Northern Secondary School

April 9th, 2021

Friday, April 09, 2021 10:35 AM

Good Evening Northern Families,

We made it! “March” Break 2.0 is here. I hope everyone gets a chance to recharge over the coming week.

Yesterday marked Holocaust Remembrance Day/ Yom HaShoah. We recognize those who lost their lives and loved ones in the Holocaust. We must ensure that their legacies are never forgotten and learn from this past to stand against antisemitism and all forms of discrimination in our communities today.

The week of April 12 marks the beginning of Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak to all of those celebrating!

The week following the break looks as follows:

Monday April 19- Day 2

Tuesday April 20- Day 3

Wednesday April 21- Credit Rescue (if in a failing position)

8:45-10:30- E Block Classes

10:45-12:30- F Block Classes

Thursday April 22- Credit Rescue (if in a failing position)

8:45-10:30- F Block Classes

10:45-12:30- E Block Classes

Friday April 23- Day 1 (first day of Quadmester 4)

 

Quadmester 4 timetables will be distributed electronically on Tuesday April 20th.

 

*there will be updates coming about the week of April 19th. The board will email families directly as soon as an update is available

 

 

Credit Rescue Details:

 

Quad 3 Credit Rescue days are scheduled for Wednesday, April 21st and Thursday April 22nd. Students that are not in a position to receive their credit(s) will be sent and invite to attend one or more of the credit rescue sessions. Parent/guardians will also receive the invite to their email.

 

Any student in need of extra support from student success can book an appointment with April Vibert by emailing april.vibert@tdsb.on.ca

Limited appointments are still available on April 19th and April 20th from 8:30am - 4pm.

 

Northern Buddies Applications for the 2021-22 School Year

 

If you want to get involved in student life, give back to the community, and meet new people, then you should apply to be a Northern Buddy! The Buddies Program is now accepting applications for the 2021-22 school year. The Buddies help grade 9 students transition into life at Northern, promote extracurricular involvement, help build a sense of community, and help out at various school events. It is also a great opportunity to build and develop leadership skills while having fun!

To apply, click on the link below and fill out the Google Form. Applications are due by April 22.

https://forms.gle/gx6heAYqZJFZ4qtcA

 

From ESL:

On Thursday, April 8th, the ESL Department hosted the first-ever Virtual ESL Speech Competition.

 

What an awesome experience!! Twelve students in ESL A-E (beginner-advanced), from Downsview SS, Forest Hill CI, John Polanyi CI, Newtonbrook SS, and Northern SS presented their speeches in front of close to 80 students and staff.

 

Imagine giving a speech to a large audience of strangers in your second language!! This event required energy, courage, and passion, and these students had it all as they totally went for it!

 

HUGE congratulations go to Northern's own Muhammad Sita, Mokhalad Bannawi, and Chiara Casari for their lively and thoughtful speech presentations. Special shout-out to Dulce who was awarded the bronze prize for her speech about Cameron Falls. Bravo!!!!!

 

From Northern’s Music Council: POSTER

Playlists: Searching for some sweet vibes? NSS Music has you covered! Listen to Northern's multi-genre curated playlist, "Knight Tracks," to brighten your day. Playlists are out on Spotify and Apple Music every Monday. Visit our Instagram bio (@nssmusic) for more info.

 

Speaker Series: Ever wished you could valuable gain insight on what it's like to pursue music or be in the music industry? Check out NSS Music's 2021 Speaker Series! All Northern students are invited to attend, learn and ask questions for the speakers. On April 21st at 4pm, hear the NSS Music Alumni Panel give advice and talk about what it's like to study music in university. Sign up at bit.ly/musicalumni. On June 8th at 4pm, hear from acclaimed baroque violist, violinist and broadcaster for Classical 96.3FM Kathleen Kajioka talk about her experiences and music career. Sign up at bit.ly/kajioka. If you missed one of the past talks, fret not! Re-watch our previous talks on the NSS Music Youtube channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL85MeF6wHVHD12xD-dlQ_RNvNCkXopKgx. To stay updated with NSS Music, follow us on Instagram @nssmusic.

 

Tunescape Auditions: Attention Northern! There is less than a month left to audition for virtual Tunescape! Share your musical talents - whether it's a song you wrote or a classical aria - alongside your peers and be a part of Northern's annual spring concert. All Northern students can audition. Apply by filling out the form bit.ly/tunescape21 before May 3rd. Good luck!

 

 

Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) information session:

 

Informative Presentation on some interesting programs at Northern Secondary School. All parents and students welcome to attend. Great opportunity to meet Northern’s Student Success Teacher: April Vibert and Academic Resource Teacher: Jessics Beresford.

 

Topic: Introduction to the Specialized High Skills Major Program (SHSM), Duel Credit Program and School within a College Program (SWAC)

 

When: April 26th, 6:30-7:30

 

 

Read and Write And PDF Reader Available for all Staff and Students

 

Read and Write and PDF Reader are available for all TDSB staff and students. These tools provide a range of reading and writing tools, including text-to-speech and speech-to-text.

Read and Write provides literacy support to users in completing reading, writing and research tasks. All teachers, staff and students have access to the full suite of Read and Write tools in Chrome, Windows and Edge. Read and Write can also be used with Mac, iOS and Android devices.

 

 

Parent/Guardian Skilled Trade and Technology Virtual Information Night

 

The Experiential Learning Department has partnered with Skills Ontario to present a Parent/Guardian Skilled Trade & Technology Information Night. The message below can be shared with the school community.

