule with their midterm reports. The following date range for exams is set by the
Ministry. Under our exam policies, we are not able to change
exams for vacations, student work, etc. Should there be an
emergency (e.g. illness), a doctor’s note will be required. If
you have any questions, please call me at (613) 389-8932,
extension 364. Thank you! Kristin Stevens, Vice-Principal
(Grades 9 & 11) & Exams Supervisor.
May 12, 13, 14 & 15, 2015
at 7:00—9:30 p.m.
Tickets: Adults $12
Students $10
BAYRIDGE NEWSLETTER
News from Student Council
APRIL 2015
PAGE 9
has been organizing for the event to make it the best
one yet.
W
The Assembly Team continues to impress Bayridge
with fun and exciting assemblies, with the next recognition assembly being in a few weeks time. New this
year, Student Council created a Student Council Carousel, which occurred on April 10. The carousel was
set up at lunch and gave students the opportunity to
speak to each ministry with whatever questions they
may have. The objective was to educate those who
were interested on what Council does through out the
Throughout the year, Student Council has been contin- school as well as to encourage students to join Council
uing our “ Student Council Cares” initiative, which for 2015 - 2016.
involves kind acts such as giving back to our fellow
peers at Bayridge. This semester, Student Council pro- Student Council has worked extremely hard this year
vided free chocolate to those who were interested in and is continuing to do so! We plan on bringing more
light of celebrating Valentine’s Day. We also created a events and opportunities to our school as much as possmall scavenger hunt before the Easter weekend. Stu- sible. We would like to thank all those who not only
dent Council plans to continue this campaign and show support us but also continue to make Bayridge a better
place to be.
the students that we care.
ith warmer weather coming our way, Student
Council was very excited to start second semester. So far, it has been action packed with tons of fun
events for the students to enjoy! We have an amazing
team that works well together and strives to continue to
make Bayridge an amazing school. From night-time
events, spirit days and assemblies to helping out the
community, these leaders have definitely kept busy.
On March 6, Student Council hosted a Starlight Semiformal night-time event. The event was beyond successful with over 200 students attending, including sign
in students from other schools. The evening consisted
of a delicious meal including lasagna, caesar salad and
garlic bread as well as fun music and beautiful decorations. A huge thank you to Ms. Cameron, Mr. Alexander as well as the Culinary Arts program for providing
the meal. Another big “thank you” to all the staff that
took the time out of their Friday night to help make this
event as successful as possible; we could not have done
it with out you! Also, a special thank you to
Ms. French who stepped up and contributed her time
when we needed help, we appreciate everything you’ve
done for us! Student Council was extremely proud of
how the event went and is hoping for more successful
night-time events in the future.
So far this semester, Student Council has had many
accomplishments. The communications team has organized a life bus, which gave students 17 or older the
opportunity to donate blood and save three lives. Most
recently, they have helped organize the elections for
next year’s Co-presidents. Congratulations to Alyssa
Burrows and Faith Nichol, the 2015-2016 CoPresidents. The Spirit Events Team has upcoming spirit
days as well as house challenges throughout the year
and Celebrating being a Blazer Day is coming up very
quickly in May. For several weeks, Student Council
Kendal Fyke
Co-President
BAYRIDGE SCHOOL COUNCIL
O
ur chair, Mr. Chris Ecclestone, extends a
warm invitation to the Bayridge Secondary
School (Parent) Council. The next meeting is
scheduled for Wednesday, May 20. Meetings
occur in Conference Room 100 (right inside the
main doors) and agenda items include student and
department presentations, chair and principal’s
reports, planning for school improvement and renovations, reviewing provincial assessments, updates on school events and activities, input on parent information evenings, school policies and topics relevant to the well-being and success of your
son/daughter at Bayridge.
We hope that you can join us! For more
information, or to leave your e-mail address
to be included in the ‘virtual school council,’
call (613) 389-8932 or visit our website at
http://bayridgess.limestone.on.ca/
PAGE 10
BAYRIDGE NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2015
News from Math, Business & Computer Department
What’s going on in Math,
Business, and Computers?
Destination Imagination
Congratulations to BSS Destination
Imagination (DI) Team: Ben Banfield, Bethany Delve, Sydney Fiset,
Elizabeth Hiscock, Jack Pouliot, and
Sydney Stewart who are their way to
Globals in Knoxville Tennessee in
May! The team qualified for Globals
by earning first place in their team
challenge category “Fine Arts: Fairy
Tales” in both Arnprior (Regionals)
and Pickering (Provincials). Planning meetings combined with an Instant Challenge activity have been
taking place once a week since the
fall to help the team reach the
“performing” stage of team develop-
Senior Mathletes attend the
Euclid Problem Solving Day
Over 70 BSS Mathletes Write the
Pascal, Cayley, and Fermat Contests
ment. The goal of the DI is for students to use their planning, creativity,
and teamwork to create innovative and completely independent solutions to challenges and to learn that it’s okay to try something and have
it not work out; it’s about how they get around problems to create new
solutions. The parents, students, and the team manager (Ms. Allmendinger), all had to sign a Non Interference waiver promising that all
parts of the solution and performance will be entirely the team’s conception. Our team, “The Dingivators”, has created an original humorous
fairy tale about a heroine’s fear of sharks and how she overcomes it. The
Instant Challenge is the second part of the scored components that
makes up 25% of their mark at competitions where the team has to creatively and collaboratively solve a problem on the spot. All performances are live. DI is available for students of all ages and skills with five
other types of challenges available, including science and technology
aspects.
