Happy Friday!
Dear Northern Families,
We are excited to have everyone back at school on Tuesday!
It was exciting to see students returning and new students this week at timetable pick up and Head Start to High School. Thank You to Northern staff and student leaders who stepped forward to make this week go so smoothly. Our Buddies, GAA, BAA and other student leaders did an amazing job again this year. I also want to thank our staff volunteers who gave up time to ensure registration days went smoothly.
To support new students during their first week at Northern, we will have Buddy Booths located in the front foyer on each floor. These booths will be run by our Buddies who are available to help new students find their classes, provide directions, and answer any questions. In addition to the booths, there will also be Buddy floaters stationed throughout the school to assist any students who need help navigating their way to class or have any additional questions. We want to ensure a smooth and welcoming transition for all new Northern students.
Timetables will be emailed out at approximately 4pm today. This message should go to the student and first student contact.
If you were unable to attend timetable pick-up this week please go to the south gym Tuesday September 8th at 8:00am. As a reminder: We collect Student Activity Fees of $70.00- this includes your yearbook (cash or cheque- School Cash Online preferred, cash accepted). For families with an account, a separate message from School Cash Online should have been received on August 21st.
First Day of School: Tuesday September 8th. Please note we will start classes at 9:00am on September 8thand the day will end at 3:15pm.
Important Academic Updates for 2026-27:
Assessment and Evaluation- The Ministry of Education has put new Assessment of Learning Guidelines (how marks are made up/ determined for each course) in place for high school students. Please visit this Growing Success Page for more details by grade and course type.
New Financial Literacy Test- If you go to the same link (Growing Success Page) and scroll down, you will also find important information about a new graduation requirement for students who entered Grade 9 in the 2025-26 school year and onwards. Students will complete this requirement as part of their compulsory Grade 10 Career Studies course. To meet the requirement, students will have to earn a mark of 70% or higher on the financial literacy modules. This mark will make up 5% of their final mark in Grade 10 Career Studies. The first test date will be 4 weeks after the course begins (a reminder that Careers classes last half a semester and are paired with Civics).
Mandatory Assessment and Evaluation Requirements for Grades 9 to 12- The Ministry of Education recently introduced mandatory assessment and evaluation requirements for secondary students. Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, most secondary courses will require written exams as a percentage of the final course mark. All written final exams from grades 9 to 12 will take place during the designated exam period, with the exception of the EQAO Grade 9 mathematics assessment. Please see Growing Success Page for details. This information will also be communicated for each class through the course outline.
Attendance and participation- To recognize the impact that student presence in class has on achievement, final student grades will reflect attendance and participation. Excused absences do not negatively affect a student’s mark. Excused absences are absences from school that are permitted under legislation or school policy, as outlined in Ontario’s enrolment register instructions. These may include illness or other unavoidable circumstances, such as inclement weather or approved absences such as cultural days and holy days.
2026-27 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test Changes- In 2026-27, all first-time eligible students will write the OSSLT in the fall, and those who are unsuccessful will write again in the spring. This message applies primarily to Grade 10 students.
- Pick up and Drop Off at Northern: This is a reminder that THERE IS NO PARKING FOR NON-STAFF MEMBERS at Northern. Parking Enforcement Officers will be ticketing vehicles that do not have valid NSS Parking Permits. Vehicles that are blocking access for emergency vehicles will be tagged and/or towed at the owners expense. Please avoid driving through the parking lot as it creates safety concerns for students/ staff who are entering and exiting the building. Thank You.
Books Owing from last year? Please bring them to the VP office next week. Anyone with books owing will need to return them or submit payment for these items prior to picking up their timetable.
Start of Year Permission Forms were sent to first contacts from noreplyregistration@powerschool.com on August 27. Please take a moment to complete these forms before Tuesday! (first day of school)
New to Northern and in grades 10-12? We look forward to welcoming you at our New Student Luncheon on Thursday September 18th. We will be located in Room 105 (staff room) during the lunch hour.
