Winter Formal 2014

The annual winter formal this year was a huge success!   Over 100 DTSS students and several teachers attended the event  at Eagle Ranch in style. DJs Wil Comrie & Justin Woodman had everyone on the dance floor  all  night with their rockin' tunes!

DTSS's  wonderful grads of 2015 gathered together for a photo at their last Winter Formal!  

 Some of the gorgeous DTSS leadership class of 2015!

 Students let their inner cowboy shine through when country music came on.  Their dance expertise were portrayed through line-dancing!  

 Some of the many wonderful DTSS staff who volunteered their time to chaperone the event!

DJ James Woodman letting the music take over!  

 

Exchange students Lotti and Max getting silly on the dance floor!

Prostate Pancakes

About six lovely ladies took prostate cancer awareness in a different direction this year... Rather than join the Movember campaign, they found an alternative way to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer... Pancakes!  Leadership students took over the kitchen throughout several Fridays in November to sell prostate pancakes to their peers.  Nothing beats eating yummy pancakes for a good cause!  A total of $350 was raised and donated to the Canadian Prostate Cancer Association.  

In the spirit of raising awareness for prostate cancer, the Leadership class has been encouraging male students to grow out their (sparse) facial hair. Also, we have been hosting and holding different fundraisers, such as bake sales and photo booths. Thanks to those who have supported us and keep up the good (lame) mustache-growing!

Welcome to the Leadership blog of 2013-14. Our leadership class is overflowing with tons of fun and encouraging events, some that we have already been a part of. 

This past Friday, September 4th, we helped host the annual Senior's tea. It was a huge success, and an extremely rewarding experience. Being a part of the visiting, listening to the interesting stories, and eating the delicious food made for a totally enjoyable event. 

This past Saturday, September 5th, a small group of us volunteered at the Hospice Society's Barn Dance. Because the Hospice Society is such an admirable organization, it was a privilege to help them and the people they support. Our contribution involved keeping the children at the event occupied: painting faces, playing games, doing crafts, etc. It was a very worthwhile project.

Watch this space for new 2013-14 updates!

Closing out the Year

Hey everybody, this'll be the last or one of the last posts I make here. I have everything that the blog has missed, old and new. As well as a few thank yous. So without further ado:

Kicking Horse Coffee has been a huge help to the leadership class this year and in past years. Follow the link to find out more about it: http://www.kickinghorsecoffee.com/en

“Our mission is to stimulate the planet with the ultimate wake-up call. We have some big ideas — ideas that go way beyond mere profit. These ideas govern everything we do, from buying only Fair Trade, organic beans to helping sustain our own community.”

One of the many charities we have donated to this past year, The Vulnerable Children Society is doing great things: http://vulnerablechildren.ca/

“Vulnerable Children Society is a vibrant registered Canadian charity managed by a committed group of Canadian volunteers, dedicated to helping some of the most vulnerable children in the world: one by one.”

Encounters Canada provides a chance for students to take part in a youth forum in Ottawa. Erin Hillary and Makayla Wilder took part in this last year.

http://encounterscanada.com/

“Historica-Dominion Institute’s Encounters with Canada (EWC) is the largest youth forum in Canada. It is a one-week citizenship and leadership program held at the Terry Fox Canadian Youth Centre in Ottawa, Ontario.”

The Leadership Club has raised money for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, as well as volunteering time as models  at the Go-Go Grannies  Pynelogs jewelry show and lunch fund-raiser.  The Foundation sent a letter of recognition to Ms. McEwan acknowledging  DTSS Leadership and its efforts .

http://stephenlewisfoundation.org/

Canadian Network of International Surgery (www.cnis.ca)

DTSS Leadership staffed the massive , movie-industry-sponsored fundraiser  at Granville Island's Performance Works two years in a row, to increase awareness of this NGO, as well as money to counteract the 13% of preventable illness  that Canadian medicos volunteer annually to counteract.

Leadership students Blake Beggs, Holly Glassford, Erin Hillary and  Kyron Weller are among the 2012 grads whose work was crucial to the event's success. Teacher and CNIS volunteer Bev McEwan was co-mc with Global TV's Lynn Collier.

http://www.cnis.ca/what-we-do/public-engagement-in-canada/night-magical-timbuktu/

We’d like to thank the Ganville Island Hotel for sponsoring a fieldtrip to Vancouver this year and another thank you to Kim Dodge, Manager, front office

www.granvilleislandhotel.com

We’d also like to thank our chef training teacher Alison Bell for everything she did for us this year (which was a lot).

Here are some pictures of the EMP literacy project which was chaired by Holly Glassford:

We’d like to thank Mrs.Tenta for letting us do this project

The students went to EMP to teach 2 EMP grade 3 classes, and 1 Laird grade 4 class, the basics of lacrosse, as well as a scrimmage at the end. This was done to leave a legacy of lacrosse with the young students in the valley, in hopes to generate more interest in lacrosse within the valley in the future.

Local Food Bank/Hampers -an agency in Invermere to which Leadership has donated over a thousand dollars over the last few years for for those in need at Christmastime. Money for this came from a combination of Leadership activies, including  Spookapalooza, Community Craft Fair and Snow Ball

The leadership class would also like to thank Invermere for the awesome support we got this year with the craft fair. It was wonderful.

