Welcome to a new year at DVHS Co-op! Fall is in the air as the weather gets crisper, the leaves begin to turn, and enthusiastic students come pouring back through the doors at St Paul's United Church in Dundas on Thursdays, eager to plunge into exciting new courses such as Civics, Spanish, and Essay Writing. Well, okay....maybe they're a little more eager to renew old friendships and grab lunch at Tim Horton's, but we're glad that students old and new have signed up for the full package : )
And this year we've hit a record enrollment with a total of 50 students registered for DVHS! We're grateful to have found our beautiful venue at St Paul's (29 Park St. W., Dundas) and look forward to another year of interactive learning. Registration is now closed for the Fall semester. Classes begin September 29 and will run until December 15. The Winter semester will run January 19-April 12.
News flash! Logo Contest! It's time for a new logo to represent our recent name change to DVHS Co-op. All students are invited to submit entries by September 29. Please note that all entries must be via email to me so must be digital in nature, not hand-drawn. The winning logo will be used on our student and faculty ID cards and letterhead, and the winning designer will be presented with that ever-cherished prize, a $20 Tim Horton's card ; ) ID cards for students and faculty/ parents will be made in one batch in early October; you will receive an email indicating when you are to email a digital photo of yourself.
See you at DVHS!
Fall Semester:
Civics
Time: 9:00-10:30
Fee: $50
Minimum class size: 10
This course examines what it means to be a responsible citizen in a democratic country. It explores the various levels of government (local, provincial, federal, global), and looks at ways to get involved in the political process. It also examines the diverse ways in which various Christian groups understand political involvement.
Assignments range from the theoretical (e.g. understanding systems through reading and the writing of essays) to the practical (e.g. writing letters to politicians and engaging in class debates). Students are to come to class prepared to express and defend their own views. Special attention will be given to the Ontario Election (October 6th). The class may include a field trip near the end of the semester.
Required readings will be available online so no text needs to be purchased..
Gym
Time: 9:00-10:30
Fee: $30
Minimum class size: 12
In the Fall semester, we will spend six weeks each on volleyball and basketball skills. Each class will involve 1/2 hour of drill/skill practice followed by games for one hour. Proper gym attire (modest T-shirt, modest shorts or sweat pants and non-marking running shoes) is mandatory. No jeans or hoodies as they are a safety issue. For volleyball--knee pads are highly recommended.
Spanish I
Time: 9:00-10:30, repeated 10:45-12:15
Fee: $50
Maximum: 10 students
After finishing the course the students will be able to understand, read, speak and write grammatical sentences in the past and present tenses, understand short dialogues, greetings, colors, days of the week, months of the year, and seasons. We will also discuss the verb “to be” in all its forms. We will also learn the names of different foods, family members, hobbies, clothing and parts of the house.
My name is Carmen Garcia. I was a high school Spanish teacher in Colombia for fifteen years. There I taught Spanish grammar, literature and drama. Since coming to North America I have taught in a variety of teaching environments such as homeschool groups, private tutorials and translation work with seniors. I look forward to working with the parents and students of the DVHS Co-op.
Ballroom Dance
Time: 10:45-12:15
Minimum/ maximum number of students: 8-12
Fee: $200 (based on number of students; lower fee if more than 8 students)
Join in this unique opportunity as a certified instructor teaches you the basics of ballroom dancing with such dances as waltz, foxtrot, cha cha, and merengue. Students will gain confidence to dance at weddings, gala fundraisers, and other special events while having fun and getting fit.
Writing: The Elegant Essay
Time: 10:45-12:15
Fee: $60 per student
Maximum class size: 16
This course will cover all aspects of essay writing--thesis statements, organization, introductions, conclusions, transitions, etc-- and will focus at the end on the persuasive essay. Elements of writing style will also be addressed and liberal doses of humour will be included : ). Students will be encouraged to develop their written communication skills in creative and winsome ways that honour our God-given gift of language.
Prerequisite: Students must be able to identify all basic parts of speech (basic grammar terms) and to write a coherent paragraph with a topic sentence, concluding sentence, and no serious grammatical problems. I will require by e-mail at registration a sample paragraph and if possible a sample essay of any type (except creative writing/ fiction) written by the student in the past year.
Please note: This is the same course which was offered in Fall 2010. A Literary Analysis course is planned for Winter 2012.
Required texts (Students/ families are responsible for purchasing the required texts before the course begins):
The Elegant Essay, by Lesha Myers (available from http://excellentresources.homestead.com or 1-877-825-7414). Cost: $ 30 CDN. One per student.
Student Resource Notebook (available as a download from http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/SRN-E). Cost: $7.00 US. One per family.
The Pen Commandments, by Stephen Frank (available from Amazon.ca or Chapters.ca). Cost: ~ $14 CDN. One per family.
Acting Fundamentals
Time: 1:00-3:00
Fee: $75
In this introduction to acting, students will learn techniques for strengthening the body in preparation for performance on stage, exercises to free inhibitions and expand range of movement, and processes to build trust between performers and develop bonding as a troupe. All exercises and lessons will reflect a Christian perspective on theatre arts. The biblical emphases on caring for one’s body and applying it to its fullest potential, fostering harmony within community, and developing such character qualities as honesty, courtesy, kindness, gentleness, courage, respectfulness, perseverance, and patience will all inform the course.
Theatre Arts can be seen as a means to honour God through mutual trust and respect as well as the dramatic exploration of the truths of the human condition in both its brokenness and beauty. This course will be an open and trusting forum that I will cultivate together with the students in light of a Christian worldview. The environment will offer students the opportunity to walk in the words of God together. The utmost positivity is encouraged in the classroom, and this will allow these students to express themselves fully without the fear that negativity can sometimes espouse within young creators. This positive environment, coupled with the exercises run in class, will help them to free their inhibitions. The level of trust that will develop as a result will truly provide these students with the freedom to be open and honest individuals while working towards accomplishing common goals.
Missions
Time: 1:00-3:00
No fee
For those not interested in Acting, an opportunity for missions service will be provided in the afternoon time slot. The Good Shepherd Centre in Hamilton is able to accommodate a group of teens to help out in their warehouse. The duties include sorting through clothing, food, and small household goods and repackaging of multi items into individual packages for distribution to the homeless and other clients who are in need.
In addition to these regular Thursday afternoons, Mrs. Harrison plans to arrange monthly service projects on days other than Thursday, such as to the Ontario Christian Gleaners and Operation Christmas Child. OCG is a Christian, interdenominational charitable organization where many volunteers clean, dice, dry, mix and bag surplus produce such as onions, carrots, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, beans, lentils, apples, and pears into a nutritious soup mix and fruit snack ready for distribution. The OCG donates the soup mix to reputable relief organizations with logistics to distribute the food where it is needed. For Operation Christmas Child, students will join in at the shoe box processing center in Kitchener-Waterloo where they will help sort and process gift-filled shoe boxes. Other service possibilities will be discussed.
Parents of students involved will be asked to assist with transportation when possible.
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