St. Andrews JHS Wall
Welcome to the St. Andrews JHS Wall. This section is used for general comments about the site.
St. Andrews Junior High News
Keeping you “in the know”
St. Andrews Wall (hover your mouse over the comment)
Latest on Thu, 08:15 pm: Can't believe that the school year has already ended
: Oh my god, I can't believe that there is only 6 days of school left!!!!!
: Just wanna comment on the awesome job done on the yearbooks
Everything's great, except that the Frosh Frolic teams' class lables were wrong. Oh well, [...]: The athletic banquet is taking place today, June 8th, after school beginning at 4:00 p.m. It looks like we're going to have a fantastic turnout...congratulations [...]
: does anyone remember where is the Athletic Banquet is taking place? i forgot
: There are a few ways that can improve your daughter's mark(s) in the near future. For the past few weeks, the Grade 9 students have [...]
: I am just curious. I have a daughter that currently attends St.Andrews JHS in grade 9 and she is failing math and science. He got [...]
: Hi, I would like to add my support for seeing the new St. A's choir perform at the next music night. They were great in [...]
October 8th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
i love the website
October 11th, 2008 at 8:59 am
really good site!!
October 11th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Hey, great job on the new site!
October 11th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
This is awesome. Good Job!
October 11th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Well done, the site looks great!
October 11th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Great new site!! Thanks for all your hard work!
October 13th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Awesome. I love the pics.
October 13th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
How could anyone not find this site to be excellent?
October 14th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Thanks so much for putting this together, it’s wonderful!! Great way to keep all the parents informed….I LOVE it!!
October 17th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
This site is fantastic! It’s so easy to read and keep up to date on what’s going on in the school. Thank you for your hard work and effort to keep up informed!
October 18th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Great website!!
October 19th, 2008 at 11:59 am
This site is wonderful!! very neat
good job!!
October 19th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Really creative!!
October 19th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
The new format is working fine for me. It even works on my blackberry which was a concern for me when you announced it going on-line.
October 23rd, 2008 at 6:51 am
Thanks to inform everybody related to StAndrewsJHS this helps much parents, students congratulations to site builders.
October 25th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
I like it.
October 29th, 2008 at 8:44 am
this site is very helpful.It is update the school activities, also remind us some coming activities. I give full support for this.
November 1st, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Really helpful and informative!!!
November 2nd, 2008 at 2:37 pm
awesome
November 2nd, 2008 at 11:46 pm
I especially like the way previous weeks are included making it accumulative. Very creative too.
November 11th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
can’t seem to open up the rest of the bark lake article?
November 11th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
I just fixed it. Click the refresh button on your browser (I needed to change the style for now as part of the fix – I hope you like it
November 13th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
I really like the new theme!!Really creative and informative!!!!!
November 14th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Even more attractive now. Thank-you for all the time and hard work you’re putting into this.
November 15th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Receiving all of this information is very helpful…but is there any way that music nights, open house, etc..can take turns being held on other nights of the week? Our family is very involved on Wednesdays, and some of us can’t miss what we’re involved in.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
should get a copy of the school crest/logo on the site somewhere
November 26th, 2008 at 9:25 am
This newsletter on-line is a great resource. Thank you … but I did’t find information about the gifted program information night at Don Mills Collegiate. I found out about it by accident not through St. Andrew’s. I would think that is something parents of children in St. Andrew’s gifted program would be interested in. It is tonight, Nov. 26 (Wed.) at 7pm
November 30th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
@Kelly – Sita answered your comment in the Nov 28 Newsletter: “Please note that we attempt to post here all announcements and information about Grade 8 information sessions that we receive from other schools.”
November 30th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
@Hugh – I’ll see if I can find a clean version of the logo….and then see if I can figure out how to do it
November 30th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
@Anonymous – Sita addressed your comment in the Nov 21 newsletter – “Upcoming Special Evenings”
December 6th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Thank you for making the effort to re-align concert and information evening schedules. We appreciate your time and understanding.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:22 am
The Holiday Concert was AWSOME! Are there any pics?
January 15th, 2009 at 5:00 am
I am so angry that they cancelled the ski trip for activity day. What a disappointment and why? Everyone signing up knows it is a cold weather activity and would have the gear to survive.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:45 am
I was very pleased that the school had the good sense to cancel the ski trip on such a bitter cold day. No amount of good clothing can protect from the temperatures at the hill of -32 without the wind chill! I am glad that the school recognized that these are teenagers who may not always use all the sense we would wish under such conditions. Thank you for once again keeping them safe. Lets wish them better weather for the next trip!
