Key Dates For April

April 2: Destination Imagination

Provincial Tournament in Toronto

April 4: Reconciliation @ BSCH

April 5: Graduation meeting with gr.

12 students (during period 2)

April 6: Lenten Mass @ 9:45 a.m.

April 11: Gr 9 Badminton @ BSCH

April 13: Gr. 10-11 badminton @

FHS

April 13: Way of the Cross Assembly

April 19: Varsity badminton @ VHS

April 20: Parent Meeting from 6:30-

7:30 p.m. for those students

interested in attending the 2018

Dominican Republic Mission trip

April 21: Gr. 9-12 Midterm report

home with students

April 25: Parent Council Meeting @

5:30 p.m.

April 26: Gr. 8 Badminton @ FHS

April 28: Spring Dance for grs 8-12

from 7:30-11:00 p.m.

Well it certainly is good to have the strange weather of February & March out of the way!

With four “Inclement Weather” days this semester, we are now slightly re-adjusting our

internal school calendar to ensure that we maximize classroom time to make up for the lost

instructional days. Typically a semester is only ninety-five school days long, and while four

lost days may not seem like much, when added to time out-of-class for extra-curricular

events, field trips, etc., it quickly adds up and can begin to impact the coverage of the course

material.

As you will notice in the “Key Dates” section, April is another busy month @BSCH (hence

the small font to fit all the activities in) . Some of the events, however, are planning sessions

(for graduation, and for the 2018 Dominican Republic Experience mission

trip) and at the end of the month we will be having a school dance to

celebrate the arrival of Spring!

Hopefully April “showers” will only be of rain and they will indeed bring

out the May flowers!

Did You Know? School Cl imate Survey Results

A Message From the Admin Team

Every two years, the Ministry of Education requires that each school in Ontario conduct a

school climate survey for the purposes of assessing perceptions of safety, making informed

decisions about programs to help prevent bullying and to promote safe and inclusive schools.

The survey results then assist with determining the effectiveness of school programs, and

with building and sustaining a positive school climate.

The data collected is also integrated into the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and is aligned

with the RCCDSB’s new strategic plan addressing wholeness & wellness, achievement &

potential, dignity & belonging, and witness & integrity.

Our most recent data was collected by the RCCDSB Safe Schools team in spring 2016 as all

BSCH students completed a School Climate survey when they did course selections. The

data was then compiled by grade level and it was analyzed by Mrs. Sandy Brannan (RCCDSB

Safe School Coordinator) and Mrs. Erin Flynn Kraftchick, (BSCH teacher). In January the

data was shared with the BSCH staff (for SIP purposes) and it has also been shared with the

School Council members.

Some key “student” recommendations from the Survey can be found on the next page:

Bishop Smith Catholic High School Newsletter

April 2017 Volume 3, Issue 8

BISHOP IN BRIEF

362 Carmody Street,

Pembroke, ON K8A 4G2

Tel: 613-735-5496

Fax:- 613-735-9272

bsch.rccdsb.edu.on.ca

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RCCDSB School Cl imate Results Continued

Some Important Information for Graduates! !

On Wednesday April 5th

during period 2 ,all grade

12 students will meet in

the cafeteria for a

“Graduation Assembly”.

At the meeting we will

review graduation

requirements, discuss

awards & scholarships,

and the graduation Mass

(June 8 a.m.) @ St.

Columbkille’s Cathedral),

Practice (June 8 p.m. @

Our Lady of Lourdes

Church) & Ceremony

(June 29 @ 7:00 p.m. @

Our Lady of Lourdes

Church).

We will also discuss the

Grad Dinner & Dance

(the evening of June

10th) and the rationale

behind the Student

Contract.

To help keep track of all

the information, each

student will receive some

explanatory handouts

and parents will be sent

the same handouts via

email.

Only three more months

to go until Graduation

for the

Student Recommendations:

Mock exams in the classroom before the actual exam period (particularly

important to grade 9 students)

Study tips and supports for younger students from older students

More presentations from Student Services

Activities and team-building exercises when transitioning from grade 8 to

grade 9, as well as a way to counter stressful times of year for students in

the older grades

More opportunities to receive extra help from teachers outside of

traditional class time (during lunch time, for example)

Students want to feel a “connection” to their teachers, peers, and other

staff members. When they perceive “enthusiasm” and “openness”, they

will be more likely to begin to establish caring and trusting relationships

with others that can be maintained over time.

The importance of staff who are “aware” of what is happening in the

classroom and school environment and “take action” (being involved in

the life of the school, standing up against bullying, etc)

Destination Imagination

The Destination Imagination pro-

gram encourages teams of learn-

ers to have fun, take risks, focus

and frame challenges while incor-

porating STEM (science, technol-

ogy, engineering, and mathemat-

ics), the arts and service learn-

ing. Participants learn patience,

flexibility, persistence, ethics, re-

spect for others and their ideas

and the collaborative problem

solving process as 21st century

learners.

Best of luck to the BSCH “The

Bee Cheese”, “Bishop Brain-

stormers” & the “Kids on the

Wall” teams at the provincial

tournament in Toronto.

Parent Meeting

For those students who

are interested in going

on the Dominican Re-

public Experience mis-

sion trip in Feb. 2018, a

parent meeting will be

held on Thurs. April 20

from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in

the Robert Tate Li-

brary. We will discuss

the application and se-

lection process, as well

as trip specifics.