It's Christmas Time...

The Christmas season is a time of all sorts of special and magical events.  It is a time of giving!  Of course spending is not always necessary if you are giving from your heart.  It can also be a time when you do something special for someone that is close to you.

On this occasion, what special things have you encountered?  Something that you did for someone else or something that was done for you?

And what special plans do you have for the upcoming holiday season?

Responsible Gambling

We had an entertaining and infomative assembly on Wednesday, focussing on Youth Gambling.

Gambling is a way of getting money, but is also a very risky way, with a very low chance of winning.  Many people spend their life savings with the hope of winning big, but never succeed.

Do you feel that the assembly had a strong message?

Do you feel that young people should stay away from gambling and why?

Stand Up @ Hieghts

Stand Up Day at Heights was another success!  We have been running this program for 3 years now and it is getting better every year.  Last Friday, so many of the students and teachers got right into the spirit of the day by dressing in pink, getting pink fingernails, or tassles put in their hair.  Magic 106.1 joined us for their morning show and let Sergio Stucco and Jessica Hannah experience talking on the air.  We enjoyed the messages delivered by Abolute, concerning various ways in which we can all make life better for ourselves and others.  Accompanied by Bondless, who I feel is a band that really reached out to us all in their music.  And finally, we all enjoyed some entertaining and enjoyable games and experiences in the gym, as we watched or participated in various activities.  It was a hoot to see the male teachers being waxed.  What a scream!

What did you feel about the day?

Do you think that the message is getting out to the students?

Can you think of anything else that we should do next year that would really make the day an even greater success?

Random Act of Kindness

A random act of kindness is... (look up the full phrase on the Internet and give a definition on today's post)

I would consider doing a random act of kindess for...

Write a paragraph about a random act of kindness that you plan to do or have done in the past.  Or possibly a random act of kindness that was done for you by someone else.

What Cool Thing Has Happened To Me...

Recently I have become aware of the retro rock station, BOOM, on 97.3FM.  Wow, I love those tunes of my youth.  Driving to work each day I can sing to those tunes that I am all too familiar with, having learned them so long ago.  These kind of things remind me of the day when I too was young and had no boundries...FREEDOM!

What cool things have happened to you recently that really make your day?

Halloween....SCARRY!

Halloween has been around for many years, decades, centuries???  Hasn't it?  For one evening, people get dressed up to look like their favourite gool, goblin or angel!  Children go trick-or-treating and parents hand out lots of candy...and many creative Halloweeners party until the wee hours.  The big question today is where did this all start and why?

What does "Halloween" mean...

Halloween started in...

Halloween was created by...

What I Have Accomplished So Far This Year...

We all accomplish things as we move through life, both personally and professionally.  At Heights we have almost finished the first 2 months of the semester and have done so much already:  Grade Nine Orientation, understanding the Holocaust and Bullying, Terry Fox Run, increasing the Spirit at Heights on Spirit Day, and most recently Commencement and recognizing student accomplishments today at the Recognition Assembly.

Write about the highlights of your first two months at Heights, including Comm Tech and other things you have been involved in.

An Inspirational Experience...

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the filming (videotaping) of the second last episode of this season, "So You Think You Can Dance Canada" at the CTV studios in Toronto.  This experience reminds me of the experiences I had when I was younger (much younger ;-) in the Comm Tech Industry.  It's all in what I saw and witnessed, from pre-production - getting everything and everybody ready, to production - the actual shoot, to post-production - editing the final program.

What have you experienced that you feel was inspirational?

If you haven't experienced anything yet, what do you think would be an inspirational experience for you?

(Write a good paragraph on this top, with a minimum of three sentences)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a custom that started many years ago.  All across North America, people celebrate this occasion by getting together and having a feast!

Where did Thanksgiving start?

Why was it started?

When is this event celebrated in the U.S.?

How does your family celebrate Thanksgiving?

Running for Terry Fox

The Terry Fox Run for the Cure has been an emotional event for me over the years because it all started when I was a teenager.  Terry Fox has been an icon across Canada, that many people are dedicating themselves to support by raising money to find the cure for cancer.  The Run for the Cure started in 1980 and continued yesterday, as many classes all over Canada were filling cans to raise money and awareness.

