EDITED: Stamford Christmas Season off to a Cheerful Start:

Edited Santa Claus Parade Article by Madison S.

Despite the freezing temperatures on Saturday November 27, Stamford had one of the most impressive presences at the annual Niagara Falls Santa Claus Parade. More than one hundred students across all grades as well as a handful of staff members volunteered their time and smiles to help spread some holiday cheer to the children and adults alike who gathered along the downtown route to watch the procession.

Leading the Stamford group was the cheerleading team, chanting "Are you ready for Christmas? Yes we are!” and waving their pom poms in the air. Following closely behind was the impressive Stamford float, built and decorated by students from the tech department. Last but certainly not least, was the swarm of Stamford Hornets, including their very own Harold the Hornet mascot.

Clad in trademark orange and black along with Santa hats, reindeer ears, and "Spirit Enhancers", Hornets successfully combined school and holiday spirit. Stamford students put smiles on the on-lookers' faces with their waves, good holiday wishes, and even our spontaneous Christmas carol sing-alongs of classics like “Frosty the Snowman”. Countless children held out their hands for a high five from Harold the Hornet, and he did not disappoint. Members of SOSAID passed out pencils to children lining the streets.

Stamford's participation in the Santa Claus parade has always been a lasting tradition. Based on the success of this year's float presence, it will continue to be an anticipated event in the years to come.




~
I was going to write about the Santa's sleigh float built by construction students but it never worked out for me to get an interview so I don't think I have enough information to comment on it.

Santa Claus Parade

Hi All,

I'm just wondering where we stand with this... Kaye was a participant and offered to write it up, but I suggested that Madison and Shelby might have already started on it.

Do we have pictures or video?

Article Ideas

Hey everyone, just some ideas for the Christmas issue.

I could write an article about Coffee House which is December 9th. I could mention the auditions (since I'll be helping out with them for Student Council), how many people came out, the actual event, etc.

Madison and I talked about collaborating for the Feeder School Tours and Winterstock also taking place in December.

New Job Up For Grabs...

Every Year Mr. McInerny, Mr. Rysdale and many others rally to raise thosands of dollars in cash, food, toys and household items to support families in need.

By the middle of Decmeber, Mr. Mac's room (59) will look a little like the North Pole. Who would be willing to cover the drive, interview Mr. Mac, find out some of the history etc etc..?

Job OP ;)

Staff of iSting,

Attached is an electronic copy of my Remembrance Day Assembly Speech for your use.

Also, can we have a staff member come out to cover Anime Club. We meet Thursday after school in the library. We wish to promote our club with an article and want to publish some events we have coming up. The organizers are Rebecca Maynard and Emma Chesher.

Thanks guys! Keep up the great work! Looking forward to the next issue!

Yours Truly,

-Mr. Azzopardi

Gender Wars

You don't even have to look at this article. I was just there, so figured I would write something.
This is the report from Junior lunch, I don't know what happened during Senior lunch.


Stamford's cafeteria was buzzing with excitement during lunch on Wednesday November the 17th for the "Gender Wars Pizza Lunch". Student council provided two pieces of pizza, one cookie and one can of soda to students who payed $3. All students had the opportunity to sign up for the second "Gender Wars" of the year. One guy and one girl faced off in the ultimate match: to put on a frozen t-shirt. The two contestants twisted, slammed and pulled in attempts to unravel the frozen t-shirt. The shirts were frozen solid and it didn't seem possible that they could be put on. The war nearly ended in a standstill but the girls pulled through and pulled their t-shirt on to earn a Win for the females.


by Kaye Puhakka

Remembrance Day

November 11th brought the whole school under the dimmed gymnasium lights to Stamford Collegiate's Remembrance Day assembly. Mr Azzopardi welcomed all teachers, students and guests in attendance at the event and welcomed guest speaker, Mick Storm. He spoke about the wars Canada has been involved in and the experience of having a brother involved and killed in the war. Many were shaken by the man's thoughtful presentation.The choir, dressed up in sharp black shirts, beautifully sang "Song Of Peace" and "Good Riddance". 

The grade nine open drama class did a dramatic presentation of the popular Remembrance Day poem "In Flander's Field". This was followed by a "Tableau" interpretation of the song "With My Own Two Hands" performed by the grade ten drama class.  The senior drama class ended with a dramatic presentation called "The Hero Within" about the war and how people remember which ended with a song. It depicted different scenarios and the hurt and loss people suffer when loved ones go away to war. 

A video by Michael Cunningham featuring various songs, war pictures and short clips was shown to the silenced crowd. All were quiet in respect and remembrance. A song was performed on the bagpipes and "The Last Post" was played by Zach Morris on the trumpet during the two minutes of silence at eleven o'clock. Stamford's own concert band performed "Sabre Dance" to finish of the assembly with a bang. 

The assembly's theme, "2 minutes of silence, 58 minutes of celebration" was embraced by all those participating and in attendance as they remembered the lives lost and celebrated the freedom those individuals brought us.


By: Kaye Puhakka

Movember Article

(Adapted from the information written by Mrs. Janik. I want to make sure she has appropriate credit.)

