Principal's Message

Good Morning Garth Webb:

Yup, that's me. I was a hotdog on Friday during the lunch period because I lost a bet with the Youth in Action Club over how many cans of food they could bring in for the Food Drive this year. They had picked a goal that was higher than last year's 350 cans ....so I thought I was safe. However in true Charger fashion,  all the students exceeded the goal and I had to wear the hotdog costume for the lunch period. Just in case you are wondering why your student may have a selfie with the principal dressed as a hotdog. It was all for a great cause!! Congratulations to the Youth in Action club and a big THANK YOU to all students/families for contributing to a successful Food Drive this year!!

The Literacy Team's dedication and long hours of planning made last week's Literacy Test for Grade 10 students a success!! An impressive 463 students successfully completed the OSSLT this week using school technology.  I think that students are glad they got a long weekend after that!!!!

Our Sr. Boys Volleyball team competed at OFSAA this past week and placed second overall against some of the toughest competition in Ontario! I don’t know if we all truly understand how hard it is to compete to get to OFSAA, let alone come 2nd in the province!!! A silver medal is a tremendous accomplishment!!! Way to go Chargers!!!! Congratulations to the coaches and the team on a truly outstanding season!! 

Take care,

Jacquie Pece

From Your Student Services Department

Grade 8 Open House

On Thursday, Nov 16 Garth Webb Student Services hosted our annual Program Night.  If you missed the session (or know of a family with students attending GWSS next year) the slide deck is shared below.

Grade 8 Open House

Full Disclosure - Grade 11/12 Students

The full disclosure date for semester one is Monday,  Nov 27, 2023.  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.

Tuesdays @Ten

Our November parent engagement session was geared towards families of students in Grades 9 and 10.  We covered the various graduation requirements and programs available in the HDSB.

If you weren’t able to join us, you can access the slides and recording below.

Slides

Recording

Post Secondary Applications

Applications to Universities (through OUAC) and Colleges (through OCAS) are now open.  Students can apply anytime between now and the deadline

University Application Portal – applications are due prior to Jan 15, 2024

College Application Portal – applications are due prior to Feb 1, 2024

Report Card Reminder

Just a reminder that midterm report cards went out electronically on Friday, November 17. Please be sure to download a copy on your computer now as the link is only valid for 30 days.

School Musical - Into the Woods

Tickets on Sale Now!

Join us for the school musical Into the Woods happening on November 30, December 1, 2, 8 & 9. Our students and staff have been working hard to bring you this entertaining production. 

One of Sondheim's most popular works, Into the Woods is a musically sophisticated show. James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone's favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece... and a rare modern classic. The Tony Award-winning book and score are both enchanting and touching.

The story follows a Baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King's Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone's wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.

Don't miss out on seeing this production! Buy your tickets on School Cash Online now!

Graduation Photos - Last Week

There are only a few Graduation Photo Bookings Left!

This is our last week for graduation photos and there are only a few appointment slots left. To be included in the GRADUATION COMPOSITE PHOTO and the GRADUATION SECTION of the yearbook, please be sure to book your photo during this Fall Grad Photo Session. Once this fall photo session closes, students can book a photo at the studio in Burlington, but we cannot guarantee that photos taken in Burlington will be included in the composite and/or yearbook.

Please click here to book your photo sitting ASAP (School Code is GWE). Please put your booking date/time into your calendar at the time of booking and students should plan to arrive 5 minutes before their session already dressed in the clothing they will be wearing for the photo (including a tied tie if you're wearing one). There will be a grad gown and sash for students to borrow during their photo shoot. 

Please be sure to double check your appointment date and time confirmation email as we have had many students showing up on the wrong day.

Join the Environment SHSM at GWSS!

Gain sector specific knowledge in engaging, environmental related learning environments. 

