BARRIERE SECONDARY NEWSLETTERJANUARY 2020

Empowering students with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in the pursuit of their passions.At Barriere Secondary we provide students with innovative and connected opportunities

to maximize engagement, success and options for the future.Belonging Achievement Respect Responsibility Individuality Effort Relationship Excellence

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER CAN BE DOWNLOADED AT OUR WEBSITE AThttp://barrsec.sd73.bc.ca (note: no www)

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBERMon., January 6 Gr 8 Girls & boys BBall at BSS 5 &

6:30pm

Wed., January 8 Sr. Girls & Boys BBall at BSS 5 & 6:45pm

Thur., January 9 Jr. Boys BBall at BSS 6:30pm

Mon., January 13 • PAC Meeting 5:30pm• Sr Girls & Boys BBall at BSS 5 & 6:45• Screenagers - Growing up in a Digital Age 6-7:30

Thur., January 16 Understanding Anxiety in Children-Parent Workshop 6:30 - 8pm

Fri., January 17 Heavy Metal Rocks Apps due

Wed.., January 22 Grad RetakesLast day of classes for Semester 1Sem2 Timetables handed out

Thur., January 23 Gr.10 Provincial Numeracy/Literacy Assessments - 9 am

January 23 & 24 Project Completion Days

January 24 & 25 Sr. Girls BBall Tourney at BSS

Mon., January 27 Semester 2 / Term 3 starts

Tues., February 4 REPORT CARDS OUTFri., February 7 Pro D Day – No classes

PROVINCIAL NUMERACY/LITERACY EXAM

Thursday, January 23nd at 9am are our Grade 10 Provincial Numeracy and Literacy Exams. Grade 10 students will write one of these (depending on which course they are currently enrolled in: English or Math).

**STUDENTS SHOULD ARRIVE BY 8:30AM FOR THE EXAMS

PROJECT COMPLETION DAYS

Thursday, January 23 & Friday, January 24th are Project Completion Days - only students that have been asked to come to school to complete work or an assessment need to attend. **There will be no regular classes onthese two days, but buses still run

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope thatas you read this newsletter, you feelrested and re-energized from WinterBreak and you are ready to take on thelast few weeks of Semester 1. It is hardto believe that we have less than twoweeks left until our semester changeover.

There is important information in ourNewsletter this month regarding the end of semester timetable, the Provincial Literacy and Numeracy Assessments(grade 10 students) and other important events. Thank you for taking the time to read it and please do give us a call at theschool if you have any questions.

There are two Parent Engagement Sessions available this month at the Henry Grube Education Centre in Kamloops thatwill be presented by VC in the BSS Library. If you would like to attend either of these sessions at BSS, please RSVP by calling the school at least one day in advance of the session (no RSVP necessary to attend at the Grube).

I wish each of you a successful finish to your first semester courses as we prepare for final assessments in the coming weeks. Students, please remember that during our "Project Completion Days" (January 23 & 24) you may be required by your teacher(s) to come to school to complete work. Parents and guardians, your assistance in keeping students focused on their studies and ensuring that they are up to date with their assignments while preparing for final assessments is very much appreciated by school staff! Good luck everyone. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on our Semester 1 Honour Rolls.

PAC NEWS

PLEASE TRY TO MAKE IT TO OURMonday, January 13th MEETING AT 5:30PM.

Please check the school website http: //barrsec.sd73.bc.ca/ under the ‘Parent’ menu for our meeting minutes and contact information. You can contact Leesa Schilling, PAC Chairperson at: leesaschilling@hotmail.ca

“Your success and happiness lies in YOU! Resolve tokeep happy, and your joy and you shall form an

invincible host against difficulties”Helen Keller

ATHLETICS

December has been a great month for Barriere athletics. Winter time, means basketball season is under way.

The Sr. Boys finished 2ndat the Cougar Classic andthe boys are grateful for allthe support that showed upin the stands for the finals.

The Sr. Girls came 2nd inthe Hope tournament,where the girls battled hardwith limited numbers on thebench!

The Junior Boys started off league play with a close game against Sahali.

Lastly, the Grade 8 boys and girls started their season vs Brock, where they have shown that the talent is there, they just have to put it all together. Basketball season will continue after the winter break, so stay tuned for game updates and all our home games! Go Cougars!

Thank you to all the parents and players who are taking part in our athletics program. Any questions or concerns, please contact Mr. Repka @ trepka@sd73.bc.ca. A reminder, all schedules (7-12) are on the website https://sites.google.com/site/westzoneathletics/schedules

COMING SOON: “GRIT” AT BSS

We are very excited to announce that we will be starting aGRIT block at the end of January. GRIT is an acronymthat stands for “GROWTH, RESILIENCE, INQUIRYTIME”.

The GRIT block will run every Wednesday afternoon from1:35pm – 2:10pm (just before Academic Intervention /Earned Release). The purpose of the GRIT block will beto provide students with an opportunity to engage andthink critically about personal passions and interests. TheGRIT block will look to connect the school with parentsand the community, and build academic resilience in ourstudents through the exploration of personal passions andinterests. If you have any questions, please feel free tocontact the school. More information will be shared at thebeginning of Semester 2.

