To begin we would like to thank the Cope Council, specifically Ella W and Juliana S, along with their staff sponsor, Ms. Ng, for all that was done last week to highlight positive mental health. Thank you to all our students and staff who participated in the numerous workshops, decorated classroom doors with positive messages, and initiated random acts of kindness!
Congrats to our Staff Volleyball Team who took on our Student Volleyball players to win the final set 25 to 18 last Wednesday! Thank you to our student volleyball players, along with Mr. Billinghurst, Ms. Brown, Mr. Dinsmore, Ms. Homatidis, Ms. Ibe, Mr. Ketchum, Ms. Monaghan, and Mr. Sinevici.
The annual Dance Fashion Show took place last Thursday evening and was an absolute hit! The show harkened back to Y2K highlighting authentic clothing styles and music of the period. Thank you to Jake S for his support of the fantastic film montages, MCs Daniel I and Evan K who kept us entertained between sets, and of course to all our models and dancers! A special shout out to the DFS leader, Sarah S, and to Ms. Nibbs and our Stage & Production Crew who supported the troupe.
Our School Council, led by Chair Tracy Kowal, was present at the show to display auction items as part of the fundraising effort to replace the stage flooring and support this year’s Commencement. The Council will be back to set up again during Sounds of Spring next week to allow the bidding to continue. Check out the items or bid online by linking to the FHCI School Council silent auction.
This week we will celebrate Asian Heritage Month with an assembly featuring student performances, along with RAW – Raging Asian Womxn Taiko Drummers. Thank you to Tessa W, Ms. Jackson, Ms. Simas, and the Stage & Production Crew who are working to support this incredible assembly on Tuesday!
Sincerely,
Yvette Duffy, Principal Maharukh Kootar, Vice Principal Jaime Yamashita, Vice Principal
In this issue:
- The Next Two Weeks at a Glance
- Golden Falcon Publishes May Edition
- Athletic Council – Applications Open – Monday, May 8
- Calling all Graduates – Valedictorian Nominations Open – May 8 through May 17
- Asian Heritage Month Assembly – Tuesday, May 9 – Period 1
- TDSB Student Census @ FHCI – Wednesday, May 10 – Period 3
- University of Waterloo Chemistry Exams – May 11 & May 18
- Cookies for A Cure Bake Sale – Thursday, May 18 @ Lunch
- Sounds of Spring Music Concert – Save the Date – Thursday, May 18 @ 7:30 pm
- Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Month – Poster Contest & Creative Arts Call Out
- Raise the Black Bar Presents: Networking Workshop
- Messages from Student Success
- Messages from Guidance
- Messages from School Council – Auction Launched 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.
Golden Falcon Publishes May Edition
FHCI’s own Golden Falcon has published their May edition! Link to FHCI Golden Falcon to read the student stories about what is happening in our school. Thank you to our editors, Francesca C, Daria D, Sonika H, and Ellaha S, along with Mr. Lee for all they do to keep us informed!
Athletic Council – Applications Open – Monday, May 8
Athletic Council Applications open on Monday, May 8. Athletic Council is a leadership group that is responsible for organizing various school wide events and activities. Members of the Athletic Council are one of the forces behind school spirit! They run lunch time intramurals, keep score for home games, and organize Terry Fox and our pep rallies each semester – just to name a few things they do! Applications are due on Friday, May 26. Listen to Monday’s announcements for more information. Thank you to Ms. Homatidis and Ms. Ibe for all they do to support our Athletic Council.
Calling all Graduates – Valedictorian Nominations Open – May 8 through May 17
What is a Valedictorian? noun val·e·dic·to·ri·an \ ˌva-lə-ˌdik-ˈtȯr-ē-ən. The individual in a graduating class who delivers the farewell or valedictory address. Each year, the graduating class nominates an individual for Valedictorian. On Monday, May 8 all grade 12 students will receive an email with a link to the FHCI Valedictorian Nomination Form. The nomination form will open on May 8 and must be submitted on or before Wednesday May 17th by 3:30 pm. to be eligible.
The nominee must be a graduating grade 12 student and meet the following criteria for the 2022/2023 school year:
- Enrolled in a full-time course load at FHCI, i.e. a total of six courses this school year
- Minimum 80% average based on six grade 12 courses taken at FHCI appearing on Semester 1 Final and Semester 2 Midterm
- Made significant contributions to the school during their high school years
- Has consistently demonstrated positive character traits, such as respect, responsibility and honesty throughout their high school career
- Must be able to prepare and deliver Valedictory address at Commencement on June 27
- Have the support and endorsement of two FHCI staff members
- Be willing to make a brief speech no longer than 1-minute at a grade 12 assembly on Monday, May 29 during period 2
Asian Heritage Month Assembly – Tuesday, May 9 – Period 1
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 Womxn Taiko Drummers! Thank you to Tessa W and Ms. Jackson, Ms. Simas, along with the Stage & Production Crew who are working to support this incredible assembly on Tuesday. The school will follow an Assembly Day Schedule on Tuesday:
Period1: 9:00 am to 11:00 am
Grade 9 & 10 – 9:00 am to 10:00 am
Grade 11 & 12 – 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Period2: 11:05 am to 12:05 am
Lunch: 12:05 pm to 1:05 pm
Period3: 1:05 pm to 2:10 pm
Period4: 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm
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
TDSB Student Census @ FHCI – Wednesday, May 10 – Period 3
The TDSB is conducting the Student Census this spring. Forest Hill students will be provided with time in class on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 during Period 3 to complete the census. All students are encouraged to bring an electronic device to support with this task. Students that do not have access to such a device will be provided with one.