You’ll get the opportunity to complete:

✔ A number of certifications, including First Aid and WHMIS

✔ Participate in Reach Ahead and Experiential Learning opportunities

✔ Take Co-op and earn two high school credits while pursuing a potential future career

✔ Network with sector specific community partners

Completion of the Environmental SHSM program opens the door to many opportunities:

✔ Increase your employability by adding your SHSM experience to your resume

✔ Apply to more scholarships

✔ Advance Credit Program @ McMaster University

For more information, please contact Ms. Anjos at anjosc@hdsb.ca or join us on Pathways Night on December 5, 2023 beginning at 6 pm at Garth Webb.

5409 Chargers Robotics Update

We have been busy building Chargers and we have an exciting update! This week marked a major milestone as we unveiled our cutting-edge swerve drive and kicked off the exhilarating testing phase! 

A huge shout out to the IMAX head office for hosting us and giving their leaders a firsthand look at the brilliance of our robot. Special thanks to Mr. Chambers for extending this fantastic opportunity to us - it was beyond cool!

To our parent community: a massive thank you to all the incredible parents who've been our backbone, providing unwavering support. Your enthusiasm for the upcoming 2024 season is contagious, and we're pumped to have you on this thrilling journey with us! 

Inspiring the Next Generation: A heartfelt thanks to the phenomenal 5409 team members who dedicated their time for Grade 8 Night. Your passion and talent shone bright as you wowed young minds and left a lasting impression on our visitors. You're not just a team; you're a force of inspiration!

It's moments like these that fuel our excitement and drive us to push the boundaries of innovation. Here's to an electrifying season ahead! #Team5409 #InnovationAtItsFinest #GratitudeOverflowing.

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:

The Halton Environmental Network 

Sends an Invitation to Halton Students Grades 7 to 12 to register to attend the 5th Annual  Generation Green Youth Conference to learn about climate change through a series of engaging climate workshops and a panel of speakers. Students will gain valuable knowledge and skills that can make a positive impact on our environment and have an opportunity to complete a climate project and earn 20 volunteer hours. Registration is FREE and is NOW OPEN to all Halton Students. It includes 2 meals and transportation will be provided from Milton to Oakville. 

See the flyer for more details.

PA Day November 24

Friday, November 24, 2023 was a Professional Activity (PA) day for teachers. Secondary school educators participated in a subject specific learning day hosted by the HDSB School Programs Department. 

The content was focused on effective strategies and practices in various subject areas and educators attended sessions that were related to their teaching assignments. There were offerings related to Ministry priorities including Grade 10 Computer Studies-Digital Technology and Innovations in the Changing World, connections to skilled trades and apprenticeship, and professional learning in math, science, and technology. 

Click here to see the full agenda.

Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur - November 24, 2023

Guru Tegh Bahadur, 1621-75

Born in Amritsar, Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth of the ten Gurus who founded Sikhism. He's honoured and remembered as the man who championed the rights for all religious freedom.

Contributions

He taught liberation from attachment, fear, and dependence. Strength should be gained through truth, worship, sacrifice, and knowledge.

During the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Islam was imposed on the people. Hindu temples were demolished and turned into mosques, higher taxes were charged to non-Muslims and the Emperor persecuted those who would not conform to Islamic law.

Guru Tegh Bahadur spoke out amid this persecution. He refused to convert to Islam and in 1675, he was beheaded in Delhi. The site of his execution was later turned into an important Gurdwara.

He's also remembered for his poetry, much of which is included in the Guru Granth Sahib.

He married Bibi Gujjari and they had one son: the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.

He founded the city of Anandpur which later became a centre of Sikhism.

Source

Holodomor Memorial Day - November 25, 2023

The term Holodomor (death by hunger, in Ukrainian) refers to the starvation of millions of Ukrainians in 1932–33 as a result of Soviet policies. The Holodomor can be seen as the culmination of an assault by the Communist Party and Soviet state on the Ukrainian peasantry, who resisted Soviet policies. This assault occurred in the context of a campaign of intimidation and arrests of Ukrainian intellectuals, writers, artists, religious leaders, and political cadres, who were seen as a threat to Soviet ideological and state-building aspirations.

