Principal's Message

Topic: 2024-2025 GWSS Student of Excellence

Dear Students, Families, and Staff:

Last month, we officially began the selection process for our Student of Excellence, a prestigious award recognizing a Grade 12 student who has demonstrated exceptional qualities throughout their high school career. This remarkable honor will be celebrated at the 41st Annual Celebration of Student Excellence, an event that has become a tradition in our community.

Since 1984, the Halton District School Board (HDSB) has honored one student representative from each elementary and secondary school. This special evening is dedicated to recognizing the accomplishments of students who have excelled in areas such as academics, leadership, community involvement, and extracurricular activities. Each school nominates one student, and the selected student must have demonstrated excellence in at least one or more of the following areas: self-improvement, citizenship, leadership, outstanding academic achievement, involvement in vocational studies or specialized programs, and contribution to the school or local community.

The nomination process is a thoughtful one, with teachers nominating students who they believe embody these values. These nominations are then reviewed by the leadership team, who ultimately make the final decision. It is a rigorous process, ensuring that only those who truly exemplify excellence are selected.

We are thrilled to announce that Daria Meleshko has been selected as GWSS's Student of Excellence for this year. This prestigious recognition is part of the 41st Annual Celebration of Student Excellence, which will take place on May 8, 2025. Daria’s dedication to academic excellence, leadership, and involvement in both school and community make her an ideal candidate for this award. She has excelled in multiple sports, including rugby, basketball, volleyball, and flag football, and is an active member of the Garth Webb Peer Tutoring Club. Outside of school, she volunteers her time to support local kids’ summer camps and the Ukrainian Community Centre, further demonstrating her commitment to making a positive impact in her community. In addition to her extracurricular pursuits, Daria is passionate about STEM. She is an enthusiastic participant in the Girls in STEM Club and has gained valuable hands-on experience through her co-op placement, where she works on building computers. Her drive and passion for learning make her a positive role model for others, and we could not be prouder of her accomplishments.

Daria shared her thoughts on receiving this nomination: “Being selected as the Student of Excellence is a great honour to me, I am extremely grateful for those who helped me in achieving this. Most importantly I want to thank my nominator for everything they've done for me and for believing in me. I have worked extremely hard over the past 4 years to balance academics, athletics, and individual responsibilities. There have been many rough patches but I always overcame them, knowing I have many goals to reach. Getting recognition for my work drives me to push myself harder, which I will continue to do in my education and career. One of the important things I've learned is to have faith in yourself and the world, and the world will have faith in you. This award acts as a milestone and a checkpoint in my academic career and serves as a reminder that hard work, dedication, and commitment go a long way.”

Daria’s commitment to excellence is truly inspiring, and we are incredibly proud to have her represent Garth Webb Secondary School at the awards ceremony on May 8. We wish her continued success and look forward to celebrating her remarkable achievements.

Kindly,

Luisa Botelho

2SLGBTQIA+ Parent/Guardian Advocacy and Support Group

The March meeting for our group will be on Thursday, March 6 from 7-8 pm (online). 

The goal of the group is to provide a safe space to share resources, expand our education, learn how to better advocate for and support our children, and to share our challenges and victories. We will work together to advocate for all students who experience social and systemic discrimination based on their 2SLGBTQIA+ identity. We have a zero tolerance policy for any kind of discrimination within our group. 

We are always happy to welcome new members so if you would like to attend our meeting on Thursday, March 6 or would like more information about the group, please email Kerri Lee at leeke@hdsb.ca. A link for the meeting will be sent to the group members prior to Thursday.

Graduation Packages Now Available for Purchase

Grade 12 Graduation will be on Wednesday, June 25 at 7:30 pm at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex (3070 Neyagawa Blvd, Oakville, ON L6M 4L6). More details will be shared closer to the time.

Grad packages are now ready for purchase on School Cash Online for $50 and the package includes 2 tickets each for guests to attend, a gown and Class of 2025 cap, as well as a professional photo that will be taken at commencement. Please order your packages as soon as possible and before the deadline on March 31.

Please note that all students who are attending Commencement must purchase a grad package. If you need financial assistance with this purchase, please reach out to our Principal Luisa Botelho directly.

Iftar

GWSS’ Iftar will take place next Thursday, March 6 from 5:30 - 7:45 pm. We are catering from Baig’s Grill Mississauga, a Hyderabadi restaurant, and hosting Mrs. Tabassum Wyne as our guest speaker. 

Mrs. Tabassum Wyne is the Executive Director of the Muslim Advisory Council of Canada whom the HDSB works with to support and empower Muslim families in the Halton Region by providing the tools needed to advocate for their children's educational success and mental well-being, fostering a more inclusive school environment.

