How Optional Attendance Works

Hawthorne II Bilingual Alternative is an Optional Attendance School. That means it does not have direct acceptance for students who live in the school area. Anyone interested in the school needs to submit an application form (Optional Attendance Form 545A) to the school directly. 

The spots* for next year are given based on a lottery system—numbers are drawn at random, and those picked receive an acceptance, and others are placed on a waiting list.

Equity Admissions Process

We will be engaging in the Equity Admissions Pilot process this year in an effort to diversify our student body to be more representative of the city in which we live. We are also endeavouring to balance the genders in our school to have equitable representation from boys, girls and gender independent students. You will be given the opportunity to choose whether or not to share information about your child’s identity when you register.

The special admissions form with equity questions can be picked up at the Hawthorne office. If you have already completed the generic Optional Attendance Form, you can request the equity admissions form from our office and complete the Equity Admissions section there. Follow the application process as you would with a generic Optional Attendance Form.

HOW IT WORKS: Twenty five percent of the junior kindergarten spots leftover from sibling allocation are designated for families eligible for the Equity Admissions lottery. Applicants who do not get a spot in the equity lottery are entered into the main lottery pool for the remaining 75% available spots.

How to apply

1. Complete the Optional Attendance Form
Pick up a copy in the Hawthorne office during office hours or download the Optional Attendance Form.

2. Get your home school to sign the form
The form must be signed by your home school. 

3. Return your form to Hawthorne directly by the deadline 
No faxes or email submissions will be accepted.

* If you would like to be considered for Equity Admissions but completed a generic Optional Attendance form, please make this request this when you drop off your application.

Deadlines and key dates for 2020

February 14, 2020
Optional Attendance Application Forms must be submitted

March 6, 2020 
Parents/guardians are informed of the status of their application

March 20, 2020
Parents/guardians must inform Hawthorne that they accept the offer

Siblings

Siblings of current Hawthorne students are guaranteed a spot for junior kindergarten but the family still needs to fill out the Optional Attendance Form so the school knows how many spots are taken by siblings. Forms must be returned by the February 14 deadline.

If you have further questions you may contact the office at 416-393-0727.