Between 1917 and 1921, Ukraine briefly became an independent country and fought to retain its independence before succumbing to the Red Army and being incorporated into the Soviet Union. In the 1920s, Soviet central authorities, seeking the support of the populace, allowed for some cultural autonomy through the policy known as “indigenization.”

By the end of the 1920s, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin decided to curtail Ukraine’s cultural autonomy, launching the intimidation, arrest, imprisonment and execution of thousands of Ukrainian intellectuals, church leaders, as well as Communist Party functionaries who had supported Ukraine’s distinctiveness.

At the same time, Stalin ordered the collectivization of agriculture. The majority of Ukrainians, who were small-scale or subsistence farmers, resisted. The state confiscated the property of the independent farmers and forced them to work on government collective farms. The more prosperous farmers (owning a few head of livestock, for example) and those who resisted collectivization were branded kulaks (rich peasants) and declared enemies of the state who deserved to be eliminated as a class. Thousands were thrown out of their homes and deported.

In 1932, the Communist Party set impossibly high quotas for the amount of grain Ukrainian villages were required to contribute to the Soviet state. When the villages were not able to meet the quotas, authorities intensified the requisition campaign, confiscating even the seed set aside for planting and levying fines in meat and potatoes for failure to fulfill the quotas. Special teams were sent to search homes and even seized other foodstuffs. Starving farmers attempted to leave their villages in search of food, but Soviet authorities issued a decree forbidding Ukraine’s peasants from leaving the country. As a result, many thousands of farmers who had managed to leave their villages were apprehended and sent back, virtually a death sentence. A law was introduced that made the theft of even a few stalks of grain an act of sabotage punishable by execution. In some cases, soldiers were posted in watchtowers to prevent people from taking any of the harvest. Although informed of the dire conditions in Ukraine, central authorities ordered local officials to extract even more from the villages. Millions starved as the USSR sold crops from Ukraine abroad.

The USSR vigorously denied that the Holodomor had occurred. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Communist Party, secret police, and government archives that have become accessible to researchers support the conclusion that the famine was caused by Soviet state policies and was indeed intentionally intensified by Soviet authorities.

Source

Birth of Guru Nanak - November 27, 2023

The Birthday of Guru Nanak Sahib falls on Kartik Puranmashi, the full moon day of the month Kartik, which usually falls in November in the western calendar. This holiday is one of the most significant festivals of the Sikh community and commemorates Guru Nanak Sahib who was the founder of Sikhism and the first Sikh Guru. In India, this day may also be called Guru Nanak Gurpurb, Guru Nanak's Prakash Utsav or Guru Nanak Dev Hi Jayanti. It is a gazetted holiday in many states and Indian stocks, bonds, and currency markets are closed.

Guru Nanak was born on April 15, 1469 at Rai-Bhoi-di Talwandi in the present district of Shekhupura (Pakistan), now Nanakana Sahib. Nanak's religious ideas developed from both Hindu and Islamic thought, but are more than a simple synthesis. Nanak was an original spiritual thinker and he expressed his thoughts and ideas in poetry that forms the basis of Sikh scripture.

Click here to read more about Guru Nanak.

Inclement Weather Reminders for HDSB Families

With cooler weather approaching, we are writing to provide you with information on how decisions are made on days of inclement weather. 

In case of inclement weather, the decision to close schools and/or cancel buses is communicated by 6:30 a.m.  We use a variety of methods to communicate this important information including the SchoolMessenger email system, social media, TV, radio, the HDSB website and the HDSB Mobile App. 

We encourage all families to review the HDSB Inclement Weather Reminders. A printable version of this information is also available. 

Please note that when schools are closed due to inclement weather, both in-person and e-learning support will not be provided. If buses are canceled, in-person and e-learning courses will continue.

Coyote Safety

The Municipal Enforcement Services Department with the Town of Oakville is reaching out to schools as we get closer to the winter season.  We are hoping schools could assist with coyote awareness by sending out the attached Winter Fact Sheet to all parents. 

