From The Principal

Goodbye Mrs. Small

2013-04-04T14:54:00Z

As of April 22, the smiling face of our Office Coordinator Mrs. Phyllis Small, an institution at WHSS, will no longer be seen as she will be retiring. She will be dearly missed by everyone at the school, specifically, by me. As a brand new principal, Phyllis was an invaluable resource to me as I became familiar with the many facets of my new position. Calm, patient, understanding, especially through the myriad of questions I bombarded her with, Phyllis always had the answer or at least knew where to get it. One of her main duties was the organization of commencement each Fall. Having been to over 25 graduation ceremonies at a variety of schools, WHSS commencement impressed me the most with its impeccable organization and relaxed and celebratory atmosphere. It may say Principal on the plaque on my door, but as my mom once told me, a former Office Coordinator, it is the office staff that truly ensure that the school operates smoothly and effectively. A large part of this is because of Mrs. Small. I know everyone at WHSS wants to wish her the best as she leaves to undertake her new career as grandmother of three.

As Ms. Small leaves, we would like to welcome Davina Campbell as our new Office Coordinator. Davina is very excited to be joining the staff at WHSS. She brings with her a wealth of experience as the office coordinator at Arthur PS. In addition, because she lives in the community she is very familiar with our students and their families. One thing I can share with you about Davina is that she is an avid hockey fan. Unfortunately, she is a Leaf fan. However, when she reads the fine print in the contract she just signed in my office when she accepted the position, she will see that from now on she will be an avid Montreal Canadiens' fan. We all are looking forward to working with Davina as she officially takes over the role on May 1.

Spring sports are just winding up. All you need to do is walk by the gym each morning to see Mr. Timberlake and Mr. Reid putting the rugby team through some dry land training.

Important dates to remember - April 11 all grade 10 students throughout the province will be writing the Ontario Literacy test; on April 18, a group of administrators and our two superintendents will be visiting WHSS as part of our District review. They will be visiting classrooms, speaking with students in order to give us feedback regarding how well we are doing as a school meeting the goals we have set out in our School Improvement Plan; on that same night we will be having our rescheduled Valentine's Day dance; on April 22, the entire teaching staff will be working on Numeracy across the curriculum at CWDHS, as part of our Professional Development Day (there will be no school on that day), and finally on April 26, midterm report cards we be sent home with our students.

The 4 day work week!

2013-03-01T14:54:00Z

You know you have had a lot of snow when the gigantic snowman that the CELP class sculptured at the front of the school is almost dwarfed by the snow bank beside it. As semester two progresses along slowly, have we had a full week of classes yet? - there has been some date changes due to the number of "no-bus" days thus far. Mid-term report cards will now go home on April 26. The turn around day for students in half credit Careers and Civics courses will now be April 18.

Dates that remain the same are - progress reports will go home with students on March 6 and Parent/Teacher interviews will be on March 21, from 5:30 - 7:30. To book an interview time, please go to our school website. The purpose of the progress report is to give parents/guardians a general early indication of their son/daughter's progress to date. Remember, parents are always welcome to contact their child's teacher at any time during the semester. As a school community, it is important that we work together to ensure your son/daughter is successful.

On April 11, all grade 10 students throughout the province will be writing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). An after school program, Pass the Test, is being offered every Tues and Thurs commencing March 5 to help students prepare for the OSSLT. Announcements, phone calls were made inviting students to register for this course. Please contact the school if you wish your son/daughter to participate.

The last date I wish to mention is our next School Council, which will take place on March 19, from 7 - 8:30, in the main office.

March also means March Break. Please enjoy your family time.

Options for 2013-2014

2013-02-11T14:54:00Z

Today, Mon. Feb 11, 2013, our school is grieving over the loss of Steven Hutchison, a former graduate. Details of school supports for our students and staff can be found on the front page of our website.

With another bus cancellation today, the Course Fair scheduled for today will be rescheduled to Tues Feb 19. The Course Fair is an event where students get the opportunity to visit the various subject areas prior to filling out their option sheets for the 2013-2014 school year. We hope to hold the Fair in the next few days and then have the students complete their option sheets. Option sheets are completed at the school during grade assemblies with support from our guidance dept. and classroom teachers. A copy of the option sheet is collected, and the students are instructed to take another copy home and sit down with a parent/guardian to go over their choices. If changes are made, students will be instructed that they are to bring the revised option sheet to the guidance office.

Final report cards were to go home on Feb 11, but will now be sent home on Feb 12.

Later this month, date to be determined due to a conflict with the original date, athletic council will be running their annual Winter Olympics. This exciting and fun events pits teams of 10 students against each other in a variety of competitions. As well, Thurs. Valentine Dance has been postponed. A new date will be announced shortly.

Future Event: On May 21, 2013, from 6:30 - 8:00, WHSS School Council is sponsoring an event that all parents are invited to attend. The highlight of the evening will be a keynote address from Noelle Lombardi. Noelle is a 19 year old who since the age of 11 yrs has struggled with substance abuse, to the extent at age 16 she suffered a drug induced heart attack. Noelle herself will tell you she is very fortunate to be living today. As a survivor, she has committed herself to speaking with students and parents to help ensure that they do not face the same challenges that Noelle went through. We are also in the process of inviting agencies from Arthur and Mount Forest to set up information booths for those in attendance. We need to help our youth and by attending this evening and becoming more informed this is one more step towards accomplishing this goal.

Exams are near!

