CSS Students at White Pine Celebration

May 16th, 2012

A number of Courtice students have read the Ontario Library Association nominated titles, both fiction and non-fiction, since the White Pine titles were announced late 2011. After voting in April, some students were able to attend the celebration in Toronto and were part of the 1400 secondary school White Pine group that was at Harbourfront.  The winning fiction title was Kelley Armstong’s The Gathering and the winning non-fiction work was Neil Pasricha’s Book of Awesome. A big shout out to all the White Pine readers this year for reading some of the best recent Canadian works available.

Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up

May 14th, 2012

Friday, May 18th, during periods 03 and 04, students will be cleaning up the Black Creek (between Courtice Rd. and Trulls).  This is a National program supported by the WWF and the Vancouver Aquarium.  Learn more at ShorelineCleanup.ca

Commencement 2012

May 3rd, 2012

Courtice Secondary School will celebrate its Commencement activities for the graduating class of 2012,  on Friday,  November 2, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.  We will be hosting the celebration in the main gym here at Courtice SS.   Grad Gowns must be ordered soon and are a part of our Courtice tradition so please look for upcoming news.  A letter of information will published on this website and will be sent home to grads and parents sometime soon.

Courtice Secondary School Prom May 11, 2012

May 3rd, 2012

Senior students are looking ahead to Friday May 11, 2012 and their graduation Prom.  Nearly 200 Courtice students and their guests will be showing off their gowns,  tuxes and other finery at Deer Creek Golf and Country Club in Ajax. 

While everyone is excited about the upcoming event parents and students are reminded that while Prom is a very special night everyone is required to abide by all Board and school rules.

Europe/Vimy Ridge Trip 2012

April 24th, 2012

Students and Chaperones who went on the Europe trip would like to send out a HUGE “Thank You” to parents and teachers who supported the trip. Our students had a “Memorial/Memorable”  trip! Students, please stay tuned for information regarding photosharing, etc!

Coming home tomorrow

April 13th, 2012

A very enjoyable  for all touring the big sites of Paris.  We started early with a bus tour that took us around Paris and included an afternoon in Versaille and an evening visit to the Eiffel Tower.   

Tomorrow we will return home on two different flights.  The large group should  arrive at Pearson around 4:15 p.m.  They will be flying on Air France flight 156.  The smaller group of  12 grade 12s,  Mrs. Petherick and her husband and Mr. Perrault will arrive from a layover in Amsterdam around 7:35 p.m.  on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines #695.

See you all tomorrow.

Bonjour from Paris

April 12th, 2012

We travelled from Normandy to Paris this morning and enjoyed a relaxing day in this beautiful city.  We visited Notre Dame cathedral,  did a little shopping and then visited the Louvre during the afternoon.   We enjoyed dinner downtown and then took an evening cruise on the river.  Tomorrow is another day of touristing then home on Saturday.

Juno Beach and Normandy

April 11th, 2012

April 11 was a great day touring WWII sites,  the most famous of which certainly was Juno Beach,  the site where Canadians landed and began the liberation of France on D Day.   We toured the historical centre,  spent time on the beach and then came back later in the afternoon for a private visit with the owner of Canada House.   We made friends the last time we visited and Mr. Fortin had maintained contact with the owners so they made a special effort to make sure our group could come into the house and hear first hand about the historical significance and the details of  the D Day landing.  It was a very special hour and Courtice students are the only group from all of Canada who would have had this experience.  It really connected the history to reality.  In addition to Juno Beach we also spent some time at the Longue-sur-Mer Battery,  a series of huge bunkers and large cannons that the Germans used to defend the French coast against the allied invasion.  We also had a  memorial ceremony at the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian cemetary where the soldiers we researched prior to our visit are buried.  Many of us were able to locate the grave of our soldier where we laid little Canadian flags.  

Tomorrow,  off to Paris for sightseeing and shopping!

 

 

On to Normandy

April 10th, 2012

Today was dry,  calm and more casually paced after the typhoon conditions at Vimy yesterday.  We drove down from France into Normandy,  stopping in Dieppe for lunch and to visit the beach and the cemetary there.  We laid a wreath at the Dieppe cemetary.    When you see the cliffs at Dieppe and the remaining German fortifications at the top, you quickly realize how impossible was the task of taking that beach.  A sad loss of life. 

After Dieppe we made a few minor stops and then were off to our “Villas” in the countryside of Normandy.  It’s very nice accomodation with cabins rather than the usual hotel rooms we’ve had until now.   Tomorrow we visit Juno Beach and other WWII sites of interest and then we head to Paris on Thursday.

 

 

Report from the rain of Vimy April 9 2012

April 9th, 2012

Today was a test of endurance for the students of Courtice and all the visitors to today’s Ceremony.   Almost immediately after the 2.5 km  “Silent March” made by thousands of students and other visitors,  the rain began.  It rain and rained and rained for most of the 10 hours we were at the hill and for almost all of it we were outside.  There was a sea of umbrellas and plastic ponchos as the mass of visitors struggled to stay dry in the icy cold conditions.     The events unfolded as planned however and while many groups left early,  Courtice students were real troopers and stuck it out to the end.  We are very proud of the good spirit and fortitude displayed by all of our students in those horrendous conditions.  

Tomorrow we head to Normandy to visit Dieppe and other important sites from WWII.