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Sir Allan MacNab Secondary
2013 November Newsletter
SPORTS EVENTS
MacNab Lions Sr. Boys’ Volleyball Team
The Sr. Boys' volleyball team, coached by Mr. Kislinsky, won the City Championships and are
off to the OFSSA Championships in Thunder Bay this Thursday, November 21st.
Congratulations on a wonderful year so far and GOOD LUCK on Thursday. Go Lions Go!
MacNab Lions Sr. Girls’ Basketball
Congratulations to our Sr. Girls Basketball team on an outstanding season - all the way to
SOSSA. Unfortunately, tough competition kept us from advancing. We're looking forward to
next year and going all the way to OFSAA.
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Sir Allan MacNab Secondary
2013 November Newsletter
MacNab Lions Jr. Girls Basketball
Congratulations to the Jr. Girls basketball team on their incredible season! The Lady
Lions made it to the Division 2 City Championships against Guido des Bres High
School. The girls finished in 2nd place overall after a tough loss to a very tall and well
organized Guido des Bres team. The winning ways of the girls basketball program at
MacNab should continue next year as many of the Jr. girls move up to the Sr. level.
MATH DEPARTMENT/MATH CLUB
The Math Club is up and running with good support. We meet once a week, Tuesdays at 2:30
p.m. after school, and solve interesting and challenging math problems, play mathematical
games, and prepare for math competitions.
MacNab math students prepare for and participate in many math competitions, the
upcoming contests are:
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Canadian Senior and Intermediate Mathematics Contests –
November 21, 2013 (University of Waterloo - CEMC)
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Math@Mac Online Mathematics Competition –
November 27, 2013 (McMaster University)
Math At MacNab From A Student Perspective
by E. Sinclair
The math department at Sir Allan MacNab has gotten off to a fantastic start this year. The AP
classes are well under way, preparing students for the AP exams that happen in May each
year. Math at MacNab does not just stay in the classrooms during the day. Our Math Club
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2013 November Newsletter
meets weekly after school to explore mind-bending problems and to prepare for contests.
You might be wondering why anyone would stay after school just to do math. Personally, I
have always enjoyed math club because of the challenges it provides. Mr. Jakob, our math
teacher, has a knack for consistently picking problems that are possible for us to solve, but
difficult enough that it’s very exciting when you finally manage to come up with the answer.
Other than the mere enjoyment, going to the Math Club also prepares us for contests.
MacNab has a strong history for doing well in many different math contests. If there is a
contest out there, chances are that we’ve done it, or plan to do it. Some contests that we’ve
been consistently participating in are the Canadian Senior and Junior Math Contests, the
Waterloo Math Contests, the Maple Leaf Math Challenge, and the Math@Mac Contest, run
by McMaster University. This year, we are excited to participate in a new and unique team
contest from Waterloo.
Working together on contests and problems, math at MacNab has become more than just
numbers to students. Our grade 12 AP math class has bonded over four difficult years and
now feels more like a family than a class. Each student has brought their own unique skills
and passions to the department, but our love for math has made it a true community.
ART DEPARTMENT
The Art Department would like to extend their congratulations to Shahiem Richards and
Gabriel McArthur-Bolton for having their art work selected as part of the Hamilton Spectator
Pulse Page. Esther Yoon, Andrea Gauthier, and Leslie Barubek also contributed outstanding
drawings. As well, the Art Department was invited to Gordon Price School as part of Career
Day and led a button making workshop for students. Many thanks to peer mentors who
assisted students in creating one-of-a-kind buttons! Upcoming, students in the art and craft
classes are working towards creating holiday crafts that will be on sale at Parents Night, as
well as in December for gift giving. Our yearbook class has been busy taking photos of all the
fantastic activities that have been happening since September. This year’s yearbook will be
bigger and better than ever, with 80 full pages of colour photos with a student art contest for
the cover! Yearbooks are only $15.00 with an activity card, or $25.00 without. What a great
deal!