2013-01-09T14:54:00Z

Exams begin on Jan 25. Students will write their Week one, period one exam on this day. On Mon Jan 28, week one period two exams will be written. Jan 29, week one, period 3 exam, and Jan. 30, week one period 4 exam. Jan 31, is also an exam day and is used in the case of a snow day or if a student is absent on a regularly scheduled exam day. Parents are asked to schedule events, holidays etc. outside the exam period Jan 25 - 31. Exams represent major summative assessments and must be written on the day they are scheduled. Failure to write an exam will mean that the student cannot be granted a credit in that class. If a student is ill on a day he/she is to write an exam, a medical note must be provided. Alterations in the exam schedule will only be granted for extenuating circumstances i.e. funeral. Please contact the principal in order to arrange an alternative exam date in the case of an extenuating circumstance.

If a "no-bus" day occurs on an exam day the exam schedule will be altered by one day. For example, if Jan 28, is a "no-bus" day, that exam will be written on the next school day, Jan 29. The original exam scheduled for Jan 29, will now be written on Jan 30.

Final report cards for semester one will be sent home on Feb 11, 2013. Course options for the 2013-2014 will be completed in early February. Dates will appear on the school website very soon. A course calendar can be found on our website beginning in early Feb.

Our next School Council is on Tues Jan. 22, from 7 - 8:30, in the main office. All parents are welcome to attend.

Finally, our Warm Winter Wishes campaign has once again amazed me by raising over $22,000. The importance of WWW to our school and community was best summed up in a conversation I overheard two students having on the Mon. after break. The one student exhibited a tremendous smile as the student described the designer clothes received at Christmas. "I know money is tight in our family, so I can't believe my parents would spend money on these clothes for me" Thank you to our students, staff, school community, corporate donors who made this Christmas so special for these individuals!

Hockey is Alive and Well at WHSS

2012-12-10T14:54:00Z

The date: Tues Dec 4, 2012. The setting: Mount Forest Sport Complex. The event:WWW annual staff and student hockey game. With a capacity crowd cheering on the frantic pace set by the students, and some teachers, certainly not me, the game ended in a 9 - 9 draw. Shoot-out! Both goalies were Drydenesque and the entire game came down to the last shooter. As a proud Canadian Stompin' Tom Conners immortalized "The puck is in, the home team wins", in this case the Black team came away with a 10 - 9 victory. Of course, this was only one of the many events going on at WHSS. Chili cookoff, taco day, silent auction, Pyjamarama etc are annual Warm Winter Wishes events, and, of course, we must not forget the annual Polar Bear Dip this Friday Dec 14.

With two weeks left until the Break, our school is fortunate in that our secondary teachers belong to the only public board in the province to have reached an agreement regarding their contact. Sanctions still exist for our Educational Assistants, Social Workers, and Occasional Teachers.

Dec 19 marks our annual Christmas dinner for staff and students and on Dec 21, students and staff will be entertained and entertain.

I want to wish all our students, staff, parents, guardians a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for your support of our students and our school!

Lest We Forget

2012-11-05T14:54:00Z

Once again, WHSS was honoured with the presence of our local veterans as we remembered those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. The ceremony recalled the words of Holocaust survivor Eva Ollsen, who visited our school last month. It was the British and Canadian armies who liberated Eva and her sister in 1945. In her address to our students Eva asked our students to think about "what example you will leave behind for the generations to follow." The veterans on the stage this morning, Nov 5, 2012, have set that example for us. Their sacrifice shall never be forgotten.

Nov 2, was a day of celebration at WHSS. During the day we honoured our Honour students and our students who obtained the top mark in each of our classes. In the evening we welcomed back our 2011-2012 graduates. Our Valedictorian, Sarah Nicholson, delivered an inspirational and moving address to her fellow grads. She urged them to not make high school the "best years of their lives", but to strive each day to make that day a little bit better than the previous one. Thanks must go again to Mrs. Small and Mrs. McEwan for the hours of work they put in each year to make WHSS Commencement such a success. Of course, they receive plenty of assistance from a variety of staff members. It is truly a team effort!

As for activities at WHSS... Nov 6, is gym riot followed by semi-final games for both our junior and senior girls' basketball teams. Good luck to both teams. Speaking of celebrating, both our junior and senior boys' soccer teams won District. The senior boys pick it up again in the Spring for CWOSSA. WHSS will also be represented at CWOSSA this Friday Nov 4, in both junior and senior volleyball. Finally, Nov 16, WHSS will welcome two Masai warriors as part of Me to We. The special visit by these two warriors are to thank WHSS for the role they played in raising awareness and funds for their community in Africa. I am very proud to be the principal of WHSS. Whether it be social justice issues, athletic achievements, the tremendous support shown by our school community through the numerous awards presented to our grads, or the continued dedication of a very caring staff, WHSS and its community, as Eva asks us, certainly sets an example for others to follow!

The Great Outdoors

2012-10-04T14:54:00Z

Today I had the pleasure of watching our staff and grade 9 students at the YLCC in Orillia. Staff and students left on Wed. and fought through the downpour on their first day at camp. Today the weather cooperated, the sun came out, and the students participated in a variety of team building and trust activities, as well as, some personal challenges. One thing I will remember from the day is watching two of our students, Evan and Raven conquer their fears. One gingerly walked across a very taunt but thin rope (well secured by a harness, of course) and ended up hanging in the air in a Spiderman pose; the another, after climbing a telephone pole, launched into the air in order to high five a buoy hanging some 10 - 12 metres in the air. While this was a certainly highlight for our two grade 9 students, the image I left with was the rest of our students encouraging, cheering, and finally applauding the accomplishment of their peers. Thanks to all the staff members and Link leaders who have dedicated a considerable amount of their personal time to make this experience one that I am sure our grade 9's will never forget.

