Principal's Message

Topic: Wishing You a Safe, Restful, and Reflective Summer

Dear Students, Families, and Staff:

As we close the school year, I want to express my sincere gratitude to each of you for the heart, resilience, and community spirit you’ve brought to Garth Webb Secondary School. This year has been filled with meaningful moments, new learning, and opportunities to grow, and as I reflect on my first year as principal at GWSS, I feel incredibly grateful and inspired.

It has been a true honour to serve as your principal. Getting to know this vibrant community, our students, families, and staff, has been one of the highlights of my career. I look forward to many years to come, continuing to serve each of you in the best way I know how: by listening, learning, and working together. Your ongoing feedback and recommendations are invaluable as we continue to shape a school environment that reflects our shared values.

Farewell

As we look ahead to the next chapter at Garth Webb, we want to take a moment to say a sincere thank you and farewell to Vice Principal Rav Bhathal, who joined us this semester and will be moving on at the end of June. Although Rav’s time with us was brief, his impact was significant. With his student-centered approach, calm leadership, and genuine care for the school community, he quickly became a trusted and valued member of our team. Rav brought a wealth of experience from his 20 years in Halton and used that to support both students and staff with empathy, thoughtfulness, and professionalism. We are grateful for the time we had with Rav and wish him continued success in his next role. On behalf of the entire Garth Webb community—thank you, Rav, and all the very best!

Welcome

At the same time, we are pleased to welcome Melanie Baird as our new Vice Principal (Alpha G–M). Melanie has a background in Special Education and cares deeply about helping students succeed and feel supported. She enjoys working closely with others, takes a thoughtful approach to challenges, and tries to create a space where everyone feels welcome and respected. She’s had the chance to work in both the classroom and in leadership, including the past three years as Vice-Principal at Aldershot High School. Melanie’s excited to be part of the Garth Webb community and is looking forward to learning, growing, and contributing to a positive school environment.

🌞 The Importance of Summer – Especially for Our Teens

Summer offers more than just a break; it provides space. Space to rest, reflect, and reset. For our students, especially teenagers, it’s a time to explore identity, build independence, and nurture passions that aren’t always part of the school day. It’s a season for creativity, curiosity, and quiet moments of self-discovery.

Encouraging teens to unplug, connect with friends and family, reflect on the past year, or even just sleep in a little, can be incredibly powerful. These months are essential in helping them return to school with a clearer mind, renewed confidence, and a stronger sense of who they are becoming.

📝 As we head into the summer months, I encourage everyone to:

• Rest – truly rest. Give yourself permission to slow down and recharge.

• Reflect – consider what this year has taught you and how you’ve grown.

• Connect – spend time with people who bring you joy and calm.

• Explore – read something new, visit a new place, or try a new hobby.

• Create – write, draw, build, or dream freely.

📚 Books to Explore This Summer

For Students:

• The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

• Born a Crime (Young Readers Edition) by Trevor Noah

• New Kid by Jerry Craft (graphic novel)

• We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly

For Adults and Educators:

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

• The Skin We're In by Desmond Cole

• Atomic Habits by James Clear

• Think Again by Adam Grant

• Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

• Pushout by Monique W. Morris

• We want to more than just survive by Bettina Love

• Policing Black Lives by Robyn Maynard

🎬 Movies & Documentaries to Reflect and Inspire

• Inside Out – emotional growth and awareness (family-friendly)

• Hidden Figures – excellence and equity in STEM

• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind – innovation and resilience

• BLK: An Origin Story – Black Canadian history

• He Named Me Malala – youth advocacy and global education

• Crip Camp – activism and disability rights

Thank you for welcoming me into the GWSS community with such openness and partnership during my first year. I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished together and am excited for the years ahead.

Wishing each of you a summer filled with rest, renewal, and the kinds of moments that bring peace, joy, and inspiration. I look forward to welcoming you back in the fall, ready for a new chapter.

Sincerely,

Luisa Botelho

This year, we have been sharing our Equity & Inclusive Education section on a standalone page on our site. Please click here to read about the various days of significance throughout the year.