January 19th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
I was very disappointed that they cancelled the ski trip.
January 29th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
In several newsletters, you properly advise parents to drop children off in the designated area in the school parking lot and not on the street in front of the school, for safety reasons. Nevertheless, my son frequently urges me to drop him off on the street – and I say “no”.
How do I answer him when we see a teacher today slowly emerging from her taxi – on the street – in front of the school. “Do as they say, not as they do”?
February 16th, 2009 at 10:19 am
I’d like to thank Harvey Beck for taking care of this wonderful website and for the HALE committee for the cafeteria survey and action plan. Well done!
February 18th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Thanks Gerri. As volunteers, the only currency is appreciation. On behalf of HALE and me, thanks for appreciating
April 7th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Hi
Is it possible to have Ms. Lam comment on when our Grade 8 students will see confirmation sheets for their Grade 9 course selections. My son has friends in other schools who have had a confirmation back from their chosen high school about which courses/options they are enrolled in and which they did not get into, as well as alternatives. We have not seen this sheet for our son.
Thanks.
Joann Sheahan
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Thank to all teachers for awesome Quebec trip. My child came back very happy.
May 4th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Arts Showcase Information
The last 2 concerts of the year will take place on Wednesday May 27 and Thursday May 29. A flyer has been sent home with your son/daughter:
a) to let you know when your child is performing
b) to let me know if your child will be performing with us
c) to allow you to order tickets in advance
Please return these flyers as soon as you can. The deadline is Friday May 15th.
Looking forward to seeing you all there!
May 30th, 2009 at 11:53 am
A big thank you and congratulations to Mr. Corbett. We thoroughly enjoyed your Gr 8 band concert and of course, the incredible Jazz Ensemble. The kids respond well to you, and it shows. They should be proud of their achievements.
Thanks for a great concert!
August 14th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Great website!!
August 14th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
When will teh gauss cotnest results come out!! Grr!
August 23rd, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Hello, I’m just inquiring as to when the class listings will be posted up. Thanks.
August 23rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I doubt anyone from the school’s admin is even looking at this yet. Great to see how keen you are, though
September 13th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
When will activity day 3 be?
September 15th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Second week of school and I’m loving St. A’s!
GO GREEN GUMMY BEARS
September 16th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Hi Jennifer,
I am thrilled to hear that the first couple of weeks at St. A’s have been enjoyable. I would get in trouble if I just cheered for the Green Gummy Bears, but I do love those little guys.
September 17th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Hi Jennifer! It is great to hear that you have been having such a good time learning at St. Andrew’s. I hope you enjoyed participating in Frosh Frolic games and activities this afternoon as much as I enjoyed watching. All the students did a fantastic job! Wonderful school spirit!
September 21st, 2009 at 7:32 pm
It’s my third year at St.Andrew’s and i’m loving it as it was my first day! The years have gone by so fast, i can’t believe im graduating…. Thanks again Ms.Dubeau for saying on the announcements ” if your name has at least two r’s or two t’s in it, come down to the office for a treat”.
October 5th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Is there any schedule of December exams for the grade 7 classes if so is it possible to get a copy of it.
October 5th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Rumour has it that Principal Howard loves hockey and supported a school team at his previous school. What are the chances at St. Andrew’s?
October 6th, 2009 at 7:54 am
I am a big fan of music, the arts and technology initiatives, but athletics have always been a passion. Coaching hockey is something I enjoy and, yes, a St. Andrew’s team is being started. Permission forms and a letter were handed out last week – tryouts start on Oct. 22. See Mr. Howard or Mr. Johnson for more information (Gr. 7 & 8 only).
October 6th, 2009 at 7:56 am
There are no formal exams for Gr. 7 – only for Gr. 9. Normal unit and term tests will take place as determined by individual teachers.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:08 am
some students will be on Bark Lake trip during first hockey tryout…is it still possible for them to attend the other two tryouts if they are interested in trying out for the school hockey team?
October 6th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
The students going to Bark Lake will not miss any hockey tryouts as the first group is back before the first tryout and the second group returns on Wednesday the 28th and the second tryout is on Thursday the 29th. So, no worries!
October 8th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
When is the open house for Norther SS and Don Mills CI going to be. Please Reply!
October 8th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Ms. Coughlan, the Guidance Counsellor, will be sharing all necessary secondary school information with grade 8 and 9 students well prior to the open house evenings. If you would like some information in the mean time, please see Ms. Coughlan directly.
October 13th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Hi there! You’ll probably be hearing about it soon but the Junior Girls Softball team has made it to the cities! We won every game we played!
