The unit 2 report card for the courses your son or daughter had from October 19th to November 27thshows a separate page for each class. Students in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 will have a total of six report pages: Math, Science or Humanities, PE, Visual Arts, French and Health & Career Ed or Planning 10. Students in grade 11 and 12 will have five to seven pages depending on their course load.

Please sign and date the envelope to indicate you have seen your son’s or daughter’s report card, and ask your son or daughter to return the envelope to his or her homeroom teacher.

Inter-A Student Society

The Inter-A Student Society thanks everyone who participated in our fall fundraisers. We had over 70 bags of clothes brought in for Big Brothers, we continue to receive dividends from the Mohawk swipe cards, and Inter A students raised thousands of dollars in gift card and Purdy’s sales. Many thanks for supporting our program.

The next Society meeting is Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 7pm. Please feel free to come to the meeting. It is a great chance to hear what is happening in Inter-A.

Student Activity Updates

While the grade 10 and 11 students were in the midst of their work experience the rest of Inter-A participated in a day of theatre. Some students had the chance to attend a Vancouver Theatre production of Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels while others attended the Disney 3-D A Christmas Carol at Metrotown. All students were fantastic representatives of Inter-A and we all enjoyed our afternoon.

The next theatre date is January 20th for students who have season tickets.

Holiday Events

We are busy preparing for our annual craft day on Wednesday, December 16th. Although we have most of our afternoon planned we still welcome family and friends to lead a craft or help out in any way. Many thanks!

Students and teachers have randomly drawn names and are in the process of creating a personalized holiday greeting card for that individual. In the past the cards have been created with great care, effort and thought. We look forward to collecting these on Thursday, December 10th, assessing them (as part of the Visual Arts curriculum) and distributing them on Friday, December 18th.

We are also collecting coins (and paper money!) for two charitable causes. The money raised will help Inter-A in its ongoing sponsorship of Aissiata from Senegal through The Plan, and local families through the Surrey Christmas Bureau. Please encourage your sons and daughters to check for spare change and help us to make a difference in others’ lives.

Inter-A 2010/2011

We are already planning for the upcoming 2010/2011 school year! In January, we take a team of students to local elementary schools to speak about our program. The prospective students and their families are invited to our Parent Information Night on Thursday, January 28th at 7pm. If you know of anyone who may be interested in attending Inter-A next year please let them know about our Information Night.

All students who are interested in attending Inter-A must first spend a day in Inter-A. On Friday, January 29th we invite people to call Ms. Skelin, 604-588-6934 ext. 2210, to book a day to visit. Again, if you know someone who is interested for next year please let them know of this date.

Student Work

Inter-A teachers have noticed a trend where more and more students are not completing their assigned work on time. It is difficult for us to assess student’s progress if they are not handing in their work. It also leads to stressed students when they have overdue assignments and projects piling up. Please talk with your son and daughter and help them set up a regular homework time and location. This will help them to develop valuable study skills and work habits.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel to call the school and ask for one of your child’s teachers.

Inter-A Teaching Team: Anthony Jay, Kathy Richardson, Pauline Veto, Chris Wakelin, Melanie Skelin, Roger Blenman, Alyssa Poynter

school phone: 604-588-6934 www.inter-a.org

Report Card

The unit 1 report card for the courses your son or daughter had from September 8^th to October 16^th is enclosed.  The report shows a separate page for each class.  Students in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 will have a total of six report pages:  Math, Science or Humanities, PE, Visual Arts, French, Health & Career Ed or Planning 10.  Students in grade 11 and 12 will have five to seven pages depending on their course load.

Please sign and date the envelope to indicate you have seen your son’s or daughter’s report card, and ask your son or daughter to return the envelope to his or her homeroom teacher.

Fundraising

The  Inter-A Student’s Society, run by our parent volunteers, has organized two fundraisers to support the program.  Please look in your child’s report card envelope for the order forms.

The first is a Gift Card purchase fundraiser.  The gift cards are available from a wide variety of merchants and services.  The orders and payment, cheques made payable to the Inter-A Student’s Society, need to be returned to school by November 16^th.

