Dear Northern Families,

We’ve had a busy week. Grade 8 Open House was Wednesday evening. It was amazing. We figure 2500 people were in the building Wednesday night. I want to thank all the staff involved, especially Ms. Stassis and the Guidance team, April Vibert, Ms. Beach and Mr. Stothers on tech, and everyone else that gave up personal time to knock the event out of the park. It was also amazing to have the support of School Council and the Northern Secondary School Foundation who had representation at the event!

Also….We had the Fall Athletics Assembly, Fashion Show madness (practices everywhere, all the time), and our PD Day where we focussed on safety and moderated marking.

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:

Wednesday: ESL/ ELL Speech Competition (library closure)

Thursday: United Way Fashion Show @7pm

Friday: United Way Fashion Show @7pm

Friday: National Day of Remembrance and Action of Violence against Women

 

United Way Fashion Show

Northern SS is pleased to present the 2024 United Way Fashion Show on Thursday, December 5 and Friday, December 6 at 7 pm in the auditorium. Here is a sneak peek of the hard work over 250 of our students have been doing over the last few weeks preparing for the show. Tickets to the event are $15 each and can be purchased through school cash online and every day in the front hall at lunch. There will also be raffles and a silent auction for amazing items like Maple Leafs tickets, University of Michigan football tickets, and a WIlliam Nylander jersey. Refreshments will be for sale. The proceeds from the night will go to The United Way, an organization that helps members of our community that are unhoused, are experiencing food insecurity, unemployment, and/or mental health issues. We hope you can join us for an evening of entertainment.

 

Fashion Show…there’s more!:

Hey Northern! Come check out United Way’s Winter Care Kits during Night 1 of Fashion Show! All proceeds will go towards making winter care packages to be delivered to people in poverty around the community, including items such as socks and hygiene products. We accept donations in cash or contact-less as well as any product donations!

 

GAA Fundraiser:

This holiday season, the Girls Athletic Association (GAA) is holding a raffle for a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey SIGNED by all of your favourites including Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander and EVERY OTHER PLAYER on the 24/25 roster!! Have a look HERE . The raffle will be open on December 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16 and 17 at lunch, and drawn on Wednesday, December 18.We take Apple Pay, cash and card, and the price will be $10 for 1 entry and $25 for 3. The money raised will go towards the GAA’s goal of making sports accessible to all girls at Northern. More specifically, in the Northern athletics program, a wide variety of away tournaments are offered for our teams. These tournaments are a great experience to grow as a player, and bond with your classmates, but they come at a price. The money funded will be set aside, and our goal is to partner with Student Success to support student-athletes who could benefit from these trips but may not feel comfortable directly asking their coaches for assistance. Good luck, and we hope to see you/your child enter.

 

Winterlude (MUSIC):

Northern's annual Winterlude concert is on Thursday December 12 at 7:00pm in the auditorium. Come hear some amazing music performed by our fantastic music classes and ensembles. Advance tickets are available through School Cash Online: $10 for adults, and $5 for students. Children 12 and under are free. Tickets will also be sold at lunch next week in the front foyer (cash only). Get your tickets early as prices go up if you buy them at the door ($12 for adults). You don't want to miss this event!

 

Buddies Toy Drive:

!!! WE NEED YOUR HELP !!!

The Buddies are running a holiday toy drive and we need your support Northern! This year, we are partnering with Leaside Toy Drive, a volunteer based initiative that collects toys and funds for organizations that support children with special needs as well as struggling families this holiday season. Leaside toy drive has a goal of 6000 toys and we need YOU to donate. This is a fantastic cause and we’d love your help to make it a success!

!!! How You Can Help:

- Grade 9 students: Each homeform class should have a special drop-off bag or bin for collecting toy donations. The homeform class that brings in the most toys by December 13th will win a pizza party!

- Grade 10-12 students: A drop-off box will be available in the first floor foyer at lunch until December 13th. Donations can also be left in the drop-off box in the guidance office anytime until December 13th.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about the cause, feel free to email buddies.nss01@gmail.com

Thank you for helping us spread joy to children in need this holiday season!

 

Robotics:

Space-Robotics High School Hackathon:

Congratulations to Chloe Zhao, William Hu, Shams Chandani, Tommy Shen, and Phil Manag from the Robotics Club! On Sunday, November 17th, their team competed in the University of Toronto's Space Exploration and Engineering Kompetition (SEEK). This day-long event challenged teams to design, assemble, program, and control a robot to simulate a lunar rover navigating obstacles and completing various tasks. The Northern Robotics team clinched 2nd place in this exciting competition. Well done, team!