Grad photos for students will be taken in mid-December, so listen for the
announcements!
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Sir Allan MacNab Secondary
2013 November Newsletter
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT NEWS
AP
The English AP program continues to develop as greater numbers of students are enrolling in
the program. We have doubled our AP students in the grade 9 year, and may well increase
from one grade 10 class to two by the next academic year. We also anticipate double the
number of students who will be taking the AP exam in May of 2014. We wish them luck!
Field Trips
MacNab English teachers are committed to enriching students’ lives by taking them to live
theatre performances, not only to see Shakespeare’s plays performed in Stratford, Ontario,
but also to view live theatre in Toronto and locally.
This year, students have seen Stratford’s production of The Merchant of Venice, an
exceptionally well done interpretation of this controversial play. Grade Eleven AP students
went to Toronto to see MacBeth, a modernized performance at the Classical Theatre Project.
Students also experienced the fun of a film performance, as grade 9 students viewed Ender’s
Game, the film, after studying the novel in class.
All grades had a chance to watch Captain Phillips, a film that exposes students to serious
global issues, while telling a gripping and compelling story of adversity and moral complexity.
“Shakespearience”
MacNab is excited to announce that this world-renowned interactive workshop is coming to
introduce Shakespeare to grade 9 students in Semester Two. Working actors from the
Stratford Festival bring the Bard’s plays to life, getting students “on their feet”, moving their
way through the complexities of Shakespeare’s language. For more information about
Shakespearience, view their website:
www.shakespearience.ca
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2013 November Newsletter
FROM THE LAUNC:H PROGRAM – A Student Perspective
Throughout my high school years from grade 9 to 12, I've had problems with anxiety.
Anxiety is a common thing, however, my anxiety was so bad that I couldn’t learn or
concentrate in a high school setting, rotating from class to class. I didn't attend school much
in grade 10 because of my anxiety levels and the amount of people I had to be with every
day. It was very over whelming for me. Last year at midterm, I registered at MacNab and
went right into the LAUNC:H program (Learners Achieving Under New Conditions: Hope). I
only had 9 credits. That semester proved to be the most successful time that I've
experienced throughout high school. I was very comfortable in the classroom with a few
other people, whom I eventually got to know. The teachers were great and they helped me
find a co-op placement, which I got in that first week. I was working at a hair salon learning
lots of different things, such as how to wash hair, customer service skills, answering phones,
and keeping the place very tidy. I moved to another co-op that same semester that was even
more challenging … Shoppers Drug Mart. While working in the cosmetics department, I
learned about the different types of makeup, how to help customers, and how to stock
products.
I think co-op is a great learning experience to help you get an actual job, or to help you figure
out what you want to become. In addition to doing co-op, I was also working on my
mandatory credits through booklet work. This was very straight forward, and if I needed
one-on-one help, the teachers were always right there. I ended up with 8 credits in one
semester that I had earned through co-op and booklet work. I am very grateful for the
LAUNC:H program. I now have 17 credits this year and feel I could not have achieved this
otherwise. I am working hard this year to graduate, with all the teachers’ support and help.
Co-op is a great way to boost up your credits while learning on the job skills which could
affect the rest of your life. I have developed my self-confidence again through this program
and now can look towards my future.
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Sir Allan MacNab Secondary
2013 November Newsletter
Bullying Awareness & Prevention Week
Nov. 18-22, 2013
At Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB), research is telling us that about 30
per cent of students are bullied on a regular basis, 20 per cent of students admit to bullying
others on a regular basis and that 85 per cent of the time, that bullying happens there are
other people watching.
This must stop – and it can.
HWDSB will join Ontario school boards to recognize Bullying Awareness and Prevention
Week from Nov. 18 to 22, 2013. Schools will receive original poster art to display and
encourage anti-bullying efforts. We continue to use peer mediation and restorative justice in
our schools. HWDSB is expanding its mobile phone app TipOff to support even more schools
with a tool for receiving anonymous bullying reports.
