The last day of classes calls for a time of reflection. As we push towards our graduation ceremony on Monday, June 26, and as we celebrate our graduates’ four years of learning at HDCH, we must reflect on why we encourage them to learn with an intentional biblical identity.  While our HDCH graduation is a culmination of four years of learning, it is also a demonstration of students’ desire to become living testimonies for the Lord in all that they do. Part of the learning experience is marks, grades, lessons, projects, tests and diplomas, but at HDCH it doesn’t stop there. Our mission is driven by cultivating the character of the child; we are committed to partnering with parents to impact who our students become.  It is not the diploma that distinguishes an HDCH student, even though this is an important part of their achievement; it is their character that matters.

Until we meet again, be well HDCH and thank you for an excellent year.

Mr. N. Siebenga

In This Issue…

• Check out some snapshots from today’s Award Assembly
• Important information regarding exams
• An opportunity to donate to an exciting new course initiative
• See how much fun students had during Spring Formal
• Read about the success of our track & field athletes at OFSAA
• Register a team for the HDCH Golf Tournament
• Mark your calendars for some very important dates!

Cassandra Howey learns how to ‘band a bird’ at Ruthven Park with her Grade 9 science class.

Michelle Roukema: recipient of the Cancer Assistant’s Youth Volunteer Award.

Trevor VanderWoerd: recipient of the Ancaster Historical Society Award.

Leanne DeJong: recipient of the Buisink Scholarship.

Please confirm the date, time and location of your exams. Click here to see the full schedule.  Remember that Monday exams start at 12:00 pm, and Friday, Tuesday and Wednesday exams start at 9:00 am.

The school will be in quiet study mode, so many areas, including the upstairs and downstairs hallways, will not be open to student traffic.  Please do not come to school if you are not writing an exam.

On the day of an exam, you need to:

1.    Come to school appropriately dressed according to the school’s wardrobe regulations.

2.    Proceed to the library to return course textbooks and pick up your exam entry ticket.  Even if the course does not have a text to return, you still need to pick up an exam ticket in the library.

3.    Go to your exam location a few minutes before the exam starts.

4.    Leave backpacks, cell phones, and all listening devices at the back of the gym or in front of the exam room.

5.    Go to your desk. (Please note that the only refreshments allowed are water and unwrapped candy.)

6.    Be prepared to spend at least one hour in the exam room.  You will have up to three hours to write.

7.    When you have completed, checked and handed in your exam, please leave the exam room, if necessary wait for friends quietly, and leave the building as soon as possible.

Other particulars

• Students who have officially been informed about writing in another location are to report to Room 111 at exam time.
• In case of any absence, please phone the school office immediately.  A signed doctor’s note is necessary if you are sick.
• All textbooks on loan for Semester 2 or for year-long courses are due in the library by 9:00 am on Wednesday, June 20.  Please make sure your texts are in on time to avoid a $5.00-per-book late handling fee.  All missing texts must be returned or paid for before the end of June.

Best wishes as you prepare!

Mr. D. Todd

Graduation Ceremony Info

A memo with graduation details has been emailed to parents and guardians of this year’s graduating class.

Key items of note: the ceremony will be held Monday, June 25, 2012 at 7:30 pm in the Redeemer University College Auditorium. Graduates need to arrive at RUC by 6:45 to pick up their gowns, and should be attired in dress pants and a shirt and tie (for the gentlemen) or dress pants or a dress/skirt (for the ladies). Also, all guests must have a ticket. For ticket-related inquiries, please contact our office.

Finally, do join us for standing reception on the Redeemer Commons after the ceremony. We look forward to celebrating together!

Summer Office Hours

Our office will be open most of the summer. Here are our summer hours as well as our closed dates.

2012-2013 Details

The week of August 7 we will be mailing out a package including student timetables for 2012-2013 and important reminders for the new school year. Just so they are on your radar, here are a few of the early key dates. (Note that most important dates for next year are already on the HDCH school calendar.)

1) Registration will be held on Thursday, August 23 from 3 – 8pm and on Tuesday, August 28 from 11am – 3pm. This is an opportunity to pick up textbooks for semester 1, receive locker assignments (and try out your lock combination), touch base with Student Services staff, reconnect with friends. And for new students, it’s a chance to get used to the layout of the school and figure out where classrooms are. We encourage you to drop by!

2) First day of school is Tuesday, September 4. The day begins with a community assembly at 9am. Parents are welcome to join us.

Grade 9 Day – Friday, September 7

Grades 10 – 12 students stay home and our Grade 9′s spend the day serving the community, getting to know each other and the staff, and having fun! Their families are invited to join up with their kids for a dinner at school that evening.

An Opportunity to Advertise

Looking for an easy way to reach a select audience of thousands? The HDCH Connections Magazine is now semiannual with a new reach and new look. The first edition will be distributed in September and the second in February. It will be available online, but will also be mailed to HDCH Alumni, local area churches, current families, and local business establishments. Click here to see the advertising rate sheet for details.

