Carson Graham Secondary School
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LEARNING COMMONS















Photo Credit: Steele Curry Grade 12 Student

The First Month...

10/2/2019

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Wow… September came and went in the blink of an eye but what a month it was! I want to acknowledge the hard work of our staff, student body and parents in ensuring that the transition from summer break to the first few weeks of school went smoothly. There has been a very positive vibe throughout the building and we are all excited as we look ahead to the 2019-2020 school year.

Please don’t forget that the first PAC Meeting of the year will take place on October 2nd at 7pm in the library. The purpose of the Carson PAC is to represent parents and guardians by working with administration and staff to support students and build the Carson Graham community. The PAC raises money and oversees the gaming grant to help fund staff requests, to support student initiatives and to help the school with special purchases. PACs strive to represent the diversity within their communities and contribute to the benefit of all students by:

  • Providing opportunities to educate and inform parents about the school;
  • Openly discussing parents’ concerns and aspirations for their schools; and
  • Voting on various funding initiatives that have a direct impact on our children. Some of these items include: budget spending for field trips and workshops, special performances at the school, grounds and classroom enhancements, and much more.
 
I would like to encourage parents and guardians to attend PAC meetings. There are only five meetings a year and you do not need to attend each one of them. Parents who attend have the chance to vote on various initiatives that have a direct impact on our children. Please note that attending PAC meetings does not obligate you to volunteer for anything. It is simply a good way to keep you and your family informed about what is happening at the school. 

Please take a few moments to review this blog post. I have used it to highlight all of the amazing activities of Carson staff and students.


As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns that you may have.

Best Regards,
Suzette Dohm
School Travel Plan

Haste (Hub for Active School Travel) BC has released the results of their transportation study for Carson Graham. Please take a few moments to review this material.

School Travel Planning (STP) is a community-based planning process that has been used with success to date in communities across Canada. The goal is to increase the number of families choosing active transportation modes to get to and from school. School Travel Planning uses a collaborative approach, working to involve all relevant stakeholders and enable communities to tackle the root causes of their schools’ transportation challenges.

School Travel Planning is overseen and resourced in each community by a Steering Committee comprised of representatives of key school transportation stakeholder groups. At individual schools, the School Travel Planning process is led by an STP Facilitator, who convenes a School Committee, comprised of staff, parents, administration, and other community stakeholders, to outline specific active school travel barriers and solutions, developing the foundation and specifics for each school’s School Travel Plan.

carson_graham_school_travel_plan_march_2019.pdf
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carson_graham_stp_map.pdf
File Size: 3975 kb
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Club and Team Fair

The school hosted a successful Club and Team Fair at the beginning of the year. In addition to long-standing clubs, we were thrilled to see new offerings for this year. Our website has been updated here with contacts and meeting times. It's not too late... students can still sign up!
Grade 8 Parent Night and PAC-Sponsored Barbeque
 
Thank you to the PAC for supporting and sponsoring our Grade 8 BBQ. This event was held in advance of the more formal Grade 8 Parent Evening and was a resounding success. The Parent Evening provided an opportunity for parents to connect with their child’s teachers and experience a condensed version of a day in the life of a Carson student!

Lunch with a Scientist Club

This new Carson club hosted its inaugural event on September 20th and has a full slate of events planned for the year. Be sure to mark your calendars! All grades are welcome.
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Buchanan Bowl

On Saturday, September 21st, Carson Graham hosted the 33rd annual Buchanan Bowl. Every year, the Carson Graham football team plays their rivals, the Handsworth Royals, in this game. The very first Buchanan Bowl was played in 1987 and it is named after Mr. James Buchanan, a teacher and administrator who worked at both schools and died in 1986.

The Junior and Senior Varsity teams played well and were victorious in this North Vancouver tradition. Well done, Eagles!

