2524 Bromsgrove Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5J 1L8
P 905-822-6700 F 905-822-6896
June 2015
www.clarksonss.ca
In this Issue
Principal's Message
Arts, Math, Languages
3
Health and Physical Ed.
4
Business
4
Student Services
5
School News
9-11
Message from the Principal, Mr. Jim Kardash
Important Reminders
September 1
School Registration Day
8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Grade 9
8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Grade 10-12
9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Grade 9 PALS Tours
8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
September 8
First Day of Classes
Have a wonderful
summer!
@clarksoncharger
www.peelschools.org/international
www.clarksonss.ca
TheThe
Clarkson
Community
Newsletter
Clarkson
Community
Newsletter
2015/2016 REGISTRATION DAY IS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST
FROM 8:00 A.M. TO 1:30 P.M.
GRADE 9
GRADE 10-12
8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
GRADE 9 PALS TOURS
ON SAME DAY FROM
8:30 A.M. TO 10:30 A.M.
SEE YOU THEN!
THE FIRST DAY OF CLASSES
IN SEPTEMBER IS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8.
HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL SUMMER!

From the Library Learning Commons
Clarkson’s Library Learning Commons (LLC) has been continuing with its
transformation into an even more inviting and dynamic learning environment.
Our goal is to provide a space that is able to adapt to students’ varied learning
needs, and that offers students an inviting and comfortable place for
interaction, collaboration and study. Most recently, the addition of chairs with castors offers more mobility
and flexibility in furniture configuration which allows students to work more productively in a variety of
learning situations.
In addition to the physical space, Clarkson’s LLC continues to remain committed to providing virtual
programming and resources to support the diverse needs of our student population. We have excellent online
resources for student research, and encourage students to use these digital resources from home. Also, a
Clarkson LLC website is currently under construction with plans to ‘go live’ in the upcoming school year.
Stay tuned in the fall for more updates as we continue to convert both the physical and virtual LLC to meet the
evolving needs of our 21st Century learners and the requirements of their academic work. Follow us on Twitter
@CLKlibrary to stay in the know with Clarkson’s LLC happenings!
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The Clarkson Community Newsletter
The Clarkson Community Newsletter
Arts
In visual art, the students are busy
painting! Shadows and highlights
and changes in value are plenty of
challenges to learn for our grade
nines while they are painting
apples from a live subject! There
are lots of beautiful paintings that will make their
way home in June to brighten a spot in another
Charger household.
June 2015
Fryer (Grade 9)
School Champion Medal: Lara Zineldin
Galois (Grade 10)
School Champions Medal: Hangshuo Zhang
Certificate of Distinction: Hangshuo Zhang
Hypatia (Grade 11)
School Champion Medal: Harsh Patel
Euclid ( Grade 12)
School Champion Medal: Kristen Morse
Certificate of Distinction: Kristen Morse
The grade tens are concentrating their efforts on
the large watercolour of an elephant and building.
Techniques have been taught and images
transferred onto artist quality watercolour paper.
We believe that in order to achieve a great result,
they need to understand how to work with great
watercolour paper! This year’s class has chosen
some fantastic combinations and has really
grasped the art history taught and are
incorporating that new-found interest in their
building choices.
During the 2014-2015 school year, extra help in
mathematics was available to all grades 9 and 10
students on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the
lunch period. This support was made possible
because of a small group of grade 11 and 12
students (Math Senior Scholars) who volunteered
their time and mathematical expertise. A special
thank you to our Math Senior Scholars: Abdullah
Soltan, Aneequa Ahmed, Brianne Laverty, Della
Giguere , Esther Osei, Farah Amir, Issa Talha, Leyla
Magamodova, Mohammed Zaman, Naeshna
Ravikumar, Purawai Vyas, and Rajko Colakovic .
Combining a favourite artist’s technique with an
image they enjoy is challenging the grade eleven
art class. More creative approaches, this time
around, and the acrylic paint is adding to the quick
completion of some larger works.
Course awards in Mathematics are given to one
student who has achieved the highest mark in each
Math course that was offered during the 20142015 school year. The top students in the grade 12
courses will receive their awards at the
commencement ceremony. Awards for grades 9-11
courses will be presented at the Awards Ceremony
in the new school year.
Mr. Zimmer’s senior classes have been rewarded
from their work with a fantastic yearbook. Many
students have learned to purchase ahead as there
were no extra copies to buy. The grade 11
photography classes truly enjoyed learning how to
use a DSLR camera, iPhoto and Photoshop, and
many of them can’t wait to begin the yearbook
course in September!