The second is a Purdy’s Chocolates fundraiser.  These are always popular treats.  Please return one order form and one cheque (if possible) for all orders, made payable to the Inter-A Student’s Society by November 17^th.

The gift cards and chocolates will be available for pick up on November 26^th at 2:30pm.

Inter-A also has an ongoing Mohawk fundraiser, please let Mr. Jay know if you would like one or more Mohawk cards.  These cards can be swiped with any purchase at any Mohawk or Husky gas station in Canada and a portion of sales are donated directly to the Inter- A program.  There is no additional expense for the purchaser.

Stay tuned for an upcoming Big Brothers fundraiser.  This is a great chance to clean out spare closets and donate any linens, clothes, etc.  More information will follow.

Multicultural Day October 22 – South Asian Festival

A very hard working group of students organized an excellent set of seminars about various South Asian festivals.  Their peers were treated to great seminars and presentations.  The day ended with a fantastic fashion show and Nepalese and Punjabi dance lessons.

Inter A Play

This year the Inter-A play is “Really, Marvin!” It is a comedy about a boy who liked to tell stories.  Students, parents, friends and family are invited to evening performances on November 5, 6, and 7^th at 7:00pm at Kwantlen Park Theatre.  The story is great fun for the whole family.

Parent Meetings

If you have any questions or concerns about your son or daughter’s progress, at any time during the school year, please phone the school at 604 588 6934 and leave a message for any of the Inter-A teachers.  We will be happy to schedule a meeting time with you and your son or daughter to discuss his or her progress.

If you are trying to reach your son or daughter during the school day please call the office at 604 588 6934 and leave a message.  The office staff pages students to pick up messages at lunch and at the end of the day.   Please remember that cell phones are not permitted to be used during class time.

Important Dates:

October 21, 2009 Vancouver Playhouse

Senior students, who purchased season tickets, attended the first play of the season entitled The Miracle Worker. The next play date is December 2, 2009.

November 4, 2009 Grade 9 Take Your Kids to Work Day

Grade 9 students, who have returned their permission forms, will be participating in this national event where students spend a day job shadowing a family member to see what a day at work is all about.

November 5, 6, and 7^th.  Inter-A Play

Bring your friends and family to the evening performance.  Tickets are available at the door for $5.

November 12 and 13, 2009 Non instructional days

Students will not be in session at school.

November 16, 2009 Early Dismissal

Students will be dismissed at 1:26 pm.

November 26, 2009 Fundraisers arrive

Please make sure to pick up any gift cards or Purdy’s that you ordered.

November 27, 2009 End of Unit 2

Unit 2 report cards will be sent home with students approximately 2 weeks after the end of the unit.

November 30 – December 18  Work Experience

Grade 10 and 11 students start their work experience placements on November 30^th.  Grade 10 students have a 2 week placement and Grades 11’s have a 3 week placement.  This is a great opportunity for students to experience a full time placement in an area they are interested exploring.

December 16, 2009 Winter Craft Day

This year our annual winter craft day will take place on December 16^th.  If you are available to help lead a craft or supervise a student lead craft please contact Ms. Skelin at the school phone number.

Inter-A Teaching Team:  Anthony Jay, Melanie Skelin, Roger Blenman, Chris Wakelin, Kathy Yoon-Richardson, Pauline Veto, and Alyssa Poynter

school phone: 604-588-6934                                                                www.inter-a.org

Report Card

The unit 2 report card for the courses your son or daughter had from October 20th to November 28th is enclosed. Please notice that the report cards have been reformatted and we hope that this makes them easy to read. Students in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 will have a total of six report pages: Math, Science or Humanities, PE, Visual Arts, French, and Health & Career Ed or Planning 10. Students in grade 11 and 12 will have five to seven pages depending on their course load.

Please sign and date the envelope to indicate you have seen your son’s or daughter’s report card, and ask your son or daughter to return the envelope to his or her homeroom teacher.

Fundraising

The students of the Inter-A Program participated in a very successful food and coin drive during the past couple of weeks. We were happy to donate over 600 cans of food to the Surrey Food Bank. We also collected over $1100 in coins. This money will be spent on gifts and food for local families that we adopted through the Surrey Christmas Bureau. It is fantastic to see the generosity of our students.

