CLARKSON SECONDARY SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2018
Principal's Message
Dear Clarkson Families:
On behalf of the staff at Clarkson, I would like to wish all of our students and their families a wonderful summer break. It has been a busy year at Clarkson and this newsletter highlights the many activities and opportunities our Clarkson Chargers participated in during the second half of the school year.
For a small school, there are an extraordinary amount of clubs, teams and activities to get involved in. The dedication, innovation and grit of our Charger in academic, athletics and extra-curriculars is impressive and inspiring.
We are especially proud of our students for their dedication and involvement in our annual Cancer Drive in support of Camp Oochigeous. This year Clarkson S.S. raised over $28,000.00 for Camp Ooch. This is an amazing accomplishment for a school of just over 800 students. Students, staff and Clarkson families know that this is a special and extraordinary accomplishment. We are proud of the way our Chargers give to others.
Thank you to our staff and students for their hard work. Best wishes.
Mrs. Zammit
Principal
Staff Goodbyes and Welcome
This year Clarkson S.S. says goodbye to several of our most experienced and dedicated staff.
The following teachers have retired this school year:
Lynn Mark- English Teacher- 25 Years Teaching
Linda Luffman- Special Education and Guidance Department Head- 40 Years Teaching
Mark Ramsay- Math Teacher- 28 Years Teaching
Harold Udit- Math Department- 25 Years Teaching
Kevin Oikawa- Physics Teacher- 30 Years Teaching
We would like to welcome the following new members of the Clarkson S.S. staff:
Patricia Slavinski- Technology, Business and Art from Gordon Graydon S.S.
Jeff Miller- Physics and Science, from John Fraser S.S.
Tony Wang- Math, Science, ESL, previously short term assignment teacher now permanent contract teacher
Altheia Grant- Vice Principal new to Clarkson from David Suzuki S.S.
Gadar Petizian- Guidance Office Assistant, replacing Edain Asiri while on maternity leave
Goodbye and best wishes to the following staff who are leaving for new experiences or opportunities:
Nicolette Moretti- Business and Math Teacher is moving to John Fraser
Kristy Zammit- Vice Principal is moving to Peel Alternative School
Thank you and goodbye to the following teachers who were at Clarkson in short term teaching assignments in second semester:
Alice Kang – Physics and Science
Adel Kirollos- Technology and Business
Agnes Weclawska- English
Michaela Batke- French
Humera Qadeer- Math
Heather McCaw- Arts
Deepak Grover- Drama and Library
Carol Snyder- Guidance Office Assistant
Grad Breakfast
On June 18, 2018 we recognized the hard work and dedication of the Graduating Class of 2018 by hosting a grad lunch. Thank you to Mr. Zimmer, Ms. Batke and the new Student Executive Council for hosting the celebration.
Congratulations to the Class of 2018
We are so proud to see over 190 Clarkson Chargers receive their high school diplomas.
Graduates, throughout your time here, we hope you learned more about yourself, your friends, and the world around you. We hope that you recognize that while marks are important, who you are as a person is often a better indication of your success. At Clarkson we believe that as young adults, carrying the traits of integrity, honesty, kindness, caring, respect and responsibility will serve you well. You will contribute most to our society through your character, not through your academic achievements or future career. Each of you has something to offer and you can make an important difference in the lives of others.
We hope that when you look back on your years at Clarkson you remember the challenges and successes that you faced, and how these experiences made you stronger, wiser, more resilient …but most importantly how your experiences as a Charger made you humble and kind. We hope that you take these qualities with you wherever you go in life. Don’t be afraid to take new risks in your learning. Continue to grow in body, mind, and spirit. Always try to be the best person you can be and you will never disappoint yourself. Stay connected, remember your roots and visit us!
Watch CLARKSON S.S. Graduation live stream
Building and Facility Improvements
We are very excited that construction of the artificial turf field and 8 lane rubberized track has begun. When completed the facility will be an impressive track and field facility that our physical education classes and athletics program will benefit from.
In addition to the field, we are pleased that accessibility renovations will take place over the summer within the building.
