Greetings Northern Families,
Next week is a Week 1. Classroom dismissal will be floors 3, 2, 1. Please be sure to see important information from School Council at the end of this bulletin about elections and upcoming events. I want to thank Tania Osmond for her years of service as co-chair of School Council. We have all benefited from your commitment to education at Northern. Welcome to Andy Anderson who steps into the role and joins returning co-chair Janice Barnett. I look forward to working with the Council again this year.
Some important dates coming up:
Monday October 18th: Mark Updates- look for an email from teachers addressed to parents/ guardians/ and students. This is an early communication on achievement to ensure we can put early and appropriate interventions in place for struggling students and inform families, students, and staff for parent-teacher interviews. (midterm reports go home November 19)
Wednesday October 20th: Late Start (10am) PLC.
Wednesday October 27th: Late Start (10am) Staff Meeting
Thursday October 28th: Early Dismissal (1:45pm) Parent Teacher Interviews (more to come for sign up- Interview blocks will run from 2-4pm and 6-8pm. They will be virtual. Sign up coming next week after you receive mark updates).
Friday October 29th: Late Start (10am) Department Time
Wednesday November 3rd: Grade 9 Take Our Kid to Work Day (details below)
Wednesday November 10th: Credit Rescue Day- details coming.
In other news, next week is Cancer Awareness Week. NSS CURE members will be collecting donations in exchange for a lavender ribbon at entry doors every morning for the week of the 18th. Any size donation is welcome! All funds will go towards cancer research!
The United Way’s GetUP initiative is back! GetUP is a fitness challenge raising money for the United Way while getting people within the community active. It runs from November 1st to 14th and all that you need to do is raise money and be active in any way for 280 minutes. You will also earn 7 to 10 volunteer hours for participating. To register, join the Facebook page @NSS United Way GetUp 2021. Here, you will find more information on exactly how to sign up. Let’s work together to reach Northern’s fundraising goal of $15 000 dollars!
A reminder that for students that have not had a photo taken yet this year October 18 will be the next opportunity to have this done.
1:1 Device Program for grade nine students: If your child was away and/or you originally opted out but would like to receive a device, please email Jessica.pearson@tdsb.on.ca and I will arrange for a device and re-send the permission click form if necessary.
From the Student Activity Council (SAC)
Senate:
We are excited to announce that the Northern Senate will be getting started next week! We will be meeting on Tuesday, October 19, at 11:30 virtually via zoom. If you are a part of an association at Northern, please ensure that you send a senator to this meeting to represent your association. Please fill out this contact info google form before October 19 so we can contact all senators. All club charters will be voted on, and then sent to the House of Class Representatives. If you are a new club, you can officially begin meeting after both government bodies approve your charter.
House of Class Representatives:
All homeform classes will be conducting class rep elections on Monday, October 18. Our first House of Class Representative meeting will be on Wednesday, October 19, at 11:30 virtually via zoom. Each class rep will be contacted with all meeting information.
Club Fair:
Want to get involved in extra curriculars at Northern but don't know how? The SAC will be hosting a club fair to introduce all students to Northern's many many clubs! The club fair will be held on Friday, October 22, in the afternoon. Each grade will have a designated block of time to head down to the back field and check out the different club displays. If you are a club leader with a completed club charter, please contact the SAC to sign up to promote your club. Our instagram is @sacnss and our email is northern.sac2021@gmail.com
Club Charter:
Reminder to ALL Northern clubs and associations (new and old), please ensure that your club charter is complete. You will not be sanctioned to run if your club/association is not passed in the Senate and House of Representatives. You can access the charter in the sac linktree. Thank you!
Extra-Curriculars:
Model United Nations: "Want to gain confidence in public speaking? Do you love debating world issues like trade and immigration? If so, join Northern's Model United Nations Association! Our meetings are held every Monday after school at 2:50 pm in Room 301. See you there! All are welcome."
