Dear Northern Families,
March Break is here! I hope everyone has a chance to recharge their batteries ahead of the final academic push of the year. Whatever you are doing, have a safe and restful break.
This week we had the Battle of the Bands after school yesterday- the performances were excellent! Thank You to our student and staff volunteers/ performers for making it such a success!
We also had our Winter Athletics Assembly yesterday morning. A massive thank you to all our coaches for their commitment!
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 to Friday: March Break!
Things to Know for the Week You Return:
Monday- Wednesday: OSSLT
Wednesday: Late Start @9:55am
Thursday: Parent/Guardian-Teacher Interviews (early close @ 12:15pm)- details below)
Friday: PAL’s Cultural Fair at lunch
Jazz Band:
Big congratulations to the Jazz Band for their incredible performance at Sunny View Public School this past Tuesday! An incredible 30-minute set of big band charts featuring fully-improvised solos as well as welcoming student guests from Sunny View to play along and ask questions of the ensemble. Special thanks to Vice Principal Dori Antolin for the invitation.
Athletics Round-Up:
The winter sports season has officially wrapped up, bringing with it many outstanding achievements. The Varsity Tier 1 Girls Hockey team and Jr Boys Hockey team both earned silver medals, falling just short in their respective city finals. The Sr Boys Hockey team captured the South Region Championship before a narrow loss in the city semi-finals.
The Swim Team had a dominant season, winning the Overall South Championship, Overall Boys South Championship, and Overall Boys City Championship. Twenty-one swimmers qualified for OFSAA, highlighted by Sara Greenberg’s gold medal in the 50m freestyle.
Jr Girls Volleyball had a terrific season, winning three tournaments and the South Region Championship before finishing as city finalists. The Sr Girls Volleyball team won its first South Region Championship since 2017 and went on to capture the City Championship with a 3–0 victory over Humberside in the final. They competed at OFSAA in Windsor this past week, reaching the Consolation Semi-Finals against top teams from across Ontario.
Congratulations to all our champions and athletes for making the entire Northern community proud this winter season!
Hey Northern Grads!!
Grad merch is officially ready for order! Please make sure to order through SchoolCashOnline BEFORE March 25 at 11:59 PM! All grad hoodies have an optional customization. If you would like to customize your hoodie, please ensure that you also fill out the form (linked in SchoolCashOnline) before March 25th. Spring merch is coming soon!
Yearbook:
From Yearbook- Hey Grade 12s! Yearbook Grad Quote submissions are OPEN NOW! Please submit here as soon as possible: https://forms.gle/gju2xisKrxjgGX9d9
Parent/Guardian/Caregiver-Teacher Interview Day - Thursday, March 26, 2026
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EARLY DISMISSAL SCHEDULE
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PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEW SESSIONS
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Period 1 – 9:00am to 9:45am
Period 2 – 9:50am to 10:35am
Period 3 – 10:40am to 11:25am
Period 4 – 11:30am to 12:15pm
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Afternoon – 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Evening – 6:00pm to 8:00pm
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- Online booking will open at 7am on Thursday, March 12 and close at 12pm on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
- Families are encouraged to review this PTI Teacher Locator & Map Flyer to plan out their visit in advance.
Online Booking Instructions:
- Prepare a list with the names of each teacher you would like to meet
- Go to the NSS scheduling website at https://parentinterview.com/s/nss
- Enter your child’s 9-digit student number
- Click "Sign In"
- Fill in your contact information and click "Continue to Make Appointments"
- Click on the name of a teacher with whom you wish to schedule an appointment
- Click on an available time at which you wish to have your meeting
- Repeat Steps 6 and 7 until you have scheduled all the teachers you wish to meet
- Click on "My Schedule" (top left of the page)
- Email, print out, or copy down your schedule & note your confirmation #
Should you wish to cancel an appointment you have made, click on "Cancel" beside the meeting you wish to have removed from your schedule.
If you misplace your schedule, you may use your confirmation # to retrieve your schedule from the website at any time
If you need assistance using the online service, please email [email protected].
