June 2, 2024
WEEK A
Principal's Message
Good Morning Garth Webb:
Our winning ways continued last week with the Jr. Boys Rugby team winning the Halton Championship.... for the second year in a row!!!!!! Congratulations on your convincing wins in the Semi Final and Final games. The other teams didn't stand a chance! Our Charger Track & Field team captured 8 Gold medals at the Halton Championships and 2 Gold Medals at GHAC!! See below for the complete list of all the medal winners and top finishes for the athletes. Congratulations to Maja Selkirk for advancing to OFSAA next week!! Good luck Maja!!
June is here!! There are 2 and 1/2 weeks left of classes before exams start. The classroom teachers, Guidance, Special Ed, ESL teachers, Student Success teachers, and VPs are busy chasing down students who are in danger of failing a course with marks that are 60% or lower. At GW we monitor students closely. Below is a breakdown of statistics for the year for all grades.
In the 5th week we had:
378 credits at 60% or lower for the entire school. Students were assigned to staff for support and monitoring.
224 credits of these were at 50% or lower.
Midterm marks showed:
330 credits at 60% or lower for the entire school.... moving in the right direction!
134 credits of these were at 50% or lowe... so improving with all the efforts of staff.
In the 15th week we had:
335 credits at 60% or lower for the entire school.
140 credits of these are at 50% or lower and are currently in danger of failing the credit. We want this number to go down!!
Interestingly enough, of these 140 credits at risk of failing:
20 credits are in Grade 9
44 credits are in Grade 10
30 credits are in Grade 11
46 credits are in Grade 12
Note: this is a credit count, not a student count. Some students have multiple credits in risk of failing. Overall, these are actually very impressive stats for a school of our size. By the end of June last year, only 59 credits were not earned for the entire school!!! Which just goes to show you that the vast majority of students are excelling in their chosen pathways here at GW.
Attending class and completing all assignments greatly increases the chances of passing and/or improving overall achievement. If you are concerned about your child's progress after receiving the 15th week report, please reach out to contact your child's teacher. We are here to help students understand the work and complete all assignments before the end of June.
Let's see if we can get everyone across the finish line this June!!!!
Take care,
Jacquie Pece
National Indigenous History Month
In June, Canadians commemorate National Indigenous History Month. During this month, we take time to recognize the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada.
National Indigenous History Month invites Indigenous Peoples to celebrate their history in the spirit of pride and preservation. For non-Indigenous Canadians, it is an opportunity to learn and show recognition of the role Indigenous Peoples have played and continue to play in shaping Canada.
For more information on National Indigenous History Month, click here.
Pride Month
Garth Webb proudly recognizes Pride Month, a time of learning, reflection, and celebration for us all.
This year’s theme for Toronto Pride is “Be _________”. This is an invitation; a question for us all to answer. What are we when we celebrate and recognize Pride Season in our homes, school, and community?
During this month, we recognize the courage and resilience that 2SLGBTQIA+ people across the country have shown over the years. This strong, vibrant, and diverse population has contributed to every aspect of life in Canada, from business and politics, to arts and culture, sports, science, and much more.
This Pride Season is an opportunity to take part in celebrations and activities in our community, and to honour the contributions of 2SLGBTQI+ people in all aspects of Canadian society.
In the words of Mr. Duncan:
“Happy Pride Garth Webb! Raising a Pride Flag in the month of June symbolizes our ongoing support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ staff students and families in our community. It’s an ongoing commitment to the safety and human rights of Queer and Transgender people in our school, neighborhood, town, province, country, and the wide world beyond us. We’re here, and have always been here.
Recognize that discrimination, hate speech, and hate crimes against 2SLGBTQIA+ people are prevalent in the world around us too. So, we greet this prejudice with PROUD defiance, resilience, persistence, love, and always respect for our fellow humans. We raise the Pride Flag to announce ourselves, to celebrate our joy, achievements, and gifts with you. We raise the Pride Flag to be seen, when it’s not always safe to do so. We raise the Pride Flag to recognize those who’ve come before us, for those who can’t share their identities freely, and for those who sit with us at the table.”
