Dear Northern Families,
A busy week at school. We conducted our first fire drill on Tuesday. We also held our fist Caring and Safe Schools Committee meeting- thank you to those that attended. Thursday we had our Terry Fox Run/ Walk event with some hilarious “dunkings” of staff after students hit ALL their fundraising targets. Thank You to the BAA and GAA for making this event happen. Thursday night we had Curriculum Night- always nice to have families in the building….the Buddies, Pals, SAC, BAA and GAA all helped make the night run smoothly- thank you! Finally today we had our Welcome to Northern event for senior students.
An update- the Northern garden keeps delivering- now up to 344 pounds for North York Harvest with 6 varieties of vegetables yet to be picked!
Wednesday is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Please wear an Orange Shirt if you have one! Let’s all take time to reflect on the 94 Calls to Action and show your support by wearing an Orange T-Shirt if you have one.
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.
The student handbook can be found here: Student Handbook
Things to Know for Next Week:
Monday: Club Fair @Lunch on the back field!
Wednesday: Late Start @9:55am
Wednesday: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day!)
Thursday: School Council Meeting @6:30pm (Heritage Room)
Friday: Friday Night Lights! Details below- hope to see you there!
Coming Up: School Council Election October 8 (see below)
A Message from SAC
Northern’s brand new SAC bulletin board is now up!
Found in the first floor foyer next to the VP office, this info board will be updated monthly to help students stay updated with school events.
All student council information can be found here, such as the SAC newsletter, contact info for SAC members, the NSS club charter and more!
Northern Get Fit(NSS) club
Northern is offering a fun fitness workout for all! The Northern Get Fit(NSS) club is back and is inviting all students interested in a fun workout.
Location: south gym
Day: Every Thursday
Time: 7:30am
Workouts are for all levels of training and experience. Come ready to move to fun music and get a great workout in to start your day. No judgment, just fun. Come challenge yourself to have a fun workout with new friends.
We will be welcoming new participants all year long. Come whenever the time fits your schedule.
See Mr. Gana in room 202 if you have any questions.
United Way
Hey Northern! The CN Tower Climb is back! Are you ready to tackle the climb with United Way? If you are interested in a fun day with friends, gaining volunteer hours, raising money for a worldwide organization, and getting an intense workout in, then this is for you! Mark your calendars! The climb will be on Saturday, November 14 at 9:30 am. You can find more information on our Instagram @nssunitedway or on posters around the school. Hope to see you climbers there!
Hey Northern! Do you want to earn volunteer hours? Do you want to get involved in a worldwide organization? Join NSS United Way! Come to room 304 at lunch on Friday September 25th to learn more about how you can get involved! Treats ARE included!
Northern Football "Friday Night Lights Game vs Western Tech at Rob Ford Stadium Friday Oct 2nd, 2026"
Tickets will continue to be on sale next week at lunch via cash sales/debit at Northern, and cash online "NSS RedKnight Football Friday Night Lights game Oct 2, 2026" - This will be an exciting Friday Night of Football - The Jr Red Knights will play at 5pm and the Sr Red Knights will play at 7:30pm. Both games will take place at Rob Ford Stadium vs. Western Tech.
Tickets and proceeds sold at Northern or via cash online go directly to the Northern Football Program. Tickets purchased "at the gate" on the evening will go directly to Western Tech- so get your tickets through the BAA (Boys Athletic Association) Any tickets sold via cash online need to be picked up via the head office at Northern prior to the game.
Support the Red Knights! Enjoy a Great Night of Football!
OSSLT Prep Opportunity:
The English Department will be hosting weekly OSSLT prep sessions beginning Thursday, September 24. Sessions will take place every Thursday at lunch in Room 305.
Students are encouraged to drop in for extra support, practice, helpful strategies, and preparation for the OSSLT.
All students preparing to write the OSSLT are welcome!
NSS Library Learning Commons: 8:30a.m. - 3:45p.m. daily
- Located in the basement of the school: accessible from the main foyer only
- Check out books, graphic novels and manga from our collection
- Get research assistance from a Teacher-Librarian
- Access technical support for your TDSB-issued Chromebook
School Council:
School Council’s first meeting of the year is this coming Thursday October 1st and will take place in the Heritage Room/ Virtually.
Please see Northern's official School Council Election here Northern School Council Election Notice .
Please consider putting your hand up for one of 15 voting council positions for this school year. Nominations are open until Saturday October 3rd at 11:59 pm. If there are more than 15 interested applicants, elections for the 2026-2027 Council will take place October 8th at 6:30 pm in the school Heritage Room or through virtual link. If there are fewer than 15 applicants, positions will be acclaimed.
Additional Information/ Links are available through this LINK from the Elections Committee.
Guidance:
1. We will be offering a Scholarship Workshop on Thursday, October 1st at lunch in Room 111 for students who want to learn more about opportunities to fund post-secondary school.
2. The Ontario Universities' Fair is coming to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building September 26-27 9:30-5pm daily.
3. Scholarships: Guidance will sharing lots of information about scholarships for students applying to post-secondary programs.
- Some major awards require students to apply for a nomination from Northern. Students can find a list of different commonly applied for awards and links to apply for school nominations here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ELN7YYaXVtQSYNHeL2n5t_yF8wTzO5WlVJUgyii1MM8/edit?tab=t.0
- We will also be sharing a resource from https://seekingscholarships.com/ in the coming weeks - stay tuned
3. The Guidance Appointment Booking system is open! Thank you for your patience while we worked out the access issues!
Students can book an appointment here: http://bit.ly/nssguidance
We look forward to connecting with you!
4. 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!
5. 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
6. Check out our NSS Student Services Info Hub Site created to help answer questions about graduation requirements, course selection and so much more!
Have a great weekend,
Adam Marshall
Principal
HISTORICAL:
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.
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.
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!