January Celebrations
DATE
CELEBRATION
FAITH AND
CULTURE
January
K'aliyee
Aboriginal Spirituality
January 1 and 14
New Year
Christianity and Canada
January 1
Amitabha Buddha's Birthday
Buddhism
January 1
Gantan-sai (New Year)
Shinto
January 1
Temple Day
Buddhism
January 5
Birth of Guru Gobind Singh
Sikhism
January 6
Epiphany
Christianity
January 19
Feast of Theophany
Christianity
January 7
Christmas
Christianity
January 13
Maghi
Sikhism
January 13
Lohri
Hinduism
January 14
Makar Sankranti
Hinduism
January 15
Seijin-no-hi
Shinto
January 17
World Religion Day
Bahá'í
January 19 to February 6
Sultán
Bahá'í
January 20
Vasanta Panchami
Hinduism
January 22
Sakyamuni Buddha's
Enlightenment
Buddhism
January 24
Jashan-e-Sadeh
Zoroastrianism
Sunset of January 29 to
January 30
Tu B'Shevat
Judaism
January 31
Mehergan
Zoroastrianism
Calderstone hosts Mother & Daughter workshop on January 28
On Thursday, January 28, 2010, mothers and daughters from our school are invited to come for
dinner and a discussion. For more information on how you can attend, please call Ms Zannella at
905 913-1162 Ext. 405.
Extra! Extra! Calderstone's first newspaper
Thunderstone Times—T2
Thanks to the Thunderstone Times Staff for their excitement and work on
our school's first student newspaper, Sukdeepak (8T2) for our logo
designs and Mr. Shurrie for his
creativity, newspaper template and enthusiasm! Last, but not least, a
huge thank you to Ms. Bannister-Clarke, for her vision, guidance, and hard
work in founding the Thunderstone Times, Calderstone's first newspaper!
Students show spirit during hat day event
Students at Calderstone Middle School showed their spirit on Thursday, December 3, 2009 during
their second spirit day: Hat Day!
Usually, teachers make students take off their hats but on that day, they didn’t do anything about
it. Promotions manager, Déja Mowatt, took a tally of each class, and the winners were: Mr. Moy’s
class! Congratulations!
Students who want to win the next spirit day and get a trophy can win easily just by showing their
spirit and participating.
The next spirit day at Calderstone — Twin Day! — takes place January 8, 2009. Don’t forget to
show your spirit!
Read more student written articles at the end of the newsletter:
Conference helps parents 'make a
difference in literacy and beyond'
Make a difference in literacy and beyond – practical ways parents can boost
learning is on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at Stephen Lewis Secondary School in
Mississauga. This free learning event is open to Peel parents of students at all grade
levels.
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choose from more than 45 practical workshops designed to help you help your child succeed in school
purchase educational materials from exhibitors
receive a free lunch, giveaways and more
Registration opens in February 2010
Stay up-to-date!
For more information, look out for the conference brochure at your child's school in February. Conference
and registration information will also be available in February in the "Parents Boost Learning" section of
www.peelschools.org.
Help your family prepare for cold weather ahead
Canada Safety Council recommends the following tips for staying comfortable and preventing hypothermia
when working or playing outdoors:
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Wear a warm hat—most body heat is lost through the head. Children should
keep an extra hat at school.
 Wear layered clothing. Layers allow warm air to stay trapped around the
body.
 Protect your feet and hands. Wear loose waterproof boots. If the boots have
liners, carry an extra pair to replace damp ones or take an extra pair of socks.
Mittens are warmer than gloves. Carry an extra pair of mittens to school, on outings, etc.
Prevent dehydration and exhaustion, which can lead to hypothermia. Drink plenty of fluids and pace
yourself when doing vigorous activities.
Stay fit by exercising and eating well—people who are fit are less susceptible to hypothermia.
If you stay indoors, avoid moving from a hot environment to a cold one. Excessive sweating caused
from an extreme change in temperature increases the risk of developing hypothermia.
Eat high-energy food such as nuts and raisins.
If you are travelling (on the road or in the wilderness) carry emergency supplies.
Closing schools due to bad weather
During the winter months, we may need to cancel buses or close schools because
bad weather.
of
The board decides by 6:45 a.m. whether to cancel buses or close schools. To find out if busing is cancelled or
schools are closed, visit www.peelschools.org or call 905-890-1010 or 1-800-668-1146. You will receive one
of the following messages:
Peel District School Board buses are cancelled. Schools remain open for students and staff, but buses are
cancelled. Buses will remain cancelled all day. All activities that require busing will also be cancelled.