Days of significance added this week:

• Jalsa Salana - Jul 4-6

• Ashura - Jul 5-6

• Martyrdom of the Ba'b - Jul 9

• Asalha Pjua Day (Dhamma Day) - Jul 10

• Guru Purnima Day - Jul 10

• Imamat Day - Jul 11

• Ethopian Constitution Day - Jul 16

• Birthday of Emperor Haile Selassie - Jul 23

• Chokor Duchen Festival - Jul 28

• Emancipation Day - Aug 1

• Lughnasadh/Lammas - Aug 1

• Tisha B'Av - Aug 3

• International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples - Aug 9

• Raksha Bandhan - Aug 9

• Krishna Janmashtami - Aug 16

• Marcus Garvey's Birthday - Aug 17

• Paryushan Parva - Aug 20

• Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist - Aug 29

Congratulations to the Class of 2025!

Wednesday, June 25, 2025 was the Commencement celebration for the 442 students in the Class of 2025. We were so grateful to be able to celebrate this milestone together at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. 

Valedictorian Spotlight: Carter Wang – “Look Around”

At this year’s Commencement Ceremony, the Class of 2025 was represented by an outstanding student whose words reminded us all of what truly matters. Valedictorian Carter Wang delivered a heartfelt and memorable speech titled “Look Around” - a reflection on the power of relationships, shared experiences, and the people who shape our journey. We are proud to share Carter’s speech here as a celebration of the Class of 2025 and the community they’ve built at Garth Webb. Thank you Carter!

Thank you to all of the families who were able to join us on Wednesday to celebrate such a special event in the lives of this remarkable group of young people. Thank you to all of the staff involved in Commencement behind the scenes and during the event for a job well done!

Thank you to the members of the Class of 2025 for your many positive contributions during your time with us. We know that your 4 years at Garth Webb were anything but conventional but you rose to the challenge and showed us all how resilient you are. We wish you continued success. We trust that the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired during your time with us, will continue to serve you well and we hope that you will now put our motto “Learn Today to Lead Tomorrow” into action. Good luck Class of 2025!

We will share a slideshow presentation with families in early July to share the award recipients, Ontario Scholars, French Immersion, Core French, and SHSM students.

Class of 2025 Award Slideshow

We will send a link to our graduates and their families for the end of year awards this coming week.

Grade 12 Diploma Pick Up

Diploma pick up for our graduating students is on Monday, July 7 and Tuesday, July 8 from 9 am to 2 pm in the main office. If you are a graduating student who received an award these will also be available for pick up at that time.

Please be sure to come and pick these items up on July 7 or 8 between 9 am - 2 pm.  If you are unable to pick up your own diploma, please complete this form to give permission for another individual to pick up on your behalf.

Thank you!

Report Cards

Report cards for all grades will be emailed home on Friday, July 4 @ 4 pm.

Thank You School Council

Thank you to the members of our School Council for all of their work and efforts on behalf of our students and school this past year. School Council was able to fund many initiatives for the students and staff of GWSS. Thank you to all families who were able to contribute!

Thank you to Craig Lemon (Chair), Navia Sharma (Treasurer), Coskun Dolanbay (Secretary), Elsa Boyden (PIC Rep), Erica Ramey (PIC Rep), Tanya Monteith, Penny Reid, Sahar Said, and Ellen Wang as well as student representatives Maryam Siddique and Carter Wang. Thank you to all of the GWSS parents and guardians who volunteered their time to attend School Council meetings and help out this school year.

We look forward to the final meeting of the 2024-2025 school council on Monday, September 22, 2025 when we will also welcome any new members for the 2025-2026 School Council.

