END OF THE YEAR NEWSLETTER!
JUNE 26, 2015
School
Fees
!
!
The Upper Grand
District School Board has
reviewed the Ministry guideline
regarding fees for learning
materials and activities. Each
school in the Upper Grand is to
provide the community with
information regarding student
activity fees and any costs
associated with courses run
within the school.
!
To that end, Wellington
Heights S.S. will be requesting
a student activity fee of
$30.00 per student which will
provide access to school
activities, sports and clubs, and
a student card. Students will
have the opportunity to pay
their activity fee during
registration.
!
Regular day programs
will provide opportunities for
students to demonstrate course
expectations and achieve credit
in that course at no cost.
!
H o w e v e r, o p t i o n a l
courses and specialized
programming, such as our
CELP, Outdoor Education, and
Co-op courses will have fees
associated with them. As well,
regular day programs may also
provide enhancement
opportunities for students to
extend their learning and to
enrich their experience. These
enhancements will incur a cost
which the student will be
expected to pay.
!
Activity fees help to
subsidize the cost of extracurricular programs, so
students who opt out of paying
the registration fee will be
charged an additional cost for
extra-curricular activities (such
as those listed) in addition to
any existing cost for the activity.
!
C o u r s e fi r s t d a y
handouts or class information
sheets provided throughout the
semester will provide an outline
of enhancement opportunities
requiring costs.
!
A s w e l l , fi n a n c i a l
assistance may be provided to
support a student due to
financial hardship. Please
contact the Principal, if you
have any questions or
concerns regarding the
payment of student fees.
Attention all girls,
especially grade 9s.
The first tryout
practices for the
2015 WHSS
Wolverines Field
Hockey team will be
on the 2nd and 3rd
day of school at
3:15pm (Wed. Sept
9 & Thurs. Sept 10)
All girls of all
grades are
welcome, even if
you’ve never played
before - especially if
you hit left.
See you on the field!
Boys volleyball,
boys soccer, girls
basketball, golf, and
X-country also start
early September.
All students in every Math class at WHSS require their own scientific calculator
each and every day in class. If you are looking for a new calculator, look for a calculator
with the following features:
1. A fraction button a b c
2. a reset button on the back (most Sharp brands have this)
3. arrow buttons (cursor keys) to edit long formulas
It is not mandatory, but it can be useful to purchase a dual-powered calculator (solar
AND battery)The following items are expected as well: rulers, protractors, pencils,
sharpeners, erasers, and paper to last the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to
choose their note-taking method (binders, notebooks, etc.)
!
PAGE 1
END OF THE YEAR NEWSLETTER!
JUNE 26, 2015
CAFETERIA
Beginning in September, our school plans
to offer lunches in our cafeteria that comply
with the School Food and Beverage policy in
partnership with local restaurants in North
Wellington. Negotiations are underway for
lunch to be offered on Mondays
by Tim
Hortons, Tuesdays by Pita Pit, Wednesdays
by Matteo’s Pizza, and Thursdays by Subway.
On Fridays, lunch will be provided only
periodically by clubs within the school - such
as Students’ Council - which plans to serve
grilled cheese sandwiches one Friday each
month.
Snacks and drinks also will be
available for purchase in our vending
machines. Students are reminded to show
respect for our cafeteria and custodial staff by
recycling and depositing waste in the
appropriate bins. Check the school website
for updates in the fall.
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
As some of you
already know, this will
be my last year at
WHSS as Principal.
Starting July 1st, I have
been seconded to the
Ontario Principals’
Council in Toronto.
Jennifer Meeker,
currently a VicePrincipal at Centre
Dufferin DHS was
appointed the new
Principal of WHSS.
Mrs. Meeker is very
excited about her new
appointment, and she is
looking forward to
working with our staff,
students, and school
community. She brings
a wealth of experience
and knowledge with
her, especially in the
area of Special
Education.
On a personal
note, I would like to
thank the WHSS school
community for their
support during my five
years here at the
school. I know that our
new Principal will
quickly arrive at the
same conclusion as did
I - that WHSS is a
caring, rewarding, and,
most importantly, fun
place to come to work
each day. During my
years here, I have been
constantly amazed by
the generosity and
accomplishment of our
students, staff, and
community. WHSS has
been a special place for
me, and I look forward
to hearing about the
great things our
students
have
accomplished in the
years to come
Sincerely,
Brian Serafini
HAVE YOU DONE YOUR 40 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER WORK?
Every student must complete 40 hours of community involvement activities.
Don’t forget to log your hours, get your form signed by the sponsor and submit
completed forms for the hours to be counted towards your OSSD.
!
PAGE 2
END OF THE YEAR NEWSLETTER!