OSSLT
The OSSLT will be taking place beginning March 23 for grade 10 students taking English this semester. All first-time eligible students in a semester 2 grade 10 English or ESLD/E class along with previously eligible/unsuccessful grade 10 (semester 1)/11/12 students will be writing. Families of students who are scheduled to write will receive an email with the necessary details. If a student would like to know if they are writing, please have them come to the VP office. A letter has now gone out to all students who are writing.
OSSLT PREP
Parents and students who are writing the OSSLT are encouraged to join the Northern SS OSSLT 2025 PREP Google Classroom to receive important updates and access helpful preparation resources.
The OSSLT classroom can be accessed at: https://classroom.google.com/c/NzI3OTM0NTgwMDg0?cjc=b5umys4 using the code b5umys4.
OSSLT extra help sessions will be offered at lunchtime in Room 304 during the week of March 9. For more information, students can visit the Google Classroom, speak with their English teacher, or see Ms. Siegel or Dr. Reibetanz in Room 313.
EQAO Literacy Session for Families: Focus on Writing:
Join us for a free live webinar about how EQAO assesses students’ writing skills at key stages of their education. EQAO staff will discuss writing prompts and questions from the reading component of the primary- and junior-division assessments and from the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. Participants will hear how these prompts and questions help assess the skills students are learning in class. Staff will also highlight valuable insights and resources that can help parents and guardians support their child’s learning.
Dates: Mar. 25
https://eqao.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_F3XF343SQve5ZGR6fEfLoA#/registration
Northern Semester 2 Final Exams and Culminating Activities
Semester 2 final exams take place on:
Wednesday, June 17 at 10 am Period 1 Classes
Thursday, June 18 at 10 am Period 2 Classes
Friday, June 19 at 10 am Period 3 Classes
Monday, January 22 at 10 am Period 4 Classes
Classroom teachers will share detailed information about Culminating Activates and Final Exams with students.
Please find DRAFT information about culminating activities here: NSS Culminating and Final Exam Information Sem 2 JUNE 2025-2026
Please find a DRAFT version of our exam schedule here: NSS Exam Schedule - Semester 2 JUNE 2025-26
This information will be accurate and final by April 3, 2026.
EARLY EXAM ACCOMMODATIONS: A reminder that accommodations cannot be made for exams. The relevant TDSB policy can be found here:
Under Ministry of Education and TDSB regulations, there can be no accommodations made for students who miss the 30% culminating activities at the end of a semester for personal reasons such as vacation, camp or work. Students and parents should be aware that scheduled vacations/trips at this time can significantly impact student achievement. Students who miss culminating activities will be given a mark of zero for the portion missed with no opportunity to make up for the missed work unless there is an extenuating and documented circumstance, such as a medical situation, court date, funeral, etc.
Social Media & Safety: A Parents’ Roadmap-March 30th, 2026 6-8pm Taylor Creek P.S. (644 Warden Ave. Scarborough)
Social Media & Safety : A Parents’ Roadmap is an engaging evening for parents and caregivers to better understand the digital world young people are navigating every day. We will talk openly about online exploitation, sextortion and AI, and harmful digital behaviours, while keeping the focus on practical, realistic ways to support children’s safety and well-being online.
This session is about building confidence, not fear. You will leave with clear strategies, conversation starters, and tools to help your child make safer choices, set healthy boundaries, and know when and how to ask for help. To Register for the event, please click here: https://forms.gle/DFxZAdPcrcz5Ghqx8
Food will be served, childcare is available, and community partners will be present. We hope you will join us for an evening of learning, connection, and shared care.
For any further questions, please contact [email protected].
Math Homework Help
Is your child having trouble in math?
Please encourage them to attend the Math HW Club.
There is free drop-in extra help with peer tutors and a math teacher every day at lunch in room 108.
