Forest Hill’s hallways were bustling this past week. It was great to see all the smiling and enthusiastic faces back at school again!
Lots is planned and happening this week at Forest Hill. Our Prefects are off to Cedar Glen on Monday for an overnight where they will participate in leadership training and team building. They will use these skills to support our Grade 9 Leadership Day on September 23! Thank you to Ms. Homatidis and Ms. McKinnon for all they are doing to support with the Prefects and building leadership!
The Asian Student Alliance will be decorating the foyer and arranging a music line up this week for our mid-Autumn festival. There are daily announcements about clubs and upcoming events, all students are encouraged to listen up and get involved!
Looking forward to week two,
Yvette Duffy, Principal Maharukh Kootar, Vice Principal Nancy Martins, Vice Principal
In this issue:
- The Next Two Weeks at a Glance
- Covid-19: TPH Letter to Parents, Guardians and Students & Upcoming Town Halls
- Student Timetables & Course Change Requests
- Student Activity Fees – $60 Requested
- Clubs Are Starting! Club Charter Applications – Due Friday, September 16
- Photo Day: Friday, September 16
- New Students in Grades 10 to 12 - Meet & Greet Luncheon – Friday, September 16
- Grade 9 Leadership Day – Friday, September 23
- Youth Climate Action Grants - Calling all TDSB students!
- Cafeteria Service – Up & Running
- 1:1 Student Device Program – Chromebooks Available @ End of September
- Connecting with Staff & Addressing Concerns
- Messages from Guidance
- Messages from School Council – Chair Tracy Kowal
- Trustee Laskin’s Weekly Updates
- Worth Mentioning Again…Code of Conduct, Start of Year Forms, Attendance, Lockers, Parking, Calendar, TDSB Committee Call
The 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.
Covid-19: TPH Letter to Parents, Guardians and Students & Upcoming Town Halls
On September 6, the TDSB sent this TPH Letter to Parents, Guardians and Students with important health information about Covid-19 and protocols. As mentioned in this letter, please ensure that your student is Covid-19 symptom-free when attending school. If your student has symptoms of Covid-19, please keep your student home.
TPH will be hosting town halls for parents and guardians on the following dates and times:
Session 1: Monday, September 12, 2022, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Click here to join online or join by telephone at 416-915-6530
Access code: 2465 907 1821
Session 2: Wednesday, September 14, 2022, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Click here to join online or join by telephone at 416-915-6530
Access code: 2451 391 4835
Student Timetables & Course Change Requests
Thank you to Ms. Ng and Mr. Oosterhoff who dealt with and met with over 150+ course request changes last week. We appreciate your patience as we work through additional requests this week. Student are being called out of their class to attend a Guidance appointment. Therefore, students must be in their scheduled classes to allow us to locate them at the time of their appointment.
Students who submitted a course request should monitor their TDSB email and the TDSB Connects app for updates daily. Please note that most of our classes are full. We cannot entertain requests to switch teachers or move another section of the same course.
As mentioned in our Welcome Assembly last week and outlined in our Student Handbook, all students should keep in mind that to participate in extra-curricular activities and sports students must maintain a minimum number of courses at Forest Hill Collegiate. Grades 9 & 10 students must have four courses in the semester of the sport; grade 11s must have at least three courses in the semester; and students who have achieved 22 credits+ must have at least 2 courses in the semester.
Also, students who completed summer school or eLearning courses over the summer must email a pdf of their report card to foresthill.ci@tdsb.on.ca to ensure that this is included in the student’s record and reflected on the student’s transcript.
Student Activity Fees – $60 Requested
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 $60.
Our school activity fee will support the Arts, Athletics, Clubs, and many other co-curriculars. The fee also covers the cost of our wonderful yearbook that will be delivered to our students in June and sundry other items that are not covered by the funding provided to schools. The fee will cover the following:
$30 - Forester Yearbook (colour printed)
$10 - Academic programming (FHCI Photo ID card and student printing costs)
$5 - Athletic programming (teams and Intramural for students)
$15 - Student programming (Student Council, Clubs, Hillstock, nutrition for students in need)
This fee will be paid using School Cash Online. Link to School Activity Fee 2022/2023 to make the $60 payment. If you have not already registered for School Cash Online, please do so. Please visit https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com and select “Get Started Today” to complete the registration process. Once registered, you will receive email notifications when items become available for purchase online.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the school. 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 to request waiving this fee. Confidentiality will be respected. If you have any further questions regarding the Student Activity Fee, please contact the school.
