Last week was a busy week with Prom ticket sales wrapping up, our Students Versus Staff Volleyball game, Coffee House and Student Elections.
Prom tickets have been sold! We are very excited that the majority of our graduating class have decided to spend the evening with us at Liberty Grand on May 25! Thank you to Ms. Halas and Mr. Oosterhoff who spent their lunches last week organizing ticket purchases and table assignments!
Hundreds of students came out at lunch on Thursday to watch the Student Versus Staff Volleyball game! Two sets were played with students winning the first 25 to 18 and the staff mounting a comeback in the second to win 25 to 21. This tie means a playoff game will be held this Wednesday at lunch! All students and staff are welcome to watch. See you there, Falcons!
Coffee House was also a huge success! The always popular karaoke, memorable bands and great dance performances entertained us all! Thank you to the Music Directorate and Ms. Simas for all they did to make this event such as success.
Student Council 2023/2024 voting took place on Friday! Thank you to all our students who campaigned, made speeches and took a risk to run for a position! Over 80% of our eligible student body voted! Wouldn’t it be great if we had the same turnout on June 26 for the Mayoral Election?
We would like to extend our congratulations to our newly elected Student Council members:
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Co-Presidents: Misha L and Rachel G
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Senior VP: Julia M
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Social Justice Rep: Zakhar K
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Grade 11 Rep: Diego M-C
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Grade 10 Rep: Erik S
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Congrats as well to Jake S, whose short film “Married Life” was screened at the 27th Annual Student Film Festival hosted at Earl Haig Secondary School last week! Jake’s film was one of a few selected from entries around the world. Way to go, Jake!
This week, FHCI will be celebrating and bringing awareness to student mental health and wellbeing as part of Mental Health Awareness week. We will be promoting healthy eating with ‘grab and go’ breakfast snacks three mornings and offering students the opportunity to attend workshops conducted by our Youth Worker, Mr. Bell, TDSB Professional Services Staff and community partners. COPE Council will invite students to participate in self-care activities at lunch. We will also host a Positive Messaging Door Decorating Contest to promote positive mental health and wellbeing! A special thank you to Ms. Ng and the Cope Council who are organizing the many activities this week!
Dance Fashion Show returns to FHCI this Thursday evening at 7:30 pm. All students and families are welcome to come out to see our students perform. Tickets are available for purchase through School Cash Online. Our School Council will also be selling snacks and hosting a silent auction before the Dance Fashion Show to raise funds to support our school. Join us to be entertained by our students and bid on a host of fantastic items, including Leaf and Jay tickets! See below for details.
Sincerely,
Yvette Duffy, Principal Maharukh Kootar, Vice Principal Jaime Yamashita, Vice Principal
In this issue:
- The Next Two Weeks at a Glance
- May is Asian Heritage Month!
- May is Jewish Heritage Month!
- Yom HaShoah Assembly – Thank you!
- Report Cards – Distributed Electronically
- Art Occurring – Edge Youth Art Show – Last Day May 1
- Positive Messaging Challenge – Door Decorating This Week!
- Staff Versus Student – Volleyball Tie Breaker – Thursday @ Lunch in the Gym
- Dance Fashion Show – Thursday, May 4 @ 7:30 pm
- Ready Set Engage Conference – Saturday, May 6 @ Earl Haig – All Welcome!
- Messages from Student Success
- Messages from Guidance
- Messages from School Council – Auction Launches Thursday, May 4
- 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.
May is Asian Heritage Month!
Asian Heritage Month is recognized by the TDSB during the month of May. This month, we will share several opportunities and resources to learn about the traditions, customs, and significant individuals that this heritage brings. This year’s theme is Joining Our Table: Celebrating Asian Canadians. FHCI’s Asian Student Alliance will host a whole school assembly on Tuesday, May 9 in the auditorium to show case student talent and welcome RAW – Raging Asian Women Taiko Drummers! Thank you to Tessa W, Ms. Jackson and Ms. Simas for their support of this celebration!
The TDSB also invites the TDSB community to join the Asian Heritage Month Virtual Celebration to learn further about Asian heritage. Twitter: @AsianTDSB
Date: Monday, May 15, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Live TDSB Webcast - Asian Heritage Month
May is Jewish Heritage Month!
