Dear Northern Families,
Another exciting week. It was Music Week this past week- thank you to the Music Council for their hard work! We also had our Latin Heritage Assembly- thank you to all our staff and students that were involved in the planning of this event. And finally, we had another successful Post Secondary Fair. Thank you to the Buddies and guidance department for such a great event, and to all of you that attended.
Next Friday is Halloween. A reminder that Cultures are not Costumes! Please be mindful of selecting appropriate costumes for the school setting and avoid stereotypes of cultural identities, traditions or sacred symbols can cause harm and perpetuate bias. We do look forward to seeing lots of you in costume!
School Absences: Family vacations are not considered a legitimate absence. Every effort should be made to avoid scheduling family vacations during school time. Holiday dates are published in the agenda book and on the TDSB website, http://www.tdsb.on.ca. In the event of a missed evaluation due to a family vacation, teachers are not required to provide an alternative form of evaluation. In the case of examinations, no make-up exam or alternative arrangements will be made.
The student calendar can be found here: 2025-2026 Northern School Calendar . Any additions made will be highlighted for a two week period throughout the year. Also see the creed and holy day calendar for your reference (non-board calendar).
The student handbook can be found here: Student Handbook
Things to Know for Next Week:
Monday: SAC Store Opens
Wednesday: Late Start @9:55am
Wednesday: Canadian Open Math Challenge
Wednesday: Gifted Advisory Committee Meeting @6pm in the Library
Thursday: Halloween Spirit Day
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News from the Student Activity Council:
Prom Committee:
HEY NORTHERN GRADS!! Are you interested in planning prom? Join prom committee to help organize the special night now here
If you’re a bit too busy, you can also sign up to be a general member. General members vote and advocate for the grade’s opinions and suggestions, and have a lighter time commitment! Sign up to be a general member here
Applications are due at 11:59 PM on October 31.
Merch:
HEY NORTHERN!! Are you looking to buy official Northern school merch? SAC’s Winter Store is officially opening on Monday, October 27, through SchoolCashOnline! Make sure to place your order before it closes on November 12.
Grad Photos:
Grad Photos are coming starting on Friday, November 7th. Booking details are coming soon!
Spec. Ed. Update
- IEPs were distributed to students in period 1 classes on Tuesday, October 14
- If your child didn’t bring their copy home, please contact the appropriate Spec. Ed. lead:
NSS Cure:
NSS CURE will be hosting a Bake Sale on Friday, October 31st at lunch in the main foyer! Bring some cash (or card) and treat yourself to some delicious goodies. Every dollar raised will be donated to cancer research, so come by, satisfy your sweet tooth, and help make a difference!
Take Our Kids to Work Day (TOKTWD) - November 5
Take Our Kids to Work Day (TOKTWD) 2025 takes place on Wednesday, November 5. TOKTWD is an experiential learning opportunity for Grade 9 students, offering them the chance to see the world of work firsthand, explore a variety of careers and sectors, and look at what skills are important to thrive in the world of work.
This week all grade 9 students received a paper copy of this Parent/Guardian Consent Form that should be returned to their period 1 teacher by Monday, Nov 3rd. Students who are not participating may attend school where they will be offered programming about careers and the workplace from the Students Commission of Canada. A reminder will be sent in a separate email to all grade 9 students.
Northern Semester 1 Final Exams and Culminating Activities FINAL
Semester 1 final exams take place on:
Wednesday, January 21 Period 1 Classes
Thursday, January 22 Period 2 Classes
Friday, January 23 Period 3 Classes
Monday, January 26th Period 4 Classes
Classroom teachers will share detailed information about Culminating Activates and Final Exams with students.
Please find FINAL information about culminating activities here: NSS Culminating and Final Exam Information Sem 1 2025-2026
Please find a FINAL version of our exam schedule here: NSS Exam Schedule - Semester 1 2025-26
Please review the information posted in the Bulletin about family holidays and absences during exam times.
Concussions:
- a student has a possible or confirmed concussion please inform their Alpha VP so that we can share (click link) required medical forms, track recovery plans, and ensure student safety and wellbeing. Students with concussion symptoms MAY NOT participate in Phys Ed, sporting activates, intramurals, or active classroom activities until they are medically cleared. Please help us protect student brain health at NSS!
Parking:
- reminder that parking at Northern is for TDSB STAFF ONLY. Students, parents/guardians/caregivers must find alternate locations to park off property. Tickets will be issued for non-permitted vehicles.
Google Gemini AI Tools for Secondary Students - Grades 9 - 12
The Google Gemini set of AI tools is now available to secondary students in grades 9 - 12 including access to Gemini, Notebook LM and Gems. Use of Gemini through a TDSB account is governed and protected by our Google Workspace agreement. All data entered into Gemini remains the property of TDSB and is not used to feed AI models.