Clubs Are Starting! Club Charter Applications – Due Friday, September 16
Do you want to start a club? Are you the leader of a club that is running this school year? We hope that lots of clubs will run! It is the clubs that keep our school spirit and community alive. A few things to keep in mind:
- every club needs a staff sponsor
- each club must have a different mandate or reason for existing
- each club is entitled to funding that is raised through our Student Activity Fees (see above)
Once you have found a staff sponsor, please take a moment to complete this 2022/2023 FHCI Club Charter Application by the end of the school day on Friday, September 16 to let us know about your club.
Remember you can advertise your club at our Clubs Fair on Wednesday, September 28!
Photo Day: Friday, September 16
We are very pleased to welcome LifeTouch back to our school to have our students and staff photographed for the 2022-2023 School Year! Photo Day will be taking place this week on Friday, September 16. These photos will be used for our students photo id cards and the 2022/2023 Forester Yearbook. More detailed information about photo day and purchasing packages will be sent out in a separate email on Tuesday to parents, guardians and students.
New Students in Grades 10 to 12 - Meet & Greet Luncheon – Friday, September 16
Are you in grades 10, 11 or 12 and new to Forest Hill? If you are, please join us at lunch in the library on Friday, September 16 for pizza and pop. This is an opportunity to meet other students new to Forest Hill and to learn more about clubs and supports! Looking forward to seeing our new students there.
Grade 9 Leadership Day – Friday, September 23
We are excited to host a leadership day filled with lots of fun and activities for our grade 9s on Friday, September 23. More information will coming out later this week. Stay tuned!
Youth Climate Action Grants - Calling all TDSB students!
City of Toronto grants of up to $1000 will be available to student groups who want to foster climate action projects in their schools and communities. Applications for grant funding will open on September 26, 2022. Click to learn more.
Cafeteria Service – Up & Running
Cafeteria service got up and running last week. We are pleased to offer our students the opportunity to purchase a hot lunch Monday through Friday at school. Link to the Weekly Menu and the TDSB price list for more information.
1:1 Student Device Program – Chromebooks Available @ End of September
All grade 9 TDSB students are entitled to borrow a Chromebook to support their learning. Chromebooks will be delivered to FHCI at the end of September for distribution to our grade 9 students.
Grade 9 families will receive a device form through Permission Click for signing. A signed agreement will be required by the parent or guardian of each student prior to obtaining a device. If a student requires a hard copy of the agreement, please visit the library to obtain this. Parent and guardians may also opt out of receiving a device if this is not required by their student.
Note: Students new to TDSB or those who previously opted out of the program in 2021/2022 are eligible to receive a device. More information about how to obtain a device will be available at the end of September.
Connecting with Staff & Addressing Concerns
As outlined in the TDSB email to all parents and guardians last week, the Ontario government’s passed the Working for Workers Act in December 2021. This act supports and encourages all Ontarians in achieving greater work-life balance. In line with that, the TDSB has developed the Disconnecting from Work Policy to support healthy and professional boundaries between work and home for staff. Read more about connecting with staff.
Our staff are here to support students and want to hear from you if there is a concern or question. We make every effort to address concerns quickly.
For classroom and specific academic concerns, the classroom teacher is the first point of contact. Please remember when contacting a teacher that the teacher is teaching for most of the school day and cannot respond immediately. Our service excellence culture is to return calls or emails within 24 hours and all staff will attempt to do their best to adhere to this timeline.
If you would like more information about student schedules, academic pathway or post-secondary planning, or course selection, please reach out to our Guidance Counsellors:
Andrew Oosterhoff – Surnames that begin with A to K – andrew.oosterhoff@tdsb.on.ca
Jasmine Ng – Surnames that begins with L to Z – jamine.ng@tdsb.on.ca
If you need support with other student matters, please contact our Vice Principals at:
Nancy Martins – Surnames that begin with A to K – nancy.martins@tdsb.on.ca
Maharukh Kootar – Surnames that begin with L to Z – maharukh.kootar@tdsb.on.ca
Messages from Guidance
Grade 12 Students Planning University for 2023/2024
Student Hyperdoc: contains links to promotional material about applying to university and other important information, such as deadlines, university recruitment events and online resources.
