Principal's Message

Topic: Every Student, Every Pathway: Program & Learning Highlights from GWSS 

Hello everyone:

I hope you've had a wonderful week and found some time to enjoy the beautiful weather! 

At Garth Webb Secondary School, like all schools in the HDSB, we are committed to supporting high-quality learning and student well-being. At GWSS, we ensure that each student has the opportunity to learn in ways that best align with their unique strengths and needs. Our staff are dedicated to helping every student thrive both academically and personally, with the ability to choose courses and programs that match their skills, interests, and future goals.

We are excited to share an overview of our comprehensive academic offerings this semester! Our dedicated educators are delivering a rich and diverse selection of courses that support student growth across all pathways including academic, applied, college, de-streamed, mixed, university, and workplace. These offerings reflect our commitment to meeting the needs of every learner and empowering all students to thrive as they explore their interests, develop new skills, and work toward their individual goals.

Here are some highlights from this semester’s timetable:

Core Academics: Students are actively engaged in English, Math, and Science at all grade levels, including college, workplace, and university programs. In English, students can take ETS4U, a literature and film course for those interested in literary analysis and global perspectives. Students may also choose EMS3O (Media Studies), which develops media literacy, critical thinking, and communication skills through the analysis and creation of media texts.

Languages & International Studies: We are proud to offer French at the Core, Extended, and Immersion levels, as well as Spanish, providing students with opportunities to develop strong communication skills in additional languages. Through these programs, students deepen their understanding of diverse cultures and global perspectives, preparing them to be active, informed citizens in an interconnected world.

STEM Excellence: From Grade 9 Science and Math to advanced Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, students are immersed in hands-on learning. Computer Science and Technological Design courses support 21st-century digital literacy.

The Arts: Our vibrant arts program offers a range of creative opportunities, including Visual Arts, Drama, Music (Instrumental and Vocal), and Media Arts, allowing students to explore and express their artistic talents. This year, we’re excited to introduce a brand-new course: Rock Ensemble. In this course, students learn to play instruments such as guitar, bass, piano, and drums in a collaborative band setting. They develop performance skills, explore the cultural impact of rock music, and even create and record their own original compositions.

Health & Physical Education: A wide range of phys-ed options are offered including Personal Fitness, Healthy Active Living, and Kinesiology. Leadership and recreation programs encourage teamwork and well-being. 

Social Sciences & Humanities: Students are engaging with diverse topics such as Law, Civics, History, Family Studies, Indigenous Studies, and Equity, all designed to foster critical thinking and responsible citizenship. This year, we’re pleased to introduce a new course: Human Development Through the Lifespan. This multidisciplinary course explores physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development from prenatal stages to late adulthood. Students examine key theories, investigate real-world issues affecting development, and learn about factors that support resilience and well-being across all stages of life.

Business Studies:

Students have access to a wide range of business courses including Marketing, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, and Business Fundamentals. These courses help develop real-world financial literacy, leadership skills, and a strong understanding of the economic environment, preparing students for future studies and careers in business, management, and finance.

Technological Education & Skilled Trades:

Our robust tech and trades programs offer hands-on learning in Construction, Automotive Technology, Hairstyling and Aesthetics, Technological Design: Architectural Design, Manufacturing, Communication Technology, Engineering, and Exploring Computer Technology. These courses provide students with valuable industry-related skills, safety certifications, and practical experience that support pathways into the skilled trades, apprenticeships, college, universities, or the workforce.

Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM): We are proud to offer SHSM programs in Energy and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) at GWSS, giving students valuable, sector-recognized certifications and hands-on experiential learning opportunities.

The Energy SHSM allows students to focus on the dynamic and evolving energy sector, including renewable energy, power systems, and energy efficiency. Through certifications, cooperative education, and industry-related experiences, students gain the foundational skills needed to pursue pathways in apprenticeship, college, university, or the workplace.

The ICT SHSM prepares students for exciting careers in technology and communications. This program develops key skills in areas like programming, digital media, marketing, and tech infrastructure. Students earn certifications and real-world experience that support diverse post-secondary and career pathways. Both SHSM programs at GWSS provide our students with engaging, career-focused learning that bridges the gap between classroom instruction and the demands of the modern workforce.

Student Support:
At GWSS, we are committed to supporting every learner. Resource rooms, Learning Strategies classes, and English Language Learner (ELL) support are available throughout the day to help students thrive academically. In addition, our Guidance Counselors, Student Success Teachers, Special Educational Resource Teachers (SERTs), School Social Worker, Mental Health Nurse, and Administrative Team are all actively involved in providing social, emotional, and academic support. Together, this dedicated team works to ensure that every student feels safe, supported, and empowered to succeed.