 If the school is hosting an event where there are educational or community booths welcome, the Municipal Enforcement Services Department would love to know about the opportunity to attend and speak about this topic or other by-law matters. 

We would like to remind students to never feed wildlife. It’s one of the main reasons conflict arises between people and animals.  All garbage including organic waste should be placed in receptacles with lids.

For quick tips about coyotes, watch this short video or visit the Coyotes page at oakville.ca.

Wishing everyone a safe winter season.

Ensure Immunization Records are Up to Date with Halton Region Health

Students in Grades 9 to 12 must have up-to-date immunization records with Halton Region Public Health.

Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) requires that all children and adolescents attending school be fully immunized against several designated diseases. All immunization requirements for school attendance align with Ontario’s publicly funded immunization schedule. Vaccines required for school attendance are free, safe and effective.

Parents/guardians of all students born in 2006 to 2009 (Grades 9 to 12) must complete the following steps:

1. Review your student's online record at halton.ca/immunize.

2. If your student has missed any vaccines, make an immunization appointment with a health care provider.

3. Report vaccines online at halton.ca/immunize. Every time a health care provider immunizes a student, parents/guardians must report the vaccines to Public Health. Healthcare providers do not report the vaccines they give to their patients.

Students born in 2006 to 2009 must have up to date immunization records (or a valid medical or non-medical exemption) against the following ISPA designated diseases:

• Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio;

• Measles, Mumps, Rubella; and

• Meningococcal Disease.

Halton Region Public Health is reviewing the immunization records of Halton students born in 2006 to 2009. Parents/guardians will be notified by mail if their student's record is not up-to-date, starting in October 2023. This school year, students in Grades 9 to 12 may be suspended from school in early 2024 if their immunization records are not updated by the December 2023 deadline.

Please note, at this time COVID-19 vaccines are not required to attend school. You cannot report COVID-19 vaccines using the online reporting tool.

If your student is unable to be immunized for medical reasons or if you choose not to immunize your student, you must submit a vaccine exemption to Halton Region Public Health. For more details about this process, please visit halton.ca/immunize.

To learn more about immunizations, including translated resources, visit ontario.ca/vaccines, immunize.ca/resources or download A Parent's Guide to Vaccination at canada.ca/vaccines.

Upcoming Key Dates

Nov 27 Full Disclosure

Dec 5 Tuesdays @Ten

Dec 13 CP Day - Classes start at 9:30 am

Dec 14 15th Week Report Distribution

Dec 18 - Jan 24 Protected Time

Dec 22 Early Dismissal

Dec 25 - Jan 5 Winter Break (School Closed)

Jan 25 - 31 Exam Block

Feb 1 Exam Review Day (early dismissal)

Feb 2 PA Day - no school for students

Feb 5 First Day of Semester 2

Feb 6 Tuesdays @Ten

Feb 9 Semester 1 Final Report Card Distribution

Feb 13 OUAC / OCAS Semester 1 Final Mark Upload

Feb 16 PA Day - no school for students

Feb 19 Family Day (School Closed)

Feb 20 Semester 2 Photo Day (new students)

Feb 21 CP Day - Classes start at 9:30 am

Mar 5 Tuesdays @Ten

Mar 7 5th Week Report Distribution (grade 9 students)

Mar 11 - 15 Spring Break (School Closed)

Mar 27 CP Day - Classes start at 9:30 am

Mar 29 Good Friday (School Closed)

Apr 1 Easter Monday (School Closed)

Apr 2 Tuesdays @Ten

Apr 17 Last Day of Term 1

Apr 18 First Day of Term 2

Apr 22 PA Day - no school for students

Apr 24 OUAC / OCAS Semester 2 Midterm Mark Upload

Apr 24 CP Day - Classes start at 9:30 am

Apr 26 Semester 2 Midterm Report Card Distribution

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 and Diploma Pick up