Good Evening Northern Families,
An exciting week that we will all remember for a long time with changes south of the border and here in Canada (Governor General). We are down to 7 school days left in the second quadmester. There are several important pieces of information below about the next couple of weeks, course selection for next year, quad 3 timetables and so on.
A reminder that this coming Tuesday January 26th is a staff meeting day. The daily schedule will have morning synchronous learning end at 12:05pm and the afternoon lesson run from 1:35-2:35pm.
Trustee Rachel Chernos Lin’s weekly newsletter is found HERE.
A reminder that all outstanding work needs to be submitted to your teacher(s) by February 2nd to be considered. February 3 and 4 are dedicated to supporting students who are in a failing position with their current classes. February 5th is a PD day, so if you are passing your classes you will enjoy a lengthy weekend, and if you are putting in a final push through credit recovery you will have a 3 day weekend to relax. A strong, sustained final push will be worth it! More details below.
There will be concrete information about Quadmester 3 timetables in next week’s bulletin. Guidance has been working tirelessly this week to accommodate requests for Virtual Learning this week.
Maya Zibaie Academic Award: I will be including this for several more weeks. For more information, please click this link: nssf.ca/donate/maya Thank You.
Reminder- Yearbooks! Our yearbook team of students and staff sponsors is busy working on the yearbook. As you know there were no student activity fees charged at the beginning of the year (fees cover the yearbook in a typical year). There is an option to purchase a yearbook for $35.00 this year. You should have received a link from School Cash online earlier this week. We are working hard to ensure all students are represented in the book even though we have been unable to run a photo day.
Cooperative Education Information Session:
Cooperative Education is a program that allows students to earn high school credits while gaining valuable work experience. Placements include hospitals, skilled trades, vets, business, architecture, elementary schools, daycare, law, politics, restaurants as well as many other opportunities.
Co-op teachers will be having a Co-op Information Session on Monday, January 25 at 1:00. A Zoom link will be posted in the Guidance Google Classrooms.
Information is also available on the Co-op website: https://sites.google.com/tdsb.on.ca/cooperative-education-duffy/home
2021 Pascal, Cayley, and Fermat Math Contests hosted by uWaterloo
The NSS Math Department is excited to be running the 2021 Pascal (gr. 9), Cayley (gr. 10), and Fermat (gr. 11) Math Contests hosted by the University of Waterloo Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing. These contests are open to all students in Grades 9-11. The contests will be held online on Tuesday, February 23rd.
Interested in testing out your mathematical problem-solving ability? Sign up by Thursday, February 4 by 3:00 p.m. using this form! [Note: Signing up is confirmation that the student is writing the contest, and they will be required to pay the $5 contest fee using the School Cash Online system.]
Want to stay up-to-date on this year's Math Contests? Join the 2020-2021 Math Contest Google Classroom using class code: j5mmrwq
Please direct any contest questions to stephanie.kendall@tdsb.on.ca
Guidance:
- Course Selection Evening Presentation: Wednesday, January 27, 2021 @ 6:30 pm
School Council invites everyone to join our NSS Course Selection Presentation, Wednesday, January 27, 2021 @ 6:30 pm.
Our NSS Guidance team will cover many topics including: graduation requirements, myBlueprint, NSS course selection process, grade specific course selection considerations, SHSM and more!
Zoom Webinar link: https://tdsb-ca.zoom.us/s/98793105849
- Applying to Post Secondary?:
Please use our Applying to Post-Secondary Guide
Ontario Universities (OUAC) Deadline January 15, 2021
Ontario Colleges (OCAS) Deadline February 1, 2021
- 2021-2022 Course Selection Process: Upcoming Dates
January 27, 20201 @ 6:30 pm. Zoom Webinar link: https://tdsb-ca.zoom.us/s/98793105849
February 3, 2021 at 9 am - myBlueprint goes “live” for course selection
February 18, 2021 at 9 am - myBlueprint CLOSES for closure selection
February 23, 2021 at 9 am - Verification forms due to Guidance – process to be shared
- Semester 2 TDSB Night School Registration opens January 4, 2021 at 10 am and closes February 3, 2021 at 2 pm.
For more information on Semester 2 Night School please click here.
Student Success:
Reminder about Credit Rescue Days:
- The last day of online learning following our schedule is Tuesday, February 2nd. If you have materials to submit to teachers they should be passed in by Tuesday February 2nd. If you have successfully attained your credit(s) you are finished for that week.