The student calendar can be found here: 2026-2027 Northern Community Calendar. Any additions made will be highlighted for a two week period throughout the year. For new students please note that all odd days are day 1 and even days are day 2. In other words, October 7 would be a day 1 and October 8 would be a day 2. Please note that this year morning and afternoon classes tumble- periods 1 and 2 swap, and periods 3 and 4 swap on even and odd days.
The student handbook can be found here: Student Handbook
For students new to the school please note that we do not have food service in the cafeteria. You can bring your lunch and eat in the caf, have lunch at home, or purchase lunch in the neighbourhood.
Electronics / Valuables - Unfortunately the school cannot be responsible for lost or stolen items. Please encourage your child to leave their valuables at home.
School Expectations – During the first week of school we will be reviewing school expectations with students. Assemblies will be held the second week of school to review key components of school expectations.
Linked to the Assessment and Evaluation changes mentioned above, and important for school safety, please review the options for student absence reporting below:
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.
Student Password Information
Student accounts remained active over the summer and passwords did not expire.
Students in Grades 5-12 can also reset their own passwords directly through https://passwordreset.microsoftonline.com once registered for the Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR). Instructions to register for SSPR are available here.
Students new to the TDSB will have their password set to the Shared Secret Password. This is a combination of the last 4 digits of the student number, followed by 2 digits for the day of birth, and 2 digits for the month of birth, followed by “@Tdsb” (case sensitive and 13 characters in total).
IT Support for TDSB Students & Families
To support parents, caregivers, guardians, and students, please direct them to the School Community IT Support website. Services available included devices, such as Chromebooks, and login assistance with Brightspace, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams and more. Go to the FAQ section to find details!
Cellphones:
Educators will work with students to determine classroom practices and will ensure expectations are clearly understood.
Students in Grades 7 to 12 must have cell phones/mobile devices powered off or set to silent during instructional time.
Should a student not follow these directives, they will be asked to hand in their cell phone/mobile device. If a student does not hand in their personal mobile device when required, they must be sent to the Principal’s office, as per Ministry direction.
Please learn more about cell phones and mobile device use in Ministry of Education PPM128 and at www.tdsb.on.ca/mobiledeviceuse.
Thank you for your cooperation as we work together to create a successful learning environment at Northern.
Northern Secondary School Start of Year Forms – Important Information
In preparation for the beginning of the 2026-27 school year, the Toronto District School Board will soon email all families directly with a link to Start of Year forms for your student(s). Look for a message from noreplyregistration@powerschool.com on August 27 and complete the online forms for your student as soon as possible prior to the first day of school on September 8, 2026.
Start of Year Forms ensure that the school has up-to-date and accurate student information on file, as well as consent for school activities. It is very important that these forms are completed in a timely manner and will help ensure a smooth start to the school year. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Should you have any questions about the forms, please contact Heather.Jewell@tdsb.on.ca in our main office.
Football:
Jr/Sr Football team information meetings will happen on Tues Sept 8th - Any Grade 11/12 boy interested in joining the Sr Football Team there will be a meeting at lunch on Tues Sept 8th in the Upper gym. Any Grade 9/10 boy interested in the Jr Football team, the meeting will take place on the same day after school.
Learn 4 Life- Adult Ed:
Registration for the TDSB Learn4Life Fall 2026 session has officially begun!
Please see this POSTCARD if you are interested in taking a course this fall. Programs are once again being offered at Northern Secondary School.
NSS Library Learning Commons:
- NSS Library Learning Commons:
- Located in the basement of the school: accessible from the main foyer only
- Check out books, graphic novels and manga from our circulation collection
- Get research assistance from a Teacher-Librarian
- Access technical support for your TDSB-issued Chromebook
- Library Hours: 8:30a.m. - 3:45p.m.
