Before I Fall is a book by popular YA author, Lauren Oliver. The story takes place in Thomas Jefferson High School in the main character’s hometown of Ridgeview. The main character, Samantha Kingston, appears to have everything- looks, popularity and even the perfect boyfriend. However, her life takes a tragic twist when on Friday, February 12th, she gets in a car accident that kills her. Have you ever wondered what happens when we die? Have you ever wondered why we live?
Well in Sam’s case, she wakes up the morning after her death only to discover she’s caught in time. Confused, Sam must relive the last day of her life over and over until she figures out how and why she has died. In the days that follow, she discovers things about her friends that were never explained to her during her life. Over time, Sam learns to appreciate the many wonderful things she had in her life teaching the reader to question what is important if life. Through Sam, we are reminded how quickly we can lose what matters most.
Grade 11 Hayden student Kevin Han was recently awarded the Junior Citizen of the Year award at the Burlington’s Best Awards Gala for his dedication to volunteering with the Chillzone after-school program. The Hayden Howl (HH) asked Kevin (K) a few questions; read on and be inspired!
Kevin at the awards ceremony.
HH: Why did you choose to start volunteering at Chillzone’s after-school program?
K: I was just looking for somewhere to volunteer on Volunteer Halton website about two years ago. There were plenty of opportunities. But one of them stood out among others. Chillzone’s mission of providing friendly and warm environment for disengaged children seemed like a very satisfying job for me. The program’s relations to local communities and its proximity got me interested. So I sent them an email and I have been volunteering there ever since then.
HH: What do you do there as part of your volunteer role?
K: There’s nothing special about what I do. I just go in and try to have a good time with the kids. As a volunteer, I must stay disciplined and sometimes be strict to the children. But mostly I help them with homework, talk with them, provide them snacks, play sports, lead games, and run other recreational activities to keep the children motivated and active.
HH: What does it mean to you to win this award?
K: It’s just truly a massive honour to even be able to be on that nominees’ list. To win the award, it’s just unbelievable. I still feel like it’s a dream. This is definitely my biggest accomplishment so far and I just hope that I can continue on to pursue greater things in the future. I take this award not only as a reward, but also motivation and reminder for myself to maintain good citizenship and to continue to assist the community in any way I can.
Kevin and Mr. Gallant at the awards ceremony.
HH: What would you like to say to other young community volunteers?
K: All I have to say is to always be committed. If you focus on one big cause that you believe in and support, that is the best volunteering experience that you can have. Stay determined, but also try to have some fun with whoever you are working with! Most importantly, be proud of your contribution to the world, because it means so much to those you help.
April 2015 will not be remembered for its gloomy days and mid-term stress, but rather for its strategic, sock-filled mathematical test: Hayden vs. Zombies.
April 27 to May 2, senior Hayden math students and teachers from all subjects participated in Hayden vs. Zombies: a game where participants started as humans (with the exception of two original zombies) and worked their way to stay human without being tagged by a zombie throughout the week. Originating from Human vs. Zombies in many universities and colleges across North America, the termly played game utilizes the motive of “tag” and “hide-and-seek” to exemplify different mathematical concepts, such as exponential functions.
The rules were simple: humans wore neon orange wristbands while zombies wore neon pink wristbands. Once the human was tagged by a zombie, they would trade their human ID and orange band for a pink one. But the zombies could not tag the humans without a couple hurdles…humans had to underhand throw rolled-up socks at zombies, making them zombie resistant for 15 minutes. Humans were also safe for 2 minutes after each bell and in conditional environments such as classrooms, washrooms, offices, and the library.
Wrists, arms, foreheads, and ankles were all spotted with pink or orange.The difference between life and death. (source)
Recreational environments however, such as hallways and the for’em, were 24/7 safe-free zones; and thus became the perfect human hunting grounds. “I was caught on the second day during accounting class,” recalls senior math student Wajiha Ahmed. “My internet wasn’t working, so I asked the supply teacher to work in the hallway. Sitting against the lockers, I felt a tap on my shoulder from a guy asking ‘Are you in any senior math classes?’ That’s when I knew.” Wajiha was surely enough converted to zombie form soon after that question.
