Dear Northern Families,
Another exciting week. On Wednesday the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sport Mr. Neil Lumsden (Northern Alumnus!) visited Northern for Rowan’s Law Day. Our student-athletes heard an important message about concussion awareness and a great story about Mr. Lumsden’s own path to success that had roots at Northern. Last night we welcomed families to curriculum/ meet the teacher night. Our student leaders (Buddies, SAC, PALS) were fantastic as always. A huge thank you to the over 100 teachers who made time for this evening!
Your opportunity to self-nominate/ nominate for School Council is coming near its end. Nominations are open until October 3rd. If you are interested in running please click HERE . More details are below under “School Council”.
Monday is Orange Shirt Day. Please wear an orange shirt if possible!
Start of year Forms – Please make sure you take the time this weekend to complete these! These forms are essential for our operations and delays impact all students at the school in our planning efforts.
The student calendar can be found here: 2024-25 School Calendar. Any additions made will be highlighted for a two week period throughout the year.
The student handbook can be found here: Student Handbook
Things to Know for Next Week:
Monday: Orange Shirt Day (see info below) - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Thursday: Canada Lynx Math Contest
Saturday/ Sunday: Ontario Universities Fair (Metro Toronto CC)
Orange Shirt Day/ National Day for Truth and Reconciliation - All Next Week
On Monday September 30th the TDSB acknowledges Orange Shirt Day/ National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Between September 30th- October 4th Northern will have various displays, opening music, announcements, and learning aimed at furthering the celebration of Indigenous Peoples.
We encourage all students and staff to show their support by wearing orange on Monday September 30th.
We will also be fundraising with a Ceramics Sale of Orange Shirt Day pendants for $2 each. Buttons will also be available for sale $2 each with all proceeds being donated to a local Indigenous organization.
School Photos and Student ID
October 7th is the Photo Re-take day. Students that were unable to have their photo taken at the start of school will be invited to the auditorium via alpha call down to have their photo taken. School picture packages and student ID’s have been distributed via period 1 teachers. If your child did not receive their package, please have them see the alpha secretary in the VP office and we will track it down or request a new package. If you missed your picture and are getting re-takes done, your package and ID will be sent to the school at a future date.
Student Accident Insurance Reminder
The Toronto District School Board does not provide accident insurance coverage for student injuries that occur on school premises or during school sponsored activities.
Parents/ guardians are responsible for deciding whether or not to purchase student accident insurance. The insurance program options range from $17 to $33 per year.
Letter: TDSB Student Accident Insurance Letter
Flyer: Student Accident Plan Flyer
Website: Student Accident Plan
Should further information about the above including the policy or purchasing details, please visit www.studyinsuredstudentaccident.com or call 1-833-560-0527 (toll-free) or 416-916-1588 (local).
Library Learning Commons:
1) Library Hours and Services
- All NSS students are able to access the Library Learning Commons for book exchange, quiet study, and printing services:
– Monday-Friday 8:30-8:55 am, 12:20-12:40 pm, and 3:15-3:45 pm,
– open until 4:15 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Visit the website or in person to find more information about services, volunteer opportunities, and hours of operation at our closest TPL branch! Or checkout their online calendar of October events for Youth.
Student Success Updates
Peer Tutoring- Peer tutoring is now available in all compulsory classes for all grades! To be matched with a tutor, please fill out this form.
Northern's Student Nutrition Program- Each week Student and Parent Volunteers prepare FREE lunch for students on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays starting September 24th. If you would like to receive FREE lunch every week please sign up here.
If you are a parent looking to volunteer, please email april.vibert@tdsb.on.ca
Math Competitions:
The NSS Math Department is excited to offer a variety of math competitions, again, for the 2024-2025 school year.
Signups are currently open for the following contests:
Canada National Math League Contest #1, 2 and 3
Canadian Open Math Competition - Register by Thursday Oct 10
Canadian Intermediate/Senior Math Contests - Register by Thursday Oct 10
Students can sign up by completing the registration forms on the 2024-2025 NSS Math Contest Google Classroom using class code: x56enxz
Please direct any contest questions to steven.ong@tdsb.on.ca
2024-2025 Virtual Parents and Caregivers as Partners Conference (PCasP)
Save the date for the 2024-2025 Virtual Parents and Caregivers as Partners Conference (PCasP) taking place on Saturday, November 16, 2024! This year’s theme is: "Journey to Joy, Wellness, and Wholeness."
Join us to explore Equity and Truth and Reconciliation, to break down barriers, and to build inclusive communities. Learn from experts and discover how every student, parent/guardian/caregiver can experience joy, wellness, and wholeness in education. Registration details will follow soon.
We are inviting you to submit proposals for virtual workshops, micro-sessions, and panel presentations. The PCasP will run from 10:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. We are welcoming submissions from school districts, universities, schools, School Councils, administrators, educators, community organizations, researchers, and parents/guardians/caregivers.
To apply as a presenter, please complete the application form no later than, October 1, 2024. Please share with your friends, family and colleagues.
Wishing you a safe and wonderful summer filled with joy and time spent with your loved ones.
