Good Evening Northern Families,

United Way Week kept the building humming this week with early morning and lunchtime class projects/ fundraisers. Thank You to everyone that participated and contributed. Your generosity of time and/ or money makes a difference. We also had the return of in-person faculty follies. There were some amazing skits/ dances/ performances- thank you to our staff participants! Today we had the Amazing Race in the upper gym with some good laughs and great competition.

The United Way Fashion Show- a long standing Northern tradition Thursday Dec 1^st and Friday December 2^nd, 2022. Each night a spectacular dance, model and fashion show starts at 7pm. Buy a ticket to watch your friends dance, model, and show off their designing skills. This is not an event you want to miss! Tickets will be sold in the first floor foyer every day at lunch for $15, or on school cash online.

Please see Trustee Rachel Chernos Lin’s most recent newsletter HERE.

Every week information about Lumenus Services at Northern are included at the bottom of the bulletin. It is worth having a look at this fantastic resource we have at the school.

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) Support- All students interested in accessing practice reading and writing activities to support preparation for the OSSLT this school year can access the OSSLT Prep @ Northern Google Classroom. The Google Class Code is ds2eymd and all the materials and activities can be found under Classwork.

A decision to run Synchronous Lunch and Learn has not yet been determined in the event Job Action proceeds. Please check the Google Classroom for any announcements about a synchronous Lunch and Learn in the Stream.

Two More Days! The 2022-2023 school marks a return to in-person examinations at Northern. We know that this is a source of stress and anxiety for many students. While teachers have been preparing students all fall for January exams (where applicable, there is not an exam for every class) we are going to put some addition pieces in place to support students. One such measure is a 4 day block in late November where we will have an evaluation (eg. Test) each day. This is designed to mimic the experience of an exam cycle, minus the heavy weighting of exams. We do not throw students together for an athletic or musical performance without practice- this should be viewed the same way. Practicing for exams. Each test/ evaluation will be designed to last 45-50 minutes to allow for additional time as required for students with time accommodations. The schedule is as follows:

Period 3 Test/ Evaluation	Monday November 28
Period 4 Test/ Evaluation	Tuesday November 29

Teachers will be sharing tips on how to prepare for these tests (and eventually exams) so that students can practice the process and figure out what way of studying works best for them. The tests are not IN ADDITION to the rest of the course, nor are they mid-terms. They are tests that are being put in a block of time intentionally, that would have been written anyways for courses with exams.

 

Here are the “Four Things You Need to Know about Northern Next Week”:

1. Tuesday: Gifted Advisory Committee (GAC) at 6pm
2. Wednesday: 9:55am Late Start Staff Meeting
3. Thursday: Fashion Show @7pm
4. Friday: Fashion Show @ 7pm

 

 

First Annual Winter Coat Drive

 

Do you have old coats you are willing to part with? Extra hats, mittens, scarves or even boots?

This winter season Student Success has teamed up with Prince, our community Mental Health Nurse, to bring you our first annual Coat Drive. If you have anything you are able to donate, please have your child drop it off to the Student Success room from Nov 28th-Dec 15th. All donations will be distributed to families in need within our local community and across our local TDSB schools. See poster attached.

 

Any questions or further inquiries can be directed to april.vibert@tdsb.on.ca

 

January 19, 2023 from 7-8:30pm – Academic Accommodations and Post-Secondary

This workshop is for high school students and parents (or other support persons) who have questions or concerns about the transition to university for students with disabilities. This workshop will cover the following:

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

Last year’s session can be viewed on YouTube: Post-Secondary Transition.

To register, please complete this Registration Form before January 19. Upon submission of the form, you will receive an email containing information about joining the workshop.

February 17, 2023 from 9am to 1pm – ASD Transition Day

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

To register for this session, please fill out the Meeting Registration form.

If you have questions about any of the above programs, please contact projecta@yorku.ca.

 

TUTORING!!!! Please remember that Monday- Thursday from 3:30-4:30pm we are offering tutoring opportunities in rooms 111, 119, and on certain evenings 120. Take advantage of the opportunity if you are struggling to get additional support from Northern Teachers!

 

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)

All students are required to meet the Literacy Graduation Requirement through the OSSLT. This semester all students who are currently enrolled in Grade 10 English will be writing the OSSLT either on Monday December 5^th or Tuesday December 6^th. Their English teachers will be supporting their preparation for this within their classes. For additional information about the OSSLT and opportunity to do a Practice Test can be done by accessing www.eqao.com . In addition, the What is assessed by the OSSLT - Google Docs will provide an overview of the OSSLT format, types of reading and writing tasks that are required. Students in grade 10 who would like additional preparation support are invited to attend Lunch and Learn Sessions in the Library every Tuesday & Thursday beginning on November 10, 2022 OSSLT Lunch & Learn Calendar - Google Docs We will offer light refreshments during these Lunch and Learn Sessions . Should you have any questions or concerns please contact Vice-Principal Tiffany Peel (tiffany.peel@tdsb.on.ca)