2024-2025 Student Senators School Year in Review:

This year, the GWSS Student Senate has been proud to lead a range of initiatives that reflect student voice, innovation, and community impact. From tangible improvements, such as installing paper towel dispensers and bins, to broader advocacy, like pioneering vaping detectors, our efforts have focused on enhancing daily school life and addressing key student concerns. We gathered feedback on the NBE English course and HDSB Code of Conduct, met with Trustee Joanna Oliver, and worked with staff to elevate student perspectives into real discussions. We organized school-wide Earth Week initiatives, facilitated a “Future of Work” workshop, hosted Grade 9 exam preparation sessions, and coordinated fundraising for the Halton Learning Foundation. Our student panel for elementary principals offered insight into Garth Webb student life, and our tour with Director Curtis Ennis and a robotics showcase deepened the understanding of student engagement across programs. While some projects, like our research on mental health and identity, didn’t fully take shape, we remained committed to learning and collaboration. This was a foundational year – building visibility, trust, and momentum for future Student Senators.

From Arthur Chao, Reeva Jiyani, and Aaisha Hassan

Summer Office Hours

The summer office hours will be 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please note that the office will be closed on Tuesday, July 1. The last day that the office will be open before the summer closure is Thursday, July 10, 2025. The office will be closed for the summer from July 11 to August 15 inclusive.

 The office will open on Monday, August 18, 2025  from 7:30 am - 3:30 pm.

Grade 9, 10 & 11 Students not Returning to GW or Starting after September 3, 2025

If your student is currently in grade 9, 10, or 11 and they are not returing to Garth Webb in September or if your student will be arriving at school after the first day on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, it is very important that you fill in the form linked below.

Please note that this form is not for students who are graduating this year and leaving Garth Webb after completing grade 12.

Thank you for your help!

FORM LINK

Summer Support for OUAC/OCAS Inquiries

Once the Garth Webb office closes after July 10, 2025, Gary Allan Learning Centre (GALC) staff are available to support urgent student needs related to OUAC and OCAS. This team can assist with post-secondary processes and make necessary updates to student accounts. You can reach out to GALC at summerschool@hdsb.ca. 

Summer Transcript Information

June 30 - July 10 and then from August 15 onward: 

To obtain a transcript, please see the information here.

July 12 - August 14:

To obtain a transcript, requests can be made to the School Operations Department by completing this form (to be activated on July 12): 

Save the Date - Post Secondary Pathways Exploration Event

On Wednesday, October 1 and Thursday, October 2, Sheridan College will host the Post-Secondary Pathways Exploration Event for Grade 11, 12, and 12+ students and caregivers. 

More information will be sent to families in September 2025.

Important Message from IT for Students Leaving the HDSB

As of July 12, 2025 students who are not:

• actively registered with HDSB (Summer School), or

• Pre-Registered for the 2025-2026 School Year with HDSB

will lose access to the HDSB Network & Halton Cloud / Google Workspace for Education applications, data, and email.

IMPORTANT:  If you have used your HDSB email when applying for post secondary, resume,  job applications, you will need to update your information and change it to a personal email address before access to your HDSB account is lost.

 To retain your Google Workspace data please see one of the options below:

• Transfer email and Drive files to a personal Google Account using Google Takeout Transfer Your Content - see Transfer their content *Personal G Mail accounts only have 15 GB free drive space. All files in your My Drive will count toward your quota. 

• Archive data using Google Takeout - The traditional Takeout is also available to create an archive of all your data in Google Workspace. 

This will enable you to easily retain your email, essays, resumes, science projects and any other files stored on Google Drive before access has been removed to your HDSB account.

This must be completed before July 12, 2025. Please note that the process can take quite some time to complete so don’t delay!

Be Wise - YMCA

Be Wise program at the YMCA. Be Wise is a free support service for Youth aged 12-18 in the Halton region, through workshops and one-on-ones. 

We’re hosting a few series and workshops throughout the summer for Youth ages 12-18:

• Thrive series (In person starting July 31): 4-week series, Youth will have the opportunity engage in recreational activities alongside learning valuable life skills through workshops. The program's aim is to promote an active lifestyle in youth while developing teen life skills in a fun, healthy environment. High School students may earn volunteer hours for their contribution. 

