March, 2013

February was a busy month at Homelands year and we also welcomed our Police Liaison Constable Churley who met with the entire student body and shared important information related to Internet safety, etiquette, as well as the legalities arcyber bullying. Did you know that individualin response to a post that is mean spirited in nature. our guidance program reaffirmed their commiprepared to make to ensure bullying doesn’t happen. Here are some quotes from students: “I will not be a bystander and make a stand when bullying happens”, “I will role model”, “I will report bullying to a trusted adult”, “I will not post hurtful posts on the internet and wont like hurtful posts”, “I will SHOUT for those who can only whisper”, “I will treat people the way I want to be treated”, “I will take part in protests to stop bullying”. . . and more. Officer Churley will be with us again after March break talking with staff and students about the dangers of drugs. recognize that at both Homelands, and in the community we have a responsibility to build spirit in one another and stand up against intimidation and bullying. As a symbol of our commitment to one another and to show that we are part of something bigger stand together, we arranged to havelook as each piece of the mosaic is a picture of a Homelands’ student or staff. We are each part of something extraordinary On February 20th we transformed our gymnasium into a Rock Concert hall and had a performance from “Something’s Gotta Give”. Equipped with large speakers, professional lighting, smoke machines, and a multi-media back drop, students and staff heard great music and an even betpositive self-esteem, and taking action to make ofor some great pictures. And there’s more . . . . As part of our Black History Month celebration, we welcomed Leslie McMurchy to our school. She did an awesome presentation entitled, “The Spirit of Harriet Tubman.” Harriet Tubman , was a woman who led enslaved people to freedom along the Underground Railroad during the American civil war. Although Black History month is recognized around the world, it’s really about recognizing individuals who make a stand and are committed to making our world a better place, regardless of skin colour, religion, or beliefsdoing this all year long). There’s more. . . . . Thank you, Robert Lobovsky (Proud Principal)

HOMELANDS 2420 Homelands Drive

Mississauga, Ontario

L5K 1H

Phone (905) 822-2031

Superintendent: Wendy Dowling (905)

Our School website

February was a busy month at Homelands with lots of excitement. We had our second dance of the e also welcomed our Police Liaison Constable Churley who met with the entire student body

and shared important information related to Internet safety, etiquette, as well as the legalities arindividuals can be held accountable if they post a “like” on facebook

in response to a post that is mean spirited in nature. Students took this message to heartour guidance program reaffirmed their commitment to stop bullying by stating actions that they are prepared to make to ensure bullying doesn’t happen. Here are some quotes from students:

“I will not be a bystander and make a stand when bullying happens”, “I will be an ACTIVE, anti”, “I will report bullying to a trusted adult”, “I will not post hurtful posts on the internet and

, “I will SHOUT for those who can only whisper”, “I will treat people the way I want to be treated”, “I will take part in

ests to stop bullying”. . . and more.

will be with us again after March break talking with staff and students about the dangers of drugs. We are working hard to

and in the community we have a responsibility to build spirit in one another and stand up against intimidation and bullying. As a symbol of our commitment to one

that we are part of something bigger when we to have a mosaic created. Take a close

look as each piece of the mosaic is a picture of a Homelands’ student We are each part of something extraordinary☺You can see the picture outside the library!

we transformed our gymnasium into a Rock Concert hall and had a performance Give”. Equipped with large speakers, professional lighting, smoke machines,

media back drop, students and staff heard great music and an even betesteem, and taking action to make our world a better place. Look through

And there’s more . . . . As part of our Black History Month celebration, we to our school. She did an awesome presentation entitled, “The Spirit of

was a woman who led enslaved people to freedom along the Railroad during the American civil war. Although Black History month is recognized

around the world, it’s really about recognizing individuals who make a stand and are committed our world a better place, regardless of skin colour, religion, or beliefs (and we’re

There’s more. . . . . so read on . . . . . . ,

Proud Principal)

