February-March 2015 Newsletter

 Newsletter #6 J. N. Burnett Newsletter February/March 2015 Phone: 604-­‐668-­‐6478 Trustee: Jonathan Ho Email: burnett@sd38.bc.ca Principal: Mr Bert Wiens Website: jnburnett.sd38.bc.ca Vice-­‐Principal: Ms. D. MacDonald Early Warning: 604-­‐718-­‐4007 Vice-­‐Principal: Ms. A. Davidson __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ WELCOME TO… ...Amanda Powell, who has joined the Modern Languages Dept to teach French and ELL for Ms Chen, who has taken a leave of absence. … Bernadette Borres, who has taken on the role of Career Information Advisor and is in the Burnett Counselling Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays and alternating Wednesdays, helping students with Career and Post Secondary choices. SECOND SEMESTER START UP … Our second semester start was very smooth. All course change requests were considered before the first week of the semester. However, it is important to note that students are asked to select courses for both semester one and two (8 courses) during program planning in the Spring prior to each new school year. Our timetable is then built and staff put in place for the year to accommodate the selections students made at this time. INTERIM REPORTS -­‐ SEMESTER 2 PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES Our second semester interim reports will be going home on Wednesday, April 1. Parent/teacher conferences are held on Wednesday, April 8 (2 – 4pm) and Thursday, April 9 (2 – 4pm and 6 – 8pm). Parents/guardians are able to sign up online once again. For more information, please visit our website @ jnburnett.sd38.bc.ca. PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE Upcoming PAC meetings: April 2, 2015 May 7, 2015-­‐AGM to elect next school year’s slate of PAC officers. School Planning Council representatives were selected at the February PAC meeting. Thank you to Natasha Hillier, Sholeh Salehi, and Suzy Buckley for volunteering their time to help determine the school goals for the upcoming year. Please join us on April 2, 2015 at 7:30pm in the school staff room for the next PAC meeting. We will be reviewing recommendations for the criteria for the PAC Legacy Scholarships given each year to Grade 12 students. If you would like to help on the review committee, or would like to help with judging the Grad presentations in May, please contact Stephanie Nomellini at 604-­‐241-­‐9812 or stephnomellini@gmail.com. Look for the Call for Nominations for the PAC Executive in the next newsletter. PAC LEGACY SCHOLARSHIPS All interested Grade 12 students are invited to apply for the Burnett PAC Legacy Scholarships. Please encourage your Grad to discuss with their counsellor this fun and unique way to leave their mark on JN Burnett School as well as being eligible for a cash scholarship. Parents will jury presentations in May (time TBA). Watch for announcements at school and in the newsletter for the date. CONGRATULATIONS! …to Grade 9 student Andrea Toth who received a Silver Medal in Squash during the Canada Winter Games in Prince George. … to our Science students who competed at the Association of Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC (APEGBC) bridge building competition at Lansdowne Mall. Stanley Huang from Ms. Jessa’s Science 8 Incentive class won 3rd place in the grade 10 and under category! OUR VERY OWN MATH
CHALLENGERS BC WINNERS…
Join me in congratulating Burnett’s Grade 9 Math
Challengers: Shawn Chang, Joseph Chien, Kate
Lu, Yean Shu, and Sean Rong, in placing 4th as a
team at the recent inter-school math competition
held at UBC.
Sean and Kate also got medals in the individual
competition, placing 5th and 6th overall. The team
has secured a spot at the annual Provincial
competition to take place in March or April. Stay
tuned for an update!
CONFERENCE DAY
Our second Conference Day of the year was on
Thursday, February 26, 2015. The themes for
the day were Social Responsibility, Healthy Living,
Goal Setting and Career Awareness. Students
attended informative presentations that focused on
building an awareness of local, global, and
environmental issues and concerns that enable
students to find the resources and means to make a
difference in the home, community and world at
large. We were fortunate, this year, to host a
program offered by Live Different, called Have the
Courage to Connect. This team delivered a
powerful multi-media presentation and concert that
had the potential to enable students to discover and
embrace their abilities to overcome pressures and
to build connections, character, and confidence.
We are very excited about the potential outcomes
of this program and we look forward to the energy
and change it may bring about.
Students also attended presentations whose
messages focused on the themes of the day.
Specifically, Grade 11 students attended a
presentation offered by ICBC Road Sense where
Heather Charlton shared her personal experiences
with impaired driving.
In addition, Graeme
Hamilton from the District School Board office
discussed all the Apprenticeship Programs offered
for students in Richmond. Moreover, our Grade 8
class was fortunate to attend a concert and
presentation delivered by Rachel Ashley, a victim
of severe bullying in her youth. Now at 19 years
of age, Ashley has constructed an anti-bullying
tour called, “No Time for That”, where she shares
her experiences and songs that she has written to
empower youth to overcome bullying and to build
self-acceptance.