On Oct. 11, during period one the students at WHSS will have the honour and privilege of attending an assembly and listening to one of the last remaining Holocaust survivors living in Canada, Eva Olssen. “Eva Olsson was born on October 28, 1924 in Szatmar, Hungary, one of six children in a poor Hasidic family. On May 15, 1944, she and her family were taken away in boxcars to Auschwitz-Birkenau, part of what we now know as the Holocaust, Hitler’s attempt to exterminate all the Jews of Europe… Eva uses the Holocaust and her experiences in it as a springboard to discuss some key issues:

The power of hate and the need to stop it wherever it occurs.

The importance of not being a bystander when bad things are happening.

The importance of having compassion and respect for ourselves and others.

Education must go beyond the three Rs and help students develop good character as well.”(www.evaolsson.ca)

At the age of 87, Eva is determined to ensure that the world will never forget the atrocities that occurred during World War II, that the people who lost their lives in the concentration camps will never be forgotten.

Important dates to remember are Wed Oct. 10, when Interim reports will be distributed to all students. The purpose of the reports are to give students and parents an indication of student progress thus far in their classes. This is not a report card, so a mark will not be indicated on this report. An general overview will be given on the report regarding a student's attendance, overall academic progress, homework and assignment completion etc. As well, the report will also list a series of important dates this semester. One date to also remember this month is Parent/Teacher interviews which will take place on Oct. 18, from 5:30 - 7:30.

Finally, I am approached quite frequently by parents regarding student resources they or their child could access in order to help the student with their studies. Well just this week I was introduced to a web site http://www.khanacademy.org/ that contains a multitude of videos on a variety of subjects. The site is so impressive that when Bill Gates learned of its existence, he vowed to support it financially. Last night I even taught myself how to balance chemical equations!

The Dawn of a New School Year!

2012-09-04T14:54:00Z

After a successful LINK Day and a very successful Grade 9 Parent Info Session, we would like to welcome back all our students on this the first day of the 2012-2013 school year. A huge thanks to all those staff members and LINK leaders for the time and effort that went into organizing and executing our Aug 29, LINK Day. And thank you to over seventy Grade 9 parents for attending our first ever Info session. One thing I stressed at that meeting was the importance of communication between parent and school. Our goal is the same, in that we want our son/daughter to be successful and to see them walk across the stage accepting their high school diploma. By keeping the lines of communication open, school and parent can work together to ensure this goal becomes a reality!

For the first few days our guidance dept. will be working diligently registering new students and making timetable changes. Our athletic dept. is once again preparing for another successful year in sports at WHSS. Many of our clubs will also be making announcements in the next few weeks inviting new members and returning members to information meetings. Please encourage your son/daughter to become involved.

Upcoming dates - Thurs Sept 6, is Photo Day; Thurs Sept 20, our first school dance; Thurs Sept 27, is the Terry Fox run and Survivor (Survivor is a fun event where students sign up in teams of ten to compete against each other in a variety of competitions inspired by television's Survivor, but in our Survivor no one gets kicked off the island; they all have to return to school after the competition!

During the 2011-2012 school year our assessment committee has revised the school's late policy in light of the Ministry's Growing Success document. The policy will be posted on our website. The focus of the policy is to help encourage students to complete and hand in assignments on time.

Safe Arrival - Created and led by our Guidance councillor Mr. Rowden, each grade 9 parent is asked to contact the school by 9 am if their son/daughter is going to be absent that day. If we do not receive a phone call, then Mr. Rowden will be contacting the parent to ensure that the parent is aware of their child's whereabouts. As you are aware, attendance is a vital component in the success of the students.

Just a reminder to parents to plan vacations etc. outside of the exam period. Semester one exams will take place from Jan 25 - 31, 2013. Unless it is an extenuating/unexpected circumstance, students will not be allowed to write their exam prior to its scheduled date.

Finally, our first School Council meeting will take place on Tues Sept 18, from 7 - 8:30 pm. All parents our welcome. In secondary the school council functions as an advisory group to the principal, unlike elementary whose main function is mostly fund raising.

We Should Be Proud...

2012-06-01T14:54:00Z

I am continually amazed by the accomplishments of our students, and in my last blog for the school year, I need to celebrate everything they do for our school and our community. The Prom on Sat. night was spectacular, from the decorations, meal, replica of the Taj Mahal, elegantly dressed young men and women, and, of course, Jimmy and Simon our two visitors (camels) from the Middle East - actually Jimmy was born in Canada and Simon in the U.S., but you could never tell this from their attire! On Tues June 5, the Me to We club have organized a Water Walk to help illustrate the daily routine African women endure to retrieve water. In an ironic twist, the Water Walk was initially postponed due to rain and was rescheduled for the Tues. Two of our young athletes, Wyatt Price and Richard Pennings went to Windsor to compete in OFSSA regionals. Wyatt placed fourth in his race and is the very first WHSS student to qualify for OFSSA finals. Congratulations, Wyatt! Several of our athletes also qualified for CWOSSA. On the night of June 14, we celebrate the varied accomplishments of our sports teams and athletes at our Athletic Banquet. This year, once again, we celebrate numerous accomplishments. Some were...Jr. and Sr. girls basketball teams finalists at CWOSSA; girls' hockey team qualifying for CWOSSA; girls' field hockey team scoring their first goal and winning their first game, and our boys' hockey team finalists in one tournament and champions in another. As well as congratulating all our athletes, we must not forget to thank our coaches for their dedication and time spent in supporting our student athletes!