Additional EQAO Math Resources on TDSB Website:
We are excited to add to the EQAO Math Resources Site on the TDSB public website. NEW THIS WEEK, you will find the answer key for weekly questions, the weekly question archive and the Grade 3, 6 and 9 Archived EQAO Questions for Families with the answer key. Parents and caregivers can download copies or have them printed at school. In addition, there are resources on the TDSB Mathematics for Families & Caregivers page.
Building Math Confidence in Our Class
We are excited to share that students in grade 9 are participating in weekly EQAO Math practice to strengthen problem-solving skills and build confidence. Here are some links for Math support at home:
Mainstage:
Dear Northern families,
đź©· Omigod You Guys! đź©· We are reaching out to you for help for the Legally Blonde Musical at Northern SS! Putting together a show is no small feat, neither is bringing back the musical spirit from many years ago. To make our production a smash hit, we would like your help with the following:
- Sponsorships: Your generosity will be recognized with an ad in our programme that will be distributed to the audience on the show nights.
- Donations: Providing supplies for our sets, costumes, props, hairstyling, makeup, or even printing the programme. Currently, we are looking for salon chairs and salon equipment that you can lend us or donate for the rehearsals and show nights in April.
Please note that performances are April 29th and 30th in the auditorium.
If you have any questions or can help us with donations or the services mentioned above, feel free to contact one of the staff supervisors Trevor Wang at [email protected].
Thank you!
The Legally Blonde Musical team & The Drama Council
Library Learning Commons
Library CLOSED for Literacy Test: Wednesday March 26 & Wed. April 1 9:45am - to 3:15pm
→ circulation desk CLOSED: no Chromebook loans or borrowing available
→ no printing
→ no classes; no spares
RETURN or RENEW your Library Books and bring back your Day Use Chromebooks
- Email reminders are being sent out to students with overdue and missing books, as well as Daily Loaner Chromebooks, on Friday, March
- Books can be returned to the Drop Box outside the Library. Chromebooks and chargers borrowed for the day need to be returned to the Circulation Desk in the Library.
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:
Looking for ways to meet other parents or find the latest information at Northern? Click here to Get Connected on the School Council website.
Upcoming Events:
Walking Buddies - Saturday March 14 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: Sunday March 29
The Ontario Career Lab’s March Break 2026 (March 16 - 20) Career Accelerator is a free, virtual week of career exploration and skill-building sessions for secondary students across Ontario. This is a safe, structured, and interactive virtual opportunity designed to help students gain clarity, confidence, and practical career skills. Throughout the week, students can attend: Registration Link: https://ontariocareerlab.ca/march-break-career-accelerator
Post-secondary parent coffee - Saturday, March 28th at 9:30 am - A great opportunity to connect with other parents, share, and learn more about setting our kids up for the next stage in their journey. RSVP to: [email protected] with Post-Secondary Parent Coffee in the subject line, and we will send you the location.
Grade 9 Parents and Caregivers Social (all welcome) - Saturday April 11 2026. Meet other parents and carers in the community supporting our students success at Northern. Join us at Daphne’s Antioch CafĂ© (620 Mt. Pleasant Rd) at 9 am.
Parent Feedback Opportunity - are you the parent or guardian of a student with disabilities or special education needs in the TDSB? Share your experiences and recommendations with the Special Education Advisory Committee on April 13. Learn more here.
To receive news "for parents, by parents," email: [email protected] with the subject line “Count me in.”
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!
Northern Secondary School Foundation Accepting Applications for Scholarships and Awards March 13-May 3, 2026
Attention Parents/Guardians of Graduating Students- The Foundation is pleased to offer over 45 Scholarships and Awards to graduating students. We are grateful to former teachers, parents and alumni who fund these awards. Awards range from $200 to $3000.
Applications will be accepted starting on March 13th 2026
Go to nssf.ca/scholarships for a complete list of the awards and application forms.
Some 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.
Award winners are selected by the Scholarship Committee of Northern Secondary School. If you have any questions about the awards or the application process, contact your guidance counsellor. [email protected]
Guidance:
- TDSB e-Learning registration OPENS April 21, 2026 at 10 am
- TDSB Con Ed Summer School registration OPENS April 28, 2026
- NSS Mental Wellness Theme: March’s Wellness theme is “Self Talk: Interrupting Negative Thinking Traps”! Check out this video about interrupting negative thinking traps.