We’re proud of the dynamic and inclusive learning environment at our school. Thank you for partnering with us in supporting your child’s educational journey!

Warmly,

Luisa Botelho

Principal

Blog Hiatus

As mentioned last week, the Principal’s Blog will be going on hiatus for a little while after this issue. The blog will return to your inbox in some fashion in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Student Fees Explained

Student Engagement Fee

Each year in September, we ask families to purchase the Student Engagement Fee option through their School Cash Online account. Garth Webb is an active and inclusive place to learn. The Student Engagement Fees generate start up and operating funds for student run clubs including but not limited to environment issues, global issues, student newspaper, philanthropy, wellness council, etc. The fees also supplement the cost of school wide spirit events, LINK Crew transition, leadership training, motivational speakers, and student recognition awards and events. In addition, student engagement fees fund Student Council events such as assemblies and anti-bullying initiatives. 

In September alone, the fees will go towards supporting our Grade 9 Welcome BBQ, our Link Crew activities, our Terry Fox Run, and our whole school assemblies. We will have many more activities and events throughout the year that the money collected through these fees will support. 

Our school fee is $30 per student and although it is optional to purchase, we greatly appreciate and depend on the support from our families. We remain aware of the social economic constraints in our present day lives and are working hard to keep these fees low. Please visit School Cash Online today to pay the Student Engagement Fees. Thank you so much for your support in advance!

Athletic Fee

All students who participate on a team sport at Garth Webb will be required to pay the Athletic Fee on School Cash Online. The fee this year is $100 and it only needs to be paid once per year even if your student participates on more than one team. This fee contributes toward the costs associated with transportation, facility rentals, referees, the annual athletic banquet, OFSAA entry fees, and the wear and tear over and above the normal phys ed classes on shared equipment. This fee will be available on School Cash Online for your student once they have joined a team.

Upcoming Days of Significance:

Mabon (Autumn Equinox) - Sep 22

Rosh Hashanah - Sep 22-24

International Week of the Deaf - Sep 22-28

Navratri - Sep 22-Oct 1

Rowan’s Law Day - Sep 24

Franco-Ontarian Day - Sep 25

Elevation of the Cross - Sep 27

Durga Puja - Sep 28-Oct 2

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day - Sep 30

2SLGBTQ+ History Month - October

Islamic Heritage Month - October

German Heritage Month - October

Hispanic & Latin American Heritage Month - October

Hungarian Heritage Month - October

Korean Heritage Month - October

Women's History Month - October

International Walk to School Day - Oct 1

Yom Kippur - Oct 1-2

Custodial Workers' Recognition Day - Oct 2

Dussehra/Vijayadashami - Oct 2

Mehgregan - Oct 2

National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls & Gender Diverse People - Oct 4

GWS School Council Meeting

Our School Council will meet tomorrow on Monday, September 22 at 6 pm in the Garth Webb library.  This will be the final meeting for the 2024-2025 council and the first meeting of the 2025-2026 council. 

If you self nominated for the new school council, you must be in attendance at the meeting on Monday, September 22 in order to be acclaimed as a voting member for the 2025-2026 school year. If there will be something preventing your attendance on Monday, please reach out to our Principal Luisa Botelho directly ASAP.

 All parents/guardians are welcome to attend school council meetings anytime.

CP Day This Wednesday

This Wednesday, September 24 is our first Collaborative Planning day (“CP” day) of the 2025-2026 school year. CP Days are for staff and will happen 4 times each semester. On Wednesday, students will 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.

Please note that although CP Days are normally on Wednesdays, the October CP date had to be changed to accommodate another event. The October CP Day will be on Thursday, October 30. Future CP Days throughout the remainder of the year will be on Wednesdays.

The CP schedule and dates are on our website here and in the school calendar for your reference. Please put these dates into your calendar.

Last Week to Order Spirit Wear & Class of 2026 Grad Gear

The online store for Grad Gear & Spirit Wear is open from now until Thursday, September 25, 2025. Orders should arrive at the school in early November 2025.

Click here to access the online store for ordering.

Start Up Forms

There are three parts to the start up packages for all students and the HDSB requires a completed package for all students for all three parts.

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

2. The second part is the electronic forms that were sent out on September 8. Please complete this online form ASAP. We must have the form completed for every student

3. The final piece of our start up package, the verification forms, were sent out to families this past week. Please review the information on the verification form and inform us of any changes that are required.

Please be sure that you have completed all three parts of the start up packages ASAP. We need completed forms for ALL STUDENTS. Thank you.