The work will include:
* a two story addition to accommodate an elevator at the end of the Guidance hallway
* barrier free single stall washrooms on both the first and second floor addition
* the conversion of a storage space across from the main office into a barrier free, gender neutral, single stall washroom
* the refurbishment of the boys and girls bathrooms in the phys. ed hallway
* the redesign of the north east entrance of the cafeteria to allow for a platform and lift to make the lower level of the cafeteria and the stage accessible and barrier free
* refurbishment of the boys and girls bathrooms on the first floor
The entire project is expected to be completed for the start of the 2018/2019 school year. We do not expect any disruption to our existing school routines.
Please note that some of the parking spaces in the front lot will be fenced off to allow for bins and other construction materials. Staff who park in these areas may need to move their vehicles to other available parking spots.
The safety of our staff, students, parents and visitors is always a top priority. The construction crews will take all necessary precautions to ensure the work area is properly blocked off and safety measures are in place. Once construction begins, I ask that students staff, and parents refrain from using the entrance on the North East side of the school (near Guidance) and abide by the posted signage on the fenced construction area.
As you may have noticed construction of the artificial turf field and rubberized track has also begin. The expected completion date is mid October.
These improvement are positive changes for our school and will improve the overall working and learning conditions of staff and students.
Clarkson Celebrates 50 Years!
Clarkson Secondary School was established in 1969. We are a school rich in pride, traditions and academic and athletic excellence. We look forward to celebrating 50 years of Charger Pride on May 25, 2019. More information will be provided to the community in the near future.
English & ESL
Ms. Twizere’s Grade 11 University English classes recently created their own documentaries after a study of the genre. They tackled issues such as student stress and scheduling, Ramadan, grief, student athletics, and various interests. One group even decided to make a “mockumentary” about exam stress.
Check out Philip’s documentary on music, entitled “Is it a banger?”:
Ms. Fryer and Ms. Gonzales-Fadel’s Grade 12 University English Classes for International Students caught the acting bug and rehearsed and performed their own renditions of scenes from Ins Choi’s play, Kim’s Convenience as part of their study of the play. Some of them had never even acted before – so if this was their first time doing it, it may not be their last as their performances were convincing and believable!
Ms. Gonzales-Fadel’s Grade 12 University English classes also decided to make film masterpieces by adding a bit of a post-modern and contemporary twist to their understanding of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. Students took scenes from the original play and re-mastered it into more updated contexts, such as “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”, “Bollywood”, and “Home Alone” through scriptwriting and eventually filming and editing their final cuts.
Check out students’ Bollywood take on King Lear created by Abdus, Layla, Sana, Bilal, Mejgan, and Ahmed:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1keP49glTbY80rpenrIS8UXFCw6uyJEVq/view?usp=sharing
CLIMATE
Mental Health Week at Clarkson ran from May 7-11. We started our week with a “BYO-Blanket” school picnic at lunch, complete with free freezies, frisbee toss, and a visit from our friendly neighbourhood ponies – a good dose of sunshine definitely brought out good vibes for everyone.
The rest of the week was chock-full of activities focusing on mindfulness, wellness, and equity. Students and staff participated in a number of school-wide opportunities at lunch, including a paint lunch, Zumba, yoga, basketball, dog therapy, and teachers were able to sign their classes up for a variety of workshops facilitated by community representatives and guest speakers. Ms. Wong’s Grade 10 Business Class also helped us focus on being mindful about our eating choices by putting on a Healthy Food Fair during the week, where they made and gave out fruit and veggie inspired creations, everything from bean burritos to fruit sushi.
Things to look forward to in the future for Clarkson’s Climate will be our “Diverse Images of Success”. Students and staff have created plaques of successful people from a variety of fields and backgrounds, and these will be posted around the school to encourage and inspire student success. Be sure to look out for them as you’re walking through the school hallways.