Permits, night school classes, daycare and other activities in schools will operate as usual.
All Peel District School Board schools and board offices are closed. Due to weather conditions, schools
and board offices are closed to students and staff. All activities in schools and board offices are also cancelled,
including daycare, night school and permits.
All evening programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled. Due to weather
conditions, all activities in schools and board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses
and events. The buildings will be closed.
All weekend programs and permits at the Peel District School Board are cancelled. Due to weather
conditions, all activities in schools and board offices are cancelled, including continuing education courses
and events. The buildings will be closed.
Review winter bus safety to protect
your child
Winter is here—now is a good time to review winter bus safety with
your child. Review the following tips with your child to help make his
school bus routine safe and comfortable.
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Allow extra time to get to the bus stop.
Wear bright clothing so the bus can see you in the early morning and late afternoon
Stand back from where the bus stops. Buses need extra room to stop when there is snow and ice on the
group.
Use the handrail when boarding or exiting the bus to prevent slipping on wet or icy steps or road surfaces.
Dress for the weather to ensure you stay warm.
Don't throw snowballs at the bus or other children waiting for the bus.
Don't slide on the snow or ice patches in driveways or on the street.
Don't push or shove around the bus. Someone could fall and get hurt.
Workshop explores parent, child relationship
Dr. Gabor Mate, physician and author of many books, including Hold Onto Your Kids; Why Parents Need to
Matter more than Peers, will be at the HJA Brown Education Centre for an evening workshop on the parent
and child relationship.
Attend this session for information on:
 the critical importance of attachment
 thing that stand in the way of healthy development of our children
 how parents can establish and maintain meaningful relationships with their children
Date: Monday, Feb. 8, 2010
Time: 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: HJA Brown Education Centre, 5650 Hurontario Street in Mississauga
Cost: $10 is payable in cash at the door
Space is limited—reserve your seat by calling 905-451-2862, ext. 380. This is an adult event and childcare is
not provided.
The workshop is open to all parents and is brought to you by the Peel District School Board's social work
department.
More Student Written articles:
Spotlight shines on Déja
By Manpreet, 8O3
Student council representative Déja took some time recently to speak with the Thunderstone
Times. Here’s what she had to say:
Q: What sports team are you on?
A: Currently, I am on the football team. I tried out for the volleyball team, but that’s not one of my
strongest skills, so I didn’t make it. However last year I was on the basketball and soccer team.
Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: Recently, when my class did the “Junior Achievement” session I discovered that I wanted to be
an actress, photographer or producer. I guess it is because I love to showcase my ideas to my
peers and I sometimes overcome my fear of talking to crowds quickly.
Q: Who is your role model
and why?
A: To be honest my role models aren’t people you see in the news they are people I see every day.
They are my parents. They are always caring and there for me whenever I need them, I even enjoy
learning many things from them as well.
Q: What is the sport you like
the most?
A: Well, for many years (Around 7 years) I played rep soccer on many different teams, and then I
just decided to try something new. Last summer I started playing basketball, so that is pretty much
my favourite sport now.
Q: What are your best subjects?
A: To be honest I don’t actually know, I just try my best and hope to get a good mark. On my report
card I have an 88% average.
Q: What encouraged you to be a promotions manager?
A: This summer I already knew that I was going to run for something, instead of choosing president
I chose promotions manager. I enjoy promoting, talking on announcements and to the student body
and have the attitude and clothes to make things happen.
Students attend Free the Children event in Toronto
By Thunderstone Times Staff
The recent Me to We event was a very exciting experience for all of us.
Jaskaran, Asif and Mruga from 8O5 said they had the chance to see numerous people at the Air
Canada Centre, like Justin Bieber, the Jonas Brothers, Hedley, Michael “Pinball” Clemons, the
Degrassi cast, and the creator of Club Penguin.
Despite the fact that we had tons of fun, the trip was very educational. For instance, they learned
about the organization, Free the Children, from founders Craig and Mark Kielberger.
Presents vs. Family Time: A tough choice
By Emily 8T4
Are we, the kids of this generation, really thankful for the little things that we have every day, or
the presents under the tree on Christmas morning?
As the Christmas holidays rapidly approach us at Calderstone Middle School, do we, the
students, await the Christmas break to spend time with our families, or to see what kinds of presents
we will find under the Christmas tree?
Are we really thankful for the time we get to spend with our family and friends? Do we
appreciate the time, effort, and money that our families spend on us?
Christmas is supposed to be a happy, celebratory and heartfelt time to spend with the people we
care about.