An Invitation to Learn:
The Government of Canada: Pride Season
Pride Toronto 2024: Events & Resources
2SLGBTQIA+ Parent/Guardian Advocacy and Support Group - This Thursday, June 6 Please RSVP
Our next meeting for the 2SLGBTQIA+ Parent/Guardian Advocacy and Support Group will be on Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 7 pm in person at Garth Webb. 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.
🏳️🌈 At the June meeting we will be joined by special guests from our SAGE group and Pflag Halton. 🏳️🌈
Please use this link to RSVP for the meeting. All attendees must RSVP in order to attend. Parents/Guardians are welcome to bring students with you to the meeting this month - you can bring the whole family! 😊
If you would like more information about this meeting or the group, please email Kerri Lee at leeke@hdsb.ca.
Commencement Info
Date/Time/Location
Commencement will be held on Monday, June 10, 2024 at 4:30 pm at The Meeting House (2700 Bristol Circle, Oakville). With such a large class of over 450 students, tickets will be limited to 2 guests per student.
Grad Rehearsal Assembly
Student Services met with the Grade 12 cohort to share some information around the commencement ceremony, commencement awards, as well as the Valedictorian nomination speeches.
If you weren’t able to attend, please review the slide deck below as it contains relevant information with regards to the ceremony.
Self Nomination for Awards - Due this Week
If you are interested in being considered for any of the graduation awards, please complete the google form prior to Wednesday, June 5. All award recipients will be shared with the community in early July via slideshow.
Graduation Packages
On Tuesday, June 4 grad gown packages are being distributed from 1:30 - 3:15 pm in the lower cafeteria. Students must pick up their own grad packages (or a parent/guardian can pick up). Distribution is by gown size (height), so please check what size you ordered before coming to pick up to make things easier.
Paperless Tickets
All students attending commencement have now registered their guests who will be attending. We conducted our lottery for extra tickets last week and all have now been spoken for. All seats are now reserved.
Important
Students: if anything has changed with your guest list, please let Mrs. Lee in the main office know ASAP. Everyone attending commencement will need to have their name on the list to be able to enter the theatre. Also, if the number of guests who are coming with you has decreased, please let Mrs. Lee know as we were not able to accommodate all requests for extra tickets and we still have students in our ticket lottery who would like one.
Accessible Seating at Commencement
If you require an accessible seat at commencement (e.g. wheelchair seating), please inform Mrs. Lee in the office ASAP.
Commencement Gifts
NEW this year, we will be working with a company that will be offering flowers and graduation teddy bears for sale for anyone who would like to purchase them for commencement. The Commencement Company has an online store where you can order your items ahead and pick them up at the commencement ceremony on June 10. The company will also have a kiosk set up at commencement on June 10 where families can purchase items on the day of if they choose. LINK FOR PRE ORDERS
Spring Spirit Week
June 3 - 7 is our Spring Spirit Week organized by the Student Activities Council. Show your spirit GW!
Monday - Teachers Dress as Students Day
Tuesday - Adam Sandler Day
Wednesday - Twin Day
Thursday - Throwback Thursday
Friday - Tropical Theme & Freezies at Lunch
Music Trip to Wonderland
This past Monday, our music ensembles played their concert pieces for adjudicators at Wonderland’s Festival of Music. The rain dissolved our sheet music but not our spirits! It was a great day and thank you to all the staff members who accompanied our students on the trip.
Junior Rugby Champions
Your junior boys are the Halton Champions of Rugby once again! We defeated Abbey Park in the Semi finals 33-7, and then played Oakville Trafalgar for the championship, with the final score being 48-12.
This is a back-to-back championship for our program. The coaches are super proud of these boys who dedicated themselves all semester to be at the top. Is this a Dynasty in the making???
A big thank you to coaches Emmerson, Carter, Clarke-Eldridge, Dodd & Hines for all your work with the rugby teams this season!
Track & Field Updates
GHAC
The track and field team had a great outing at the GHAC Track Championships last week. Our girls led the way with some amazing results and finished seventh overall (and second in Halton).
Top finishers included:
Maja S., finishing first in the novice girls triple jump, novice girls 400m, and second in the novice girls 300m hurdles
Angela P., finishing first in the novice girls javelin
Rainn B., finishing second in the novice girls 1500m and second in the novice girls 800m
Claire H., finishing second in the senior girls 1500m and fourth in the senior girls 3000m
Cate D., finishing fourth in the senior girls 100m hurdles and seventh in the senior girls 200m
Nolan B., finishing fifth in the senior boys 110m hurdles and fifth in the senior boys 400m hurdles
Jessica A., finishing fifth in the novice girls javelin.