OMELANDS SENIOR PUBLIC SCHOOL Mr. Robert Lobovsky - Principal

Ms. Laurie Lambie – Office Manager

Mrs. Leslie Morrison – Office Assistant

(905) 366-8800 Trustee: Brad MacDonald

Our School website : http://schools.peelschools.org/1323

with lots of excitement. We had our second dance of the e also welcomed our Police Liaison Constable Churley who met with the entire student body

and shared important information related to Internet safety, etiquette, as well as the legalities around accountable if they post a “like” on facebook

Students took this message to heart, and through actions that they are

prepared to make to ensure bullying doesn’t happen. Here are some quotes from students:

be an ACTIVE, anti-bullying ”, “I will report bullying to a trusted adult”, “I will not post hurtful posts on the internet and I

You can see the picture outside the library!

we transformed our gymnasium into a Rock Concert hall and had a performance Give”. Equipped with large speakers, professional lighting, smoke machines,

media back drop, students and staff heard great music and an even better message about hrough this newsletter

And there’s more . . . . As part of our Black History Month celebration, we to our school. She did an awesome presentation entitled, “The Spirit of

was a woman who led enslaved people to freedom along the Railroad during the American civil war. Although Black History month is recognized

around the world, it’s really about recognizing individuals who make a stand and are committed (and we’re

Brad MacDonald (905) 828-6929

SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS On Thursday, February 28th we had another productive School Council meeting where we discussed upcoming events and activities at Homelands. Did you know that attending council meetings is a great way to keep in the know about what your child is doing at school. We also make key decisions about the allocation of fundraising

dollars to support student learning. Thanks to Mrs. Keller for pitching in and picking up drinks and snacks for our February dance. This month we were treated to a variety of Pita Pit Pitas as part of our process in deciding to offer students an alternative within our lunch program. Please note that if child-care is an issue, and preventing you from attending a meeting, please call the school and we will do our best to arrange for day care so you can join ~ free of charge ☺ Our next meeting is on Thursday, April 25th in the library. Everyone is welcome!

Good news and a sad farewell . . . .

We are happy to announce that Mr. Bruce Cabot has returned to Homelands and will be

teaching homeroom 801 once again! We also want to extend our great appreciation to Mrs.

Calderon who did such an awesome job teaching our senior students since September.

Mrs. Calderon was instrumental in leading our Black History month initiative and her

creativity and dedication will surely be missed. On behalf of Mrs. Calderon, a BIG thank

you to all the students and parents who sent her off with flowers and gifts. There were

plenty of tears last Friday!

Pushing Ahead As we continue to move through the second term of the school year at a rapid pace,

teachers and students at Homelands remain fixed on enhancing student learning, achievement and personal development. Students at all three grade levels continue to be immersed in cross-curricular lessons and activities aimed at improving reading

comprehension, critical literacy skills, including math literacy. Students are learning to better explain, support and apply what has been read, and to make connections among text, personal experiences and life situations. The focus of activities has been centred around a “big question” stemming from the Science Curriculum, with the grade 7 classes addressing “Why do things look the way they do?” and the grade 8s investigating the question “Does technology respond to identified needs, or does technology create the need?” Be sure to ask your child about their learning and related assessments.

Remember . . . . .March Break is fast approaching ~ March 11 to 15 inclusive!!

School Council 2012 2013 Name Position Donna Keller and Cheryl Haycraft

Chair Co-Chair

Shared responsibility (rotation)

Secretary Carlene Simpson Treasurer Robert Lobovsky School Principal Mike Doiu Teacher Community Rep. Council- non specific Romana Qazi, Trasi Arndt, Tong Liang, Tory Khan, Farah Azhar, Maxine Fytte-Roberts, Janine Calder, Yusuf Muradi, Ching Lee

Homelands is going Homelands is going Homelands is going Homelands is going skatingskatingskatingskating We are all skating this FRIDAY!!! So get your form in ASAP!!! This is going to be GOOOOD!