Itinerary

Guest Arrivals - 5 - 5:30 pm

Speaker - 5:45 - 6:10 pm

Break Fast and Prayer - 6:15 - 6:30 pm

Dinner - 6:30 - 7:45 pm

Closing Event - 7:45 pm

Tickets are $15/ person and are open to our students to purchase on School Cash Online. Get your tickets today before they sell out!

Extended Absence Reminder

Parents/guardians who withdraw students during school time are advised that, depending on the timing and length of the absence, academic performance of your student may be affected. It is the student’s responsibility to catch-up on missed work.

In secondary school, any absence that is longer than 3 consecutive days is referred to as an extended absence. If you know that your student will be away for more than 3 consecutive school days, please print this extended absence form and fill it in with the information requested 2 weeks prior to the planned absence (hard copies are available in the office). Students should ask their parent/guardian and teachers to fill in the form and once it is complete, the form should be handed in at the main office. The Vice Principal will then review the form and it will be given to the attendance Administrative Assistant for attendance to be entered (absences longer than 3 days are not able to be entered into School Messenger by parents). If you have any questions about this process, please reach out to the main office at 905-847-6875. Thank you.

Order Your Yearbook Today

Don't forget to order your copy of the 2024-2025 yearbook before it's too late. Yearbooks are available to order on School Cash Online only. We do not order extra copies so you must order online before the deadline to be able to get a copy of the yearbook.

If you don't see the fee available on School Cash Online it is most likely because you have already purchased the yearbook for this year. Please check in your purchase history to confirm. 

Don't miss out on ordering this keepsake!

Bantam Girls Volleyball Champions

The Bantam Girls Volleyball team faced Nelson in the finals game this past week. After losing the first set, they came back strong to win the second set and force a third. It was a very close game, and they played with great determination to turn things around and take the third set! Congratulations on your win!

Thank you to coaches Hull & Cho for all their support of the team this season!

Alpine Team at OFSAA

Both the High School Ski and Snowboard Teams traveled up to Collingwood this week to compete at OFSAA. The Boys' High School Ski Team, composed of Travis Campbell, James Lawrie, Peter Watson, Noah Waters, and J.J. Ware represented Garth Webb well on Monday and Tuesday at Osler Bluff Ski Club, where they competed in both Giant Slalom and Slalom races. The competition was fierce, but the boys managed to place 7th in the province, receiving a ribbon to commentate their accomplishments. This will mark the first time our skiers have taken home any prize! Way to go ski team!

Continuing the momentum set by the skiers, our snowboarders traveled to Devils Glen Country Club to compete in the OFSAA Snowboarding event. Our High School Boys' Snowboard team composed of Liam Armstrong, Filip Geier, Carson Beale, and Mason Beale brought home the silver medals for their combined team score! A special mention to our individual girl Nicole Meal who competed on her own and placed 14th overall!

Finally, on Thursday we competed in the Snowboard Cross event at Beaver Valley. Our athletes who went home with some hardware were Nicole Meal, who (on a team with three other students GHAC) took the silver medal in the Girls Team category. Filip Geier took third place for the Individual Boys category, and also took home the gold (as part of a team with three other members from GHAC) in the Boys team category.

Congratulations to all the athletes for competing at the height of competition and their accomplishments at the provincial level!

Thank you to coaches Ms. Ward, Mr. Chang &  Ms. Westenberg for their work with the team this year.

HIEC: Ontario Career Labs March Break Workshops

Join us this March Break for daily in-person and virtual workshops. For students in Grades 7-12, topics range from Pathway Exploration to Skilled Trades 101. Each day, students will have the opportunity to have Career Conversations with industry professionals across various sectors.

Please see the flyer for more details.

Community Opportunities - University of Toronto

For Black History Month, UofT wanted to share a few more opportunities for students to connect with U of T as well as some engaging outreach programs with applications that are currently open. Please see our Equity & Outreach Community Newsletter - February 2025 

1. Black Rotman Commerce: Black Student Leadership Conference 

   • Program Date: March 12, 2025 

   • Location: U of T St. George campus

   • Age group: Students currently in Grades 9-12

   • In partnership with the Black Rotman Commerce student group, Rotman Commerce is excited to host an engaging afternoon of hands-on training in the core business competencies of trading and case study. Prospective Black students are invited to campus to gain an introduction to the fields of finance and business problem-solving through seminars hosted by current Rotman Commerce students and staff. Participants will also apply their learnings and compete for prizes.

Click here to Register

2. Reach Ahead to Kinesiology 

   • Program Dates: March 12 -14, 2025 

   • Location: U of T St. George campus

   • Age group: Students currently in Grades 10-11

   • Application deadline: When capacity is reached

   • Reach Ahead to Kinesiology is an access program that invites Black and Indigenous Ontario high school students to attend the Faculty for five days over March Break. Participants are provided with experiential learning and programming on the kinesiology student experience, and explore the Faculty's curricular offerings, research focus, career pathways and more.

