It was great to welcome all our students back on Tuesday after what turned out to be a short labour relations disruption.
We would like to acknowledge and thank Elsy De Jesus, our Office Administrator, for her dedication of over 20 years to Forest Hill Collegiate. Ms. De Jesus has taken a position at a secondary school closer to her home. Ms. De Jesus has been an important member of the FHCI community for many years and will be missed by all! Mrs. Yasmin Rahemtullah – a retired Office Administrator – will be temporarily supporting us a few days each week until a replacement is found.
We would also like to welcome, Marytoni Delos Reyes, who is returning to Forest Hill as a secretary in our Main Office. Ms. Delos Reyes worked with us last year in Guidance and we are very excited to have her rejoining us again. Two teaching staff members are also joining us this week: Milica Borovcanin and Joseph Deo. Welcome to them both!
At 11:00 a.m. on Friday all our students gathered in front of our school at the cenotaph to hear the Last Post played by Oren G. and to listen to Alicia G., Keith M. and Ariel V. read In Flanders Fields. Thank you to our Production Crew, along with Ms. Burnip, Mr. Conley, Ms. Kukar, Ms. Luscombe & Ms. Rodopoulos, Ms. Simas and Ms. Wilk for supporting our students to organize such a touching Remembrance Day ceremony. Also, announcements were read all last week that acknowledged Indigenous and Forest Hill veterans, and beautiful hand crafted poppies were on display with messages of peace and gratitude on the windows in the main foyer.
Music Directorate welcomes all students on Wednesday to our annual Coffee House to celebrate music. See below for details.
Sincerely,
Yvette Duffy, Principal Maharukh Kootar, Vice Principal Nancy Martins, Vice Principal
In this issue:
- The Next Two Weeks at a Glance
- Spam & Phishing Emails – Students are Encouraged to Use Caution
- Commencement Survey Results – Commencement Moves to June
- Coffee House – Wednesday, November 16 @ 3:30 p.m. – All Invited!
- Mid-Term Report Cards – Distributed Electronically – Friday, November 18
- PD Day – Friday, November 18 – No Classes for Students
- New Course Proposals – Due Monday, November 21
- Grad Photos – November 28 through December 9
- Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test – Tuesday, December 6 & Wednesday, December 7
- Messages from Special Education – Parent-Guardian-Caregivers Session Via Zoom
- Messages from Guidance
- Messages from School Council Chair Tracy Kowal – Wish List 2022
- Trustee Laskin’s Weekly Updates
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.
Spam & Phishing Emails – Students are Encouraged to Use Caution
Students are reminded to be cautious when clicking links that might result in ransomware, viruses or scams. A number of scam and phishing emails, pretending to come from TDSB email addresses, have sought money or student information in recent weeks. Students are reminded to use caution and not to share their passwords or personal information. Our IT Services are aware of these emails and are working to filter such to ensure that students are not privy to these. If you receive such emails, please link to this information sheet and forward the email to spamreporting@tdsb.on.ca.
Commencement Survey Results – Commencement Moves to June
Thank you to the 451 students, parents and guardians who voted in our Commencement Survey over the last few weeks. The objective of the survey was to solicit the school’s opinion on moving the FHCI Commencement Ceremony from October to June.
The results were as follows: 393 students, or 50.8% of our student body were represented in the survey results. 93% of those that voted indicated that they would like the Commencement ceremony to be held in June each year, versus 7% who voted to maintain the tradition of the October Commencement date. Our staff were also surveyed and 65% voted for a June Commencement as well.
Given these results, our Commencement Ceremony will move to June with our 2022/2023 graduating class being the first group to attend a FHCI June Commencement on Wednesday, June 28. More information will follow in the new year.
Coffee House – Wednesday, November 16 @ 3:30 p.m. – All Invited!
Coffee House is an open mic event, organized by the FHCI Music Directorate. Students of all grades showcase their music talents by performing live in an informal and casual setting. It features a wide variety of music styles and instrumentation and provides a venue for all students to express themselves artistically. It is a free event, with free snacks and drinks! Join us to celebrate our students on Wednesday, November 16 @ 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thank you to Music Directorate, Ms. Simas and the Art department for making this happen for our students!
Mid-Term Report Cards – Distributed Electronically – Friday, November 18
Mid-Term Report Cards will be shared with all students and families electronically on Friday, November 18.
Please note that Semester 1, Term 1 ended on Wednesday, November 9 and Term 2 will began on Thursday, November 10. These dates are especially important for grade 10 Civics and Careers classes.
PD Day – Friday, November 18 – No Classes for Students
Friday, November 18 is a Professional Activity Day across the Toronto District School Board. Schools will be closed to students. Our staff will spend the day engaging in learning about culturally responsive pedagogy, mental health & wellness, and building community in the classroom.
New Course Proposals – Due Monday, November 21
Our course review process to determine which courses will be offered at Forest Hill next year is getting underway. We are interested in hearing from students about courses that they would like to see offered. For a complete list of courses offered in the Ontario Curriculum, please visit the Ontario Ministry of Education website.
Please note a Curriculum Review committee with representation from Administration, Guidance, Student Success, Special Education, and subject departments will review the applications and make programming decisions based on the following:
- rationale behind offering a new course
- needs and interests of the students and the school community
- how the course complements our existing program
- how the course will affect enrolment in other courses
- technology, equipment and associated budgetary cost required to run the course
- implications of the course for the future programming of the school
- uniqueness of the course
If students have a course that they would like offered, please complete FHCI New Course Proposal - Student Submission 2023/2024 by Monday, November 21. Note: Students must be logged into the TDSB to access and complete the proposal.
