Sisler High School

SISLER HIGH SCHOOL

Sisler High School, Redwood Avenue entrance, before renovation
Principal	Mr. George Heshka
Vice-Principals	Ms. Madeleine Iannone, Mr. Rick Cockrem, and Mr. Rick Horaska
Student Joint Presidents	Jan Raeimon D. Nato, and Lennie Eulalia
Founded	1957
School type	Public, French immersion
School Division	Winnipeg School Division No. 1
Motto	Vincit Qui Se Vincit (One conquers who conquers oneself)
Location	Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Enrolment	Over 1600 students
Mascot	Spartans
School colours	Red, Black

Sisler High School is the largest high school in Manitoba, Canada with over 1600 students in attendance. It was built in 1957, and named after William James Sisler. As principal of Strachcona School in the North end of Winnipeg, W.J. Sisler was instrumental in helping new immigrant families adjust. He faced a great challenge in the fact that a majority of the students did not have a knowledge of English; there were twenty-two countries of origin and eighteen language groups in his student body. In addition, many of his students came from areas where they were deprived their right to education. In his book Peaceful Invasion, W.J. Sisler says "Once they understood the value of education that was freely offered to them they took full advantage of all that we could give them". He innovated the education system for his immigrant students, and soon the provincial government of Manitoba officially adopted his method of teaching. Sisler High School today has a large ESL programme (English as a Second Language).

Teaching Excellence

Sisler High School has been recognized for teaching excellence. According to Maclean's magazine "It all starts at the top, according to everyone at Sisler High School". "The top" refers to Principal George Heshka, who has been principal of Sisler High School for twenty-five years. Although he is "more inclined to credit his staff and nearly 1600 students" for the recognition that Sisler High School has gained, it is his longevity and openess to new ideas that led to the creation of various programmes such as the All-Girl classes, the 24-Hour Exile, and the humanitarian groups of Sisler High School.

Six teachers at Sisler High School have won Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence. Mr. Chris Bandfield, social studies department head, won Manitoba's Lieutenant Governor's Classroom Teacher Award, of which only one is awarded annually at the secondary level.

In March 2005, the school was recognized with the Canadian's for a Genocide Museum Educator's Award for its contribution for education on issues surrounding genocide; specifically for its In Exile for a While programme. The school regards this to be a high honour, as it even edged out distinguished co-nominees -- retired lieutenant-general, The Honourable Roméo Dallaire, and Inky Mark, Member of Parliament.

Accelerated Programme

Sisler High School's Accelerated Programme allows students to enrol in grade 9 and potentially finish their first year of univerity by the time they finish their grade 12 year. Sisler High School offers five university courses, in conjunction with the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba. Those courses are: Calculus 1, Calculus 2, English, Psychology, and Physics. Prior to the 2005-2006 school year, Latin was also offered as a course.

French Immersion programme

Sisler High School's French Immersion has an enrolment of nearly 200 students. The French Immersion programme allows students to graduate with a French Immersion diploma, and full use of both official languages of Canada. Students enroled in French Immersion need to complete 14 credits of French-language courses. Two courses which are not offered in an English equivalent, and are therefore exclusive to French Immersion are the Communications médiatiques (Media Communications), and Sciences humaines (World History).

The French Immersion programme also has compulsory participation in the Canadian Parents for French (CPF) Concours d'art oratoire until the end of grade 10. The Concours d'art oratoire (Contest of the Oratory Art) is a French-language speaking contest in which participants write their own piece on a topic of their choice and perform it in public. The current president and French Immerstion student, Jan Raeimon D. Nato, is a two-time provincial champion of this competition, and placed second at the National level. Since then, he has been asked to speak at the CPF-Manitoba's 25th anniversary dinner, and at the Bureau de l'éducation française's French Immersion: Moving Ahead Into the Future conference. Many students go on to continue their studies at the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface.

Visual & Performing Arts Department

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HM The Queen of Canada

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The Governor General of Canada

Sisler High School's Visual & Performing Arts (VPA) Department offers courses in Art, Band, Choir, Dance, and Drama. With the widest enrolment of any programme at Sisler High School, the VPA Department appeals to many students. The VPA Department has gained Sisler High School additional repute.