Connect With Ontario Universities Hyperdoc: outlines the ways students can connect with Ontario universities throughout the entire application process - from starting their research with OUInfo to applying through the OUAC.
Ontario's universities are excited to host a collection of in-person and virtual events this fall:
In-person Ontario Universities' Fair: October 1 & 2, 9:30 am to 5 pm at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. This event is fair style with booths from Ontario universities and offers an opportunity to gather information and chat with representatives.
In-person Regional Fairs: Various dates and locations from September 26-October 27. Ontario's university representatives are coming to Toronto with the return of the in-person Regional Fairs. These events are fair style and offer an opportunity to speak directly with university representatives.
Virtual Information Sessions: October 11, November 9, December 1, all 5pm to 8 pm. Each event is divided into 6 timeslots, where students can learn about the universities of their choice and ask questions.
Messages from School Council – Chair Tracy Kowal
Join Us at School Council Meeting – Thursday, September 28 @ 7:30 p.m.
Our first School Council meeting for the 2022/2023 school year will be in-person on Thursday, September 28 at 7:30 p.m. All parents and guardians are welcome. Hope to see you there! RSVP by emailing Tracy Kowal 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…
Code of Conduct
Administration hosted our Welcome Assembly on Thursday, September 8. During this assembly, the administration outlined school expectations for students. Students will be expected to review the Student Handbook and abide by the rules and procedures outlined in this Handbook. This handbook will be available on the TDSB Connects App and the school website.
Start of Year Forms 2022/2023 – Permission Click
An automatic email will be sent on Monday, September 12 to the parent or guardian email address on file requesting that a host of digital forms be completed. Completing this package of forms will ensure that the school has the most current and up-to-date student information. Please keep an eye out for an email from noreply@tdsb.on.ca on September 12. This email will direct you to Permission Click, a secure site, to complete and submit the required school forms.
Attendance & Safe Arrival Call Out
Attendance is recorded in each period daily. Attendance, punctuality and active participation will lead to success. Safe Arrival calls are automated calls that will be made during Period 1 for students who have not yet arrived at school. For absences and lates in Periods 2, 3 and 4, automated calls will be made in the evening. Please ensure that the Forest Hill school number is not blocked to allow us to communicate more effectively about your student.
If students are planning to be absent, parents and guardians are requested to advise the school by emailing us at foresthill.ci@tdsb.on.ca or calling our Attendance Reporting line at (416) 393-1870, option 1.
Lockers
Students will be assigned a locker by their period 1 teacher this week. A combination lock is required. Students are encouraged to bring their own locks. If a student does not have their own lock, locks will be for sale for $9 each through School Cash Online using this Locks 2022/2023 link. Please note that all students are encouraged to use a locker; however, the school is not responsible for lost or stolen items. See Student Activity Fees section below for more information about School Cash Online.
Student Parking – Limited Spaces Available
Student parking is limited and all vehicles parked in our lot must have a FHCI Parking Pass.
Prior to parking, student drivers must apply for a parking pass by connecting with Vice Principal Martins beginning September 12. Parking Passes are non-transferable. Unauthorized and non-permitted vehicles may be ticketed and/or towed.
School Calendar & Vacation Planning 2022/2023
The 2022-23 School Calendar is now available on the TDSB website. Please link to TDSB Secondary School Calendar 2022/2023 for important exam and holiday dates. Please note that we will be scheduling final Exams and culminating activities for the 2022-23 school year in both January and June. A reminder that vacations are not considered a legitimate absence from instructional days or Exam days. Every effort should be made to avoid scheduling family vacations during school time. In the event of a missed evaluation due to a family vacation, teachers are not required to provide an alternative form of evaluation or Exam and a mark of zero may be assigned.
TDSB Committee Call for Parents & Caregivers – Mental Health and Well-Being
The TDSB is calling on parents and caregivers who have a particular interest in student Mental Health and Well-Being to join a committee. If you would like to help the community to better understand positive mental health and well-being practices, or help parents and caregivers to discover pathways for support, then this committee is for you. Join the Zoom Meeting on Monday, September 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. via this link: https://tdsb-ca.zoom.us/j/92622480325?pwd=M29SR3JjNG1UWkpncjlVRWZnOXJMdz09
Land Acknowledgement: We, the students and staff of Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, acknowledge that we are hosted on the lands of the Mississaugas of the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Wendat. We also recognize the enduring presence of all First Nations, Métis, and the Inuit peoples.