Business Classes Giving Back to the Community
Ms. Allmendinger’s Grade 11 Entrepreneurial Studies Students participated in the $10 Challenge where they were tasked to turn the $10 start
up capital into profits to be donated
to charities of each team’s choice.
“We are donating $250 to Kingston
Youth Shelter. We raised the money by selling duct tape flower pens.
Our business name was The Write
Expressions and our group members include: Holly Ryan, Amber
Sarazin, Dean Thompson, Izaaq
Verk, Rachel McKeown, Edison
Law and Jennifer Neary.” Well
done “The Write Expressions!”
Mathletes In Action
It has been busy start to the second semester for the Mathematics
Department as math contest season gears into full swing. In February,
over 70 of our Grades 9, 10 and 11 students wrote the Pascal, Cayley,
and Fermat Contests run by the University of Waterloo. Our students
performed extremely well and their accomplishments will be celebrated
at the Academic Awards in October. Many of our Mathletes earned
“Top 25%” certificates on the contest this year. Ms. Eccles took several
of our senior students to the Euclid Problem Solving Day at LCVI on
April 9, where they spent the day working on math problems with professors from the University of Waterloo. We also had ten of our students
write the Euclid Mathematics Competition earlier this month and we
look forward to finding out their results soon. A special thank you to
Maria Stakheiko, Harriet Burns, Keirsten Miller, John Minor,
Continued on Page 12
BAYRIDGE NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2015
PAGE 11
News from the Science Department
B
ayridge Science students have had a great start to the semester. Students are working hard to achieve their
credits. Teachers are always available to provide that extra support. This is also the time of year where
wise choices need to be considered when choosing next years options. If there are any questions please see
your teacher for advice.
Also this semester many Science contests are offered:
Chemistry – Avogadro Exam, Chem 13 News Exam – early May
Biology – University of Toronto Biology Exam – April
Physics – University of Waterloo SIN contest – May 7
These contests are a great way for students to challenge themselves and could potentially lead to cash prizes.
Bayridge has had tremendous success in the past as several students have achieved in the top five percent of
participants across Canada and the World. As well, our Biology results have been the highest in the Limestone
District for several years running. Please see your teacher if interested.
The Earth and Space Science (SES) class will be visiting Miller Hall at Queen’s University on Thursday,
April 23. The class will be learning about Mineral Identification and Meteorites as well as experiencing the
Miller Museum. Students will have the opportunity to see various types of rocks and minerals on display as
well as learn from the interactive displays about the Geological History of Kingston. Mr. Mark Badham,
Museum Curator, will lead the sessions which are always popular within the program.
Queen’s University’s Ellis Observatory, which is always a popular field trip for the class, is not able to book in
outside groups this year which is a huge loss to the local community. We hope that this resource will again be
available in the future.
The SES class is also organizing
a field trip to various rock outcrops in the Kingston region in
late May. This was run for the
first time last year through
Mr. Mark Badham and was an
incredible experiential opportunity for the Bayridge students
This is also an awesome Reach
Ahead activity for those students who are enrolled in the
Environmental Specialist High
Skills Major Program.
Thank you to Ms. Scarlett for
organizing.
Students on the 2014 SES Field Trip to Rock Outcrops in Kingston
BAYRIDGE NEWSLETTER
News from Phys. Ed.
O
ur Physical and Health Education classes
have been busy in the gymnasium as well as
the health room during the colder weather. We
have recently gone on a field trip to Prost Bowling Alley as well as had Dan Coles from Shaku
Martial Arts work with our groups with selfdefense in mind. All of our classes look forward
to hitting the driving range as well as 9 holes of
golf for o
ur senior classes later in the semester. As the
weather continues to improve, we will move our
fitness endeavours outside!
APRIL 2015
PAGE 12
Math, Business and Computers
Continued from Page 10
Daniel Howells, and Carlee Rogers, who represented
Bayridge at the QSMLA Math Challenge that took place on
April 16 at LCVI. Finally, the Junior Mathletes will begin
preparing soon for the Junior Math League Competition that
will be taking place in May. It is not too late for any Grade 9
or Grade 10 students who want to participate to join in –
please see Ms. Swaine or Ms. Eccles for more information.
EQAO Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
We would like to remind all students taking Grade 9 Academic and Applied Math this semester that the EQAO Grade
9 Assessment of Mathematics exam is quickly appr oaching. The students will be writing the EQAO exam in their
It’s not too late to ensure that you have committed math classes on June 11 and 12. We strongly encourage
to a healthy lifestyle for the 2015-2016 school
students to start preparing for the exams now by visiting the
year. If you did not sign up for a regular gym
EQAO (www.eqao.com) website and working through the
class or Powerfit for next year but are thinking
practice materials.
that perhaps you should be active for your physical and mental health next year, book an appointMath Help
ment with Student Services to get signed up for
Finally, we would like to remind parents and students that our
PE.
Math Help Room continues to be a place where students can
go for extra support. We would like to thank our teacher candidates, Amarya Durling and Carrie Sun, for volunteering
their time to help support our students in Math Help. Students are welcome to drop by Room 206 anytime between
11:20 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays to ask
questions or simply have a quiet place to do their work.
Eat well, sleep well and
stay active BSS!
Athletics Council
T
he Athletics Council has been
busy organizing Intramurals
on Thursdays this year. We will continue to offer this lunch activity for the
remainder of the school year.
We are also preparing to organize the
Bayridge Road Races
on Friday, May 1
and the
Annual Athletic Banquet
on Wednesday, June 3.
BSS Destination Imagination Team Wins Provincials
and is Headed to Globals!