Dear MGCI Parents/Guardians/Caregivers/Students:
We hope that you are all safe and had the opportunity to rest and rejuvenate during the summer. On behalf of the Main Office, Guidance Department, Teachers, and Staff, I want to welcome each one of you to Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute for the academic year 2023-2024. I am incredibly honoured to be joining such an incredibly vibrant and exciting school community as Principal.
At the heart of what we do at MGCI as educators, is teach students to face challenges, with care, community, and deep learning. Starting with the greetings on entering the school, to the thoughtful, engaging instruction in each and every classroom, to the myriad of co-curricular and extra-curricular programming, I am excited to see our students face challenges with the expert guidance of their teachers and staff, to learn, build community, and care for each other and the school.
There will be lots happening, it will be an exciting year! We hope that this weekly newsletter will help to keep you informed as a valued member of the MGCI community. I want to wish each and every student and family a healthy, safe, engaging, and fun school year. If you ever have a question, please do not hesitate to contact me or the school.
Gillian Evans, Principal
- Student Timetables and Guidance Appointments
Timetables will be emailed to students and guardians on Sunday, September 3rd. Students can also access their timetables using the TDSB Connects App (free through the App store or Google Play)
For students who need paper copies, they will be distributed on September 5th between 9:30 and 10:00 am at specific doors around the school:
Door 1 = Grade 9, Door 4 = Grade 10, Door 7 = Grade 11, Cafeteria = Grade 12
After September 5, timetables can be picked up from the main office.
- Code of Conduct
Administration will be conducting assemblies to outline school expectations on Monday September 11. Please remember to always be kind to one another, use manners and make wise and safe decisions. Students are expected to review the MGCI Code of Conduct/ Student Handbook and the TDSB Online Code of Conduct and abide by the rules and procedures outlined in those documents. These documents will be shared on the TDSB Connects App and the School Website.
- Attendance
Attendance will be taken in each class, every day. Safe Arrivals calls home will be made during Period 1 for students who have not yet arrived at school. For lates and absences in Periods 2-4, Safe Arrivals calls will be made in the evening. Please call the school office for all student absences. Students must sign out at the main office if they are leaving during school hours.
- Agenda App - TDSB Connects
Students with access to a mobile device (phone, tablet) should download the TDSB Connects App from the App Store or Google Play (free of charge). The Connects App will give students access to their timetables, the daily school calendar and a fillable agenda to populate with their own assignments and events.
- Start of Year Permission Forms
All families must complete the Start of Year Forms. They will be distributed digitally through “Permission Click” beginning on September 6th. Please click through and complete these critical forms – the Permission Click emails are not spam. Office staff will follow up with reminder emails and phone calls for uncompleted forms.
Forms include:
- Permission to Participate in Off-Site Walking Excursions
- Student Media Release Consent (for School/TDSB Events)
- Student Media Release Consent (Media Organizations)
- Permission to Leave School in Severe Weather Conditions (Grades 6-12)
- Use of Personal Email Address
- Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation
- Medical Information Form (511E)
- Code of Conduct
- Code of Online Conduct
- Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources
- Student Activity Fee
Students are to purchase our Student Package for $20 using School Cash Online. If you have not already registered for School Cash Online at your previous TDSB school, please do so. Please visit https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com and select “Get Started Today” and complete the registration process. Once registered, you will receive email notifications when items become available online. The Student Package includes: a student card and a multitude of activities throughout the year, and the online Agenda App (TDSB Connects). Please contact your child’s vice-principal with any payment issues or concerns.
- School Photo Day
School Photo Days will be on the following dates:
September 6th 2023 (Gym)
Retake Day - October 10th 2023 (Library)
Graduation Photos - Week of January 15th (Wellness Hub – Across from the Library)
- Grade 9 One to One Device Distribution
All grade 9 students have access to a chromebook that they can take home and keep until graduation. Chromebooks will be distributed starting the week of October 2. In order to receive a chromebook, families must complete the Device Program Agreement Form they receive through Permission Click as part of the Start of Year Permission forms. Paper copies of the form are available here at the school - students should come to the library to collect a hard copy form if they need one.
- School Calendar and Vacation Planning
The 2023-24 School Calendar is now available on the TDSB website. Please click here for Exam and holiday dates. Please note that we will be scheduling final Exams and culminating activities for the 2023-24 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.
- Guidance Update
For course changes, guidance will be utilising a google form in order to review requests and coordinate changes where possible. Guidance will only be taking individual meetings with students and families where there is an emergency or a new registration need. No student is allowed to leave class in order to change their timetable. No student is allowed to line up outside of the guidance office in order to participate in a drop-in meeting. The course change request form is available via QR code outside of the guidance office.