Secondary students may find Gemini useful for a number of school related activities including:
- Brainstorming ideas and a writing outline to help with the writing process
- Asking Gemini to help explain complex concepts learned in class. Gemini can be prompted to ask questions to check for understanding.
- Input a personal writing sample and ask Gemini to provide feedback based on the learning goals of a task.
- Generating practice questions to help study/prepare for a test
- Researching information about a given topic and fact checking the information
NSS Library Learning Commons
Visit the NSS Library on Monday October 27 to celebrate Canadian School Library Day!
- Enter the Library Council’s Bookmark Making Contest
- Check out new manga, graphic novels, and books–fiction and non-fiction
- Watch a demo of the Virtual Library research supports for students
- Visit the new Indigenous Voices collection
- Renew or return your overdue books or Chromebooks, and…
- Leave with a prize!
The NSS Library Learning Commons will be hosting events from 11:40am - 12:35pm
Reminder: food and drinks are not permitted in the Library–so eat your lunch before you visit!
Student Nutrition Program
We are very lucky to have a team of parents, students and staff volunteers to deliver our FREE Lunch Program three times a week. If you would like to sign up, please complete this form.
Thank you to those families that have graciously donated to support our program. If you are able to donate funds to our lunch program, please email April Vibert april.vibert@tdsb.on.ca Thank you!
Reporting Student Absences:
Option 1:
- Download the SchoolMessenger App from the Google Play or Apple App Store.
- Register by using your email account linked to our Student Information System.
Option 2:
- Call the automated attendance system: 1-833-250-2290.
- Use your phone number linked to our Student Information System.
Option 3:
- Call the main office line: 416-393-0270.
Option 4*:
- Email the Office Assistant associated with your child’s last name:
- *Please note that option 4 may not prevent a call from the automated SafeArrivals phone system.
School Council:
Upcoming Events
1. External Event - Parents and Care Givers - Open House - Oct 28 2025.
The 2025 – 2026 Parents and Caregivers as Partners (PCasP) Open House — an evening to explore, to connect, and to celebrate the home–school partnership.
When & Where:
This year’s theme: “Connect. Learn. Engage.”
Parents and Caregivers will have the opportunity to connect directly with Staff from programs and services from across the district, to discover resources, and to engage in meaningful conversations that strengthen family–school partnerships.
2. Public Consultation - Development Proposal - Date change - October 28th. You may have noticed signs across the street from the school announcing a proposed redevelopment of 299 Roehampton. The proposal is to replace the existing 20-storey rental building with two 59-storey towers. More details can be found online. A virtual public consultation is scheduled for October 28th at 6:30 pm. The city planner in charge of this file is Marian Prejel who can be reached at Marian.Prejel@toronto.ca. The City Councillor for our ward is Rachel Chernos Lin who is also open to hearing any concerns. Without a school Trustee during the period of TDSB supervision, it will be important for families to raise any concerns about how this proposal will affect our school community.
3. Walking Buddies - Saturday November 1 at 9:30 am. Join us for a relaxing one-hour walk through Mt. Pleasant Cemetery – every second Sat or Sunday morning at 9:30am. Meet at the Funeral Centre parking lot. Dogs welcome. Please let us know that you are coming by sending a message with “Walking buddies” in the subject line. Followed by Sunday November 16th and Saturday November 29th.
4. School Council Meeting. Thursday November 13 at 6:30 pm in the Northern Library (hybrid). School Council meets in the Northern Secondary School Library. Voting members continue to set committees for this school year. 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.
5. 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.
6. Parent Council Hosted for Parents by Parents Coffee Social: Sat Nov 22nd 9:30am. Topic: Post-Secondary Education. Join us in gathering with fellow Grade 12 parents and parents who've been through the application process. RSVP by sending a message with Post-Secondary Parent Coffee in the subject line, and we will send you the location. Note: This is a social gathering for parents not intended to substitute the professional supports and services provided to students by Northern’s guidance department.
Guidance:
- Careers Month is HERE! Event Schedule - Careers Month
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- SEE YOUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR AND/OR STUDENT SUCCESS TEACHER TO SIGN UP FOR EVENTS
Mon, Oct. 20 to Thurs, Nov. 13th: Focus on Careers in the Trades
- Events will take place during lunch, and throughout the day in a variety of tech and careers classes.
- Some of the careers to be highlighted during the month include Aerospace Manufacturing Technician; TV, Video and Film Production; Electrician, Construction, Toronto Fire Services and more!
