Principal's Message

Good Morning Garth Webb:

Let me just start by saying.... we kicked some serious butt this week!!!! I will begin with our 72 student DECA team - 10 of which qualified for the International Career Development Conference in California!! Wowzers!  Then there was the success of the multitude of athletes winning Swimming, Snowboarding, and Skiing GHAC Championships to qualify to go to the OFSAA Provincial Championships. We cannot forget the barn burning Halton Championship Jr. Basketball game where the Chargers pretty much dominated the entire game and won 64-58 by playing super smart and not just using their size but their brains!!! I don't think I have ever seen such a talented Junior Basketball team in my whole career. These guys are amazing!! I watched the Jr. Girls Volleyball team suffer a heartbreaking loss to end their playoff hopes... but I still LOVE you! You had a terrific season and you will be an even better team next year. Congratulations to all of our Garth Webb competitors and winners. We wish you the best of luck at the next level of competition. Enjoy the writeups and pictures below.

I would like to thank the students from our Black Student Association for sharing their cultural food delights and treating us all last week in your food expo as part of Black History Month celebrations. Those Jamaican patties were soooooooo gooooooood! Just the right amount of heat. GW Chargers must have loved them too because the line up was HUGE!

We are compiling some first semester data for the school and will share the results with you in an upcoming blog. The data will inform us of what we think we are doing well and where we can improve. We are also going to be looking at getting some "Street Data" from students to also help us better serve them and look at areas of need.

Enjoy the long Family Day weekend with you and yours.

Take care,

Jacquie Pece

From Your Student Services Department

Tuesdays @Ten

On Tuesday, Feb 6th @ 10 am we were joined by our School Social Worker, Nidhi Bedi to discuss supporting your teen with their mental health and well-being as well as accessing support at school and in the community.   If you missed the presentation a recording of it is below

Recording

Course Selections

THANK YOU for taking the time to complete your course selections for the 2024-2025 school year! We have had many conversations with students and families over the past 6 weeks and we encourage you to continue to reach out should you have further questions.

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 award criteria.  Please note that most application deadlines are in the Spring.

Awards Hub

CP Day This Wednesday

This Wednesday, February 21 is a Collaborative Planning day (“CP” day). CP Days are for staff and happen 4 times each semester. This is the first one in semester 2. On CP Days, students 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.

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.

Photo Day

This Tuesday, February 20 is our photo day for all students who are new to Garth Webb since October 2023. Please come prepared to get your photo taken on Tuesday morning. Teachers will send students who need a photo down to the office for their photo card to take to the photographer. Photos will be taken in periods 1 and 2 only.

2023-2024 Yearbook Now on Sale!

The 2023-2024 yearbook is now available to order on School Cash Online. The yearbook will be available for purchase until May 6. 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!

Calling all Speakers - Deadline Extended to this Friday!

On Thursday, May 9, 2024 GWSS will be hosting our first licensed TEDx Youth event:

Building Our Own Future: Teenage Empowerment for a Prospective Tomorrow! 

We are proud to provide a platform for the passionate voices of our diverse student population. Therefore, we invite prospective speakers of all strengths, interests, and pathways to submit a proposal by March 1 using this form.

Jr Boys Basketball Champions!

The Junior Boys Basketball Team are your Tier 1 Halton Champions! 

Since November, this fantastic group of hard working student athletes had one goal in mind and that was to be the best. From the early morning practices of pushing each other to be better than yesterday, to the exhibition games/tournaments that helped develop the cohesiveness and gameplay needed to become one of the top teams, these boys all had something in common: Grit. After experiencing a close loss at The Silverthorn Classic in November, the team was determined to learn and move forward, which led them to not losing another game for the rest of the season. 

The championship game wasn't an easy one. Kings Christian Collegiate would attempt comebacks within the game that at one point gave them the lead in the 4th quarter, but these Chargers were built on resilience all season long and stepped up when it mattered to make the necessary adjustments to regain the lead and keep it to win!

The coaches are super proud of these boys and would like to thank them for their hard work and dedication. This is the first Tier 1 Junior Basketball Championship for the school, and we hope these players continue and lead a tradition of success for the Garth Webb Basketball program. 

A big thank you to coaches Mr. Carter, Mr. Emmerson, and Mr. Hines for all of their work with the team this season!

Swim Team GHAC

The swim team had a great meet this past week! Out of the 29 who qualified for GHAC, a total of 21 swimmers will advance to OFSAA. 

On our men's side... Reuben K, Jack R, Chris S, and Eric S qualified in their individual events. The open boys 4x100 free relay (Jack P, Chris S, Reuben K, Eric S) and the senior boys 4x50 free relay (Reuben K, Jack R, Jamie S, Haaris M) will also advance to OFSAA. 

