Oh... To be a STAR at Sullivan Heights

In spite of the labour unrest being played out on the political stage of public education, good things are still happening. Our students are safe, teachers are teaching, activities are being organized, students are being engaged and learning is evident.

Here are some highlights from semester I at Sullivan Heights. Thank you to our Sullivan Heights Department Heads for celebrating and highlighting our Sullivan Height’s successes. 

SCIENCE

Some successes in Science this past semester include:

• Preparing for the Michael Smith Science Challenge
• Extensive use of Gizmos and guest speakers
• Our very own Ms. Rogerson allowing us to ultra sound her to educate students on pregnancy and fetus growth
• Using twitter as a communication tool in all classes
• A successful grade 7 to 8 transition project

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

This past semester Ms. Painchaud has been very busy organizing and orchestrating the implementation of our Technology Grant.  We are all very impressed with Ms. Painchaud’s efforts to education and enlighten us on our new journey. We are all very excited about what’s new on the technology front. For the best updates regarding our grant progression, visit our newspaper at

http://paper.li/painchaud_n/1322108217

http://sullivanheights21stcentury.blogspot.com/

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Congratulations to our Physical Education Department on a great semester. A special thank you to the recent teacher additions of Mr. Davis, Mr. Dewinetz and Ms. Vaters and of course a thank you to student teacher’s Ms. Fowler and Ms. Dalzel and their work orchestrating the memorable Zumba dance unit.

This past semester:

• field trips included: skating, broomball, curling, golf, martial arts, rock climbing, grouse grind, orienteering, gymnastics, bowling, skim boarding, beach volleyball, and billiards.
• we had out very first “Get Fit” senior girls PE class with Ms. Phillips. The feedback to date is overwhelmingly positive and we’re hoping for at least 1 block per semester next year.
• we had weekly block-wide fitness days featuring; strength, endurance, agility, balance circuits, aerobics, and running
• we redesigned and revitalized our "Sulli Fitness Centre"
• we had period-wide, peer-led activity days
• we had department-wide, student and teacher assessment interviews
• we had ongoing development of our future ping-pong Olympian

BASES

New to our BASES program this past semester is the BASES blog entitled Buzz in BASES. The ‘Buzz in BASES’ Blog was born on September 1, 2011 at a Professional Development Day on Technology. It has been a perfect vehicle for the BASES Teachers to communicate to parents and inform them of the activities and events in the BASES class.  It is written by BASES Teachers but often includes writing excerpts from students.  Subscribers to our BLOG have even posted personal comments for our students, which has been exciting for them.  On our BLOG, we have the opportunity to display student work and include highlights in BASES from one week to the next.  We have included our favorite recipes from our cooking and baking program.  Finally, information about upcoming field trips and community outings is shared.  Most importantly, Buzz in BASES allows subscribers to catch a glimpse into the wide variety of learning and fun we have on a daily ‘basis’.  For updates see http://buzzinbases.blogspot.com/

           

            

CAREER PROGRAMS

Grad Transitions Interviews will be held on Feb 15^th  and 16^th with all grade 12's completing an exit interview with a teacher, administrator, or community member. 

This past semester we successfully saw students gain admittance to these district programs:  Automotive Service Technician Program, Plumbing Program, Culinary Arts and Hairdressing Program and also the RCMP Police Observer Program. 

Our Career department also hosted the first annual Drop it and Drive Presentation for risks associated with distracted driving.

Health and Career Ed 8/9 first semester activities included:

• Grade 8 Retreat - Team Building
• Grade 8 - Anti Smoking Presentations   
• Grade 9 - Anti Drug Presentations
• Grade 8/9 - Career Avenues in Science and Technology Presentation

MODERN LANGUAGES

‪Spanish

Our Spanish 11 class is proud to have modelled an approach that encouraged students to communicate using as much Spanish as possible.  This approach saw students speaking over 90% of all spoken words in Spanish. Students finished the course speaking more Spanish than ever. Our students commented that they found themselves thinking and writing in Spanish outside the classroom. 

French

This past semester our French classes used:

• student input on feedback and assessment criteria. This gave students a sense of ownership in the assessment process, and made them far more effective in providing peer feedback.
• Twitter and Google Docs for student homework, assignments and study & supplementary resources.
• www.socrative.com for student input & participation (similar to iClickers but using any internet enabled device).
• www.storybird.com for collaborative storytelling.
• www.voicethread.com for online discussions and responses to questions posed by students.
• more Technology–related tools  like iPods, iPads, cell phones, desktop computers, etc.
• Google Forms to survey grade 11 students at the end of the course with the outcome being many students commenting on how different the collaborative, technology-based projects were and how much they liked them. 

For more information and updates go to:

http://digitallanguagelearning.blogspot.com

http://snfteacher.blogspot.com

http://mrdavisfrenchclass.wikispaces.com/

VISUAL ARTS

We’re proud to say that grade 12 student Thomas Nelles received post-secondary admission to a visual arts program at Parsons (New York), University of Chicago and Emily Carr University.  Thomas also was awarded a significant commission from DIVERSECity (Surrey) to create the city's first digital outdoor mural near the Newton Bus loop. Parts from his overall design will be used to create street banners, which will line the streets of Newton, this summer.  

We are also very proud of the Visual Arts students who swept this year's Royal Canadian Legion Remembrance Day poster contest (Surrey level), winning first prize in three of four categories.  Congratulations to Lazar Savic who took first place for his Sr. Black & White poster. This is his third consecutive first prize standing!  Congratulations also to Joy Penpenia who won first place for her Sr. Colour poster.  Last year, Joy took second place at the Nationals for her intermediate Black  after achieving first place at the Surrey, Peace Arch Zone and Provincial levels.  Congratulation also go out to newcomer, Sage Stevenson (Grade 8), who took first place with an intermediate Black & White.  And finally congratulations to Teresa Lam (Grade 11) for coming in second place for Sr. Black & White.