As the countdown to exams begins, June 20, the last few days of the semester will be spent by students finishing culminating activities and preparing for their exams. Our timetable for Sept. is completed, and our guidance department has been meeting with students who have a conflict in their schedule.

At a recent Communication committee meeting,as part of our School Improvement Plan, staff met with several students to gather input regarding student voice at WHSS. One idea they had was for the school to set up a Facebook page. Students felt that when an event is happening at the school, such as the Athletic banquet, the best method to ensure it reaches a larger section of the student body (shocking, but the students advised us that very few individuals listen to announcements) was to post it on a Facebook wall. So ... check out our new Facebook page - Wellington Heights SS!

To further enhance communication, announcements, videos of school events, memorable moments etc.at WHSS can be viewed on our new big screen television in the cafe. The television was supplied to the school through High Skills major money from the Ministry (the Ministry allows schools to buy equipment to assist students in the program). It will be utilized as part of the Information Technology High Skills major program.

Once again, I must thank everyone, students, staff, parents, and community for their support, hard work, and dedication. It is an honour to be the principal at WHSS!

Jeremy Dias Speaks!

2012-05-02T14:54:00Z

Today May 2, 2012, the students at WHSS had the honour of listening to Jeremy Dias, founder of Jer's Vision an organization that champions equity and inclusivity in our society. Jeremy's poignant address concerning the discrimination he has encountered throughout his life brought home his message of respect and equity. Jeremy will also be addressing our staff after school on May 2, concerning how we as a school community can help ensure that our students, regardless of race, colour, sexual orientation etc. will experience a safe and welcoming school environment throughout their time at WHSS. Reaction from the students was very positive. In addition, at lunch Jeremy will be meeting with our school's Social Equity club to help them plan future events. As I left the assembly, I overheard a group of students saying how this was one of the best assemblies they had attended at our school.

LINK training will also begin this month for those grade 11 and 12 students interested in being mentors for our incoming 2012-2013 grade 9's. Other significant events occurring this month are the Co-op dinner and presentations the evening of May 29; Emergency Services Day on May 18, where a group of our grade 9 geography students will learn what steps need to be taken in the event of an emergency (eg. blackout, tornado), and finally, the last week of May is Me to We week, where the Me to We students through a variety of activities will make our students vividly aware of the lifestyle and harsh conditions Third World citizens confront on a daily basis.

The event of the month takes place on May 28, our Prom. This year's theme is Arabian Nights, and I know the prom committee led by Ms. Reed have some very interesting surprises in store for our grads. The prom is the culmination of 4 years of dedication and hard work put forth by our grads, and after last year's success I can truly say no one does prom better than WHSS!

Finally, congratulations to Jesse Walsh and Trevor Pillar who won GOLD in Carpentry Team of 2 at the Provincial Skills Competition!

WHSS Strikes Gold!(2)

2012-04-12T14:54:00Z

On Thurs. April 26, your son or daughter should be bringing home the midterm report card. If you have any questions/concerns, please contact the teacher. Page two (bottom) of the report card should be signed and returned to the school. You also will notice that the teacher may check off the box at the bottom of the page indicating that he/she would like you to make contact.

April 17, is turnaround day for all grade tens who are in a Civics or Careers class. This means that on that day Civics students will now be in Careers, and Career students will be in Civics - both classes account for 0.5 of a credit.

Grade 11 and 12 students who wish to be LINK leaders (Grade 9 mentors) for the 2012-2013 school year will be asked very soon to submit their application stating they are interested in becoming a LINK leader. At the end of the month Student Council nominations need to be submitted for all interested students wishing to be part of next school year's Student Council at WHSS.

For the principal, v.p., and dept. heads, April and May is all about staffing. This is the month our school receives our section allocation from the board and the heads begin the process of allocating the number of sections based on course tallies from the option sheets that were completed. For example, with a cap of 31 and a course tally of 88 students for an English grade 10 academic class, the dept. head would allocate 3 sections to ENG2D1. The difficult task is to ensure that the number of sections requested by the heads does not exceed the number of sections allocated to the school by the Board. This year several courses with low enrolment had to be canceled. Mr. Rowden and Mrs. Illingworth have been meeting with those students whose course selections have been canceled to assist them in selecting a new course.

Saving the best news for last, several students participated in and received recognition at the 2012 Regional Technological Skills Competition. Trevor Pillor and Jesse Walsh won Gold in the team of 2 Carpentry; Mitchell Clark won Silver in the Individual Carpentry; Jason Cecchin, Ford Cook, Craig Eden, and Dean McKenzie won Gold in the team of 4 Home and Team Build, and Marissa Smith won Silver in the Photography competition. Our Gold medal winners will be proceeding to the Ontario Technological Skills Competitions in Waterloo at the end of April. Congratulations to all our students who participated and thanks to all our staff who assisted in their training and supervision!

It's all about the Break!

2012-03-06T14:54:00Z

Can you remember what it was like to be in grade 2? Excited, fearless, hand up constantly repeating "Pick me, pick me, pick me!" Well, students at WHSS were reminded of those carefree days of innocence when it was "cool" to put up your hand, ask a question, or volunteer to help. Guest speaker, Andy Thibodeau's message to the students at WHSS was all about remembering what it was like when you were 7 or 8, and bringing that enthusiasm, excitement, and willingness to participate back into your life as a high school student. His hour long presentation was entertaining, engaging, and relevant. His message applies not only to our students, but to everyone!