Mathematics
Congratulations to the following students for their
outstanding performances in the University of
Waterloo’s Fryer, Galois, Hypatia and Euclid Math
contests.
Languages Department
Bonjour! ¡Hola!
Students worked hard on
improving their language
skills, and their hard work
has had its rewards.
Students studying Spanish
had a fantastic time making piñatas. Mme Urbano
and Señora Loutrianakis enjoyed cooking tasty
traditional Hispanic and French food with their
classes! Délicieux! ¡Olé!
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The Clarkson Community Newsletter
The Clarkson Community Newsletter
Honorable mention goes out to Arielle Lynn who
participated in the CPF Concours d’art oratoire
2015 at Glendon York University.
Arielle
represented Peel in the French Immersion Senior
category. Merci Arielle for your participation and
Charger spirit!
French Senior Scholars will be up and running in
Fall 2015. Senior students studying French are
available to tutor students who are in need of extra
help. Students can focus on a variety of areas such
as improving grammar, writing skills, pronunciation
and reading comprehension skills. They are
available every Tuesday and Thursday in room 217,
from 11:20 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. Please see us in the
fall if you are interested in being a French Senior
Scholar or are looking for extra help to improve
your skills.
Bonnes vacances! ¡Buenas vacaciones!
Health and Physical
Education
This spring Clarkson competed in the following
ROPSSAA sports: badminton and senior boys’
cricket. The badminton boys’ doubles team of
Andrew Stewart and Matthew Garland were
Clarkson’s top finishers at the ROPSSAA Southwest
Regional tournament, finishing in third place, one
spot away from advancing to the ROPSSAA
Championships. Thank you to coaches Buchanan
and Chamourian for all of their hard work in
preparing the team for competition. Our Chargers
cricket team finished their season with a 4-4-1
record--only one point away from reaching the
play-offs. Coaches Kittel and Udit once again did
an outstanding job coaching the team.
Many of our outstanding athletes were recognized
for their hard work and dedication. Most Valuable
Player and Most Improved Player Awards were
presented
to
members
of
our
teams.
Sixteen graduating Chargers were
presented with Athletic Letter Awards for their
outstanding contribution to Clarkson Athletics over
their high school career.
June 2015
Special congratulations go out to our Athletes of
the Year:
Junior Female Athlete of the Year:
Miranda Hunter
Junior Male Athlete of the Year:
Liam Cherry
Senior Female Athlete of the Year:
Pari Baker
Senior Male Athlete of the Year:
Andrew Stewart
Business/Technology
News from the Business Department
The Business Department is sad to announce the
retirement of Mr. Lethbridge. He started at
Clarkson in 1985 and is retiring after a 30 year
career in teaching. Mr. Lethbridge coached both
basketball and volleyball while at Clarkson and
implemented several new courses over the years.
Mr. Lethbridge also served as a school Department
Head for 17 years.
Best wishes for your future endeavours, Mr.
Lethbridge!!
News from the Technology Department
Mr. Morettin will be moving on to Port Credit S.S.
in the fall and he will truly be missed. Mr. Morettin
has been with Clarkson for 13 years and has been a
dynamic part of our school. In addition to being
outstanding in the classroom, Mr. Morettin helped
out with numerous school teams and clubs such as
A.V., hockey, soccer and yearbook.
Good luck at your new school, Mr. Morettin! You
will be missed!
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The Clarkson Community Newsletter
The Clarkson Community Newsletter
Student Services
Department
At this time of year, excitement
is evident everywhere as our
grads prepare to move on
either to university, college,
apprenticeships, going directly
into the work world , taking a
‘gap’ year and ‘travelling the
world’ or returning to
Clarkson to take more
courses. There are 125
Clarkson grads going off to university and 51
to college diploma or degree programs. We are
extremely proud of all our grads and wish them the
best of luck in their future endeavours.
Included in this year’s Grade 11 student report
cards is a handout for parents which provides them
with important information and dates as students
get ready to research programs and postsecondary options. This is a valuable resource to
keep attached to the fridge for important dates
such as University/College Fairs and our own PostSecondary Pathways Fair. This information can also
be found on our website.