If you have any questions regarding your ad with us, please contact Charlene Hone at chone@hdch.org, or email ads@hdch.org to book your ad space and submit finished art work.

Many international students come to Canadian Christian schools to receive an education without the same background Bible knowledge as students who have attended Christian schools their entire life. This discrepancy in knowledge is frequently compounded by the fact that these students are here to develop their English language abilities; a Bible course has very specific and specialized theological language with which these students are unfamiliar. As a result, international students often struggle to learn and benefit from existing Bible courses. CCEF, in partnership with Hamilton District Christian High School, believes there is a need for the development of a Bible course written at an ELL friendly language and can provides an introduction to Christianity and the Bible.

To read more about this exciting project, click here to continue reading…

To support this project, please send a cheque to the following address or give online by clicking on CanadaHelps.org:  CCEF. 1300 Garth Street . PO Box 79042 Garth RO. Hamilton, ON. L9C 5V0

On Friday, June 1, HDCH was transformed into a swing dancing party! Students took part in classic swing dancing after instruction from the very talented people at Dance Scape. Our instructors are the same people who brought ballroom dancing to HD in the 2009-2010 school year. The night’s program included dinner, door prizes, and decadent cupcakes – the outdoor cupcake truck was rained out, but the spirit inside was sunny, and the cupcakes tasted just as delicious inside the school. A good time was had by all who attended, but the winners of the Tim Hortons gift cards have especially fond memories of the evening! 

Celebration of Learning

Last Thursday, HDCH hosted the first annual “Celebration of Learning.”  What used to be the spring arts evening has grown into a cross-curricular celebration of the gifts and accomplishments at our school.  There were red carpets, velvet ropes, appetizers, and fair-trade organic coffee.  The evening included musical performances from the concert band, and the praise team released an incredible CD.  Philosophy and writer’s craft combined to publish “Mobius: Musings and Writings,” a book of philosohical essays and short stories prefaced by Dr. Al Wolters.  Throughout the evening, visitors to the school enjoyed listening to students read excepts from this profound and artfully written collection of writing.  The grade twelve art class exhibited a huge collection of work which included painting, sculpture, multi-media, video, installation, and everything in between.  The evening was also a chance to recognize Wil Kamphuis, who has taught at HDCH for over 21 years, and will be retiring this summer.

Mr. J. DeVries

The flurry of spring athletics at HDCH is pretty much over and we are looking for uniforms to come back.  A lot of them have come in and we are very grateful for that.  There are still a few to come in yet.  It is also possible that your son or daughter still has a uniform they have forgotten to bring in from a fall sport.  If you had a child involved in athletics at HDCH, please remind and encourage them to double check their closets, lockers, gym bags, and cars so they can bring in their uniforms.  Thanks a lot!!

Mr. B. Heidbuurt

OFSAA Track & Field

The track and field season wrapped up this past weekend with the OFSAA Championship in Brockville.  Michelle VanderMeer and Chelsea Bezemer qualified to represent HD this past Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Chelsea finished 8th in Ontario in the Midget Girls Triple jump, and Michelle finished 9th in Ontario in the high jump and 14th in the long jump.

Thank you to all of the athletes for a great season.  Thank you to the parents for countless hours of driving.  Thank you to Mr. Plantinga and Mrs Alkema for their work as coaches this season.

Mr. O. Webb

Congratulations!

Greg Kippers was awarded the Male Athlete of the Year Award.

Corinna Vanderschaaf was awarded the Female Athlete of the Year Award.

The HDCH Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, September 15 at Sundrim Golf Course in Caledonia. 

For your registration fee of just $150 per golfer or $100 per HDCH student golfer, you will receive: 18 holes of golf with a cart, participation in prize holes (best women’s team, best men’s team, best mixed team, closest to the pin for male and female, longest drive for male and female, putting contest, and a prize for best dressed), refreshments while you golf, sub lunch prior to tee off, BBQ Steak Dinner at the golf course afterwards, and a donation receipt of $50 for adult golfers. Additional tickets for dinner can be purchased for $25.

There are five levels of sponsorship available.

Platinum $5000 – $10 000: Includes media package, signage, golf and dinner for eight

Gold $2500 – $4900: Includes media package, signage, golf and dinner for four

Silver $1000: Includes signage, golf and dinner for four

Bronze $750: Includes signage, golf and dinner for two

Hole Sponsorship $100: Includes signage at one hole

Click to REGISTER ONLINE and pay by credit card through Paypal

Click to DOWNLOAD A REGISTRATION FORM, attach a cheque payable to HDCH, and mail to: Hamilton District Christian High, 92 Glancaster Road, Ancaster, ON, L9G 3K9

REGISTRATION: Forms are due by August, 20, and registration is limited!

June 14: Study Day

June 15-21: Exams (Click here to view the exam schedule)

June 22: HDCH Prom @ Liuna Station

June 25: Graduation at Redeemer College @ 7 p.m.