Back to School #3_28aug11

Sunday, August 28, 2011 - North Shore News - A19

get ready for back to school

page 20

Solve a crime, learn some science. page 21

A new way to teach languages. page 24-27

Ask an expert: students pass on their tips.

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PHOTO CINDY GOODMAN

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A20 - North Shore News - Sunday, August 28, 2011

back to school

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Drake Fenton newsroom@nsnews.com

COLLECTING DNA samples, examining blood splatter and investigating a murder — no, this is not a recap of Thursday night’s episode of CSI; these are the activities that high school students are performing at Genome B.C.’s Geneskool summer camp.

From Aug. 15-19, 16 high school students from across the Lower Mainland converged at Capilano University to study forensics and genetics.

Throughout the course of the week the students implemented forensic techniques and studied genetic evidence to solve a fictitious murder mystery case.

“We use the murder mystery element as a fun way to teach students about the different elements of DNA and forensics, and what you can do with them and how they are used,” said Roma Friedman, the camp’s director.

During the week the students were taught how to collect and analyze DNA, how to examine and match fingerprints, how to investigate a crime scene and how to use state-of-the-art equipment that actual forensic and genetic experts use.

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

STUDENTS Diyyinah Jamora and Sabastien Pratt investigate a mock crime scene at Capilano University’s Geneskool summer camp.

Through a variety of different science experiments the students quickly learned that there is a vast difference between real life and what is displayed on shows like CSI.

“I watch CSI and Criminal Minds a lot,” said Diyyinah Jamora, a student going into Grade 11 at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School.

“Being [at the camp] I learned that even though CSI makes it

look really easy, it’s probably not that easy to find all of your evidence in an hour and then solve a crime three days later. It is a really long process and there is such an amazing science behind it.”

Friedman explained that the students learned about the actual scientific practices involved in forensic investigations and that a forensic investigating can be just as exciting as what they see on television, but perhaps just not as glamorous.

“There are a lot of techniques on CSI that are used in real life but they don’t show most of the work that goes on behind the scenes,” said Friedman. “They just show a flash, and then we have it! The machines and the equipment they use are right, but it takes a lot of back hours and there is a lot of tedious careful work behind getting results.”

Along with learning how to collect DNA and matching fingerprints, the students were given the opportunity to hear from a variety of guest speakers and learn how to pursue a career within the fields of forensics and genetics.

“We had a guest speaker who is an expert in pathology, we had an RCMP officer and we had a PhD scientist who studies cancer cells speak to the students,” said Freidman.

“We also gave the students resources about working in a lab or how to get an internship See Camp page 26

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Sunday, August 28, 2011 - North Shore News - A21

back to school

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photo submitted

WENDY Maxwell leads a French class using a technique she calls accelerated integrative methodology.

West Van’s French revolution Jeremy Shepherd jshepherd@nsnews.com

LOOKING from the front of the classroom at bored stares while listening to children recite the same rudimentary French

vocabulary, the teacher realized something needed to change.

Wendy Maxwell had been a French immersion teacher at an inner-city school in Ontario, but it wasn’t until she began teaching French at a private school in Toronto that

she realized the ineffectiveness of the standard lesson plan.

“I was shocked at the lack of language development,” she said. “It was pitiful, the hours they were spending and not learning.”

From that point in the early ’90s, Maxwell began developing a teaching

program she called Accelerated Integrative Methodology.

The first step in the program is talking with your hands.

“I attached a gesture to every single word,” Maxwell said.

See Songs page 26

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A22 - North Shore News - Sunday, August 28, 2011

back to school

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How to zap those zits Manisha Krishnan mkrishnan@nsnews.com

OF the top 10 things I don’t miss about being a teenager, breaking out is probably number 1.

growing up, but it can still be really frustrating at the time.

Recently the North Shore News sat down with Dr. Francis Jang, a dermatologist at Skinworks clinic in Vancouver, to ask her a few questions about how to deal with those pesky pimples.

common is acne?