From 2002-2004, Sisler High School's choirs have won the Earl Grey Trophy, the highest honour for a school choir in the Winnipeg Music Festival. The choir also sends many of its members to the Provincial Honour Choir of Manitoba. In 2002, Sisler's Jazz Choir Jazz-Ma-Tazz received an invitation to perform at MusicFest Canada. In 2003, Sisler's Chamber Choir followed suit. In 2005, Sisler High School's Chamber and Concert Choirs received also recommendations to perform at MusicFest Canada.

The bands annually partipate in The Winnipeg Optimist Festival in which they have brought home gold and silver medals. Sisler High School's bands have also been asked to perform with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra during the New Music Festival.

In 2005, the dance troupe Sisler's Most Wanted brought home golds at the Winnipeg Dance Festival. The Sisler's Most Wanted drance troupe has its origins as an all-male dance troupe aimed at preventing crime, and has since then grown into a male and female troupe which is held in high regard throughout Winnipeg. Sisler's VPA Department Head, Spencer Duncanson, has received an anti-crime award from the Attorney-General of Manitoba for his leadership in the Visual & Performing Arts Department.

On 8 October 2002, Sisler High School's Jazz-Ma-Tazz ensemble, and Sisler's Most Wanted dance troupe, had the honour of performing for Her Majesty The Queen of Canada during her visit to Winnipeg as a part of the Golden Jubilee festivites at The Forks.

On 18 October 2005, four members of Sisler High School's Chamber Choir joined the Winnipeg Boys Choir to sing O Canada at the official welcoming ceremony of Her Excellency, the Rt. Hon. Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada at the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. The visit to Winnipeg was Her Excellency's first trip as Governor General of Canada.

Athletics

Sisler High School also offers a wide athletics programme. It consists of your traditional sports such as track, football, volleyball, and basketball, but also includes sports such as cricket, and curling. Intramurals prove to be a very popular event at Sisler High School.

In 2005, both Sisler High School's football teams made it to the city finals. It is the first time this has been done since the league was divided into two sub-divisions. Unfortunately, the Spartans did not bring home any championships that year.

Student Government & Presidency

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President Lennie Eulalia (left), and President Jan Raeimon D. Nato (right)

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The Seal of the Presidency of Sisler High School

In May of 2005, the student body of Sisler High School elected Jan Raeimon D. Nato and Lennie Eulalia to The Presidency of Sisler High School. As presidents, Presidents Eulalia and Nato have affected change in the realms of healthy good, and the governance of Sisler High School and its various other committees. Early in the year, the Nato-Eulalia Presidency called The First Spartan Leadership Summit, alternatively, "the Summit". The Summit brought together all the heads of organizations to address the problems plaguing the sustainability of student humanitarian efforts. The Summit agreed that organizations shall try to prevent the fatigue and densensitization to humanitarian causes of the student body. The Summit also agreed that more communication is needed to ensure the continuance of the programmes for which Sisler High School has gained magnificent repute.

As a result of the Summit, and problems which persist even with the actions taken by the Summit, the Nato-Eulalia Presidency have proposed a constitution to transform the current set-up of Sisler High School in which all organizations are completely independent, to a system based on the idea of a students' union. President Nato pulled ideas from the governments of Canada, the United Nations, the European Union, France, and the United States to form a system of government in which the independence and autonomy of the organizations are preserved, and in which the current student council may overlook all student activities.

The proposed constitution establishes an open-memebrship Union Assembly presided by a Speaker; a Spartan Council which is a meeting of the Presidency, the Cabinet, the Heads of Organizations, and elected grade-level student councillors; a Human Resources department to solve membership shortages in certain organizations; and several fail-safe clauses including a "notwithstanding" clause to an organization's independence. Under the proposed "notwithstanding" clause, the Presidency of the Union would be able to suspend an organization that violates agreements regarding fundraising, which would bar it from being able to deposit funds into their account.

The Constitutional Council shall be convened in January 2006 to revise and ratify the Constitution.

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Presidents Eulalia and Nato have also taken steps to make them more visible and accessible to the student body. In addition to regularly making announcements over the PA system, Presidents Eulalia and Nato have sat down and talked with students in their classrooms and answered any questions students may have regarding the school.

As presidents, they have undertaken various roles. On 12 December 2005, Presidents Eulalia and Nato served as hosts for Sisler High School during the opening ceremonies of the renovated Sisler High School. They made opening and closing comments, and President Nato joined The Honourable Peter Bjornson, Minister of Education, Citizenship, and Youth, and Head Trustee Joyce Bateman in unveiling plaques to dedicate the renovations.

