Principal's Message

Good Morning Garth Webb:

I would like to start this weekend's blog by congratulating our Golf team and their coaches.  We had 2 golfers qualify for OFSSA (Ontario Championships) this year by placing 1st and 2nd in the GHAC (Golden Horseshoe) golfing championship.  This is the first time that we are sending golfers from GW to the OFSSA championship.  Good luck next week!!!

Teachers were busy on Friday during their professional development day, focusing on effective strategies for teaching in one stream, reviewing the pedagogical approaches and assessment for learning strategies, and monitoring student achievement.  Ongoing teaching, learning, and planning for anti-colonial, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive classrooms is at the heart of what we are doing here at GW.    

It was Teacher Appreciation day last week!  We definitely appreciate all the hard work that teachers do for our students each and every day!!

It was also Caretaker Appreciation day last week.  Thanks go out to them for maintaining our beautiful school!!

We are all glad that this Thanksgiving weekend is here!! Students were sure excited about having four days off school!! I am thinking that we all need that extra time to recharge this long weekend. We do have a lot to be thankful for and I hope that you all get to spend time with family and friends. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Jacquie Pece

2SLGBTQ+ History Month & National Coming Out Day

October is 2SLGBTQ+ history month and National Coming Out Day is this Wednesday, October 11, 2023. National Coming Out Day was inspired by a single march. 500,000 people participated in the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights on October 11, 1987.

Telling people about your sexual orientation or gender identity is often called ‘coming out’. A reductive approach to queerness can position “coming out” as the end goal and what all queer people should be working to. It overlooks the fact that you don’t come out just once; you come out across your life over and over again, to different people within different environments. It's also something unique to each person – people face different challenges when coming out. 

2SLGBTQ+ youth may get to a point where they need to talk about it with someone – either to get support or simply to get it off their chest. Hiding who you are from others often means lying and pretending, and that becomes exhausting. They might also want to come out because they think the experience will be exciting and liberating. However, people should not feel pressure to come out. Coming out can be more complicated for teens who depend on parents or other adults for care and well-being. 

This week we look at how to support a child who has ‘come out’ or you suspect may be thinking about coming out to you.

1. Let them know they are loved. You don’t need to be an expert in all things 2SLGBTQ+ to let them know you care. There's no right or wrong way to express love. Just be present and be open. Explain how proud you are of your child.

2. Encourage dialogue. The best way to do this is to build trust and start small. Be curious about their life. Get to know their friends and what they like to do. Ask them how their day went and if they learned anything interesting in school. If it’s like pulling teeth at times, don’t be discouraged. Children really do want to be able to talk to parents about what's going on in their lives. Today’s media provide plenty of teachable moments for parents to seize.

3. Support ‘coming out’ decisions. Reinforce the idea that your child does not need to come out to you. Questioning our sexuality or gender identity is a very difficult process. For some, ‘coming out’ is an act of liberation; to live proudly, boldly, openly, and to help create a fairer, freer society for future generations. For other 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, coming out can be an experience of marked adversity. Indeed, research has shown that the experience can trigger psychological ill-health (e.g. depression and anxiety) as well as posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) such as sleep disturbance, somatic symptoms and cognitive distress. 

4. Ask about the boundary. If your child comes out to you, ask who they would like to know and - should they request it - help your child in the process of coming out to extended family members. Accept only kindness and respect for your child.

We recognize that faith and queer identity can be very complicated. If you are struggling, click here for some resources that may help.

United Nations World Teachers’ Day

The Halton District School Board is proud to recognize World Teachers’ Day on Thursday, October 5, 2023, as proclaimed by the United Nations (UN) Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

 World Teachers’ Day has been held on October 5 since 1994 to celebrate teachers around the world and commemorate the anniversary of signing the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which sets standards for the rights and responsibilities of teachers. 

Quotes

“The Halton District School Board values every teacher and applauds every one of you for your hard work and dedication,” says Margo Shuttleworth, Chair of the Halton District School Board. “On behalf of Trustees, we see how teachers are able to successfully fulfill the key areas of focus in HDSB’s 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan. By creatively bringing this plan to life, teachers show how their influence extends beyond the classroom to support the growth of responsible, compassionate and informed citizens who will contribute positively to our world.”

“I want to express my deep gratitude for the incredible work teachers do each and every day,” says Curtis Ennis, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board. “I know how impressive the work is because I see it every time I visit a school. I see the warm interaction of teachers with students and I see the smiles on everyone’s face when I walk the hallways and visit classrooms. Thank you for being a source of inspiration, knowledge and support to countless students, including myself. Your contributions are invaluable and they will continue to resonate for generations to come. We also know success comes when everyone works together. We thank crucial support teams that assist teachers in establishing a respectful and safe place of learning for all students to provide the most meaningful and engaging educational experience we can.”

