Dear Northern Families,
This week members of the science department along with student volunteers and alumni put on the Northern STEM Panel evening. It was an incredible event full of good advice for students considering these programs after high school (or even students curious what unfolds at post-secondary education). If you missed it this year I can’t recommend it enough for the future! Thank You to Mr. Isaac, Ms. Barkley, Ms. Hann, and all our other staff and student volunteers.
Northern’s Caring and Safe Schools Committee will meet Tuesday at 4pm in the Heritage Room. Please direct any questions to tiffany.peel@tdsb.on.ca
Thank You to Ms. Beach and all our SAC candidates on an election process well run. Results can be found below. Congratulations to all our candidates.
Things to Know for Next Week:
Monday: Prom/ Valedictorian Assembly
Monday: Caring and Safe Schools Meeting
Wednesday: NSSF Meeting
SAC Elections 2024-2025:
Candidates for the 2024-2025 Northern Student Council ran dynamic and engaging campaigns this week.
We are delighted to report the following students have been elected onto the NSS SAC:
Grade 10 Senator
Grade 11 Senator
Secretary
- Stephanie Koutakos ELECTED
Treasurer
· Katherine McIntyre ELECTED
Internal Social Director
External Socal Director
Vice-President
President
We would like to thank all of the candidates for their enthusiasm, school spirit, and creative ideas. The SAC is looking forward to having a dynamic team working together in support of student initiatives and events!
Reach for the Top:
Congratulations to the Reach for the Top (trivia) Team for their performance at provincials. They went 9 - 2 over the course of the tournament, winning a tense match in the semi finals in tiebreakers and losing a close contest in the finals. Northern was well represented by Max Baldwin, Gwen Chasson, Sean Gao and David Lawetz. A more general thanks to all members of the club who through participation and practice, contributed to the fantastic season. Also, a big thanks to John Moyer who stepped in Sunday morning to supervise and coach.
Northern Lights- Arts and Tech Night:
Save the Date! Don't miss our combined Arts and Tech interactive exhibition on Thursday, May 30th from 6:30 - 8:30! Doors will open at 6:00. There will be performances, exhibits and workshops in Visual Arts, Ceramics, Dance, Drama, Music, Film, Photography, Architecture, Computer Science, Fashion, Tech Design, Animation, Construction Technology, and Robotics. Entrance is by donation, with a suggestion of $5. We look forward to seeing you at this incredible event!
Henders Cup:
Each year at Northern's graduation ceremony, the Hender's Cup is awarded to grade 12 students who have best exemplified both academic excellence and extra-curricular involvement. Congratulations to this year's recipients, Astoria Yen, Zariah Lewis-Dacres and James Begin!!!
Good News from the Modern Languages Department!
On Saturday, May 4th, Northern students participated in the provincial French Public Speaking Contest / Le concours d'art oratoire, where they competed against students from across the province in Canada's largest French public speaking contest. Congratulations to Stephanie Koutakos, Jack Ginsburg, Peter Eana and Joli Goldstein, for winning locally and qualifying for provincials, and for representing Northern so well over the weekend. A special congratulations to Jack Ginsburg, who came in 3rd in the province in the Francophone category and to Stephanie Koutako, who came in 2nd in the province in the French Immersion category. Félicitations!
EXAMS
Final exams run from June 19-24, 2024. The moratorium period begins on Thursday June 13th. There will be no excursions or athletic events during this period.
You can find information about the culminating activities and final exams for each course here (organized by grade) here: NSS Culminating and Final Exam Information Sem 2 2024
You can find a detailed exam schedule here: NSS Exam Schedule - Semester 2 2023-24
The schedule follows this format:
Students will follow their Day 1 schedule as follows for exams:
Wednesday, June 19 - Period 1 Exam
Thursday, June 20 - Period 2 Exam
Friday, June 21 - Period 3 Exam
Monday, June 24 - Period 4 Exam
ALL exams will begin at 10:00 am. Exam duration will vary by subject/year. Looking ahead, students should make sure they eat a good breakfast as they will eat a “late” lunch on these days once exams are over (late relative to our usual 11:40 am lunchtime).
Please take some time to look through our Exam ReadiNSS site for information and resources. More information will be added as exams approach – including some in person exam preparation sessions provided by our student services and special education departments.