Math & Computer Science
Computer Science
This year our grade 10 and grade 11 computer science classes have created a variety of autonomous robots to compete in different events. One challenge had them creating Sumo robots that were designed to push the others out of the ring. Another was a forklift challenge to lift and stack blocks taller than the robot themselves. With autonomous cars around the corner, these students are in a great position to build and code the robots of the future. The following are a few examples of some of their creations:
Science & Technology
Science
The Chargers Eco Team was successful in getting Clarkson Secondary School certified as an Ontario Eco School this year with Bronze status. We are looking forward to continuing this work next year, and getting more people involved in the school and community. Special recognition goes out to Eco Team student leader Fatima Sajid who did an excellent job in facilitating the on-site meeting and tour with the Ontario Eco Schools judges. Congratulations also go out to the other members of Mr. Uttamsingh’s Eco Team and environmental science class, as well as Mr. Chan’s Engineering Idol students and their invention of “plasticrete”. The Ontario Eco Schools representatives were very impressed with all of you. Well done!
EcoSchools
Many thanks goes to his and his eco-team’s hard work in sampling our school’s waste disposal and energy consumption throughout the year. He has also gathered work from all areas of the school that relate to environmentalism education. Mr. Chan’s Grade 11 Biology class has started to research on what to consider if our school was to start a community garden.
Adventures in Science
Ms. Haddad has been coordinating and running Adventures in Science in the month of May. Grade 6 students from our feeder schools have come in and experienced various science concept workshops with our Grade 11 and 12 students that were trained by medical students from the University of Toronto.
Peel Regional Science Fair
Our winners from Engineering Idol took their plastic infused concrete brick to the Peel Regional Science Fair this year, winning a bronze award and Most Innovative Project award from the University of Toronto. Their project has also gained the recognition of community members, and the team will be presenting their work with CRH Concrete and Cement company in June. The team is looking forward to gaining access to more testing equipment and continuing the patent process on their invention.
Rattray Marsh Field Trip
Mme. Heneault and Ms. Nadeau took our Grade 9 students to Rattray Marsh at the end of May to plant trees. This trip was coordinated with the Credit Valley Conservation to give students hands on experience in our work to monitor and improve our local ecosystems. Despite the heat, our students persisted and made it through the day!
New Physics Teacher
In our second semester, we bid farewell to Mr. Oikawa who is happily enjoying his retirement! We welcomed Ms. Kang in his stead, and she has done an excellent job continuing the delivery of our physics program at our school. In September, we will be welcoming Mr. Miller from John Fraser Secondary School. He is excited to bring lab ideas that will utilize computer probes to measure variables in labs, such as temperature and motion sensors. He is also an experienced track and field coach, and hopes to coach our students in next year’s track and field season.
New Science Award
We are excited to introduce a new award to our graduating students, specifically for one in the sciences. This award is intended to recognize a student that has demonstrated strong knowledge and skill in a variety of scientific disciplines, and has extended the use of their scientific knowledge and skills in science fairs, olympics, and other competitions.
Roller Coaster Project
Students were working on their culminating project where they have to make a roller coaster from scratch. Students had to apply Physics concepts and spend a lot of time to make one.
Technology
New Technology Teachers
In our second semester, we welcomed Mr. Kirollos to our technology and business programs. He brought his life and industry experiences into giving students a fresh perspective into our business, communication, and design technology classes. He has provided lots of support in introducing new software programs as well. In September, we will be welcoming Ms. Slavinski to be our new permanent arts, business, communication, and design technology teacher. She comes with much experience from Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School and a background from industry in graphics design.
Field Trips and Summatives
Mr. Petsinis and Mr. Drake also had the opportunity to take our Manufacturing Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) students to the Canadian Auto Show in Februrary, and then the Cadbury Chocolate Factory not long after. We look forward to many other field trip and out of school learning experiences in the coming school year.
Our Grade 9 technology students have also been launching carbon dioxide cartridge cars and water bottle rockets for their final summatives!
New SHSM Award
We are excited to have a new award this year for our graduates, specifically one for a student that has demonstrated excellence in his/her work and contributions to our school’s Manufacturing SHSM program!
Languages & Library
Languages
CINCO DE MAYO
CINCO DE MAYO (May 5th) celebrates the day the Mexican Army was victorious over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla. To mark this day, our junior Spanish students made piñatas and learned about its historical relevance. Our senior Spanish students learned how to prepare homemade salsa, tortillas, chicken quesadillas and tasty churros.