A few pics from our Second Dance :

Guidance Corner (Mrs. Onslow, Mrs. D'Orazio) "Something's Gotta Give," a multi-media group

performed an exciting concert type motivational presentation for Homelands. The message of everyone making a difference was presented in a way that all students could connect with and strive

for a better world. Students heard personal stories of challenges to

fight for equality, self identity and battle against bullying. Here’s Kendrick banging away on the skins!! March Break - Camp I Can is a three day (March 11-13) literacy, numeracy and technology camp run by Peel teachers for students in grades 7 and 8. It is designed to develop reading, writing

and technology skills in a creative way. Host schools include Edenwood M.S, The Woodlands Elementary, Thomas Street M.S. Students would be responsible for their own transportation. Camp fee is $10. Please see guidance to sign up.

And there’s Mrs. Chiodo moov’n and

a groov’n . . .what spirit!!

High School: Students are asked to inform Mrs. D’Orazio if they have changed their intended high school or high school options.

Black History Month On March 5th, Leslie McCurdy presents her highly acclaimed one woman play “The Spirit of Harriet Tubman”. With the 100th anniversary of her death approaching we celebrate her society overcoming oppression and adversity and standing up for what is right. Check out: http://www.biography.com/people/harriet-tubman-9511430

Canadian National Math League Contest

A huge congratulations to all of the students who wrote the CNML math contest on February 26th, 2013. Students were given only 30 minutes to complete a very challenge set of 35 multiple choice questions. These students were recommended by their math teachers to write the contest and all performed great at the very challenging event

The following list of students finished in the top 20 from our school

Over a quarter of our students Over a quarter of our students Over a quarter of our students Over a quarter of our students

participated in a provinceparticipated in a provinceparticipated in a provinceparticipated in a province----wide wide wide wide

math competition. Students math competition. Students math competition. Students math competition. Students

from all over the school from all over the school from all over the school from all over the school

focussed their attention and focussed their attention and focussed their attention and focussed their attention and

worked hard to do their best! worked hard to do their best! worked hard to do their best! worked hard to do their best!

Good luck, as we should find Good luck, as we should find Good luck, as we should find Good luck, as we should find

out soon how we did across Ontario!out soon how we did across Ontario!out soon how we did across Ontario!out soon how we did across Ontario!

VOTE FOR USThe students in Class 811 have entered a contest to win the “Coolest Field Trip” whereby they had to create a promotional video to advertise the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and Fortress Louisbourg in Nova Scotia. The students broke up into groups to write a script, research the area for the creative brief and then cast, film and produce the video.

The video, print and radio ads posted from other grade 8 classes across Canada are posted at the following website:

http:/ /contest.myparkspass.ca/en/vote

If you “search” for class name “811” you can see our class’s entry. Everyone with an email address can vote for their favorite advertisement between March 22 nd. Each email address is allowed to vote try to win a trip of a lifetime! Thanks

MUSICAL MUSICAL MUSICAL MUSICAL NOTESNOTESNOTESNOTES (Mr. Allen/Mr. Mick)(Mr. Allen/Mr. Mick)(Mr. Allen/Mr. Mick)(Mr. Allen/Mr. Mick)

Greetings from the music department. February gave us an

opportunity to explore the great music that has been contributed by

such musicians as Oscar Peterson, Aretha Franklin, Louis Armstrong, Duke

Ellington, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and many other g

popular musicians as we continue to

also honing our vocal and instrumental skills as we work on difficult band

arrangements and sing great arrangements of great Canadian artists. A reminder to

instrumental students to continue to practice diligently and to set realistic and

challenging goals for themselves. Hopefully as the weather gets nicer, the Grade 8's

will be able to March around the inside and the outside of the school as they

perform songs from their Marching Band unit and the Grade 7's will be able to bless

us with their wonderful tones as they prepare their "Chamber Music" unit.

From the Art Studio (Mr. Johnston) There is never a dull moment in the art room. The great 8 students were treated with a visiting artist, Catherine Heard. She came to us through a program at the Art Gallery of Mississauga and her specialty is art and medicine. Students produced two pieces

a skeleton was transferred onto canvas using an acrylic medium and a scratch board was made that will produce a white line drawing on a black surface. Students were presented with a little history of the art of dissection. Meanwhile the grade 7 students produced 2 watercolour painti

VOTE FOR US The students in Class 811 have entered a contest to win the “Coolest Field Trip” whereby they had to create a promotional video to advertise the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and

in Nova Scotia. The students broke up into groups to write a script, research the area for the creative brief and then cast, film and produce the video.