October 13th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Hi there! I am new to this school and I have only new the teachers for the past month. When I try to enter clubs that require teacher recommendation is it a must that the teacher must know me for atleast an year.
October 14th, 2009 at 7:05 am
First off, I hope you are enjoying your new school. It is not necessary to have known a teacher for a year, but it is important to speak with the teacher you are hoping to get a reference from so that he/she gets to know you a little better. You will be afforded the same opportunity as all others wishing to be a part of something special at St. Andrew’s. Thanks for the great question.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Hi, just found this webiste after a few attempts. does spelling counts on the wall?
October 15th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Only if you don’t want to embarrass yourself
October 15th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Alright, are we allowed emoticons and acronyms?
October 15th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Just a suggestion, put some pics on the side
Will make it look better. And more colorful.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Everyone’s a critic
October 15th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
FWIW, IMHO, I do think it would start to get a little too busy on the sidebar with lots of pix. BTW, acronyms are ok
October 19th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
This is a great website!!!
October 21st, 2009 at 11:47 am
It would be really helpful if all teachers would share their email addresses with parents for easier communication. Particularly when we are dealing with so many illnesses such as Swine Flu etc. and students are asked to stay home from school if they are not well. Parents may be tempted to send their sick kids to school if they don’t have a convenient method of finding out about missed assignments and homework.
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:25 am
@Anonymous -This was partially addressed in an Oct 11 post.
Given how ticklish many TDSB teachers are about emails (I have kids at a few different schools and heard the same reluctance from several teachers), I’m guessing there may have been some problems on occasion in the past.
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:12 pm
All teachers have to be accountable to parents, regardless of whether they are employed by TDSB, private schools or other school boards. I would be curious as to what types of “problems” there would have been in the past. Most parents are busy people with their own careers and attending to the needs of their children. They have little time to spend on issues other than those that are of genuine concern to them. We are living in an era where CEO’s, lawyers, medical professionals etc. communicate primarily through email. Why would teachers find it any more difficult than these professionals? If teachers are feeling overwhelmed by emails from certain parents then perhaps a message such as, “I think that we need to meet to discuss your concerns in person” would help to cut back on the email overload. I understand that teachers spend their days working with their students but when you consider the job demands of other professionals it is obvious that they are spending time outside of their work day responding to emails. My understanding is that teachers are alloted preparation time during the day. Wouldn’t responding to parents’ emails be a good use of that time? Another concern is that teachers at St. Andrew’s don’t have voicemail and it is therefore impossible for parents to leave messages outside of school hours. In general I am a big supporter of teachers, however I do feel that in order to meet the needs of parents and support student success initiatives, communication through email is 100% necessary. In time teachers may find that communicating through email saves time. After all, isn’t returning phone calls or being taken away from current tasks to answer phonecalls very time consuming? Not to mention meeting with parents during such restricted time periods (before and after school).
October 25th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Can there be an online school newspaper?
October 29th, 2009 at 11:38 am
We have a school newspaper, “Scorpion Says” and it comes out approximately 4 times a year. Currently, it goes on sale to students for 25 cents, but we can certainly look at placing it on the school blog site for all to see once sales have been completed. Enjoy the reading, no comments about the pictures (yikes!).
October 29th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Communication between the school and the home is essential in monitoring the progress of our students and in sharing information. At times, it can be very difficult to make a connection in a timely manner. In my next newsletter, I will address school communication and share some specific thoughts and ideas. Thank you to those who have articulately expressed their own personal views on the subject.
November 1st, 2009 at 10:31 am
Thank you Mr. Howard. The entire St. Andrew’s community is lucky to have such a dedicated and caring principal.
November 1st, 2009 at 4:52 pm
I was disappointed to learn that some of my child’s friends left the dance early to go home, as it did not meet their expectations. Peer pressure was in full force here as it created a ripple effect, with many other students wanting to call home so that they could leave the dance early as well. I was pleased that although the students had succumbed to peer pressure many of the parents did not and the majority of the students remained at the dance. I think that it is essential to teach our students the importance of showing respect for their teachers and peers who worked hard to plan this party. While some may have the privilege of attending venues that have disc jockeys, dancers etc. outside of school, others may not and I am sure that many of the students looked forward to this event. I think that it really changes the tone of the event when students become overly critical creating a climate of peer pressure that interferes with the enjoyment of other students. As the newsletter stated students do have other options if they don’t want to attend the dance. The dance is a privilege and not an excuse for an afternoon off of school.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
i didnt know there was a website
November 5th, 2009 at 9:02 am
On this site, is there a way for the teachers to post the general material or topics to be covered on a weekly basis (e.g. chapter # and questions from the text book for Math & Science)? Especially during flu season? The agenda doesn’t go back and forth when the student is sick, so communication with teachers is difficult.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Regarding Colleen’s comments (#79). Do all the teachers have a webpage that students/parents can access for missed homework etc for classes missed due to illness, vacation etc.