JOURNÉE INTERNATIONALE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE (March 20th)
JOURNÉE INTERNATIONALE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE (March 20th)is the day to celebrate the French language and Francophone culture. Our junior French students enjoyed freshly made gaufres and crêpes that were served with homemade whipped cream and sauces and topped with fresh fruits. They also tested their knowledge of the Francophone culture with interactive online games.
DAY OF PINK
The Peel District School Board recognizes Day of Pink as the “international day to celebrate diversity and inclusion to work towards ending homophobia, transphobia and all forms of bullying and discrimination.”
At Clarkson, students worked to raise awareness leading up to April 11th by challenging our way of thinking. Students baked treats, created an online game, provided a “sorry” box and gave away a book to those who donated. We raised $151 and all proceeds will be going to Rainbow Railroad which is a Canadian charitable organization. Rainbow Railroad helps lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals escape violence and persecution in their home countries.
WE CHARITY
CLK’s WE charity has been busy all year to helping others. In addition to our WE bake for CHANGE (bakes sales) and our annual WE scare HUNGER (food drive) our members held their annual WE create CHANGE spare change drive in support of the FIVE different pillars: education, clean water and sanitation, health care, food security, and alternative income.
On May 29th, Clarkson students took a “vow of silence” in support of the WE are SILENT campaign to turn up the volume on the struggles of young people fighting for their basic human rights. Students chose their reason for silence to help raise awareness for those who do not have the choice to ever have a voice.
Clarkson was also chosen to participate in the REEL CANADA Indigenous realities online course where we worked together with ten other schools across Canada. Students worked towards building intercultural understanding, empathy and mutual respect. This is part of our WE stand TOGETHER campaign. Students also held pizza days throughout the year to raise funds for INDSPIRE. This is an Indigenous-led registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. Their vision is to enrich Canada through Indigenous education and by inspiring achievement.
PROJECT MILK BAG
Students spent a minimum of 30 minutes during their lunch hour cutting milk bags into strips. They interloped these strips and rolled them into ball shapes for weaving. These rolled up strips will be taken to a nearby community centre where elderly volunteers weave these pieces into sleeping mats. Cutting up these bags can be challenging for senior volunteers so students help with this difficult task. Students learn the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling milk bags while helping create mats that are bug resistant and durable. Eventually these sleeping mats will be shipped to countries in need. Students not only helped others but also earned volunteer hours.
Grade 10 Immersion students were introduced to classic French novelists René Goscinny and Gaston Leroux. They also explored the world of media and entrepreneurship when they presented their charitable products to the Dragons Den.
Students in Grade 10 Histoire learned about the various battles, historical figures, and political changes that shaped our Canadian nation today. They partook in a variety of interactive activities, such as a World War I weapons auction where they played the roles of various participating countries and negotiated to build and prepare their armies. They also engaged in a realistic stock market simulation, including the crash of 1929!
The Grade 11 Immersion class explored francophone issues and their effects on the world, such as la banlieue. They enjoyed a café français to share the poetry they wrote and enjoyed Belgian waffles! The students were also introduced to a French literary classic when we read and analyzed the many themes in Le Petit Prince.
Library
From the Library Learning Commons (LLC)
In the Library Learning Commons, we provide an environment where students and staff engage in co learning while interacting with the technology, the space and each other. It has been a busy and exciting year! In the fall, we delivered two workshops to all grade 9 students: an introduction to the LLC and its resources and MLA citations. Additionally, senior students were offered refresher workshops on MLA 8 citation style. All new ELL classes were given a library orientation and a hands-on three-part workshop series on plagiarism, note taking and MLA 8 citations. We continued to liaise with Clarkson Public Library and all students were offered the opportunity to register for a free public library card and sign up for volunteer opportunities within the library system. Throughout the year, we delivered valuable workshops on MLA and APA citations, plagiarism, note taking, research skills, database searches, and the history and elements of the graphic novel, all while incorporating differentiation and technology in our lessons to ensure student engagement.