- Crew: Hi Northern! Crew is back and ready for new applicants. Do you like working with tech in the auditorium like lights, sound and spotlights? You can find our applications on the doors of the first floor auditorium or in the link in our bio @stagecrewnss. Applications are due on October 26th. We’re looking forward to hearing back from you!
Drama: Is your child interested in joining drama club? If so, please ask them to fill out this google form…
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdThEYII8JhGlUvAQ_r2dp5ueiiQt1Sc0zYEEodtTIObSgPFQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
Music: Did you miss the General Music Meeting? Have no fear, you can still indicate your interest in being part of an ensemble this year. Go to bit.ly/nssmusicinterest, We'll then be emailing interested students early next week with more info.
Canadian Senior and Intermediate Math Contests
The Canadian Senior and Intermediate Mathematics Contests (CSMC and CIMC), hosted by the University of Waterloo’s Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing, are two contests designed to give students the opportunity to have fun and to develop their mathematical problem-solving ability.
Who: Students in Grades 9 or 10 (CIMC) and Grades 11 or 12 (CSMC). [Note: Gr. 9 and 10 students are welcome to compete in the CSMC instead if they’re up for a challenge!]
When: Wed. Nov. 17
Where: Northern S.S.
Registration fee: $13
Interested in competing? Please submit the CSIMC Registration Form on our Math Contest Google Classroom by Mon. Oct. 25 by 3:30 p.m. using class code cyoa3rl.
Please contact Ms. Kendall at stephanie.kendall@tdsb.on.ca for any questions.
Take Our Kids to Work Day:
Each year students in grade 9 have the opportunity to participate in Take Our Kids to Work Day. This year the event takes place on Wednesday November 3rd. With the ongoing pandemic organizer have added a virtual option for students and families to participate in. You can find details about the event and how to sign up here: Take Our Kids To Work Day
There will not be curricular work taking place in grade 9 classes on this day. Students will be able to participate without concern about falling behind academically. For students unable to participate live or online with parents/ guardians you can participate at school with your classroom teachers.
Opportunity!
Join WiCS' first-ever high school mentorship program!
University of Toronto Women in Computer Science (WiCS) is a student-led organization dedicated to supporting women in computer science and building an inclusive and diverse tech community.
As a mentee, you will be paired with an undergraduate or graduate student at the University of Toronto, who is pursuing a technical degree. Throughout the year, you will meet with your mentor regularly and participate in social and professional development events and workshops. Mentorship sessions can take any direction that you and your mentor choose, from hearing about their university experience, learning about different career paths, getting advice on professional development or university decisions, or getting support learning a new programming language. You will also gain access to all WiCS events, which are typically reserved for current UofT students!
You're perfect for this program if you're:
- a female-identifying or non-binary high school student
- interested in pursuing computer science / tech, or simply wanting to learn more about it
- able to meet with your mentor for approx. 30-60 minutes once every two weeks, and attend a few workshops throughout the year (likely on Saturday afternoons)
*Note: this mentorship program will be conducted virtually, with optional in-person meetings with your mentor. You do not have to be located in Toronto to participate.
Apply at https://forms.gle/97uGQy2ET7jRgg588!
DEADLINE: October 17, 2021
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Natalie at wicsuoft@gmail.com!
A reminder from the TDSB- email sent earlier this week:
Good afternoon Parents/Guardians,
Ensuring the health and safety of our students and staff is a priority and everyone plays a role. Toronto Public Health has made updates its COVID-19 screening for students/children in childcares and JK to Grade 12 schools. Please use this updated version when conducting your daily screening before coming to school.
Here is the revised TDSB Health Pass paper version and these updates are reflected in the TDSB Health Screening App.
One of the most important thing families can do to help mitigate the transmission of COVID-19, is to screen their children daily for any COVID-19 symptoms and keep them home from school if they are sick or have had close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19. Thank you for your continued support in keeping our schools safe and healthy.