HDSB 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan

Throughout a school year, teachers fulfill all five areas of focus of the HDSB’s 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan, with the overall purpose of setting direction and prioritizing the collective actions of all stakeholders to ensure the Board’s efforts as an organization are aligned and coordinated to support the more than 66,000 students, 11,000 staff and the broader HDSB community.

To see videos that show this plan being brought to life in classrooms, visit the Director’s Cut webpage.

Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah

The holiday of Sukkot is followed by an independent holiday called Shemini Atzeret. In Israel, this is a one-day holiday; in the Diaspora it is a two-day holiday, and the second day is known as Simchat Torah. This holiday is characterized by utterly unbridled joy, which reaches its climax on Simchat Torah, when we celebrate the conclusion—and restart—of the annual Torah-reading cycle. This year, it starts in the evening of October 6, and concludes after nightfall of October 8, 2023.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day in Canada has been a holiday on the second Monday of October since 1957. It is a chance for people to give thanks for a good harvest and other fortunes in the past year.

Thanksgiving Day in Canada is linked to the European tradition of harvest festivals. A common image seen at this time of year is a cornucopia, or horn, filled with seasonal fruit and vegetables. The cornucopia, which means "Horn of Plenty" in Latin, was a symbol of bounty and plenty in ancient Greece. Turkeys, pumpkins, ears of corn and large displays of food are also used to symbolize Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Day is a national public holiday in Canada. Many people have the day off work and all schools and post offices are closed. Many stores and other businesses and organizations are also closed. Public transport services may run to a reduced timetable or may not run at all.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

World Mental Health Day

“Our minds, our rights" World Mental Health Day 2023 is an opportunity for people and communities to unite behind the theme ‘Mental health is a universal human right” to improve knowledge, raise awareness, and drive actions that promote and protect everyone’s mental health as a universal human right.

Mental health is a basic human right for all people. Everyone, whoever and wherever they are, has a right to the highest attainable standard of mental health. This includes the right to be protected from mental health risks, the right to available, accessible, acceptable, and good quality care, and the right to liberty, independence and inclusion in the community.

Good mental health is vital to our overall health and well-being. Yet one in eight people globally are living with mental health conditions, which can impact their physical health, their well-being, how they connect with others, and their livelihoods. Mental health conditions are also affecting an increasing number of adolescents and young people.  

Having a mental health condition should never be a reason to deprive a person of their human rights or to exclude them from decisions about their own health. Yet all over the world, people with mental health conditions continue to experience a wide range of human rights violations. Many are excluded from community life and discriminated against, while many more cannot access the mental health care they need or can only access care that violates their human rights.

WHO continues to work with its partners to ensure mental health is valued, promoted, and protected, and that urgent action is taken so that everyone can exercise their human rights and access the quality mental health care they need. Join the World Mental Health Day 2023 campaign to learn more about your basic right to mental health as well as how to protect the rights of others. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/2023

On Tuesday, October 10, the Garth Webb Youth Well-Being Team invites you to join in our Wellness Walk for World Mental Health Day at lunch on the track. There will be music, snacks and special prizes. Grab your friends and come join us because wellness matters. 

Islamic Heritage Month

In honour of Islamic Heritage Month, this blog is dedicated to some of the Muslim figures in history who made a great impact in today’s world. Figures including Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Abu Bakr al-Razi, and Fatima al-Fihri.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the last Messenger of God in Islam and he was also a revolutionary leader who was a fierce military commander. He conquered many great lands and won many battles who had moral and ethical character, where he preached his message with full honesty and consistency. Known for setting a positive example of leadership for all humans, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was so kind and extremely merciful that he even forgave his greatest rivals. As well as, dealing with everyone in the conquest of Makkah in the most humane manner. 

Abu Bakr al-Razi was a Persian physician, philosopher, and scholar who was very significant in medieval medicine. He was one of the greatest Muslim physicians and a multidisciplinary thinker. Known as “Rhazes” in the west, he made fundamental contributions to a variety of scientific fields, specifically in medicine for pediatrics, obstetrics, and ophthalmology. His medical system had a special feature which favoured cure through correct and regulated food, as well as avoiding excessive use of chemical drugs. The Comprehensive Book on Medicine and the Book of Medicine Dedicated to Mansur are two of his most notable works, which were also translated into Latin and became broadly influential in medieval Europe. In addition, he published one of the first treatises on the difference between smallpox and measles.