- There will also be presentations from OYAP, Skills Ontario and former Northern students pursuing careers in the trades.
- NSS Post-Secondary Application Supports:
I’m in Grade 12, Now What? Slideshow - Slides only
My Student is in Grade 12, Now What? - Video recording of Grade 12 presentation
2025-2026 NSS Post-Secondary Application Guide
2025-2026 NSS Scholarship Information Chart
20 Questions to Ask a Post-secondary Representative
Individual Grade 12 Visits – Guidance and grade 12 students are meeting one-on-one to go over students’ plans for after high school.
Students can book using this link: http://bit.ly/nssguidance
- 2025-2026 Scholarship Update:
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- It's time for Grade 12 students to begin planning out which scholarships they would like to apply for! Many major university scholarships have deadlines in Semester 1 or early Semester 2, and some require a Northern nomination. The following link is a general list of scholarships, including ones that require an NSS nomination: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ELN7YYaXVtQSYNHeL2n5t_yF8wTzO5WlVJUgyii1MM8/edit?usp=sharing
- A webinar from Seeking Scholarships for Grade 12 Students, Funding Postsecondary Education (40:34), has been posted. There is also a Handout providing links to resources mentioned in the workshop.
To access the webinar, login to The Scholarship Report Library as usual: Click here. Password: SEPTSCHOLAR25
When you're in the Library, click on the Webinars category and enter this Password to view the webinars: FUNDING2526
- Northern has subscribed to the Seeking Scholarships Report, which has fantastic information and resources for students on available scholarships, financial aid, and application tips. Northern students and families can access to The Scholarship Report Library by following the instructions below:
Link: Click here
Password: SEPTSCHOLAR25
Click on the DASHBOARD page
This resource is copyrighted and should not be shared outside of the NSS community.
- NSS Mental Wellness Theme: October’s Wellness theme is Gratitude.
This month we are talking about Gratitude and its link to our overall wellness.
Below are three great gratitude quotations. Pick the one you like the best!
- “I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.” Will Arnett
- “I don't have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness - it's right in front of me if I'm paying attention and practicing gratitude.” Brene Brown
- “We learned about gratitude and humility - that so many people had a hand in our success." Michelle Brown
Did you know, GRATITUDE is a strong tool to use when you need to
INTERRUPT negative thoughts. When we are intentionally taking time to notice the things we are grateful for, we can decrease anxious moments. It has been scientifically proven that three (3) minutes of gratitude a day can increase our happiness and decrease our anxiety.
- Last Day to Request to Withdraw (drop) from a Semester 1 Course: Nov. 5/25
Full Disclosure Date: November 17, 2025: Last day to drop a course without the mark appearing on the student’s permanent transcript.
- The NSS Thrive Guide is a tool created and shared with classes to help students think about how they are participating in high school WITH INTENTION. Any questions, please speak to your guidance counsellor!
- Student Services Google Classrooms: Want info updated info about scholarships, volunteer opportunities, post-secondary visits, etc.? Students, please ensure you are registered in your grade’s Student Services Google Classroom. This is where we share all our important information throughout the year.
Grade 9 Google Classroom code: 3wvfe4kf
Grade 10 Google Classroom code: bedkqks
Grade 11 Google Classroom code: x6sh4ue
Grade 12 Google Classroom code: 4ixv2jl
- Booking a Guidance Appointment: Students can BOOK directly and/or REQUEST an appointment with their Guidance Counsellor or our Student Success teachers through our GuidanceInterview platform.
- Link: https://guidanceinterview.com/s/nss
Username: Student Number
Password: YYYY-MM-DD (date of birth)
- 2025-2026 Guidance Counsellors by Last Name Alpha:
Jenny Sohn, Jenny.Sohn@tdsb.on.ca, X20046, Alpha Last Names: A, E, F, I, P
Leslie Usin-Rojas, Leslie.Usin-Rojas@tdsb.on.ca, X 20041, Alpha Last Names: B, C
Deborah Poutissou, Deborah.Poutissou@tdsb.on.ca, X 20042, Alpha Last Names: D, G, J, T, Z
Jennifer MacPhee, Jennifer.MacPhee@tdsb.on.ca, X 20045, Alpha Last Names: H, K, L
Sean Magee-Saxton, Sean.Magee-Saxton@tdsb.on.ca, X 20043, Alpha Last Names: M, N, O, Q, R
Melanie Stassis, C.L., Melanie.Stassis@tdsb.on.ca, X 20044, Alpha Last Names: S, U, V, W, X, Y
Mental Wellness Resource Document
If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911.
Have a great weekend- Go Jays!
Adam Marshall- Principal