Thank you to Ms. Hanson and Ms. Zen for all of your hard work in organizing the Purdy’s and Gift card fundraisers. The final gift card orders will be available for pick up on Wednesday, December 17th.

Craft Day

Our much anticipated Annual Craft Day is running in the afternoon of December 17th. Thank you to all the students and parents who are helping to make this day a success.

Upcoming trips

In September, the Inter-A teachers had applied to be a part of a Quebec exchange program run through SEVEC. Our application was not accepted this year. However, in the past couple of weeks a different Lower Mainland high school had to remove themselves from the exchange and we have been selected in their place. Mr. Blenman is working frantically to see if there is enough student interest and sufficient time to organize the exchange. Stay tuned for future updates.

Also in the planning stages at this time is a spring retreat. A survey went home late in November to survey interest which was overwhelmingly positive. The planning of the second retreat is underway, but it may depend on the outcome of the Quebec exchange.

2009/2010 Enrollment in Inter-A

It is hard to believe, but we are already starting to look forward to next September’s enrollment. In January we will be visiting local elementary schools to let them know about the Inter-A program. On January 29th we will have a parent meeting for those new parents and new students who may be interested in Inter-A for September 2009. Please feel free to tell other students and parents who may be interested in attending our program.

If you have a son, daughter, or friend who is interested in our program please encourage them to call on or after February 5th. This is the day when they will be able to book a date to visit our program.

Important Dates

• Wednesday, December 17th – Craft Day
• Friday, December 19th – Last day of classes before Winter Vacation
• Monday, January 5th- School reopens
• Wednesday, January 14th – Next Vancouver Playhouse Theatre matinee
• Monday, January 26th – Last day of Unit 3 and end of senior level semestered courses
• Tuesday, January 27th to Thursday, January 29th – Semester turn around, no school in session for students
• Thursday, January 29th – New parents and students info night for 2009 enrollment
• Friday, January 30th – Pro-D Day, no school in session for students

Parent Meetings

If you have any questions or concerns about your son or daughter’s progress, at any time during the school year, please phone the school at 604 588 6934 and leave a message for any of the Inter-A teachers. We will be happy to schedule a meeting time with you and your son or daughter to discuss his or her progress.

We hope that you all have many good times with friends and family
over the holidays and have a very Happy New Year!

Inter-A Teaching Team: Anthony Jay, Melanie Skelin, Sheila Dhaliwal, Roger Blenman, Chris Wakelin, Amanda Ballard, and Alyssa Poynter

Report Card

• The unit 1 report card for the courses your son or daughter had from September 2nd to October 17th is enclosed. The report shows a separate page for each class. Students in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 will have a total of six report pages: Math, Science or Humanities, PE, Visual Arts, French, Health & Career Ed or Planning 10. Students in grade 11 and 12 will have five to seven pages depending on their course load.
• Please sign and date the envelope to indicate you have seen your son’s or daughter’s report card, and ask your son or daughter to return the envelope to his or her homeroom teacher.

Fundraising

The Inter-A Student’s Society, run by our parent volunteers, has organized two fundraisers to support the program. Please look in your child’s report card envelope for the order forms.

We welcome all our returning and new students to the Inter-A Program for the 2008-2009 school year! We, the teaching team, hope you and your family have enjoyed the summer and are looking forward to an exciting year.

Important Dates:

• September 2 School Starts at 10:00 am for all Inter-A Students: Please come to the B-wing at 10:00 am on Tuesday, September 2. Homeroom lists will be posted at each Inter-A classroom, B110-112, B116-118 and B117-119. Please find your name on the list and go to that homeroom. Introductions and important information will be given out. Students should expect to stay at school until 12:00 noon.
• September 9 Inter-A Parent Information Night 6:30 pm: Topics include philosophy of the program, student expectations, retreat, provincial graduation requirements. Everyone is welcome to attend!
• September 16-18 Inter-A Program Retreat: Every year, the whole program moves location to the Sunshine Coast for three days of cooperative, team building activities. We stay at Camp Sunrise, in Langdale, where students work together to build their skills and get to know each other in a fun, collaborative environment. Detailed forms will be sent home in the first week of school. The cost will be approximately $90 and includes all meals, cabin rental and transportation. We thank the Inter-A Society for their generous support of the retreat.