CULMINATING TASKS AND EXAMS
Culminating activities and examinations carry the same importance and the same attendance requirement. Thus, attendance during culminating activities is mandatory. Some courses have culminating activities that take place over several days. Thus, attendance during culminating activities/summative evaluations is mandatory. A culminating activity is the final evaluation in each course which is worth 30% of the final mark. “This evaluation will be based on evidence from one or a combination of the following: an examination, a performance, an essay and/or another method of evaluation suitable to the course content” (p.41-Growing Success). Students who miss culminating activities or summative evaluations will be given a mark of zero for the portion missed with no opportunity to make up the missed work unless there is an extenuating and documented circumstance, such as a medical situation, court date, funeral etc. It is absolutely crucial that students do not miss any time during the end of a semester. Under Ministry of Education and TDSB regulations, there can be no accommodations made for students who miss the 30% culminating activities and summative evaluations at the end of a semester for personal reasons such as vacation or work. Students and parents should be aware that scheduled vacations at this time can significantly impact student achievement. With the exception of a medical emergency, all summative tests and assignments that are missed as a result of these absences will be assigned a mark of zero.
Music Council:
Do you like organizing and planning events? Do you want to promote music at Northern? Apply for the 2024/25 Music Council at bit.ly/musiccouncil24-25 Applications are due by May 17th.
Moose Hide Campaign:
" This upcoming Wednesday May 15 is a day of action where men and boys stand up opposing violence against women and family members. The Moose Hide Campaign (https://moosehidecampaign.ca/ ) is an Indigenous movement sharing similar aims as White Ribbon Campaign but aimed to work in conjunction with the Red Dress movement and to raise awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).
This Wednesday staff members will be in the foyer in the morning and at lunch to hand out moose hide squares for people to wear in solidarity with the Moose Hide Campaign."
The NSS Spirit Wear Store is OPEN online!
https://northern-ss-spring2024-sac-store.itemorder.com/
Please place your orders for NSS hoodies, t-shirts, sweatshirts and bags this week.
Personalized 2024 NSS Grad Hoodies are available for special order at:
https://northern-secondary-school-grad24.itemorder.com/
Samples will be available to try on in the front lobby.
Orders will be delivered to NSS for student pick up in June.
Questions? Email Kristen.Beach@tdsb.on.ca
Northern Debate:
Congratulations to the Northern Debate Team on an excellent performance at the Harbord CI May Motions Debate Tournament. After three challenging rounds, two Northern teams made it to the final. With a proposition focused on the necessity of electric cars to the future of transportation, Leah Sternberg and Olivia Gorja managed to clinch second place and Sean Gao and Dustin Vali-Farhad who secured a third place win. Well done debaters."
OBA/ OJEN Mock Trial Competition:
The NSS “Law Mowers'' mock trial team competed at the new court on Armory until late last night. Although we did not advance to the next round, special mention was made by the judges regarding our team’s legal skills and acting abilities! It was noted that each student on our team could have a promising career in the legal profession if they choose such a path. Their hard work and dedication was evident and we are all extremely proud of their achievements. Go Law Mowers
Skills Ontario Competition (SOC):
Congratulations to Aidan Pham for representing the Toronto District School Board in the Ontario Skills – Mechanical CAD Competition and securing a bronze medal after a day-long intense competition.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) plays a crucial role in the industrial and engineering sectors. It enables professionals to create precise designs, specifications, and models for mechanical components and systems. In this competition, participants demonstrated their fundamental CAD skills by applying them to a practical project.
To view what we experienced in the 2024 SOC, please click here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ExJORLfRJL9lM-yU3jqa4RfUb_a61Z2o?usp=sharing
https://youtu.be/wq3C9l2Cv58
CETA Robotics Competition:
Congratulations to William Hu, Shams Chandani, Kingsley MacLean, Emma Rutledge, Emily Badian, Diana Herasimovich and Hannah Barr from the robotics classes and the robotics club. These two teams competed among 32 teams from different TDSB schools in the CETA Robotics Competition this week. Their achievements spanned all three sectors of the competition.
William, Shams and Kingsley secured 2nd place in the first challenge of “Running the Fairway”.
Emma, Emily, Diana and Hannah clinched 1st place in the second challenge, focused on Internet of Things (IoT). They also secured 3rd place in the third challenge of Collision Avoidance.