Although the tagging of a human was simple, the plot to catch one wasn’t always a walk in the park, as student-teacher competition grew to infinite proportions. “I think everyone was fairly competitive, but things went to the next level between students and teachers.” says English/social science teacher Ms. Diehl. “Once I had been zombified, I teamed up with Mr. Mitchell, Ms. Fehir, Ms. Kourniotis, Mr. Malarczuk, and Mr. Warner to try to get grade 11 Harsh Patel. We got pretty close, but he thwarted our attempts.” Harsh owes his zombie-teacher escape and 5-day human life to his zombie avoiding strategies. “It’s just trying to go outside.” said the math student. “The larger radius I have, the better, since I’m fast. I’m faster than fast, I’m Lightning McQueen.”
Unfortunately, Harsh’s orange band didn’t stay with him the entire duration, as he was caught in a very picturesque way. “On Friday I posted a message to my twitter that surviving humans should come to my classroom at 2:30 to get a victory photo,” says math teacher Mr. Mitchell. “Harsh and Mr. Quenneville (two of the last humans) both fell for it and I was able to snap a selfie of me tagging both of them.”
“The moment of defeat. I think I fooled them. #HaydenVsZombies” (source)
Not only did senior math students enjoy the thrill and suspense of catching humans and dodging zombies, they also appreciated the game’s positive contribution to their mathematical curriculum. “It’s a fun way to learn about mathematical concepts,” says math student Sharon John. “It’s also a good way to collect data.”
“At first I thought it was kind of lame, but seeing people actually get into it was fun,” added grade 11 math student, Bryanna Samayoa. “It was a good break, a change from typical math.”
When asked if they’ll be participating next year, both students answered unanimously, “Yes!”
In terms of the Hayden vs. Zombies in the upcoming 2015-2016 year, the game is expected to only grow and improve. “My favourite thing to do is give each team (Humans or Zombies) different missions to complete during the week,” says Mr. Mitchell. “Typical missions are for the Human Team to protect a teacher while they travel around the school, or for the Zombies to create their own Flash Mob at some location in the school. We haven’t done that yet at Hayden, but it is something we plan to do next year now that Hayden Students have a taste for the game.”
As all zombies resurrected the following weekend and humans stored back their socks, the Hayden vs. Zombies game yet again reflected the integration of two topics that are seeming to grow closer on the number line: “school” and “fun”. From understanding math in a hands-on way to getting your daily run in during school hours, the game successfully ensures that mathematical happiness will be on your side no matter what state of life you’re in. That being said, remember these formulas:
When you think of a cheerleaders, you probably think of a bunch of girls with pompoms on the side of a field, cluelessly cheering about football. That’s fine, but is not quite accurate. Taking that image, replace the pompoms with weights, the field with a fitness room and the clueless expression with looks of utmost determination. Now this image is more accurate to the Hayden Huskies Cheer team.
The team was chosen in September after a round of tryouts and includes 22 hard working individuals. They are no longer a group of individuals however but a team, bonding over the love of a sport.
For the first 6 months of this year, the team trained hard 4 hours a week lifting weights, doing cardio, cheering and practicing dances. In February, they moved over to a rented gym space and began to practice stunting and preparing for competition.
This competition in question will be held on May 23rd at Wonderland. The team, lead by Mme. Monzavi will present their routine that they’ve been practising since almost February. We encourage Hayden students to come out to the park for the day to help support the team!
Switching schools is difficult. Imagine leaving everything you know and going somewhere completely different. You have to adjust to the new surroundings. Maybe there would be new rules and most importantly, new friends. When you leave your old school, you are basically getting out of your comfort zone which it is always hard. First of all at your old school, you pretty much know everyone! Maybe some are friends but then there’s those people you just interacted with but when you switch schools, it is like you have to start over again from kindergarten especially if you spent a long time at your old school.