With our partners, we are supporting a talk by Tracy Vaillancourt, Ph.D. (UBC), Professor and
Canada Research Chair, Children’s Mental Health and Violence Prevention, University of
Ottawa for parents, educators, students, community members. On Nov. 19, 2013, she will
speak on the topic of Bullying and Mental Health in the Hamilton Spectator Auditorium (44
Frid Street, Hamilton). Find full details in a flyer posted here: http://goo.gl/CfW5vQ
This year’s theme is: Positively Powerful: Your Actions Count!
MacNab's Bullying Awareness Initiatives Include:
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•
•
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Public service announcements from the bullyingawarenessweek.org website will be
played during announcements
Daily announcements about bullying stats as well as strategies to stop bullying
Posters displayed throughout the school encourage students to wear pink on
Wednesday November 20th and include current Canadian statistics about bullying
MacNab Mentors will be handing out brownies with pink icing to any student
wearing pink on Wednesday. Students will be asked to take a group picture at break
time for the yearbook
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•
Pink 'loop' bracelets, made by the Mentors, will be available to students to wear
throughout the week
In addition to these events, here are some useful tips from HWDSB Social Work Services.
What can I do if my child is the victim of bullying?
 Ask your child directly.
 Listen.
 Tell the school or childcare facility immediately.
 Resist being overprotective.
 Teach your child the social skills he/she needs to make friends.
 Encourage your child to seek spare-time activities.
 Teach children ways to resolve arguments without violent words or actions.
 Talk about and practice assertiveness skills.
 Seek help from school social workers or psychologists via your school principal;
reach children’s mental health facilities by calling CONTACT Hamilton at (905)
570-8888 or info@contacthamilton.ca
What can I do if I suspect my child may be bullying others?
 Take the problem seriously.
 Talk to your child.
 Tell your child that you will not tolerate this kind of behavior.
 Arrange for an effective, non-violent consequence.
 Establish a few family rules and stick to them.
 Spend more time with your child.
 Increase your supervision of your child’s activities and whereabouts.
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2013 November Newsletter


Talk to his/her teacher and or principal.
Seek help from school social workers or psychologists via your school principal;
reach children’s mental health facilities by calling CONTACT Hamilton at (905)
570-8888 or info@contacthamilton.ca
What can I do if I suspect my child may be a bystander to bullying?
 Encourage your child to empathize with the victim; step into their shoes.
 Help your child to understand that there is a difference between 'tattling' and
'reporting'.
 Accompany your child to the teacher or principal if they decide to report what
they have witnessed.
 Encourage your child to mobilize his/her friends to join together to protect the
victim.
 Explain to your child that bullying does not 'toughen people up' but can cause
real emotional and physical harm.
 Encourage your child to find friends who value kindness and integrity.
 Behave with kindness, integrity and courage yourself, whenever you have the
opportunity.
 Encourage your child when they accept responsibility for their own behavior.
Learn more at http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/parents/safe-caring-schools
STUDENTS VOLUNTEER AT ROAD2HOPE MARATHON
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2013 November Newsletter
On Sunday, November 3rd nearly 50 MacNab students, dressed in their finest (and
WARMEST!) MacNab wear, headed to Beach Blvd and the Waterfront Trail to cheer on and
to hydrate 3,000 runners participating in the Road2Hope Marathon. Their energy and
enthusiasm lasted for hours despite the cold and windy conditions.
DECA! DECA! DECA!
Congratulations to Nadia A., Nasir H., and Dev C. – who impressed the judges and
qualified for the provincial DECA competition in Toronto in February!! Thanks to
Batoul Al-Waadh for helping us get DECA up and running as a new club at MacNab –
and thanks to Mr. Cave for being our teacher advisor! Good luck to Nadia, Nasir and
Dev in Toronto!
