Dear Northern Families, 

We just finished this school year's last full week of school!  Exams begin on Wednesday.  Double-check your Exam Days and schedule your study-time carefully!

On Tuesday evening, the 13th Annual African Heritage Educators' Network (AHEN) Black Student Awards were held at Earl Haig CI.  This event celebrates the achievements of students in grades 5–12, recognizing their excellence in areas such as academics, aspiration, athletics, school and community involvement, and STEAM.  This year we congratulate Khadidja A.H in the School and Community Involvement category, and Patrick F.T. in the STEAM category.  Congratulations!

Prince Dumanat, our Community Mental Health Nurse has shared a workshop/ flyer  for newcomer for parents. This is a really good resource for newcomer families addressing substance use.

NSS is a GOLD Ecoschool! Northern's Environmental Organization (NEMO) is excited to announce that this year we once again achieved Gold status in our Ecoschools certification. NEMO students worked hard this year to plan and run initiatives, provide education within the community, and change the NSS culture to make Northern a more eco-conscious place. This included starting a recycling program at the school and we are so grateful to everyone in the building for working with us to make the new system work. We look forward to building on what we've done this year and have already started making plans for next year!  A HUGE thank you to Ms. Barkley and the amazing NEMO team!

As the school year comes to a close, families may feel a mix of excitement and the need for extra support. The TDSB Summer 2025 Well-Being Guide is here to help, offering culturally responsive and identity-affirming resources to support the mental well-being of both students and families throughout the summer.

The student calendar can be found here:  2024-2025 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-Tuesday:  Moratorium

Monday:  Math Contest Awards Ceremony (lunch)

Wednesday:  Period 1 (day 1) Exams @10am

Thursday:  Period 2 (day 1) Exams @10am

Friday:  Period 3 (day 1) Exams @10am

 

 Incoming Grade 9 Students - Head Start to High School Day

• We are very excited to host our incoming grade 9 students to our orientation day taking place on Wednesday, August 27 from 9:00am to 3:15pm
• Please be sure to register your child(ren) as soon as possible through the Head Start to High School - Student Registration Google Form
•  

Graduating Students – TDSB 1:1 Device Collection:

All Grade 12 students participating in the Student Device Program are expected to return their Chromebook prior to June 30 to the administrative offices at Northern. Grade 12 students taking a TDSB-provided summer course will be able to retain their device. Students taking a summer course will be required to complete an agreement that includes returning the device in good working order to their home school prior to September 1, 2025. The agreement will be shared digitally with Grade 12 students registered for a TDSB summer course in mid-June and this data provided to schools.  

 

 Library Learning Commons: 

1. ALL School Library books DUE by June 16, 2025. 

→ put overdue books into the BOOK RETURN slot outside the Library doors

→ Returning LATE books? → BOOK RETURN will be open until school closes for summer

2. LIBRARY CLOSED:

MATH EQAO: Monday June 16 and Tuesday June 17 - Periods 1, 2, 3 & 4

→ circulation desk closed; NO printing, NO borrowing, NO Chromebook loans

→ Library circulation desk open: 8:30-8:50; 12:00-12:30

EXAM DAYS: June 18, 19, 20, 23

→ open for students with Exam Accommodations and instructions to write In the Library

CREDIT RESCUE DAY: June 24

→ open for students by invitation only for Credit Rescue

3. LIBRARY OPEN: Wednesday, June 25 (Exam Return Day) - 8:30am - 12:40pm

→ ALL Semester Loan Chromebooks due

 

 Final Exams:

Final exams are here!

Final exams run from June 18-23, 2025.  The moratorium period begins on Thursday June 12.  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 2025.

You can find a detailed exam schedule here: NSS Exam Schedule - Semester 2 2024-25

The schedule follows this format:

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

Wednesday,  June 18 - Period 1 Exam 

Thursday, June 19 - Period 2 Exam 

Friday, June 20 - Period 3 Exam 

Monday, June 23 - 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 Secondary School Foundation:

Thank you to all the parents and friends who have supported us this year.

We were very impressed with the calibre of applications and the reference letters. 

Successful recipients will be notified by email as soon as candidates are selected. Please read the email carefully as to how to access your certificate and the funds.

Funds will be  e-transferred to the bank account of successful recipients during the first week of July. 

 

School Council:

1. TDSB Consultations for 2SLGBTQ+ families - June 16th at 6:00 pm. TDSB students, staff, families, community organizations, and community members who self-identify as part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community are invited to attend a community consultation this month. These consultations will support the development of a multi-dimensional strategy to affirm the diverse and intersectional 2SLGBTQ+ identities and address biphobia, transphobia, and homophobia within the TDSB. Attendees are encouraged to participate in conversations that explore the various ways the TDSB can nurture, affirm, and support 2SLGBTQ+ students, staff, families, community organizations, and community members while also understanding and addressing manifestations of biphobia, homophobia, and transphobia. 

The more voices that are heard, the better! Please join so we can work towards making school safe and welcoming for all individuals who enter the doors. Please visit this link to see upcoming consultation opportunities.

2. Election Committee Volunteers wanted. We are looking for volunteers to run School Council elections next year in September.  We elect an all-new Council in the fall when we return to school.  The only requirement is that you are not interested in running for School Council yourself.  The role involves working with the school to notify parents of the election and organizing and conducting the election.  If you are interested in helping out, please contact us at nss.school.council@gmail.com. 

