Principal's Message

Good Morning Garth Webb:

This week did not disappoint us here at Garth Webb. There continues to be an incredible amount of activities, field trips, camping trips, clubs, and sporting events happening all the time. You can read all about the achievements and celebrations below from our DECA International results, Mock Trial results, Eddies winners, and more.  Meanwhile, the Rugby teams, Cricket, Baseball, Softball, Track & Field, and Lacrosse teams are still going strong!!! The Soccer teams experienced a couple of heartbreaking losses in the semifinals, but I am proud of their incredible sportsmanship that they exhibited in their games.

It is wonderful to see the mentorship and inspiration that our graduate students of our Black & Biracial Student Alumni share with this year's graduates and future GW graduates. It is truly great to hear their inspirational stories and to see that anything is possible.  

Congratulations to Scarlett El Refaie for winning the Student of Excellence award!! Myself and Ms. Cacihas thoroughly enjoyed seeing Scarlett receive her award at the Board ceremony. This award is given out annually to one student from each Elementary and Secondary school in Halton. Scarlett represented us well, Garth Webb!!! 

We now have 22 days left of classes in the school year before exams. These four weeks will go by fast. It is important to be in class and finish all work for the 70% term evaluations. The Admin team is starting to meet with students who have high absences to nudge students back on track. This is in person learning, not remote learning. The Ministry attaches 110 hours to credits for day schools. Students need to be in class to earn credits. If you sign out your student, they should not be on school property. Protected time will start at the end of May and this leads into exams. The final 30% of the course is important for demonstrating the most current student overall knowledge and understanding of their courses.  

Keep focused Chargers!!

Enjoy the long weekend and hopefully the weather will cooperate so that we can at least enjoy a BBQ or two!!

Take care,

Jacquie Pece

Student of Excellence

Scarlett El Refaie

“Oh if life were made of moments

Even now and then a bad one--!

But if life were only moments,

Then you'd never know you had one.” 

-- Stephen Sondheim, Into the Woods

Grade 12 student Scarlett El Refaie has certainly had more than a moment in her time at Garth Webb. That is why it was such an honour to see her hard work recognized at the annual Celebration of Student Excellence last Thursday at Elsie MacGill Secondary School in Milton. 

This is a young woman who can certainly do it all. In addition to participating in the performing arts outside of school, she also starred as Cinderella in our school’s production of “Into the Woods” and brought down the house every night. She did this while also acting as the President of our SAGE club and Vice President of our Arts Council, and while showing off her athletic skills as a member of our senior girls field hockey team. Scarlett somehow managed to be involved in every aspect of school life this year.

Yet it is not just her achievements that make Scarlett excellent. She is an incredibly inquisitive and hard-working - yet simultaneously humble - student. Everyone that has taught her can attest to the fact that she is thoughtfully engaged in all that is done in the classroom and always manages to take more out of lessons than you could hope for. Scarlett is simply a delight to have in class. She exudes kindness and her quiet leadership will be sorely missed when she graduates this year. 

Congratulations, Scarlett!

CP Day This Wednesday

This Wednesday, May 22 is a Collaborative Planning day (“CP” day). CP Days are for staff and happen 4 times each semester. This is the final CP Day of the school year. On CP Days, students start school one hour later at 9:30 am, our periods will be shortened slightly, and lunch time is from 11:40 am—12:40 pm.

From Your Student Services Department

Grade 8 Day

This week Garth Webb hosted our future Chargers for their first full orientation day. Students were able to tour the school, participate in a club fair, visit the tech department, hear from our students, complete a scavenger hunt, enjoy a caf cookie, and take home some GW swag in the form of a t-shirt. The energy was felt throughout the building and we are looking forward to having them join us in the fall.

Photos

Graduation Assembly

On Wednesday May 22 during period 1,  the Grade 12s will attend a Graduation assembly in the cafeteria. During this time we will hear from and vote for our Valedictorian nominees. We will also be providing information to the graduating class about the commencement ceremony. Slides will be shared in next week’s blog. If your student has a period 1 spare or eLearning course, please ensure they make it to the assembly.

