Lots continues to go on at Forest Hill – from food and gift card drives, sports team selection, a field trip to a tasty French cafe, virtual guest speakers joining our classes – to mention but a few!
With only two weeks before the Winter Break, there are lots of student-led initiatives taking place that hopefully our students will take the time to participate in, including Mistletoe Mystery, holiday music in the foyer, and Spirit Wear sales.
As our Jewish families light the eighth candle in the menorah, we want to again wish them a Happy Chanukah.
Sincerely,
Yvette Duffy, Principal Joseph Ghassibe, Vice Principal Anita Love, Vice Principal
In this issue:
- Next Two Weeks at a Glance
- National Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence Against Women – Monday, December 6
- Mistletoe Mystery – For Sale – Monday, December 6 and Tuesday, December 7 in the Foyer
- Grade 8 Open House – Tuesday, December 7
- Late Start – PLC – Wednesday, December 8
- Parent and Community Involvement Policy Co-drafting Party – Thursday, December 9 @ 6:00 p.m.
- Sports Are Making a Come Back!
- Holiday Drives & Supporting Others
- Spirit Wear Sales – Opens December 10 through January 14 using Cash Online
- Marks Shared with Students – Week of December 12
- Music Will Be In the Air! – December 13 through December 17
- Early Dismissal – Friday, December 17th @ 2:00 p.m.
- Messages from Guidance
- Messages from School Council – Chair Tracy Kowal
- Trustee Laskin’s Weekly Updates
- Worth Mentioning Again…
Next Two Weeks at a Glance
Keep apprised of what is happening by linking to our school year calendar which is live on our school website landing page.
National Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence Against Women – Monday, December 6
The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is about remembering the 14 young women who lost their lives on December 6, 1989 at Polytechnique Montréal. It is also a time to take action and commit to stop gender-based violence which sadly continues in our society. Achieving a Canada free from gender-based violence requires everyone living in this country to educate themselves and their families and communities on gender-based violence, centre the voices of survivors in our actions and speak up against harmful behaviours.
On Monday, a commemorative display will be set up in the foyer and some of our students will lead an announcement with messaging about this important day.
Thank you to our Student Council members for the announcement and to Ms. DeJesus and Mr. Ghassibe for their leadership on this.
Mistletoe Mystery - For Sale - Monday, December 6 and Tuesday, December 7 in the Foyer
The Golden Falcon will be hosting Mistletoe Mystery! The Golden Falcon Executive will be selling candy canes that can be sent to a friend in the foyer for 50 cents each on Monday and Tuesday at lunch. Delivery to that special someone will take place this Friday during period 2.
Thank you to The Golden Falcon Executive members and Mr. Lee for engendering seasonal spirit!
Grade 8 Open House – Tuesday, December 7
Forest Hill’s Grade 8 Open House will be available online for viewing as of Tuesday, December 7 on the TDSB School Open Houses & Information Nights website. Thank you to all our Councils and teacher advisors who supported with this initiative.
Late Start – PLC – Wednesday, December 8
This Wednesday will be a late start to support our professional learning. Classes will begin at 10:00 a.m.
Parent and Community Involvement Policy – Co-drafting Party – Thursday, December 9 @ 6:00 p.m.
Research tells us that parent and family engagement and involvement is critical to a student’s success in school. The TDSB is reviewing our current Parent and Community Involvement Policy to help set standards, improve consistency and further develop meaningful approaches to parent and family engagement. We want – and need – to hear from you. Your voice will help develop and draft this policy in a way that is meaningful, relevant and valuable to you. Register here to join a virtual meeting on Thursday, December 9, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. to support with co-drafting the policy statements. Or find out more at TDSBengage.
Sports Are Making a Come Back!
Hockey is back! Regular season games will begin in February. Tryouts for the Boys Varsity Hockey Team began last week and will continue this week on Thursday, December 9 after school. Thank you to Mr. Ketchum and Mr. Doyhenard for all they are doing to support our students!
Girls Volleyball is also back! Lots of students were eager to try out last week! Thank you to Ms. Ibe who is supporting our girls to play this season.
Holiday Drives & Supporting Others
Our Student Council started their annual food drive to support the Daily Bread Food Bank last week. Three collection boxes are available – two in the foyer and one near exit 3 – for non-perishable items.