PERFORMING ARTS

Drama

This past semester success includes the drama show “Fawlty Towers”. The performance was very entertaining and had a feature story in the Surrey “Now”. They had three night performances in December as well as a matinee in which they performed for the elementary schools.

 

Music

The Music Department had a fantastic performance on December 13^th for the annual winter concert. They did a great job performing and raised approximately $230.00 for the Surrey Food Bank.

Dance

January has been a very busy month for the dance department. They performed at “Breakout” a competition here in Surrey, at the “Strictly” dance competition where the students placed very well.  Jacob Soriano and Jesko Guiang and Erik Perena were featured performers at the ‘Strictly” dance competition.  As well, the students recently had their semester end dance show, which was very well attended. The students did most of the sound at the Bell Centre so that is a great achievement for them.

We look forward to our performing Arts Department providing more excellent opportunities for our students to showcase their talents.

HOME ECONOMICS

Semester I highlights include:

The use of Technology ... such as: 

• the use of Online Digital Database, Learn 360 and Discovery Schools, downloading and using them in Tourism 12.
• the use of Document Reader in Tourism 12, Sociology 12 and Foods 12.
• the use of an LCD to present theory and DVD’s in all areas and grade levels of Home Economics.
• research based assignments at all grade levels using different subject related websites including Foods and Nutrition, Sociology and Tourism.
• the use of Smart Board for student media and Young Adulthood presentations in Sociology 12.
• the use of Live Binders in Tourism and Foods.
• using YouTube and Facebook for assignments in Tourism and Sociology 12.
• researching ways to integrate the applicable use of ipads in Home Ec. 
• fostering social networking etiquette conversations and assignments related to speakers in HACE.

Curriculum

• A class quilt was created in textiles by all class members including BASES students, SEAs and our textiles teacher.
• More collaboration among department members, sharing of resources and team planning with new teachers
• using an Aboriginal Education Speaker in Sociology 12 (Mr. Yellowfly) who presented for four hours in total to two Sociology classes.  Students learned about the medicine wheel and the holistic approach to living.  Dallas also addressed stereotypes and myths associated with First Nations Culture.
• incorporated the use of the Simulation Baby which taught students how difficult teenage parenting can be.
• Two children’s Christmas parties were planned, organized and implemented by Sociology students for children, birth to ten years in our community and the BASES students at Sullivan.
• A Thanksgiving dinner was prepared and served by the Senior Foods Class.
• Field trips for tourism students included: the Peace Arch Travel Information Centre, Peace Arch Park, various venues downtown including The Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, The Spaghetti Factory, Robson Square, The Hyatt, and Kyoto Sushi.
• continued to use Developing Reader’s strategies for all our curricular areas.
• used AFL rubrics and activities – Sociology, Tourism and Foods 12 classes participated in interviews to assess the number of learning outcomes they have achieved by interim time and end of the semester.

TECHNOLOGY

Some notable success in Technology include:

• Congratulations to our electronics students who under the direction of Matthew Knight's (grade 11) leadership managed to break a glass at 1325 Hz / 130 dB and also, a job very well done for building a foxhole radio out of random simple electronics components found in a WW I bunker.
• Having a senior engineer from MDA Corp (Space arm people) come to Sullivan Heights to talk about the importance of Imagination and shop skills.
• Congratulations to drafting students who under Navtej Heir' s (grade 11) leadership built a solid model of a Lego helicopter and then made an animation in 3D Studio Max. This was a major accomplishment that required a lot of dedication.
• Congratulations to Lazar Savic (grade 11) and Zac Jewell (grade 12) for their combined efforts in designing and building a prototype steel catapult, which can be used by district wide students as a project in metalwork.
• Congratulations to Codye Brown (grade 12) and Justin Stapleton (grade 12) who designed and built a TV stand for P.E. Dept.
• And finally, congratulation to our robotics design team who successfully used their robot to shoot Sully T-Shirts in audience at our Pep Rally.

ATHLETICS

The winter season has been a wonderful reflection of the growing participation of staff and students in our school's success. A huge thank you goes out to the 6 staff members who volunteered their time to coach: for basketball, Mr. Davis – Gr 8 boys, Mr. Pederson - Jr Boys, Ms. Phillips - Jr Girls, Mr. Atwal and Mr. Ranu - Sr Girls, and for hockey, Mr. Vaughan.  A thank you goes out to Mr. Neufeld former for sponsoring two teams coached by former grad Mr. De La Cruz and our Sr. Boys and to our current student council president Navneet Sekhon for coaching the Gr 8 Girls basketball team. This collection of coaches spends an enormous amount of time in our school interacting with players as students and people first, athletes second. This has led to an amazing change in the community feeling around our teams and the members of one team are often found supporting the other teams in the stands and through our social media twitter stream @teacherneuf. The Jr. and Sr. girl’s teams are seeing great success in the tiered system, and the other ball teams are working hard in the top level of competitive Surrey basketball. Our hockey team continues to be a young group that has been battling admirably against much older, larger and experienced squads in the top tier of the league. A huge thank you to our leadership class who continue to support through set up and scorekeeping and we have had a number of students and staff put in time as referees as well. We are about to host our third basketball tourney of the season (Jr Girls) to help fund the Sr. Boys trip to Maui in December. 

Spring coaches are almost set up and the teams will be moving into high gear in the next few weeks with Badminton, Rugby, Girls soccer, Ultimate, Track and Field, and the golf/tennis club all get going. 

Identify the stakeholders…       Trust the process…      Trust the people…        Edu-Bring…