We have also hosted a number of exciting educational and social events. In December, we hosted the Hour of Code for CSS students well as the Hackathon to provide female students from Hillside Senior Public School an opportunity to learn how to code. We hosted Principal Receptions in both first and second semesters where we celebrated nominated students' successes. In both January and June, Ms. Moretti's grade 12 business students held their International Business Trade shows in the LLC. Students chose a Canadian company to export internationally to a country of their choice and other classes were invited to visit their trade show booths and 'invest' - using fake Charger money- in the company that had proven to be the best. In March, we invited guest authors Tory Woollcott and Kean Soo to share their graphic storytelling and art skills with several English and art classes. In April, Ms. Wong and Mme. Malmsten and their grade 10 civics classes held their Charity Fair here where students set up displays to advocate for their chosen non-profit charities and other classes in school were invited to learn about these many organizations.
The Library Learning continues to be developed into a transparent, open-concept space supporting collaboration and communication. We have continued to grow our book collection by attending vendor displays to make purchases to support curriculum as well as student and teacher requests. Our highly-digitized space has new computers in the lab and 10 additional chrome books so we now have 50 chrome books that are available to be signed out for use at school. We also have iPADS for students to sign out for use during the day. Mobile carts of laptops and chrome books are available for teachers to sign out to take to their classrooms. The computer lab is very well used and students are enjoying our collaboration tables outfitted with television screens as well as the laptop bar. For those students who need to work quietly and independently, we also have an excellent Study Hall adjacent to the library.
It has been a wonderful year in the LLC and we look forward to continuing our work with students and staff in the 2018 2019 school year.
Global Studies - Social Sciences, Business. Civics & Careers
This past May, Mr. Cowan, along with some visiting teachers from Saudi Arabia, took some Law and Social Science students down to the Old City Hall Courthouse in downtown Toronto. Students were able to experience navigating Union station in rush hour, enter the courthouse through security, meet with a court officer and learn about the role of court officers in the justice system. Additionally, Ms. Nevis the court house co-coordinator met with the students to share with them something of the buildings history and how the various courts functioned, they had free time to sit in different courtrooms (Arraignment court being universally popular) and then meet with Madame Justice Green of the Provincial Bench, who shared something of her role, and her career and her work on Social Justice. It was an enormously successful trip and plans are underway for next year!
On behalf of the staff and students of Clarkson, Mr. Cowan would like to thank Justice Donald McLeod from the Brampton Courthouse, both for speaking with students and inspiring and suggesting guest speakers for Clarkson's Black History Month Speaker series. Justice McLeod was an honest, frank, humorous and inspiring speaker and had a significant impact on all students who attended his presentation. We look forward to his return next year!
Once again planning for Clarkson's Biannual trip to the European Battlefields of World War One and Two has commenced and the response was overwhelming. This trip the students will be flying to England for two and a half days in London, and then hop on the Eurostar train under the English Channel to tour Belgium, Northern France and Normandy, ending in Paris with a side trip to Versailles! It promises to be as successful as the previous four trips and everyone is very excited. Stay tuned for updates!
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Creative Arts - Visual Arts, Drama, Music & Family Studies
Drama
There has been a lot of action in the drama studios this semester! Students have worked on mastering various dramatic forms, enhancing communication skills, exploring characters, writing scripts, and of course, acting!
Congratulations to all grade levels as they demonstrated a solid understanding of theatre through their Canadian Theatre performances and their Anthology and Docudrama creations. Working together each group collaborated to produce powerful performance pieces which explored some of the social issues that continue to plague our world today.
Thanks for your hard work everyone! Enjoy the summer and we’ll see you in the drama studios in the fall!
Music
Congratulations to the Music Council and the Music Chargers for a fantastic Spring Concert on May 17. With singers, pianists, guitar players and beat boxers we had everything but the kitchen sink. Many thanks to Mary, Radhika, Daria, James, Ethan, Nick, Sam, Sela, Rachel, Koops, Aileen, Duke, Joe, Marc and Melissa for inspiring us with their music. The choir blew us away with an astounding a cappella version of Stitches and the band closed the show with a hard-hitting and high-stepping set of movie scores and show tunes. Mrs. Zammit actually came down the aisle in a top hat and playing a kitchen sink - a real kitchen sink from IKEA and everything! A great way to bid our grads farewell and close one of our best performance seasons ever.