Congratulations to our Improv team who qualified for the regional finals on the weekend and best of luck to our girls' hockey team, who as I write are loading on a bus for CWOSSA.

Very soon, all secondary principals in the UGDSB will begin meeting to start the staffing process for the 2012-2103 school year, It is at these meetings where we receive our section allotment for the next school year. The number of sections each school receives is based on their projected enrolment (this is derived from the number of option sheets received). Every year there are some very difficult decisions that need to be made. The leadership team (dept. heads) at WHSS submit a section request to the principal based on the number of students that have selected a particular class. If a class has only a minimal amount of students who have selected it, (typically 10 or less) it may have to be canceled. This is why it is so important that students select alternative courses on their option sheet. We hope to have the time table completed by the end of May, so that the guidance dept. can call down students who may have a conflict in the timetable.

Upcoming important dates - March 21, is Parent/Teacher interviews from 5:30 - 8:00. Registration is online. On March 23, Claude Haggerty, the Illusionist will be performing at WHSS and for the community that night. March 29, all grade 10 students will be writing the OSSLT (Literacy Test). Successful completion of the OSSLT is one requirement of graduation.

Finally, everyone at WHSS is very happy to see Jada back at the school, especially her classmates in the CELP program.

Enjoy March Break!!!!

Preparing for 2012-2013

2012-02-02T14:54:00Z

Semester one exams are just being completed, and our students are looking forward to a couple of days off prior to the start of semester two on Feb 7, 2012. Feb. is all about course selection/option sheets for the 2012-2013 school year. Our guidance dept. will be holding grade assemblies to go over the course selection process. One message that they will be delivering is that students and parents should be sitting down together to go over course choices for the Fall. A Course Fair will be held on Feb 13, during the school day. The Fair will give each student an opportunity to hear a 10 min. presentation from each of the depts. at WHSS. The presentation will outline the courses that are offered by that dept. As always, if you have any questions please contact our Guidance dept. A course by course outline can be found on our website. Click on Guidance dept. in the left-hand column of the site to access the outline.

Other highlights for Feb.are the WHSS Winter Olympics that will take place on Feb 15. Teams of 10 will enter to test their stamina, athletic prowess, and most importantly, to have fun! Feb 16, in the evening, will be our winter dance hosted by our student council. One other important date, of course, is on Feb 13, when report cards will be issued.

Our next school council mtg. will take place on Feb 21, from 7 - 8:30 pm. All parents are welcome to attend. Family Day is Feb 20. On Feb 7, the staff at WHSS will be participating in a Literacy workshop being facilitated by Janet Brewster. Janet is a retired teacher from the UGDSB who brings with her numerous years of expertise in the teaching of literacy skills to students. I had the pleasure of working with Janet at College Heights, and I am very excited to have her here at WHSS to share her expertise with our staff. Our staff and students will be the benefactors of her staff training.

The Year is 2012

2012-01-09T14:54:00Z

Excitement is in the air as students return to WHSS to complete semester one. Once again a tremendous thanks has to go out to our custodial staff who worked diligently over the break cleaning, fixing etc. in preparation for our return. 2011 ended on a very positive note. Warm Winter Wishes surpassed last year's total and raised over $24,000. Once again this total proves the generosity of our students, staff, parents, and of our school community. Thank You, Thank You, and Thank You to everyone involved in this event. A special thanks has to go out to the students of Mrs. Cowen's class who devised, developed, and delivered another successful WWW.

WHSS success can not only been seen in our community, but also on Youtube. WHSS students were privy to the first public screening of LipDub WHSS during our annual Christmas assembly. Ms. Griffith's and her Communication technology classes put in many a hour planning, shooting, and editing over the last few months. The finished product can be seen on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0Hz_bb3wvU There is already talk of a second LipDub next school year! A copy of the LipDub will also be shown to our Board of Trustees this month to once again illustrate the great things that go on at WHSS.

Parents, please don't forget that final exams will be occurring from Jan 27 - Feb 2. Please do not plan any family vacations etc. during this time, and please remember, if we have a snow day on an exam day, the exam schedule will remain the same, but will continue on the first non-snow day with the first exam that was canceled. Contact Mr. Serafini at ext. 222 if you have any questions regarding our exam policy.

Very soon, students will be bringing home option sheets for the 2012-2013 school year. Please sit down with your son/daughter to help plan course selections. If you have any questions, please contact our Guidance Dept. Online course descriptions can be found on this website in the left-hand column under the heading Student Services, Guidance.

And finally, semester two commences on Feb 6, 2012 (if there are no snow days during the exam period). For semester two, WHSS would like to welcome Mr. Baribeau to our Tech dept, Mr. Curry to our French dept., and, Mr. Husiak to our Math dept. We would also like to welcome back Mr. Klemp, Mrs. Reed, and Mrs. Lubbers.

Chili, Basketball, and Christmas dinner!

2011-12-19T14:54:00Z

One week until Christmas Break finds me frantically writing my last blog for 2011. December, as always at WHSS, has been a very busy month. Warm Winter Wishes is in full swing. Silent auction, pyjamarama, student/staff hockey game, chili cook off (yes, Virginia, Santa does eat White Christmas Chili) and a myriad of other activities have been taking place. In December, WHSS also held its Grade 8 Parent's night. Our dept. head's put together some very interactive and appealing displays to showcase their subject area.

In the land of sports, both our girls and boys hockey teams have been very successful thus far. Congratulations, of course, must go to our Junior and Senior girls basketball teams and their coaches for their play and second place finish at CWOSSA. Look for some new banners to be raised in our gym very soon!

