LION TALES
ADAM SCOTT C.V.I.
An Information Newsletter to Parents
Karin Russell, Vice-Principal Craig Allan, Principal Bill Mitchell, Vice-Principal
Sharron Hatton, School Council Chair April 2006
Adam Scott C.V.I./I.S. has a focus on student achievement with clearly stated expectations and equitable assessment guidelines. This mandate will be met within a purposeful learning atmosphere that is free from the threat of physical or emotional harm, delivered within a climate which is supportive of curriculum and instruction, and addresses the learning needs of both staff and students.
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
It is hard to believe that we are now half way through semester II or approximately three quarters of the way through the school year. It seems like just yesterday that I was commenting on the start up of school.
At this time of year we are actively planning for next year through the development of the school subject timetable. The school timetable is generated with the assistance of a computer program to give the greatest number of students their timetable choices on an appropriate schedule with no conflicts. A conflict arises when a student choice is scheduled at the same time as one or more of their other choices. If this occurs then the student can still take the one choice but must choose another course to complete the timetable.
When building a timetable and actually placing a course in a specific period and semester, many things must be taken into account. These include room/facility availability, teacher availability, class size limits, course sequencing and the number of sections of that course. When all of these factors are taken into account, the computer program will place the course in the period available where the largest percentage of students can get the course. In a school with a large population (1000+ students) it is easy to timetable 85% of the students into subject choices. Adam Scott will have approximately 800 students next year and as such the number of sections of courses offered will be smaller and the timetabling success rate will fall to approximately 72%. This means that about 220 students will have to be called to the Guidance Office in the Spring in an effort to resolve their timetable conflicts.
I have outlined this process to bring to your attention the importance of students choosing the correct options (prior to timetabling) and to explain why smaller schools tend to offer fewer options. With a population of 800 students a good mix of course options is still available but student timetable conflicts will become more prevalent.
We hope to have the student timetables completed by the end of May. This will allow our Guidance staff time to work with students on any timetable conflicts and to allow for timetable refinement. We will be communicating to students that all timetable changes are to be made in the Spring so that in September we can timetable students newly enrolled to the school. Student timetables will only be changed in the Fall for purely academic reasons.
Next School Council Meeting
May 29, 2006 - 6:45 p.m. - Adam Scott Library
FOOTBALL FIELD:
If you have been out to our football field recently, you probably viewed a prairie of mud. Three quarters of this field contains no grass at all and the rest contains more weeds than grass. The Board is to begin a program this year of field repair and I am pleased to announce that Adam Scott has been placed at the top of the list. I am hopeful that you will soon see excavators on the field tearing up the old, replenishing it with new top soil and seed, followed by a summer of irrigation and growth. The field will be closed to community use during the summer.
TEXTBOOK DEPOSITS:
As reported in the news, our Board of Education recently rescinded the process of requiring a textbook deposit ($30.00) from secondary students. We plan on returning this deposit (minus any fees for lost books, etc.) in early July with student report cards.
MESSAGE FROM VICE-PRINCIPAL, MR. BILL MITCHELL
Congratulations go out to all the students who participated in the EQAO Literacy Test on March 29th. Thanks to all the teaching staff who worked so hard to help prepare our students for the day of the test. Visitors to Adam Scott were very impressed with the effort and focus of all our students towards making the Literacy Test a successful day. I am pleased to see that so many of our Adam Scott students took the test seriously and prepared in a diligent fashion. We are anxiously awaiting results from the Ministry of Education which should be available later this school year.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Adam Scott school community for the warm welcome which I have experienced. Adam Scott is an outstanding school – the commitment to the school life by staff, parents and students is amazing. It is a true pleasure to work here. I have had the opportunity to meet many new people over the past two months and I look forward to meeting many more. There is no question in my mind that Adam Scott is a truly outstanding school both within the KPR Board and Provincially.
Sports and activities just underway and coming up during the month of May include Golf, Tennis, Rowing, Track & Field, Boys’ Rugby, Girls’ Soccer, the ASCVI Fashion Show, the Regional Envirothon competition and several field trips including a visit to the Wolf Centre at the Haliburton Forest.