Fatima al-Fihri was originally from Kairouan (Tunisia) and is an inspiration to women and educators, as she was the one who founded the first and oldest-surviving university and madrasah (college for Islamic instruction) in the world. The Al-Qarawiyyin mosque and university in Fez, Morocco, was founded and built under supervision by Fatima, with the help of her inheritance received from her father. The mosque took 18 years to build and the university then followed. It is indeed a beautiful site which was named after her hometown and can still be visited today!

Izzah Syed (Grade 12)

Works Cited: 

Najeeb, Umberin. “Celebrating Canadian Islamic History Month.” Temerty Faculty of Medicine. Accessed 29 Aug. 2023. 

“The Magician of Medicine: Abu Bakr al-Razi.” SCIplanet. Accessed 29 Aug. 2023. 

“Top 10 Oldest Universities in the World.” Daily Sabah, Daily Sabah, 28 Jan. 2021. Accessed 29 Aug. 2023. 

Zafar, Maria. “6 Inspirational Muslim Women You Need to Know.” Islamic Relief UK, 2 Dec. 2022. Accessed 29 Aug.2023. 

Ziegler, Pauline. “15 Muslim Leaders in History That Transformed the World.” Best Diplomats | Diplomatic Conferences | New York, 12 Jan. 2023. Accessed 29 Aug. 2023.

Information on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)

The OSSLT( Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test)  is one of three compulsory components that students must meet in order to receive their high school diploma (completion of 30 credits including 18 compulsory credits, 12 elective credits, and 40 hours of community service are the other graduation requirements). 

To sign your child up for the after school literacy support sessions, please complete the online form linked HERE by Wednesday October 11, 2023. On the form, please identify if your student would prefer in person or virtual classes. 

The program will run for 10, one-hour sessions from 3:00 - 4:00 pm on the dates stated below:

• Tuesday, October 17, 2023

• Thursday, October 19, 2023

• Tuesday, October 24, 2023

• Thursday, October 26, 2023

• Tuesday, October 31, 2023

• Thursday, November 2, 2023

• Tuesday, November 7, 2023

• Thursday, November 9, 2023

• Tuesday, November 14, 2023

• Thursday, November 16, 2023

Information about class location will be emailed to students closer to the start date.

Space is limited in the program so please ensure you complete the online form as soon as possible - students MUST be registered in advance to attend the after school literacy sessions.

All students in grade 10 will write the OSSLT on November 21, 2023 and any students in grades 11 and 12 who still need to fulfill this graduation requirement will have the opportunity to write the OSSLT on  November 23, 2023.  

If you have any questions please reach out to Eric Keunne (Keunnee@hdsb.ca).

Start Up Forms - Action Required

1. All students were sent home with the Secondary Intramural Acknowledgement of Elements of Risk, Consent to Participate, and Medical Information Form in the first week of school. Those forms need to be returned to homeroom teachers ASAP if you have not already handed it in. ALL students must have a completed form (whether or not they will be participating in intramurals). For students who have a spare period 1, they will need to collect a blank form from the main office and hand in their completed forms to the main office as well. 

2. We also sent out electronic forms (that are different from the paper form mentioned above) and we need this form filled in online for every student at GWSS. Please click here to access the form if you have not already completed it.

3. Finally, the Student Verification Forms were emailed out. Please complete this google form if you have changes you would like us to make to our data.

Your prompt attention to these important forms is much appreciated.

Pink Day and Fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research This Wednesday

In honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Athletic Council will be hosting Pink Day and a Fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research on Wednesday, October 11.

Students are encouraged to wear pink and bring cash to donate on Wednesday to show their support for breast cancer research and awareness with all proceeds being donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.  Parents/Family members who attend the games can also donate!

Pink Game!

Our football teams will also be playing their first home games that day and we look forward to cheering them on.

We’ll be accepting cash donations at the gates of the field. There will be face paint, pink ribbons, and lawn games to participate in at halftime, so be sure to watch the pink game so you don’t miss out!

We hope to see you wearing pink and showing your support Chargers!

From Your Student Services Department

Tuesdays @Ten

On Tuesday, October 3 Student Services hosted our monthly parent engagement session. The session was geared to the Grade 12 community as we reviewed the post secondary application process.  If you weren’t able to attend, please review the materials below.

Slidedeck

Recording

Post Secondary Fair

All Grade 12s will have the opportunity to attend the Post Secondary at Sheridan College on Wednesday, October 25.  This will be an amazing opportunity for our senior students to investigate all pathways and connect with representatives from all the Ontario Universities and Colleges.  Families are welcome to attend in the evening of Wednesday, October 25. 

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 

National Scholarships - Grade 12 students

Information around scholarships will be shared via the google classroom throughout the year.  Most National Scholarship deadlines are in the fall.  Please feel free to investigate these Scholarships to see if you are eligible.