CONGRATULATIONS, MR. NICOLL!!!
MacNab is thrilled to announce a prestigious honour for Trevor Nicoll, our very own Head of
the Music department. Mr. Nicoll was recently highlighted at the Hamilton Music Awards as
the People's Choice Secondary Music Teacher of the Year.
Mr. Nicoll has worked tirelessly to build a music program at MacNab of which we can be proud.
Our repertoire band has travelled to both Ottawa and Toronto for festivals in the last two years,
and have earned medal standing. Mr. Nicoll is also a key part of our annual Arts Week in the
spring which highlights the role the Arts can play both in a positive school environment and in
a healthy individual's life.
He teaches and leads the music program within our Special Needs department which has led
to their multiple performances both in the school and in the community.
The fact that this acknowledgment was a People's Choice award speaks to the hundreds of
lives that Mr. Nicoll has impacted through music.
So whether he is teaching, conducting, or wowing us by slipping behind the drum kit himself,
Mr. Nicoll is a worthy recipient of this signifcant accolade and a big part of what makes us
proud to say we are from MacNab.
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Sir Allan MacNab Secondary
2013 November Newsletter
CO-OP STUDENTS LEARN IN WELCOMING WORKPLACES
by J. Maxwell
My name is J. Maxwell and my co-op at Active Green & Ross has been going great. They have
seen that I’ve shown initiative and that I’ve put hard work into my co-op. Therefore I’ve
been chosen for an apprenticeship at Active Green & Ross. They have taught me how to
change tires, oil, rims, brakes, and how to do alignments on cars. I also help out the auto
technicians with their work and make sure they have a clean workspace to finish their work
in the shop. All the workers at Active Green & Ross are extremely nice and helpful whenever I have a question that needs answering I go to one of the master technicians who
are always happy to answer as long as they aren’t too busy. A lot of the work I do is mostly
stocking, cleaning and helping technicians when they need it but when I do get to work on
cars, it’s always the best part of my day. This placement has shown me that this is the career
for me and I want to go through with my apprenticeship and schooling.
by A. May
My name is A. May, and I am currently a grade 11 student at Sir Allan MacNab Secondary
School in Hamilton. I've always loved working with children, and that’s what I long to do in
my future career. I knew that the YMCA had a children’s program, so I decided I would do
my co-op there. When my co-op teacher told me they accepted me for my co-op, I fully
didn't know what I was getting myself into. I was nervous; terrified actually. What if they
didn't like me? What if I’m too shy to ask questions and eventually get fired? All sorts of
questions ran through my mind, making me more scared of my first day to come. September
16th was my very first day. I had already met my supervisor a week before, and she was very
welcoming and very nice, but I was still scared about everyone else. I walked in and saw my
supervisor in the back room, and she told me that I had to do front desk, since the Kindercare
(children’s program) program didn't start until 9 am. So, she explained to me that I would
basically be signing people in, and if I could, answer questions. I got introduced to the other
woman working at the front desk. My supervisor showed me the basics of what to do, and
left me to it. It really wasn't as hard as I thought it was. Two other employees came to the
front desk and introduced themselves, and started making conversation with me. They all
made me feel so welcome. When I went into the Kindercare program, I felt very awkward
since I didn't know any of the children, and none of them knew me. So I didn't really talk
much to them. But over the past month, I've learned so many of their names and they all
know who I am. They want me to draw them pictures, play Lego with them, sit with them
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during story time, and hold their hand when we cross the hallway. Working with these
children every day makes me feel certain that this is what I want to do in my future.
Every single employee and guest made me feel so welcome. It makes my co-op enjoyable to
go to, and makes me happy that I chose that placement over anything else. I couldn't ask for
better people to work with.
by N. Moshiri
My name is N. Moshiri. In early September, I decided to take the co-operative education
program. I wanted to do this at Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo, an indoor zoo located on Barton St.