Click here to APPLY

3. Summer Mentorship Program (Temerty Faculty of Medicine)

   • Program Dates: July 2-25, 2025

   • Location: U of T St. George campus

   • Age group: Students currently in Grades 10-11

   • Application deadline: March 23, 2025 (with preference to apply as soon as possible)

   • The Summer Mentorship Program (SMP) gives high school students who self-identify as Indigenous or Black African, Black Caribbean, Black North American, or multi-racial students who have and identify with their Black ancestry, a chance to explore health sciences at the University of Toronto over four weeks in July.

Click here to APPLY

4. Blueprint (Engineering Outreach)

   • Program Dates: July 7-August 1, 2025

   • Location: U of T St. George campus

   • Age group: Students currently in Grades 10-11

   • Application deadline: March 28, 2025

   • Blueprint is an academic enrichment experience designed for motivated Black students passionate about science and engineering. Students will learn the Engineering Design Process, apply it to real-world issues, and take two engineering-focused courses with lab components.

Click here to APPLY

DMZ x myBlueprint: 20 x $500 Micro Grants for GTA Students

The DMZ is funding $10,000 in micro grants for Greater Toronto Area high school students (across grades 9-12) to support the building of a tech related project. The $10,000 will be split up into 20 individual $500 micro grants.  The grants can be used for something you’re working on in school, but they don’t have to be. You decide how you want to spend your money.  If you have an idea for a personal project, side hustle, or hobby that you want to build, but money is holding you back, you should apply for these grants.  Of the 20 micro grants, 10 will be available specifically for students who identify as Black.  These micro grants are not loans, or scholarships. This is your money that you get to use to build with 😎 You are entering a skills based economy. Developing the habit of building real projects and communicating evidence of those projects is one of the most important things you can do in 2025 to set yourself up for success.

Learn more at the DMZ Micro Grant Website.

Please check out the Flyer for more information.

Tuesdays @Ten - Postponed to March 18

New Date: 

Our previously scheduled Tuesdays @Ten for March will be postponed until after March Break and will now happen on Tuesday, March 18.

Topic:

This month we will welcome Heather Fawcett from Sheridan College to highlight the different programs offered at Sheridan, including their various degree programs.

A link will be sent to families on March 17, 2025.

Scholarships and Awards

Community Awards (Rotary, Halton Learning Foundation, Maycourt, CFUW, Lion's Club, Chinese Canadian Association)

It's that time of year when applications open for the various community awards. All information can be found on the online awards hub. Please take a look at the site and direct any questions you may have to your guidance counsellor. Students are encouraged to create an account and review the various awards criteria. Please note that most application deadlines are in the spring.

Awards Hub

Grade 12 - Graduation Requirements

This message is a reminder of some important information as you navigate the postsecondary application process and completion of the final graduation requirements.

Community Hours

Students need to submit 40 community hours no later than May 1, 2025 for completion of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Students can submit their hours HERE. If needed, they can complete our recording form found HERE.

Online Learning Requirement

Students are also required to take two e-learning credits to graduate. However, students can opt out by returning this form to Student Services.

Scholarships

Information will be posted on the Grade 12 Google Classroom stream as well as in a document in Classwork. Information can also be found via the HDSB website: HDSB Scholarship Resources.

More details and resources on the above information can be found in our Grade 12 Presentation and Resource Slide Deck: Grade 12 Presentation 2024.

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:

Human Nature Projects Ontario has 2 great volunteer opportunities for high school students! These in-person events will provide students with the opportunity to learn how to make a positive impact on the environment while connecting with nature and peers. Details are as follows:

March 8, 2025 - Seeds for Change Summit: Join HNP Ontario on March 8th in discussions from various stakeholders (e.g. non-for-profits, community leaders, educators etc.) regarding sustainability from an intersectional lens, examining environmentalism through the means of various other social justice issues. Up to 10 volunteer hours, lunch, and refreshments will be provided to participants!

• Date: Saturday, March 8, 2025

• Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM EST

• Location: Mimico Library Auditorium

• Address: 47 Station Rd, Etobicoke, ON M8V 2R1

• Registration Form: https://forms.gle/ZX766SZpKhMGWMCA7

• Registration Deadline: Monday, March 3 at 11:59 PM EST

March 14, 2025 - Erindale Park Community Clean-up:Join HNP Ontario in cleaning up Erindale Park! We’ll be working on March 14 to help restore the park to its natural beauty through picking up various pieces of litter in collaboration with University of Toronto Mississauga’s Regenesis club. Up to 3 volunteer hours and refreshments will be provided to participants!