Visual Art
The art rooms are a splash of colour and are filled to the brim with wonderful works of art that are coming to a finish.
This term Grade 10 created Illuminated Letters and clay vessels inspired by Indigenous art from around the world. Grade 9 students created a clay creature based on their zodiac and spirit animal and radial linocut prints.
Student Art Auction
One of our talented students is auctioning her amazing artwork in support of charity. The pictures features are just some of the amazing pieces that will be auctioned.
Who: Charlie Stevenson, a Grade 11 Student at Clarkson Secondary School.
What: Art Show featuring original art work and photography by Charlie. You may bid on originals, purchase a print, or donate.
Why: Charlie is raising money for a trip to Ecuador with WE Charity to help local communities in the Amazon Rainforest and the Andes Mountains.
Where: St. Brides Church located at 1516 Clarkson Rd, Mississauga
When: Thursday, July 5th, 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
Family Studies
Family Studies, as part of the Creative Arts Department, were very excited to be a part of hosting Creative Arts Week at Clarkson in November. The Family Studies department brought in Professional Chef, Tonya Wilson, who hosted a Food Lab to provide students with an opportunity to ‘learn from a master’. She made delicious quesadilla’s and colourful Tex Mex Salad. She demonstrated how to quickly make a healthy meal, and how to bring more colour and taste, at the same time!
For Cancer Drive, our Family Studies partook in various activities, including baked goods from Food and Nutrition classes, as well as, fabric key chains from Fashion class. All in all, our classes raised $470 to go towards support children with cancer at Camp Ooch. We did it for the kids!!
Lastly, we are very excited and proud that the Family Studies Department will be offering the first ever Indigenous Studies course at Clarkson Secondary School, NDA3M0 Current Aboriginal Issues in Canada. We believe it is vitally important for students to learn about the history of Indigenous cultures in Canada in order for them to learn about the contributions, history, culture and perspectives of Indigenous peoples.
We are looking forward to next year and can’t wait to see where the year brings us!
Have a great summer, Chargers!
Ms. Nadeau and Ms. Soczek
The Grade 11 photography class clicked away and each student built up quite a beautiful repertoire of images, some of which were auctioned off at Cancer Drive’s silent photography auction, which raised just under $600.
Grade 12 art class embarked on a new medium –gouache – with some exciting results, while also working with traditional graphite to create some absolute masterpieces!
Physical Education & Co-op Education
Spring Sports
This spring Clarkson competed in the following spring ROPSSAA sports: badminton, cricket, varsity boys’ baseball, girls’ slo-pitch, track and field and both boys and girls’ senior soccer and boys’ lacrosse and co-ed ultimate frisbee. Congratulations to our boys’ baseball team who finished first in ROPSSAA South league play with a perfect 5-0 record and made it all the way to the semi-finals, losing a game in extra innings to David Suzuki. The senior boys soccer team finished in 3rd place in the ROPSSAA South league with a 4-1-1 record qualifying for the play-offs where they lost in the first round to a strong Port Credit team. The ultimate Frisbee team tied for first with a 6-1 record in ROPSSAA South West league play. Unfortunately they lost in the first round of the play-offs to Humberview 9-6. The senior girls soccer team beat Robert Hall 3-2 in the finals of ROPSSAA “AA” advancing to OFSAA in Windsor. Finally, our girls’ slo-pitch team team finished the regular season in third in their division with a 5-2 record. They went on to win the first three rounds to the play-offs before capturing silver in the championship game vs. Applewood.
FOUR CLARKSON TRACK ATHLETES QUALIFY FOR OFSAA SOUTH REGIONALS
Congratulations to Sandra Bojic, Jade Abreo, Zhemarion Simon and Lucas Machowski for qualifying for South Regionals held in Brampton. Sandra finished in 3rd place in the senior girls 3000 m, 4th in the open girls 1500 m, and in 5th place in the 1500 m at ROPSSAA. Jade Abreo was 6th in the midget girls 800 m and Zhemarion Simon was 3rd in the midget boys long jump at ROPSSAA. Lucas Machowski qualified for South Regionals by placing 3rd in the midget boys 3000 m and 4th in the 1500 m at ROPSSAA.