A Gift Card Donation Box has been set up in the Main Office to collect gift cards to support our FHCI families in need. All donated items will be distributed prior to the Winter Break.
Thank you to our Student Council, Ms. Beattie and Ms. Pawlowski who are working to organize and support these important initiatives.
Spirit Wear Sales – Opens December 10 through January 14 using Cash Online
Athletic Council is bringing spirit wear back! Between December 10 and January 14, students can purchase spirit wear through school cash online. This year there are three different designs which include a Black Crew Sweatshirt, a White Hoodie and a Vintage Blue Hoodie all with a different FHCI style. Images and prices of each item will be found on school cash online. As of December 10, you can order directly using this link: Order FHCI – Spirit Wear.
Thank you to our Athletic Council, Ms. Homatidis and Ms. Ibe for making spirit wear available to us!
Marks Shared with Students – Week of December 12
An up-to-date grade print out will be shared with the students next week. Grade 12 marks will be shared prior to Wednesday, December 15. As mentioned below in the Guidance Messages section, grade 12 students must make a decision to continue in a class or drop a course if they do not want that grade to appear on their transcript by Wednesday, December 15.
Music Will Be In the Air! – December 13 through December 17
During the week of December 13th, our Music Directorate will be playing holiday music in the foyer to promote holiday spirit. Students are encouraged to drop by the foyer next week to hear popular live tunes and support our music students!
Thank you the Music Decorate, our music students and Ms. Simas for all they are doing to create spirit!
Early Dismissal – Friday, December 17th @ 2:00 p.m.
There will be an early dismissal on Friday, December 17 at 2:00 p.m. to allow for a Staff Meeting.
Messages from Guidance
Night School – Semester 2 – Registration Opens Monday, December 6 & Closes Friday, January 28
The TDSB offers night school credit courses to all high school students with current pre-requisites. Students may take a new credit or retake a course to upgrade a mark. Students cannot enroll in course that they are taking in day school. Students need to connect with their Guidance Counsellor if they are considering taking a night school course. Registration for semester 2 opens on Monday, December 6 at 10:00 a.m. and will close on Friday, January 28 at 11:00 a.m. More information can be found at: TDSB Night School 2021/2022.
Grade 12 – Full Disclosure of Marks – Wednesday, December 15
The Full Disclosure of Marks date has been shifted for all secondary schools to Wednesday, December 15. This will allow students an opportunity to complete approximately 75% of a course prior to deciding whether to continue in or drop a course. If students wish to drop a course, please advise them to complete the FHCI Drop Form which can be found on our Guidance website.
Volunteering – Student Community Involvement Activity
All student volunteer community involvement activities must be pre-approved by our Guidance department prior to the start of any volunteering for this to be considered for the mandatory Community Service Hours required for graduation.
Please refer to the TDSB Approved Activities for more information. Volunteer opportunities are posted and updated regularly on the Volunteering page of the FHCI Guidance website. Students may submit their hours by completing the Volunteer Hours form posted on this page. Students in grades 9 through 11 must complete 40 hours prior to graduation.
Note to Grade 12 Students: Owing to Covid-19 and limited opportunities for our current grade 12s to volunteer over the last few years, this graduating class must complete 20 hours by June 2022. The completion of the mandatory community involvement hours will not affect offers of admissions to post-secondary at this time. Any changes or updates to community hours will be shared with OUAC and OCAS when transmissions occur in February and June.
Thank you to Ms. Ng, Mr. Oosteroff, Ms. Robles Evans for all they are doing to support our students.
Messages from School Council – Chair Tracy Kowal
School Council Meeting – Tuesday, December 14 – 7:30 p.m.
Please join School Council for our third meeting on Tuesday, December 14 at 7:30 p.m. All parents and guardians are welcome. The agenda for the meeting will be linked to next week’s newsletter. Add agenda items and rsvp for the Zoom link by emailing Tracy Kowal at tracy.kowal@yahoo.ca.
Voluntary Donation to School Council
The School Council – which is comprised of parents and guardians – is requesting that once a year, each family make a voluntary donation of $15.00. This is a suggested amount only and any voluntary donation for this year will be gratefully accepted. We ask that you kindly consider making a voluntary donation this year through Cash Online.