Terry Fox Week

Next week (Sep 22-26) we will be celebrating the life and achievements of Terry Fox as this is the 45th Anniversary of the Marathon of Hope. After having his leg amputated in 1980 he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research, cementing himself as a Canadian hero. 

In his honour the Grade 12 Leadership Class will be running events all week, including a bake sale at lunch on Tuesday, September 23 and a school-wide walk/run around the neighbourhood on Friday, September 26. This year we have decided on a donation goal of $7,000. Students and families will have opportunities to donate cash all week during the different events, and online using the following link: https://schools.terryfox.ca/107959 

Please be sure to complete the Startup Forms to ensure your student can participate in the Terry Fox Run.

Fitness Centre Membership

The fitness centre will be open at lunch starting Monday, September 26. The cost of a yearlong membership is $20 and can be purchased on School Cash Online.

Important: students must have submitted their signed start up forms to the office before they will be allowed to use the fitness centre. Stickers for the back of the student card can be picked up in the Phys-Ed office as of Monday. 

Student Senate Opportunity Deadline Tomorrow

Are you ready to lead?
Want to make a real impact in your school and beyond?
Do you have bold ideas for creating positive social change?

If so, consider applying for the role of Student Senator at Garth Webb Secondary School!

The role of a Student Senator calls for strong leadership, a genuine commitment to representing the voices of fellow students, and the dedication to attend monthly meetings. Throughout the school year, Student Senators are expected to actively gather diverse perspectives from their peers and thoughtfully share them with the Senate.  

Interested?
➡️ Complete the application form here
➡️ Follow us on social media for updates @garthwebbsecondaryofficial
➡️ Or even better—talk to your teacher to learn more!

🗓 Application deadline: Monday, September 22, 2025

For more information, visit the HDSB Student Senate Website:
🌐 https://studentsenate.hdsb.ca/home

GWSS Math Peer Tutoring Program

Free 1-1 Tutoring

Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday

Room 3021 @Lunch

Tutoring for:

Grade 9 Math - Grade 10 Math - Grade 11 Math

Grade 12 Math (depenging on availbility)

Interested? 

Email your Math teacher to enroll

Questions? 

Please email Ms. Carmichael

Order Your Yearbook Today

The 2025-2026 yearbooks are now 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. Order early to avoid disappointment!

Don't miss out on ordering this fantastic keepsake!

HDSB Post Secondary Exploration Central Event

Grades 9-12+ | Tuesday, October 21 | 6-9 pm

Global Admissions Fair @ Iroquois Ridge High School (Canada, US, and Beyond)

Garth Webb Post Secondary Event: 

Wednesday, October 29 - 9:00-12:15

We will be hosting a postsecondary fair for grades 11 and 12 students in Gym A with representatives from universities, colleges, trades, and community organizations. It will run period 1, 2, and at lunch.

OUAC/OCAS Upload/Opt Out Notification for Fall 2025

Please click here to read some important messaging that was sent out regarding the OUAC/OCAS Upload and Opt out.

Ontario Universities

Please see the following ways you can connect with Ontario Universities

Registration is now available for Ontario Universities' Events!

Ontario Universities' Fair (OUF)

• September 27-28, 2025, from 9:30 am to 5 pm, daily

• Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building

• Gathers Ontario's universities in 1 place

• Once-a-year, free event where attendees can talk directly with university representatives at their booths and attend presentations

• Quiet spaces, a multi-faith space and a daily smudging ceremony will be available

Ontario Universities' Regional Fairs

• Fair-style events hosted across Ontario

• Students can speak directly with Ontario university representatives and research their options

• Events run from September 15 to October 17. A full schedule is available on the OUEvents website

Ontario Universities' Information Sessions

• Virtual events on September 16, 6-8 pm (ET), and November 10, 5-7 pm (ET)

• Great opportunity to get answers about programs, admission requirements, student life and much more

College Information Program 

(note: recruitment events may be impacted by the labour action at the Colleges, please double check events prior to attending)

Starting on September 22, representatives from Ontario’s colleges will be kicking off the College Information Program (CIP) tour – a six-week tour with 39 stops across the province. Including one near you.

Don’t miss out on an awesome opportunity to meet with college reps and get the information you need to make your decision about postsecondary education.

