4.18.2013
4.17.2013
Elementary Update
A
colleague of mine shared a quote with me yesterday that resonates: Prepare
the child for the path, not the path for the child. It is so tempting to want to line things up so
that our children will not have to face any trouble, particularly with the
headline news of the past few days. Sometimes
in our haste we jump to solve their problems for them. And without question, it is imperative that we
as parents and teachers play a crucial role in guiding our children, ensuring
their safety and providing opportunities for them to grow and flourish. At the same time, it’s worth us stepping back
and looking at how much do we do for
our children, and how much we allow them
to try themselves.
In India, we have a saying:
“Everything will be alright in the end.”
So if it's not alright, it is not yet the end."
(Sonny in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)
4.16.2013
Weekly Update, Ms. Scott April 15
Spring is here – the Public Gardens are open!
Athletics - ACIS Badminton: We had a great tournament last Saturday. Congratulations to all our medallists: Gold Medal U14 Singles – Hannah Baillie, U14 Doubles – Hannah Cassie and Alexa Pirie; U16 Singles – Sophie McIntyre, U16 Doubles – Razan Al-Sharkawi and Julie Inglis. Silver Medal U14 Singles – Emma Butler, U14 Doubles – Katherine Khorovets and Caila Smithers. Bronze Medal U14 Singles – Markley Wakeland, U19 Doubles – Calla Owens and Claudia Toulany. Overall as a team we placed 2nd. Thank you to Mr. Griffiths for running the tournament.
Citadel Zone Badminton – Sophie McIntyre placed fourth.
Jr. Field Hockey – the girls are participating in the Nancy Tokaryk Memorial Tournament at Armbrae this week-end.
Sr. Field Hockey – league games continue over the next two weeks.
Barat Literary Readings: As part of the English programme the girls prepare a short story or an essay to be presented to their class. One representative is chosen from each class to read for a panel of judges and for the student body. Last Thursday we had the senior high readings and yesterday we had the junior high readings. Barat Literary Distinctions were awarded to Meredith Bullock, Grade 7M and Savannah Cox, Grade 12S. Barat Literary Commendations were awarded in junior high to: Meg Currie, Catherine Burke, Lala Lee, Teresa Donovan and Rory Flynn, and in senior high to: Mattea Roach, Hanna Garnier, Zoé McIntyre, Mimisu Lee and Abbie Salyzyn. Congratulations to all!
Dean of Students – I am pleased to announce that we have a new Dean of Students for September 2014. Her name is Ms. Shauna Wall and she has been teaching at Lower Canada College in Montreal for the last nine years. She did her undergraduate degree in science at Dalhousie University, her education degree at McGill and her M.Ed. at Acadia. She is looking forward to coming to Sacred Heart and she and Mrs. Drummond will be meeting and communicating over the next few months to make for a smooth transition. Ms. Wall will be here this week-end with LCC students for the Donahoe Cup.
Duke of Edinburgh Award – We have just received confirmation that Ruis MacDonald has earned her Gold Award and Anya Friesen has earned her Bronze. Congratulations!
Student Council elections – Over the next few weeks we will have elections for student council executive and class representatives for the 2013-2014 school year. Executive elections are next week and I wish all the candidates the best of luck. I encourage students to think about running for class representative. Nomination forms will be available from Mrs. Drummond.
Donahoe Cup – Good luck to all our debaters this week-end.
The Ultimate Pick-Up Basketball Game" for Boys ages 9-11 yrs. old!
Saturday, April 20th from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Sacred Heart School of Halifax (Fountain Academy Gym). The
goal of the UPUB is to offer a not-for-profit event that brings together kids from
around the city for informal play that connects young ball players who might
otherwise only meet on the court during League play.
Cost: online registrants: $15; at door registrants: $20
Format:
3-on-3 games without refs; with a 5-on-5 finale without refs.
Note: No more than two kids from any
one Club should be playing on the same team. Parents or guardians will need to
sign a waiver when they bring their player to the game.
This
event marks the start of a series of UPUB Games for boys & girls, staged at
various gyms around the city. The goal is to create a ‘roaming recreation
center’ that attracts kids from all corners and communities for
call-your-own-fouls pick-up basketball games.
The
UPBG on the morning of April 20th will include a full, professional warm-up
(with former Rainmen player and current Martyrs Technical Director of
Basketball, Devon Norris); shoot-around & short skills session; team
selection; 1st half-court games; break & talk (speaker TBA); 2nd
half-court games; full-court 5-on-5 finale.
Players
should bring sneakers & shorts, water, and a light, nut-free snack.
All
boys between the ages of 9 & 11 are welcome.
P.S. we hope to have a date for a UPUB Game for girls set soon.
4.15.2013
Woozles Book Fair at Sacred Heart - April 16-18th
Sacred Heart School is having a Woozles Book Fair from Tuesday, April 16 to Thursday, April 18th. Join us to celebrate reading and quality literature through a broad selection of books for students in Primary to Grade 8. Main building - between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Donahoe Cup Results
62 teams from Manitoba,
Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia competed this past weekend (April 13-14). The complete results are available here:
Four of our teams made it
to the quarter finals. The Fountain
Academy “A” team Alexander Sapp and
Sebastian Young finished 8th overall — ultimately going down to defeat
by the Cobequid team.