Inter-A Program School Year Calendar

The Inter-A Program year is divided into six units of approximately six weeks length each.

Students will receive a schedule at the beginning of each unit which will show their classes and teachers for that unit. At the end of every unit, students will receive a report card for each class they had in that unit. For students in grades 7-10, Humanities and Science emphasis will alternate each unit. Mathematics, PE, Art and French classes run all year long.

The table below lists Inter-A unit end and Report Card dates. Please keep it for future reference. Six reports are sent home during the year. Any changes will be posted on the Inter-A website.

* semester one end ** semester two end

Fees

• As a program of choice in the Surrey School District, the Inter-A program has fees to support our students’ activities of $40 per year. Cheques for this fee are payable to Kwantlen Park Secondary.
• Inter-A Student Society Membership Fees: $10 (per family). The Inter-A Program is strongly supported by the parents of our students through the Inter-A Student Society, a registered, non-profit society. Parent volunteers work throughout the year to support all student activities. Cheques for membership are payable to the Inter-A Student Society.

School Supplies

Recommended supplies will help students stay organized:

• 3-ring Binders (three or four) Pencils and erasers Glue sticks
• Lined paper, three hole punched Pencil crayons Scissors
• Pens – blue or black preferable Scientific calculator Pencil case
• Back pack 
• Ruler (15 or 30 cm)

Textbooks

Students will be assigned textbooks throughout the school year. Please ensure your child has written his or her name neatly on the inside cover of the text as soon as it is assigned. This will greatly help students in keeping track of their texts so that they can return their assigned books at year end.

PE Strip

All students in Inter-A are enrolled in Physical Education. All students must bring appropriate PE strip to school and store it in their locker. PE strip is worn only during PE class. Please wash PE strip weekly. Strip should include: shorts, t-shirt, runners, socks, deodorant (NOT strongly scented body sprays) and sweatshirt and/or sweatpants for colder days. Students must be prepared for the occasional rainy day and bring appropriate clothing (rain jacket, hat, etc.) if their PE class is outside.

Lockers

Students will be assigned lockers with locks based on availability. Students in selected grades will have to share lockers with another student. Only locks provided by the school are allowed. Students need to take ALL their supplies and books for their morning or afternoon classes with them. There are no locker visits between Inter-A classes, except for obtaining PE strip.

Work Experience

All grade 10 and 11 students will be participating in a 2 or 3 week work experience at the beginning of unit 3, December 1-12 or 1-19. Inter-A values the education that students receive through first hand experience working in an area of their own personal or career related interest.

We look forward to seeing everyone on September 2!

Inter-A Teaching Team: Alyssa Poynter, Roger Blenman, Chris Wakelin, Kathy Richardson, Anthony Jay, Melanie Skelin, Pauline Veto

Unit 4 Report Card

Inter-A reports for each subject your son or daughter had during unit 4.   Please sign and return the report card envelope so we know you have received the report.

If a student is currently not meeting the learning outcomes of a course, they are considered Incomplete for the course, letter grade I.  If your son or daughter is at risk of failing a course you will find an attached “Notice to Parents: Support Plan for an Incomplete Letter Grade”.   This notice gives information on the tasks your son or daughter needs to achieve to be successful in the course.  Please sign, date, and return the bottom section to Inter-A so we know you have received it.

If you have questions about your son or daughter’s progress, please call the Inter-A message line at 604 587 7373.  We can respond by telephone or we can meet to discuss a student’s progress.  Meetings include the student, parents and teachers.  We are available after school on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Morning meetings, before school begins, can also be arranged.