Students also had the opportunity to look at
development of career alternatives with the help of
Junior Achievement, covering a wide variety of
topics related to building financial awareness.
Thanks to our team of planners: Mr McDonnell,
Mr Lee, Mr Anderson, Mrs Fackler, Mrs Zuccolo,
Mr Gomes, and the Admistrative team, all of
whom have worked hard to help me put together an
event that should once again proved to be very
memorable and a wonderful learning experience
for all involved.
DRY GRAD EVENT JUNE 12 HOMESTAYS NEEDED
TOP TEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VOLUNTEER FOR DRY AFTER GRAD 10. you’ll feel good! 9. Everyone has something to offer 8. A little goes a long way…does not have to be all or nothing; any time you can spare is GREATLY appreciated. 7. It takes a village…we need some serious manpower (150 volunteers, ideally) 6. Your child will benefit!-­‐-­‐-­‐we can create the BEST grad celebration ever! But we need your help. 5. You’ll be setting a great example. 4. It’s a way to meet other parents at Burnett. 3. No volunteers means no party. 2. It’s not work, it’s fun! 1. If your child is not in Grade 12, they will be before you know it!! Next meeting: April 8, 2015 For more information please contact Barb Buchsbaum at barbb66@shaw.ca or Sarah Banno at skbanno@hotmail.com. Prizes for Dry Grad The Prizes subcommittee for the Dry Grad Planning Committee is looking for prize and/or cash donations to be used for the Dry Grad event in June. All donations are welcome and appreciated! Companies that donate will be recognized in the Richmond papers. Contact Julie Lum at julielum_283@hotmail.com for more information. Interested in opening up your home for a
rewarding experience…
SCHOOL PARKING LOT
Our school parking lot is increasingly becoming a
concern for us. Too many students are being
picked up and dropped off at school, and the traffic
in the parking lot is creating some safety issues.
Please encourage your son/daughter to walk to
school to help ease the traffic congestion in the
parking lot. Besides, it is a much better way to
travel from a health perspective as well as an
environmental perspective.
The International Student
Program allows overseas
students to enter Grades 8
through 12 at selected
Secondary
Schools
in
Richmond. The program
gives overseas students the opportunity to study
alongside Canadian students in the BC public
education system. As a Host Family, you will have
an opportunity to welcome into your home students
from around the world. Your family will have a
profound influence on the students’ study abroad
experience. Both your family and the students you
host will ideally gain a mutual understanding and
respect for each other’s culture and world-view. In
addition to economic renumeration, your record,
your reward will be the realization that your
commitment to host international students will, in
some small way, contribute to global
understanding the world peace. Our homestay
program is the ideal setting for this type of
experience. If you are interested in learning more
about our hosting program please contact:
Karen York, Homestay Coordinator
International Student Program
Richmond School District 38
Tel: 604-295-4303
kyork@sd38.bc.ca
PE CHANGEROOMS
As we begin Semester 2, we again want to remind
all students NOT TO BRING VALUABLES TO
THE PE CHANGEROOMS. Theft is an issue in
every school, and the PE change rooms can be easy
targets. If you have valuables, be sure to leave
them in your regular locker. The PE staff works
very hard to ensure security down by the gym, and
we try to keep the cage door to the change rooms
locked during class time, but no system is
foolproof. Please do not bring anything of value to
the change rooms, and then you will not have an
issue where something important to you was taken
while you were participating in PE. Similarly, if
you are going to need to leave PE early for an
appointment or an athletic contest, the PE staff will
not open the cage to allow students to change
early. Speak with your PE teacher about the need
to leave early, and the teacher will allow you to
take your clothes back to your main locker so you
will be able to access them when you need to.
REPORT CARDS
COURSE PLANNING FOR 2015-16
Semester 1 Final Report Cards were sent home
with students on Wednesday, February 18th.
Please be sure to ask your child for theirs, and if
you have any questions about the marks they have
received, please ask them and/or contact the
teacher.
With the Program Planning process well underway,
it is important to remind students of the need to be
careful with course selections for next year. Please
be sure to complete the Course Selection sheet you
were given on Conference Day (Feb 26th) and
return it to the office by March 6th. Students are
encouraged to look at the Program Planning
booklet
online
at
http://jnburnett.sd38.bc.ca/sites/default/files/Progra
m%20Planning%202014.pdf.
GRADUATION TRANSITIONS Grade 12s should have completed their Grad Transitions interview on the February 26th Conference Day. If you have not already done so, you need to see Mrs. Musani ASAP. This document and the interview must both be completed in order to graduate. Do not let this slip past you. THE JNB ARC GALA
INCENTIVE SCREENING
Next year’s Grade 8s had the opportunity to apply
for our Incentive programs in Humanities and
Math, on March 3rd and March 5th, respectively.
Teachers will be making decisions regarding which
students have qualified for the program and
informing the selected applicants in May. We look
forward to working with next year’s class and
anticipate interacting closely with them at the
Orientation Day on Friday, May 29th from 10:0012:30pm.