Jang: Acne is almost a normal thing for teenagers as they reach puberty and their hormone levels start to turn on. Some people are more prone to it genetically, so we find that if their mothers or fathers had it in a more severe

Getting acne may be considered just a part of

North Shore News: How

See Most page 23

Sunday, August 28, 2011 - North Shore News - A23

back to school

Most treatments need four weeks From page 22 way perhaps children could anticipate that as well.

North Shore News: What are the best treatment solutions?

Jang: Treatment solutions depend on how severe it is.

The kind of acne that leads to scarring, which is typically the cystic kind, the big, boily kind, which can occur on the face as well as the chest and back, are the ones where we really need to have some medical intervention sooner rather than later.

There are over-the-counter products and there are prescription products. In broad categories you’re probably looking at: ■ Exfoliants (including salicylic acid) – one of the more commonly used products for exfoliation and acne. It goes more towards oily areas so it is more attracted to the areas that are perhaps more problematic.

■ Benzoyl peroxide — available over the counter in gel, lotions, washes, soaps as well as in higher concentrations of more than five per cent by prescription.

These are bacteriostatic, they kind of arrest bacteria and exfoliate a little bit.

■ Antibiotics, usually available by prescription, in oral and in lotion and gel forms.

■ Retin As and all their relatives. Those ones work by exfoliating and are also bacteriostatic.

North Shore News: What over the counter brands would you recommend?

Jang: In general I like Neutrogena products.

Obviously the stronger the concentration of any particular ingredient, the more quickly it may work or it might address a

more severe case, but also the more it may tend to dry the skin. You want to be patient too. Just putting it on one or two nights is not going to solve your problem. You want it over a period of four weeks to sort of be preventing new ones from coming out.

North Shore News: Is it OK to pop a pimple?

Jang: We don’t really like people to do that because invariably when you pop a pimple you actually push some of the oil into the middle layer of the skin and maybe inflame the skin even more. So while you de-bulk it, you kind of create a red mark on the skin.

North Shore News: Will popping pimples leave scarring?

Jang: People always say they have scarring from their acne and it’s just marks. Brown and red marks of varying degrees left on their skin, post-acne, that can last for weeks to months. But true scars in a dermatologist’s minds are depressed areas or areas that are bumped up but not necessarily discoloured.

The discolouration eventually goes, and what we call that is post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Bleaching creams and more aggressive exfoliation, or Retin As also help to lift the pigment.

North Shore News: So what can be done about “true scars” a.k.a. pockmarks?

Jang: We tend to use a combination of the new fractionated lasers that have been available for the last four years or so. What they do is poke tiny pixelated little holes in the skin to whatever depth we want, and what that does is causes new collagen generation. So that usually results in a softening of the

scar but not a complete disappearance. And then we usually follow that up with fillers . . . to raise those scars.

North Shore News: How long will those treatments last?

Jang: For some reason I found that even though theoretically those products are temporary, they can actually be very long lasting in people with acne scarring.

North Shore News: How expensive is it?

Jang: To do the cheeks it’s $300 to $500 a treatment and you have to do four to six of them.

North Shore News: If left untreated, can acne be a lifelong affliction?

Jang: Acne burns itself out generally, so even without intervention most people’s will gradually die off. That being said, we see lots of people who get acne for the first time in their 20s or in their 40s. Or some people who get teenage acne and then it settles down for a while and crops up in a slightly different form in their 20s. And then we have the odd person that gets acne in their teens, it never settles down and goes into their 20s and they’re pretty sick and tired of it.

North Shore News: What about the emotional side of it?

Jang: Kids often come in even with mild or moderate acne with their hoodies on and their baseball cap over their faces and they’re not really proud to show their complexion. So it does impact people beyond what we might think, particularly at a time when people are feeling quite vulnerable anyway about who they are.

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A24 - North Shore News - Sunday, August 28, 2011

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back to school

School builds bright futures Haley Cohrs Contributing Writer

WHEN asked what they want to be, children around my age give answers much different than what they gave when they were five.

When they were five, the most typical answers would revolve around princesses or pirates. Now, the answers are more doable, like a doctor or a reporter for a news paper.