The video, print and radio ads posted from other grade 8 classes across Canada are posted at

http:/ /contest.myparkspass.ca/en/vote

If you “search” for class name “811” you can see our class’s entry. Everyone with an email address can vote for their favorite advertisement between Monday March 4 th

ach email address is allowed to vote ONCE per DAY so please help our class try to win a trip of a lifetime! Thanks

(Mr. Allen/Mr. Mick)(Mr. Allen/Mr. Mick)(Mr. Allen/Mr. Mick)(Mr. Allen/Mr. Mick)

Greetings from the music department. February gave us an

opportunity to explore the great music that has been contributed by

such musicians as Oscar Peterson, Aretha Franklin, Louis Armstrong, Duke

Ellington, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and many other g

opular musicians as we continue to celebrate "Black History Month". We are

also honing our vocal and instrumental skills as we work on difficult band

arrangements and sing great arrangements of great Canadian artists. A reminder to

ntal students to continue to practice diligently and to set realistic and

challenging goals for themselves. Hopefully as the weather gets nicer, the Grade 8's

will be able to March around the inside and the outside of the school as they

their Marching Band unit and the Grade 7's will be able to bless

us with their wonderful tones as they prepare their "Chamber Music" unit.

(Mr. Johnston)

There is never a dull moment in the art room. The great 8 treated with a visiting artist, Catherine Heard.

She came to us through a program at the Art Gallery of Mississauga and her specialty is art and medicine. Students

which will form a diptych. A photocopy of o canvas using an acrylic medium and a scratch

board was made that will produce a white line drawing on a black surface. Students were presented with a little history of the art of dissection.

Meanwhile the grade 7 students produced 2 watercolour paintings that shared

The students in Class 811 have entered a contest to win the “Coolest Field Trip” whereby they had to create a promotional video to advertise the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and

in Nova Scotia. The students broke up into groups to write a script, research the area for the creative brief and then cast, film and produce the video.

The video, print and radio ads posted from other grade 8 classes across Canada are posted at

If you “search” for class name “811” you can see our class’s entry. Everyone with an email th and Friday,

so please help our class

Greetings from the music department. February gave us an

opportunity to explore the great music that has been contributed by

such musicians as Oscar Peterson, Aretha Franklin, Louis Armstrong, Duke

Ellington, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and many other great Jazz and

celebrate "Black History Month". We are

also honing our vocal and instrumental skills as we work on difficult band

arrangements and sing great arrangements of great Canadian artists. A reminder to

ntal students to continue to practice diligently and to set realistic and

challenging goals for themselves. Hopefully as the weather gets nicer, the Grade 8's

will be able to March around the inside and the outside of the school as they

their Marching Band unit and the Grade 7's will be able to bless

us with their wonderful tones as they prepare their "Chamber Music" unit.

characteristics with the Cubist artist Pablo Picasso. The theme was still life (bowl of fruit or a vase with flowers) and then they broke up the picture surface into planes to make it appear somewhat abstract. We will continue investigating abstract painting with acrylic paint and then we move on to sculpture.

Here’s some of the art that students are creating at Homelands . . . it’s abstract and it’s good!