Moustaches for Men’s Health

Everyone knows that November is the eleventh month of the year, but how many people have heard of Mo-vember? Thanks to Mrs. Janik and a group of brave male teachers who volunteered to grow moustaches to help raise funds and awareness for men’s health, Stamford has been doing its part to spread the word about this increasingly well-known charity event.

A combination of words “mo” (slang for moustache) and November, “Movember” challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men's health by growing a moustache. The rules are simple: start Movember 1st clean shaven, and then commit to grow a moustache for the entire month of Movember.

The moustache becomes the "ribbon" for men's health, the means by which awareness and money are raised for the number one cancer affecting men, prostate cancer, and given directly to Prostate Cancer Canada.

Movember originated in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia, partly as a joke to grow moustaches. In doing so, the men involved were surprised at all the discussion generated surrounding men's health, simply by sporting a moustache. Inspired by the Pink Ribbon Campaign, the original Mo Bros set themselves on a path to create a global health movement. Movember now takes place in Australia, Canada, USA, UK, New Zealand, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands and Finland.

“The Pink Ribbon Campaign has empowered women to be proactive with their health, reminding women to do DIY breast examinations,” says Mrs. Janik. “My hope for Movember is for men to share the camaraderie the Pink Ribbon Campaign has brought women. As men grow their moustaches they are reminded daily throughout Movember, every time they look in the mirror or have an unusual itch under their nose, why they are participating in this fundraiser.”

Women can register for this charity as well. “As a woman supporting Movember, I am called a Mo Sista,” Mrs. Janik explains. “It is important for us women to support our Mo Bros with fundraising, just like they have supported us throughout the years by wearing pink ribbons.” Joining Mrs. Janik as Mo Sistas are Mrs. Barette, Mrs. Devitt, and Ms. Hunter.

To date, Stamford has raised a total of $1030, with more donations expected to come in throughout the rest of Movember. Among the male teachers participating are Mr. Azzopardi, Mr. Fraser, Mr. Gittins, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Hurtubise, Mr. Kamminga, Mr. Martin, Mr. McBurney, Mr. Pierce, and Mr. Taylor.

To register, or to financially support Team Stamford Collegiate this Movember, go to http://ca.movember.com.

Special thanks to Mrs. Janik, whose information provided the basis for this article, for all the time and effort she has been into organizing Stamford’s team for the fundraiser and raising awareness.

Student Teachers Article

New Faces In Stamford Nation

Throughout the months of October and November, you may have noticed some unfamiliar faces around the crowded, bustling halls of Stamford Collegiate. You may have even walked into your classroom one morning and wondered “Who’s that person sitting in that desk in the corner?” That person was probably your new student teacher.

Last month, Stamford welcomed five student teachers from the Concurrent Education program at Brock University in St. Catharines. Assigned to an associate teacher in our teachable subject area(s) who would offer guidance and share their knowledge, each student teacher took over at least one class in order to gain practical teaching experience in a real school setting. Mr. Sinke has been teaching Grade 9 and 12 Science with Mr. McBurney; Miss Ives has been teaching Grade 10 History with Mr. Costantino; Miss Grainger has been teaching Grade 9 Girls’ Physical Education with Mrs. Zizian; Miss Gorman has been teaching Grade 10 English with Mrs. Devitt; and Mr. Fife has been teaching Grade 9 Geography with Mr. Hunter.

Stamford also welcomed a student teacher from Niagara University in New York. Mr. Murphy has been responsible for three classes. He is currently teaching Grade 12 Challenge and Change in Society with Mrs. Barette, Grade 11 Psychology/Sociology with Miss DiPardo, and Grade 11/12 Drama with Mrs. Menotti.

This week, Stamford says farewell to the five student teachers from Brock University. Mr. Murphy will continue his teaching block here until mid-December. As a whole, we are grateful to the staff and students of Stamford Nation for the warm welcome we received and especially to our associate teachers, who have provided us with countless insights and valuable lessons that we will take into our own classrooms someday. We will fondly remember our four weeks at Stamford.

Hot Off The Press! Psycho!

Before the opening night of the thriller Psycho, cast and crew are rehearsing along the clock. It is 15 days (as of press time) before they open the curtains for the first time. I had the privilege to sit down for the Monday November 8, 2010 rehearsal and have this to say: see the play on opening night. I was very impressed with the acting ability, props and lights. I was able to view the stars in action and must say that they have worked hard to bring the soon-to-be audience the best performance ever; they worked weekends and after school (I left when the sun went down). Here are the details, please go!

Cast:

Norman Bates/ Mrs. Bates - Alex Smith

Lila Crane - Annika Henderson

Sam - Ethan Gando

Arbobast - Kyle Lowe

Marion Crane - Aurora Cullen

Mr. Lowery/Simon - Tylor Neelin

Cassidy - Kelly Howard

Caroline/ Mrs. Chambers/ Waitress - Liz Randle

Sheriff Chambers - Matt Connor

Desk Clerk/ Police Guard - Justin Drouin

Directors: Phil M & A. Menotti

Cost: $5 Student & $7 Adult

Play Time: 1 ½ Hours

Matinee: November 16, 2010 - November 18, 2010

Evening Shows: November 23, 2010 - November 26, 2010

Chair Fundraiser: The profits from this event will go towards new chairs for the James Cameron Theatre. You can also donate towards new chairs at the Stamford Collegiate website

Movember

Movember

The "mo" is slang for moustache. "Movember" challenges men, in the month formerly known as "November," to change their appearance and the face of men's health by growing a moustache.