• Date: Friday, March 14, 2025

• Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST

• Location: Erindale Park

• Address: 1695 Dundas St W, Mississauga, ON L5C 1J4

• Registration Form: https://forms.gle/448WkPMHpSCHQgHR8

• Registration Deadline: Monday, March 10 at 11:59 EST

Students can sign up to participate through each Google Form linked above and they will send out an orientation email about each event with further details.

Town of Oakville Public Consultation 

Potential Protest By-law Near Vulnerable Social Infrastructure 

On behalf of the Town of Oakville, we are sharing an opportunity for Oakville residents to participate in a public consultation. The Town of Oakville is gathering community feedback on the development of a by-law aimed at regulating certain forms of protests near vulnerable social infrastructure, such as places of worship, hospitals, schools, daycares and libraries. From February 12 to March 5, Oakville residents can provide input through a telephone or online questionnaire.

The feedback gathered will help guide Town of Oakville staff in preparing a draft by-law for the consideration of Oakville's Town Council. Learn more and provide input here.

Naming the Newest HDSB Elementary School

Suggest a name for the new HDSB elementary school opening in Oakville!

The HDSB is opening a new elementary school in Oakville, located at 1235 Wheat Boom Drive, in September 2025. Students, families and community members are encouraged to submit suggestions for the name of the new school by March 5. 

Learn more and submit your suggestion here.

An Important Message from Halton Public Health

Important information related to increased global measles activity

As we approach March break, Halton Region Public Health would like to alert families to the global rise in measles, and recommend that anyone planning to travel ensures they and their families are protected against measles.

Measles virus is easily spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. An individual is susceptible if they have not received two doses of the measles-containing vaccine (MMR or MMRV), or if they have not had measles in the past. Measles symptoms usually include fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes and a rash that starts on the face and spreads over the body and can cause serious complications. If you suspect you may have contracted measles, wear a well-fitting medical mask, limit contact with others and seek medical attention as needed. 

Vaccination is the Best Protection 

Measles vaccinations are free for everyone in Ontario, and are required under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA). Individuals can schedule appointments to catch up on missed vaccines through their primary care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner) or at some walk-in clinics. When travelling, some countries may have specific guidelines or additional vaccines that are recommended. See the Public Health Agency of Canada's website for more information. 

Parents/guardians are responsible for reporting their child’s immunizations to Public Health and can securely and easily update their child’s immunization record online using the province’s Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) portal, accessible through Halton Region’s Report Your Immunizations webpage.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and collaboration in keeping our school communities Safe. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable March break.

HDSB Mental Health and Well-Being Programs

The HDSB is offering mental health and well-being programs for students and families this winter and spring. We encourage families to review these opportunities and registration information. 

Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions for parents/guardians

The HDSB has announced additional mental health & well-being information sessions for parents/guardians this Winter and Spring. Each session will be led by a mental health expert in that area who will share their knowledge and provide helpful information and resources. 

The upcoming sessions include: 

• Read Aloud Story Time - Tuesday, March 4 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

• Supporting Elementary-Aged Students with Anxiety: Practical Strategies and Interventions - Tuesday, March 18 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

• Navigating Mental Health Resources for Children and Teens: A Guide for Parents/Guardians - Tuesday, March 25 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Learn more about the sessions available by visiting our Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions webpage and register online by completing the registration form.  

Mental Health & Well-Being Resources

The mental health and well-being of our students and families is important. We encourage all families to view the HDSB’s Mental Health & Well-Being webpage which has information for parents/guardians and students on mental health, ways to support positive mental health and well-being and how to get additional support at school and in the community.

Upcoming Key Dates

Mar 6 5th Week Progress Reports Emailed

Mar 10 - 14 Spring Break

Mar 18 Tuesdays @Ten - NEW DATE

Mar 26 CP Day (late start at 9:30 am)

Mar 27 Parent/Teacher Interviews 5:00 - 7:00 pm - NEW DATE

Apr 1 Tuesdays @Ten

Apr 4 Professional Activity Day – No Classes

Apr 16 First Day of Semester 2, Term 2

Apr 18 Good Friday - No Classes

Apr 21 Easter Monday - No Classes

Apr 23 CP Day (late start at 9:30 am)

Apr 23 OUAC/OCAS Upload

Apr 25 Semester 2 Mid-Semester Reports Issued

May 2 Full Disclosure Date

May 6 Tuesdays @Ten

May 19 Victoria Day Holiday - No Classes

May 21 CP Day (late start at 9:30 am)

May 22 15th Week in Danger Reports Emailed

Jun 3 Tuesdays @Ten

Jun 19-25 Semester 2 Final Evaluation Block

Jun 25 Class of 2025 Commencement @Sixteen Mile Creek 7:30 pm

Jun 26 Exam Review Day

Jun 26 Last Day of Classes for Semester 2

Jun 27 Professional Activity Day – No Classes

Jul 2 OUAC/OCAS Upload

Jul 4 Final Report Cards Sent Electronically