FROM OUR COUNSELLOR

Grade 12 Bursaries and ScholarshipsIt is time to start thinking about scholarships and bursaries grade 12s! While the deadline for most district and local scholarships is not until May 1st , if you want to apply for any post-secondary scholarships and bursaries, their deadline areoften much earlier. Mr. Tommasini will be scheduling grade 12 meetings at the start of semester two regarding scholarships and bursaries. Please bring specific questions and listen to the announcements for time, date, and location. Also, please check the GRAD CLASSROOM for more details.

Semester Two Course ChangesStudents will receive their semester two timetables on Tuesday, January 21st . Students can then make an appointment to see Mr. Tommasini if they would like to change any of their courses. There will be an appointment sign up sheet outside his office.

Course Selection for Next YearEach student will receive a course planning sheet, as well as course selection booklet to take home. Course planning sheets must be signed by parents/guardians before students will be able to select their courses online.

“To make a difference in someone's life, you don't have tobe brilliant, rich, beautiful or perfect.

YOU JUST HAVE TO CARE!

TRADES & TRANSITIONS NEWS

Heavy Metal Rocks – March 2 5 – 28 , 20 20 :

The Heavy Metal Rocks Project will provideopportunities for students to explore the widevariety of rewarding career choices as heavyequipment operators in the constructionindustry. Students will learn the importanceof safety training and will receive mentoringfrom equipment operators as they learn tooperate several different types of heavy equipment.

In addition to operating heavy equipment, students willreceive training in the following areas:

1. WorkSafe – New Worker / Young Worker2. Orientation training on various pieces of heavy

equipment3. Construction Safety – Certificate4. Occupational First Aid – Level 1- Certificate5. WHMIS Training – Basic – Certificate

Any students who are currently in grades 10, 11 and 12 mayapply (preference is given to grade 12 students). See Mrs.Fennell for applications (due Friday, Jan 17, 2020).

“Junior Fire Crew” is a District program where students learnabout forest fire suppression management (info available athttp://tnt.sd73.bc.ca/en/junior-fire-crew.aspx). Please see Mrs.Fennell for more info and an application form. Applicationsare due to Mrs. Fennell on Monday, January 20.

CANADIAN EDUCATION SAVINGS GRANTS

Planning for a child’s post-secondary education, whether it is in an apprenticeship program, CEGEP, trade school, college or university, can open up a world of opportunities for a child. To help save for a child’s future studies, the Government of Canada provides two education savings incentives, which are deposited into a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP).The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) consists ofa basic amount of 20% on the first $2,500 in annual personal contributions to an RESP (this grant is available to all eligible beneficiaries regardless of family income), aswell as the additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant, which is:a) 10% on the first $500 of annual personal contributions for children from families with an adjusted income greater than $46,605 and up to $93,208; or,b) 20% on the first $500 of annual personal contributions for children from families with an adjusted income of $46,605 or less.CESG is available until the end of calendar year in which the beneficiary turns 17, and the maximum lifetime amount, including the additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant, is $7,200. The Canada Learning Bond (CLB) is available for eligible children from low-income families born in 2004 or later and provides an initial payment of $500 plus $100 for each year of eligibility, up to age 15, for a maximum of $2,000. Personal contributions are not required to receive the CLB. RESPs are the only savings vehicle that attract the federal and, where applicable, provincial education savings incentives. The money saved in an RESP is not only used to help with tuition, but can also be used to pay for housing, transportation and other education-related expenses, such as textbooks, equipment, supplies, etc., once enrolled in post-secondary education.While evidence indicates a general familiarity with RESPs among families, research suggests there is a low level of awareness of the education savings incentives; particularly, among low-income families, Indigenous Peoples, newcomers to Canada, and those living in rural and remote communities. As such, many eligible children have not received the CLB. Therefore, we are seeking your help to increase awareness to those that can most benefit from the information.For additional information on RESPs, the CLB, and the CESG, please consult: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/education/grants/savings/eligibility.html

“BSS FLEX” ALT-ED PROGRAM

For those who may not be aware, BSS has an Alternate-Ed program that runs Tuesdays & Thursdays at The Ridge. If you know someone in Barriere who should be inschool but isn't (grade 7-12 age) please encourage him orher to contact the school for more information, as this program might be the perfect fit. Completing high school opens a world opportunities for students!

DRY GRAD NEWS

Our next Dry Grad meeting will be Monday , January 6 th at 6:30pm

Parents and grads please try to attend.

FINAL ASSESSMENTS

We are in the final two weeks of the first semester! Studentsshould be working hard to ensure their assignments are up todate (nothing missing) and preparing for final assessments intheir Semester 1 classes. If you have a final exam to preparefor, don't leave it for the night before. Do some review eachnight and ask your teacher for help if you are having difficulty.

The staff and students of Barriere Secondary wish to thank Mrs. Mairs and all the community members andgroups for helping us keep our annual Christmas luncheon tradition alive by helping

with the preparation and serving of the delicious meal.