Dec 21 Christmas dinner will be served in our cafeteria. Thanks to our food program and cafeteria ladies for all their work preparing this meal. Our Christmas Assembly will take place on Dec 23, where the talents of WHSS will be showcased. As well, our Comm Tech program hope to unveil our Lip dub at the assembly. After it is completed, the finished product will be posted on Youtube. Only those students who returned the permission forms were allowed to appear in the Lip dub.

Very soon in the new year, students will be asked to complete their option forms for the 2012-2013 school year. Our guidance dept. asks that student and parent sit down and take some time discussing the appropriate courses that should be selected. If you require any assistance or have a question, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Rowden or Mrs. Illingworth in our guidance department.

From everyone at WHSS, we would like to wish our school community a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. See you in 2012!

Time to Remember

2011-11-02T14:54:00Z

This Friday, November 4, we welcome back our 2010-2011 graduates as we celebrate our commencement at WHSS. During the evening, approximately $50,000 in scholarships will be bestowed upon our graduates, due to very generous donors and former alumni from our school community. On a personal note, this will also be my first official address to our grads; last year, my first year as principal at WHSS, the honour went to our retired principal Mr. Goodbrand.

The list of events in November are too numerous to mention, but some of the highlights will be Warm Winter Wishes, which kicks of its campaign in mid-November, can they possibly top the $22,000 raised last year, our first annual Lipdub (consent forms will be sent home as the finished product will be posted on Youtube), and our Honour Awards assembly that will take place on November 4, prior to commencement. Certificates will be handed out to all our Honour students, and the top mark in each class will also be recognized with a certificate. Invitations have been sent out to the students who are receiving a certificate. Parents are welcome to attend to celebrate the effort and success of their child.

On November 17, mid-term report cards will go home. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the teacher.

This Remembrance Day our school will be acknowledging those individuals from our school community who in the past have sacrificed their lives in the two World Wars and other conflicts. This year the entire school will be participating in a ceremony either in Arthur or Mount Forest. Currently our tech classes are working on constructing some 170 crosses. Each cross will contain the name of one individual from our area who lost his/her life. As well, the organizers of this Remembrance Day ceremony, Mr. Beggs and Mr. Kivell, have asked our students, who may have lost a loved one, to let us know, so that we can ensure their sacrifice is honoured by also having their name placed upon one of the crosses. They will be carried by our students as we march with our veterans to the cenotaph. We want all our students to participate, so please sign the permission form they will be bringing home the first week of November.

Finally, the dirt on the upper lips of many of our male staff members is actually the beginning of a moustache in support of Movember!

Out survive, Out dance, and Out Lipdub!

2011-09-29T14:54:00Z

Ever wrestle a 260 pound snake, catch a flying plastic pop bottle with a garbage can, or build a massive tower out of gym equipment ... Survivor day took place Sept 29, with 18 teams of 10 players trying to out wit, out last, and out play their opponents. Yesterday our entire school set out period two to circumnavigate Mount Forest to raise money as part of the Terry Fox run. As I compose October's blog, I am being serenaded by the sounds of Katie Perry as over 250 students dance the night away at our Survivor Dance.

Next week, WHSS will be a very quiet place as all our Grade 9's leave for camp in Orillia. As well, our Outdoor Education class leave on Monday for their canoe trip in Algonquin Park. October 19, is Parent/Teacher interview night. I encourage all parents to attend in order to meet their son/daughter's teachers and discuss his/her progress thus far.

October is fire drill month. Each school year we are mandated to have 3 fire drills each semester, a lockdown drill each semester, and one tornado drill. We are attempting to get in our 3 fire drills semester one before the snow arrives; however, if you want it to rain let me know. Every time I schedule a drill we get a heavy rain. Last Friday was a good example of this!

Our school is in the process of planning our very first Lipdub for November. Lipdub is a type of music video where students in the school lip-sync to music and later the original version of the music is dubbed in. We hope to get all our students involved in the process. Schools who have already created a Lipdub have been placing them on Youtube. We hope to do the same once our product is completed. The appropriate permission forms will be going home so that your son/daughter will be able to participate in this activity. The purpose of the activity is to help build school spirit. As well, Ms. Griffiths' Communication technology class will be taking on the production of this monumental event as part of their class. They hope to have it filmed and edited by December, so that our students can watch it at our Christmas assembly.

Welcome Back!

2011-09-12T14:54:00Z

I want to welcome back all our students and staff, especially our grade 9 students and their parents. August 31 marked another successful LINK orientation Day for our grade 9 students. Since then our Guidance Dept. has been working overtime to ensure timetables are set for the coming school year. Our office has been kept very busy with new registrations. Students from Scotland, New Brunswick, and Alberta can now call WHSS their home. Once again I must thank our office staff Mrs. Small, Mrs. Staniewski, Mrs. Jongkind, and Mrs. Ward for all their hard work, ensuring that we were ready for another school year. I must also thank our custodian staff who all summer worked diligently to ensure our facility was pristine and ready for the arrival of our students and staff.

Last week we had our first welcome back assemblies where the students had an opportunity to meet their student council, who outlined their plans for a very active and engaging school year. Week one also signified the beginning of many extra-curricular activities, such as volleyball, basketball, soccer, and our Social Equity Club. September 27, at 7 pm is the date of our first school council meeting. Typically, school council meets every third Tues each month from 7 - 8:30. All parents are welcome to attend. It is important to our school that our parents be active participants in its success. The meetings take place in the conference room in our main office.