Important Dates:

• Friday, April 11 Big Brothers Clothing Drive: Please bring in your collected clothing and linen items first thing on Friday morning.  The truck will be at the school to pick up items before 9:30 am.  We have helpful students who are more than happy to assist you in unloading your vehicle.
• Wednesday, April 16 Asian Festival
• Friday, April 25 Bengali Festival: Two groups of motivated and enthusiastic students are involved in planning, organizing and leading seminars on these two days.  Everyone in the program will spend the days learning about various cultural aspects of these areas of the world. 
• Friday, April 18 Hanging Basket Sale: Enclosed with this report is an order form for beautiful hanging baskets – just in time for Mother’s Day.  This fundraiser supports the Inter-A Student’s Society.  Please return order forms and payment by April 18.  Baskets will be available for pick up on April 29.
• April 16, 30; May 14 Collaboration Days: Just a reminder that every second Wednesday is a collaboration day at Kwantlen Park.  Classes on these days start at 9:30am.  
• May 1 – 12 Europe Trip: Our students are busy learning about the European countries they will be visiting in early May.  The students will visit the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria.

Inter-A Teaching Team:  Anthony Jay, Kathy Richardson, Pauline Veto, Chris Wakelin, Melanie Skelin, Sheila Dhaliwal, Roger Blenman

Inter-A Student Society Bowling Night!

Date: Saturday, February 23, 2008

Time: 6:30 pm

Where: Xcalibur Bowling Center

Come support the student society and have a great time bowling with family and friends. The Inter-A Student Society has organized an evening of dinner, two games and rental shoes for only $20.00. Please return the attached reservation form, and money by February 14^th, in order to secure your tickets at this fun event.

Dates:

• Report Cards: Reports cards for unit three will be issued on February 13. This reporting period coincides with the end of the first semester, so students will receive a school generated report as well as the regular Inter-A reports for each class. 
• Unit 4: February 4 – March 14: Please check your child’s Inter-A timetable and schedule to see their classes for the new unit. 
• Inter-A Play: Inter-A students are hard at work rehearsing this year’s Inter-A theater production. Set aside an evening to enjoy the play which runs from Wednesday, March 5 to Friday, March 7, 2008.
• Collaboration Days: Just a reminder that every second Wednesday is a collaboration day at Kwantlen Park. Classes on these days start at 9:30am. Collaboration days in unit 4: February 6, 20; March 5.
• Spring Break: Monday, March 17 – Tuesday, March 25. Return to school on Wednesday, March 26.
• Big Brothers Clothing Drive: Start saving those clothes you and members of your family no longer wear. Inter-A Student Society is organizing a Big Brothers pick up of good, wearable clothes and coats for early April.

PE Classes

All students in Inter-A are enrolled in Physical Education. All students must bring appropriate PE strip to school and store it in their locker. PE strip should include: shorts, t-shirt, runners, socks, and deodorant (no strongly scented body sprays). As there is limited indoor gym space in this building, students will be going outside in February and March for PE. Please make sure to bring warmer outdoor clothing for cool days – sweatshirts, sweatpants, gloves, and/or rain jacket may be needed. Students attending school are expected to be able to participate in a moderate level of physical activity. If a student has an injury that prevents him or her from participating in a moderate level of physical activity, then please bring a note from a physician, indicating what activities are restricted.

Reporting Absences

If your son or daughter is going to be absent from school, please phone the main office receptionist at 604 588 6934 and give them the name and student number of you son or daughter. The office personnel are able to record excused absences more easily than the classroom teacher.

Looking Ahead – September 2008

Surprising as it may seem – it is that time of year when we ask students to consider their educational environment for next September. During February, we will be asking students who wish to return to Inter-A in the fall, to write a letter to the teaching team, telling us why they would like to return. Now is a good time to consider those reasons. If you have decided to try another educational option for the fall, please let us know. We need to report our projected enrollment by spring break.

Inter-A Teaching Team: Anthony Jay, Kathy Richardson, Pauline Veto, Chris Wakelin, Melanie Skelin, Sheila Dhaliwal, Roger Blenman

Inter-A School at Night!

Date: Thursday, November 29, 2007

Time: 3:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Students will attend school starting at 3:30 pm and ending at 8:30 pm. School at Night provides parents with the opportunity to come to school and observe their child in class. The altered schedule allows parents to attend school with their child without having to take time off work. We are coordinating pizza orders for dinner. An order form will be sent home on Monday for interested families.