Many of our students have already signed up for
new summer school courses or are retaking a
course to upgrade a mark. Due to the teachers’
strike, Peel Summer School registration is open
until June 26th. If a student unexpectedly fails a
course, he/she can either come to our Guidance
Office to register at a PDSB location or go to a
walk-in registration at a Dufferin Peel Catholic
summer school location that is hosting that
particular class. Information about summer school
can be found at www.peelsb.com (Continuing
Education) for Peel District School Board locations
and www.dpcdsb.org for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic
School Board. As well, we are offering Camp I Can,
a program specifically for students in Grade 9 or 10
who have failed an applied course where they
spend part of the morning recovering their credit
and the other half in a summer camp environment.
June 2015
As always, a major focus of Student Services is
positive mental well-being. Over the summer
months, if there is a need for counselling or
support, Tangerine Walk-In Counselling is offered
in Mississauga on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from
9:00 am to 8:00 pm. Information and locations
about this service can be found at their website:
www.tangerinewalkin.com. Also,
emergency
support can be obtained through the Peel Distress
Center at 905-278-7208.
Next year, there will be some new faces in the
Guidance Department. Ms. McMillan is retiring and
Ms. Haddad will be joining Mr. Kinnie and Ms.
Zottola. This wonderful group of counsellors are
there for you to contact if you have any questions
or concerns about your child.
To all Clarkson students and their families, have a
safe and enjoyable summer and we look forward to
seeing you in the new school year.
40 hours to
graduate
Since 1999, all students in Ontario secondary
schools are required to complete a minimum of 40
hours of community involvement in order to
receive a diploma. The purpose of this requirement
is to encourage students to develop an
understanding of the various roles they can play in
their community. Students are now able to start
accumulating community involvement hours in the
summer before they enter grade 9.
Research shows that early involvement in
community service helps students build a spirit of
civic responsibility which can be expanded as they
move through secondary school. The aim of the 40hour requirement is to encourage students to
become actively involved in making positive
contributions to their community.
The community involvement component is an
opportunity for students and parents to work
together, independent of the school. With parent
support, your teen is responsible for finding and
completing 40 hours of community service.
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The Clarkson Community Newsletter
The Clarkson Community Newsletter
Parents should provide assistance to their teen in
the selection of community involvement activities.
Here’s how to get started:


Spend some time with your teen going through
the list of eligible and ineligible activities in the
Peel District School Board’s “40 Hours”
brochure. You can obtain a copy of the
brochure from your school or online at
www.peelschools.org/students/40hours/
View online resources at
www.peelschools.org/students/40hours/

Visit http://www.peelschools.org/students/40hours/
volunteerjobboard/ for available volunteer
opportunities
Please note that the selection of the activities
should take into account the age, maturity, and
ability of the student, and the location and
environment of the proposed activity.
Register today for
Adult ESL non-credit
courses
Do you know an adult in Peel that is interested in
improving their English language skills for work,
study or daily life?
The Peel District School Board offers Adult ESL
courses at three locations in Brampton and
Mississauga. Summer courses begin July 6, 2015.
To learn more or to register, call 905-270-6000.
Registration is ongoing and continues after courses
have started.
Bramalea
Adult Education Centre
25 Kings Cross Road, Unit 3
Brampton
Adult Education Centre
#300 - 7700 Hurontario Street
Mississauga
June 2015
Adult Education Centre
100 Elm Drive West, Room 117
To learn more, visit
www.peelschools.org/adulteducation.
Twitter: @PDSBLearnESL
Preparing for the
summer sun
Excessive exposure to the sun can lead to health
concerns such as sunburn and skin cancer. As
summer approaches and the weather gets warmer,
it is necessary to apply sunscreen to protect
ourselves from too much sun damage and burns.
In summer, we are exposed to higher levels of
ultraviolet (UV) rays. This exposure is a risk factor
for developing skin cancer and cataracts later in
life. The UV index is the measure commonly used
in Canada to assess the strength of the sun’s UV
rays risk on a given day.
What is the UV Index?
The index scale ranges from 0 to 10. The higher the
value, the more intense ultraviolet rays.
The UV index is calculated daily by Environment
Canada using ozone and weather information. It
can vary from day to day with changes in the ozone
layer – the thinner the ozone layer, the higher the
index reading.
How to protect your family from the sun?




Wear a hat (preferably with a broad brim),
sunglasses and protective clothing on
sunny days.
Use sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or greater
whenever you're outdoors.
Encourage your children to play in shady
areas if they are outside for a long period
of time.
Remember that sunburn can occur even on
a cloudy day, as up to 80 per cent of UV rays
can penetrate light clouds, and 40 per cent
of UV rays can bounce back from sand,
water or concrete.
