| Multiple snow
storms this winter continually remind me of fond memories of playing the snow
growing up in Ontario. These reminders
are ever present as I look at snow forts built on the school fields or while clearing
sidewalks at home during quiet evening snow falls. A blizzard of activity continues to take
place at school. Three new staff members
joined our team in January. They include
Ms. R. Sawatsky who teaches Art and Photography, Mr. A. Mann, a Counsellor for Grade
10 and grade 8, and Ms. K. Castro teaching English and Social Studies. Five UBC and SFU student teachers have started
teaching practicums at Templeton under the supervision of Templeton staff. In December, events included the Fourth Annual
Templeton Science Challenge which hosted 200 elementary school students, a Winter
Music Concert, the Grade 12 Winter Formal, the Grad Breakfast and the Grade 8
breakfast. Ms. Inch and the Junior and
Senior Girls’ basketball teams travelled to Ahousaht on Vancouver Island. Please review the newsletter for a detailed
account of this incredible trip.
Students also visited Whistler for an amazing ski/snowboard trip, a number
of athletes also visited UBC to connect our students with programs at UBC. Theatre Temp just completed an amazing run of
films and The Domino Effect, a play
about how small changes can have large effects.
Over 80 students participated in the production and presentation of
these performances. Templeton hosted the
second Parent/Teacher interviews on Thursday, February 2nd. If you did not have an opportunity to see a
teacher, please contact the teacher via email or phone. The staff member will be happy to schedule a
meeting to discuss your child’s progress.
On Thursday, February 16, Templeton will host a SACY Capacity Café. Please check the school’s website for more
information.
The BC Ministry
of Education continually updates progress with regards to the curriculum
redesign. Curriculum implementation for
grades 10-12 is delayed until 2018-19. There
are no provincial exams for grade 10’s or 11’s this year unless a student needs
to rewrite the exam from last year.
English 12 provincial exams are still in place for 2016/17 and 2017/18
grade 12’s. Detailed information can be
found at http://engage.bcedplan.ca.
The recent Supreme
Court of Canada decision regarding legal dispute between BC Provincial
government and BCTF resulted in additional staffing for the Vancouver School
Board and Templeton. This staffing
should be in place by mid-February and will support students in existing
classes. Templeton’s counselling
department is now visiting all grade 8 – 11 students in preparation for course
planning next year. Course information
including graduation program requirements can be found on Templeton’s website
under the “Students” tab.
Lastly, The VSB is proposing to amend non-instructional days for
the 2017-18 school calendar. The recommended dates will be officially
voted on at the Board Meeting on February 27. It is anticipated that the
Board will approve the dates as proposed, so families and staff can plan
accordingly. The draft calendar for
2017-18 is included in the full report found at the link below.
http://www.vsb.bc.ca/sites/default/files/17Feb01_op_commIII_item%201.pdf
For Winter Break, the proposed amended dates are:
Last day of school
before the break: December 22
First day back to
school after the break: January 8.
Parent
feedback on the proposed non-instructional dates and the amendment to the
Winter Break can be sent to calendar@vsb.bc.ca until February 24th.
I
recognize that not everyone is as fond of the snow as me but a unique aspect of
our beautiful city is that as soon as the snow melts, we experience instant
green! Please feel free to contact me if
you have any questions.
Best regards,
Aaron Davis
Principal
|
| This past fall
and early winter has been a busy time at Templeton. Recently, Templeton hosted 200 grade 7
students for the fourth annual Templeton Science Challenge organized by STEM
students and staff. Our music students
under the guidance of Ms. Yau, entertained us with a variety of musical genres during
the Winter Music Concert. Many of our
basketball teams are well into league play and participating in tournaments
around the Lower Mainland. Congratulations
to our chemistry students who placed first in the crystal growing regional
competition. More information about
this competition can be found in this month’s newsletter. Ms. Zambrano and Templeton Girls’ Group
teamed up with “Help Change My City” to donate clothing for the 2016 Warming up the Eastside event
helping those in need in our community.
This event is a wonderful example of how our students find ways to
support others. Our grade 12 students
thoroughly enjoyed the Winter Formal on December 8th, sharing a meal
and each other’s company. Incredibly, in
six short months, these students will be preparing for the school leaving
ceremony in June. A number of unique
traditions at Templeton occur in December.