- Toronto Public Library Programs: Northern District Branch
- Youth Hub highlights: Wellness Wednesdays; Gaming Cafe - Mondays and Thursdays
School Council News (for parents, by parents!):
Whether you are just starting or in your last year at Northern, newcomer or Northern alumna, social or academic - every parent has questions.
What’s important to know at Northern? how do I get connected to teachers, clubs, parents? what is course selection? how to plan for post-secondary? what supports are there for special needs? how to connect with my teen? And the list goes on…
Northern School Council is pleased to host ongoing opportunities to ask these questions, share experiences, and get help. Everything we do is “for parents, by parents”, and there is something for everyone. Check us out at nsscouncil.com.
Northern Secondary School Foundation:
A warm welcome to all new and returning parents.
The Northern Foundation is a registered charity started in 1999 by alumni, parents and former staff to raise funds for scholarships and grants to support Northern Secondary School student initiatives.
We are managed by a Board of Directors and are pleased to offer over 40 Scholarships annually at Commencement and the fall Awards Assembly.
If you would like further information about NSSF, please visit our website at nssf.ca or follow us on Instagram @northernssfoundation. If you would to get involved in the work of the Foundation, email us at info@nssf.ca . We would love to hear from you!
Guidance:
Hello to our NSS Community,
We hope you are enjoying the last moments of this incredible summer!
Guidance Counsellors have been working this week to finalise timetables for the upcoming school year.
Here are some important dates & resources we want to share directly with you now before classes start:
- The Guidance office will be open in the coming weeks, but Counsellors will be focusing on meeting with students who have incomplete timetables for the first week of classes.
- Therefore, the appointment booking system for students will not open until the second week of classes for all other requests.
- Thank you for your patience and we look forward to connecting with you asap!
- Please note: each Guidance Counsellor has a new alpha group of students.
Jenny Sohn: A, B Jenny.Sohn@tdsb.on.ca
Deborah Poutissou: C, D, E, F, G Deborah.Poutissou@tdsb.on.ca
Jennifer MacPhee: H, I, J, K, L & Y Jennifer.MacPhee@tdsb.on.ca
Sean Magee-Saxton: M, N, O, P, Q, R & Z Sean.Magee-Saxton@tdsb.on.ca
Melanie Stassis: S, T, U, V, W, X Melanie.Stassis@tdsb.on.ca
- We encourage all students to ensure they have added themselves to their graded Guidance Google classroom to
stay up to date with all information shared throughout the year.
Grade 9 Google Classroom code: pu7uilj4
Grade 10 Google Classroom code: 3wvfe4kf
Grade 11 Google Classroom code: bedkqks
Grade 12 Google Classroom code: x6sh4ue
- 2026/2027 Timetable Request google form (link below):
- Please note: There is a strict criteria for students to be able to request a timetable change. The criteria can be found here.
- We appreciate your understanding in advance as not all requests will be possible to fulfill.
- Please find the 2026-2027 Timetable Change Request form here.
Last day for course changes will be Friday, September 11, 2026.
SAVE THE DATE:
- NSS Post-Secondary Fair: Booth-style Fair: Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 6:00pm - 8:00pm. Come and talk to all the Ontario Apprenticeship, College and University Reps!
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
NSS Guidance
Have a Concern?
If you have general inquiries, please reach out to the appropriate Vice-Principal by alphabetical last name. Emails to the principal will generally be forwarded directly to the appropriate vice-principal by (alphabetical last name).
Vice Principals for your Reference:
- A to G: Ms. Karen Stelling 416-393-0284 ext. 20013 (karen.stelling@tdsb.on.ca)
Surnames H to O: Ms. Kristen Beach416-393-0284 ext. 20012 (kristen.beach@tdsb.on.ca)
Surnames P to Z: Ms. Joy Kim 416-393-0284 ext. 20011 (joy.kim@tdsb.on.ca)
Have a great long weekend,
Adam Marshall
Principal