Valedictorian Nominees

This year the graduating class of 2024 has selected the following 5 students as their nominees for Valedictorian. Each student will share a 2 minute speech to their peers on why they should be the Valedictorian for the Class of 2024. Best of luck!

Nominees

Gemma Bassett

Scarlett El Refaie

Claire Hickey

Connor Lalonde 

Kirsten Liu

Stay tuned - Grade 11 Class Presentation

This coming week, guidance counsellors will be visiting all Grade 11 classes, to introduce and discuss the post secondary application process. This presentation is a quick introduction so students are aware of the various timelines that exist in their Grade 12 year.

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.

DECA Club International Business Competition - Anaheim, CA 

(April 25 - May 2, 2024)

Every year, the DECA business organization hosts competitions for high school students who wish to develop their skills to be strong business leaders in the future. Nine Garth Webb students just returned from the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) competition in Anaheim, California.  We were part of a larger group called Ontario DECA, featuring over 500 business-minded secondary students from high schools across the Province. As proud members of this large Canadian team, we competed with high-achieving students from all across the United States. 

The Garth Webb team competed in events like problem solving a case study scenario using knowledge of business concepts and exceptional oral communication skills.  They also demonstrated their ability to craft a professional-looking business report that contained realistic proposals for improving the overall performance of a business organization. Congratulations to these students who earned impressive results at this competition!

ICDC 2nd Round - Top 20 Finalists

• Anissa Sanatgar (grade 12)

• Manan Malik (grade 12)

• Arish Shahab (grade 12)

• Zaviar Durrani (grade 12)

• Joo-Eun Lee (grade 11)

• Lydia Kwag (grade 11)

ICDC 1st Round Competitors

• Athrav Seruwam (grade 11)

• Sarthak Dua (grade 11)

• Kshitij Dewan (grade 11)

A special thank you to GW mentor Mr. Chau who chaperoned the students on their trip to California and mentored them throughout the season.

IDAHOBIT Bake Sale

On Friday our SAGE club hosted a bake sale to support the Rainbow Railroad. It was a huge success and everyone enjoyed the scrumdiddlyumptious treats! Thank you to the SAGE Club and their teacher mentors for all the work they put into this bake sale and thank you to all who supported them and this great cause.

Teaching Award of Excellence

Congratulations to Garth Webb Comm Tech Teacher and Technological Education Department Head Ms. Patterson on being awarded the OCTE Excellence in Teaching Award at the OCTE conference this month. 

The Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes a Secondary Teacher who demonstrates an outstanding commitment to the delivery and promotion of Technological Education through the delivery of curriculum and the organization/participation in events that promotes technological education to students, parents, colleagues, and the community.

Ms. Patterson's multifaceted contributions as an educator, mentor, and leader significantly enhance the learning environment and organizational efficiency within the technological department at Garth Webb and across the province. 

Congratulations to Ms. Patterson on this well deserved honor!

Eddies Film Festival

Monday, May 13, 2024 was the 20th annual Eddies Film festival. Congratulations to all students in the Board who put their films forward. There were 150 submissions this year!!! It was a successful event at the Milton Performing Arts. We are all so very proud of our students who put their work out for industry professional judging and for all to see on the big screen. 

Thank you to Ava Janzen and Shannon Bodner for running the show as the technical engineers. Thank you to Liam Warnock and Maya Szuber for support in organizing the awards and load in, and to Liam for being the main photographer for the evening.