Millen S., finishing fifth in the junior boys triple jump.
Henry Z., finishing fifth in the junior boys 3000m.
The senior girls 4x100m relay team of Cate, Summer, Sofia, and Miracle finished fifth.
All of these athletes qualified to compete at the South Regional Championships.
South Regional Championships
The track team had a great outing at the South Regional Championships on Thursday and Friday this past week. Leading the way was Maja S., who finished third in the Novice Girls 400m and qualified for OFSAA next Thursday/Friday! Maja also finished 6th in the 300m hurdles and 8th in the triple jump.
Other finishes included:
Angela P. and Jessica Angus finishing 5th and 11th in the Novice Girls Javelin
Rainn B. finishing sixth in the Novice Girls 1500m and 8th in the 800m
Claire H. finishing 7th in the Senior Girls 1500m
Millen S. finishing 10th in the Junior Boys Triple Jump
Nolan B. finishing 12th in the Senior Boys 110m hurdles and 13th in the 400m hurdles
Cate D. finishing 13th in the Senior Girls 100m hurdles and 15th in the long jump
Henry Z. finishing 13th in the Junior Boys 3000m
The 4x100m relay team of Cate D., Sofia H., Summer C. and Miracle O. finishing 13th
Congratulations to the team on their strong season this spring. A big thank you to coaches Monahan and Faulhafer for all your work with the team this year!
Guidance Counsellors
Ms. Tolton (A-E)
Ms. Mactaggart (F-L)
Mr. Sanderson (M-Q)
Ms. Hosany (R-Z)
Google Classrooms
Grade 9 - euk4ho6
Grade 10 - bix3yen
Grade 11 - krgiixa
Grade 12 - reyclkl
From Your Student Services Department
Tuesdays @Ten NEW DATE
This month our session will be taking place on Tuesday, June 11 in order to accommodate our guest speaker. Matthew Gill, financial aid advisor for Sheridan College will be joining us to talk about OSAP. Topics covered will include: what OSAP is, the application process, considerations, grants vs loans, as well as any questions you may have. A link to the google meet will be shared prior to the event.
Grade 11 Class Presentation
Last week, guidance counsellors visited all Grade 11 classes, to introduce and discuss the post secondary application process. The presentation was a quick introduction in order to make students are aware of the various timelines that exist in their Grade 12 year and provide them with some considerations as they move into their senior year of high school.
The slides can be accessed here.
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. Registration for Summer school will close on Sunday, June 16.
Co-op Student of the Week
Student: Joo-Eun Lee, Grade 11
Placement: Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital
During my OTMH co-op, I was in physiotherapy and diagnostic imaging. During my physiotherapy placement, my responsibilities included calling in patients, sanitizing patient beds, completing patient filing, shadowing assessment appointments, and assisting patients with their exercises in the gym. As for diagnostic imaging, I rotated between 6 departments: MRI, CT, X-Ray, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, and clerical. Majority of my tasks were from my clerical position such as printing and organizing patient requisitions and protocols and faxing appointments. For other departments, I am mostly observing their operations and conversing with staff about equipment, process, or their experiences.
I have learned that taking initiative is a crucial skill to have within such a faced paced environment. Majority of the time, many staff members are very busy, so I found that I have to make opportunities for myself by consistently asking questions and creating conversation first. Although it may be overlooked, I realize I may have missed out on many experiences and knowledge if I simply had not asked. Moreover, having a strong work efficiency is something I had to build. I found that at times I was overwhelmed when given a large amount of tasks so being able to organize them by priority and manage my time all factor into efficiency.
Co-op has shown me the realities of healthcare and how broad the industry is. I believe it has helped narrow down which areas I do not want to pursue and what qualities of certain departments I am looking for in my future pathway. For example, I hope to follow a career that has a lot of patient interaction like physiotherapy and is not as fast paced similar to nuclear medicine testing. It does confirm that I would like to go into healthcare in the future.