I believe that kids only dislike school because they think they have so many better things to be doing.

Yet, in 20 years or so when you’ve settled down, when your child asks them for help on homework, don’t you want to be able to answer the question correctly and not have to think back to that class where you were concentrating on the cute girl or hot guy in front of you? School shapes your mind so your future will be brighter.

As a Grade 8 student entering Sutherland for the first time, I am filled

with nervous jitters and excitement at the thought of the upcoming years.

Reputations will need to be re-earned, the school map re-memorized. We will all have to work our way up the food chain or as I like to call it, the school chain, again.

Most kids will be grumbling about going back to school after two months of vacation, but if you don’t go to school, you won’t be able earn a high school degree which leads to no college diploma which takes you to a dead-end job.

School gives you the chance to succeed in the real world. Don’t give up on it.

Put your best foot forward on your first day Kaleda Denton, age 14 Contributing Writer

THE first day back at school is more than waking up early and dragging yourself to class.

It’s not about laughing about your teachers or classmates, or accidentally falling asleep.

It’s about going in with a positive attitude, and making a good first impression on everyone — this will get you off to a good start for a new year.

The first steps in starting the school year off well begin at home. Before you go to school, make sure you have everything you need: binders, pens, lunch, gym strip, and, most importantly, your schedule. You don’t want to find yourself unprepared or

lost on the first day. Make sure you know when your class will start, because there’s no worse feeling than arriving late to a class, everyone’s eyes on you.

Besides being prepared, it’s always good to dress well. If you show up in a tutu and rainbow socks, expect whispers and pointing.

It’s always better to dress casually — like you would every day — rather than putting on a show. Don’t try to squeeze into the latest trend; wear something that fits your body type and makes you comfortable. Be yourself! If you want classmates to like you for you, then be genuine and honest with your choices. Of course, it goes the other way around.

Sometimes you’ll be the one needing to accept someone else — maybe a new student or just someone socially

awkward. It never hurts to go into school with an open mind, so be friendly and accepting, and talk with people you don’t normally talk with. You never know who you’ll be in a class with, and maybe your good friends won’t be in it. It’s good to have acquaintances.

While it’s great to have a few close friends who you spend your time with, don’t be closed off, either.

Plus, there are always the teachers.

Despite their wide smiles, they might be even more nervous than you. Imagine standing in front of a classroom of tired students, who don’t want to be there, as you try to make a boring subject as interesting as possible in less than two hours.

See Teachers page 27

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Sunday, August 28, 2011 - North Shore News - A25

back to school

Back to school tips for teachers Courtney Brice, age 15 Contributing Writer

IN high school, you are frequently judged by those around you.

Your teachers, your friends, your enemies, and even yourself; but most people do not realize teachers are judged just the same as anybody else.

The truth is many students dislike their teachers because of judgments made by other students before them. Most students will only dislike a teacher because he/she is known as “un-cool”, “not fair”, “snobby” or even “old.”

If you like a certain teacher, who everybody else seems to dislike, you’re automatically put into the “don’t talk to this person cause she/ he is a teacher’s pet!” list. It is quite sad for any person to be ignored and/or hated by their peers because she/he simply likes their English teacher.

So many teachers are judged on their behaviour, their style of teaching, the way they mark tests/assignments, their type of clothing, and even the food they eat! How do students really feel about their teachers? Are they really as “un-cool” as people think?

A teacher with a positive attitude is liked better; it is just the way it is. If the teacher is kind, understanding and

fun, students will do better in school compared to a teacher who is mean, depressing, and boring. If a student trusts their teacher, that says a lot about that teacher’s personality; they are probably appreciative, compassionate and frankly, a good listener.

If a student is rude, unfriendly to their teacher; it probably means that the teacher doesn’t have the right work habits to match the student, and that is why the student doesn’t like them.

It is neither the teacher’s or student’s fault, it is simply negative energy bouncing between them, like two positive magnets repelling; but this does not mean that you shouldn’t try your best and fail the class.