Robotics Club – Community Outreach

On Thursday, November 21^st, the Northern Robotics team, Knight Owls, visited AHS Danilack, a Jewish middle school, to introduce the broader community to robotics and other STEM concepts. The Knight Owls delivered a presentation and robot demonstration, showcasing their latest competition robot and engaging all the grade 7 students in the exciting world of the FIRST Robotics Competition.

Following the presentation, the Knight Owls led a workshop covering various STEM concepts and guided the students in creating robots using VEX-IQ. The workshop culminated in a fun-filled robotics game, allowing everyone to actively participate. It was a wonderful robotic experience for the middle school students. If you’re interested in viewing photos or video from the event, you can find them here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ABSLzHoZY-wGmcKC6UGqAnwISPpF18VJ?usp=sharing

For more information about the Northern Robotics team, visit their official website at: https://knightowls.ca

To support and donate to our Robotics Club, please visit our team website/NSS Foundation link and specify that your donation will be used to support the NSS Robotics team in the fund area. https://knightowls.ca/donate

Thank you for your support on this valuable learning experience.

 

Northern Talent Show:

Calling all talents! For the first year ever, Northern is having its very own talent show!!

Applications are now open to be on the executive board for this new and exciting project. More info will be sent when auditions for performers will be held!

Google form for exec applications: https://forms.gle/V4TBeD6hGsrPU1v59

 

YOUNG REPORTERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT - contest opportunity

Are you interested in environmental journalism? Do you enjoy writing, photography or videography? If so then the Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) competition is for you! The YRE is an opportunity to showcase your creative skills all while spreading messages about climate change and other environmental issues. The winners of the contest have a chance to receive international recognition! All articles are due March 28, 2025!

All Northern students that submit to the YRE will be added to a Northern raffle to win a FREE NEMO water bottle and tote bag! If you do submit an article, please email blake.parkinson@student.tdsb.on.ca to be added to the raffle.

To learn more about the contest check out this link… https://ecoschools.ca/yre/students/. You can also check out the YRE handbook for tips and tricks… https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Ra3bRmuU-Dhj3mVTgOYZpYiPt94yw3P/view

If you have any questions please email blake.parkinson@student.tdsb.on.ca.

 

Library:

1) Wed. Dec. 4 - Library Closure: ELL Speech Competition: The Library will be closed for classes and have limited space for students on spare. The circulation desk (borrowing), Teacher-Librarian support, and printing will remain available.

2) Chromebooks (aka 1:1 Device Program) for all grades: We will email students directly when your Chromebook arrives and is ready to be picked up.

 

Special Education:

Special Education and Inclusion is pleased to offer a number of learning sessions for staff and parents/guardians/caregivers for the month of December. Please see this flyer.

 

Exams and Culminating Activities:

Final exams run from January 22-27, 2025. The moratorium period begins on Thursday January 16th. There will be no excursions or athletic events during this period.

Students who require computer exam accommodations received an email to their TDSB student email with a google form.

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 1 2024-2025

You can find a detailed exam schedule here: NSS Exam Schedule - Semester 1 2024-25

The schedule follows this format:

Students will follow their Day 1 schedule as follows for exams:

Wednesday, January 22 - Period 1 Exam

Thursday, January 23 - Period 2 Exam

Friday, January 24 - Period 3 Exam

Monday, January 27 - 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.

 

Visionary Voices: Career Connections For Students - Somali Heritage Month

Join us for a Somali Heritage Month event!

Event Description:

As part of a Somali Heritage Month in the TDSB, we invite students in grade 9 - 12 to an exciting "Visionary Voices: Career Connections for Students" event! This event is an incredible opportunity for students to connect with professionals from diverse fields, including the arts, technology, medicine, filmmaking, and more. Our goal is to inspire students by showcasing various careers paths and the success stories of Somali professionals in these industries. This event is in collaboration with Say Somaali.

Please register students wishing to attend on this form: Google Forms

Event Highlights:

• Keynote Speaker: An inspiring address from a prominent Somali professional.
• Panel Discussions: Insights and experiences shared by professionals in different fields.
• Networking Lunch: An opportunity for informal networking and building connections between students and professionals.
• Workshops: Practical workshops led by professionals to provide hands-on insights.