- Wednesday and Thursday (Feb 3rd and Feb 4th) will be dedicated to credit rescue for students at risk of not earning their credits. Students and Parents will be notified by teachers if they are asked to participate directly in one or both of the days. The schedules for the two days are as follows:
Credit Rescue Day #1: (February 3rd)
- Course 1 (Days 1 and 2) Check-in/Attendance
- Course 1 (Days 1 and 2) Credit Rescue
- Wellness Break
10:45-11:00a.m Course 2 (Days 3 and 4) Check-in/Attendance
- Course 2 (Days 3 and 4) Credit Rescue
Credit Rescue Day #2: (February 4th)
- Course 2 (Days 3 and 4) Check-in/Attendance
- Course 2 (Days 3 and 4) Credit Rescue
- Wellness Break
10:45-11:00a.m Course 1 (Days 1 and 2) Check-in/Attendance
- Course 1 (Days 1 and 2) Credit Rescue
School Council:
1) We Need Your Help! - our annual School Council annual fundraiser has begun and will run until Feb 12. Please consider a contribution to help us support student activities through School Cash Online. See the attached letter for more details.
2) Thank-a-teacher- as we approach the end of the second quadmester, we want to encourage parents to write a quick email to teachers, staff, or administration to recognize the efforts that they have put forth to adapt to extraordinary changes and keep student success a priority amidst many challenges. We appreciate their efforts to make this quadmester as meaningful as possible and look forward to a time when we can say thank you in person!
3) School Council Meeting - Tuesday, January 26, 6:30-7:30 pm - All parents are invited to our next School Council meeting. It will include reports from our co-chairs and committees, future plans, and a principal update, where Adam will respond to recent questions from Northern parents. If you would like to attend, send an email to Chandra.Ramdhani@tdsb.on.ca and put “Council Meeting” in the subject line. You will receive a Zoom meeting link by 4 pm on Jan 26. And please send us any questions you would like to be asked!
4) Course Selection Presentation - Wednesday, January 27, 6:30-7:30 - with so many courses, programs, and post-secondary pathways to consider, students and parents may feel overwhelmed at how and what to choose for their timetable in February. Northern's Guidance department will cover the essentials from graduation requirements to Specialist Majors and have time for Q and A. For a link to the event, email nss.school.council@gmail.com with "Course Selection" in the subject line. Links will be sent on the afternoon of Jan 27. For those unable to attend, a recording will be posted following the presentation on our website.
5)"How Children Understand Race and How Adults Can Help" - Saturday, January 30, 11 am- hear from Professor Erin Winkler who will guide parents, families, and educators to help children understand racial identity, racism, and racial inequities in age-appropriate ways that empower the young children in their lives. Q and A to follow the presentation. Link to the event will be available here. Part of the TDSB Conversation Series hosted by PIAC.
6) "News for parents, by parents" - sign up for our email list for updates and news written for parents by the parents at School Council. Send an email to nss.school.council@gmail.com with "Count me in" in the subject line. And check out our website for notes from meetings and presentations, resources, and upcoming events!
GAC (Gifted Advisory Committee)
GAC presents “Advanced Placement, Post-Secondary Planning, and Enrichment Information Evening” - Tuesday February 9 at 7:30 p.m.
All Northern students and parents are invited to attend this virtual presentation on: Advanced Placement courses (and whether these might be a good choice for you to request in myBlueprint); thinking ahead to applications and sources of funding for Post-Secondary Education; and Enrichment Opportunities while you’re in high school. Please send an email to northerngifted@gmail.com to obtain the meeting link. We hope that you can join us!
GAC presents: “ADHD Highlights: What You Need to Know About ADHD” - Tuesday March 2 at 7:00 p.m.
GAC is excited to invite all parents, students, and educators to hear a presentation by Heidi Bernhardt, founder of CADDAC, the Center for ADHD Awareness, Canada.
Her presentation will start by debunking the myths of ADHD and explaining what ADHD actually is. She’ll look at how ADHD impacts an adolescent’s functioning in the home and school environment and the increased risks to kids with ADHD as they move into adolescence.