A special shout-out to Koby Seeligsohn and James Begin for their coaching support over the past few months. Great job!
To view photos and videos from this season, please click here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nyWPnEyV88hY6V_PgIDZo5EL_6Syeien?usp=sharing
https://youtu.be/JCCi_prNr8w
Library:
Upcoming Library Closures*:
- Tuesday, May 14 - Periods 1, 2, and 3 - AP Exams
- Wednesday, May 15 - All Day - AP Exams
*During this time there will be no Library Services, including printing, Chromebook loans, or book circulation. Students can access Library services after school: 3:15-3:45pm.
Students can always return books in the Book Drop outside the Library doors.
Grade 9, 10 and 11 TDSB Chromebooks - at home and at school
Parents and Guardians: Did your child get a Chromebook this year or in grade 9?
Students in grade 9, 10 and 11 are encouraged to take care of their TDSB-assigned devices and to plan to use them effectively in classes. Please consider asking them the following:
- Where is the Chromebook? Do you have the charger? Where is it plugged in every night?
- How do you remember to charge the device every evening? Can you set a reminder for yourself?
- Do you remember to bring it to school when you need it? Can you set a reminder for yourself?
Toronto Comic Arts Festival - May 11-12
The Toronto Reference Library is hosting a FREE Comic Arts festival this weekend. This is a great opportunity for students and their families to experience a wide range of comics-related activities, including meeting illustrators and exploring graphic arts education in the GTA.
“The Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) exists to promote the breadth and diversity of comics and what is considered comics as a legitimate medium of literary and artistic worth. We seek to promote the creators of these works in their broad and diverse voices for the betterment of the medium of comics and to reach as broad an audience as possible for them.”
Do you enjoy comics? graphic novels? or manga? Check out the print collection at the NSS Library Learning Commons, or access e-book Comics on the TDSB Virtual Library site.*
*accessing e-books requires that a student logs into their TDSB account.
Special Education Workshops (TDSB facilitated):
See information here:
FLYER Parent Session May 28th AM Session - Google Slides
And here:
FLYER Parent Session May 29th PM Session - Google Slides
May is Community Living Month!
Community Living Ontario (CLO) leads the celebration for “Community Living Month” each May. This annual, province-wide awareness campaign promotes authentic inclusion for the more than 100,000 people in Ontario who have an intellectual disability and their families. People with an intellectual disability often face negative stereotypes and assumptions that underestimate their strengths, contributions, and potential, and exclude them from many parts of society. Community Living Ontario envisions a society where people who have an intellectual disability belong and have equal rights, respect, acceptance, a sense of self-worth and opportunities for growth.
Community Living Month is a province-wide annual awareness campaign to recognize the accomplishments of the Community Living movement. Join Community Living Ontario and their 115+ local associations across Ontario as we show why #InclusionMatters for people who have an intellectual disability and their families!
For more information, please visit CommunityLivingToronto.
ASD Summer Leisure Program
The ASD Summer Leisure Program will once again be running this summer from July 2nd to the 26th. The program is available to students going into Grades 4 -10 (currently students in Grade 3 - 9) who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The goal of the program is for participants to develop social skills, self-regulation strategies and skills on how to best prepare to transition to a new grade, class, and/or school.
Please share the ASD Leisure Program Parent Letter which includes the link for registration to the families of the students with ASD going into Grades 4 -10 (currently students in Grade 3 - 9). Registration deadline is Friday, May 31, 2024. Spaces in the program are limited and enrollment is on a first-come first-serve basis.
Grad Photos:
Did you miss all our in-house grad photo days? Have no fear….
https://edgeimaging.ca/en/graduation-photography-studios/
Choose: Toronto (Senior Graduation)
Follow the prompts to book and confirm appointment
*This studio will be held at North Toronto Christian School - 255 Yorkland Blvd, Toronto
School Council:
1. Walking Buddies - Saturday, May 18th - 9:30-10:30 am Join other Northern parents for some fresh air, exercise, and conversation about school, kids, and life! Email nss.school.council@gmail.com for more details.
2. School Council meeting - Thursday, May 23rd at 6:30 pm. School Council meets in the Northern Secondary School Library. We are looking forward to seeing you in person or on the screen - the meeting will be hybrid. If you would like to attend virtually, please email us at nss.school.council@gmail.com with the subject line "School Council Meeting Link." The link will be sent by 5 pm the day of the meeting. Documents for the meeting can be found here.