The rules are simple: Start Movember 1st clean shaven, and then grow and groom a moustache for the entire month of Movember.

The moustache becomes the "ribbon" for men's health, the means by which awareness and money are raised for Prostate Cancer Canada.

The Pink Ribbon Campaign has empowered women to be proactive with their health, reminding women to do DIY breast examinations. My hope for Movember is for men to share the comraderie the Pink Ribbon Campaign has brought women.

As men grow their mo's they are reminded daily throughout Movember, everytime they look in the mirror or have an unusual itch under their nose, why they are participating in this fundraiser. Men of all ages must take positive action with their own health, diet, exercise and lifestyle, with annual check-ups.

Movember was born in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia, partly as a joke to grow moustaches. In doing so, the guys involved were surprised at all the discussion generated surrounding men's health, by simply sporting a mo. Inspired by the Pink Ribbon Campaign, the original Mo Bros set themselves on a path to create a global health movement. Movember now takes place in Australia, Canada, USA, UK, New Zealand, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands and Finland.

As a woman supporting Movember, I am called a Mo Sista; women can register for this charity as well. It is important for us women to support our Mo Bros with fundraising, just like they have supported us throughout the years by wearing pink ribbons.

To register, or to financially support Team Stamford Collegiate this Movember, go to ca.movember.com.

Ms. Janik

Grade Eight Day

Encompassed By Future Prospects?

Wednesday November the third was grade eight day at Stamford Collegiate High School. Students from elementary schools in the area arrived and filed into the gym with new "Stamford" teeshirts for their welcome assembly. Banners sporting the names of each school and their colours shone above the orange and black bleachers. The choir started the assembly off with a bang, singing "Don't Stop Believing". Mr Azzopardi introduced each school and each in turn cheered loudly. These kids all have great spirit so hopes are that they will come to Stamford Nation for grade nine. Speaking about all the fantastic clubs and opportunities to get involved in at Stamford was student president, Joelle. (Is it spelled like that?)

A Stamford Collegiate spirit video was shown to the students. It featured the Hornet Mascot dancing in the hallway and students displaying Stamford spirit. Stamford Cheerleaders ran into a chorus of cheers from the feeder schools. They cheered and demonstrated some stunts then got the crowd involved in a Stamford chant.

Mr. Azzopardi spoke a bit about high school to the students. "Look around. See all the people around you? You will make friends with people from other schools and by grade twelve you will have lots of friends." He spoke about the big day; graduation day, which led into a graduation video featuring students singing and dancing to "What I Like About You" by The Kinks.

Vice Principal Mrs Burns welcomed students and talked a bit about what is called Stamford Nation: "What is Stamford Nation? We are Stamford nation because all of the people here..."

After the assembly the students were divided up into eighteen groups. They were intermixed with students from other schools in order to encourage socialisation with unfamiliar people and to meet new friends. The groups went to the cafeteria to eat lunch then enjoyed tours around the building. Overall it was a very noteworthy day, and much thanks is given to all those who were involved in making this special day a success.


By: Kaye Puhakka

Ten Ways You Know You're a Hornet - Few Quick Ideas

Ten Ways You Know You're a Hornet - Kaye Puhakka


10. Your favourite colours are orange and black
9. You've bumped into somebody in the hallway
8. You don't bite, you sting
7. You've been lost at least once in your school
6. Halloween is your favourite holiday
5. You've been to a football game even if you have no idea what's happening
4. You have said "boo!" when someone wears purple
3. You've had pizza from Little Caesar's for lunch
2. You have the best teachers ever
1. You attend the coolest school ever; Stamford Collegiate

Halloween Issue -Feedback

Hi All,

I got a nice email from Mr. McInerny that I thought I'd share:

"Mr. Pierce,

Very impressive!!! Love the look and read of the iSting. You all do excellent work...I'm going to insist that all Stop Drop and Read students Period 1 on Friday read the entire edition, then tell me about what they've read. Kudos to all involved. Can't wait for the next edition. I'll see if some photo students will climb on board.

Mac"

Now, I thought it might be good to post all kinds of feedback here, not just the positive stuff. I think the reason that this issue is better is because we took into account the constructive criticism from the first issue.

I would welcome any and all feedback, repeat whatever you hear. The next "change" I could see us moving toward would be in terms of content. We've got some great serious stuff... I'd like to put something in a little lighter in the next issue.

Any ideas for a fun piece? Like a top 10 list maybe? How about "Top 10 Signs You're Hornet?" We could even work collaboratively on that.

Ok...so the next issue is Remembrance Day (should come out on the 15th). What assignments can people commit to? Who is on Psycho again? Who can write up the Remembrance Day assembly? Is there anything else?