This event will take place on:

Saturday, December 14, 2024

11:30 am - 5:00 pm

West Humber Collegiate Institute

1675 Martin Grove Road, Etobicoke, ON M9V 3S3

 

Special Education and Inclusion Parent/Guardian/Caregiver Sessions

Special Education and Inclusion is pleased to offer a variety of drop-in and topic-specific sessions for parents, guardians, and caregivers throughout the 2024-2025 school year. These sessions provide valuable information, resources, and support to help families navigate special education programs and services.

Please share the links below with families through your regular school communication (email blast, blog, newsletter, etc.).

Drop-In Sessions-Families

Parent Engagement Sessions-Families

 

School Council:

1. Thank a Teacher As the calendar year draws to a close, we encourage all Northern students and families to think about Northern staff who have made a difference to them this school year and consider sending a note of thanks. Who has really made an impact for you?

2. Feedback Please! Each year we develop a School Statement of Needs that would be used to guide the selection of a new principal, should that become necessary. Please review our draft at https://nsscouncil.com/school-council/# If we have left out anything, please send your suggestions to nss.school.council@gmail.com We will be accepting comments until December 13th.

3. Thank you! A big thank you to everyone who contributed to our fundraising campaign. We are pleased to report that we've exceeded our goal. We now turn our attention to funding initiatives that will make a difference to Northern students.

4. Walking Buddies - Sunday, December 1st at 9:30 am. 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.
5. Fashion Show with School Council - December 5th at 7 pm. Want to go to Northern’s Fashion Show but your student wants to sit with their friends? Come and sit with other parents! The Fashion Show is a fantastic event that you don’t want to miss. Buy your ticket for Thursday, December 5 through SchoolCash Online and let us know you’re joining us or look for the School Council outside the auditorium. See you there!

6. Parent Presentation: The Gradual Release of Responsibility - Monday, December 10th at 6:30 pm in the Northern Library. The Gifted Advisory Committee invites all Northern parents to join us for a discussion of the transition to high school and postsecondary and the release of parenting responsibility that goes along with that. John Moyer, Gifted ACL will be on hand to share the school perspective. Please come with your questions or experiences. If you prefer to remain anonymous during the event, you are welcome to send your questions by email.

 

Northern Secondary School Foundation: Giving Tuesday Dec 3^rd 2024

The Northern Foundation is proud to support the students of Northern Secondary School, our leaders of tomorrow.

With Giving Tuesday just around the corner on Dec 3rd , please consider making a donation to support Northern's student clubs, teams or awards.

All contributions go directly to enrich the experience of Northern Students. You can target your donation for a specific club/team/scholarship etc. or you can support them all! With your donation you will receive a charitable tax receipt.

Donate at www.nssf.ca/donate

 

Guidance Updates:

1. December’s Wellness Theme is “Acts of Kindness”

On December 4, 2024, period 2 classes will explore this theme with a short lesson looking at next week’s Wellness quote of the week. See quote below!

2. Acts of Kindness Quote of the Week: “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind always.”

 

3. TDSB Semester 2 Night School OPENS for Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 10:00am. Registration closes Friday Jan 31, 2025 at 10:00am.

For Course information please click here. For registration information please click here.

4. Semester 2 TDSB e-Learning Course Registration OPENED November 12, 2024 at 10:00a.m.

Check out semester 2 e-Learning Day School course offerings on the e-Learning Day School website Registration opens to students on November 12, 2024 at 10 a.m. through the e-REG system.

under 18 should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

5. 2024 – 2025 Scholarship Updates:

Seeking Scholarships has released their November Scholarship Report which has upcoming scholarship dates listed for students applying to post-secondary programs. It also has some great tips this month for applying to scholarships and funding post-secondary education.

Northern students, teachers, and families can access from this link using the password, scholar678: https://seekingscholarships.com/the-scholarship-report-2/

Please note: This resource is copyrighted and only available to Northern families - please do not share outside of the Northern community.

Northern-specific scholarship information and deadlines (along with other common awards that students apply to can be found here): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-ZrEGhtrhY8rH4WW3NLC-p5QE-2hStUszLZTn34h8_o/edit

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!

6. IMPORTANT Volunteering Information:

PLEASE NOTE: Events and activities supporting a not-for-profit initiative/organization 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.

7. Online Graduation Requirement – Information and Opt-Out Form. Looking for information about the Ontario Ministry Online Learning graduation requirement? Please click here. Overview Info: 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.
8. Mental Wellness Resource Document

If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911.

 

Have a great weekend!

Adam Marshall

Principal

Follow me @PrincipalNSS