Jewish Heritage Month continues to be recognized at the TDSB during the month of May. May is a significant month for the Jewish Canadian community. Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom HaShoah frequently occur in May, as do various Jewish artistic and cultural events. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Christie Pits riot that took place in Toronto in August 1933. To commemorate this moment in history, the TDSB’s Jewish Heritage Committee in collaboration with the Italian Heritage Committee are offering TDSB students a chance to learn about the largest race riot in Canadian history. Please follow Jewish Heritage Month on Twitter: @TDSB_JH.
Yom HaShoah Assembly – Thank You!
On Tuesday, April 18th, our school remembered the victims of the Holocaust on Yom Hashoah. Our Jewish Student Union presidents Mia. B, Kayla. E, Ryan. J and Abby. F, along with grade 11 student William. W, put together an enriching assembly for our entire student body and staff. The assembly highlighted a documentary by Pamela Sturhoofd and Jessica van Tijn which tells the story of Truus Weijsmuller, an incredible woman who saved more than 10,000 Jewish children by speaking up and pushing for what she believed was right. Ms. Weijsmuller embodied what it meant to be a hero during a time when people were often afraid to do the right thing. To learn more about Truus Weijsmuller’s story, visit www.truus-children.com.
To further honour Yom Hashoah, the JSU organized a letter writing club to Holocaust survivors. The club sent letters to four Holocaust survivors in Toronto.
Report Cards – Distributed Electronically
Report cards were distributed electronically on Wednesday last week, a day later than planned owing to a TDSB technical issue. Please check your email for instructions as to how to download a copy of the report card. Report cards are sent to the email address on file at the school for parents and/or guardians. If there are concerns about marks, students are encouraged to discuss concerns with their subject teacher. If parents or guardians wish to connect with a classroom teacher, please refer to the Our Staff page on our school website for contact information.
Art Occurring – Edge Youth Art Show – Last Day May 1
Congratulations to our Forest Hill artists - Jane A, Faith D, Kayla E, Tod G, Elisa H, Nash L, Sarah L, and Xenia S – as they are all representing our school at the 26th annual EDGE: Youth Art Show. The exhibition closes on Monday, May 1. Admission is free and all are encouraged to attend to take a peek at the wonderful works of art created by our students! Artscape Youngplace Hallway Galleries is located at 180 Shaw Street. The gallery hours are 9 am to 5 pm daily. Thank you to Mr. Conley and Ms. Neumann for their support of our artists!
Positive Messaging Challenge – Door Decorating This Week!
As part of Mental Health Week, Student Council is working with COPE Council to bring back Door Decorating. The theme for door decorating this week will be: 'Positive Messaging'
The decorating will begin this Monday, May 1 and run until Friday, May 5. All homeforms and students are encouraged to work together to come up with unique and meaningful ways to convey positive mental health messaging through their door designs. This can include uplifting quotes, inspiring images, or any other elements (creative or not) that promote positive mental health. We also urge everyone to prioritise their mental health because we know it is instrumental in our overall well-being.
Through this initiative, we hope to spread awareness and build a community that is supportive, friendly, and encouraging for everyone in our school. We can't wait to see all of the amazing positivity this is sure to bring forth! Thank you, Falcons! A shout out to both COPE and Student Councils for leading this initiative, along with Ms. Ng and Ms. Pawlowski!
Staff Versus Student – Volleyball Tie Breaker – Thursday @ Lunch in the Gym
All students are welcome to come out on Wednesday at lunch to watch the tie breaking volleyball game between our staff and students. It should be an exciting and competitive set! Some of our students are rep volleyball players, while some staff players coach our volleyball teams! Thank you to our staff who are willingly to take on our student volleyball team players: Mr. Billinghurst, Ms. Brown, Mr. Dinsmore, Ms. Homatidis, Ms. Ibe, Ms. Monaghan, and Mr. Sinevici.
Dance Fashion Show – Thursday, May 4 @ 7:30 pm
Forest Hill is proud to present the return of Dance Fashion Show on Thursday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m.! All students and families are welcome to join us to celebrate student created ensembles and choreographed dance numbers. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased through School Cash Online. Thank you to Ms. Nibbs, our staff sponsor, who is supporting our students to put on this event. A special thank you as well to Evan Kosiner who is providing the lighting and working with our Stage & Production Crew to ensure that this is a great event. Please see the Messages from School Council section below for more information on the Silent Auction tied to this event.