Previously Eligible students in Grade 11 & 12

Students in Grade 11 & 12 who need to write the OSSLT (Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test) will do so on Tuesday December 6, 2022 from 9:00 – 11:40 am and their Location(s) will be posted outside guidance two weeks prior to the date. Communication to these students and their families outlining the supports and preparation has been delivered. For additional information about the OSSLT and opportunity to do a Practice Test can be done by accessing www.eqao.com . In addition, the What is assessed by the OSSLT - Google Docs will provide an overview of the OSSLT format, types of reading and writing tasks that are required. . In addition, we will be providing Lunch and Learn Sessions is the library every Tuesday & Thursday beginning on November 10, 2022 OSSLT Lunch & Learn Calendar - Google Docs. We will offer light refreshments during these Lunch and Learn Sessions. Should you have any questions or concerns please contact Vice-Principal Tiffany Peel (tiffany.peel@tdsb.on.ca)

 

Special Schedule to Support the OSSLT:

The OSSLT will be delivered over 2 days and to support the time required we will be modifying the Calendar Dates following a Day 1 Schedule. We will have classes double in length for these two days to make it work.

Monday December 5, 2022

Period & Time

1 9:00 - 11:40

Lunch 11:40 - 12:40

2 12:40 - 3:15

 

Tuesday December 6, 2022

Period & Time

3 9:00 - 11:40

Lunch 11:40 - 12:40

4 12:40 - 3:15

 

 

WellNSS:

Hey Northern! WellNSS is back and ready for the year! As Northern’s mental health association, we discuss all things mental health and mental illness. WellNSS’ main priority is to spread awareness and foster a community where discussing mental health is encouraged, to offer resources and strategies to promote mental health and reduce the stigma around it. You can keep up with all of our events and activities by following our Instagram @northernwellnss. If you are interested in getting involved as a general member or volunteering during events please join our google classroom! Our new google classroom code for the 2022-23 school year is 3qo5khn. Everyone is welcome!

 

School Council Update:

1) Walking Buddies - Saturday, Nov 26 at 9:30-10:30 am - join other Northern parents to walk and talk about parenting, school, and life. Meet at the Funeral Centre parking lot, east of the Mt Pleasant entrance to the Mt Pleasant Cemetery. Email nss.school.council@gmail.com for more details.

 

2) Tech Coaching - Youth Rise Up Live Call - Wednesday, Nov 30 at 7 pm - Welcome to the 21st century, where pretty much everyone uses technology without even realizing how it makes their lives easier. Parents and students are invited to join an expert tech coach, Robyn Campbell, to learn about all the tools out there, and how assistive technology can support your success with a learning difference. For a link, email nss.school.council@gmail.com with "Tech" in the subject line.

 

Northern Secondary School Foundation:

Thank You to our Recent Donors!

To Josh Wood NSS’06 of Parkland Fuel for their generous donation to the Northern Red Knights.

 

To Northern parents--Tony Krajewski of Deloitte Digital and Karen Craig of Thompson Reuters for their donation to the Northern Robotics Program.

 

And to the members of the Northern Community for remembering the Northern Secondary School Foundation on Giving Tuesday November 29. Donations can be made at www.nssf.ca/donate Tax receipts provided.

 

Follow us on Instagram @northernssfoundation to learn more about how Northern alumni are changing the world of science, philanthropy, the arts and technology and working to make the world a better place.

Read about all our Northern scholarships and awards on our website at www.nssf.ca/scholarships

For more information about the Foundation, contact us at info@nssf.ca

 

Guidance Updates:

 

1. Semester 2 Remote Full Credit Night School, Remote Credit Recovery Night School and eLearning Day School Registration: TBA, December 2022

Please note: TDSB Semester 2 Remote Full Credit, Remote Credit Recovery and eLearning Day School registration information and dates will be release in December 2022.

For more information on Remote Night School, click here.

For more information on eLearning Day School, click here.

2. OUAC PIN letters can be picked up from your guidance counsellor before school, at lunch and after school in the Guidance office.

 

3. Post-Secondary Lunch Events: Click here for upcoming LUNCH events.

 

4. Each Monday in November the Ontario Colleges will again be working together to provide virtual information sessions. This would be a great opportunity for students to catch all the colleges they may have missed on the road this Fall.
   Or click here to register: https://www.ontariocolleges.ca/en/colleges/college-mondays
   Each Monday the sessions begin at 5:00pm, there will be four panels of colleges running simultaneously, each group will give overviews/updates for each college then allow a healthy amount of time for Q&A.

 

5. Students, looking for Volunteer or Youth Employment Opportunities?

Check your Student Guidance Google classroom.

6. Check out our NSS Guide to Applying to Post-Secondary for info about post-secondary application dates, process and links.
7. Scholarship update: The Terry Fox Humanitarian Award applications are due on December 1st! Students can receive up to $28,000 for volunteer or humanitarian work. Be sure to put your application together as soon as possible if you plan on applying. Please continue to check the Google Classroom for updated scholarship opportunities.
8. Looking for Scholarship Application Support? Seeking Scholarships has published their November scholarship report, which contains information and tips about funding post-secondary, along with an updated list of scholarships and deadlines. Northern students and parents can access this resource here: https://seekingscholarships.com/the-scholarship-report-2/ using the password scholar1​​​​.

This resource is copyrighted and only available to Northern families - please do not share outside of the Northern community.

 

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. 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 or drop by his office at Room 312A.

 

Have a great weekend,

Adam Marshall

Principal

Follow me @PrincipalNSS