E, which consists of mainly reptiles, along with a few amphibians, arachnids, and birds. I
decided to do this as my placement because my whole life, animals, especially reptiles, has
been my passion. They are where I find peace, how I stay out of trouble, and one of the only
things I look forward to when I get home. I have owned many reptiles, from dangerous
constrictors and large iguanas to pin sized geckos. But I had never seen the business and
money aspect of the hobby. Here, I can see what it is like to maintain a collection as large as
the one at the zoo. I get to see what goes on in the back. In the mornings, when people are
not there, I prepare and clean the enclosures and animals for public viewing. I have learned
a lot about care, behaviour and specific requirements of multiple species. I am learning more
and more by the day, and would really like to pursue a career in this field surrounded by
what I love.
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by K. McGeown
R.R.D. Welding and Fabrication
Hello! My name is Kevin and I am a post grad from Sir Allan MacNab, and I wanted to know
what it takes to become a welder. I took a placement at R.R.D. Welding and Fabrication. It is
run by a man and his sons. They have been welding for over 10 years and have been
teaching me so much. Before I got there, I was lucky to put down a good weld and turn the
gas on and off, but now after being there for about a month, I am learning different types of
welding like flux welding , stick welding and also mig welding. Another thing that I have
learned is how to change a buffing pad, and how to change wiring for the welding machine.
Now I can change the wire, I can do CNC plasma cutting, and I can use a plasma torch.
Without this placement and the help I am getting from everyone, I could not be where I am
today, and where I want to be as a welder.
by M. Finch
I really like my co-op placement at Old Navy because the staff and most of the other co-op
students are very nice, and they help me if I need it. I think they are my favorite people to
work with because they are so insanely nice and funny. At Old Navy, everything changes a
lot; they usually move things around every week. It gets kind of confusing because as soon
as you learn where everything is, they change the store around. I learned some tricks for
folding jeans and it actually helps, it makes the jean walls look 100% better. I enjoy helping
the customers if they need it - like if someone is looking for jeans but they don’t know about
the fit. Running clothes from the fitting rooms really helps me learn about where everything
in the store belongs and that really helps when customers need help finding something. I
think my co-op is making me a better person because I am learning better communication
skills, and I am becoming a little more outgoing than before.
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2013 November Newsletter
by A. Korytko
The Love for Education
My name is A. Korytko and I’m currently a post-grad student at Sir Allan MacNab. I went
back to school to gain experience and knowledge for my university program. My dream is to
become an elementary school teacher and attend the Concurrent Education Program at
Brock University. My co-operative education placement is at Holbrook Elementary School in
the kindergarten classroom with Mrs.Hickey and Ms.Rae. I love working there for several
reasons. They have taught me with hands on experience how to create art activities to
develop the children’s basic motor skills. They have shown me how each child learns these
skills differently. I help set up all of the table activities in the classroom every day, such as
the creative, science and math tables. This has allowed me to record ideas that I believe
would make a great lesson plan. I also get to interact with the kids hands on at the different
learning centers. I get to see each child grow individually and create a bond with them to
help them feel more comfortable. Every day I help the children at the creative table doing
crafts to develop their basic motor skills like cutting paper and teaching them to create
patterns and how they develop. My supervisors have also allowed me to work with them at
literacy centers and help them recognize their letters and numbers. They have shown me a
great deal of knowledge that I can bring to my studies next year. Not just basic education
knowledge but also personal. Like how to deal with different situations in the classroom
regarding a child’s behavior and creating that special bond with each child. They push me to
expand and grow my knowledge every day so I can better myself and then pass it on to the
children and peers around me. Working at Holbrook has shown me that being a teacher is a
like being a part of one big family. Everyone has their role and everyone shares with each
other. This allows each person, student and helper to grow from one another to be a better
person. Working at Holbrook School has confirmed that being a teacher is what I would love
to do in my future.