JUNE 26, 2015
ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL LITERACY TEST
!
Next year, the Education Quality and
Accountability Office (EQAO) will begin to
move its provincial assessments from paperand-pencil to computer based, and this
transition will begin with the Ontario
Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT).
!
The successful completion of the
OSSLT is mandatory for all Grade 10 students
in the province of Ontario in order to earn a
high school diploma. Students must score
75% on the test in order to be successful.
!
The test consists of two booklets, each
containing multiple-choice and open-response
questions. The test is given on one day in two
75-minute blocks. All of the questions are
based directly on the expectations set out in
The Ontario Curriculum.
!
Identified students will receive
accommodations when writing the test, and
there are supports for students who do not
pass, including an opportunity to re-write the
test or to take the Ontario Secondary School
Literacy Course.
!
This year, the test will be administered
on Tuesday, November 17th and Tuesday,
November 24th in the morning. All Grade 10
students and re-writers will write the OSSLT
NEED MATH HELP ?
on one of those
days. Students
who are
unsuccessful
will have
another
opportunity to
attempt the test
a second time in
March 2016.
!
In preparation for the OSSLT, Grade 10
students will write a Practice Literacy Test
early in the fall, and feedback will be provided
to students. Workshops and individualized
help sessions will also be offered to at-risk
students.
!
During the summer, students are
encouraged to read regularly, and they should
visit the following websites which offer practice
exercises, sample tests, and tips:
www.readwriterock.com and www.eqao.com
REAL-LIVE TEACHERS AVAILABLE ONLINE 5:30 - 9:30
Grade 7 to 10 math students now have access to live, interactive online math help. Homework
Help is free, real-time math tutoring by certified Ontario teachers.
During the school year and also in JULY for SUMMER SCHOOL, students can log in from
Sunday to Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. EST for 20 hours a week of individualized
confidential math tutoring. There are discussion rooms for each grade where students can join in
and see what questions other students are asking, watch the tutors draw on the whiteboard –
and ask their own question for on-the-spot help.
If they can't wait until the discussion rooms open, videos of
best tutorials and commonly asked questions are available
anytime. Students are also invited to contact their math
teachers should they need additional help and support during
school hours. https://homeworkhelp.ilc.org/secure/login.php
!
PAGE 3
END OF THE YEAR NEWSLETTER!
MAY 29 & 30
Over 200
students and
teachers
participated
in the 12hour all-night event to raise
$28,500.00 for the
Canadian Cancer Society.
GOOD-BYE
The following staff
members will be missed
next year: Marilyn
Abraham, Karl Baber,
Eric Lee, Shannon
McGonegal, Audrey
Morrison, and Officer
Watt
CONGRATULATIONS
Janet Saunders will
be retiring this year, and
Heather Reed will be off
on maternity leave during
semester one next year.
WELCOME
The following staff
members will join us next
year: Officer Eurig,
Lauren Koch, Stephen
Roloson, and Michael
Skiperis.
UPPER GRAND WRITES
Congratulations to
Sarah Johnnings who
won second place in the
senior short story category
of the Board-wide Upper
Grand Writes competition.
GUIDANCE NOTES
Report card pick-up will
be at Arthur PS on June
29-30 and at WHSS on July
2-3.
Timetable changes will
be held Aug. 31 to Sept. 2
from 9:00am - 3:00pm.
Timetable pick-up will be
in the WHSS cafeteria on
Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 8:45am.
LATE TRANSPORTATION
We would like to thank our
late transportation sponsors
for this past school year.
Without them, our programs
and students would not be
nearly as successful. Our
students, staff, and parents
greatly appreciate your
support. A huge thank you
goes out to the Arthur
Lion’s Club, Musashi
Auto Parts, Arthur
Optimist Club, and All
Treat Farms.
JUNE 26, 2015
A Few Fall Dates
Wednesday, Sept. 2
Grade 9 Orientation
Thursday, Sept. 3
PD Day
Tuesday, Sept. 8
First Day of Classes
Thursday, Sept. 10
Photo Day
Wednesday, Sept. 23-25
Grade 9 Camp
Wednesday, Sept. 30
Terry Fox Run
Thursday, Oct. 1
Photo Re-take Day
Wednesday, Nov. 4
University Fair
Friday, Nov. 6
Commencement
Friday, Dec. 18
Last Day of School Before
Christmas Holidays
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
A big congratulations to all of the WHSS athletes of 2014-2015. At the year-end
assembly, the following students were awarded athlete of the year:
Junior Male: Alex Kieffer
Senior Male: John Bowden
Junior Female: Janine Acheson
Senior Female: Avery Reeves
!
PAGE 4