70 HOUSE French 701/702/703: We are in the middle of our unit on Winter Destinations, in which students will begin making postcards of a weekend getaway to a destination of their choice. As part of the projects, students will study different cultures and their wintery way of life (activities, cuisine, etc.) Language Arts 701/702: We are currently reading "The Diary of Anne Frank" as a class novel study. Students are becoming immersed in life in the "Secret Annex" of the Frank family. As an added bonus, they are also learning about history and geography by examining World War II. Students are also working on identifying point of view through a project entitled "The Story of Stuff", which examines the life cycle of various consumer products and the effect on our environment. 703: Students are concluding their work surrounding the guiding question, “What are the consequences of the stuff we buy and use?”. We have looked carefully at indentifying impacts, and identifying stakeholder who are affected by these impacts. We have focused on the point-of-view of various stakeholders, and written in support, or to challenge particular points of view. Students have created storyboards outlining their science investigations, and we hope to be able to create short documentary videos of this work. We have also begun looking at, and writing poetry. Math (702, 703): In 70 house we have been working hard on finishing the patterning unit. Specifically, determining number sequences and patterns. We have used several strategies to solve these problems including a table of values, scatter plots and determining the rules using mathematical sentences. Next, students will complete a summative task, where they create and analyze their own patterns. After the break, we will begin 3D Measurement, finding the volumes and surface areas of right prisms with bases that are parallelograms, triangles or trapezoids (the shapes were worked on in 2DMeasurement in term 1) Science (702/703): Classes are wrapping up the Pure Substances and Mixtures strand. Recently groups designed their own FAIR TESTS, to finds out the fastest way to dissolve a sugar cube in 100 ml of water. We next being our unit called HEAT (Energy in the Environment) Math (701/713): Students will continue to work on Patterning and Algebra (i.e., solving equations) leading up to March break. I’m pleased to report that students, overall, scored well on a recent performance task (e.g., comparing Amusement Parks) where they applied their knowledge of algebraic expressions and used their skills to graph linear relationships. After March break, we will be starting the Measurement unit, exploring Volume and Surface area of right prisms using 3D models. Math Blitz Mondays will continue in March and April, aimed at improving basic adding and subtracting computation skills. *Lunch tutorials are scheduled for Day 1 and Day 4☺☺☺☺

Science (701/713): Students have reached the midpoint in the Heat unit. They are gearing up for their rich design task, “Ice Ice Baby Insulator” due the week after March break. Students are expected to design, build, test and promote an insulator that will withhold a block of ice for at least 4 hours. Please monitor and support your child during this hands-on, explorative learning task. We will continue to explore heat capacities through various in-class experiments and examine how heat, as an energy source, impacts our daily lives. *Lunch tutorials are scheduled for Day 1 and Day 4☺☺☺☺ Drama (703): We are still involved in DANCE. Student groups are in the midst of creating a movement piece, which will be performed in class, using black lights to highlight movement. Groups have chosen continents, and have found a theme related to that continent. We hope to have this wrapped up by the Spring Break.. Social Studies (703, 712, 713): The students are now at the point in their studies where they are discovering the lives and living conditions of the Loyalists in the years 1776 – 1785. Using primary and secondary sources of information and by differentiating between fact and opinion, the students will produce a journal or biography of a Loyalist. Each student will have a list of the criteria needed and a rubric to judge their own work. Grade 7 Guidance (701): Our recent focus on the essential learning skill RESPONSIBILITY has come to an end with the students’ artistic creation of an acrostic poem to represent what this means to them. Moving forward, the month of March will be addressing Homelands’ anti-bullying initiative through a short focus on cyber-bullying. This will connect to our February Peel Regional Police visit on the same topic. We will also be addressing the idea of “Paying It Forward” through class discussions and activities in an attempt to help foster positive communities both in and outside of the school. Grade 7 Drama / Dance (611, 701, 711, 713): Our Drama focus is almost coming to a close as the grade 6 and 7 students perform their PSAs for their classmates. This has proven to be a rich task as students had to work together to write a script and create visuals for a performance meant to communicate a message from a particular perspective. Our focus in March will shift as we transition into Dance. Students will begin Dance not only with uncovering what this means to them, but with various exercises meant to increase their comfort level with moving on their own and in groups.