The grade 12 and grade 8 breakfasts see Templeton staff prepare and serve
breakfast to students. The Student
Council Christmas lunch is a great event that fills the cafeteria will holiday
cheer and energy. Templeton’s Mini Annual
Winter Celebration brought together students, parents and staff to enjoy a
potluck dinner and student performances.
The activities listed above cannot happen without the support of staff and
volunteers at Templeton. To each of you
who support our students in curricular and extracurricular activities, please
accept my thanks on behalf of the school community.
Report card
distribution is on Thursday, December 15, 2016.
Students will bring home the report card from school. If you have any questions, please contact the
classroom teacher, your child’s counselor, or administrator. The Ministry of Education is planning to
introduce changes to the K-12 provincial curriculum. K-9 implementation is already in effect. The curriculum revision implementation for
grades 10 will be delayed until September 2018.
Early drafts of these changes for the grade 10-12 curriculum can be
reviewed at http://engage.bcedplan.ca.
Templeton will be closed for the December
break from Monday, December 19 until the school reopens on Tuesday, January 3rd,
2017.
On behalf of the
school, I want to wish the entire Templeton community a wonderful holiday
season with family and friends. Please
enjoy the break and best wishes for the New Year.
Best regards,
Aaron Davis
Principal
|
| It hard to
believe that the school year has already reached November. Throughout the past eight weeks our school
community has participated in a wide array of activities. Some examples include travelling to Oregon
for the Shakespeare Festival, hiking for five days through Garibaldi Provincial
Park, visiting Strathcona Provincial Park, visiting the Writers’ Festival, the
Museum of Anthropology at UBC, and all of our grade 8’s hiking around Buntzen
Lake. In early October, over 200
students and parents shared a meal and one another’s company at the grade 8
family dinner. Student athletic teams
this fall included girls’ volleyball, junior boys’ soccer, and swimming. Our basketball teams are now preparing for the
start of their season. Many
post-secondary institutions visited Templeton in late October to increase grade
11 and 12 students’ awareness of programs after graduation. On behalf of the school community, I want to
thank the countless number of staff who organize and participate in these
activities that create some of the most powerful memories of a student’s high
school experience.
Please note that
school is not in session on Thursday, November 10th as staff work on
implementation of the new BC provincial curriculum. The following link provides extensive
information regarding changes to the K-9 curriculum now implemented and the
draft version of grades 10-12 which will be implemented in September 2017.
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca
Interim reports
were mailed home in late October. Not
all students receive an interim report.
Parents are encouraged to contact the school any time parents have
questions regarding their child’s progress. Similarly, if parents could not attend or meet
a teacher at the Parent/Teacher evening on Thursday, November 3rd,
please contact the school. Our staff are
happy to answer any questions.
Best regards,
Aaron Davis
Principal
|
| The summer months
are a special time for students. It
typically provides a change of pace from routines established from September to
June. For me as a younger student, it
meant endless time to explore the woods and shorelines with my brother in rural
Ontario where we grew up. Eventually,
the summers were filled with jobs while still trying to squeeze in endless
play. Regardless of the activity, summer
routines were different from school. I
had more time to reflect and contemplate past school experiences and set goals
for the approaching new school year. Being
mindful of past experiences helped me reduce my anxiety of the unknown. I had an opportunity to examine how I
interacted and responded in a variety of situations. Although I did not fully appreciate it as an
adolescent, the summer’s change of pace helped me prepare for the future
through self-reflection whether at play or work. Today, neuroscience is revealing the
importance of struggling to learning something new. It is actually good for humans and stimulates
brain development. Each of us deals with
the unknown of a new situation differently. Of course, it always helps when
someone supports us through the process with encouragement and nudging to keep
us moving forward. Hopefully, the summer
months provided opportunities for each of you to reflect on the past, struggle
to learn something new, and inspire you to tackle the uncertainty of the
future.