Deadlines:

Loran Scholarship - Oct 11 

Queen's - Dec. 8

Lester B. Pearson - School Nomination Nov. 30

Schulich - School Nomination Jan. 30

Western National - TBD but usually mid-February

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:

Stay tuned for a new opportunity to be posted next week...

Virtual High School Hangout Space

 For Students New to Canada and Halton District School Board. Starting Monday, October 2 from 4:00-5:00 p.m.

Are you a student in grade 9-12 and looking to:

• Connect and network with like-minded peers

• Discover ways to get involved in the community and earn up to 10 community service hours Learn about finding employment, interview skills, resume writing and many other topics

Click here to register contact Dunja Cajko, HDSB Community Connections Specialist at cajkod@hdsb.ca.

Kerr Street Mission

The Kerr Street Chair project comes out of our desire to give youth an opportunity to express their voice through art and creativity. We will provide youth with an opportunity to design and decorate a Muskoka chair to share a message they are passionate about.

Through this 8-week program, youth will go through the process of building a Muskoka chair and expressing themselves through visual art on the chair. Part of the process will include guest artists coming in to help the youth discover where their inspiration and passion comes from and how they can express that through visual art.

We want to give youth a space where they can develop a greater understanding of their passions and inspirations and experience a sense of pride in the chairs that they create.

Tuesdays from 4:00 – 5:30 pm

October 10 – November 28, 2023 (8 weeks)

at Kerr Street Mission

Ages 13- 18

Program Cost: No cost with 8 week commitment 

Click here to register

Online Safety Information for Parents

This site has some great resources for parents to help keep your kids safe online. There are tips for all ages.

Executive Functioning Coaching for Students

Executive Functioning Coaching is a service provided to secondary students by the Halton District School Board’s Mental Health & Well-Being Department. 

Do you have difficulties with skills like organization, attention/focus, procrastination, time management, studying effectively for tests, or managing larger projects or assignments? Do you become overwhelmed by your to-do list? Do these difficulties impact your grades and/or cause you stress?

If you are interested in working on these skills, consider completing a Self-Referral Form for Executive Functioning (Learning Strategies) Coaching. This service would involve group sessions, taking place every second week (virtually through Google Meet) that focus on developing skills such as time management, planning and organization, study strategies and test-taking tips, attention strategies, stress management and coping, etc. There will be a number of start points for these sessions throughout the first semester. Following the group sessions, you will have the option of accessing individual sessions for additional support in using the strategies.

Students self-refer to this service and no information can be shared with other people without a student's permission.

Additional resources for students can be found on the Mental Health & Well-Being webpage at hdsb.ca.

If you have any questions about these services please contact either Lisa Sedore, (sedorel@hdsb.ca) or Larissa Pipe (pipel@hdsb.ca), Psychologists and Psycho-educational Consultants.

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 child’s online record at halton.ca/immunize.

2. If your child 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 child’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 child is unable to be immunized for medical reasons or if you choose not to immunize your child, 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.

Free Math Tutoring

 Attention all semester 1 math students! TVO Mathify offers FREE 1:1 online Grade 4-12 math tutoring to students enrolled in Ontario’s public schools. The math tutors are Ontario-certified teachers who use interactive whiteboards, voice, and text chat to help with your specific math questions. You can even take a picture of your math question and upload it to the whiteboard to work on with your tutor. For more information and to register please read below:

Website: https://www.tvomathify.com/students

Grades: 4 to 12

Subject: Mathematics

Courses:   All secondary math courses are supported

Tutors Available: Monday to Friday from 9 am to 9 pm; Saturday & Sunday from 3 pm to 9 pm

How do you register? To register use the link above. You will need your OEN number (found on any report card)

Questions?   Please email Ms. Carmichael (carmichaeld@hdsb.ca)

Upcoming Key Dates

Oct 9 Thanksgiving Monday - school closed

Oct 10 Photo Retake Day (for students who have not had a photo taken)

Oct 12 Lockdown Drill

Oct 12 5th Week Report Distribution

Oct 16 School Council Meeting

Oct 18 CP Day - Classes start at 9:30 am

Oct 19 Parent Teacher Interviews

Oct 25 Grade 12 Post Secondary Exploration Event

Nov 1 Take Our Kids to Work Day (Grade 9)

Nov 6-Dec 1 Grad Photos

Nov 7 Tuesdays @Ten

Nov 9 First Day of Semester 1, Term 2

Nov 10 Remembrance Day (Observed)

Nov 11 Remembrance Day

Nov 15 OUAC / OCAS Midterm Mark Upload 

Nov 15 CP Day - Classes start at 9:30 am

Nov 16 Grade 8 Information Night

Nov 17 Midterm Report Distribution

Nov 24 PA Day - no school for students

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