Tribute to Ms. Ho

On International Women's Day, March 8, 2011, the late Ms. Ho will be honoured by the City of Vancouver and the Park Board as one of this year's Remarkable Women. This distinction is awarded to influential community builders, recognizing those that have made major contributions to the dynamic vitality of Vancouver.

The theme of this year's selection of remarkable women is to recognize community builders whose work help build a strong and vibrant city. The recipients of this award are women from diverse backgrounds and abilities, and represent a commitment to improve their communities through volunteerism, hard work, advocacy, and a passionate dedication to change for the good of everyone.

Since 1973, Ms. Ho has worked hard to promote good-will and multiculturalism through the performing arts. The Strathcona Chinese Dance Company Ms. Ho found has grown into a world-renown dance troupe, touring around the world, and performing for many dignitaries. Ms. Ho had also taught mathematics and Mandarin at Templeton for 13 years.

A reception open to the public will be held at Creekside Community Centre from 7 to 9 p.m. to celebrate the achievements of Ms. Ho and 11 other remarkable women.

Course Planning Request Forms

A gentle reminder to all of you that the course planning forms need to be handed in to me no later than Friday, March 4. Once your request forms are in, I need to check your course requests for accuracy. With close to 200 of you, the process would take a significant amount of time.

Course requests need to be entered into the school's student information system before we leave for spring break. Having students' course requests entered correctly and in a timely fashion will help the timetable committee determine properly what courses will/will not run, and how many section(s) for each course needs to be run. Your cooperation in this process is not only appreciated by the school, but it is also of your best interests as well.

If you are having trouble choosing your courses, or if you still have questions to ask me about courses for next year, please do not hesitate to come in to see me as soon as possible. Thanks!

(Let's hope I don't have to get all enraged like the picture above to have all of your forms back... )

Calendar of Events (March, 2011)

As the snow clears, spring is just around the corner, and life is about to kick into a boom. In school, term 2 will be ending soon, and, after the spring break, it will be the home stretch to the finish line. This is a difficult time of the school year in the sense that we are all a little tired but are not close enough to the finish line to tell ourselves "it's almost there." But hang in there, time DOES go by very fast - before you know it, the 2010 - 2011 year will be over.

Below are some important dates for March 2011:

• Mar 1 to 4 (Tue to Fri): Theatre/Film Night
• Mar 4 (Fri): Grade 7 Applications due
• Mar 4 (Fri): Grade 9 Course Request forms due at my office
  
• Mar 8 (Tue): PAC Meeting at 7:00 p.m.
• Mar 9 (Wed): End of Term 2 (for attendance)
• Mar 10 (Thu): Instructional Planning Period - students begin classes at 10:00
• Mar 10 (Thu): Fine Arts 8 Rotation to the 3rd component
• Mar 10 - 11 (Thu - Fri): 30-hour famine
• Mar 11 (Fri): Term 2 Marks due
• Mar 14 - 16 (Mon - Wed): Grade 9 students entering their course requests for grade 10 in the computer lab (I will pull you out of your math class to complete this)
  
• Mar 15 (Tue): Canadian National Math League; First Nations family night (5:00 p.m.)
• Mar 16 (Wed): Grade 10 Health Fair - display tables available for all students during lunch time
• Mar 18 (Fri): Last day of classes before spring break - term 2 report cards issued
• Mar 19 - 27: Spring Break
• Mar 28 - Apr 1 (Mon - Fri): District Closure Days - school not in session
  

March's bus passes

March's bus passes have arrived. You can come to my office at your convenience to pick yours up.

Students may request for a bus pass if they a) are in a distract program; b) live more than 4.8 km from the school, and c) have a financial need. A proof of address and documentation supporting financial need must accompany an application for a bus pass. If you have submitted an application for a buss pass but are not receiving one, please see Mr. Mustapich. If you wish to obtain an application form for a bus pass, please come by my office to obtain one.

There has been a growing concern of students losing their bus passes and wanting the school to replace them. Unfortunately, the school is NOT able to replace a lost bus pass. Like other personal properties, it is your responsibility to take good care of your bus passes.

Course Planning 2011: FAQs

Below are the top 10 common questions that students have asked me during course planning sessions. After each question you can find a brief answer - for more details, please don't hesitate to come in and see me. Thanks!

Question #1: Can I take Planning 10 online?
Answer: The short answer is: yes. Keep in mind, taking online courses require tremendous discipline. Do not sign up for planning 10 online because you think it will be "easier;" instead, sign up for planning 10 online only because you and your parents feel this would be a more suitable educational option for you to acquire the credit for this graduation requirement course.

Question #2: Can I take other online courses and/or summer school courses to "get ahead?"
Answer: Yes. Vancouver Learning Network (or VLN) as well as summer school offer credited courses for students in grades 10, 11, and 12 that may not be offered here at Templeton. Students take credited courses for a variety of reasons, including "getting ahead." Discuss with your teachers, your family, and myself for your best educational options.