Volunteer Club
Volunteer Club
Volunteer Club dedicates to provide more volunteering opportunities to our students. Our goal is to make the information more accessible for everyone. We post opportunities weekly with all of the information included in our google classroom! If you want to learn more about our club and wish to find more opportunities, please join our google classroom through code: dtpah5l.
You can also find us on instagram (@gwss.volunteer), LinkedIn (GWSS Volunteer Club), and Twitter (@gwss_volunteer)! If you have any question, feel free to email us at gwssvolunteerclub@gmail.com.
Opportunity for This Week:
Oakville Film Festival is currently recruiting volunteers for their upcoming events and festival in June. If interested, email offavolunteer@gmail.com.
Click here for more info.
Have Your Say!
HDSB Multi-Year Plan Input
Your School Council wishes to ensure that you are aware of the opportunity to provide direct feedback to HDSB on the Multi Year Plan which is open right now and closes on June 3. The Multi-Year Plan (MYP) is the roadmap that guides the Board in creating the conditions for students and staff to thrive. It informs the Board’s decisions and allocation of resources while guiding staff’s collective actions for ongoing improvement over the next four years.
HDSB Multi-Year Plan Page: https://www.hdsb.ca/our-board/Pages/Multi-Year-Plan-2024-2028.aspx
Parent/guardian engagement is fundamental to student achievement and well-being and the success of our schools. We encourage you to participate in the Have Your Say Survey. View a message from Amy Collard, Chair, and Curtis Ennis, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board, on why community feedback is important.
The Have Your Say Survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Participants will be asked to respond to questions related to learning and instruction, safety and well-being, school-home partnership, etc. The surveys are confidential, voluntary, and students and parents/guardians can skip any question they do not wish to answer. The survey is accessible using a mobile device. Surveys are available in the following languages: Arabic, French, Hindi, Punjabi, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Urdu.
Students in Grades 4 to 12 will receive a link to access the survey through their classroom teacher and will complete the survey during the school day.
For more information including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), please visit the Have Your Say webpage or email haveyoursay@hdsb.ca.
Director’s Panel Series: Talk It Out
Dear HDSB families and students:
We are pleased to invite families, students, staff and community members to the final session of the Director’s Panel series for the 2023-2024 school year. Each session in this series explores issues and themes impacting students and education today. Sessions are led by Director of Education Curtis Ennis and Human Rights & Equity Advisor Pardeep Nagra, other panelists may include HDSB students, parents/guardians and or subject-matter experts.
The upcoming session in the series will be:
Talk It Out
Monday, June 3 from 6 - 7 p.m.
This will be a virtual event with the livestream linked on the HDSB website (hdsb.ca).
Registration is not required.
Talk It Out explores the ways in which individuals from diverse backgrounds with varying perspectives and values can engage and listen to one another to foster more inclusive and harmonious communities. Through open and honest dialogue, the panel will discuss how to collaborate effectively and constructively with mutual respect, even when there are different perspectives.
Joining the panel will be members of the Interfaith Council of Halton (IFCH). The IFCH will bring their unique perspective to the panel discussion, drawing on their extensive experience in guiding conversations that bridge differences and promote understanding. They will provide valuable insights on creating inclusive and respectful environments in our community.
Those interested in attending the event can submit a question to the panel before the session through this Google Form: https://bit.ly/3VgVKPH
Director's Cut
For the past several years, we have been bringing the HDSB's 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan into greater focus through our Director's Cut video series.
In 2021-2022, we introduced staff, students and the community to the framework of the Multi-Year Plan and how it drives learning across the system. In 2022-2023, we took a closer look at the classroom level, showing how each of the five areas of focus are integrated and implemented into everyday instruction. In this final year of the MYP, we are digging even deeper by having students show us from their point of view - literally - how the plan is strengthening their learning and making their educational experience successful and engaging.
Tune in now: EPISODE #15: Director's Cut | MYP - Environmental Leadership: Student Point of View.
Thank you for being a part of this exciting learning journey.
Links to Community Resources
School Calendar & Sports Schedule
Important Dates for Your Calendar
Upcoming Key Dates
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 (emailed)
Jul 9-11 Diploma Pick up
If you have any questions or suggestions for improving the school, our virtual door is always open. Please feel free to contact our admin team by email anytime.
Jacquie Pece, Robin Toffolo, Nancy Annibale, Eric Keunne