Principal's Message

Good Morning Garth Webb:

Garth Webb had an outstanding week in co-curricular competitions and had some fun doing some experiential learning on field trips too!!! There was so much going on last week. Congratulations to our Jr. and Sr. Mock Trial groups who both won the Halton Championships. The Sr. team now goes on to defend its title in the Regional Competition at the Milton Courthouse. These potential future lawyers have got it going on!!!  We also tried our hand at the first ever Business Pentathlon competition at Guelph University and our young Junior team won a top prize and came 3rd overall.  Impressive!!   

In sports, our very own Grade 9 Nishtha Dubey won GOLD at the GHAC championship beating out all other singles competitors in all grades. Wowzers!! She is headed to OFSAA!! Unbelievable!! The Dance team danced their way to top honours in their competitions beating out other teams from across Ontario. Our small contemporary group earned Platinum honours and Best Overall Small Group!! This is what legends are made of people!!!! Meanwhile, all our other spring teams are just starting their league play and I can't wait to see how they all do.

Our Robotics 5409 impressed the heck out of the judges and teams at the Worlds in Texas. They couldn't believe how well engineered our robot was to be able to maneuver and lift itself up on a chain to score. It is really "top shelf" in its class!!!! Stay tuned for an update from the team next week. Congratulations for all the hard work and time you all put into the season. Be sure to thank your mentors and teacher leads!!!

I would like to acknowledge and thank the 285 Grade 9 & 10 students who attended the Jr. Semi Formal on Thursday night. I was very impressed with their respectful behaviour and that they chose to party in the right spirit! Amazing!! Some pizza, some cupcakes, some photos, and dancing.... which is really like jumping up and down these days! LOL  Thank you to the student and teacher organizers for such a well run event and to the teacher chaperones that helped out that evening. Well done!!!

Midterm report cards were sent out electronically on Friday. Here is hoping that your student is earning the results they want. We are here to help if anyone needs assistance in their courses.

Take care,

Jacquie Pece

2SLGBTQIA+ Parent/Guardian Advocacy and Support Group Special Guest Speakers @ May 2 Meeting

Our next meeting for the 2SLGBTQIA+ Parent/Guardian Advocacy and Support Group will be on Thursday, May 2 at 7 pm (online). New members are always welcome to join. Our group is for parents and guardians of children who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ and/or parents/guardians who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ themselves. The group meets monthly online on the first Thursday of the month.

At the May meeting we will be joined by special guests:

Reah Shin, HDSB Graduation Coach for 2S&LGBTQ+ Students

Shelita Walker, HDSB System Principal of Human Rights, Equity & Inclusive Education

Join us on May 2 to learn more about Reah & Shelita's roles in the HDSB and how Reah has been supporting 2S&LGBTQ+ students throughout Halton this year in her new role of Graduation Coach.

Please CLICK HERE to register for this meeting (a link to the virtual meeting will only be shared with those who are registered to attend).

If you would like more information about this meeting or the group, please email Kerri Lee at leeke@hdsb.ca.

The Future of Work IdeaThon - This Thursday May 2

The Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grants program provides funding to school boards to lead projects with a focus on the identification and removal of barriers that prevent parents and families from participating and engaging fully in their student's learning.

This year, the Garth Webb and Abbey Park School Councils are hosting "The Future of Work IdeaThon" on May 2, 2024 from 6 - 8 pm at Garth Webb S.S. This initiative aims to bring clarity to the evolving workforce landscape for parents, helping them prepare their children for the dynamic future ahead. 

Please click here for more information. To reserve your free ticket for the event, click here.

Badminton GHAC Champion

Nishtha Dubey won 1st place at GHAC Badminton in the Girls Singles category. As a grade 9 student, this is a huge accomplishment because she competes against seniors. Nishtha will now be going to OFSAA in Barrie to compete. Good luck Nishtha and thank you to Coaches Ms. Coe & Mr. Boseveld for your work with the team this year!

Business Pentathlon at U of Guelph

For our first ever Business Pentathlon, GW students did very well competing in 5 events at the University of Guelph (Lang School of Business and Economics) featuring a Business Escape Room (based on the number of correct business answers), Entrepreneurship Challenge (sales pitch), Sustainability Challenge, Marketing Analytics Challenge, and Networking Challenge (Climbing the Ladder).