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The Clarkson Community Newsletter
The Clarkson Community Newsletter
June 2015
Free the Children – Clk Chapter – Year in Review
Our year started with an invite back to WE DAY
where Clarkson was the grand prize winner of a trip
to Ecuador! Señora Loutrianakis and three lucky
students (Arielle, Jessica and Pauline) will be heading
off
to
Ecuador
and
the
Amazon.
We Day
Our first campaign of the year, WE SCARE HUNGER,
was a huge success where Clarkson raised 1180 lbs of
food for the Eden Food bank. This campaign ran
before Thanksgiving and it ended on Halloween.
The WE BAKE FOR CHANGE campaign took place FIVE
times this year: Halloween, Charger-In-Charge Day. Pre
Winter Break, Valentines and lastly Pre Cancer drive.
Due to the success of this particular campaign ROBIN
HOOD awarded Clarkson $500 to put towards our
fundraising efforts. We were also featured in FREE
THE CHILDREN’S blog.
Our group also held a bake sale to raise money for
SPREAD THE NET, an organization that provides bed
nets to help prevent the spread of malaria. Our
Free the Children students and Chargers raised
enough money for 36 bed nets this year. Our final
event took place right after our super amazing
CANCER DRIVE this past April. As a school we raised
$700 for the WE ARE SILENT campaign.
Our second campaign, WE CREATE CHANGE, takes
place right before our winter break. In 3rd place were
Mr. Fernback’s and Ms. Khan’s homeroom classes.
Tied for 2nd place were Mme Héneault, Ms. Haddad,
and Ms.Barwell’s classes, and in first place we had
Señora Loutrianakis’ semester one homeroom class.
As a school we raised over $750.
In total FREE THE CHILDREN will receive about $2800
from our school. Thank you to everyone who has
made our little group so successful. We look forward
to another year of change next year when we will
unveil the beautiful mural being designed by our very
own students Emily and Sarah.
Please follow @clarksoncharger to keep updated about our
group’s activities. Our Chargers are no strangers to hard work
and our students understand that “children helping children
through education”, no matter how small a contribution, has a
ripple effect of positive change!
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The Clarkson Community Newsletter
The Clarkson Community Newsletter
June 2015
A Message from Your School Council
It’s hard to believe another school year is coming to a close. So many exciting events have taken place at
Clarkson this year: concerts, sports, multicultural events, numerous club activities, Cancer Drive. We are very
lucky to be associated with a school that “walks the walk and talks the talk” when it comes to embracing diversity
and inclusivity.
I would like to thank the parents that participated on International Teacher Appreciation Day—it was a difficult
time for all of us and our teachers really wanted to be in the classroom with their students. They were very
appreciative of the support shown to them.
On behalf of the Parent Council, I extend best wishes to our 2015 Clarkson graduates. May you have every
success in your future endeavors, whatever they may be.
And to everyone, have a safe and wonderful summer!
Email Distribution List: Have you added your name to our email distribution list to receive our notices of meetings
and information on any issues pertaining to the school? Please complete the tear out form at the bottom. You can
be assured that it will be kept confidential and not distributed to any outside sources. Communications are kept to a
minimum and have a frequency of no more than once every 6 weeks. Please print.
Sue Piotrowski, Chair
School Parent Council
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
EMAIL DISTRIBUTION LIST SIGN-UP
Parent Name:
Email address:
Child(ren) Name(s):
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The Clarkson Community Newsletter
The Clarkson Community Newsletter
June 2015
Fundraising and Donations
Peel schools fundraise for a variety of causes, events and reasons. People can choose to make donations to
schools by cheque or through CanadaHelps.org, an online fundraising solution that allows us to accept donations
over the Internet. CanadaHelps automatically issues tax receipts for donations of any amount. Typically, there
are not many fundraising activities at the secondary level, so please help where you can and make a difference in
your child’s school.
Clarkson Secondary School has identified their top priorities for the 2015-2016 school year.
Gymnasium equipment: Scorer’s table and padded chairs for the teams are needed
Support athletes from disadvantaged families to enable them to participate in school teams
Athletic varsity team of your choice: _________________
Music equipment: Electric piano
Where the funds are most needed
To make a secure online donation to a Peel school, visit the link below, click on the Donate Now button and select
Clarkson Secondary School. Enter your donation information and make sure to include the reason for your
donation in the Message/instructions box.
If you prefer to donate by cheque, please make your cheque payable to: ‘Clarkson Secondary School’ and
forward to Clarkson Secondary School to the attention of Fay Murray, Budget Office Assistant.