3. Ask Adam The Principal's update is an important part of every school council meeting. If you have a question about something that is happening at Northern, please submit your question to nss.school.council@gmail.com with "Ask Adam" in the subject line.
4. GAC Event: Looking ahead to post-secondary - Wednesday, May 29th, 6:00-8:00 pm. Parents will be treated to a presentation by Northern Guidance. This is your chance to ask questions and come to a better understanding of how your student’s gifted profile may need to be considered in planning for post-secondary. This event will take place in the Northern Library.
Guidance Updates:
- OUAC Updates: June 3rd & Offers of Admission
Students must accept offers by that date. OUAC recommends watching their video link for how to accept an offer. We've posted the video below so please watch it - it's only 3 min.https://youtu.be/vN34g9lgTxY
Students often make a mistake and do not finalize/submit their offer properly.
Students that have accepted an offer for one school can override by accepting another offer after. However, this may invalidate the original offer of admission and the student would have to reach out to the first school if they change their mind again and wish to go back to the first offer.
To OUAC’s knowledge, students should still continue to receive offers of admission even if they have already accepted an offer elsewhere (and they can still accept later offers to override according to the presentation - see video).
Students must reach out to institutions if they are planning on taking a summer course or repeating a course in the summer to clarify conditions of their offers. In many cases, universities won’t accept a course taken after June 30th unless the admissions team approves this.
NSS Post-Secondary Guide is here!
- TDSB e-Learning Summer School Registration OPENS: Monday, April 22, 2024. For more info about TDSB e-Summer school go here
- TDSB In-Person/Remote Continuing Education Summer School information here. Registration for TDSB In-Person/Remote Summer OPENS Friday April 19, 2024.
- Graduating Students: be sure you have submitted your 40 Community Service Hours and your Opt Out of eLearning form (if you are not completing two eLearning courses) by mid May to ensure there are no issues with your graduation status. Please see your Guidance Counsellor if you have any questions.
- Scholarship Information:
- Seeking Scholarships has released their April Scholarship Report which has upcoming scholarship dates listed for students applying to post-secondary programs. It also has some great tips for preparing for interviews for scholarships, admissions to special programs, or for employment opportunities.
Northern students, teachers, and families can access from this link using the password, scholar58
Please note: This resource is copyrighted and only available to Northern families - please do not share outside of the Northern community. A copy of the report is posted on the Guidance Google Classroom for Grade 12 students.
NSS Scholarship Information Chart 2023/2024 where Northern-specific scholarship information and deadlines can be found (along with other common awards).
- IMPORTANT Volunteering Information:
PLEASE NOTE: Events and activities supporting a not-for-profit initiative are approved. If you are unsure if your activities supports a not-for-profit program, please see your Guidance counsellor for approval of the volunteering initiative.
For more information about the TDSB’s policy on Volunteering, click here.
Students: for volunteering information and opportunities, please visit your Guidance Google classroom or www.volunteertoronto.ca.
You can find the TDSB Community Involvement form here.
- CANADIAN BLOOD SERVICES: Community Service Opportunity
Empowering Students: Join the Canadian Stem Cell Registry Initiative
Open to Grade 9-12 students nationwide, this well-established initiative is dedicated to educating students on the profound impact of joining the Canadian Stem Cell Registry.
Students can earn up to 40 hours of Community Service/Involvement to be counted towards graduation while also possibly saving a life. This year, there is a new scholarship opportunity for Grade 12 students to enter to win their post-secondary tuition. For more information please go to: StartWithHillary.ca/students-saving-lives.
- Online Graduation Requirement – Information and Opt-Out Form
Looking for information about the new Ontario Ministry Online Learning graduation requirement? Please click here
Overview Info: applies only to students who entered Grade 9 on or after September 1, 2020. Students may withdraw/opt out of this new requirement and graduate with an OSSD if you have decided now to withdraw from the graduation requirement, please complete the TDSB Opt Out/Withdrawal Form and return it to your Guidance Counsellor.
- Mental Wellness Resources
Kids Help Phone: text 686868.
In an emergency, call 911.
Have a great weekend!
Adam Marshall
Principal
Follow me @PrincipalNSS