Our mayor Gerry Taft sits outside his restraunt, Gerry’s Gelati

Gerry came in to speak to the class a couple weeks ago

 Thanks Gerry!

Last fall we took some time to help our art teacher Ms.Oliver make soup bowls for the Groundswell sponsored Pumpkinpalooza. The fundraiser ended excellently with most of the bowls made being sold.

 Thanks to Eagle Ranch for donating venue costs to the Leadership Snow Ball proceeds two years in a row.  We love you guys

Plans for next year.

So, the school year is almost over and much of our leadrship class is graduating. As a last hurrah, here are our plans for the summer and next year:

Riley Von Niesson:

Riley von Niessen will be leaving Invermere in the fall to attend the Univeristy of Toronto. Best times in leadership we're going on trips to Vancouver and Toronto for public speaking and volunteering at various events such as the Christmas Craft Fair and chairing the annual seniors tea and a kicking horse coffee fundraiser. As a member of DTSS leadership for two years my time spent volunteering and developing leadership skills has been very rewarding.

Melissa Kashuba: 

My plan this summer is on June 19th, I am going to Beijing, China for almost 2 weeks on the BCCIE (British Columbia International exchange) program. I don't plan on working this summer because I am going to be gone for more than half of it.

     Next year I will be entering grade 12 and I will be volunteering with Colleen Wagner, owner of the Desiderata Health and Wellness studio as a dance instructor for the younger children. In the winter months I will be working part time at the Fairmont Ski Hill Resort for the 2nd year in a row. Next year I also plan to take my NLS so I can work as a life guard the year after I graduate to make money for University.

Blake Beggs:

In the fall I plan to attend SFU to take Criminology. My highlights of leadership include Debate, Debate Camp Canada, Lions Recycle for Sight, The Laird Breakfast Program, and CNIS.

Kyra Grocutt:

Next year, I plan to attend University of Calgary. I will be earning my Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Psychology.

Throughout this year, I have done many projects that I am very proud of. I started off the year by helping with the Breakfast Club program, where we served breakfast for kids at J.A. Laird. It was a great feeling helping them. Next, Jackie Wagner and I organized our school's Remembrance Day Assembly. It was a very taxing and difficult job, but the end result was something I am very proud of. Also with Jackie, in Janurary we visited Eileen Madson Primary School for a week to assist in their intramural program. We helped to teach kids about basketball and was a very positive, fun environment to be in. I've had a great year in leadership.

Blayr Lightfoot:

In the fall of 2012, I will be attending the University of Lethbridge for a bachelor of nursing. It is 4 years, and the first two are at the Lethbridge College. I am looking forward to embarking on this adventure.

The activities I am most proud of this year in leadership are:

- The Breakfast Club because it was really heart warming to see all those kids light up when you walked into the room.

- Reading to the E.M.P. kids, because it was beyond adorable and knowing I was helping them was a good feeling.

- helping with the Snow Ball dance, because it was our last Snow Ball and because we were helping out with the charity as well.

& - The Christmas Craft Fair, because it really got everyone into the christmas spirit and was just an overall fun time! 

Tannis Hemmelgarn:

In Septemer 2012 I will be in Calgary at SAIT taking the Pharmacy Assistant course. I will be living in residence for 6 months until my course is finished.

I am most proud of the event

Community Craft fair 2010/2011

Dove Workshop 2011

Breakfast club 2011

Caoimhe:

In September 2012, I will be attending Mount Royal University in Calgary and living in residence. I will be taking a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and I plan on pursuing a career in Law.

Activities in Leadership that I am most proud of:

1) Winter Formal 2010

2) Dove "I am Beautiful" Workshop 2011

3) Movember 2010-2011

Jacoba Gaspar:

My plan for the summer is to work two seperate jobs, one at Eagle Ranch as a Guest Services Attendent and one at the Pharmasave. With the money I make I plan to buy myself a car.

Holly Glasford:

I will be attending the University of Calgary in September to complete my Bachelors of Education and Bachelors of Sociology, which is a five year program.

Jacqueline Wagner:

In September 2012 I will be living in Denmark with my Danish family. Learning a new language, and culture.

Amanda Elwakeel:

In the Fall semester of 2012 Amanda will be attending Mount Royal University in Calgary Alberta for the Bachelor of Elementary Education Program.

Saywer Ellingboe:

Sawyer Ellingboe will be attending St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia to persue a Bachelor of Arts.

Kate Godlien:

Next year Kate Godlien will be attending the University of Victoria perusing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with a minor in professional writing. 

Ciona Thompson:

I will attending U of L (Lethbridge) for a bachelor in Education with a major in Kinesiology, and a minor in outdoor and environment studies.  I hope to work in a secondary school. and continue my volunteer efforts with youth and the communities I will be living in.

Stephan Veit

Next year I will be sitting in Germany, finishing my school there, and making plans on coming back to Canada or exploring the rest of the world.

And then of course, me. Baxter Cranch: 

After a summer of working maintenance on Riverside golf course I will be moving to Vancouver to take a video game art and design course.

Also I have some pictures:

Kyra Grocutt reading at EMP

Breakfast club

Holly Glassford reading at EMP

So there you have. The leadership class' immediate plans.