A team composed of Sabrina
Secord and Jake Marchand placed 3rd overall, eventually being beaten
by Rory Flynn and Mattea Roach – all from Sacred Heart.
In the final round, the Cobequid
team of Sarah Millman and Brie Dukeshire defeated the Sacred
Heart team of Rory Flynn and Mattea Roach to win the Donahoe
Cup.
In the novice category,
the team of Emma McLean and Sarah Bjornson from Sacred Heart faced
a team from Gray Academy of Winnipeg in the quarter finals. This time the Winnipeg team prevailed and our
girls were 5th overall. The LCC
team of Andrea Davies and Marshall went on to win the junior divisions,
defeating the LCC team of Rosen and Albert to win the novice category.
Some of our top Novice
Results:
8. Emma
McLean, Sacred Heart
11. Sarah Bjornson, Sacred
Heart
13. Aristides Milios,
Fountain
Advanced Results:
1. Rory Flynn, Sacred Heart
School of Halifax
4. Sebastian Young, Fountain
5. Mattea Roach, Sacred Heart
7. Alexander Sapp, Fountain
11. Jake Marchand, Fountain
14. Sabrina Secord, Sacred
Heart
Congratulations to all who took part and our thanks to the many
who gave up their weekend to make the tournament a success.
Brian Casey, Debate Coach
Sacred Heart School of Halifax would like to express a great deal of gratitude to Brian Casey, who devotes a tremendous amount of volunteer time to
our students over the course of the year as a debating coach and organizer of
the Donahoe Cup, and to his very capable debating assistant, Patricia
Donnelly! Thank you both very much!
4.11.2013
Education of Boys - Future Leaders
There are plenty of moments when the boys do something foolish and I’m surprised at their thoughtlessness. (No doubt you have had the same experience from time to time.) But there are just as many moments when I’m surprised for a different reason. Today was one of those days.
Our grade twelve students dedicate themselves each Wednesday morning to working for various community agencies and assisting those in need. Two of those boys, who have been working at a local men’s shelter, were speaking in Chapel this morning and appealing to their colleagues to assist them in making conditions at that shelter a bit more palatable. They had identified a specific need and they wanted to help. Also today, I encountered our Student Council members who were working with representatives from a charity in India to help fund the education of some of the world’s poorest children. Neither of these things, though laudable, would be remarkable except that both initiatives came not from the minds of their teachers, but solely from the hearts of the boys themselves.
One of the Sacred Heart goals states that we shall, “educate to a sense of social justice that impels to action.” When I talk about the social justice program with people who are unfamiliar with the school they often imagine it as a “community service” program, and I am quick to explain that it is quite emphatically not that.
There is nothing wrong of course with service to one’s community, and nothing wrong even with requiring that young people give back to their community in the form of service. Many schools do that. But the Sacred Heart approach to social justice is really quite different.
There are two phrases in the goal that make this crystal clear. Those phrases are “…educate to a sense…” and “…that impels…” It is not enough for us to introduce the idea of service, or even to require service; we are seeking much more. We want first to teach the boys about the nature of justice and injustice in the world, and then encourage their desire to right those wrongs. We want them to see why they must become the catalyst for that change, moving them beyond the concept of charity to a desire to noticeably alter the conditions that necessitate that work in the first place.
Our central focus is therefore the education of the boys themselves, not furthering the goals of the social service agency. For this reason, we don’t deserve or expect thanks from those agencies that agree to work with us; on the contrary, we go out of our way to thank them as our generous partners in the process of educating the boys of Fountain Academy.
Therefore, in a very real way, the immediate goal of the program is not to change the world, but to change the boys. That difference couldn’t be more profound. It is one of the reasons that I’m so happy that we have someone like Maura Gair at the helm of this program. She has a deep understanding of this distinction and selects those experiences for each boy that will stretch him beyond his comfort zone and open his eyes to the realities of those who need our help. I’ve seen firsthand what profound a difference that sort of experience, so expertly crafted, can make in the heart of a young man on the cusp of adulthood.
When you hear the stories that they bring back on Wednesday afternoon; and when you see them taking initiatives such as those they took today, moving hearts and minds in the service of justice, you are seeing a remarkable transformation. That sort of work demands a deep understanding of the boys, a profound love for them as individuals, and a willingness to ensure that they have the very best experiences that we and our partners can provide. It requires a deft hand to ensure that each boy is challenged, protected, and inspired, but it is something that Maura never fails to achieve.
These young men will no doubt be leaders in their community, captains of industry, or perhaps even future board members; but no matter what they do they will have a profound sense of what a truly just world would look like and why they must be the agents of change in making the rest of the world more like Sacred Heart.
Mr. Robert Marchand, Principal, Fountain Academy of the Sacred Heart
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