We had 4 teams (3 Senior and 1 Junior) participating as part of the High School Leadership Academy. Our Junior Team (Reeva Jiyani, Diya Shodhan, Deepa Kalia, Anvay Mathur) finished 3rd overall - winning top prize for the ESG Event (based on environmental, social, and corporate governance criteria). They were thankful to their cluster leaders at DECA in semester 1 plus their business teachers for some extra-curricular support prior to the event.

The following competitors all did very well since it was our first ever attempt at the competition:

TEAM A - Senior (Grade 11): Prabhav Bhadrachalam, Ryen Salami, Mazin Sabunchi, Amir Abdalyev

TEAM B - Senior (Grade 11): Volodymyr Seheda, Karim Nasereddin, Will Wang, Brooke Nelson

TEAM C - Senior (Grade 11): Zaina Ahmad, Dania Khan, Sophia Williams, Mariam Abdeldayem 

TEAM D - Junior (Grade 9): Reeva Jiyani, Diya Shodhan, Deepa Kalia, Anvay Mathur

Music Ensemble Field Trip

Last week, our music ensembles went to Roy Thomson Hall to see the Toronto Symphony Orchestra play a concert called “What Does the Composer Do?” They learned about music arranging, and heard popular classical pieces from movies and video games. Thank you to our teacher chaperones for arranging such a great learning experience for our music students!

GW Parents for Black and Biracial Student Achievement RSVP

“Elevating Excellence”: A Celebration of Garth Webb’s Black & Biracial Students Current, Graduating, and Alumni 

May 16, 2024 – 7:00 pm

Garth Webb Secondary School Library

Garth Webb Parents for Black and Biracial Student Achievement continue to be committed to working with the school to create a safe and brave place for our Black and Biracial students because we know the impact racism has and continues to have on our students' personal identity and their need to feel a sense of belonging.

Our initiatives and projects have included:

• ELEVATING EXCELLENCE – An annual Celebration for Garth Webb Black And Biracial Graduates

• Garth Webb Black and Biracial Alumni Mentorship Association

• Black And Biracial Professionals Network

• Co-op Opportunities with Oakville Black/Biracial-Owned Businesses

• Leadership Opportunities for Garth Webb Black and Biracial students

Please RSVP here to join us for Elevating Excellence! All GW families are welcome to attend.

TEDx Free Tickets Now Available

On Thursday, May 9 GWSS will be hosting our first licensed TEDx Youth event, Building Our Own Future: Teenage empowerment for a prospective tomorrow! 

Tickets to this proud platform for the passionate voices of our diverse student population are now available free on School Cash Online. Please visit our website for more information. 

Yearbook Deadline is Monday, May 6!

Don't forget to order your copy of the 2023-2024 yearbook before it's too late. Yearbooks are available to order on School Cash Online only. We do not order extra copies so you must order online before the deadline of May 6 to be able to get a copy of this year's yearbook.

If you don't see the fee available on School Cash Online it is most likely because you have already purchased the yearbook for this year. Please check in your purchase history to confirm. 

Don't miss out on ordering this keepsake! Visit School Cash Online today!

From Your Student Services Department

Tuesdays @Ten

Please join us Tuesday, May 7 at 10 am for our next community engagement session. This month we will be talking about summer school and answering any questions you may have.

Summer School

Summer school registration is now open through myBlueprint. All information around summer school can be found on this document and also on the Gary Allan website.

OUAC/OCAS Upload

Grade 12 mid-term marks have been uploaded to OUAC and OCAS. We encourage all Grade 12’s who applied to University or College to check their accounts and reach out to their counsellor if they have any concerns.

Full Disclosure - Grade 11/12 students

The full disclosure date for semester two is Friday, May 3, 2024. Courses dropped after this date will appear on a high school transcript. If you are considering dropping a course, we encourage you to speak with your guidance counsellor and be mindful of the deadline.

Graduation Requirement - Community Hours

The 40 hours of Community Involvement is a graduation requirement. As such, the school will not be able to issue a student’s Diploma until they have completed all 40 hours of Community Involvement. We encourage all graduates to submit their hours as soon as possible, with a deadline of May 1 so that we can ensure everything is in place for Graduation and the final upload of information to OUAC/OCAS.

Graduation Requirement - 2 eLearning Courses

Similar to the Community Involvement hours, the completion of two e-Learning courses is a graduation requirement and the school will not be able to issue you a Diploma until you have either completed 2 Online Learning credits or submitted the HDSB opt-out form. If you are currently registered or have intentions of registering for your e-Learning courses, no further action needs to be taken. Please ensure that all documentation is submitted to your Guidance counsellor for any e-Learning courses taken outside of HDSB to ensure it is included in your transcript.