The first day you may not even want to go to school because you don’t have friends waiting for you there. You might be scared that you might embarrass yourself somehow. Then you will have to adjust to your surroundings. This might seem silly but think about it- everything in a new location and you may worry that you will get lost (A LOT!). You may even discover that when you are looking for the room number, you have already passed it- two or three times and you didn’t even notice! Yikes but there is nothing you can do about it. You just have to walk around the school once more.
But here’s my advice, stick with it! Don’t give up because one day it will get better. You will suddenly realize that you know some awesome new people. You will make new friends! You will stop getting lost and you will have a good time in your new school. The most important thing is to approach your change with a positive attitude and be open to new things because you may not even know what is the best thing for you and who knows- it might even be in this school, who knows?
This week is Hayden’s second Multicultural Week! Curious about what’s happening? Watch this video, and check out what’s happening each day. Throughout the week, tweet pictures and thoughts with #haydenvaluesdiversity !
Lacrosse on last year’s Den Day!
Monday – come to the for’em at lunch to take part in a simple and fun craft to showcase your heritage! Later in the week all of the crafts will be displayed as a mural of Hayden’s multiculturalism!
Tuesday – Den Day afternoon! Some examples of activities include mendhi, multicultural food (free!), karaoke, and more! Stay tuned for a full list.
Thursday – Inner Peace Day! Wear white, and take advantage of several opportunities to meditate and realize your inner peace.
Meditation during last year’s Den Day!
Friday – Student Council will be hosting a drum circle event, and all are welcome!
On April 27th, nearly 1000 students and staff at Dr.Frank J Hayden Secondary school went outside to clean up the front yard and prove that we know how to be clean. Ambar Chaudhry a student at this school was teamed up with Simi Kamboe, the educational assistant, and Kelly Leier, a teacher, at Dr.Frank J Hayden. They picked up the garbage together and put it in bag. The weather was very nice and it was warm. It was a fun and exciting experience for everyone.
There is a boy named Tyler who lives in our community who just started JK at Alton Village Elementary school.Tyler has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, which make his muscles rigid and tight and also makes him prone to seizures. He is going for surgery in the USA to help better his prospects for long term mobility. The unfortunate thing is that OHIP is not covering his surgery which is expected to cost $35 000 with accommodations. To read more about Tyler’s story, click here. To donate, click here.
Hayden Community, would you like to do something to help Tyler and his family? Stay tuned for more information. Thanks to Tye Dryden for spreading the word about this!
Back in 2014 when the trip to Africa was announced, there was no question of “if” I should go. I was going. Simple as that. This was an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up. The year’s wait for the trip wasn’t without its challenges. There was money to save, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to consider, the shots to get and medications to take. Thankfully, 16 of us hung in there and on that 5th day in March, we settled into our seats on the plane and hoped that our decision to journey to Africa would live up to our different expectations.
My fifteen days were full of both the obvious and the not so obvious. I knew that there would be challenges to face with the heat, the water, the millions of mosquitoes and the whole experience of not going with a close friend. You could say I was the odd man out and not in just the obvious way. After what amounted to a two day flight, all I wanted to do was keep going. For those who know me, I’m a high energy kind of guy. Sleep is not my idea of fun. Apologies to my roommates for only letting them get a couple hours of sleep most nights. Each day was get up, get dressed, eat and get into the rhino van with our guides, Big John and James. Each night, we sat down for dinner like a big family and re-lived the highlights of the day which usually included everyone’s funnies and fails: broken axles; popped tires; angry monkeys and crazy me. Every day featured challenges from having to take malaria pills to touring the Karen Blixen house to packing and unpacking and to losing shoes and money and chargers and headphones. We saw wild and wonderful animals, met courageous and amazing people and traveled endless kilometres in the most unbelievable setting on earth. Fifteen days of living, laughing, learning- loving life! These are the moments that we made together and these will be the ones I will remember forever.
Why did I go to Africa? Why not? For those who know me, my answer makes sense. For those who don’t, that’s simply who I am. I do what I do in my own way and in my own time and going to Africa in Grade 11 the year before I graduate is what I wanted to do.
The Hayden Howl 
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