by S. Al-Jailawi
Co-op placement at St. Joseph’s Outpatient Pharmacy
My name is S. Al-Jailawi and I attend Sir Allan MacNab where I decided to enrol in the co-op
course. I didn’t know what I wanted to be back then, so writing my top 3 career choices was
very difficult. My uncle is a pharmacist and he has inspired me to be one when I was young,
but as I grew older and more mature, I understood that getting into the pharmacy program
at a university is much tougher than it sounds. Keeping that in mind, I decided to study
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2013 November Newsletter
harder and try my best because trying is the best thing that I could do. Pharmacy grew to be
my number one career choice.
Getting an acceptance from the outpatient pharmacy at St. Joseph Hospital was the best
thing that ever happened to me. My first week at the placement was a rough week because I
didn’t know anything about the placement or communicating with customers. As the weeks
went by, I learned a lot of new things and things around me became easy. Since the
pharmacy is a retail pharmacy, they have more than just drugs. They have chocolates, gums,
books, vitamins, and first aid equipment. Things I do at my placement include reading
patient prescriptions, finding the right drug that they ordered, counting the correct amount
of pills that they need, placing the pills in a vial, labeling the vial and giving it to the pharmacy
technician to check it before giving it to the pharmacist. Some patients have trouble opening
our vials, so we have special vials with snap caps that open easily for them. Another thing
that I do is something called “facing up” which is the easiest part of my job. What I basically
do is go to the front shelves where items that don’t need a prescription are stacked and I
stack them properly behind each other, make sure their English side of the label is facing the
front not the French side, I take down expired items, and write down the names and
numbers of items that are sold out or are about to be. I also receive new stocks from the
shipping companies and I open the boxes and put the new items in the correct place. If I
happen to come upon an item that I don’t know where it goes then I will ask one of the
pharmacy technicians or the pharmacist themselves. The most interesting things that I love
to do and always look forward to doing is taking medications down to the hemodialysis, to
patients that can’t come to the pharmacy to get them themselves. One last thing that is part
of my job is customer service; I help customers when they want to order a new prescription
or when they are having trouble finding a product. I also have access to the cash register
when customers want to buy some items. My co-workers are very helpful and friendly and
are always available when I need them. They have taught me most of the things I needed to
know for my placement. My supervisor is the most helpful person in the whole placement.
She demonstrates how to do a job then watches me as I do it alone and gives me feedback
when I’m done. When I’m done this placement, I hope to get over my shyness and become a
more outgoing person.
To conclude, while working at the outpatient pharmacy Monday to Friday from 12:30 to
3:30pm, I have realized that a pharmacist is what I want to be and I will try my best to
achieve that dream. I have also started to become more outgoing and my communication
skills have improved and will keep on improving as I go on in the placement. This placement
is preparing me for the real work life.
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By T. Dolliver
Co-op at MJM Equine Center
I currently attend Sir Allan MacNab in Hamilton Ontario. I am a grade 12 student hoping to
further my studies into the military as a chef. I decided to participate in the Co-op Program
to allow myself to explore different career opportunities. My current Co-op placement is at
MJM Equine Center. The staff at MJM is amazing, and the placement is wonderful for
multiple reasons. To begin with my supervisors are always trying to find new ways for me to
learn about how running a stable works and all the people needed to make it work. I get to
interact with boarders and clients of all types and learn how different horses have different
ways of communicating. The best day I have had so far was a PA day, we had a 6 year old girl
show up for camp and I had the opportunity of teaching her about horses. The girl and I
were able to groom 3 horses and she had the chance to get a lesson on one of them. During
a rainy day, we keep the horses inside which allows us to be faster with our barn chores and
lets us accomplish more than we would on a regular day. My previous work experience at
Five Star Ranch and now at MJM allow me to understand that this is what I would like to do
as a hobby. I encourage other students to take a stable co-op on and see what it is like to
work out of their comfort zone.