The Templeton staff
is passionate and committed to helping students achieve their very best. We work collaboratively through planned
inter- and intra-departmental work to create a wide array of opportunities in
all areas of school life for our diverse learners to reach their individual
level of excellence. Templeton is a
wonderful school where students, staff, and parents/guardians are dedicated to
creating an environment that fosters student success. This process does not happen in
isolation. Critical to student success
is a strong partnership between the school and home. I strongly encourage parents/guardians to
take part in their student’s education by joining the Parent Advisory Council
(PAC). The first PAC meeting is in late
September. It is an opportunity to learn
more about the school, meet with the Principal and other staff members, and
speak with other parents/guardians, who have similar concerns, interests and
questions about their child’s education.
Grade 8 parents are invited on Wednesday, August 31st at 10:00
am in the school library to meet with me and Ms. Rupi Samra-Gynane, Templeton’s
new Vice Principal, to learn more about Templeton Secondary and answer any
questions. Mr. Jason Lauzon, our former
Vice Principal, is now the Principal at King George Secondary School.
I hope the summer
provided you an opportunity to connect with family and friends and reinforce
the networks that we lean on as we explore the world around us and find
pathways to success. Our school
community extends a warm welcome to our new class of Grade 8’s, any new
students and parents/guardians attending Templeton this year. As a Titan, you join a caring, inclusive
community that strives towards creating an environment fostering excellence as
the standard for each student at Templeton.
Please take an
opportunity to review the documents included with this letter that outline our
school opening procedures. Additional
information, forms, and a magnetic calendar will be provided to your child on
the first day of school along with his/her timetable. Some forms require your signature or
information before being returned to the office.
Please visit
Templeton’s website (http://go.vsb.bc.ca/schools/templeton) for
updates school information and schedules.
Templeton’s website is updated daily and is an important tool to inform
our community of school related activities.
The
entire staff at Templeton looks forward to working with you and wish you and
your student(s) every success in the upcoming school year. I welcome your comments and
questions and can be reached at 604-713-8984 or by email at adavis@vsb.bc.ca.
Welcome back!
Aaron Davis
Principal |
| Incredibly, another school year is about to
end. It is amazing the wide array of
activities that engage the Templeton community.
A sample of list of activities from March to April include a YOE trip to
Nootka Island, the spring play and film showcase by Dream Big Productions and
Theatre Temp, the third annual Templeton Science Challenge, First Nations
Family Night Dinner, STEM Temp Talks, Graduation ceremony, Mini School Spring
celebration, Student Council Talent Show, Spring Music concert, athletic
competitions and our Junior Awards assemblies.
A common thread weaves through all of these activities: students
showcasing their skills and talents to a wide audience through exhibition. I believe it is critically important that
students have the opportunity to demonstrate to the school community their
accomplishments. Whether it is the
recognition of academic excellence, community service, athleticism, or theatrical
performances, the activities over the past number of months provide a venue for
our students to demonstrate some of their contributions to our community. Each of these activities also requires a
team of educators to support our students.
On behalf of the entire community, I want to thank our students and
staff for the many ways they support and celebrate student achievement.
A number of opportunities will face the
Templeton community in the fall. I
encourage all parents and students to periodically check the following links
for updated information. First, the BC
curriculum redesign is ongoing with elements of the curriculum being implemented
in September 2017. Students and parents
can check the following link for the most recent updates.
Secondly, announced this past month, a list of
schools in Vancouver have been identified for possible closure. If approved by Vancouver Board of Education
Trustees in December 2016, Britannia Secondary could close with students moving
to Templeton in September 2017. It is
important to note that the list is only a possible list of school
closures. No closures have been
announced at this time and any final decision will not be made until December,
2016. The most up to date information on
school closure process can be found at the following link.
I want to wish the very best to our graduating
class of 2016. I am confident that our
graduating students are well prepared for their next steps. This perspective is reinforced by the culture
of return at Templeton, a culture that continually sees graduates who find ways
to give back to the community that helped shape who they are today. Our students are ready to become contributing
citizens of a global community and take on the challenges and leadership to
guide future generations. All of you have something unique to offer our global
community. I wish each and every one of
you a lifetime challenges and accomplishments.
To our returning and new students, I look forward to welcoming you back
to Templeton in September
Best wishes,
Mr. Davis |
| Message from the Vancouver Police Department,
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
We need your help.