ATHLETIC BANQUET
The Clarkson Athletic Association put together an excellent awards banquet for all athletes. The banquet was hosted at Clarkson S.S. on June 13th , where athletes had the opportunity to enjoy food, awards and a dance.
CHARGER ATHLETIC AWARDS
Many of our outstanding athletes were recognized for their hard work and dedication. A Most Valuable Player and Most improved Player Award were presented to members of our teams. Twelve graduating Chargers were presented with Athletic Letter Awards for their outstanding contribution to Clarkson Athletics over their high school career.
Special congratulations go out to our Athlete’s of the Year:
Junior Female Athlete of the Year: Chantel Spalla
Junior Male Athlete of the Year: Lucas Machowski
Senior Female Athletes of the Year: Sandra Bojic
Senior Male Athlete of the Year: Jake Greenwood
Girls Soccer Team (OFSAA)
ROPSSAA Championship Team
Guidance, Special Ed., Credit Recovery, ILC, Student Success
Student Services Department
The Student Services Dept has worked hard this semester to prepare over 200 graduating students for the road ahead while busily making preparations for our incoming grade 9s. Both transitions are significant ones for students and we have all been working tirelessly to make them as smooth as possible. During these last few weeks our guidance counselors have worked tirelessly to create timetables for students for next year while also having meaningful conversations around present and future pathway options. We always encourage families to keep lines of communication open with our department so as to help us better plan for and support your child.
Members of our department have just recruited new student mentors for our upcoming, exciting second year of Link Crew, our leadership program that connects grade 9s to senior students. This is a great opportunity for hand selected senior students to take on a positive, mentoring role with students new to Clarkson next year. These Link Crew Leaders will be trained during the last week of August to welcome our Clarkson’s freshmen with open hearts and minds on their very first day of school.
Our Wellness Room has enjoyed its second year as a quiet and restful space where students and staff can go to seek solace. This year we had therapy dogs, Mindfulness Club meetings, and even the occasional department meeting in this bright and sunny space. We look forward to learning and practicing more ways to take pause, breathe, and be well.
Dana Garlock
Head of Student Services
Celebrating Lunar New Year at Clarkson
The International Program at Clarkson started off the second semester by celebrating Lunar New Year with the whole student population. During the lunch hour, the cafeteria’s festivities involved Asian crafts, an informative presentation and an endearing video of Lunar New Year greetings from administration and teachers. Students were entertained with international students sharing their talents of singing and playing the piano, guitar, and zither. Finally the celebration was completed with a plate full of Asian cuisine for all. Overall, the Year of the Dog was welcomed by all the Chargers with a fun, and festive spirit.
On February15th, many of the international students were invited to attend a Healthy Minds and Bodies Youth Conference hosted by Multicultural Settlement Education Program (MSEP). At a beautiful banquet hall in Mississauga, approximately 20 Clarkson students met with many other newcomers across Peel. Through listening to special speakers who shared their own personal journeys, students learned about the importance of a positive mindset as they transition into student life in Canada. Students were also provided with the opportunity to connect to various community services and enjoyed a tasty lunch.
The World of Welcome (WOW) orientation process progressed into second semester with a workshop on healthy eating. Students were able to demonstrate their cooking abilities by sharing their favourite healthy recipes. Other WOW topics involved renewing student visas and planning summer activities for the summer.
The International Club, meeting every Friday, continued to bring together newcomers and mainstream students. Closer connections were developed as many of our international students taught their native tongue (Mandarin, Japanese, Korean and German) to mainstream students. We celebrated these new partnerships with a field trip to Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto. A year-end party recognized the accomplishments of the student teachers and their students who committed themselves to the successful launch of this program in September 2017.
Finally, acceptances have poured in for graduates. Gaining a high school diploma in a new secondary language is a challenge, and our graduates should be proud of this accomplishment. Peel School for International Students wishes our graduating students health, happiness, and continued success, as they move onto their desired post-secondary institutions.