Question #3: Can I get a "spare block" if I am taking an online course, or if I have completed a summer school course?
Answer: No. Students in grades 8 to 11 are expected to take a full course load (i.e. 8 courses) at Templeton. Students in grade 12 with a heavy academic load may request for a study block.

Question #4: Which of the two math 10 courses should I sign up for?
Answer: The two math options both fulfill the math 10 requirement for graduation. Your choice for your math 10 course may have post-secondary implications. Your math teacher would have a better idea which math course would be more suitable for you. You may also use summer school courses to keep your options open - please see me or your math teacher for details.

Question #5: Do I need to take a language course in order to graduate?
Answer: There are no language requirements for graduation. Credits earned from language courses can be used towards your elective credits. Some post-secondary schools require students to complete a modern language class up to the grade 11 level. It is important for you to find out what the admission requirements are for the specific program(s) you are interested in.

Question #6: I want to take more elective courses - what do I need to do?
Answer: Templeton offers a number of outside-the-timetable courses that you can take before or after school as an additional elective. If you are taking (or have completed) one of the required grade 10 courses (e.g. Planning 10) online or during summer school, you would have one more slot for an elective course.

Question #7: Do I need to sign up for a course if I am planning to take the course in the summer or online?
Answer: Generally speaking, I would suggest all students to sign up for courses that they require. When you have completed a summer school/online course, I can change your timetable based on your summer school/VLN report card.

Question #8: Can I sign up for PE 10 Boys/Girls AND PE 10 - Outdoor Education (MPE--10YOE) at the same time?
Answer: No. Since the outdoor education option would give you PE 10 credit, you only need to sign up for either PE10B/G OR PE 10-YOE, not both.

Question #9: I don't know what I want to do after graduation yet. What courses should I be selecting?
Answer: Many of us are not sure what we want to do in the future. Try to identify area(s) that you are interested in, and keep as many options open as possible, for as long as you can. That said, you can always go back and take additional credited courses (online, summer school) to "make up."

Question #10: Can I change my choices for electives?
Answer: Yes. But please consider your choices for elective courses carefully before choosing them. Once all student requests are entered, the school would determine the actual number of blocks to assign for each course. Late changes may result in you not being able to take a course that is full.

Course Planning 2011: Math 10 Options

As a result of changes made to the math curriculum, students heading into grade 10 now have two different math courses to which they can choose from: Apprenticeship & Workplace Mathematics 10 (MAWM-10), or Foundations of Mathematics & Pre-calculus 10 (MFMP-10).

Apprenticeship & Workplace Mathematics 10 (MAWM-10) is generally the course that students who are currently in Math 9 Adapted would take in their grade 10 year. Students in Math 9 regular may be recommended by their teachers to take this math course. The curriculum of this course can be considered "less challenging" than Foundations of Mathematics and Pre-calculus 10, and focuses on mathematical applications in one's daily life and work. The course naturally leads to Apprenticeship and Workplace Mathematics 11. Together, these two courses would satisfy the mathematics requirements for graduation.

Foundations of Mathematics & Pre-calculus 10 (MFMP-10) is generally the course that students who are currently in Math 9 and Math 8 Challenge would take. This common course splits into Foundations of Mathematics 11 and Pre-calculus 11 at the grade 11 level, and, depending on the specific program requirements, are required for post-secondary admission (please check with the post-secondary institutions for details on admission requirements, which may change regularly).

Math teachers will be making recommendations to counsellors regarding course recommendations in mathematics. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any concerns.

Course Planning 2011: New Courses

There are several new courses that are offered for students entering grade 10 next year.

Basic Car Care 11: Open to students in grades 10 to 12, this is a general interest course directed towards anyone with limited knowledge about cars. The course will deal more with the maintenance rather than the repair of your car, and may be of special interest to those who are thinking about purchasing a vehicle. Topics covered in this class includes: vehicle ownership, maintenance practices, power train, body and chassis, as well as electrical and electronic systems. For more information, please contact Mr. Cameron.

Astronomy 11: This course is an introduction to astronomical techniques, theories and features in the universe. Topics covered include: night sky observation, solar system components, stellar and planetary formation, evolution and classifications of stars, star clusters and black holes, galaxy structure and formation, extraterrestrial life, etc. The course has a significant math component in it. Students considering signing up for this course should have completed science 10 and foundations of math and pre-calculus 10, or should at least be taking these courses concurrently. For more information, please contact Mr. Hengeveld.

PE 10 - Outdoor Education Option: This course gives students the physical education 10 credit required for graduation. The emphasis of the course is to introduce students to alternative physical activities outside of traditional PE programs, with an additional focus on environment and sustainability. Activities in the course include: backpacking, kayaking, orienteering, rock climbing, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, trail running, etc. A willingness to be in the outdoors is a requirement for admission. Students must be willing to challenge their physical and emotional self. For more information, please contact Mr. Kuniss.