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Terry Fox Run

Terry Fox often said that it was the youth who would carry forth his efforts and work towards a world without cancer. Millions of students across Canada take part in the Terry Fox School Run every year raising funds for cancer research, making it one of the largest fundraising events in Canadian history and one of the largest displays of solidarity this planet has ever seen! Carson Graham participated this year on September 27th and helped share Terry’s example of courage, strength and hope. The weather cooperated and we started on the field with a warm-up led by Ms. Pross and her Dance students and then headed down Jones Avenue to start the route. Well done, Carson!

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Grade 8 Community and Team Building Days

On September 26th and 27th, all of our grade 8 students participated in two full days of activities both atop Grouse Mountain and here at the school. The purpose was to promote leadership, team building, environmental awareness and to help students make the connection between the unceded Squamish territory that we occupy and our environment. Students learned the responsibilities and independence of self-governance, the communication and leadership skills necessary for teamwork and the social skills needed for a variety of circumstances.

Orange Shirt Day

This Monday, we gathered for a school-wide assembly in recognition of Orange Shirt Day. Each year on September 30th, we wear orange shirts and ribbons to recognize Residential School survivors. We honour their experiences, and those of their families. Today, Orange Shirt Day, is an opportunity for Indigenous Peoples, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for future generations of children. It is a day to reaffirm that, "every child matters".

Special thanks to Stewart Gonzales, Alroy Baker and Carla George for sharing their Residential School experiences. Additionally, thank you to students Shana George and Monica Jacobs who performed the traditional welcome. The event was an opportunity for our students and staff to listen, reflect and take action towards Truth and Reconciliation.
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All Candidates Meeting

As all are no doubt aware, the Federal Election campaigns are now well under way.  We will be having a Student Vote in advance of the election (on October 18th) where all students in grades 10-12 will be eligible to cast a ballot.

In support of that, we hosted an all candidates meeting this morning at the school.  All of the candidates who have formally declared the candidacy in the North Vancouver federal riding were invited to speak and answer questions from our students.
Interact Club

This Friday, October 4th, Carson Graham’s Interact Club and Rotary North Vancouver will be hosting the very first screening of the Canada C3 Coast to Coast to Coast documentary in BC, a Canada 150 Signature Project produced by the Students on Ice Foundation! Filmed during the historic Canada C3 expedition, the documentary retraces the 150-day icebreaker journey from Toronto to Vancouver in 2017 and allows the audience to experience the marine adventure exploring Canada’s coastline.


The event will take place at Carson Graham Secondary, with doors opening at 6:30 pm and the documentary starting at 7:00 pm. The screening will be followed by a short Q & A with alumnae from the Students on Ice Foundation, with the event ending by 8:30 pm.

Tickets are free for children under 12, $5.00 for students, and $10.00 for adults. Tickets can be purchased using the following link:
https://canadac3premiere.eventbrite.com

All funds will be split between the Students on Ice Foundation and the Polio Eradication Initiative!
Teacher Contact and Website Links
 
We have updated teacher emails and personal websites on our own school website. Please visit the site here.
 
Interims

 
We will be adopting a more formal interim reporting process this year. Interims will be due in the main office mid-October at which point they will be collated and mailed home in advance of Parent Teacher Interview booking. More details to come!
 
Upcoming Events:

October 2- PAC Meeting at 7pm in the library
October 3- Grade 12 Starry Nights Homecoming Dance
October 4- Curriculum Implementation Day (school not in session)
October 4- Canada C3 Coast to Coast to Coast Documentary Screening
​October 8- Western University Visit
October 8- Northwest University Visit
October 8- Canadian University Event @ Delta Hotels Burnaby Conference Centre
October 9- Late Start 9:55 am
October 10- DP Parent Night
October 14- Thanksgiving Day (school not in session)
October 15- SFU: Beedie School of Business Visit
October 24- Post-Secondary Visits Day
October 25- Province-Wide Professional Day (school not in session)
October 28- Dalhousie University Visit


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    Author

    Suzette Dohm is the Principal of Carson Graham Secondary School in North Vancouver, British Columbia.


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