Wish List Campaign 2021 – Raised over $3000 to date
Thank you to all that have given to the Wish List Campaign which has raised over $3000 to date for a new Calming Wellness Room for students. If you have not given to this campaign but still want to, you can! To donate without receiving a tax receipt, link to 2021 Wish List Campaign. If you wish to receive a tax receipt for your donation, please link to TDSB Donation for FHCI. Thank you on behalf of the FHCI School Council Wish List Committee. Any questions can be directed to Genevieve Korman at genkorman@hotmail.com.
Our School Council Chair, Tracy Kowal, can be reached at tracy.kowal@yahoo.ca.
Trustee Laskin’s Weekly Updates
Learn more about upcoming events and keep informed by linking to Trustee Laskin's Weekly Newsletter.
Worth Mentioning Again…
Winter Holiday Food & Gift Card Drive
As mentioned in the introduction, starting Wednesday, December 1 our school will be begin two drives to support our community in the hope of making the holiday season brighter:
- Daily Bread Food Bank Drive – students and staff are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items. These food items can be placed in the three bins located inside the entrances of our building. Student Council hopes to raise 500 pounds of food.
- Gift Card Drive – Many of our own students and families are experiencing financial or personal difficulty this year. We will be collecting gift cards from staff, students, and community members to share with Forest Hill families in need. Students are welcome to drop off gift cards to the main office. Gift cards can be in any amount from grocery, big box, clothing or local stores. Any amount is appreciated. Please record the value of the gift card on the back.
Please spend the word in the community that we will be hosting these drives until December 17. Unfortunately, tax receipts are not available for these donations. Thank you in advance for your generous support. And thank you to Student Council, Ms. Pawlowski and Ms. Beattie for helping us organize these important donation drives.
COVID-19 Vaccines & Children: Webinar for Parents & Guardians –December 2
Toronto Public Health invites parents and guardians to join an information webinar about vaccination. TPH Associate Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Vinita Dubey, will cover:
- Risks of COVID-19 in children
- Information on COVID-19 vaccines and children
- Facts about vaccines and fertility
- COVID-19 vaccination and schools
The webinar will also include a question and answer period. No registration required.
- Thursday, December 2, 2021 from 11:00 a.m. to noon
Join online via Webex or join by telephone 416-915-6530
Access Code: 2466 644 5793
To learn more, visit the TPH Covid-19 About Vaccines webpage.
Planning An International Trip? Please review the Federal Travel Policies
Families who are planning international travel this Winter Break are reminded to review the established federal international travel policies – including the guidelines for unvaccinated, school-aged children – in advance of the break in an effort to prevent absences in January related to post-travel requirements.
Also, please note that the Ministry of Education has announced in the media that it will be sending students home with five antigens tests to self-administer over the Winter Break; however, schools have not received any additional information at this time. When additional information is provided this will be communicated to the community.
EQAO - Grade 9 Mathematics - Important January Dates
The Ministry of Education has announced that all Grade 9 students who are enrolled in math this school year will write the grade 9 EQAO math assessment. Students currently registered in grade 9 math will write the mandatory test in January. The test consists of two booklets written over a two day period. Please note the following important dates:
- Week 1 Grade 9 Math Classes - Thursday, January 13 and Friday, January 14.
- Week 2 Grade 9 Math Classes - Thursday, January 20 and Friday, January 21.
Note: This assessment will not be counted towards a student’s mathematics grade this year.
Student Activity Fee: $50 Request
Each year schools collect a student fee to support costs that are not covered by the Ministry or the Board to provide an even richer school experience for our students. This year our school is requesting a Student Activity Fee of $50. A separate email will be sent to all students and families on Monday, November 22 with a link to School Cash Online.
The fees will cover the following:
- $30 Forester Yearbook (hard cover, colour printed - delivered in June)
- $7 Academic programming (FHCI Photo ID card and student printing costs)
- $3 Athletic programming (teams and Intramural for students)
- $10 Student programming (Student Council, Clubs & organizations, Hillstock, nutrition for students in need)
Thank you for supporting student engagement at Forest Hill. Note: In the event of financial hardship for a student or family, please speak with an Administrator. Confidentiality will be respected. If you have any further questions regarding the Student Activity Fee, please contact the school.