Parent Name:_______________________________ Student Name:______________________________
Phone Number:_____________________________ Student Grade:______________________________
Email address:______________________________
Donation Amount: $___________________________________
Contact Sue Protrowski at clarksonss.council@peelsb.com with any questions.
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The Clarkson Community Newsletter
The Clarkson Community Newsletter
June 2015
CLARKSON SECONDARY SCHOOL  BREAKFAST CAFÉ
2524 Bromsgrove Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5J 1L8
Telephone: 905-822-6700  Fax: 905-822-6896
June 2015
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Clarkson Secondary School will be continuing their Breakfast Café program this year. The program runs weekdays,
from Monday through Friday. All students are welcome to participate. The Clarkson Breakfast Café (CBC) runs from
7:20 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. on every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in Room 200 -- menus are posted
there. Students are expected to eat in Room 200 and arrive in their first period classes by 8:00 a.m. There is a small
charge of one dollar ($1.00) for each breakfast.
Following Canada's Food Guide recommendations, we will offer a nutritious breakfast with a variety of items to
choose from. Providing a healthy start to the school day, the breakfast program significantly enhances our students'
physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development.
The Breakfast Café program is supported through the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Student Breakfast for
Kids,, Breakfast for Learning and the Student Activity Council of Clarkson. We also welcome volunteer support,
financial donations and/or help in other ways from parents and the community. Please print your name and contact
number on the Permission Form below.
If you would like your son or daughter to attend, please fill in the Confidential Registration Form below. If you are
unable to contribute the cost for each breakfast at this time, just complete the Registration Form and check the
appropriate box. Have your child return it to Mrs. Luffman in Room 134 before participating in the Breakfast Club, so
that when your son/daughter does join us it will be with your permission. If you completed a form in the previous
school year, there is no need to complete another form. Thank you.
Mrs. Luffman
Breakfast Café Committee, Clarkson Secondary School, 905-822-6700 Ext. 443 or Voice Mail 735.
CONFIDENTIAL BREAKFAST CAFÉ REGISTRATION FORM
_________________
Student No.
___________________________
First Name
________________________________
Last Name
My son/daughter has permission to participate in the Clarkson Breakfast Café. The program will operate Monday to
Friday beginning from 7:20 a.m. until 7:50 a.m. Participants must return this completed form. Students understand
that all school rules apply during this program. To enable us to serve a proper nutritious breakfast to your child,
please supply the following information regarding food restrictions:
FOOD ALLERGIES: _______________________ FOOD RESTRICTIONS: _____________________________
 My son/daughter can contribute $1.00 (one dollar) per breakfast.
 Since my son/daughter is unable to contribute $1.00 at this time to help defray the cost of a Café breakfast, I give
permission for him/her to have breakfast in the Breakfast Café.
(Please return this form to Mrs. Luffman in Room 134 or to the breakfast program in Room 200.)
___________________________________________
Signature of Parent/Guardian
_________________________
Date
 I am able to assist with: Volunteering  Fundraising 
 I wish to make a donation of $________________ to the Breakfast Café.
 Please make cheques payable to Clarkson S.S. (Cheques of $25 or more will receive a tax receipt.)
Name (Please print)
Contact Telephone Number
Page 10
The Clarkson Community Newsletter
The Clarkson Community Newsletter
June 2015
Clarkson
Secondary School
The Peel District School Board’s We
Welcome the World Centres located in Brampton, Malton and Mississauga, are the
first point of contact for all newcomer families to become familiar with the
educational system in Peel. The centre are open all year—including the summer
months.
2524 Bromsgrove Rd.
Mississauga, ON
L5J 2S2
905.822.6700
Follow us
on Twitter!
@clarksoncharger
In addition to providing literacy and numeracy assessments, We Welcome the World
Centres provide newcomers with a host of services including: reception, orientation,
interpretation and referrals.
@clarksonSAC
@peelintlacademy
Website:
At each centre parents/guardians and students will discover:
• computer portals—guided introduction to the Peel Welcome to School Kits and
other Peel resources
• settlement service information
• translation of materials to support the reception and assessment process
• age and grade appropriate educational and related program resources
• audio-visual materials to explain the adult education program
• professionally administered child-care (only available during assessment and
orientation process)
• information about various community supports and programming available
www.clarksonss.ca
For more information about the We Welcome the World Centre and the services they
provide, call 905-366-8791.
Courtesy for all
The Four C's of
Clarkson:
Commitment to
learning
Communication
amongst all partners
Consideration of others
Page 11