Dear Northern Families,
Congratulations to everyone on completing semester 1! Report cards will be distributed electronically next Monday February 2nd. Thank You to all our teachers, students, support staff, and VP team, and of course you- the home support team- for making the exam cycle such a success.
Our next CARING AND SAFE SCHOOLS Meeting is this Wednesday, February 4th from 4-5 pm in the Heritage Room 114 at Northern. Please join us to talk about school safety, washrooms, wellbeing, and more! Parents, Students, Staff (from all departments in all roles) are welcome.
Looking ahead, a reminder that Friday February 13th is a PD Day (no school) and Monday February 16th is Family Day (no school).
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: Report Card Distribution
Monday: Course Selection Opens (myBlueprint)
Monday+: Grad Photos
Wednesday: Caring and Safe Schools Meeting @4pm
Thursday: Virtual Evening Course Selection Event (6pm- details below)
Friday: Extended Lunch Course Selection Fair
Canadian Computing Competition:
Calling all computer programmers! Ready to put your coding skills to the test?
Well then register to compete in the Canadian Computing Competition!
Contest date: Wednesday, February 18
Registration deadline: Thursday, February 5
Join the google classroom with code: bx2oflky
And please see Dr. Afsari to register and create an account. Room 231.
Contest fee per participant: $10.00 to be paid through “School Cash Online”.
Student Activity Council (SAC):
Hey Northern! For the first time ever Northern will be hosting a Stem Cell Registration Drive in partnership with Canadian Blood Services! This event will be taking place on February 12 at lunch in the library. We will have 2 sessions (11:45-12:05 and 12:05-12:25) including a short presentation from Canadian Blood Services and then cheek swab kits will be distributed to participants. Please note: this event requires participants to be 17+ years of age. To learn more about stem cells feel free to visit blood.ca/en/stemcells. Please find attached an information poster for the Northern event and some resources from Canadian Blood Services.
EQAO RESULTS:
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test – OSSLT
- Individual Student Results for the Fall OSSLT were shared with grade 10 students on Wednesday and during the afternoon exam review sessions in English classes.
- Grade 11 & 12 results will be distributed to semester 2 period 1 classes next week.
- Any students who didn’t receive their results are to pick them up next week from the VP Office before school, at lunch, or after school.
Grade 9 Math
- Individual Student Results for the Winter Grade 9 Math EQAO will be distributed to semester 2 period 1 classes next week.
- Please let students know to see their math teacher if they did not receive their results.
STEM Alumni Panel:
The STEM Alumni Panel will be happening on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 from 5:30–8:30 pm at Northern. This year, the panel will feature 12 Northern alumni currently pursuing careers in STEM related fields. Alumni will represent areas such as health sciences, medical sciences, engineering, and computer science. Students and families will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A with the speakers following the panel. Everyone is welcome at the event. Please let us know if you're planning on coming by filling out this form. Check out this poster for more details about the speakers and the event.
Special Education and Inclusion – February Updates
Special Education and Inclusion is pleased to offer a number of sessions for parents/guardians/caregivers in February. Please find additional information in this flyer. All parent engagement sessions for the 2025-2026 school year can be found here.
Grad Photos:
Attention Graduates! We will hold our final graduation photo session at Northern starting February 9th in the Heritage Room (114). Come and celebrate this huge achievement! Book your session using the link below:
https://booking.edgeimaging.ca/portal/book/NEH
We look forward to seeing you there!
Upcoming Changes to Student Email Accounts:
To enhance student privacy, the TDSB will update secondary student accounts (email addresses) by removing personal names and simplifying the format.
The new account format (email address) of secondary students will change:
From: [email protected]
To: student#@tdsb.ca
For example: [email protected] to [email protected]
The update will take place from 4:00PM Friday, February 6 - Sunday, February 8. During this time, students will not have access to their accounts, including Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive, Classroom, etc) Brightspace, Office 365 and other digital tools (the Virtual Library will be available).
Access to these tools will be restored in the following order: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Brightspace, and then all remaining applications and tools beginning Sunday, February 8.
The Student# refers to the nine-digit TDSB student ID used by students to access the TDSB Connects app and login to Windows workstations (not the OEN).
Here is a link to Frequently Asked Questions An email will be coming directly from the board as well.
Important notes:
- Passwords: Student passwords will remain the same.
- Old email address: Students will continue to receive emails sent to their [email protected] email address - no action required.
- Chromebooks:
- The new email address will be required to log into a Chromebook.
- Files stored in the download folder or desktop will not be transferred and will need to be uploaded to Google Drive or OneDrive ahead of time.
- Google Drive/Adobe Cloud/Canva: No impact to student content.
- Brightspace/Google Classroom: No impact to class rosters, course content, student assignment submissions.
- Microsoft OneDrive: No impact to student content, files shared from Microsoft OneDrive will need to be reshared by the student.
- ArcGIS: Students are required to download and save their ArcGIS items before the update, otherwise their content will be permanently lost.
- Read & Write for Chrome: user preferences/settings will need to be re-applied.
- Generic accounts: will be updated with the @tdsb.ca domain. For example [email protected] will be updated to [email protected].
Setting Up a PIN for Reporting Student Absences
Setting up a PIN would ensure that your child’s absences are reported accurately. Families are strongly encouraged to set up a Personal Identification Number (PIN) by following these instructions. Download the SchoolMessenger App from the Google Play or Apple App Store or via the website: go.schoolmessenger.ca. When registering, be sure to use your email account linked to our Student Information System.
Northern Food Program:
If you would like to donate to our Snack/Lunch Program:
To donate please use the link below:
https://tfss.ca/donate/schoolsites-snp/
Select Northern Secondary School so your donation helps the students here at Northern!