Ready Set Engage Conference – Saturday, May 6 @ Earl Haig Secondary School – All Welcome!
Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC) invites all parents to attend the annual Ready Set Engage conference scheduled to take place at Earl Haig Secondary School on Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 9am to 3:30pm. Meet and network with other parents and caregivers from across the Toronto District School Board and attend workshops that will provide resources to support School Council and the well-being and achievement of students. Topics will range from Parent Engagement, School Council basics, to Mental Health and Well-Being. New this year, a special theatrical performance, themed around mental health and well-being in the learning environment. This conference is free with breakfast and lunch included. Registration is required at: bit.ly/bridgingthegap2023. Questions and/or inquiries can be directed to Latha John at latha.john@tdsb.on.ca. More information about PIAC can be found at: https://www.torontopiac.com/.
Messages from Student Success
Healthy Vs. Unhealthy Relationships Workshops – Begins Wednesday, May 17 @ 6 pm
Are you the parent, guardian or caregiver of a neurodivergent child and want to learn more about how to navigate and support healthy versus unhealthy relationships? Three virtual workshops will be held in May to learn about consent, values, beliefs and boundaries. The first workshop will be held on Wednesday, May 17 at 6 pm. See this flyer for more information and Zoom link.
Messages from Guidance
Mental Health & Wellness Week – May 1 through May 7
This week is Mental Health & Wellness Week. As mentioned at the top of this newsletter, there will be lots happening to support positive mental health and wellbeing. To learn more about the supports available to students and families, visit TDSB Mental Health Resources.
Bringing STEM to Life Work-integrated Summer Credits: Students in Grades 11 & 12
The TDSB Science/STEM Department, in partnership with Continuing Education, and York U Lassonde School of Engineering’s k2i Academy (Kindergarten to Industry), is now accepting student expressions of interest for some unique Work-Integrated Learning/Summer Credit programs.
Students can earn summer credits in either Physics SPH3U (virtual course with 2 in-person days at YorkU for the launch and culminating) or English ENG4U or 4C (in-person course at YorkU). Students can also earn an honorarium while working as a research lab assistant in a virtual lab setting, with k2i Academy Program Mentors and a Lassonde faculty member, to complete a STEM-focused research project. Course placement dates are Tuesday, July 4 through Tuesday, August 1, 2023. Full participation in all components is required. For more information, link to Bringing STEM to Life.
Priority will be given to students entering Grade 11 or 12 who are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields, including Black and Indigenous youth and women.
Summer Coop Opportunities for Placement July 4 through August 11
The 2023 TDSB Summer Cooperative Education program is now accepting student expressions of interest for the summer program. Link to the TDSB Summer Coop Expression of Interest page to review program requirements and timelines. Applications close on Friday, May 5 at 4:00 p.m. Please note this important information:
- Pre-placement online classes are mandatory on Saturday, June 17 and Saturday, June 24
- Coop Placement Begins on Tuesday, July 4
- Coop Placement Ends on Friday, August 11, 2023
- Students will earn 2-credits
- Full participation of all components of the program is required and vacation time away during the program cannot be accommodated
Toronto Police Service - Student Part-time Employment Opportunities - Fall 2023
Are you interested in working part-time for the Toronto Police Services. If yes, Toronto Police is hiring part-time students for September through December 2023 to work for a minimum of six hours per week. See this flyer for more information.
E-Learning & Summer School Registration
e-Learning will be offering two eLearning opportunities to obtain full credit courses during the months of July and August. All information, including course offerings, is posted on the TDSB e-Learning page. Registration began Tuesday, April 4. Continuing Education will be offering full credit courses in-person and remotely, as well as credit recovery remotely, during the month of July. Information can be found here. Registration began Tuesday, April 18 at 10:00 a.m. Link to Summer School key dates to learn more.
Thank you to Ms. Ng and Mr. Oosterhoff for their support of our students!
Messages from School Council
Silent Auction Launches – Thursday, May 4
Our School Council is hosting a live and online auction to raise funds to support Forest Hill on Thursday, May 4! Help us with resurface the stage in the auditorium, support Commencement, and more! Link to Forest Hill School Council Auction to view all the great items up for auction! Bidding opens on May 4 at 9 am online. Contact Chair Tracy Kowal, tracy.kowal@yahoo.ca, for information.
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.