Every five years, the TDSB conducts the Student Census. The Student Census is a confidential and voluntary survey that asks students important questions about their identity and their experiences inside and outside of school. Even though students answer individual questions, the data is collated and is not analyzed on an individual level. The collated data allows TDSB and Forest Hill to identify and remove barriers that might limit student achievement and well-being. Parents, guardians and students were provided with an exemplar of the Student Census via email from the TDSB.
University of Waterloo Chemistry Exams – May 11 & May 18
Each year the University of Waterloo hosts chemistry exams for students across Ontario.
- Grade 12s can compete in the Chem 13 News Exam on Thursday, May 11 – Period 3
- Grade 11s can compete in the Avogadro's Exam on Thursday, May 18 – Period 4
All chemistry students were informed about this opportunity in their chemistry class. Students are required to sign up with Ms. Pupovac are also responsible to communicate to their teachers that they will be sitting this exam and to make up any missed work. More information can be found at: University of Waterloo Chemistry Exam . Thank you to Ms. Pupovac who is organizing this opportunity for our chemistry students!
Cookies for A Cure Bake Sale – Thursday, May 18 @ Lunch
Listen up to the announcements this week for more information about the upcoming Bake Sale on Thursday, May 18 at lunch. Cookies for a Cure Club will supply treats to help raise money for charity! Thank you to Hawa W, Yalda P and our staff sponsor, Ms. Pupovac!
Sounds of Spring Music Concert – Save the Date – Thursday, May 18 @ 7:30 pm
Our annual Sounds of Spring Music Concert will be held on Thursday, May 18 beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Our Music Directorate, under the leadership of Alicia G and staff sponsorship of Ms. Simas, is organizing fantastic performances including the voices of West Prep’s student choir for this event. We hope that our community will join us to celebrate musical talent! Tickets will be available through School Cash Online.
When: Thursday, May 18 at 7:30 pm
Where: FHCI Auditorium
Ticket Cost: Varies from Free to $10 per ticket
- FHCI students and Children under 12: Free
- Adults: $10 & Youth (ages 12-18): $5
Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Month – Poster Contest & Creative Arts Call Out
Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Month is proudly recognized during the month of June by the TDSB. This year the theme is Alegria/Joy! The contributions of the Portuguese-Speaking heritage to Canada are significant as they include the arts, sports, music, culinary arts, and many professional contributions to educational and medical service areas. Over 1,400 TDSB students speak Portuguese as their mother tongue or as a primary language. Internationally, there are 250 million Portuguese-speaking people worldwide, making it the fifth-most spoken language.
We invite all TDSB students from all grade levels to submit a drawing that they feel best represents this year's theme for Portuguese-Speaking Heritage month, Alegria/Joy! Link here for details. Deadline for submission is Friday, May 19, 2023, by 3:00 pm. Please contact Diana Condeco at diana.condeco@tdsb.on.ca if you have questions about this contest.
Students are also invited to submit a creative arts project, such as art work, poetry, songs and short stories that demonstrate the theme of joy. Link to the submission criteria and descriptor. The deadline is Monday, May 29, 2023, by 4:00 pm. Carmen Oliveira, carmen.oliveira@tdsb.on.ca, is available to answer any questions about this opportunity.
Raise the Black Bar Presents: Networking Workshop
The Raise the Black Bar program is a collaborative community-based pipeline initiative between Osgoode Hall School, Osgoode's Black Law Students' Association, and the Toronto District School Board. The mission is to deliver programming designed to help Black high school students access legal education and opportunities in the legal profession. After having officially launched in November 2022, Raise the Black Bar is pleased to announce The Networking Workshop.
Location: Earl Haig Secondary School
Date: Friday, May 26 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Audience: All self-identifying Black TDSB students in grades 10, 11, and 12
For additional information, contact Raenelle Manning @ coordinatoorrtbb@osgoode.yorku.ca.
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
OCAS & OUAC Transmission
Please note that the transmission to OCAS and OUAC occurred late Friday April 28th. As colleges and universities are reviewing data to send out the next round of offers, we highly recommend students to log into OCAS and OUAC to confirm all the information is current and accurate. If there are any discrepancies, please email your Guidance Counsellor. If the discrepancy is with a course taken outside TDSB/Forest Hill C.I., please reach out to the school that delivered the course.
Graduation Requirements
Ms. Ng and Mr. Oosterhoff will be visiting Grade 12 classes this week to give each Grade 12 student their most updated Ontario Student Status Sheet (formerly called the Credit Counselling Summary). Students will review their graduation requirements and be advised of opportunities to meet missing requirements.
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.
Thank you to Ms. Ng and Mr. Oosterhoff for their support of our students!
Messages from School Council
Silent Auction Launched – Thursday, May 4
Our School Council is hosting a live and online auction to raise funds to support Forest Hill! 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 opened on May 4 and will continue until May 18. 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.