Dear Parents/Guardians,
We are now in moratorium and students are into serious exam preparation. Monday and Tuesday next week continue with our regular schedule, but are also in the moratorium period. Exams being Wednesday the 25th. Students may not be aware that when they are not scheduled into an exam, they should not be present at school (unless arranged for with Student Success for credits at risk). The library will be available to students needing a place to study (and have an exam that afternoon) from 11am-1pm daily during exams.
Northern will soon begin its Semester 1 Exam period (Jan. 25th to Jan. 31st).
Please visit our Exam ReadiNSS site to find the Exam schedule and links to helpful supports, study tips and wellness resources. As well, you will find grade/subject specific information that allows you to see how teachers have been preparing students within the classroom. For missed culminating/ exam policy please see this AGENDA LINK.
You can also see this Tip Sheet for Students and Parents/Caregivers/Guardians from the TDSB.
In case you missed it here is the recording of: Exam Stress: Learning How to Manage It to Perform at Your Best. This is for students and parents/caregivers that focuses on understanding exam stress and developing strategies to cope with it to help students perform at their best. A link to the slide deck is HERE.
Bell Let's Talk Day
is Wednesday Jan 25th. It is designed to help start the conversation and promote a stigma free approach to discussing mental health. WellNSS will be creating a banner of positive messages to support our school during exams week! Please come out to add a message Monday or Tuesday at lunch in the main foyer. Everyone is welcome!
2023 Pascal, Cayley, and Fermat Math Contests hosted by uWaterloo
The NSS Math Department is excited to be running the 2023 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.
Contest date: Wed. Feb. 23
Registration due: Mon. Jan. 30
Registration fee: $7 (once registration closes)
Interested in testing out your mathematical problem-solving ability? Sign up by completing the registration form on the 2022-2023 Math Contest Google Classroom using class code: cyoa3rl
Please direct any contest questions to stephanie.kendall@tdsb.on.ca
HOSA - Fall Leadership Conference 2022
Congratulations to Ethan Chan (5th place – Sports Medicine) and Laura Roobaert (5th place – Clinical Laboratory Science) on their achievement at the HOSA-Future Health Professionals Canada Fall Leadership Conference (FLC).
If you are interested in participating in health science competitions at HOSA’s Spring Leadership Conference (SLC) taking place on May 17 and 18, 2023, in Downtown Toronto, join Northern’s HOSA Club. The last day to register, pay, and change your event/teammate information is March 17 at 11:59 pm. The top three competitors/teams from each event will be offered the opportunity to compete at the International Leadership Conference taking place June 21-24 2023 in Dallas, TX
Our google classroom code is CQBHZXH -- join to receive updates and information. Everyone is welcome!
To learn more about HOSA Canada: https://hosacanada.org/
To learn more about HOSA’s International Leadership conference: https://hosa.org/ilc/
Attention Graduates:
Graduation photos will take place Monday, February 13th and Tuesday, February 14th. Space is limited and will be the final chance to book a session at the school. Please book an appointment online following the link and steps below:
https://booking.edgeimaging.ca/portal/book/NEH
Click “Classic Sitting”, “Retake Sitting” or “Yearbook Only” Sitting
Choose date and time of your liking, click “confirm and pay now”
Enter student, contact and billing information and “click confirm and pay”
**Props will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own to personalize your session. Props could include- fake flowers, a rolled-up paper and ribbon as a scroll, an old school photo, a hard cover book, a small item that shows of your personality or interests.
**Please come prepared in a white collared shirt or blouse and tie.
**A black graduation gown, sash and graduation cap will be available
**Your confirmation email will confirm the location of your session will take place
We look forward to seeing you there!
Remote Night School Credit Recovery – Semester 2:
TDSB Students ONLY The Toronto District School Board is offering current TDSB students the opportunity to recover one or two credits at night school. Remote Night School Credit Recovery courses are open to current TDSB high school students who have taken the course in the past two years but have not earned the credit. Students may enroll in two credit recovery courses, one running on Tuesday and the other on Thursday. Visit our program page for more information and to register.
