Dear Northern Families,
We are deep into the winter athletics and academic competition season. There are City Championship and OFSAA Championships taking place alongside many academic contests. There will be more details next week on how Northern has done this winter. In the meantime good luck to our senior girls volleyball team who are headed to OFSAA next week!
With that in mind, please remember to take a look at the calendar following March Break. It is a busy one. Please (especially if you are in grade 10 English!) pay attention to the weeks following March Break as the OSSLT and Parent/Guardian-Teacher Interviews are immediately after the break. As a reminder, you will receive mark updates on March 11th to inform your decisions for P/G-T interview day.
Take a look at this month’s SAC Newsletter!
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: SAC Spirit Week (details below)
Wednesday: Late Start @9:55am
Wednesday: Informal Mark Update
Thursday: Winter Athletic Assembly
Thursday: Battle of the Bands (end of school day)
TDSB Skills Competition
This week, 10 Northern students participated in the 36th Annual TDSB Secondary Tech Skills Competitions and racked up an impressive four medals! The contests challenge students to demonstrate their abilities in a skilled trade or technological area of their choosing. Congratulations to all participants, and best of luck to the medallists that advance to Skills Ontario and the Skills Ontario Regional Qualifier:
Mechanical CAD (Computer-Aided Design)
Adam Q - Gold Medal 🥇
Jeehu C. - Silver Medal 🥈
Fashion
Nika T. - Bronze Medal 🥉
TV/Video Production (Team of 2)
Eddie S. and Marissa M. - Silver Medal 🥈
Tavish E.M. and James K.
2D Character Animation (Team of 2)
Jake F. and Ren N.P. - 4th place
Photography
Julian S.
From SAC:
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!
Northern Trivia Association:
Congratulations to the Northern Trivia Association for their fantastic performance at the Consensus Trivia qualifiers. The Senior Team (Gavin H, Justin B, Dhru K, Olivia G, Faisal P) finished in a tie for second, well ahead of UCC and SMC, only bested by UTS. The Junior Team (John P, Emily T, Deirdre E-W, Andrew S, Charles H) were perfect, defeating every opponent including UTS, UCC, De La Salle. Amazing results!!
Yearbook:
From Yearbook- Hey Grade 12s! Yearbook Grad Quote submissions are OPEN NOW! Please submit here as soon as possible: https://forms.gle/gju2xisKrxjgGX9d9
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].
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
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,
🩷 Omigod You Guys! 🩷 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
Northern Students at the 2026 Canadian Indoor Track & Field Championships
Congratulations to the following Northern students for their outstanding achievements at the 2026 Canadian Indoor Track & Field Championships last weekend:
- Kieva B (gr. 12) placed 2nd in the 800m and 5th in the 1500m in the U20 Division.
- Maya D-C (gr. 11) placed 1st in the Triple Jump in the U18 Division.
- Annika K (gr. 10) placed 6th in the 800m in the U18 Division.
- Rebecca P (gr. 11) placed 1st in the 1500m and 4th in the 800m in the U18 Division.
2026 CYS Student Poster Contest - April 1 Deadline
The 2026 Child and Youth Services (CYS) Poster Contest is officially open as part of our ongoing mental health and well-being initiatives! This year, students are invited to explore how compassion, toward themselves and others, supports mental health, strengthens connections, and enhances overall well-being. Explore the full contest details here.
With the theme Compassion is the glue that sticks us together, students are encouraged to express, through art, how kindness, empathy, and care help build inclusive, supportive communities where everyone feels they belong. This initiative highlights the important role compassion plays in fostering resilience, belonging, and positive mental health for all students. We invite students to get creative, reflect on acts of compassion in their daily lives, and share their vision through art. The contest deadline is April 1.
Special Education and Inclusion Parent Engagement Sessions - March 2026
Special Education and Inclusion is pleased to offer various sessions for parents/caregivers this March. Please find additional information in this flyer. All parent engagement sessions for the 2025-26 school year can be found on the TDSB website.
Parents/caregivers can access the March newsletter and all newsletters here. These newsletters are full of resources and strategies for families to use with students at home. Parents can also opt in to receive the newsletter.
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.
Annual Giving Campaign
Thanks to the generosity of our community through this year’s Annual Giving Campaign, we’re excited to share that funds are available to support club activities at our high school. If your club is planning an event, project, competition, or other initiative and could benefit from financial support, we encourage you to submit a funding request through our website. All requests will be reviewed, and funds will be distributed based on need and available resources.
We’re proud to support the incredible work you do to enrich student life. Please visit our website to complete the funding request form, and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
https://nsscouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/nss_school_council_grant_form.pdf
Upcoming Events:
Last 3 Days - Student Nutrition Program - Cobs Bread Yonge & Davisville @ 1969 Yonge St - From Feb 7 - March 8 2026, Cobs Bread is running a fundraiser for Northern to help support Northern’s School Nutrition Program. 3 ways to support. Please visit the store for more details.
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. 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.
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!
Guidance:
- 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 weekend!
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.