If you are intending to opt out of the e-Learning requirement, we encourage all graduates to submit their form as soon as possible, with a deadline of May 1 so that we can ensure everything is in place for Graduation and the final upload of marks and information to OUAC/OCAS.

HDSB US University Fair for Secondary Students and Families:

1. • Date: May 14 from 5pm-8pm ET

   • Location: Iroquois Ridge High School in Oakville (1123 Glenashton Dr, Oakville, ON L6H 5M1) 

   • Details: This fair is open to students/families from Gr. 9-12. There are 2 time blocks. Gr.9/10 will have access to the fair from 5 pm-6:30 pm and Gr. 11/12 will have access from 6:30 pm-8 pm

   • Registration:  Please note that families should be registering for this event directly (students should only register themselves with parent/guardian/caregiver permission).

*Note that the timing breakdown by grade may be collapsed (so any secondary family can come between 5-8 pm) if there isn't concern about exceeding capacity. If this is decided, a message will be sent to all registrants to this effect.

Questions about the event can be directed to Lisa Galay, Instructional Program Leader for Student Supports and Regional Programs at galayl@hdsb.ca or to the College Trackr Canada event organizer:

Sujee Kulendran (he/him/his), Director, U.S. College Relations

CollegeTrackr Canada I Not-For-Profit Organization

A  24 Maple Ave, Second Floor, Barrie, ON, L4M 7W4 

P  6473087691

E  sujee@collegetrackr.com 

W  https://collegetrackr.com

Celebrating Poetry Month with Los Poemas en el grado 12  (Poems in grade 12)

Ms. Avery's grade 12 Spanish class has been working on poems in April to commemorate National Poetry Month. Here are some that they wanted to share with all of us...

Commencement Ticket Orders Due

We are going paperless this year for commencement. Students must order their Commencement tickets using this form by Friday, May 3. There is no cost for the tickets. Please place your order ASAP for either 1 or 2 tickets. Students can also request to enter the ticket lottery to potentially receive 1 extra ticket. Students must be the ones to order the tickets.

There will be no paper tickets for commencement and instead, guests on the list will check in with staff when they arrive at the venue.

Commencement Details:

Monday, June 10, 2024 @4:30 pm at the Meeting House (2700 Bristol Circle, Oakville).

Students order your tickets today!

Last Chance for Grade 12 Prom Tickets

Grade 12 Prom will be on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at the Oakville Conference Centre (2515 Wyecroft Rd, Oakville, ON L6L 6P8). Tickets are now available on School Cash Online. Tickets will need to be purchased no later than April 30, 2024. Everyone attending will need to have a ticket.

All students must complete a prom contract and submit it to the main office once their ticket has been purchased. Blank contracts can be picked up in the main office. If students are bringing a guest, a second ticket will need to be purchased and the guest will need to complete their portion of the contract as well. Please allow time for the guest's school administrator to fill in their section. 

All ticket purchases and contracts must be in by April 30, 2024.

Co-op Student of the Week

Student: Hannah Briedenhann, Grade 12

Placement: Adults In Motion Oakville

My main responsibilities at AIM are to help prep for the day like print out worksheets, clean and organize. I also help support staff in activities or work one on one with participants. Furthermore, I have created one of a kind activities and lead workshops. 

I’ve learnt how the crucial roles that communication, organization and teamwork play in an environment such as AIM. Because we are always on the move and jumping from task to task it’s important that we talk before our day starts to set clear expectations for everyone, and it’s important that things are in it’s right place so it is easily accessible. 

Originally I was taking a gap year once I graduated to work and get a better understanding of what I wanted to do with my life but with this co-op I’ve changed my pathway. While being at AIM I realized that I loved working in that type of atmosphere and I wanted to do something like that so I decided to apply to Sheridans Social Worker Program as a foundation degree to start off my educational journey to be able to work with people with disabilities. 

To see what else the Co-op Crew has been up to, please follow us on Instagram @GWSSCoop

Co-op Information Night

Save the date and join us on Wednesday, May 22 at 8 pm online to learn about what the GWSS Co-op Program entails, including student expectations and how to secure a placement. 

Please click here to register.

 If you have any questions, you can contact Ms. Anjos at anjosc@hdsb.ca. 

April is Sikh Heritage Month

In 2013, history was made with April proclaimed as Sikh Heritage Month by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Bill 52). The first of its kind in the world, Sikh Heritage Month is a celebration of arts, culture, and heritage.  Now, we are celebrating more than 10 years of Sikh Heritage Month in Ontario!