Also, teachers’ email addresses would be helpful for communication. Pat
November 5th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
@Colleen – it’s a great idea. But the level of technical complexity involved, as well as the logistics of having every teacher participate, is well beyond the scope of this informational blog.
There are tools out there used by some schools to do what you suggest. Perhaps somewhere along the way, it will become the norm at TDSB like it is at many private schools and some public schools. But I think it will take a little while.
When it does, we’ll be sure to add a link to that site from this blog
November 5th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
@Pat – Principal Howard will again address the issue of communication with teachers in a new post shortly.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
When will the gauss math contest results come out? Can you write the people a letter or something
November 17th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Dear student,
I am so glad to hear that you are excited about learning the results to the GAUSS Math test. Unfortunately, we have no control over when the results are released, but hopefully they will be the sent to the school in the next short while. GOOD LUCK!
November 17th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
the gauss results just came out today! YAY!
December 1st, 2009 at 7:54 am
Can Teachers at St.Andrews have their own page on this site for students to access if they missed school and would like to know the homework, upcoming test, assignments, ect.
December 1st, 2009 at 10:19 am
It’s a great idea. But the level of technical complexity involved, as well as the logistics of having every teacher participate, is well beyond the scope of this informational blog.
There are tools out there used by some schools to do what you suggest. Perhaps somewhere along the way, it will become the norm at TDSB like it is at many private schools and some public schools. But I think it will take a little while.
When it does, we’ll be sure to add a link to that site from this blog
December 1st, 2009 at 6:26 pm
What’s the deal with the power shut-off? There were a lot of trucks and stuff outside… What was that all about?
December 2nd, 2009 at 8:47 am
The power shut off was initiated by Toronto Hydro. It had nothing to do with the school but instead the entire community. The school had a very old system that required shutting off first prior to working on the remainder of the community. Everything is back on and running efficiently and effectively. Thanks for the concern.
December 5th, 2009 at 10:11 am
Hello, to avoid disappointment due to false expectations, can you provide details re. the Student Recognition Assembly? Will ALL students whose overall average is 80% or higher be announced at the assembly?
Thank you!
December 7th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
All students who achieved an average of 80% or higher will be called up onto the stage to receive their recognition certificates. There are also some additional academic recognitions that will be part of the grade 8 & 9 assemblies.
December 8th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Hey,
There is a site called Teachers Web which my teacher in my last school used it was really useful because the students had a refernce to what the students had for homework and also parents. An additional is that students don’t really have the excuse of “I wasn’t here…Or I forgot the page numbers”.There is nothing better than that is there.
December 18th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
um, i forgot alot of stuff in my locker, is the school gonna be open tommorrow or monday?
January 18th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
If you started school in grade 8, and got on the honour roll for the next 6 terms, do you still get put on the Principle’s Honour Roll?
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:40 pm
how can I find graduation photos from previous years like 1994 or something from St. Andrews?
February 3rd, 2010 at 8:03 pm
Do we have to bring bus tickets for Science and Sega activity day 2?
February 6th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
The “Bump, Set, Fore” 2nd day was AWESOME!!!!!!
PS: I’m gonna miss art and computers…
February 17th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
lurve st. andrew’s~ <3333
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Can you reply to the students’ wall coments?
February 28th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
This is a good reference however you should Update the main site which was last updated in the 2006-2007 year. If somebody can reply to this, can you please tell me reasons why I should come to the school, because I also got accepted into UTS so……….
I am from Denlow Public School, I implore for someone to reply to this question, UTS or St. Andrew’s, If I go to St. Andrew’s, I stay with my friends, but if I go to UTS, I get to make new friends and better academics. Is it true that music is not mandatory at St. Andrew’s? Also is it true that you have gym 4/5 school days? I would appreciate if anybody could reply as soon as possible. 
February 28th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
8D I have to make my decision by tomorrow.
February 28th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
ultimately the decision is up to you…but i think that st. a’s is a great school b/c of the caring teachers and tons and tons of extra-curricular activities, that are made available to our students. depending on your interest, i’m sure there is some club and/or activity that you can join.
in terms of answering your questions: music is highly recommended throughout all 3 yrs at our school, we have a very strong music program with 2 very committed teachers. it is mandatory for grades 7 and 8.
as well, you are correct in terms of having gym class 4 out of the 5 days in the week. there may be occasional 3 day weeks depending on the rotary cycle. we have numerous opportunities to participate in intramurals and interschool teams offered to grade 7s if you decide to attend our school.
hopefully see you in sept.