The WHSS community would like to welcome Mrs. Lubbers to our staff for semester one. We also welcome our new Attendance and Social Worker Mr. Haselbah, who will be here until January. We say goodbye for now to Mrs. Cork who will be on maternity leave, and welcome back Mrs. Bentham-Reynolds who returns from maternity leave and will be assuming the role of acting head of Science during Mrs. Cork's leave.

Most importantly, , I encourage all parents to keep in touch with their child's teachers and to attend Parent Teacher/Interview night on the 19 of Oct. As well,parents, please let me or our vice-principal, Joan Arbuckle, know of any concerns your child may have. The more informed we are as a school, the more we can support your child to ensure they have a successful school year.

Finally, school dates, our Code of Conduct and other important information can be found on our website. Please visit it regularly to receive information concerning events/news at WHSS!

Race to the Finish

2011-06-04T14:54:00Z

June 4, 2011, 1 am in the morning. I sit at my desk and outside my window are a sea of tents, a lighted pathway, and dozens of WHSS students and staff who walk in support of cancer survivors and cancer research. Relay for Life. This event is just another example of all that is good about our school and our community. Each and every day since September, students and staff at WHSS have amazed me with their dedication, character, and support. Last week our prom was held, Vintage Carnival. Of the 24 proms I have attended, one being my own, this by far was the most memorable. From the decorations, buskers, carnival games, and supper, the prom will be one that our grads will never forget! As we race towards the end of another school year, there are still many activities to look forward to. Our year end assembly, exams, okay, not everyone looks forward to these, but they do indicate that school is almost over, and our first annual athletic banquet that will be held in our new school. The banquet is our opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of our student athletes and the dedication and support of our coaches and volunteers. I count myself fortunate to have been principal of WHSS this past school year. WHSS is something we should all be proud of; proud to call ourselves Wolverines! I want to wish everyone, especially our student Rachel Dinar, a relaxing and enjoyable summer. Use this time to spend with family and friends, and most importantly, to reenergize, since Sept 6, 2011, the beginning of the 2011/2012 school year is just around the corner!

WHSS strikes gold!

2011-05-09T14:54:00Z

The gold rush is back! Last week at the Provincial Skills competition that was held at RIM Park in Waterloo, WHSS achieved two golds and one bronze. Achieving gold was Trevor Piller and Jesse Walsh in Team Carpentry, and Craig Edom, Brian Ammerlaan, Jason Lamont, and Deam McKenzie in the Team Home Build, while Joey Schouten earned a bronze medal in Individual Carpentry. Congratulations to our Provincial winners, and to all our students who participated in the Board, Regional, and Provincial skills competition. WHSS students not only displayed their talents at Skills, but also during our annual talent show. Magic, drumming, singing, dancing, and guitar playing were just some of the talents on display during the show. On May 10, Safe Futures Canada will be at the school for an assembly on the topic of Cyberbullying. And on May 28, Vintage Carnival comes to town. Vintage Carnival is the theme of this year's prom. Buskers, games of chance, and a miniature ferris wheel will on be on display that evening.

Thinking September

2011-04-05T14:54:00Z

Believe it or not, April is the time we start thinking about September. This month we will be focused on beginning the timetabling process for September. In early April the principal will attend several staffing meetings at the board office to receive our class section allocation for the 2010/2011 school year. The Board is experiencing declining enrolment and WHSS is no exception. The option sheets that students filled out in Feb. are down approximately 40 from last year. Once we are given our sections, our dept. heads, a very collegial and hard working bunch they are, put together their requests based on the number of students who have selected a particular course. Unfortunately, if some courses have very low enrolment they may have to be canceled. Those students in those courses will be contacted by our guidance department. The next step in the process is that the principal hands over all the information to Ms. Arbuckle, our vice-principal. She will begin the onerous task of building the timetable. There are many decisions that go into timetabling; the most important being creating a timetable that is student-friendly. We hope to have the entire process done sometime in May, so that our guidance dept. can contact those students who may have a conflict. Conflicts could arise from the fact that a student has selected two classes that are offered at the same time, or courses are only offered in a particular semester.

Of course, there are many other things going on at the school. April 13, 2011, is Speak Out against bullying day. Staff at WHSS are inviting students that day to an open house in the hopes of establishing a Social Diversity group at the school. The focus of the student group will be to put a plan into place to make our student body more aware of the different forms of bullying/harassment, and to help our students take some positive steps towards eradicating the problem. April 14 is our next dance and on April 26 our high skills major students will be getting their First-Aid training certificate.

Off to China and the New and Improved Website!

2011-03-03T14:54:00Z

Terracotta Warriors, The Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, passports, packing ... everything is almost done as students from WHSS leave for China next week. It will be quite an experience, and I know fellow staff and students can't wait to hear about their adventures over their 10 day excursion. If you are reading this, hopefully you have had the opportunity to surf our new and improved website. Of course, the site's main role will be to provide parents with the necessary/requested information regarding upcoming events, such as school council, parent-teacher interviews, reporting periods etc. but just as important, I would like the site to be a celebration of the accomplishments of our students. Please take a second to access Student Corner or WHSS Masterpieces which can be found on the righthand side of the web page. As a school, we are in the process of finalizing our School Improvement Plan, and I must thank our staff, parents, and students for taking the time to complete my surveys in order to ensure our plan reflects the needs of our entire school community.