The WHY of it: A Thought is Not a Fact! We get to control what thoughts we focus on and what thoughts we believe. Recognizing this leads us to be able to manage our anxious & negative thoughts so that we can function better.
- The Government of Ontario has launched My Career Journey, a new digital portal designed to help students navigate postsecondary options and career pathways with confidence.
What students can do with this tool:
Get a Personalized Resource Guide: By completing a quick survey, students receive a custom list of education and career resources sent directly to their inbox.
Explore Postsecondary Institutions: An interactive map of every university, college, and Indigenous Institute in Ontario.
Identify In-Demand Careers: Regional maps and data highlighting where the jobs are by industry and sector.
Access Labour Market Insights: Detailed profiles including median salaries, required training, and current job posting trends.
- UPDATED Scholarship Info: Scholarships requiring a Northern nomination can be found here. One upcoming award is the Schulich Builders award, which provides up to $40,000 for students interested in studying an eligible skilled trade in college. Applications are due April 1st!
- Northern Secondary School Foundation Scholarships will be opening for application on March 13, and will close on May 3rd. You can take a look at available awards here to start thinking about your application: https://nssf.ca/scholarships/
The Seeking Scholarships Report continues to update resources for students on available scholarships, financial aid, and application tips. Northern students and families can access the most recent updates in the Library.
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.
- We are excited to announce that the Corsage Project will once again be running for 2026!
Created in 1999, we work in partnership with the Children's Aid Foundation of Canada to provide free formal wear and accessories to female-identifying high school students unable to purchase their own prom attire. The Corsage Project accepts students referred by their schools or through social service agencies. These students will be formally invited to attend our ‘Boutique Ball’ on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 at Rosedale School of the Arts. For further information on the Corsage Project, please visit www.corsageproject.ca.
To apply, please meet with your Guidance Counsellor well before the deadline of April 17th, 2026.
- Summer Mentorship Program
Gives high school students in grades 10-11, who self-identify as Indigenous or Black, a chance to explore health sciences at U of T over four weeks in July. Upon completion participants receive a stipend of $1600.
MORE INFO HERE
- Reach Ahead to Kinesiology
FREE March Break program for Black and Indigenous youth that offers hands-on workshops, interactive activities, meaningful connections with professors and staff, and opportunities to receive mentorship from currently enrolled Black, Indigenous and other racialized students.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
- It's time for Grade 12 students to begin planning out which scholarships they would like to apply for!
- 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 March Break!
Adam Marshall- Principal
HISTORICAL:
Line 5 is Finally Open!
The TTC has asked me to share some communication regarding conduct and payment on the system. Please note that fines can be occurred for any of the following:
TTC Safety & Delay Awareness for Students- The TTC continues to experience service delays, with the most common cause being patron‑related incidents such as disorderly behavior and track intrusions. These types of incidents create the most significant lost time across the subway system and can shut down stations or entire lines for long periods.
TTC Fare Tips:
- Youths ages 16-19: Must carry high school Photo ID, a driver’s license, or Ontario Photo Card when travelling on the TTC.
- Using a Presto card is the best option for paying fares. You can get a free card through the Presto App or pay $4 at the nearest Presto Fare Vending Machine for a physical card. If you make a round trip within 2 hours, it will only count as 1 fare when using a payment card.
Students are reminded to:
- Say NO to tail-gating
- Do not charge the Presto fare gates. One student at a time.
- Stay behind the yellow line and avoid any horseplay on platforms.
- Never step near the tracks - even brief track intrusions trigger full safety shutdowns.
- Keep doors clear and avoid holding or blocking them, as this causes system-wide delays.
- Follow TTC staff directions and listen for announcements during disruptions.
By being alert and respectful while travelling, students help keep the TTC safe and moving smoothly for everyone.
Reporting Student Absences:
Option 1:
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.
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.