A teacher should never knowingly mark a student’s test negatively in front of them. This sends negative thoughts to a student’s mind.

“Am I not good enough?”

“Why does this teacher hate me?” It sends the student and teacher’s relationship down a whole level and more negative comments to others circulate about that teacher.

If a test is marked in front of a student, you must use kind, encouraging words and tell them that it was a nice try and to work a little harder next time; not say “That was

a fail of epic proportion.”

Fashion is everything to a lot of students, if they do not dress right; they are seen as a social outcast. For a teacher, fashion isn’t always the No. 1 thing on their mind. That is why you see some teachers with mullets, old worn-out skirts and baggy vests. This is used many times in-between students as the key to practical jokes and bullying, which is simply not right but is done anyway.

Teachers with a sense of humour seem to communicate better as it helps to ease the tension brought about by the dryness of the subject being taught; especially subjects like math and socials. This way it keeps the students more interested and more responsive to those unwanted questions asked during the class.

Food seems to always be a huge deal in class; whenever you eat it you are seen as rude and unproductive but at the same time, teachers eating big globs of yogurt and spilling some on your neat and printed out homework shouldn’t fly either.

Why does the teacher always say “If you are going to eat in my class, make sure you have enough to pass around.”

What is the deal with that, it’s See A little page 27

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A26 - North Shore News - Sunday, August 28, 2011

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back to school

Songs and plays part of class From page 21 Some gestures are simple, such as putting your hand to your ear to signal listening, while others might rely on the spelling of the word, but Maxwell said there are now 2,000 gestures used in A.I.M. The idea is that instead of simply repeating a new vocabulary word, the students respond physically by copying the gesture, and the vocabulary becomes part of their muscle memory.

Besides incorporating gestures, Maxwell examined which words would be most useful for students. “The students didn’t have

the vocabulary they needed to communicate,� she said.

Instead of avoiding verbs that were difficult to conjugate, Maxwell said she began looking for highfrequency language.

As the students learned the more practical vocabulary, Maxwell decided there should be drama. “I started to write plays,� she said.

At the end of each unit of French, the students would perform a play, and along with the plays came songs and student-penned French hip hop.

Maxwell’s theatrical approach began to gain recognition, and it wasn’t long before other teachers

followed suit.

Monique Terrillon teaches grades three to seven at West Bay elementary in West Vancouver, and she’s familiar with the traditional method of teaching French. “It’s like flogging a dead horse,� she said.

After about 18 months of studying Maxwell’s system, Terrillon said she became proficient in A.I.M. and the difference in her students was startling. “Night and day,� she said, describing the change. “The kids could speak French and it wasn’t forced, it was spontaneous.�

Terrillon said she’s using the same system to teach English to English as a second

language students. “This program is unique in that students are genuinely engaged in story,� said Ellen Keiser, a French teacher at Collingwood private school for the past nine years.

Besides teaching in West Vancouver, Keiser also traveled to Melbourne, Australia to help teachers incorporate the approach in their schools.

Students might sing a French song about the trials and tribulations of the Three Little Pigs, but the emphasis is on immersing the students in French opposed to focusing on translating English. “As soon as the students see the teachers they immediately switch gears and start speaking French,� she said.

Camp shows students diversity in science From page 20 so they can maybe take the next step and do research in a more formal setting.�

Geneskool summer camp has been running for four consecutive years and Friedman believes that each year the camp provides students in B.C. a great opportunity to

learn about how much variety there is in the field of science. “So many kids think that medical school or dentistry are the be all and end all of science,� she said. “I really want to expand their horizons and show them all the different kinds of ways that science comes into your life and what you can do with the tools that are available.�

For Friedman, another positive aspect of the camp was the ability to integrate learning into a fun, social environment. “A big thing I have been trying to do is foster friendships,� she said. “The students have enjoyed the social aspect of the camp and for me I have enjoyed putting them into teams to solve the

case, and watching how well they work together and form friendships.�

Jamora couldn’t agree more with her instructor’s assessment. “This is super fun for summer, a lot of people do summer school, but this is such a great change from school and I wish school was like this every day,� she said.