Semester Two Arrives on Time

2011-02-04T14:54:00Z

Wednesday may have had all the schools in our Board closed due to a winter storm, but according to our groundhogs we are in for an early Spring! Here at WHSS we are gearing up for the start of a new semester. Guidance has been very busy as Mrs. Jongkind calls out numbers, so students know who is up next for their appt. with one of our councillors. Students are now contemplating options for the 2011-2012 school year. On Feb 3, they had an opportunity to hear from the different subject areas and the courses being offered. In the afternoon, Mr. Rowden, our Guidance Head, went over with each grade, what options are available for them, and how to fill out their option sheet. Our CELP students are preparing to erect their snow sculpture at the front of the school. Our athletic council's Winter Olympics will take place on Feb 23, as our students have the opportunity to compete in a variety of winter sports. And, believe it or not, our prom committee will be calling down our grade twelves very soon to vote on this year's prom theme. So, as the snow piles up outside, and the temperature dips, things are just beginning to heat up for semester two at WHSS.

We are in the home stretch ...

2011-01-03T14:54:00Z

Hopefully everyone had a relaxing holiday, enjoying time with family and friends. January will be another hectic month at WHSS. Students will be working on their culminating activities for classes over the next few weeks. From January 26 - Feb 1, exams will be taking place for our students. The exams will follow a Week One schedule - Period 1 classes will write their exam on Jan. 26 , period 2 classes will write on Jan 27, period 3 on the Jan 28, and period 4 on Jan 31. The fifth day of exams are for students that may have missed an exam day due to extenuating circumstances. Exams are mandatory for all students. A doctor's note must be provided if a student does not attend an exam(s). Parents, please do not schedule a family vacation during the exam period. If buses are canceled due to inclement weather, the exam that is missed will be rescheduled to the following day, and all other exams will be pushed back one day as well.

Semester 2 will commence on Feb 3. On this day students will also begin the course selection process for the 2011-2012 school year. Parents please make sure that your child(ren) bring home a course option sheet for you to review with him/her and then sign and return to the school. Finally, our next School Council will be on Jan 18 at 7 pm. All parents are welcome to attend.

The weather outside is ... but Warm Winter Wishes

2010-11-29T14:54:00Z

December finds your principal attempting to reclaim some youthful glory as he dusts of his hockey equipment to participate in the annual Warm Winter Wishes Staff/Student hockey game that will take place on Dec 1 from 1 - 3 pm at the Mount Forest Sports Complex. Students need to purchase a buy-out ticket to view this clash of the titans. Students not participating in the buy-out should be in class. On the morning of the first of December, all students will be participating in an assembly entitled SMARTRISK No Regrets Live that promotes safety and risk management with respect to injury prevention. Assemblies are an important part of a student's overall education, and for that reason, it is important that all students attend the assembly. Thanks to the Mount Forest Fire Department who have graciously offered to pay for the cost of the assembly. A cornucopia of other Warm Winter Wishes activities will also be taking place leading up to the holidays - including a frigid polar bear dip, Silent Auction, and Pyjamarama. As well, on Dec 7, from 7 - 9:30, parents of future WHSS students will be visiting our school to learn about the process involved in filling out option sheets and to visit a variety of classrooms to view courses available for their son or daughter to select. And on Dec 15, staff and students will partake in a scrumptious Christmas lunch prepared by our very own Mrs. Rowden and Ms. Reed, with help from the Student Council executive and student volunteers. Wishing our school community a safe and relaxing Christmas holiday. See you in 2011!

Commencement and the WWW

2010-11-01T14:54:00Z

Two very important events occur this month. On November 5, our 2009-2010 graduates return to WHSS for commencement. Dr. Rogers, the UGDSB's Director, will be on hand to congratulate our graduates and provide a welcome from the Board. Once again, our school must thank all the sponsors who have generously provided financial assistance (over $43,000 in scholarships and awards) for our graduates. And graduates, you should be very proud of your accomplishment. The staff at WHSS want to wish you the very best in your future endeavours. The second event Warm Winter Wishes, our school's major fundraising event, gears up for its march into December. The highly successful campaign, last year it raised approximately $20,000, ensures that families in need will not go without this holiday season. November 8 marks the halfway point of semester one; as well, from November 8 and 9 our student council will be in Niagara Falls for a Leadership Conference and from November 12 - 15, Diary of Anne Frank will premiere at WHSS. Congratulations to our Senior Boys soccer team who once again qualified for CWOSSA in the Spring. And, by the way, the apparent dirt you see on the upper lip of most of our male staff members this month, is actually not dirt but a moustache. It is their way of supporting Movember, which is prostate cancer month. Similar to last month when we had a pink day and a collection for breast cancer, this month we will see a blue day also accompanied by a collection. As you can see, November will be a very active and energetic month at the school.

October is Here!

2010-10-13T14:54:00Z

I can't believe that a month has gone by so quickly. October will certainly be another busy month at WHSS. Last night staff and parents met at Parent/Teacher Interviews. Just prior to this event, our local thespians were hard at work "breaking a leg" so to speak, preparing for November's production of The Diary of Anne Frank. Sports are well under way - field hockey, soccer, volleyball, x-country. As I write this blog, 47 of our students, and several staff supervisors, including our vice-principal, Mrs. Arbuckle, are on a bus headed for the Big Apple. Hopefully, Mrs. A. does not forget to bring me back a famous N.Y. pretzel! Last week, our outdoor education class returned from the "great outdoors" and their canoe trip. Oct 19, is the date of our next School Council. It will take place from 7 - 8:30 pm in our conference room. All parents are welcome. Oct 22, 2010, is Pink Day at WHSS. Students are to wear pink and will be asked to make a small donation to help support a cure for breast cancer. Finally, our Halloween dance will take place Oct 28, from 7:30 - 10:30. Will I once again reprise my role as Elvis this year, or has he left the building?