Help Wanted: The Student Nutrition Program is looking for three new Parent Volunteers for the 2025/2026 school year. This program offers free healthy lunches to registered students throughout the school year. The time commitment is 10:30-12:30 one or more days a week to prepare and serve food to students. A vulnerable sector police check is required, which is why the process starts well in advance of the next school year. If you are interested, please email april.vibert@tdsb.on.ca

External Free Resources for Families

Youth ADHD Peer-facilitated Support Group: Age 16-24 - June 25, 2025 at 8:00 pm. CADDAC is excited to offer virtual support groups led by CADDAC-trained peer facilitators. Each session will offer a brief educational component to help relate a chosen topic to ADHD (i.e.. Procrastination; sleep; advocacy; etc.) Based on the topic and information shared, participants are then invited to discuss how this relates to them, share strategies and to offer support to peers with similar lived experience. Our wonderful team of facilitators is there to provide a safe and inclusive space for you to listen, share, and feel validated. Registration is required.

 

 Toronto Public Health Messages:

Re: Stay Healthy, Active and Safe this Summer- As the 2024-2025 school year comes to a close, Toronto Public Health (TPH) would like to share some important information and health tips to help families stay healthy, active and safe over the summer months.
Protect You & Your Loved Ones Against Measles - Measles continues to spread in Ontario and around the world. Measles is a very contagious virus that spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs, sneezes or talks. The measles vaccine is safe and effective to prevent the spread of measles. One dose provides about 85 per cent protection and two doses provide more than 95 per cent protection.

Take this time to check your child’s and your family’s measles vaccinations in their yellow vaccine card, online at ICON or speak with your primary health care provider. Anyone born in 1970 or later should have two doses of vaccine. Students who are not up to date with their measles vaccinations can miss school or summer camps if there is a case of measles at their school or camp.
Visit toronto.ca/measles for more information.

Stay Up to Date with Vaccinations and Report them to Toronto Public Health- With summer fast approaching, we encourage parents and students to stay up to date with all vaccinations, as outlined in the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA). This includes vaccinations for measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis (whooping cough), meningococcal disease and varicella (chickenpox).

If students in grades 7 to 12 missed one or more school-based vaccines in Grade 7, they can still receive them for free until the end of high school through primary health care providers or at a Toronto Public Health (TPH) summer vaccination clinic. Appointments can be made at TPHBookings.ca.

Vaccinations received from a health care provider must be reported by the parent/guardian or student (16 years of age and older) to Toronto Public Health. This can be done online at toronto.ca/StudentVaccines.

Resources for Teens & Parents Sexual Health-  You can continue to access sexual health resources, services and supports this summer, including:

• Sexual Health Support for Parents & Caregivers has resources on bodies, boundaries, safety and raising sexually healthy children and teens.
• Sexual Health Infoline Ontario (SHILO) provides free, anonymous and inclusive information, support and referrals on sexual health topics by phone or e-Chat. It’s available seven days a week and is staffed by counsellors who provide services in multiple languages.

Safer Partying and Substance Use - As the school year comes to a close, TPH is sharing Safer Partying information to raise awareness about the risks of alcohol and drug use and encourages safer celebrations during prom, grad night and year-end events. TPH also has information and resources to help prevent youth vaping or help them quit.

Questions?   For more information, please contact us at publichealth@toronto.ca or 416-338-7600, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Service is available in multiple languages.

 

Guidance Updates:

1.  June’s Wellness Theme is “Rest and Rejuvenation”

Student are encouraged to check out the NSS Exam ReadiNSS site for tips on Stress Management and Wellness.

2. TDSB Summer School Options:  

e-Summer Information here

• Asynchronous, online e-learning (most flexible option)
• July and August courses available
• Grade 11 and 12 courses 
• July e-Learning registration is closed. 
• August e-Summer Key Dates – Registration closes July 4, 2025. 

ConEd Information here

• Full Credit Course Registration will CLOSE June 17, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.
• TDSB Credit Recovery will CLOSE June 27, 2025. 
• ConEd Summer School classes will be held from July 2 to July 25, 2025 - Monday to Friday, from 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. 
• These classes are available only in July.
• ConEd Remote Learning: All Grade 9 and 10 credit courses will be delivered through synchronous online learning.
• ConEd In-Person Learning: All Grade 9 to 12 credit courses, students will attend face-to-face classes with a teacher. 
• Summer School In Person Sites/Locations

3. OSAP Applications are now OPEN for the 2025-2026 school year: www.osap.on.ca for more information. 

Recently, the Guidance Department held a lunch presentation on How to Pay for Post-Secondary, here's the slide deck from that presentation.  You will find the following topics within:

• OSAP: when to apply, how it works, what you need etc.
• Student Loans: how to bridge the gap if OSAP is not enough
• The difference between OSAP and Student Loans

Feel free to come to the Guidance Office if you have any questions!

4. Seeking Scholarships has released their MAY Scholarship Report which has upcoming scholarship dates listed for students applying to post-secondary programs in all areas, and there are tons of helpful resources around applying to OSAP as well.

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

5. IMPORTANT Volunteering Information:

NSS Volunteer & Community Involvement Policy:

Guidance has been working with Admin to finalise the NSS Volunteer & Community Involvement Policy. 

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.

6. 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.

7. Mental Wellness Resource Document

If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911.

 

Have a great weekend!

Adam Marshall

Principal

Follow me @PrincipalNSS