71 HOUSE Math: In math, the students of 711 have just completed their unit on factors and fractions. Students can look forward to concluding the fraction unit with a fun project where they will apply their math skills to an everyday life situation. Who will be crowned the 711 iron chef? Science: In science, the students of 711 are exploring the world of structures. Students have learned about form and function and discussed how artists and architects play with this relationship. The 711 students competed amongst each other building paper bridges. One group constructed a bridge able to withstand the weight of 433 pennies. Students can look forward to more building challenges in the coming weeks. Math: 701/713 Students will continue to work on Patterning and Algebra (i.e., solving equations) leading up to March break. I’m pleased to report that students, overall, scored well on a recent performance task (e.g., comparing Amusement Parks) where they applied their knowledge of algebraic expressions and used their skills to graph linear relationships. After March break, we will be starting the Measurement unit, exploring Volume and Surface area of right prisms using 3D models. Math Blitz Mondays will continue in March and April, aimed at improving basic adding and subtracting computation skills. *Lunch tutorials are scheduled for Day 1 and Day 4☺☺☺☺

Science 701/713: Students have reached the midpoint in the Heat unit. They are gearing up for their rich design task, “Ice Ice Baby Insulator” due the week after March break. Students are expected to design, build, test and promote an insulator that will withhold a block of ice for at least 4 hours. Please monitor and support your child during this hands-on, explorative learning task. We will continue to explore heat capacities through various in-class experiments and examine how heat, as an energy source, impacts our daily lives. *Lunch tutorials are scheduled for Day 1 and Day 4☺☺☺☺ Language: In language arts, the students of 711 have been examining authors message, point of view and bias in a variety of different media text. Students have been working hard to develop their inference and writing skills to develop well rounded, high quality answers. Student will be wrapping up this unit and answering the big question, what are the environmental consequences of the stuff we buy and use? After the March break, students can look forward to starting a novel study and examining a new big question. (713) - The students in 713 have recently participated in our “Ashland Waste Debate.” Students assumed the roles of various stakeholders in order to convince the mayor that their plan for the city’s waste disposal was superior to all others. In the process, students had the chance to write and speak persuasively. Throughout the month of March, we will shift our focus onto stories by reading them, discussing them and analyzing their structure as we move into our new BIG QUESTION: “Why do things look the way they do?” History: In history, the students of 711 and 611 have been learning about the loyalist and patriots. Students have been working hard on a summative task, developing a diary exploring the journey of a loyalist and his/her move to British North America. After the March break, students can look forward to learning about the war of 1812. Social Studies (703, 712, 713): The students are now at the point in their studies where they are discovering the lives and living conditions of the Loyalists in the years 1776 – 1785. Using primary and secondary sources of information and by differentiating between fact and opinion, the students will produce a journal or biography of a Loyalist. Each student will have a list of the criteria needed and a rubric to judge their own work.

80 HOUSE Mathematics 802 and 803: Students have recently completed their first unit of term two: Algebra. The final task included a real-life application of when you would use algebra: Cel Phone plans. Our next unit of study is Geometry, and will begin with angle relationships and finish with the Pythagorean Theorem. As always, all tests/quizzes/assignments will be sent home for parent signatures and returned to student portfolios for reflection. Please ensure that your child is coming to class with a calculator. Science 802 and 803: The middle of February saw the end to our unit on Water Systems. Currently, students are investigating the properties of Fluids. Our first major lab involves the concepts of flow rate and viscosity. Students will be entertained while they pour liquids down a ramp and time them! Ever smelled ketchup straight from the microwave? Science is most fun when it is hands on! Students will also learn about density and buoyancy and will build a boat that can handle a heavy load. As always, all tests/quizzes/assignments will be sent home for parent signatures and returned to student portfolios for reflection. Grade 8 Physical and Health Education: February is badminton month. Students have been encouraged to work on their forehand and backhand swings, as well as learning the court lines and rules for service. Using the new ipads, teachers have set up double elimination tournaments for students to participate in. The focus has been on active participation, sportsmanship and fair play. For term two