President Eulalia is an accomplished dancer, actress, and singer, having participated widely in the VPA Department. She is currently a member of Sisler's Most Wanted. President Eulalia was a participant in the United Way Leadership Conference, and is now volunteering with the Conference. President Eulalia has attended luncheons with the Premier of Manitoba, the Attorney-General of Canada and Lloyd Axworthy, President of the University of Winnipeg.

President Nato find his niche as a singer, and orator, with future ambitions in both fields. In the 2004-2005 school year, before his election to the Presidency, Jan Raeimon D. Nato undertook many engagements on behalf of Sisler High School. With former president Karina Alivio, he attended a peace conference at the International Peace Garden on the Canada-US border. In March 2005, he was a guest speaker and panellist at the National Children's Alliance 2005 symposium at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. In May 2005, as President-elect, Jan Raeimon D. Nato participated in the National Concours d'art oratoire at the University of Ottawa where he placed second. Prior to his competition at the National level, Jan Raeimon D. Nato won the provincial-level competition twice.

President Nato shall be travelling to Ottawa again later this year as a part of the Forum for Young Canadians, hopefully with President Eulalia. As a part of the youth subcommittee for the University of Winnipeg's Conference on War Affected Children, Jan Raeimon D. Nato attended a reception at Government House. President Nato currently serves as one of two joint Chairs for the Winnipeg School Division's Student Advisory Committee.

PRESIDENTS OF SISLER HIGH SCHOOL SINCE 2002-2003

Years	Presidents	Notes
2002-2003	President Laura Adviento President Leanne Duong	Used basketball as an analogy for importance of teamwork.
2003-2004	President Robbie Bautista President Sonjit "Sonny" Gosal	President Bautista served as Chair fo the Student Advisory Committee.
2004-2005	President Karina Alivio President Gillian Ronson	Sole candidates for the 2004-2005 Presidency
2005-2006	President Lennie Anne Eulalia President Jan Raeimon D. Nato	--Incumbent Presidency--

Student Humanitarian Leadership

Sisler High School has gained recognition for its various humanitarian endeavours. Three of which are: Generation Peace, the Overseas Educational Fund, and the In-Exile Programme.

GENERATION PEACE
Generation Peace was established in 2002 by grade 11 student Ashley Lam after her experience at the International Conference on War Affected Children. Its goal is to raise money to benefit war-affected children. Since then, two other students have succeeded Ashley Lam. First, her younger sister Melissa Lam, and then student Nicole Duseigne. Under Nicole Duseigne, Generation Peace has focused its mandate to the abolishment of landmines. Since its establishment thousands of dollars have been raised for [www.warchild.ca War Child Canada].

THE OVERSEAS EDUCATIONAL FUND (OSEF)
OSEF was established in 2003 by student Jennifer Sault with the mandate of building a school/daycare in the Kalinga province of The Philippines. It was a massive success raising nearly CDN$2000 in its first year. Jennifer Sault is still the incumbent OSEF president, but shall be stepping down this year after her graduation. She shall be travelling to Nepal after graduation to further her humanitarian endeavours.

THE IN-EXILE PROGRAMME
The In-Exile programme was undertaken for the first time in the 2003-2004 school year in partnership with the Canadian International Development Agency, and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. The Exile recreated a refugee's experience for its participants, who were not only from Sisler High School, but from various different schools as well. In its second year, it was reduced to a 12-hour format for logistical reasons. Unfortunately, the programme shall not be mounted for the 2005-2006 school year. The In-Exile programme has won Sisler High School a reputation of being on the avant-garde of student humanitarian leadership; winning the Canadians for a Genocide Museum Educator's Award 2005.

Criticisms

Sisler High School formerly had problems with gangs, and drugs. The problem has been largely solved, but not completely.

Distinguished Alumni

• The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, Former Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, current President of the University of Winnipeg
• The Honourable Gary Filmon, Former Premier of Manitoba

References

• Manitoba Pageant: W.J. Sisler, A Great Canadian
• "Plain great - Sisler High School - Winnipeg". August 23, 2004. Maclean's, p. 37
• Our Schools Newspaper - Page 7 "Sisler Honoured With Human Rights Award" - Page 16 "A Voice For Youth"
• Sisler High School Graduation Brochures

External Links

• Sisler High School Official Website
• 50-Below, Sisler Robotics team Official Website
• In-Exile Official Website