Thank you, 2024 Parents/Caregivers as Partner Planning Committee
School Council:
- . We Need Your Help! Our Fall Annual Ask is now underway to collect funds for School Council. We support student clubs, teams, and student initiatives - as well as provide events for parents on mental health, educational needs, and more. Please give whatever you can - every gift makes a difference! Click here to login to School Cash Online to donate
- . We want parents! - School Council Elections Our elections of the 24-25 Council is October 8th. All parents are welcome to join. Click here to learn more about what we do and how to submit your name for the ballot by October 3rd.
- . Join the List! School Council sends emails with news from within and beyond Northern to help you support your student's academic success. If you would like to be included on our mailing list to receive news "for parents, by parents", please send an email to nss.school.council@gmail.com with the subject line, “Count me in”.
- . Check us out! Our website is your virtual "parent buddy" to help you Navigate Northern. Visit nsscouncil.com for the latest ways to connect, get involved, and see what Council is doing for you and your student! You may find our New to Northern slides helpful to orient yourself and have essential info all in one place!
- Walking Buddies - Sunday, September 29th at 9:30am. Join other Northern parents for some fresh air, exercise, and conversation about school, kids, and life! If you are interested in joining us, please send a message with “Walking buddies” in the subject line.
- Gifted mailing list. If your student is in Northern’s gifted program, please feel free to join the Gifted Advisory Committee mailing list.
Northern Secondary School Foundation:
The Foundation is pleased to offer over 40 Scholarships and Awards to Northern students . We are grateful to former teachers, parents and alumni who fund these awards through endowments or annual donations.
- scholarships and awards recognize academic achievement in math, science, social science, business, family studies, music, art and design.. Others recognize leadership in community service, environmental and humanitarian initiatives, participation in athletic and extracurricular activities, and perseverance in face of adversity.
If you are interested in honouring a family member or recognizing achievement in a particular area, we would be happy to assist you. We are hoping to find donors for awards recognizing achievement in engineering, technological studies including robotics.
Contact us at info@nssf.ca for more information.
Guidance Updates:
WellNSS Quote of the Week: “Self-care means giving yourself permission to pause.” Cecilia Tran
- Saturday International Languages Program Registration is OPEN.
You can find information here.
- Post-Secondary Events & Info:
- Do you want to learn more about applying to scholarships for post-secondary? Please attend a Scholarship Workshop led by Guidance at the start of lunch on Friday, October 4th in Room 111.
- Post-Secondary Lunchtime Visit Calendar
Guidance has booked individual schools to give a lunch time presentation for our students. Please check out the Post-Secondary Lunch time visit calendar here.
- SAVE THE DATE: NSS Post-Secondary Fair: Wednesday, October 23/24, 6 – 8pm. Please save the date for our NSS Post-Secondary Evening Presentation and Fair. With over 40 schools in attendance, you are sure to find excellent info about post-secondary opportunities!
- This past week, Guidance Counselors visited gr 12 home form classrooms to deliver our “You’re in Grade 12, Now What? Grad Requirements & Post-Secondary Info presentation”. Please find the slideshow here.
- 2024 – 2025 Scholarship Updates:
A general list of scholarships has been shared with Grade 11 & 12 students, and can be found here. This list includes major scholarship awards that require a nomination from Northern (highlighted in yellow). Now is a great time for Grade 12 students to take a look and plan out which awards they may want to apply for!
Seeking Scholarships has published their September Scholarship report, which contains information and tips about funding post-secondary, along with an updated list of scholarships and deadlines.
Northern students and parents can access this resource here: https://seekingscholarships.com/the-scholarship-report-2/ using the password scholar678.
This resource is copyrighted and our use is limited to Northern students and families - please do not share outside of the Northern community.
Keep an eye out for those early scholarship deadlines!
- 2024-2025 Guidance Counsellors by Last Name Alpha:
Kristen Beach, Kristen.Beach@tdsb.on.ca, X 20042, Alpha: A, F, P
Jenny Sohn, Jenny.Sohn@tdsb.on.ca, X 20041, Alpha: B, C, E, I
Deborah Poutissou, Deborah.Poutissou@tdsb.on.ca, X 20046, Alpha: D, G, J, T, Z
Jennifer MacPhee, Jennifer.MacPhee@tdsb.on.ca, X 20045, Alpha: H, K, L
Sean Magee-Saxton, Sean.Magee-Saxton@tdsb.on.ca, X 20043, Alpha: M, N, O, Q,R
Melanie Stassis, C.L., Melanie.Stassis@tdsb.on.ca, X 20044, Alpha: S, U, V, W, X, Y
- Booking a Guidance Appointment:
The Guidance appointment system will open on Monday, Sept 9, 2024.
To book an appointment: http://bit.ly/nssguidance
- Student Guidance Google Classrooms:
Students, please ensure you are registered in your grade’s Guidance Google Classroom. This is where we share all our important information throughout the year.
Sign-up for your Guidance Google Classroom:
Grade 9 Google Classroom code: bedkqks
Grade 10 Google Classroom code: x6sh4ue
Grade 11 Google Classroom code: 4ixv2jl
Grade 12 Google Classroom code: kmv6fcz
- Mental Wellness Resource Document
If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911.
Have a great weekend,
Adam Marshall
Principal
Follow me @PrincipalNSS