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
School Council:
Walking Buddies - Sunday February 1st 2026 at 9:30 am. Join us for a relaxing one-hour walk through Mt. Pleasant Cemetery – every second weekend at 9:30am. Meet at the Funeral Centre parking lot (Dogs welcome) to get your steps in, strengthen your connection to the Northern SS Community, and enjoy the autumn weather. Please let us know that you are coming by emailing us at: [email protected] with “Walking buddies” in the subject line. Upcoming dates:
Saturday, February 14
Sunday, March 01
Saturday March 14
Caring and Safe Schools Meeting - Wednesday February 4th at 4PM in the Heritage Room at Northern School. This is a great opportunity to discuss safety issues with staff, student reps, and potentially other families. .Staying Connected to the NSS Council and Community. Stay informed with School Council updates to support your student's academic success.
Helping Teens Stay Organized, On Track, and Independent - The Gifted Advisory Committee would like to invite all Northern families to attend an in-person event in the Northern library on Thursday, February 19th at 6 pm. We will be hosting two guest speakers who will be sharing strategies that you can use at home to build executive function skills. This parent evening will explore why these skills matter, how they impact learning and independence, and practical ways parents can support their child at home and at school. Parents will leave with a clearer understanding and concrete strategies to help their teen build confidence, accountability, and long-term success.
Registration for this event is required. Please complete our registration form to reserve your spot.
Executive functioning skills—such as time management, organization, planning, and self-regulation—play a critical role in student success during the secondary school years. This parent evening will explore why these skills matter, how they impact learning and independence, and practical ways parents can support their child at home and at school. Parents will leave with a clearer understanding and concrete strategies to help their teen build confidence, accountability, and long-term success.
Speaker Bios:
Sam Tremaine is the founder of Loop Learning and an executive function coach based in Toronto. A trained Montessori and public school teacher with a Master’s in Childhood Education, with two decades of experience in education, Sam specializes in helping students strengthen organization, planning, time management, and study skills. She combines evidence-based strategies with personalized coaching to support learners with ADHD, dyslexia, and a wide range of learning needs.
Based in Toronto and working virtually across Ontario, Megan Boriss helps secondary and post-secondary students build essential executive functioning skills. With over 20 years of experience in education, as a Guidance Counsellor, Learning Support Teacher, Curriculum Specialist, and Advisor she specializes in practical strategies for time management, organization, planning, and independence. As both an educator and a parent, Megan offers realistic tools families can use right away to better support their child.
- 9 Parents and Caregivers Social (all welcome) - Saturday February 21 2026. Come on in and warm up from the cold! Meet parents and caregivers in the community supporting our students success at Northern. Join us at Daphne’s Antioch Café (620 Mt. Pleasant Rd) at 9 am.
To join our mailing list please complete this form.
To join our Northern GAC WhatsApp group, please use this link
To receive news "for parents, by parents," email: [email protected] with the subject line “Count me in.”
Visit our website at: nsscouncil.com . Follow us on Instagram: @nss_council. If you have ideas, questions, or would like to get involved in the work of the School Council, email us at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you!
The Northern Secondary School Foundation
Alumni Update- Congratulations to:
Northern’s 1982 Rugby Team who plan a reunion to celebrate the 44th anniversary of their Wales/England Rugby Tour. Friendships made at Northern last!
Joe Pascucci NSS’ 76 for his article on the 1975-76 teacher strike and the impact on his class.
Alexander Heller NSS ’09 who wrote the screenplay for The Musical currently premiering at the Sundance Film Festival.
Janet Bannister NSS’ 88 Athlete of the Year from Ebay to founding Kijiji recently started Staircase Ventures that provides funding to early stages technology companies.
For more information about the Northern Secondary School Foundation, contact us at [email protected]
Guidance:
- Course Selection Look Ahead: Save the Dates for NSS Course Selection
It’s already that time of year!
SAVE THE DATE:
Thurs. Feb 5, 2026, 6pm – 7pm – Virtual Evening Course Selection Presentation
– link TBA
Event Details:
- Location: Virtual via Microsoft Teams
- Join Link: Microsoft Teams
- Microsoft Teams Need help?
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 214 944 280 739 79
Passcode: sf6sp2ig
Mon. Feb 2, 2026 – myBlueprint Opens for Students
Tues. Feb 3, 2026 – grade 9 to 10 Course Selection Presentation (block A)
Wed. Feb 4, 2026 – grade 10 to 11 Course Selection Presentation (block B)
Thurs. Feb 5, 2026 – grade 11 to 12 Course Selection Presentation (block A)
Fri. February 6, 2026 – grade 12 Course Selection Presentation (block B)
Fri. Feb 6, 2026 – Course Selection Fair - EXTENTED LUNCH
Wed. Feb 25, 2026 – myBlueprint Course Selections Due
- NSS Mental Wellness Theme: February’s Wellness theme is “Setting Intentions”!
The WHY of it: once we connect to our intentions and what’s important to us, we are able to align our behaviours with what we naturally value.
- 2025-2026 Scholarship Update: 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 the December Newsletter update which is now posted on the website.
For access to The Scholarship Report Library, please follow the instructions below:
Login here. Click on the LOGIN tab.
Password: SEPTSCHOLAR25
Click 'Dashboard' and then click on the TSR Newsletters
This resource is copyrighted and should not be shared outside the NSS Community.
- 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
- 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:
[email protected], X20046, Alpha Last Names: A, E, F, I, P
[email protected], X 20041, Alpha Last Names: B, C
[email protected], X 20042, Alpha Last Names: D, G, J, T, Z
[email protected], X 20045, Alpha Last Names: H, K, L
[email protected], X 20043, Alpha Last Names: M, N, O, Q, R
[email protected], 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!
Adam Marshall- Principal