Learn about all kinds of careers and the programs that will lead you into them

• Discover unique programs that are only offered at Ontario’s colleges

• Learn about pathways between college and university

• Get all the information on how and when to apply

• Ask questions about campus life, housing and student services

• Get great advice on how to pay for your college education

Community Hours

Students who complete more than 40 community involvement hours are encouraged to maintain their own record of completed community involvement hours. Secondary schools will no longer track and collect documentation for the completion of community involvement hours beyond the 40 hours required. Students can maintain a record of completed involvement hours through a digital or hard copy portfolio should they wish to have proof of hours for future scholarship, award and/or special program opportunities.

Community Involvement Recording Sheet

Submit Your Community Hours

National Scholarships - Grade 12 Students

Information around scholarships will be shared via the google classroom throughout the year.  Please note that most National Scholarship deadlines are in the fall where as community scholarships are in the Spring.  Please feel free to investigate these Scholarships to see if you are eligible.  More information will be shared with the Graduating Class of 2025 during the post secondary application presentation (will take place early Oct)

Deadlines:

Loran Scholarship - Oct 16, 2025 

Queen's - Deadline Dec 8, 2025

Lester B. Pearson (International Student Scholarship) - Nov 7, 2025

Schulich - School Nomination Jan. 29

Western National - TBD but usually mid-February

HDSB Scholarship Page

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.

This Week's Opportunity:

Join Oakvillegreen on Sat Oct 4th from 12:00pm - 2:00pm to help them plant native trees and shrubs at Preserve Woods, Oakville, ON L6M 0X2 (https://maps.app.goo.gl/fMfHBvVvo7zpMpW38)

The event will take place rain or shine and high school students can get volunteer hours. To participate, sign up using the form below. Please note that youth under 18 must have the form signed by a parent or guardian.

More information here.

Sign-up and Waiver

Co-op

Explore a Future with the Royal Canadian Navy 

On Tuesday, September 30, during lunch, we are excited to welcome representatives from the HMCS STAR ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY to our school. 

Students will have the chance to learn about:

• Career opportunities in the Canadian Armed Forces

• The upcoming Royal Canadian Navy Co-op Program (semester 2) and how to earn two additional credits towards your high school diploma

• Options for part-time employment following the completion of their co-op program

This is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore new career pathways and discover how co-op learning can extend beyond the classroom.

We encourage all interested students to join us at lunch on September 30 to find out more!  Listen to announcements for location details.

Please email Christine Anjos (anjosc@hdsb.ca) if you have any questions.

Check out our website! Follow us on Instagram! @GWSSCoop

GWSS is Scent Free

Our school is a Scent Free Environment. Please help us to accommodate the members of our school community who are sensitive and/or allergic to fragrances and other scented products by keeping the air fragrance free. Please do not wear fragrances or scented products. Thank you.

Be Wise YMCA Workshops

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 Fall for Youth ages 12-18:

• Youth Engagement Series (YES) (in-person starting October 22nd): 6-week series, for youth (ages 15-18), Youth will have the opportunity to hear from the Halton Regional Police Services, while engaging in recreational activities. The programs aim is to develop positive interactions between youth and police services.

• Employment Workshop (online September 17th and 24th): In this two-day session Youth learn how to write a resume, job search and interview techniques. As well as tips and tricks that employers look for when hiring and conducting interviews.

• Youth Wellness Program: 7-week series, for youth (ages 15-18 starting October 16), that aims to provide support in developing coping strategies for mild to moderate anxiety. The curriculum is based on Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), and includes education about mindfulness, mindfulness techniques and self-compassion.

Cybertip

Cybertip.ca is run by The Canadian Centre for Child Protection, a national charity dedicated to the personal safety of all children. Their goal is to reduce the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, assist in the location of missing children, and prevent child victimization through a number of programs, services, and resources for Canadian families, educators, child-serving organizations, law enforcement, and other parties.  In reviewing their resources and “tip/alert” pages, there are a number of great resources you can use to help students check out their page on “Sextortion” which is a growing trend online targeting young people, or their free online safety resources. .

For more information and resources, visit:

• Canadian Centre for Child Protection

• HDSB AST Website 

• HDSB Technology and You Website

• OPC Cyber Safety Parent Tip Sheet

Upcoming Key Dates

Sep 24 CP Day (late start @9:30 am)

Oct 1 OUAC / OCAS Demographics Upload @8 am

Oct 7 Tuesdays@ Ten

Oct 9 5th Week Progress Reports Emailed

Oct 10 Professional Activity Day – No Classes

Oct 13 Thanksgiving Day – No Classes

Oct 14 Photo Retake Day

Oct 14 Excellence - Honour Roll 2024/2025 Certificates Emailed

Oct 16 Parent/Teacher Interview & Grade 9 Program Night 5:30 - 7:30 pm

Oct 29 CP Day (late start @9:30 am)