Many of you have probably heard about the rise in overdose deaths related to fentanyl throughout B.C. A large number of people who have died were not even aware they were taking fentanyl – you can’t smell it, taste it or see it. These were not hardened drug addicts, either – they were recreational drug users, youth, and business professionals.
|
| It is my hope that the holidays
provided all members of our school community an opportunity to pause and
reflect on what sustains each of us through challenges and successes. As many of you are aware, Templeton has been
in the news recently because of the Vancouver School Board’s Long Range
Facilities Plan. Over the past two
weeks, a number of families have inquired about media report with regards to
school closures.
I highly recommend that if you have
time to review a background information document that provides insight to the
challenges of population decline and school infrastructure in Vancouver.
Below is the direct link to the document. There is also extensive
information on the school board website about the LRFP.
http://www.vsb.bc.ca/sites/default/files/publications/16Jan29_L_toMOE-LRFP.pdf
Templeton is an H1/H2 school that
requires seismic upgrading. The document linked above and the district
website outline changes to how schools are prioritized for seismic upgrades.
As a result, Templeton is one of a number of schools that need to be
reviewed. The media initially interpreted the schools identified as a school
closure list. At this time, no schools are identified for closure and
there is no discussion of closing Templeton. Over the span of the next 15
years, there will be a reduction in student capacity across the district, which
may result in the closure of one secondary school and some elementary schools.
Currently, it is impossible to predict which school this will be because
there are a number of secondary schools that have low utilization of space that
also require seismic upgrades. I can say
with certainty that Templeton will not be affected in 2016-17 and we look
forward to welcoming our students to a school that provides a range of
opportunities.
The school district is also reviewing
its five-year Strategic Plan that addresses student learning. The Trustees value student and parent input
in this process and I encourage each of you to provide comments. The link below offers a number of ways to
become involved in the process.
http://www.vsb.bc.ca/vsb2021
Our students continue to be engaged in
a wide array of activities. Please visit
our website and/or Twitter account to view some of these opportunities. If you did not have an opportunity to see
teachers during the recent Parent/Teacher evening, please feel free to contact
the school and arrange an appointment.
The Ministry of Education is planning
to introduce changes to the K-12 provincial curriculum. Early drafts of these changes for the grade 10-12
Curriculum can be reviewed at http://engage.bcedplan.ca. Please
remember that school will not be in session on Friday, March 4 and Friday,
April 15, 2016. These dates are
Curriculum Implementation days for teachers to begin preparations for the new
curriculum. Please feel free to contact
me if you have any questions.
Best
regards,
Aaron Davis
Principal
|
| December
is an incredibly busy time at Templeton.
The vast array of activities that bring our community together for
student performances or simply gather for celebration is truly impressive. Following are some examples of activities our
students attended, performed or shared in over the past six weeks. Chris Koch,
shared his “IF I Can” presentation to
grade 8, 9 and 10 students about how he does not let physical disability impact
his effectiveness as a farmer on the Canadian prairies. Many of our students saw Beneath the Surface, a powerful play about adolescence from an
Aboriginal perspective. Templeton’s
Junior Theatre Company just finished the two-week run of the play Bassett.
It was an outstanding performance showcasing the incredible talent of
our students in all aspects of theatre production. Similarly, our music program entertained the
school community in December at the Winter Concert. It was wonderful to have the Hastings
Elementary band join our students on stage.
A number of unique traditions at Templeton occur in December. The grade 12 and grade 8 breakfasts see
Templeton staff prepare and serve breakfast to students. The Student Council Christmas lunch is a
great event that fills the cafeteria will holiday cheer and energy. Templeton’s Mini annual Winter Celebration
brought together students, parents and staff to enjoy a potluck dinner and
student performances. Lastly, our
basketball teams are now playing regular season games and tournaments
throughout the lower mainland. The
activities listed above cannot happen without the support of staff and
volunteers at Templeton. To each of you
who support our students in curricular and extracurricular activities, please
accept my thanks on behalf of the school community.
Report
card distribution was on December 10, 2015.
If you have any questions, please contact the classroom teacher, your
child’s counselor, or administrator. The
Ministry of Education is planning to introduce changes to the K-12 provincial
curriculum. Early drafts of these
changes for the grade 10-12 curriculum can be reviewed at http://engage.bcedplan.ca.