Grad Photos – Monday, November 28 through Friday, December 9 – Appointment Necessary
An email will be sent to all potential graduates, parents and guardians at the end of this coming week to indicate that Grad Photos will begin on Monday, November 28 by appointment and run until Friday, December 9. Stay tuned!
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test – Tuesday, December 6 & Wednesday, December 7
All grade 10 students are required to write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) as part of their graduation requirement. This year the test will be held in both semesters.
The Semester 1 OSSLT is scheduled for Tuesday, December 6, and Wednesday, December 7. Semester 1 grade 10 English students who are registered in ENG2D1 are required to write the OSSLT on these dates. Previously eligible students will be expected write on these dates as well. Information will be communicated to all eligible first semester students and their families via email in the coming weeks. Note: Semester 2 grade 10 English students will write in April.
To access practice tests and more information, link to: EQAO – OSSLT Practice Test page. Please keep in mind that this test assesses grade 9 curriculum. Thank you to our Literacy Committee and Ms. Martins who are working to support the delivery of this mandatory test.
Messages from Special Education
Parent-Guardian-Caregivers Session - Tuesday, November 22 @ 7 pm - Via Zoom - Join Us!
The TDSB’s Special Education and Inclusion team will host a session to support parents, guardians, and caregivers to learn more about Individual Learning Plan (ILP), In-School Support Team (IST), School Support Team (SST), Individual Education Plan (IEP), and Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) processes. All parents, guardians, and caregivers are invited to attend this learning session on Tuesday, November 22 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. Find out more by linking here. Note: this is not a FHCI school hosted event and instead is hosted by the TDSB central team.
Messages from Guidance
Ontario Colleges Application Service – Now Open
The Ontario Colleges Application Service is now open for all students wanting to apply to Ontario colleges. Apply by linking to: https://www.ontariocolleges.ca/en. Students require their Ontario Education Number to apply. OENs may be found in MyBlueprint or on past report cards. The Equal Consideration deadline is February 1, 2023.
Ontario Universities Application Centre – Now Open & PINs Are Now Available
Applications to Ontario universities are now open. All students currently enrolled in high school must use the OUAC 101 application to apply to Ontario universities. A temporary Personal Identification Number (PIN) is required for students to create an account to start their application.
PINs arrived last week and students were informed during our morning announcements. Students were requested to pick up their personal letter that contained their PIN from our Guidance Office in-person during lunch or after school. The deadline for all applications to Ontario universities is January 13, 2023.
Grade 12 Post-Secondary Liaison Visits This Week
Forest Hill is excited to host various post-secondary institutions at lunch during the months of October and November. Various university representatives will be available to discuss their schools and programs this week as follows:
|
Date
|
Time
|
University
|
Location
|
|
Tuesday, November 14
|
11:40 a.m.
|
Western - Ivy
|
245
|
Please link to FHCI Post-Secondary Sessions 2022/2023 for the full list of the universities and colleges that will be visiting Forest Hill throughout this and next month.
Grade 12 OCAS & OUAC Transmission Dates – Upload of Marks & Full Disclosure – November 18
It is important to note that grade 11 and 12 marks will be shared with Ontario Colleges Application Service (OCAS) and the Ontario University Application Centre (OUAC) on Friday, November 18. Students who do not wish for a mark to appear on their transcript will be required to drop the course by Thursday, November 17 to allow the school to process the request prior to mark transmission on November 18. Teachers will share updated marks with students by Wednesday, November 16.
Timetable Changes for Semester 2 & Students Wishing to Drop a Course
Students wishing to make changes to Semester 2 Schedules or drop a course must book an appointment with Guidance. Dropping a course requires a Drop Form to be completed. This form can be picked up from the Guidance office.
BounceBack – Free Confidential Mental Health Program
BounceBack is a free and confidential mental health program, delivered by the Canadian Mental Health Association and is funded by the Government of Ontario. BounceBack participants work through a series of workbooks at their own pace to overcome anxiety and improve their mood by changing the way they think and learning to respond to situations differently. In addition to the workbooks, they have regularly scheduled calls with a trained coach (not a psychologist) who is there to answer questions, keep them motivated, monitor their progress, and guide them with the development of new skills acquired in the workbooks. Link to this information sheet to learn more about program eligibility and the application process.
Thank you for Ms. Ng for all her support of our students!
Messages from School Council – Chair Tracy Kowal
Wish List 2022 – Raising Funds to Replace the Stage – Please Donate!
On behalf of FHCI's School Council, we are excited to launch our 2022 Wish List Campaign!
This annual fundraiser provides all families the opportunity to enrich our children's classrooms with materials and equipment to enhance their education. Through provincial funding, the TDSB covers the day-to-day expenses of basic school operations. Through the Wish List Campaign, we provide the extras the school board doesn't cover.
This year, we are raising funds to help with the installation of a new stage for the school auditorium. We are reaching out for your support as we cannot do this without you. No donation is too small! Find out how to donate by linking to this flyer: FHCI Wish List 2022.
Trustee Laskin’s Weekly Updates
Learn more about upcoming events and keep informed by linking to Trustee Laskin's Weekly Newsletter.
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.