Health, we will visit two units of study. Our first unit will discuss stress - its signs, symptoms and treatments - as well as the negative impact of drug use. We will also discuss mental health and strategies to maintain a positive healthy outlook on life. The second unit, which will occur later in the year, will cover the factors that contribute to healthy growth and development. Grade 8 Dance: The grade 8 classes have all successfully transitioned into Dance. Class activities started with understanding and uncovering what dance means to them in terms of WHAT this is, WHY it is done and HOW people dance. The responses varied among classes, but the one thing that remained consistent was the students’ awareness of the fact that dance is another form of COMMUNICATION (of people’s thoughts, feelings and ideas). This month, we explored the first element of dance, the use of our BODY. Students had the chance to communicate their own names with the use of different body parts in different ways through the Name Dances they created and performed with a partner. Next, we will address the use of the vertical and horizontal space around us, as well as how this can be used. Students will be working towards expressing words through movement, while also using the dance vocabulary established in class to describe their movement. French: Students in 801, 802, 803 have just finished a unit on adverbs and written the unit test which has been sent home for signing. All students who experienced difficulty have been invited for extra help. Currently we are performing skits which were written in groups but are graded individually. In addition, students are competing in one minute drills to describe their peers and their clothing. We will soon return to the Passé Composé to clarify which verbs require être instead of avoir to create the past tense. Language Arts: Students in 802 are working on two aspects of literature appreciation. We have read and discussed several short stories and are discovering how to craft superior answers to typical short answer questions. We are also using books, movies and the internet to analyse "author's message" in any type of text. These two examinations are complementary and are leading towards a unit assessment near the end of March. In the interim, the students are under-taking several smaller writing tasks such as descriptive, narrative and persuasive paragraphs concerning a favourite relative. 801/803- Aliens, Indiana Jones and Allegory - that's what students will be exploring in our next unit. Drawing on the elements we studied during our short stories unit, students will be asked to analyze the adventure filled "Indiana Jones" visual novel alongside the mysterious short story "Allegory". Using a variety of graphic organizers, students will compare and contrast these texts for deeper understanding while establishing those all too important connections of text to text, text to self, and text to world. Make sure to ask students about their studies. History for 801/02/03/12: What does being a "Solo" artist compared to being a "Musical" band have to do with Confederation? Great question. Students in 801/02/03/12 should be able to answer that question now that we have begun studying our country's history - in particular how the colonies of British North America (BNA) came to be the country of Canada. This term, students will be delving into three distinct units in History, starting with Confederation. Through the use of statistical data, primary and secondary resources, students will get a much better sense of what life was like in the mid-1800s in the former BNA. We hope to encourage students' curiosity about Canadian history and to show them how relevant the connections of the distance past are to our present.

81 HOUSE Grade 8 Physical and Health Education February is badminton month. Students have been encouraged to work on their forehand and backhand swings, as well as learning the court lines and rules for service. Using the new ipads, teachers have set up double elimination tournaments for students to participate in. The focus has been on active participation, sportsmanship and fair play. For term two Health, we will visit two units of study. Our

first unit will discuss stress - its signs, symptoms and treatments - as well as the negative impact of drug use. We will also discuss mental health and strategies to maintain a positive healthy outlook on life. The second unit, which will occur later in the year, will cover the factors that contribute to healthy growth and development. Grade 8 Dance: The grade 8 classes have all successfully transitioned into Dance. Class activities started with understanding and uncovering what dance means to them in terms of WHAT this is, WHY it is done and HOW people dance. The responses varied among classes, but the one thing that remained consistent was the students’ awareness of the fact that dance is another form of COMMUNICATION (of people’s thoughts, feelings and ideas). This month, we explored the first element of dance, the use of our BODY. Students had the chance to communicate their own names with the use of different body parts in different ways through the Name Dances they created and performed with a partner. Next, we will address the use of the vertical and horizontal space around us, as well as how this can be used. Students will be working towards expressing words through movement, while also using the dance vocabulary established in class to describe their movement. Social Studies: (813) Students are investigating the British North American Colonies in regards to how and why they formed a confederation called Canada. This unit will examine the BNA Act of 1867 and the Constitution Act of 1867 (1982) and how these acts impact Canada today. The students will produce three pieces of work: a report outlining the reasons for Confederation, a persuasive essay giving arguments for and against Confederation, and a biography of a famous Canadian. Language Arts: Students in 812 are working on two aspects of literature appreciation. We have read and discussed several short stories and are discovering how to craft superior answers to typical short answer questions. We are also using books, movies and the internet to analyse "author's message" in any type of text. These two examinations are complementary and are leading towards a unit assessment near the end of March. In the interim, the students are under-taking several smaller writing tasks such as descriptive, narrative and persuasive paragraphs concerning a favourite relative. History for 801/02/03/12: What does being a "Solo" artist compared to being a "Musical" band have to do with Confederation? Great question. Students in 801/02/03/12 should be able to answer that question now that we have begun studying our country's history - in particular how the colonies of British North America (BNA) came to be the country of Canada. This term, students will be delving into three distinct units in History, starting with Confederation. Through the use of statistical data, primary and secondary resources, students will get a much better sense of what life was like in the mid-1800s in the former BNA. We hope to encourage students' curiosity about Canadian history and to show them how relevant the connections of the distance past are to our present. Class 811 Students in 811 have recently completed their blogs on the novel To Kill a Mockingbird and they are now beginning to read their “recommended novels” over the March Break. Following the break we will be beginning our Consumerism and Media unit where we will be looking at the effects of the capitalist economy and the media messages that we receive. The final project will see the students create their own advertisements of a product. In Social Studies, we are exploring Migration and its affects on Canadian culture. Students will be reading articles, watching videos and conducting their own interviews to gain a better understanding of emigration and immigration. The Migration unit will be followed by a look at Economic Systems that will tie to our large project in Language Arts. In Math and Science, students have just finished their “stellar” Prezi presentations on Viruses and Bacteria. We were not only very impressed with all of their hard work but were sufficiently grossed out as well! Have a Great March Break!