On the women's side... Charlotte H, Courtney O, Sidney P, Jessica T, and Emma TS qualified in their individual events. The senior 4x50 medley relay (Charlotte H, Keri B, Mara P, Sienna S, and Evelyn as alternate), senior 4x50 free relay (Charlotte H, Keri B, Sienna S, Sara L, and Melanie D as alternate), and the open 4x100 free relay (Aditi S, Claire H, Jessica T, and Sidney P) will all advance to OFSAA.

Way to go Chargers!

Alpine Team GHAC

Our Alpine team had some great success a the recent GHAC event. They earned medals and qualified to race at the provincial level at OFSAA! 

Boys Snowboard Team Gold Medal: Nolan Beale, Liam Armstrong, and Carson Beale 

Individual Girls Siver Medal: Nicole Meal

Boys Ski Team Gold Medal: James Lawrie, Ryan Goard, Peter Watson, Robbie Mehler, and Max Beckett 

A special mention to Nolan Beale for the fastest time in the Individual high school boys snowboarding category. Good luck to our team at OFSAA!

Fashion Forward Open Houses

The Halton District School Board will host Fashion Forward Open Houses in February and May for students to select, at no cost, donated formal wear for upcoming prom/graduation celebrations.

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. Many different styles, colours and sizes of formal dresses will be available as well as suits, shirts, ties, shoes, and accessories.

The Open Houses will be held at W.I. Dick Middle School (351 Highside Drive, Milton) from 3:30 - 8 p.m. on the following dates:

• Thursday, Feb. 22 

• Monday, Feb. 26

• Thursday, May 30 

*An opportunity will be made available for gender diverse youth who require a more private shopping experience between the hours of 3 - 3:30 p.m. during the Open Houses. Students are required to bring student identification to the open house they attend.

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:

Homework Club Study Mentor

Big Brothers Big Sisters is currently enrolling volunteers 14 years old and up  for the waiting list for the 2023-2024 school year at schools in Burlington, Oakville, and Milton. If waitlisted and not given a spot this school year, your file will go forward to the 2024-2025 school year planning. 

APPLICATION:

- Application package *will be emailed to applicant after inquiring*

- References

- Interview

- Attendance at mandatory training 

- Police check if 18 and older

Inquiry: April Tanner, Case Manager, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Grand Erie, Halton and Hamilton; Phone: 905-525-3860 ext 235; Email: April.tanner@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca

High school students will mentor a child once a week after school in a one-to-one relationship. Involves assisting a child in grades 3-8 with their homework, playing educational games, and developing organizational skills. Homework Club takes place at a number of elementary schools across the Halton region. For the 2024-25 school year, Homework Club will only run in-person (we will no longer offer virtual spots).

High school volunteers should have good to excellent grades with good english communication skills. Important to be dependable and reliable. And above all, enjoy having fun working with children and have a desire to act as a good role model!

Commitment of 4 months to a year- minimum of one school year (October- April) once a week for 70 minutes starting between 2:45- 3:30 PM either Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday changing based on your placement. 

Burlington: 15 individual(s) ; Milton: 20 individual(s) ; Oakville: 70 individual(s), 150 individual(s) needed in total. 

Spots available until spots fill up, then applicants can be added to a wait-list.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Black History Month

Throughout the month our students have organized a food expo highlighting various foods from around the world that are part of Black culture.  On Monday, students had a chance to taste Nigerian food. We want to thank Anyaowa Nsitem and her family for taking the time to make the Nigerian treats.

On Thursday, students had a chance to sample Jamaican patties. The patties were made at a local Jamaican restaurant.  If you would like to try authentic and yummy Jamaican patties we encourage you to check out this local business: Irie Cuisine, 121 North Service Rd E, Oakville .

Virtual Field Trip

For students interested in learning more about Oakville’s history we have organized a virtual field trip. The presentation will occur on Tuesday Feb 27th from 1:30 -2:30 pm.  Permission forms can be completed and returned to Student Services (hard copies are available in the Student Services) and a description of the program can be found below.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Jared Hines or Adrienne Tolton.

Oakville and the Underground Railroad Virtual Program

Through virtual tours, digitized artifacts, stories, and a live video interactive presentation, this inquiry-based education program helps students immerse themselves into historical experiences that offer unique opportunities to experience our shared living heritage. Students will explore Oakville’s relationship with the United States in the context of the Underground Railroad. They will learn about how Oakville Harbour played a significant role in the journey to Canada for many freedom seekers. Key figures in the Oakville Underground Railroad story are introduced through the exhibition Freedom, Opportunity and Family: Oakville’s Black History, and excerpts from the multimedia presentation The Underground Railroad: Next Stop Freedom.