ADAM SCOTT STUDENTS WIN BIG AT PETERBOROUGH REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR
Congratulations are extended to five Adam Scott Secondary students for their highly successful results at the 36th annual Peterborough Regional Science Fair held this April 11th at Trent University. All four secondary projects that were entered cam away winners!
Andrew Olson placed first in the Senior Computing Division with his project entitled: “The Facial Frontier: Reading and Recognizing”. He also garnered the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Innovation Award and a Trent University Science Fair Award towards tuition costs.
The project “The Myelin Project: Myelin Regeneration and Restoration following Demylenating and Dysmylenating Diseases” by Samiah and Rabiah Alam won second prize in the Senior Biological Division.
Kelsey Moloney received a Bronze in the Intermediate Physical Sciences Division for her project “Optimizing the Throwing Distance of a Medieval Siege Engine” amongst strong competition.
Sabheen Khan placed first in the Intermediate Biological Sciences Division with her project “Osteoporosis”. She also received the Sci-Tech. Ontario Stepping Stone award and a berth to the Canada-wide Science Fair to be held this May in Sagueney, Quebec.
Ms. Ginn would like to acknowledge the excellent support and supervision by members of our Science Department, especially Mrs. Davidson, Mrs. Lasenby and Mr. MacMillan-Jones.
With these results, Adam Scott continues its tradition of excellence in Science Fairs. Well done all!!
We wish the best of luck to Sabheen at Canada-wide!
MOCK INTERVIEWS WERE A SUCCESS....AGAIN!!
With the start up of second semester, Adam Scott’s Co-op students were once again busy preparing for their placement interviews. As part of this process, students must practice their interview skills and the Peterborough community was there to help.
On Tuesday, February 14th, twenty-five volunteers from the business and professional community conducted MOCK INTERVIEWS, usually at their places of business. These volunteers, mostly Rotarians, give our students the practice they need to hone their interview skills. Consequently, students receive professional interviews and invaluable tips on interview preparation and presentation. Nothing could better prepare these students for the often competitive interviews that they face for their Co-op placements.
Thank you to all who generously donated their time to help with the mock interviews and to Peterborough Rotarian Rick Storey and Kawartha Rotarian George Rankin who both assisted greatly in the promotion of this program within their membership. Specific thanks go to Rotarians Bob Angione (Coyle Corrugated), Jon Bryan (Mexicali Rosa’s), Gene Canning (Employment Support Program), Ken Clare (Brown Business Equipment), Bill Cole (Swish Maintenance), Paul Darby (President and CEO of PRHC), Susan Fairs, Gord Fallen (Scotia McLeod), Lloyd Graham, Paul Hartung (Trent Valley Literacy), Pat Hooper (St. Joseph’s Care Foundation), Norm Kastner (CIBC), Dave Martin (Canada Broker Link), Joe McCulloch (Vincent Press), Bill Morrison (Best Western Otonabee Inn), Ken Seim (MNR), Amy Simpson (Microage), Lorraine Skipwith (PCCHU), Morgan Smith (Sign-a-rama) and Stephen Vass. Thank you also to Janet Dryden, Peter Haensel, Carolyn Haight, Bill Mitchell and Marilyn Tudhope.
The Mock Interviews were a success due to the tremendous support of the Peterborough community.
Thanks!
Catherine Delorme - Co-op Teacher
IMPORTANT DATES
April 28 - Marks Due to OCAS & OUAC
May 17 - Spring Music Concert - 7:30 p.m. -
Adam Scott Auditorium
May 22 - Victoria Day Holiday
May 29 - School Council Meeting - 6:45 p.m. - ASCVI Library
June 9 - Adam Scott Formal
June 12 - 20 - Activity Moratorium
June 21 - Last Day of Classes - Secondary
June 22, 23, 26, 27 & 28 - Secondary Exam Days
June 30 - P.A. Day (for both panels)
July 6 - Final Report Cards - available for
pick up (8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.)
July 7 - School Office Closes
August 28 - School Office Reopens