It’s what’s inside that makes the difference!! Remember, during lunch every day, we sell

CLEMENTINES for

only 25 cents!!

Not only is this a healthy treat, it can get you

into the movies!!

Ask your child how buying a CLEMENTINE at

HOMELANDS can earn them a FREE movie pass!!!

Conference helps parents 'make a difference in

literacy and beyond'

The Peel District School Board is hosting its 12th annual parent literacy conference on Saturday, March 23, 2013 at David Suzuki Secondary School in Brampton. The free conference, Make a difference in literacy and beyond – practical ways parents can boost learning, features sessions by leading experts who will provide helpful tips and ideas. This free learning event includes lunch and is open to Peel board parents of students at all grade levels. Parents, this is your chance to learn practical ways to boost learning. Take one day to:

• experience a powerful keynote presentation by Dr. Adolph Brown, an international speaker and author

• learn from Peel educators recognized throughout Ontario as experts in literacy • explore valuable exhibitors representing community organizations, regional services and

educational products and browse publisher displays of children's' books and educational resources

Register online at www.peelschools.org/parents/literacyconference

Celebrating Faith and Culture March 2013

DATE

CELEBRATION FAITH AND CULTURE

March Xsaak Aboriginal Spirituality March 1 Intercalary Day Bahá'í Match 1 World Day of Prayer Christianity March 1 Mehergan Zorastrianism Sunset March 1 to 20 Alá (Fasting month) Bahá'í March 9 or 10 Mahashivratri Hinduism

March 14 New Year Sikhism March 16 to 20 Ghambar Hamaspath-meadem Zoroastrianism March 17 St. Patrick's Day Christianity March 18 Clean Monday Christianity March 20 Shunki-sorei-sai Shinto March 20 or 22 Lady Day (Ostara) Wicca March 21 Eid e-Navroz Islam March 21 Naw Ruz Bahá'í and

Zoroastrianism March 24 Palm Sunday Christianity

March 24-31 Holy Week Christianity

March 25 Magha Puja Buddhism Sunset of March 25-April 2

Pesach (Passover) Judaism

March 26 Sakyamnuni Buddha’s Nirvana Day Buddhism March 26 Holi Hinduism

March 26

Khordad Saal Zorastrianism

March 28

Hola Mohalla Sikhism

March 28 Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) Christianity

March 29

Good Friday (Holy Friday) Christianity and Canada

March 30 Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s Birthday Buddhism March 31 Easter or Pascha Christianity and Canada Thanks for saving our environment and reading this newsletter on-line from our website or from you email inbox. If you still want a paper copy, by all means let us know and we will make sure you get one!!