CAREER CENTRE NEWS
The JN Burnett Animal Rescue and Care Club
(ARC) will be hosting a Gala Dinner fundraiser at
Burnett on Saturday, April 18th from 6:3010:00pm. This event features a Jamaican buffet
dinner, entertainment, incredible door prizes and a
raffle draw for an artisan jewelry box. ARC
students will be celebrating 20 years of
fundraising, education, and rescue work to support
domestic and wild animals in need. Tickets are
$45 and are available from Linda Sakai at the front
office.
Important Information is available:
• Richmond Dist. Career Centre news:
http://public.sd38.bc.ca/~~ccnews
• Ms Hudson’s facebook page for important
info
and
updates--https://www.facebook.com/MsHudsonCare
erCentrenews
• Around
the
School:
student
announcements, Bulletin Board
• In the Career Centre-Drop by to see the
Career Advisor, Ms Hudson, Mondays(all
day), Tuesday(all day) and Wednesday
mornings
Grade 12 students:…applying for Post
Secondary Studies 2015? Be sure to check your
admission, scholarship, housing and document
deadline dates carefully. Deadline dates vary.
Scholarships
Check the Career Centre News-many scholarships
are available. http://public.sd38.bc.ca/~ccnews
Important Dates
…to April 30/15-SFU self-reporting dates
Mar 31/15-UVic self-reporting closes
Apr 30/15-SFU self-reporting & add/switch
deadline
Langara College Course Planning Sessions
Grade 12 students---have you applied to attend
Langara College in Sept 2015? If so, consider
attending a Course Planning Session.
These
sessions fill quickly quickly so arrive early to
ensure seating. Due to the large number of
students wishing to meet with a counsellor/advisor,
the Langara Counselling Dept requires that new
Arts and Science
students attend a Course
Planning Session before receiving individual
assistance.
You are advised to start your
educational
planning
early.
http://www.langara.bc.ca/studentservices/counselling/workshops-infosessions/course-planning-sessions.html.
Note that additional sessions will be added in
upcoming
months:
http://www.langara.bc.ca/index/html
Important Langara Dates
April 30, 2015
PSI Interim Transcript Deadline to ensure grades
can be processed in time for course registration in
June.
May 31, 2015
Secondary School Interim Transcript Deadline:
students who have not filled out the PSI form by
April 30 will need to submit an official interim
transcript (stamped or sealed by school) by this
date.
Early June 2015
Students can log in to their myLangara account to
activate their registration date and time. (Course
registration begins June 22 and continues until the
start of classes)
July 15, 2015
PSI Final Transcript Deadline: students who
missed the April 30 Interim Transcript deadline
must fill out the PSI form by July 15
August 1, 2015
Secondary School Final Transcript Deadline: all
students who have not filled out the PSI form must
provide Langara with an official BC Ministry of
Education final transcript indicating graduation.
Students who have not provided proof of
graduation by this date will be dropped from
classes.
August 15, 2015
Fee payment deadline for registered courses:
students who have not paid their fees by August 15
before 2100 hours (9pm) will be dropped from
their registered courses.
September 8, 2015
First day of classes
VPD 2015 Info Sessions
No need to register. Information sessions are held
in the auditorium of the Justice Institute of BC
Police Academy. The JIBV is located at 715
McBride Boulevard in New Westminster. For info
see
http://vancouver.ca/police/recruiting/policeofficers/information-sessions.html
Post Secondary Information Sessions
Our local colleges and universities frequently host
information events on their campus to promote
their programs to prospective students. Visit the
links below for information session details.
Capilano:
http://www.capilanou.ca/calendar.aspx?view=list&
for=277&
Kwantlen:
http://www.kwantlen.ca/futurestudents/events.html
Douglas:
http://www.douglascollege.ca/study-atdouglas/information-sessions
BCIT: http://www.bcit.ca/infosessions/
Langara:
http://www.langara.bc.ca/news~and~events/inform
ation-sessions/index.html
VCC:
http://www.vcc.ca/applying/apply-now/infosessionstours/
U of A Online Chats
All sessions will be held from 7-9pm MST. For
dates,
visit
https://ualberta.askadmissions.net/groupchat/Landi
ngPage.aspx
OPEN HOUSES
Kwantlen (KPU) Cloverdale (Trades) Open
Houses For dates, visit http://www.kpu.ca/trades
Preview week at Corpus Christi College
March 18-20
Email recruiter to register:
recruiter@corpuschristi.ca
Western University
March Break Open House 2015
To
register
http://welcome.uwo.ca/march/index.html
visit:
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Open
House, Kamloops BC
Students, friends, and families are invited to attend
the TRU Open House if they are interested in or
have applied to the university.
This is an
opportunity to attend information sessions, do tours
of the campus and residence, and to attend
workshops and seminars to learn about the
available programs. For further information visit:
www.tru.ca/openhouse.html