Guidance Updates:
- Post-Secondary Live Virtual Presentations for Week of Oct.18-22
- Monday Oct.18 at 3:30 -St. Francis Xavier University (Nova Scotia)
- Tuesday, Oct.19 at 3:30 - McMaster University -60 Minute live virtual presentation
- Thursday, Oct.21 at 3:30 - Huron at Western University
- VolunteerToronto.ca VIRTUAL Volunteer Fair: October 16th
Looking for volunteer opportunities? The virtual Ignite Fair gives young people in the Greater Toronto Area a free opportunity to connect with non-profit organizations.
Attendees will interact in a virtual environment. All youth attendees will be navigating a virtual fair space hosted on the modern platforms Gather Town and Zoom.
Click here for tickets to the event Click here for more information
- Upcoming Scholarship deadlines:
U of T National Scholarship due October 21st - https://future.utoronto.ca/national-scholarship/about/
- SeekingScholarships.com Fall Video Presentation
Looking for some more information about how to apply to scholarships?
Watch
Funding Post-Secondary Education (47 mins)
Topics Covered
1:00 – Cost of Post-Secondary Education
4:30 – OSAP – Student Loans
10:00 – Scholarships, Bursaries, and Awards
14:20 –Automatic vs Major Admission Scholarships
21:30 – External Scholarships – Includes lots of scholarship opportunities!
27:40 – Tips on Applying to Scholarships
42:00 – How to choose a Career
Summary Info Sheet of the Presentation:
http://seekingscholarships.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Grade-12-Workshop-Summary-FALL-2021.pdf
- Grade 12 Guidance Post-Secondary Visit Information:
- TDSB 2021/2022 Graduation Requirements Update:
Community Hours: In 2021-22, the required number of hours for community involvement activities will be reduced from 40 to a minimum of 20 hours for graduating students. Please see your Guidance Counsellor or the Guidance Google classroom for more information.
OSSLT: Ontario Literacy Test: Students graduating in the 2021-22 school year are exempted from the literacy graduation requirement.
Please see your Guidance Counsellor or the Guidance Google classroom for more information.
- Graded Guidance Google Classrooms:
Grade 9 Google Classroom link: kmv6fcz
Grade 10 Google Classroom link: twdxca6
Grade 11 Google Classroom link: hfg74ws
Grade 12 Google Classroom link: u565fkg
School Council Update:
1) Election Results - We are pleased to introduce the newly elected School Council 2021-22: Andy Anderson (co-chair), Jen Ankenmann (co-secretary), Janice Barnett (co-chair), Diane Caltana, Rita Czarnecki, Abby Dwosh, Sabina Holder (co-treasurer), Laura Martinez, Tania Osmond (co-secretary), Karri Paradi, Melissa Rosen, Steve Sims (co-treasurer), Rhonda Starkman, Claire Sun, Monica Tynan Day.
2) Today's the Day! In lieu of ongoing fundraising, we request voluntary contributions once in the fall for all our initiatives to support students throughout the year (clubs, athletics, wellness, conferences, workshops, advocacy, subsidies and much more). Click here for more details and the link to make your contribution through School Cash Online by October 15. Every gift makes a difference!
3) Self-Care: Recognizing the Signs of Burnout & How to Take Care of Yourself - Thursday, Oct 28 at 7 pm - Psychotherapist, Sarvie Riahi, will help parents and students understand the signs of burnout and ways to prevent it. She will also discuss understanding your own boundaries in order to set time aside to practice self-care, and introduce self-care tools to help parents and students reduce their stress levels. Presented by the Academic Resource Committee. For a link to the presentation, email nss.school.council@gmail.com with "Self-Care" in the subject line.
For more information, please contact us at: nss.school.council@gmail.com
Lumenus 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 supports to enhance the mental health services that they may need and wish to access. 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. If anyone 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. Please see attached information on the service provided at Northern.
Thank You, and have a great weekend,
Adam
Follow me @PrincipalNSS