IMPORTANT REMINDER TO PARENTS AND GUARDIANS There will be no regularly scheduled classes during the week of January 23rd to January 27th. This week has been set aside for Tutorials, and for In-Class Exams and Provincial Exams. Please click here for the Department Tutorial Schedules and for a list of Provincial Exam dates and times . Thank you.

In December 2011, Alpha applied for a grant worth over $12,000 in electronic equipment from Roland Canada, through Musicounts.ca and Sirius XM Canada. One school in all of Canada was to be chosen on many different factors: the need of the school, the size of the music program, the use of current equipment/inventory, etc. It was an intensive application process. We are very pleased to announce that École Alpha Secondary School was chosen on Monday morning to be the recipient of this amazing prize. The following outlines the prize to be awarded to our Music Program:

The MusiCounts Roland Jam Pak, presented by SiriusXM contents:
1 x Roland TD-9K2S V-Drums Kit
1 x Roland PM-30 V-Drums Monitor
1 x Roland FP-4F Digital Piano
1 x Roland Lucina AX-09 Black Synth
1 x Roland JUNO-Gi Synthesizer
1 x Boss VE-20 Vocal Processor
1 x Roland DAP-3 V-Drums Accessory Kit
2 x Roland BA-330 Portable PA Speaker
1 x Roland KC-150 Keyboard Amplifier
1 x Roland CUBE 60XL BASS Amplifier
1 x Roland CUBE 40 XL GUITAR Amplifier
3 x Roland DR-50 Dynamic Microphone
3 x Roland ST-100MB Mic Stand
1 x Roland KS-18Z Keyboard Stand
4 x Roland RH-D20 Digital Headphones

This is a very exciting time for us at Alpha. We wish to extend a heartfelt thanks to Musicounts, Roland Canada, and Sirus XM for this award. Please click here to view official press release.

The Ministry of Education has removed all of the grade 12 optional exams and has changed their policy on how their $1000 scholarships are awarded. The scholarships will now be awarded based on a student's performance on their 5 required exams (Science 10, Math 10, English 10, Socials 11, English 12). There is an opportunity for grade 11 and 12 students to rewrite their past exams to raise their grades and qualify for a scholarship. You will find a document attached which explains the policy and outlines exam rewrite times as well as exam preparation and study websites. We will be speaking to grade 11 and 12 students bout this on January 10th and they will receive the attached document. If you have any questions, please call the school at 604-664-8535. Please click here for new policy.

École Alpha Secondary School invites you to attend an Information Evening from 7:00 to 8:00 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012. Alpha has a rich tradition of over 60 years of excellence. We offer a comprehensive program of studies and extracurricular activities. The many academic, artistic, athletic, and dramatic achievements underscore the diversity of opportunities afforded our students. We desire to build on these traditions and share our programs with you. Click here for schedule.

École Alpha Secondary School invites you to attend our Course Selection Evening students from 7:00 to 8:00 pm on Monday, February 6, 2012. This session is for students currently enrolled in Grades 8 to 11 and sessions will include information about course offerings, programs and the course selection process. Alpha has a rich tradition of over 60 years of excellence. We offer a comprehensive program of studies and extracurricular activities. The many academic, artistic, athletic, and dramatic achievements underscore the diversity of opportunities afforded our students. We desire to build on these traditions and share our programs with you.

For further information please contact Alpha at 604-664-8535 or alpha.info@sd41.bc.ca.

We are excited to share a new fundraising opportunity for our school. An account has been set up at a local Return-it depot and you can help us turn your bottles and cans into cash for your kids. Funds raised will go to support school programs and to create scholarship funds.

Here's how it works. Simply stop by the neighbourhood recycling depot with your beverage containers and 100% of your deposit will be returned to the school. Please make sure that you let the staff know that you are a parent of Alpha Secondary, and ask that they print 2 copies of the receipt. Retain one copy for your records, and ensure that the second copy is left on file so that our account is updated. Please drop us an email ( lauralp@shaw.ca or rtvincelli@telus.net ) with the date and amount of your return. For a complete list of recyclable items, please visit their website at
www.return-it.ca .

Please note that the Alpha account has been set up at the following location only:

Encorp Return-It
3931 Graveley Street
Burnaby, BC
604.294.2827

Hours of Operation: Monday through Saturday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Sunday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Thank you for your assistance with this fundraising effort.

Unclaimed June Report Cards:
There are several unclaimed June report cards still left behind in the office for students to pick up. If you have not yet picked up your June report card, please do so today during breaks, lunch and after school.

Photo Retakes - Go Cards to Pick Up in the Office:
Students who had photo retakes last week you can come to the office now to pick up your go cards during breaks, lunch and after school.