Many would be surprised to learn that the linkage between Sikhs and Canada is over 200 years old. The legacy of Sikhs in Canada is nothing short of remarkable; a testament to the resilience of the early pioneers who overcame formidable obstacles

Click here to read more on the Sikh Heritage Museum website.

Beltane May 1

Beltane, also spelled Beltine, Irish Beltaine or Belltaine, also known as Cétamain, festival held on the first day of May in Ireland and Scotland, celebrating the beginning of summer and open pasturing. Beltane is first mentioned in a glossary attributed to Cormac, bishop of Cashel and king of Munster, who was killed in 908. Cormac describes how cattle were driven between two bonfires on Beltane as a magical means of protecting them from disease before they were led into summer pastures—a custom still observed in Ireland in the 19th century. Other festivities included Maypole dances and cutting of green boughs and flowers.  

Click here to learn more.

Orthodox Holy Friday & Easter May 3 & 5

On the Great and Holy Feast of Pascha/Easter, Orthodox Christians celebrate the life-giving Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This feast of feasts is the most significant day in the life of the Church. It is a celebration of the defeat of death, as neither death itself nor the power of the grave could hold our Saviour captive. In this victory that came through the Cross, Christ broke the bondage of sin, and through faith offers us restoration, transformation, and eternal life. Click here to learn more.

Paschal/Easter Greeting: Christ is Risen! Truly, He is Risen! 

Paschal Troparion (Hymn): Christ is risen from the dead, by death trampling death, and to those in the tombs granting life!

Upcoming Mental Health Information Sessions

ADAPT Presents...

Technology Over Use and Social Media Webinar

Monday, April 29, 2024 @ 7 pm

Adapt will provide resources for both parents and teachers about technology overuse, social media, and how to support youth during this 1 hour presentation. More information here: Adapt Webinar Flyer.

Problem Gambling and Behavioural Addictions Program

Problem Gaming Workshop (4 Evenings)

Monday May 27th, June 3rd, 10th, and 24th

6:30pm – 8:00pm via ZOOM

Problematic gaming refers to the compulsive and harmful engagement with video games, often resulting in distress, suffering, and/or negative life consequences.

Gaming can be accessed through phones, tablets, gaming consoles, and PC’s. Over time gaming addiction can lead to changes in the brain that compromise our ability to focus, prioritize, regulate our moods, and relate to others.

Individuals struggling with gaming commonly experience prolonged gaming sessions, unsuccessful attempts to cut back, inability to stop despite awareness of consequences, negative impacts on offline life enjoyment, reliance on gaming to escape problems and emotions, strained relationships, academic or career setbacks, and feelings of shame and isolation.

This workshop is tailored for individuals seeking to achieve a healthier balance in their gaming use.

Our 4-day workshop will explore:

• Evolution of Gaming

• Benefits and Motivations of Gaming

• Problematic Gaming, Consequences, and the Gaming Industry

• Building a Healthier Relationship with Gaming: Developing Skills

• Wellness, Mindfulness and Self Care

• Resources and Support

If you are interested in registering for this workshop, please contact Priya via email priyac@haltonadapt.org or telephone (905)875-7924

HDSB Hosting Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions for Parents/Guardians

The Halton District School Board has announced additional Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions for parents/guardians this Spring. 

The upcoming sessions include: 

• Storytime and Strategies - Thursday, May 9 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Learn more about the sessions available by visiting our Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions webpage and register online by completing the registration form. When you register, you can also submit a question for the presenters.

Registration is required for these sessions as limited spots are available. Registrants will be emailed a Google Meet link to access the session. Captioning in various languages is available.

Upcoming Key Dates

May 3 Full Disclosure

May 7 Tuesdays @Ten

May 20 Victoria Day Holiday (School Closed)

May 22 CP Day - Classes start at 9:30 am

May 23 15th Week Report Distribution

May 23 Grade 12 Prom

May 27 - Jun 19 Protected Time

Jun 4 Tuesdays @Ten

Jun 10 Class of 2024 Commencement

Jun 20 - 26 Exam Block

Jun 27 Exam Review Day/Last Day of School (early dismissal)

Jun 28 PA Day - no school for students

Jul 3 OUAC / OCAS Semester 2 Final Mark Upload

Jul 8 Semester 2 Final Report Card Distribution

Jul 9-11 Diploma Pick up