Congratulations to our award winning Garth Webb students below:

Our Bronze medal winners:

Bella Zhao in animation

Zayna Alajrami and Jacob Chu in Music Video

Our Silver medal winners:

Dylan Ramnarine in Documentary

Our Gold medal winners:

Rahima Shabir in Experimental

Mina Tran, Sumaya Cabral Abdidahir, Juliana Slakinski, Bella Zhao in music video

Ava Janzen, Shannon Bodner and Paris Nguyen Gold in Re-Creation and best in production design

David Monteith gold in Suspense horror

For the top award the palme d'eddie best in show:

Out of 150 submissions, Rahima Shabir placed 3rd in the Board with their submission A day at Toronto Island as an experimental film. 

Congratulations to all!

Senior Mock Trial Silver Medal

We are very pleased to report a silver medal finish for our senior mock trial team at the Halton Regional Mock Trial Tournament on Friday, May 10 hosted at the Ontario Court of Justice in Milton by the Ontario Bar Association. The team performed so well, taking a very strong second place out of the top eight teams in the region competing in this event, narrowly being edged out on final scoring by Christ the King. 

This tournament saw the top four Halton Public and top four Halton Catholic teams from preliminary tournaments competing against each other in a criminal law case. The team won three trials against Assumption CSS, Bishop PF Reding CSS, and Appleby College respectively. 

"Most of all, I am very proud of the effort and professionalism of our students — I can speak from experience in saying that they would outperform most law students and many lawyers in their advocacy skills while also displaying the high degree of civility and courtesy we value. Someone at another school asked us to verify the age of one of our students after the trial — they could not believe that he was not an actual lawyer competing because of the quality of his cross-examination!" shared staff mentor Mr. Wilks. 

Congratulations to the Senior Mock Trial Team:

Ian Dittrich

Cyrus Kanga

Manan Malik

Zach Hersi

Ira Jayaraman

Lydia Kwag

Farah Khader

Anya Malholtra

Luke Guitard

Ethan Studholme

Thank you to Mr. Wilks and Mr. Hodgson for their invaluable mentorship of the team this year!

Boba Sale to Celebrate Asian Heritage Month!

On Wednesday, May 29, the Student Activities Council will be serving up some Boba (Bubble Tea) to celebrate Asian Heritage Month. All Boba orders must be placed ahead of time and paid for on School Cash Online before May 23. Order your Boba today so you don't miss out!

Canadian National Artistic Swimming Championship Congratulations

Congratulations to Garth Webb Grade 11 student Maya Mahmood and her team on their first place win for Acrobatic Routine in the 2024 Canadian National Artistic Swimming Championship that took place in Montreal earlier this month. Way to go Maya!

Co-op Information Night

Join us this 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. 

May is Dutch Heritage Month

Ontario is home to about 500,000 Dutch Canadians.  Since the early 1800s, the Dutch Canadian community has made and continues to make significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of the Province of Ontario.

By proclaiming the month of May as Dutch Heritage Month, the Province of Ontario recognizes the important contributions that Dutch Canadians have made to the economic, political, social, and cultural fabric of Ontario’s society.  [source]

May is a historically significant month for the Dutch Canadian community.  On May 5, 1945, the Canadian forces were instrumental in the liberation of the Netherlands from occupation during World War II.  The Netherlands celebrates its independence and liberty, along with the heroic efforts of the Canadian forces, with a national holiday known as Liberation Day, which takes place annually on May 5. Read more about the significance of this day here.

Pentecost - May 19

Pentecost commemorates the 50th day after Easter when the Holy Spirit came to the apostles. They received the ability to speak in other languages and began to preach about Jesus to those who were in Jerusalem celebrating Shavuot. Pentecost also marks the birth of the Christian Church. Want to learn more? Click here!

Vesak Day - May 23

"Vesak" or "Wesak", the Day of the Full Moon in the month of May, is the most sacred day to millions of Buddhists around the world. It was on the Day of Vesak two and a half millennia ago, in the year 623 B.C., that the Buddha was born. It was also on the Day of Vesak that the Buddha attained enlightenment, and it was on the Day of Vesak that the Buddha in his eightieth year passed away.