March 1st, 2010 at 8:04 am
Thank you to Ms. Lau for responding to this request for information to help indeciding whether to attend St. Andrew’s or not for 2010-2011. I cannot add much more to Ms. Lau’s comments, but am more than happy to speak with you if you would like to call or set up a time to come and visit. With either decision you make, you are sure to get an excellent educational experience. Good luck with your decision.
March 1st, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Thank You Mr.Howard, I would be delighted to visit St.Andrew’s again for the open house was very well coordinated. I have seen that the school has a profound gifted program. St.Andrew’s is a very well rounded school and I appreciate the reply. I can see that St.Andrew’s greatly involves students. Thank You!
March 1st, 2010 at 6:35 pm
I am very happy to have found this site. I attended St. Andrew’s a very long time ago (graduated in 1985). I loved this school. I had Mr. Pelech for English, Mlle. Leroux for french and other fantastic teachers (Mrs. Messner was my grade 7 “core” teacher!). I have not been back to the school in about 20 years and yet I still smile each time I go past it. Wonderful memories in those halls…. Patti Stratton
March 14th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Can you please tell me the St. Andrew’s School Song? I need yo use it for an assignment
March 15th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Hi Jason,
Unfortunately, I don’t have an electronic copy of the school song to post. You will have to ask Mr. Corbett when school resumes on March 22. Have a terrific March Break.
April 12th, 2010 at 10:33 am
JAZZ AT ST. ANDREW’S, Thursday April 8th
I would like to thank everyone again for a really great evening of jazz music and desserts. The students in the Junior Jazz Band were full of energy and played very well. I am imagining great things from you next year. The Senior Jazz group were as good as any group I have worked with before. Your dedication has been inspirational and I am proud to have worked with you. Thanks again to all the parents that either donated a dessert or helped serve; to Ms. Rock and her crew of wait staff and bakers; to Mr. Drukarsh for lending us his desks!; and to Ms. Greenspoon and Ms. Wong for getting everyone in and seated. You all make St. Andrew’s a wonderful place to work!
April 30th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
YAY! chess team came in first
May 2nd, 2010 at 7:33 pm
Congratulations to the Intermediate Chess Team for finishing first in the TDSB City Chess Championships on Friday! Well done boys.
May 3rd, 2010 at 4:27 pm
I would say boys and girls but there were only boys.
May 13th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Hi, I would like to add my support for seeing the new St. A’s choir perform at the next music night. They were great in Feb. and I know they have been working hard on new songs.
Go Choir!!
May 21st, 2010 at 10:52 pm
I am just curious. I have a daughter that currently attends St.Andrews JHS in grade 9 and she is failing math and science. He got his progress report for science and achieved somewhere between the 30 – 35% zone. Is there any possible way for my daughter to get from 30s – 60s or even 70s in this short amount of time.
My daughter is also on the verge of failing math. She is getting about a 50% or so. could she bump her mark up to a 60 or even a 70% by the end of the year.
If there is a way can you please tell me, because I would really like my child to get her credit before attending yorkmills, but not passing with 50s. I would like her to pass with at least a 60.
Thank you so much!
June 4th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
There are a few ways that can improve your daughter’s mark(s) in the near future. For the past few weeks, the Grade 9 students have been focusing on summatives which are worth 15% of the total mark for Science and other core subjects. There will also be exams starting on the 16th of June which are also worth 15%. In terms of Math, the Grade 9 students will be writing the EQAO which is worth about 10% next week, and there will also be a final exam, which I believe is worth 10% of the Final Math mark. If your daughter scores well on the summative and the exams, I am positive that she’ll pass with a descent mark that will meet or exceed your expectations. Best of Luck in The Future! Thank You.
June 7th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
does anyone remember where is the Athletic Banquet is taking place? i forgot
June 8th, 2010 at 7:41 am
The athletic banquet is taking place today, June 8th, after school beginning at 4:00 p.m. It looks like we’re going to have a fantastic turnout…congratulations to the phys ed department on putting together this great event!
June 11th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Just wanna comment on the awesome job done on the yearbooks
Everything’s great, except that the Frosh Frolic teams’ class lables were wrong. Oh well, great job, it’s amazing the year’s gome by so fast
June 21st, 2010 at 9:21 pm
Oh my god, I can’t believe that there is only 6 days of school left!!!!!
July 1st, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Can’t believe that the school year has already ended