What does the Terry Fox Run mean to you?

How much money has been raised throughout the world so far?

How much money was raised at College Heights yesterday?
(if you don't know now, ask around and when you find out, add it to your post)

It's been 3 weeks...

We've done our preliminary stuff and are now into the course.  Getting right into the serious learning and doing!  Learning the tools and applying them to some practical work in class is what it's all about in the Comm Tech, hands-on environment.

Being aware of what is required and letting others know how we are all doing is important in a work environment and school environment; this information is necessary to create a good, working environment. 

Complete the following 3 sentences clearly (adding sentences is ok), describing your progress level:


1 - What I've found easy so far...


2 - What I've found hard so far...


3 - What I've found interesting so far...

Back to School...

Here we are, the end of the first week back to school after a full summer of sunshine!


We've all been away, either vacationing or simply working for the summer, taking a break from a full year's work.  My summer included a full two weeks of training, learning how to teach a Grade 9 and 10 Design Tech class.  Wow, that course could easily fit into College Heights.  I am going to plan the startup of Design Tech for next year hopefully!  Then I spent 4 weeks working on my basement, a project that I have been working on for at least 4 years, off and on.  Looks great!  And finally, I took my family on a three day canoe trip up the Saugeen River, between Walkerton and Port Elgin.  It was fun, we did some rapids too!  And now, I am back to my favourite job, teaching at College Heights!!!


Well, that was my summer...tell the class a little about your summer, what did you do?  (Write at least one paragraph = minimum of 3 sentences)

Bizarro Experience

When I was 17, I sold ice cream from a bicycle unit, for a company called Dickie Dee Ice Cream.  I travelled many miles each day to different neighbourhoods, selling different types of ice cream treats.  Some neighbourhoods were profitable and some not so profitable.

On one sunny day, more like the evening, I went to a dead end street, ringing bells on my bicycle to attract attention and business, but no one seemed to be interested.  As I was leaving the street, I someone came running out of the last house and called me back.  So, I turned my bike around and rode back toward the house, looking forward to doing some business.  The boy met me at the side of the road and asked for an ice cream, so I picked it out and handed it to him.  He then said that he was going to go and get his friend and he would pay for the ice cream.  I said ok.  Well his friend came out and got his treat, but also didn't have any money but would send it out with the next guy.  So the next guy came out and asked for his treat, but I was a little more concerned about the money and asked if he would pay up first.  He said he would but wanted the ice cream first.  After talking about it several times, I gave in a gave him the ice cream.  He then said that someone else was going to pay for it and returned to the house.  I waited for a few minutes and no one came out of the house.  Well, I thought it over for a few minutes and decided that going after the money wasn't worth it as the kids were bigger than me and I would be looking for trouble.  So I left.

This was a bizarro experience because many years later, my sister's husband explained that he was one of those kids that stole the ice cream from me.  And looking back, I would say that he is an improved person...probably because he married my sister!

Explain an experience have you had that seems bizarro to you?

Day 16 at the Olympic Winter Games

Today is the 16th day of the Olympic Winter Games.  Canada is doing very well in several areas.

What medals have we won so far for Canada and in what areas?

A good source for this information is the Olympic site:

 http://www.vancouver2010.com/

The XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver B.C.

We are currently enjoying the 21st Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.  This is an event that attracts hundreds of athletes from around the world to participate and possibly capture a moment of glory when they win an event and receive a medal for their efforts.  The extent of the olympics is amazing as it has been going on for hundreds of years.

When did the first olympic competition happen and where did it occur?

Who has won the last Canadian medal at the current winter games?  What event did this person win (look for details)?

Are you watching the olympics?  What is your take on everything surrounding the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver?

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day has been around forever...so it seems.  Most people celebrate Valentine's Day around the world as they exchange flowers and cards with someone close to them.

When did Valentine's Day start?

Who started it?

And what does Valentine's mean to you?