Principal's Message

Hello Garth Webb Families!

I hope the students have enjoyed their first week of Semester 2 - the stress of exams etc. is old news and we are in new beginnings. I hope we are starting off Semester 2 with the work habits we wish we started Semester 1 with, daily efforts in our courses, learning the material for the sake of learning not for marks, asking questions, being curious, and really engaged in our education. Just a reminder that semester 1 final report cards were sent home with students on Friday.

I noticed on the first day of the semester that the parking lot was incredibly full and busy and then on day 2 there were SO many students walking!! Thank you - let's keep the students walking to school. It is so good for their mental health, independence, getting the blood moving before they learn, the environment, and keeping our parking lot calm.  

We had a great PD Day on February 3rd. We reviewed the Interrupting Harmful Language, we talked about vaping in the bathrooms and possible solutions, we discussed learning for the sake of learning and getting away from the focus on marks, we discussed AI, and a key topic in all of the sessions was cell phones.  We are noticing that our students are really struggling to put them away, and quite honestly are addicted as many of us adults are too. Some of us will be making an effort to have the students put them away and only have them out when needed - wish us luck with this!  Here is a video that a staff member shared that I thought parents could see as well.

We are also featured in the Director's Cut this week - please have a watch, our Garth Webb special guests are at about 2:48.  Jennie Petko featured in the video is also our school superintendent.

Enjoy your Sunday,

Pam Jenkins

Emergency Earthquake Relief Drive

The GWSS Youth in Action Club is hosting an item drive to support those affected by the recent earthquake in Syria & Turkiye. We will be collecting a variety of items including clothing (hats, scarves, sweaters, boots, socks), equipment (sleeping bags, thermoses, flashlights), and non perishable food (baby food, formula, canned, and dried items).

UPDATE - Priority items:  arctic tents, sleeping bags and blankets

Donations can be dropped off at the main office until Friday, February 24, 2023.

Thank you for your support!

Order Your Yearbook Today

Don't forget to order your copy of the 2022-2023 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.

Don't miss out on ordering this keepsake!

Semi Formal Ticket Pick Up

Tickets will be handed out this week at lunch. Click here to view the buffet dinner menu.

Students need to bring their student card with them to pick up their ticket and also have it with them on the day of the event.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the 2023 Semi Formal on February 23 Chargers!

Director's Cut

This year, the HDSB are bringing the HDSB's 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan into greater focus through our Director's Cut video series. The HDSB is taking a closer and deeper look at how the Multi-Year Plan is driving learning across our school board at the classroom level, showing how each of the five areas of focus are integrated and implemented into everyday instruction. 

We are excited to announce the second of these videos is available. Tune in now: EPISODE #8: Director's Cut | MYP - Equity & Inclusion.

We are especially proud of Garth Webb teacher Mr. Duncan and his grade 10 history students for their participation in the video. Enjoy!

Gary Allan Learning Centres Adult Languages Program

The HDSB’s Gary Allan Learning Centres Adult Languages Program is expanding to Halton Hills! Did you know that the #HDSB offers English & French language classes for newcomers to Halton? The Adult Languages Program is offered at @garyallanschool locations across Halton, and online. Previously offered in Burlington, Oakville & Milton, we are now expanding to Halton Hills!

Learn more & register today: http://bit.ly/3DBSftT

Fashion Forward - Donate at GWSS

Donated formal wear available for HDSB students at Fashion Forward event:

Variety of formal wear available for students to browse at drop-in sessions in March and April; clothing donations accepted until March 3. 

The Halton District School Board will host open houses in March and April for students to select, at no cost, donated formal wear for upcoming prom or graduation celebrations.

Called Fashion Forward, students will have the opportunity to view and try on formal wear in a friendly and welcoming environment. Students may select from a variety of new and gently-used attire that has been donated for proms, graduations, and other special events. There are many different styles, colours, and sizes of formal dresses available as well as suits, shirts, ties, and shoes. 

The dates to browse for formal wear are:

• Saturday, March 25 - 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at New Street Education Centre (3250 New Street, Burlington)

*An opportunity is available for gender diverse youth who would prefer a more private shopping experience between the hours of 10-11 a.m. on this day

• Monday, April 17 - 2:30 - 6:30 p.m. at Elsie MacGill Secondary School (1410 Bronte St. S, Milton)

• Thursday, April 20 - 2:30 - 6:30 p.m. at Elsie MacGill Secondary School (1410 Bronte St. S, Milton)

Students are required to bring student identification to the open house they attend.

Student Trustee Elections

To Secondary School Students (current Grade 10 or Grade 11) in the HDSB:

Being a Student Trustee is a very important commitment, one that has two of our senior students across Halton representing all 66,000 of our students. These two students sit on the Board of Trustees and serve as the voice of our student population while advocating for youth issues at the Board, regional and provincial levels. In addition to chairing the Student Senate and joining the Board of Trustees, Student Trustees also work with the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association (OSTA-AECO) to discuss educational issues across Ontario.

Ballots are due by February 13, 2023 at 8 pm. Click here for more information.

5409 Chargers Robotics Update

Hey Chargers! 

As we approach our first competition the team is working hard. The electrical subteam is organizing inventory given to us by our gracious sponsors. They are doing inspections and tests to make sure everything is working smoothly. Programming is perfecting their skills on retired robots and Manufacturing is working on building the competition arm and shoulder. Design has done a fantastic job adjusting and completing the drawings in order to meet very tight deadlines. 5409 keep up the great work. 

 We are really excited for our new sponsorship with ABC Technologies! We look forward to seeing you at our competitions! Thank you for your support.

From Your Student Services Dept

Tuesday’s @ 10

This past Tuesday, Student Services hosted our monthly parent information session. This month we were joined by the two of the board's psychologists to discuss executive functioning. Semester two is a fresh start for our students, so it was a great opportunity to hear how to support your student with planning, organization and time management.  

If you weren’t able to attend a recording of the session can be found here.

Past Due!!! 2023-2024 Course Selection

Course selections were due by Friday Feb 10, 2023.  Staring Monday Student Services will be calling out any students that have yet to submit their course selections.  

If you have not yet submit your courses on MyBlueprint, please use this information to help you with the process: GWSS 2023/24 Course Selection Information.

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:

St. Luke Palermo is hosting their annual pancake supper on Thursday, February 21 and they are looking for 2 volunteers to help set up from 4-6 pm, and 2 volunteers to help serve and tidy up from 6-8 pm. If you are interested in volunteering in a fun and friendly environment, please email: community1@stlukepalermo.ca.

Town of Oakville

Call for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour Artists: 2023 CreateSpace Public Art Residency

Apply by Sunday, February 12, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

STEPS Public Art is partnering with the Town of Oakville to support the development of a new temporary 2D public artwork (mural) that will debut during Ontario Culture Days in October 2023.

Open the CreateSpace Public Art Call (PDF) for emerging Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), Black, People of Colour, or racialized artists. Details can also be found in the Public Art Call tab.

Click here for further info and a link to the online application.

Online COVID-19 Screening Tool

It is recommended that students continue to complete the Government of Ontario’s online COVID-19 school screening tool prior to attending school each day. Please be sure to read all questions carefully as they do change on occasion. Please carefully follow the instructions that you get at the end of the screening telling you whether to stay home or attend school. Thank you to our families for doing the daily self assessment to help keep everyone safe. For information on COVID-19 health and safety procedures for the 2022-2023 school year, please click here: COVID-19 information page.