The kids of this generation are much different in comparison to the kids in the last generation,
who did not expect as many presents as we do now. Back then, kids only expected 1-2 gifts, such
as a doll or a skateboard.
Today, kids expect gifts that are usually expensive, such as PSP, XBox 360, digital cameras,
Nintendo DS, DSI or laptop computers.
This article has been written to inform our readers that the simple traditions of Christmas are
being forgotten and should be celebrated with the people you care about.
In recession times such as these, the people you care about should not be taken advantage of to
buy expensive gifts. It's not about how much time you spend with them, but how you spend time
with them on Christmas.
Remember, it's not about the presents in your shopping cart, it's about the presents from the
heart.
Sports
Congratulations to the junior girls’ Thunder volleyball team for making it to the final of their
recent tournament. They have improved drastically over the
past few weeks and are looking forward to winning future tournaments
Congratulations to members of the junior boys’ Thunder volleyball team for winning a recent
tournament. The coming weeks certainly look bright for this squad.
Boys' Volleyball
By Akeema, 8O5
Thunderstone Times Staff
Shaun sat down with the Thunderstone Times for a look at the current senior boys’ volleyball
season. Here’s what he said:
Q: How many games have you won?
Shaun: We have won four games.
Q: Do you practise every other day?
Shaun: We practise every other day.
Q: Do you think it’s hard playing your best every game? Why?
Shaun: No, not really because when you have a good team you just have to take your time.
Q: How many games have you lost?
Shaun: We have lost 3 games.
Q: Describe your loss.
Shaun: We lost these 3 games because we weren’t trying hard enough and we weren’t calling for
the ball.
Q: Is it hard balancing school and sports at the same time? Why?
Shaun: I wouldn’t say it’s hard but it’s kind of challenging but very fun.
Q: Is the coach hard on the team?
Shaun: Our coach was not hard on the team at all. He was very calm. For our last game, it was
kind of challenging. We played very good for the first half but we lost anyways. The second half, we
lost by one point.
STUDENT LIFE
DigiGirlz make visit to Microsoft
By Jaskaran 8O5
Akeema sat down with the Times to discuss her recent trip to Microsoft as part of the DigiGirlz
program.
Q: What did they do there?
A: The people who worked there just tested the computers to see if they worked and made
programs.
Q: Did you like Microsoft?
A: Yes! They gave us free food and they gave of free samples of merchandise. The people were
very nice and we won every challenge against six other schools.
Q: Would you like to go to Microsoft again?
A: Yes because it was fun and we got to see new things that are coming out.
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
Was it a busy place?
Yeah. Everyone was working on programs and software, but it was secretive.
If you were offered a job there, would you take it?
I would because I’d get lots of money and I’d get to see new stuff and get to play games.
Q: Is there a reason why this program was offered to girls and not boys?
A: Yes, because they think boys are already into technology and girls aren’t that much so they
were trying to get girls into technology.
Robotics team tops at competition
Congratulations to the Calderstone Robotics team for their performance at the Gordon Graydon
Memorial Secondary School Robotics Challenge.
Calderstone captured first place and won every event.
Team members include: Timothy, Rishi, Karan, Cole, Devon and Andy.
Jammin’ with Jarvis
By Delisia, 8O3
Thunderstone Times Staff
On December 1, 2009, I got a chance to interview Mrs. Jarvis and asked her a few questions
about her music career.
When asked if music was prominent in her everyday life, she answered, “Music makes the world
go round,” adding, “as Bob Marley said, ‘when the music hits you, you feel no pain.’”
I also asked her what made her love music so much. It turns out that Mrs. Jarvis’ dad was a
great drummer, and her house was always filled with live music, which gave her the inspiration.
Mrs. Jarvis’ best childhood memory is going to her family cottage, all summer long. It was fun
and adventurous. While she has several role models, there are too many to name.
Fun Fact: When Mrs. Jarvis was a little girl, she always wanted to be a music teacher or something
that involved music.
New Moon shines bright for Twilight
By Tharanya, 8T2
Thunderstone
Times Staff
Twilight fans, get ready to go on another epic adventure with the cast of Twilight.
Last year when Twilight was released, millions of fans rushed to the theaters to watch it, and
after waiting another long year, everyone finally got the opportunity to see New Moon.
This movie was definitely worth waiting for because everything about it was amazing.
In this movie, Bella’s vampire boyfriend, Edward leaves her.
Unable to cope with his harsh decision, Bella becomes closer to Jacob, and eventually they
become close friends.
Overall, this movie was fantastic and is a definite must-watch.