Dear Northern Families,
Thank You to the WellNSS team for bringing back the therapy dogs to Northern this week! Always a nice way to spend some time decompressing.
Congratulations to the Class of 2024’s Valedictorian Hanaa Layla Hakem!
Please see this important message from Trustee Rachel Chernos Lin regarding the passing of Councillor Jaye Robinson. Our thoughts go out to Ms. Robinson’s family.
Trustee Rachel Chernos Lin is hosting a year end gathering and lunch on Wednesday, May 29 at Leaside Longo’s Loft (upstairs kitchen) located at 99, Laird Drive in the Leaside Village Plaza beginning at 10:00am – Noon. Details HERE
Check Out this amazing story about Northern Alumnus Jazz Shukla!
Things to Know for Next Week:
Monday: Victoria Day (no school!)
Wednesday: Late Start @9:55am
Friday: SAC Carnival (extended lunch 11:25-12:55 back field) have your student card ready!
Afrofest!
In partnership with SAC, BlackNSS is excited to host Afrofest once again at next Friday's SAC Carnival. This year, students and staff will be able purchase a delicious Caribbean meal combo with either cash or tap with your card. The menu is:
Jerk Chicken, Rice & Peas, Coleslaw - $15.00
BBQ Chicken, Rice & Peas, Coleslaw - $15.00
Vegetarian Rasta Pasta, Coleslaw - $15.00
Oxtail, Rice & Peas, Coleslaw - $20.00
We can't wait to see you there!
Tennis News:
Congratulations to Jane Krutiakova and Nolan Chow for winning gold at the South Region Tennis Finals!! Congratulations as well to Sebastian Bartram and Theo Buck for winning silver! We finished second place overall as a team with an impressive record of 18 wins and 9 losses by 18 competitors! Yea Northern!!!
Spirit Wear:
LAST CHANCE TO ORDER NSS SPIRIT WEAR!
The NSS Spirit Wear Store is OPEN online until May 24th!!
https://northern-ss-spring2024-sac-store.itemorder.com/
Please place your orders for NSS hoodies, t-shirts, sweatshirts and bags ASAP!
Personalized 2024 NSS Grad Hoodies are available for special order at:
https://northern-secondary-school-grad24.itemorder.com/
Samples are available to try on in the front lobby at lunch.
Orders will be delivered to NSS for student pick up in June.
Questions? Email Kristen.Beach@tdsb.on.ca
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.
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!
York University Registration Open House with Student Accessibility Services:
York University bound students with academic accommodations and their families should attend this workshop and to register with their office over the summer (preferably May, June and July) to avoid delays and to ensure that their academic accommodations are in place for the first day of classes. To find out more about registering with Student Accessibility Services at York University, please visit our New to Our Office page.
Student Accessibility Services provides individualized academic accommodation planning and support to students with learning disabilities/disorders, chronic health and mental health conditions, neurodiversity (ADD, ADHD, autism), traumatic brain injuries, physical or mobility disabilities, and/or sensory disabilities.
Attend this session to learn about the supports and services offered through Student Accessibility Services at York University and how to register with us. Sessions will take place virtually (via Zoom). Students and parents or support persons are welcome to attend!
Dates:
Library:
New Books! Our Library has many new titles. Browse our online Catalogue to see the titles of new fiction, non-fiction, and graphic novels.
Upcoming Library Closures:
- Wednesday, May 22 - 8:00am - 12:30pm - AP Late Exams
- No Library Services, including printing, Chromebook loans, or book circulation. Students can always return books in the Book Drop outside the Library doors.
- Monday, May 27 - Periods 2, 3, 4 - NSS Ethics Bowl
- closed for class bookings and drop-in for students on spare
- open for book circulation, Chromebook loans, printing
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
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:
- Exams are coming! Be sure to check out the WELLNESS and STRESS MANAGEMENT page of the NSS Exam Readiness Site. It is your one-stop shopping for all things NSS exams!
- OUAC Updates: June 3rd & Offers of Admission
Students must accept offers by June 3/24. 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!
- Haven’t received an Ontario university offer?
Use the Admission Information Service (AIS)!
Starting June 5, 2024, Ontario high school students can use the AIS to find possible openings at Ontario universities.
- 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.
- 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 long weekend!
Adam Marshall
Principal
Follow me @PrincipalNSS