She’ll also look at what a comprehensive assessment of ADHD looks like and how ADHD is diagnosed and treated. She’ll discuss ways to support adolescents with ADHD at home, and ways to advocate for resources in Ontario schools. Additional links to resources will be provided during the presentation and access given to the Power Point following the presentation. We encourage you to try to attend the live virtual presentation in person, to hear the additional detail and Q & A of Heidi’s very considerable knowledge and experience. Please send an email to northerngifted@gmail.com to obtain the meeting link. We hope that you can join us!
Mental Health Counselling Support at Northern Secondary;
- Community Services provides a registered psychotherapist , Dale Callender, on-site, full time at Northern, to work in partnership with the existing school support services. The service uses an early intervention model and supports students by allowing them easy and immediate access to mental health and counselling services provided through the In-School service. Dale Callender works in collaboration with TDSB staff in order to customize a program to enhance the mental health services and supports that are available to students on-site at the school. This program allows Northern priority access to Lumenus’ mental health service program, and offers students a seamless referral process to other community programs as dictated by their individual needs. Dale Callender is available currently via virtual sessions and/or phone calls to provide psychotherapy counselling support to students, parents/caregivers. If you would like to consult and /or set up a time to talk with Dale, you can contact him via his email at dalecallender@lumenus.ca.
Historical:
Guidance:
There are two ways a student can book a non-urgent phone appointment:
PRO TIP: book during your a-synchronous morning time
1. Request a phone appointment at: http://bit.ly/nssguidance
2. Directly book a phone appointment (space permitting): http://bit.ly/nssguidance
Request or Book an appointment online at: http://bit.ly/nssguidance
To sign in to the online appointment system:
1. Enter your Student Number.
2. Enter your Date of Birth (YYYY-MM-DD) in the Password box.
3. Click “Sign in” User name: Student Number Password: Date of Birth (YYYY-MM-DD)
Need Help? See How-To instructions
*Sign-in for the First Time – How-to
*Requesting an Appointment – How-to
*Checking Appointment Times – How-To
*Changing Your Password – How-to
*Adding an Email and Cellphone Number: How-to
Please note Guidance Counsellor 2020-2021 assignments:
Melanie Stassis – A, S, U-Z - melanie.stassis@tdsb.on.ca
Leslie Usin-Rojas – B-E, I, T - leslie.usin-rojas@tdsb.on.ca
Jennifer MacPhee – F-H, K, L - jennifer.macphee@tdsb.on.ca
Andrew Primmer – J, M-R -andrew.primmer@tdsb.on.ca
April Vibert - Student Success - april.vibert@tdsb.on.ca
If you urgently need to speak to your counsellor send an email or call the Guidance office at 416-393-0284 X 20040. If you have an emergency, call 911.
Resource Support for all students with an IEP/ILP **VERY IMPORTANT**
GIFTED STUDENTS:
Monique Cipollone will be offering VIRTUAL office hours between 1:10 - 2 PM via appointment through the following link: https://nss-guidance.parentinterview.com/
Parents/Guardians - please feel free to email your questions or concerns to Monique.Cipollone@tdsb.on.ca
ACADEMIC RESOURCE CENTRE (LD) STUDENTS:
The Academic Resource Centre will be available VIRTUALLY, everyday, by appointment through the following link:
https://nss-guidance.parentinterview.com/
Ensure they book with: MS JESSICA BERESFORD
3 Staff members will be available from 1:10-2pm, daily to offer the following supports:
- Course work
- Brightspace and Google Classroom Navigation Support
- Organization Supports
- Homework Check ins
- Self Advocacy Development
DHH STUDENTS:
Eric Larocque will be offering Virtual office hours between 1:10 - 2:00 PM via appointment through the email: eric.larocque@tdsb.on.ca
Sign Language Facilitators and Educational Assistants will be available from 1:30-2pm, daily to offer the following supports. Please contact Eric Larocque.
STUDENT SUCCESS- for students without an IEP:
Student success supports that are offered at Northern can be found here: bit.ly/studentsuccessnss
How does Student Success help our students?
- Offering academic support in order to improve outcomes related to achievement and graduation.
- Benefit from programming that can help support the overall students’ needs (peer tutoring, student nutrition program, SHSM, etc).
- Support on matters they may have previously faced alone
April Vibert, ACL of Student Success, offers virtual appointments from 9am-2pm Monday-Friday.
Please book your appointment with April Vibert through the following link:
https://nss-guidance.parentinterview.com/
Have a great weekend!
Adam
Follow Me @PrincipalNSS