Key Dates
- Registration Opens – December 1, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
- Courses with low enrolment cancelled – February 3, 2023
Registration Closes - February 10, 2023 at 10:00 a.m
School Council News (for parents, by parents!):
Homework and Organization - Wednesday, January 25 at 7 pm - Organizing yourself for school can be tricky, especially when you have so many other things going on. Add in homework, and...ugh. Join Robin Bacher, special education consultant, on this youth and parent live call to learn tips to support you with homework and how to stay organized. Email nss.school.council@gmail.com for a link.
Subjects of Desire
- Join the Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement for a virtual screening of Subjects of Desire and conversation with the writer, director, and producer of the film Jennifer Holness!
- Subjects of Desire explores the cultural shift in North American beauty standards towards embracing Black female aesthetics and features while exposing the deliberate and often dangerous portrayals of Black women in the media.
- Told from the point of view of women who aren’t afraid to challenge conventional beauty standards, the film explores the positive and negative portrayals of Black women in media and asks what is the impact today?
- TDSB Families, Caregivers and Community
- Date: January 25, 2023
- Time: 6:15PM - 8:45PM
- Platform: Zoom link shared with registrants only.
- Register here (https://tdsb-ca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3jrbAnxRRLmyfGFL5UCHQw)
Guidance Updates:
- Save the Date: NSS 2023-2024 Course Selection Events
- In-class grade specific Course Selection Presentations - week of Feb. 6, 2023
- NSS Evening Course Selection Presentation – Thursday, February 9th, 2023 from 6:00- 7:00pm. Webinar link TBA.
- Department Course Fair @ Lunch happening in the 1st and 2nd floor foyers - Fri. Feb 10th and Mon. Feb 13th
- Please note: NSS in-person Semester 2 Timetable changes are not being considered unless a student is eligible to drop a course (straight drop), needs to add a course for a post-secondary pre-requisite or if a student fails a course. Not all courses are available.
- Opting-Out of the e-Learning Graduation Requirement
Students may withdraw from the online e-Learning requirement. A parent/caregiver/guardian or student (18 years of age or older or 16 or 17 years of age and withdrawn from parental control) may withdraw by submitting the TDSB Opt Out/Withdrawal Form to their school. No explanation or reason is needed to opt out/withdraw.
If you are not ready to make a decision with regard to participating in e-Learning, there will be future opportunities to participate in e-Learning courses or withdraw from the graduation requirement. A final decision is not required at this time.
If you have decided now to withdraw from the graduation requirement, please complete the TDSB Opt Out/Withdrawal Form.
- Post- Secondary Updates:
OCAS (Ontario Colleges) applications are due February 1, 2023 for equal consideration.
Check out our NSS Guide to Applying to Post-Secondary for info about post-secondary application dates, process and links.
- Upcoming Scholarship Deadline:
Applications for a Northern nomination for Western University National Scholarship opportunities are due Feb. 1st! See the Google Classroom for a link to apply.
- 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.
Please note: This resource is copyrighted and only available to Northern families - please do not share outside of the Northern community.
- Please note: the TDSB Volunteer Policy States that an eligible volunteer activity constitutes:
- An event or activity designed to be of benefit to the community.
- A volunteer activity – not for pay or credit.
- An event or activity to support a not-for-profit initiative.
For more information please visit the TDSB Community Involvement policy.
- Students, looking for Volunteer or Youth Employment Opportunities? Check your Student Guidance Google classroom: Gr. 9 code: 4ixv2jl; Gr. 10 code: kmv6fcz; Gr. 11 code: twdxca6; Gr. 12 code: hfg74ws
Financing Your Education Webinar
- Join this webinar to learn about how to finance your U of T education. Recruiters will cover topics such as admissions scholarship, the awards profile, and share resources to support you in navigating the wealth of financial supports at the University of Toronto.
Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Time: 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm EST
Click here to Register for the Webinar
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 safe, happy, and relaxing holiday!
Adam Marshall
Principal
Follow me @PrincipalNSS