Please
remember that school will not be in session on Friday, March 4 and Friday,
April 15, 2016. These dates are
Curriculum Implementation days for teachers to begin preparations for the new
curriculum.
On
behalf of the school, I want to wish the entire Templeton community a wonderful
holiday season with family and friends.
Please enjoy the break and best wishes for the New Year.
Best
regards,
Aaron
Davis
Principal
|
| Dear Templeton Community,
As you may know, a new comprehensive curriculum for the K-12 system is being developed in BC. This work has been years in the making with teachers, administrators and the Ministry of Education involved in its development. At the present time, the curriculum for students in Grades K-9 is being piloted throughout the province. New curriculum for students in Grades 10-12 will be available for piloting in September 2016.
Earlier this fall the Ministry of Education and the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) announced a plan to support the ongoing implementation of the new curriculum. As part of this plan, districts have been asked to add two days of curriculum implementation time during the 2015-2016 school year. This time will be provided for teachers to continue to familiarize themselves with the new curriculum and to plan for its full implementation in the coming years.
In Vancouver, the following two days have been selected as our local non-instructional days for curriculum implementation:
Friday, March 4 and Friday April 15
Schools will not be in session for students on these two days.
We are pleased that teachers have been given this additional time to spend on this important work to serve your children better as we transition to the new curriculum.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
|
| I still clearly remember my first day of high school
and the “butterflies” I experienced in my stomach as the school slowly came
into view through the foggy school bus window.
In rural Ontario, the small town elementary school I attended sent high
school aged students to another town where our incoming grade 9 class joined
students from a larger elementary school.
My nervousness was not only from the anticipation of new classmates and
older students, who seemed like giants, but also the anxiety of learning new
school procedures, and the excitement of experiencing and learning something
new! Ultimately, I sorted out the
processes, developed new friendships, and found areas of interest that
connected me with the community just in time for my family to move to a city
where I repeated the process to start grade 11 in a school twice the size of my
first high school! My memories and
experiences of school although unique to me are shared in a variety of forms by
all past and present students. Each of
us deals with the unknown of a new situation differently. Struggling to learn something new is actually
good for us and stimulates brain development.
Of course, it always helps when someone supports us through the process
with encouragement and nudging to keep us moving forward. The emotions I felt at the start of grade 9,
was the signal that a new adventure was about unfold.
The Templeton staff is passionate and committed to
helping students achieve their very best.
We work collaboratively through planned inter- and intra-departmental
work to create a wide array of opportunities in all areas of school life for our
diverse learners to reach their individual level of excellence. Templeton is a wonderful school where
students, staff, and parents/guardians are dedicated to creating an environment
that fosters student success. This
process does not happen in isolation.
Critical to student success is a strong partnership between the school
and home. I strongly encourage parents/guardians
to take part in their student’s education by joining the Parent Advisory
Council (PAC). The first PAC meeting is
in late September. It is an opportunity
to learn more about the school, meet with the Principal and other staff
members, and speak with other parents/guardians, who have similar concerns,
interests and questions about their child’s education. Grade 8 parents are invited on Wednesday,
September 2nd at 10:00 am in the school library to meet with me and
Mr. Jason Lauzon, Vice Principal, to learn more about Templeton Secondary and
answer any questions.
I hope the summer provided you an opportunity to
connect with family and friends and reinforce the networks that we lean on as
we explore the world around us and find pathways to success. Our school community extends a warm welcome to
our new class of Grade 8’s, any new students and parents/guardians attending
Templeton this year. As a Titan, you
join a caring, inclusive community that strives towards creating an environment
fostering excellence as the standard for each student at Templeton.
Please visit Templeton’s website (http://go.vsb.bc.ca/schools/templeton) for updates
school information and schedules.
Templeton’s website is updated daily and is an important tool to inform
our community of school related activities. The entire staff at Templeton looks
forward to working with you and wish you and your student(s) every success in
the upcoming school year. I welcome your
comments and questions and can be reached at 604-713-8984 or by email at adavis@vsb.bc.ca.
I look forward to learning about your adventure. Welcome back!
Aaron Davis
Principal
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