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2011-2012 Team Try-outs Elite teams begin in September for boys and girls in grades 4-7 Grade 4-5 Boys â&#x20AC;&#x201C; IdentiďŹ ed through 3D Youth Development League Grade 4-5 Girls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; IdentiďŹ ed through 3D Youth Development League Grade 6 Boys â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Wed. Sept 7, 5:30-7:00pm Grade 6 Boys â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fri. Sept 9, 5:30-7:00pm Grade 6 Girls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tue. Sept 6, 5:15-6:45pm Grade 6 Girls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thu. Sept 8, 5:30-7:00pm Grade 7 Boys - Wed. Sept 7, 7:15-9:00pm Grade 7 Boys â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fri. Sept 9, 7:15-9:00pm Grade 7 Girls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thu. Sept 8, 7:15-9:00pm Grade 7 Girls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sat. Sept 10, 12:15-2:00pm

All try-outs will be held at

Andre Piolat School 380 West Kings Road, North Vancouver For more info: info@3dbasketball.net

604.998.3360

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Sunday, August 28, 2011 - North Shore News - A27

back to school

Teachers are human beings too From page 24

the most time on, or the one worth the most marks. But none of those set the standard for the year as much as the first assignment.

The first assignment you get is usually fairly easy. You’re just getting settled into school, and you don’t have much homework.

So, make the first assignment count. If you do well on it, your teacher will get the impression that you’re a good, hard-working student.

When it’s time to mark your next assignment, your teacher will see your name

and go into marking it with a positive attitude.

If you do well on that too, then on your third assignment your teacher will be even happier to mark it. It’s the snowball effect.

So, in order to make a good first impression at school — with your classmates, and with your teachers — there are five easy steps.

Be prepared, be yourself, have an open mind, participate in class, and make the first assignment count.

Hopefully you’ll all have a great first day!

Students need sleep

A little praise goes a very long way

It’s not as easy as they make it seem. So don’t pop your gum in your teacher’s face — try to participate in the class. Even if you ask one question, it lets your teacher know you’re interested in what he/she is saying and you’re willing to learn.

Have a positive attitude; laugh at your teacher’s jokes. Make your teacher comfortable.

Which assignment do you think is the most important?

Maybe it’s the one you spend

Katherine Bridge, age 13 Contributing Writer

NOW don’t be fooled by the title.

I’m not suggesting a longer summer, I know that can’t happen. I’m talking about starting the school day a little later. Really, what’s the harm?

Let’s say school started at 10:00 a.m. and ended at 4:00 p.m. Teens seem to not really “wake up” until 10 anyway.

If we end at four then we still get the right amount of hours as well.

For those teens that don’t do their homework they can get up at eight and still have

time to do their homework.

For people who wake up early anyway they will have extra time in the morning.

Adding an hour or two to the morning means that more people will be organized, and if more people were organized then there would be fewer people late and scrambling for stuff to shove in their bag.

When people are organized they won’t be as stressed so they can focus. They’ll know where their homework is.

This change may not be very good for elementary school due to parents who work. But for high school students, they can get to school by themselves.

From page 25 not like we have jobs! What do you think? That we have enough for the whole school?

Of course we should always respect the importance of a teacher, but sometimes, we children and teenagers just need to be reassured that we are not like other students and are unique in our own special way.

So back to school we go, except this time, we might just make a difference in our school’s faculty.

th

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At OneDance, we cater to each dancers’ individual needs.

Let us create a training program that builds a strong technical base and allows you to shine!

We offer beginner to advanced dance classes for ages 3 to adult.

NOW ACCEPTING FALL REGISTRATION!

286 Pemberton Avenue, North Vancouver • 604-987-8747 onedance@shaw.ca • www.onedance.ca

A28 - North Shore News - Sunday, August 28, 2011

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LIONS AREA REGISTRATION EVENT: September 21st, 2011 at 7pm Parkgate Community Centre, 2425 Mount Seymour Parkway, North Vancouver, BC

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