Principal’s Message
Dear THSS Families,
October was packed with powerful moments of learning, connection & exploration:
- Senior Sail Sets Sail! – Thanks to Ms. Gawehns for organizing our first-ever Senior Sail, an unforgettable evening for 150 grads aboard a sunset cruise. This event was the perfect way to launch a new THSS tradition.
- Mike Nichol – English First Peoples Series – We are fortunate to be hosting a four-part series with Mike Nichol for our English First Peoples 11 and 12 classes. He shared incredible insights on Indigenous representation in media, art, and activism, giving students a chance to engage with perspectives and spark deeper thinking. We’re so grateful to Mike for sharing his knowledge and stories with us.
- Celebrating Student Excellence – In October, we proudly hosted our annual THSS Awards Ceremony, celebrating the academic achievements and dedication of our students. The event recognized recipients of the Honour Roll, Subject Excellence, Strachan Silver & Gold Awards, and the Principal’s List, with families, staff, and peers cheering them on. It is always one of the true highlights of our school year — a chance to celebrate hard work, perseverance, and the joy of learning together as a community.
Looking ahead to November, we’ve got even more good stuff coming — our Remembrance Day assembly, student conferences, and the return of the Happening Craft Fair and Food Truck Festival (a student-led event that’s all about bringing people together).
Thanks for being such an important part of the THSS family. Together, we really do make good things happen here every day.
Warm regards,
Darren Rowell
Principal, Thomas Haney Secondary
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San Francisco 2025
A group of 52 THSS students participated in an unforgettable educational trip to San Francisco, led by Mr. Williams, Ms. Fischer, Mr. Connolly, Ms. Preddy, Mr. Page and Mr. Litt.
The journey began with a 24-hour train ride from Seattle to San Francisco, offering incredible views along the Pacific Coast. Once in the city, students:
- Rode the historic cable cars through Nob Hill and Chinatown
- Explored the haunting history of Alcatraz Island
- Biked across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito
- Visited world-class landmarks like like Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, and the historic Mission and Castro Districts.
This experiential learning trip perfectly reflects the THSS spirit—students exploring new places, cultures, and ideas while learning together beyond the classroom.
There is a Spring 2026 trip to Hawaii that is set to go. See Mr. Williams for more info.
The Thunder Times – News for Students, by Students
Check out the latest edition of The Thunder Times, our student-run newspaper that captures the stories, creativity, and spirit of THSS. Recent features include our robotics team’s success at the B.C. competition, the launch of the Thunder Kitchen Cookbook by our culinary arts students, and students’ reflections on learning about Canada’s democratic process. Written by students for our community, the Thunder Times is your window into the life and learning happening every day at THSS. The Thunder Times is sponsored by Ms. Dimmock & Ms. Berg. See them in the English Great Hall is you have story ideas or want to be a student journalist.
Visit The Thunder Times (LINK) to read the latest stories or get involved as a writer, photographer, or designer.
Looking Back: MORE October Highlights
In the photos above (from left to right): our Connections 11 and Outdoor Education 11/12 students spent the day exploring and building community at Belcarra Regional Park; Ms. Mah took a pie in the face to thank students for their fundraising efforts during the Terry Fox Run; our Culinary Thunder students gathered after lunch service to share a meal and connect following a busy morning in the kitchen; Mr. Rowell enjoyed a morning coffee at our student-run café, Thunderbucks; the Student Council and Leadership teams promoted their Halloween Dance with a creative poster; Mike Nichol’s English First Peoples presentation opened with a powerful slide on Indigenous Representation in Media; one of our swimmers competed in the breaststroke at the Fraser North Championships; three of our music students performed O Canada at the Ridge Meadows Education Fund Celebration; and TA 31 capped off the month with a fun and festive pumpkin carving contest.
The pictures above feature our Peak Pd 8 doing planks on the Stanley Park Sea Wall during their training day; our Leadership students in their costumes for the school-wide Costume Contest; our Outdoor Education students at Willow Creek Farms in Abbotsford; and pictures of our pumpkin carving contests.
Fall Sports Updates
- Junior Girls Volleyball – won the District Banner for the second year in a row and are off to Fraser North Championships in Burnaby next week.
- Senior Girls Volleyball – our girls had a great October, winning the prestigious Chilliwack Tournament and finishing first in League play, and will host the District Championship Tuesday evening at THSS.
- Junior Boys Soccer – Junior soccer placed second against Pitt in the district finals. We did qualify for Fraser norths and lost to Burnaby. It was a great season with a huge squad – 21 players and all subs played every game.
- Senior Boys Soccer – THSS SR boys soccer team finished the regular season in second place. They have advanced to the Fraser North Championships and will be playing away at Archbishop Carney on Tuesday November 4th.
- Aquatics – Our swimmers also performed at a high level at the Fraser North Championships with records being set and building momentum for the upcoming provincial aquatic championships. The standout performance was by Preston Seneviratne who finished with 3 Golds and 1 Silver in his 4 events. More impressive was that Preston broke the North Fraser record in 50 Meter Freestyle with a time of 23.85 seconds and later in the day broke the record for the 100 Meter Butterfly with a time of 56.36 seconds. Preston will be competing at the Provincial Championships!!
Looking Ahead: October Events
Here are some key dates to mark on your calendars:
- Wednesday, November 5 – PSI (Post-Secondary Info) Day
- Thursday, November 6 – Student-Led Conferences
- Session #1 – 1:00-4:00pm
- Session #2 – 5:00-7:00pm
- Friday, November 7 – Remembrance Day Virtual Ceremony
- Monday, November 10 – Non-Instructional Day
- Tuesday, November 11 – Remembrance Day (Statutory Holiday)
- Monday, November 17 – Collab Morning (Student Late Start)
- November 22-23 – Craft Fair Weekend
- December 1-5 – Grad Photos (Darby Photos)
- December 11 – Learning Update #1 LIVE (Report Cards)
Key Contacts
The following list of Counsellors and Administrators and their grades are listed below:
- Administration
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- Mr. Rowell (Principal – Grade 12s)
- Ms. Kania (Vice Principal – Gr. 8 & 10s)
- Mr. Kater (Vice Principal – Gr. 9 & 11s)
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- Counsellors
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- Mr. Grill (Counsellor – Gr. 9, 11 & 12s M-Z)
- Ms. McPhedran (Counsellor – Gr. 8, 10 & 12s A-L)
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Please do not hesitate to email Darren_Rowell@sd42.ca if you need further information or have any questions.
Thank you for being part of the Thomas Haney community!
Sincerely,
Darren Rowell
Principal, Thomas Haney Secondary School