Isra’a and Mi’raj - Feb 19

Also known as “The Miraculous Night Journey,” the Isra’a and Mi’raj refer to two parts of a miraculous journey that Prophet Muhammad took in one night from Makka to Jerusalem and then an ascension to the heavens. Isra’a is an Arabic word referring to Prophet Muhammad's miraculous night journey from Makka to Jerusalem - specifically, to the site of al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem - as referred to in Surah Al-Israa in the Quran. It is believed to have been followed by the Mi'raj, his ascension to heaven. 

It is during this journey that Muslims were gifted the 5 daily prayers. Muslims celebrate this night by offering optional prayers during this night, and in many Muslim countries, by illuminating cities with electric lights and candles. For more information on the story of Isra’a Wal Mi’raj please click here. 

Māgha Pūjā Day/Lantern Festival (Buddhism) - Feb 24

Māgha Pūjā is an important religious festival celebrated by Buddhists on the full moon day of the third lunar month for more than 2500 years. It marks the four auspicious occasions which happened nine months after the Enlightenment of the Buddha near Rājagaha in Northern India.

1. It was the full moon day of the third lunar month.

2. There were 1,250 Arahants, the enlightened disciple monks, who came to see the Lord Buddha that evening without any prior arrangement.

3. All of them were ordained by the Buddha himself.

4. The Buddha delivered a sermon called the “Ovada Patimokkha” which includes the fundamental ideology, the moral standards, and the conducts of Buddhism.

~Dhammakaya Foundation 

HDSB Hosting Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions for Parents/Guardians

The Halton District School Board is hosting Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions for parents/guardians this Winter and Spring. Covering specific topics based on feedback from parents/guardians, each session will be led by a mental health expert in that area who will share their knowledge and provide helpful information and resources.

Sessions include: 

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) & Mental Health - Wednesday, Feb. 21 from 6 - 7 p.m.

• Executive Functioning for High School Students - Tuesday, March 19 from 6 - 7 p.m.

• Healthy and Unhealthy Stress - Monday, April 15 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

*Note: These are repeated workshops offered last year. Additional sessions will be announced at a later date. 

Registration is required for these sessions as limited spots are available. Parents/guardians can register by completing the Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions Registration Form. Sessions will be held on Google Meet, where closed captioning is available in various languages. Registrants will be emailed a link to access the session. Sessions will not be recorded. 

Parents/guardians will have the opportunity to submit questions when completing the registration form or during the session. The HDSB’s Mental Health & Well-Being webpage 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 broader community.

Director's Cut

For the past several years, we have been bringing the HDSB's 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan into greater focus through our Director's Cut video series.

In 2021-2022, we introduced staff, students, and the community to the framework of the Multi-Year Plan and how it drives learning across the system. In 2022-2023, we took a closer look at the classroom level, showing how each of the five areas of focus are integrated and implemented into everyday instruction. In this final year of the MYP, we are digging even deeper by having students show us from their point of view - literally - how the plan is strengthening their learning and making their educational experience successful and engaging. 

Tune in now: EPISODE #12: Director's Cut | MYP - Learning & Achievement: Student Point of View.

Thank you for being a part of this exciting learning journey.

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 student's online record at halton.ca/immunize.

2. If your student 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 student'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 March 2024 if their immunization records are not updated.

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 student is unable to be immunized for medical reasons or if you choose not to immunize your student, 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.

Upcoming Key Dates

Feb 19 Family Day (School Closed)

Feb 20 Semester 2 Photo Day (new students)

Feb 21 CP Day - Classes start at 9:30 am

Mar 5 Tuesdays @Ten

Mar 7 5th Week Report Distribution (grade 9 students)

Mar 11 - 15 Spring Break (School Closed)

Mar 21 Parent/Teacher Interview Night 6:30 pm

Mar 27 CP Day - Classes start at 9:30 am

Mar 29 Good Friday (School Closed)

Apr 1 Easter Monday (School Closed)

Apr 2 Tuesdays @Ten

Apr 8 PA Day - no school for students

Apr 17 Last Day of Term 1

Apr 18 First Day of Term 2

Apr 24 OUAC / OCAS Semester 2 Midterm Mark Upload

Apr 24 CP Day - Classes start at 9:30 am

Apr 26 Semester 2 Midterm Report Card Distribution

May 3 Full Disclosure

May 7 Tuesdays @Ten

May 20 Victoria Day Holiday (School Closed)

May 22 CP Day - Classes start at 9:30 am

May 23 15th Week Report Distribution

May 23 Grade 12 Prom

May 27 - Jun 19 Protected Time

Jun 4 Tuesdays @Ten

Jun 10 Class of 2024 Commencement

Jun 20 - 26 Exam Block

Jun 27 Exam Review Day/Last Day of School (early dismissal)

Jun 28 PA Day - no school for students

Jul 3 OUAC / OCAS Semester 2 Final Mark Upload

Jul 8 Semester 2 Final Report Card Distribution

Jul 9-11 Diploma Pick up