Greetings Northern Families,

Thank You to everyone for the smooth transition to online learning this week.

At this point I am unable to provide further details about an in-person return to learning.  I will share more information as soon as it is available.  In the meantime, we continue with remote learning next week. The TDSB came out with two templates for synchronous/ asynchronous (independent) learning Wednesday evening and we will implement this starting Monday.  It will be the same for all classes so that students and their families don’t have to keep track of four different schedules. 

Next week is Week 1.  It works as follows:

Morning Class:  9:00-11:30am.      Synchronous 9:00-10:52.        Asynchronous 10:52-11:30.

Afternoon Class:  12:15-2:45pm.   Synchronous 12:15-2:07.         Asynchronous  2:07-2:45.

**Wednesday January 12^th is a Late Start Staff Meeting- Classes on this day will run 10:00am-12:00pm and 12:45-2:45pm.  The full 2 hours of each class will be synchronous on Wednesday.

 

Please have a look at Trustee Rachel Chernos Lin’s most recent Newsletter

 

2020-2021 Yearbooks are still available!  Interested?  Please click here to purchase.

 

Prior to Returning to In-Person Learning:

Please input your proof of vaccination for us to access in case of cohort dismissal, for athletics etc.  There are two options for how to complete this task below:

How to Attest to Being Vaccinated via App on your Smartphone 

·         Log into the TDSB Health Screening App 

·         Click on the “My Vaccination Status” menu item, followed by “Update Vaccination Status” 

·         Carefully read each question and answer appropriately 

·         Upload proof of vaccination* (vaccine dose administration receipts or equivalent documents) 

·         Click on “Add Attachment” to upload proof of vaccination 

 

How to Attest to Being Vaccinated via Health Screening Web Portal 

·         Access "Safe Return to School and Work" Portal via https://tdsb.service-now.com/tswp  

·         Click on the “My Vaccination Status” button, followed by “Update Vaccination Status” 

·         Carefully read each question and answer appropriately 

·         Upload proof of vaccination* (vaccine dose administration receipts or equivalent documents) 

·         Click on “Add Attachment” to upload proof of vaccination 

 

Canadian National Math League Contest #4:

Congratulations to our top CNML#3 contest writers, Dongfu Han, Zoe Iczkovitz and Ashley Dong, for their impressive performance on last month’s contest! 

Registration for the January 11^th CNML #4 Contest is now open to all students, with no registration fee!

Interested in testing out your mathematical problem-solving ability? Sign up by Monday, January 10 on our Math Contests Google Classroom, using the class code: cyoa3rl

Please direct any contest questions to stephanie.kendall@tdsb.on.ca  

 

From the Special Education Department (through York University):

Academic Accommodations and Post-Secondary – January 19, 2022

Student Accessibility Services is hosting a workshop about academic accommodations and the transition to post-secondary for students with disabilities. All high school students and parents (or other support persons) who have questions or concerns about the transition to university for students with disabilities are invited to attend this session.

Topics to be discussed include:

• Documentation required to access academic accommodations
• The supports and accommodations available through Student Accessibility Services at York
• Transition planning

Registration
This workshop will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, January 19th from 7-8:30pm. The session will be recorded.

Please register online before January 19. Complete this Registration Form.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the session on January 19th.

ASD Transition Day – February 17, 2022

This is an information day for students on the Autism Spectrum or those with a Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD) and their families. It is intended for students who are in grades 10, 11 or 12 and are planning to attend a post-secondary institution (university or college).  High school service providers, such as teachers, are welcome to attend. 

Topics to be discussed include:  Transition realities for students and their families.   Accessing support systems at university/college.  Strategies for academic success.  Social life at university/college.  Nurturing independence.

This workshop will take place virtually, via Zoom, on Friday, February 17, 2022 from 9am to 1pm.  Participants will be sent additional information about how to join the workshop as part of registration. 

To register, please complete this ASD Transition Day Registration Form.  Registration will close once we reach the maximum number of participants.

 

School Council Update

 

Happy New Year and welcome back everyone! We're looking forward to seeing you at our first Council Meeting of 2022: 

Thursday, January 13, 2022 @6:30 PM on Zoom. If you would like to attend, please contact chandra.ramdhani@tdsb.on.ca with "School Council Meeting Link" in the subject line. The Zoom link will be sent out the afternoon of January 13th.

If you would like to submit a question for the principal's update, please send it to: nss.school.councl@gmail.com

 

 

 

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) 2021/2022

 

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) is the formal evaluation and credit-granting process whereby students may obtain credits for prior learning. Prior learning includes the knowledge and skills that students have acquired, in both formal and informal ways, outside secondary school.  Students may have their knowledge and skills evaluated against the expectations outlined in provincial curriculum policy documents in order to earn credits towards the secondary school diploma.

 

The 2021/2022 PLAR Challenge process will kick off with a Virtual PLAR Information Session for Families on January 17, 2022.  Please share the information below with your school community.

·        PLAR Information Session Flyer

·        PLAR website

 

Guidance:

Reminder to students: There is much more to explore in our Guidance Google classrooms! 

Gr. 9 code: kmv6fcz; Gr. 10 code: twdxca6; Gr. 11 code: hfg74ws; Gr. 12 code: u565fkg

1. 2022-2023 Course Selection: 

Save The Date: NSS Course Selection Evening Presentation will be held Wednesday, January 26, 2022 from 6:30 – 7:30. This is open to all of our NSS community. 

Note: Student grade specific class visits will occur Wednesday, January 12 during the day.

More information to come!

2. Friendly, Gentle "Nudge" from your Guidance counsellors - 

Graduating students:  Now that we've all met and chatted about your plans for graduation and post-secondary...get those applications to OUAC and OCAS done and sent!!! Don't delay! Even though the deadlines aren't until January 13 (OUAC) and February 1(OCAS), we highly recommend you complete your application and send it as soon as possible! 

3. Volunteer Spotlight:

Volunteer Toronto is hosting a series of workshops to help with volunteering. On January 11^th, 7:00-8:00pm they will be hosting a resume building workshop. Click hereto register.

On January 27, 5:30-6:30 they will be hosting their general Volunteering During Covid 19 information session. Click here to register

4. Scholarship Spotlight:

January 14^th – STEAM Awards - $25000

https://steamhorizonawards.ca/

January 18^th  -  Schulich Leader Scholarships

Apply Here  

Feb. 1^st - Western University National Scholarship

Apply Here

5. DID YOU KNOW?: The TDSB is hosting zoom drop-ins to learn more about TDSB support systems. 

You can find all the TDSB seminars here. 

Parents/Caregivers are Welcome to a Virtual Tea and Talk with CSW Staff

When: Mon, January 10, 10am – 11am

Description

Join a conversation with Community Support Workers, school administrators, and families and share knowledge, resources. Everyone is Welcome!

Join us via ZOOM

Call in: 647 374 4685

Meeting ID: 97080757894

For info, please contact Khadra Hussein: khadra.hussein@tdsb.on.ca

 

6. Canadian Mental Health Association Toronto

Click here to access a fulsome reference of mental health resources in Toronto, gathered by the Canadian Mental Health Association: Toronto (CMHA)

 

Lumenus Community Services:

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.  

 

During this time that students are not attending in person at school, Dale can schedule virtual sessions and/or phone sessions.  

 

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. 

 

 

Thank You, and have a great weekend,

Adam

Follow me @PrincipalNSS