The General Assembly, by its resolution 54/115 of 1999, recognized internationally the Day of Vesak to acknowledge the contribution that Buddhism, one of the oldest religions in the world, has made for over two and a half millennia and continues to make to the spirituality of humanity. This day is commemorated annually at the UN Headquarters and other UN offices, in consultation with the relevant UN offices and with permanent missions, which also wish to be consulted.

Click here to read more on un.org.

Declaration of the Bá’b - May 24

Baha’is around the world celebrate the 22nd of May, 1844 as the day of the Declaration of the Bab, who was the forerunner of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith. (The date to commemorate this joyous historic occasion shifts within the Gregorian calendar from year to year but according to the Baha’i calendar, it is always honoured on the 8th of Azamat).

Baha’is view the Bab as a Messenger of God, who had a role that can be likened to John the Baptist (who told of the coming of Christ) in heralding the coming of the latest Manifestation of God: Baha’u’llah.

Source

Asian Heritage Month

Last week, we told you about Asian Heritage Month. This week, we wanted to share some of the events below to help you get involved in the community! 

Events in Oakville

May 13 to 19:

• Learn about postage stamps from across Asia at the annual opening weekend of Oakville’s First Post Office located in Lakeside Park on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19. Drop by Oakville Museum to try origami – the art of paper folding. 

May 20 to 26:

• Join an author talk with Rebecca F. Kuang on Tuesday, May 21 from 7 to 8 p.m. virtually to discuss Asian American Representation in Literature. Kuang is the author of New York Times bestselling novel Yellowface. Register for the Asian American Representation in Literature author talk.

• Visit Oakville Museum on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 between 1 and 4:30 p.m. to make a frog flycatcher inspired by the Victorian ball and cup children’s game and Chinese and Japanese folklore: Toad who lives in the moon.

TMU Asian Heritage Month Celebration

May 22, 2024

Time 11:30 AM  - 2:00 PM

Location - Sears Atrium, 3rd floor of George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre (245 Church St., Toronto)

Asian Heritage Month Concert 2024 | Stories of Triumph, Tragedy, Compassion

Music and dance performances by Asian Canadian artists, including premieres, solos, choir music, traditional and original dances, with Q&A. Wednesday May 22, 2024 

Asian and South Asian Heritage Month Gala Concert

ASIAN AND SOUTH ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH GALA CONCERT presented by the Ontario Pops

Friday, May 24 · 8 - 10 PM 

Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front Street West Toronto, ON M5V 3G5

Online Tours

Check out some of these engaging online tours of Asian museums, landscapes, and heritage sites:

• NYC Chinatown

• Cherry Blossoms Around the World

• Asian Art Museum

• Kyoto National Museum

• Wing Luke Museum

• Great Wall of China

• National Museum of Korea

• Taj Mahal

• Angkor Wat

• Thailand

• Vietnam Heritage Sites

 Check out more online tours you can take with your team.

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.

Parents, guardians, staff, students and community members can also share their thoughts and identify areas of focus for the HDSB’s 2024-2028 MYP by registering to attend the final Town Hall through the registration link below. 

The final Town Hall will be held from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. virtually: 

• Virtual - Tuesday, May 28 at hdsb.ca

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.  

Click Here to Have Your Say!

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 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 #14: Director's Cut | MYP - Equity & Inclusion: Student Point of View

Thank you for being a part of this exciting learning journey.

YMCA of Oakville

The YMCA of Oakville are currently recruiting teens ages 13-18 for our next cycle of the Y Mind program.

This free program serves teens and youth facing challenges around stress, worry, and anxiety and runs for 7 weeks based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy principles, thus having young people feeling more empowered to manage tough emotions and feelings after their time in the program.

Interested participants can submit a registration form here.

*A 15-minute intake phone call is required to gain entry into the program*

Upcoming Mental Health Information Sessions

ADAPT Presents...

Problem Gambling and Behavioural Addictions Program

Problem Gaming Workshop (4 Evenings)

Monday May 27, June 3, 10, and 24

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

Upcoming Key Dates

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