The Experiential Learning Department has partnered with Skills Ontario to present a Parent/Guardian Skilled Trade & Technology Virtual Information Night happening on Thursday April 29, 2021 from 5:00-6:15pm. Join thought-provoking conversations to remove the stigma behind careers in the skilled trade professions, with a focus on the Motive Power sector.

Through this event you will have the opportunity to:

  • * Take a virtual tour with Centennial College Ashtonbee Campus through their labs, and watch a live automotive demo; and
  • * Hear about the partnerships and opportunities between the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP), Centennial College and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)

While this event is geared towards Parents/Guardians and students in grades 7-12, all are welcome! Please see this flyer for details and registration link, and share with your Parent communities! There is no cost to register. Spaces are limited.

 

SAVE THE DATE! TDSB’s Student Senate Mental Health & Well-Being Conference – April 21 and April 22, 2021

The TDSB’s Student Senate is hosting a virtual Mental Health & Well-Being Conference for students in Grades 6 – 12 (see attached).

The conference will be taking place on Wednesday, April 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for students in Grades 6 – 8; and on Thursday, April 22 from 2:00 to 4:20 p.m. for students in Grades 9 – 12.

Registration information to follow…stay tuned!

 

Math Support for Grades 9 and 10:

Northern’s Math Department is pleased to announce the beginning of an after-school virtual Numeracy Program to support grade 9 and 10 math learners! Students will work with members of the NSS Math department to build and strengthen mathematical reasoning and comprehension as well as practice and apply key mathematical processes and concepts required throughout the Grade 9 and 10 math curricula.

The Numeracy Program schedule is as follows:

- Grade 9: Tuesdays (3:30 – 4:30)

- Grade 10: Thursdays (3:30 – 4:30)

All grade 9 and 10 students are welcome and do not have to currently be taking math to register. Interested in registering? The registration form can be found on the Numeracy Program Google Classroom using the class code xwggamt

For any questions or inquiries, please contact Ms. Kendall at stephanie.kendall@tdsb.on.ca

 

Northern Secondary School Foundation:

 

The Northern Secondary School Foundation is accepting applications for Scholarships and Awards until April 30,2021.

 

The Foundation is pleased to offer several awards to students involved in social justice initiatives.

 

The Megan Isabel Loges Social Justice Scholarship was established to honor the teachers and staff who ignited a passion for volunteerism and social advocacy in young people at Northern. It is awarded to a graduating student who endeavours to make the world a better place for others.

 

Northern Secondary School White Ribbon Award

Presented to a graduating student who has raised awareness among the student body of gender-based violence, this award honours the effort of Northern students and staff over the years to end violence against women and girls.

 

Go to nssf.ca/scholarships for a list of scholarships and application forms

 

 

From Guidance:

  1. TDSB Summer School Registration 2021: Con-Ed Summer School & e-Summer School Program Overview

Here is a short overview of all the summer school options:

eLearning Summer School: Students can take one course in July and/or one in August. Mostly Gr. 11 and 12 courses. Registration opens at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, April 19, 2021.

https://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/elearning/e-Summer-Online-Program

 

Con Ed Summer School – Hybrid – Full credit courses, Gr. 9-12 Partly Online and Partly in-person. Program runs from Monday, July 5, 2021- Friday, July 30, 2021. Registration opens at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, April 19, 2021.

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/0/docs/Hybrid-Summer-2021_%20Full-Credit-Courses.pdf

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/High-School/Going-to-High-School/Night-School-and-Summer-School/Summer-School/Hybrid-Summer-Full-Credit-Program

 

Con Ed Summer School – Remote – Full credit courses, Gr. 9-12 Fully Online and Partly in-person. Program runs from Monday, July 5, 2021- Friday, July 30, 2021. Registration opens at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, April 19, 2021.

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/0/docs/Remote%20Full%20Credit%20Summer%20Program%202021.pdf

https://www.tdsb.on.ca/High-School/Going-to-High-School/Night-School-and-Summer-School/Summer-School/Remote-Full-Credit-Program

Reach out to your Guidance Counsellor for more information.

  1. Spring Scholarships: Free Money!

The Northern Secondary School Foundation will be accepting scholarship applications from March 12th-April 31st. Learn more here.

Check out the Scholarship Report for some great tips and opportunities.

Check out this document for a list of university entrance scholarships.

  1. Spring Post-Secondary Information: Grade 12 Guidance Google Classroom Info

Just a reminder to have your child check the Grade 12 Guidance Google Classroom for the “Post Secondary News of the Week” for information about upcoming events at universities and colleges, virtual tours, and OSAP FAQs.

  1. Graduating? Volunteer Hours and OSSLT Graduation Requirement Updates and Reminders

OSSLT update for 2021 Grads: Graduating students who have not completed the OSSLT will have this graduation requirement waived for June 29, 2021.

Volunteer hour reminders for 2021 Grads: Due May 1, 2021

Community Involvement - 20 Hours Are Required for Graduation! Please submit by May 1, 2021.

2021 graduating students need to submit 20 hours (and 10 of those can be from a paid job). For more info, book an appointment with your guidance counsellor.

 

School Council:

1) Thank-a-teacher- as we approach the end of the third 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 know our thank you's are deeply appreciated and impactful, and at a time when we are all feeling the cumulative strain of this year, please take a moment to reach out and make someone's day!

2) Graduation Planning Is Underway! - our grad committee will be sending out updates on plans to enhance the graduation experience for the Class of 2021 soon. If you are a graduating parent and have questions, ideas to share, or would like to be part of the committee, email us at nss.school.council@gmail.com. And if you have contacts or experience in the photo and video fields, we'd love your help!

 

 

Mental Health Counselling Support at Northern Secondary;

  1. 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

 

Have a great “March” Break!

Adam

Follow Me @PrincipalNSS