• How to Adult Workshops (Online Tuesday's starting July 8): Drop-in information sessions for youth (ages 12-18) to build essential life skills. Topics include Volunteering, financial Literacy, personal care and many more.

CCAH Youth Leadership Summer Program 2025 – Now Accepting Registrations!

The Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH) proudly invites high school students to join the 2025 Youth Leadership Summer Program (YLSP) now in its 19th year of empowering young leaders across Halton Region. In partnership with Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) and Sheridan College, the program offers mentorship, impactful dialogue, leadership development, and qualifies for high school community service volunteer hours! 

For more information, and registration details on this summer program click here.

This week in Co-op, we want to celebrate:

• our Co-op Employers and Community Partners who support and mentor our students

• our dedicated students who are gaining real-world experience, building valuable skills, and representing our school with professionalism and pride!

Follow us on Instagram!

@GWSSCoop 

Boys Rugby to Portugal & Spain in March 2026

Garth Webb's Boys Rugby team have been granted an exciting opportunity to travel to Portugal and Spain for a rugby tour in the next school year on March break!  

This trip is open to all current players and new players who are interested in playing next school season. 

We will have an information meeting in early September that will give parents/guardians and students more details and a final itinerary, but the following is what is included in the cost of the tour:

• Return airfare from Toronto to Lisbon

• Private luxury motorcoach and driver in Portugal and Spain as per itinerary

• 9 nights’ accommodation, including breakfast each morning

• 2 of the 9 nights at an all-inclusive sports resort, with four 90-minute training sessions

• Transportation and admission to all selected excursions as noted on the final itinerary

• 2 friendly matches versus local teams in: Seville and Lisbon

• All applicable taxes and service charges

• Daily services of a Tour Director 

More information will follow, including individual and team fundraising options.  For now, just save the dates: Friday March 13 to Sunday March 22, 2026.  

Go Chargers and have a great summer!

Ecuador Trip 2026

It's time to register for our international trip to Ecuador March Break 2026! Please read the information slideshow for details. It includes information about safety, our itinerary, service work, cost, payment options, and more! Are you ready for Ecuador? 

Click here to register: eftours.ca/2797949MD

Questions? Email zinkenc@hdsb.ca or call the EF Tours traveler support line at 1-800-263-2806 (available between 9am – 5:30pm). 

Land restoration, personal growth, and Amazonian adventure converge on this misty adventure deep into the vibrant landscape of Ecuador – the only question is: how will it change you?

A Message from the Director of Education

Dear HDSB students, staff and families:

Amy Collard, Chair, and Curtis Ennis, Director of Education, for the Halton District School Board issue a joint message to all HDSB students, staff, parents/guardians and Halton community members.

We encourage you to view this video to understand the HDSB’s commitment to building a respectful and inclusive environment for all students and staff. 

A message to the HDSB community from Chair Collard and Director Ennis

Graduation Coach for Black Students Program

The HDSB Graduation Coach for Black Students Program is hosting the Exploring Us Summer Camp this July! Exploring Us is a free, in-person program for Grade 6-8 students that runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The program strives to affirm the identities of Black-identifying students, foster relationships, unleash creativity and create lasting memories.

Week 1: Roots & Branches: A Journey through Africa | July 8-10

Week 2: Diaspora Dreams: Sailing to the Caribbean | July 15-17

Week 3: Canadian footprints: True North Black and Free | July 22-24

Register today at tinyurl.com/ExploringUs2025 

Youth Vaping, Substance Use & Technology Dependence

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has launched the Youth Vaping, Substance Use, and Technology Dependence (Youth-VAST) Program to provide comprehensive, personalized support for Ontario youth (ages 12 to 21) to manage their vaping and other nicotine use, substance use, and excessive technology use. This program offers assessments, group and individual programming, and connections to specialized resources, virtually or in person.

Upcoming Key Dates

Jul 2 OUAC/OCAS Upload

Jul 4 Final Report Cards Sent Electronically

Jul 7/8 Diploma Pick Up 9 am - 2 pm