• Are You Smarter Than an Inter-A Student?: An exciting idea for this year’s school at night is an “Are You Smarter than an Inter-A Student?” type event. We are in urgent need of parent volunteers willing to participate in the game! The students have been working very hard to set up this game show type event. You need only participate for a few minutes – and your participation will ensure a successful event. Please call 604 587-7373 and let us know you will be a participant.
• Fundraising: The Inter-A Student’s Society will have the Purdy’s orders and the Gift Card orders available for pick up during School at Night. Both fundraisers were very successful and helped support activities for the students.

Professional Development Day November 30, 2007

Students will not be in session at school as teachers will be attending professional development workshops.

Seasonal Craft Day December 19, 2007

Inter-A is preparing for a day of Crafts to start off the winter break. We are looking for any crafty people to help out by teaching a craft to our students. If you, or someone you know, are interested in helping, please let us know your craft, the number of students you are willing to teach, and the approximate cost of your supplies. Call and leave a message for Ms. Richardson at 604 587-7373.

Inter-A Teaching Team: Anthony Jay, Kathy Richardson, Pauline Veto, Chris Wakelin, Melanie Skelin, Sheila Dhaliwal, Roger Blenman

It’s hard to believe we have reached the end of unit 1 already! We have had a busy start to the school year. A big thank from the students and teachers to the parent volunteers of the Inter-A Student Society who provided a delicious pizza lunch during the first week of school to welcome students back to Inter-A.

Report Card

The unit 1 report card for the courses your son or daughter had from September 4^th to October 18^th in enclosed. It shows a separate page for each class your son or daughter had in unit one. Students in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 will have a total of six report pages: Math, Science or Humanities, PE, Visual Arts, French, Health & Career Ed or Planning 10. Students in grade 11 and 12 will have five to seven pages depending on their course load.

Please sign and date the envelope to indicate you have seen your son’s or daughter’s report card, and ask your son or daughter to return the envelope to his or her homeroom teacher.

Fundraising

The Inter-A Student’s Society, run by our parent volunteers, has organized two fundraisers to support the program. Please look in your child’s report card envelope for the order forms.

The first is a Gift Card purchase fundraiser. The gift cards are available from a wide variety of merchants and services. The order form and information page are on goldenrod paper. The orders and payment, cheques made payable to the Inter-A Student’s Society need to be returned to school by November 13^th.

The second is a Purdy’s Chocolates fundraiser. These are always popular treats. The order form is white and there are red brochures included. Please return one order form and one cheque for all orders, made payable to the Inter-A Student’s Society by November 13^th.

The gift cards and chocolates will be available for pick up at School at Night on November 29^th.

Multicultural Day October 24 – Diwali

A very hard working group of students organized an excellent set of seminars about the festival of Diwali. Their peers were treated to great presentations. The day ended with a fantastic group event, “So You Think You Can Bhangra”, which provided great entertainment for everyone.

Parent Meetings

If you have any questions or concerns about your son or daughter’s progress, at any time during the school year, please phone the school at 604 588 6934 and leave a message for Ms. Veto or any of the Inter-A teachers. You can also leave a message on our message line, 604 587 7373. We will be happy to schedule a meeting time with you and your son or daughter to discuss his or her progress.

Important Dates:

• November 7, 2007 Grade 9 Take Your Kids to Work Day: Grade 9 students, who have returned their permission forms, will be participating in this national event where students spend a day job shadowing a family member to see what a day at work is all about.
• November 21, 2007 Post Secondary Information Day: Grade 12 students will have the opportunity to see presentations from various post-secondary institutions. Seminars will take place throughout the day.
• November 29, 2007 Inter-A School at Night! This is Inter-A’s annual opportunity for parents to see what their son or daughter does at school. Students will attend school starting at 3:00pm and running until 8:00 pm. The altered schedule gives parents the opportunity to observe their child without having to take time off work. An exciting idea for this year’s school at night is an “Are You Smarter than an Inter-A Student?” type event. We need parent volunteers willing to participate in order to make the event successful. If you are interested please call us at the school.
• November 30, 2007 Professional Development Day: Students will not be in session at school as teachers will be attending professional development workshops.

Inter-A Teaching Team: Anthony Jay, Kathy Richardson, Pauline Veto, Chris Wakelin, Melanie Skelin, Sheila Dhaliwal, Roger Blenman