March 5, 2023

WEEK A

Principal's Message

Hello Garth Webb Families!

Thank you to all staff, students, and families involved with our Black History Month learning this year. 

Good luck to our robotics team this weekend at their first overnight competition since 2020! Congratulations to our swim and alpine team members who competed at OFSAA this past week. See more details further in the blog.

We hope you enjoy this week's blog with some new information for our graduates and information for our families from the HDSB.

Take care,

Pam Jenkins

Equity & Inclusive Education

Black History Month

Last week at Garth Webb, the BIPOC student association organized another lunch event where they shared Eritrean food with the students. Saron Abraha and her mother made various traditional foods from East Africa.  Students were able to sample spiced chickpeas called Koulo and samosas. Traditional coffee, known as Boon is an important part of their culture and students were able to sample it along with a bread dessert, Kitcha. Thank you Saron for sharing your culture with us!

We ended Black History Month with our first ever Black and Racilized Alumni meet and greet.  Audrey Rosa (1st year at UTM), Chimele Nsitem (2nd year at Queen’s), and Kelachi Nsitem (4th year at Queen’s) joined us at lunch hour to share their experiences and offer advice to our Garth Webb students.  It was an hour of great conversation and we are looking forward to this becoming a yearly tradition. Thank you so much to our guests for sharing with us!

Black Mental Health Week

Black Mental Health Week starting Monday, March 6, 2023, raises awareness about the historical and ongoing impact that systemic, anti-Black racism has on the mental health and well-being of Black communities.

Within the child and youth mental health sector, Black children, youth, and families continue to face systemic barriers to accessing safe and culturally appropriate mental health services that are created with an understanding of the unique experiences of Black communities and the impact of anti-Black racism.

At the Halton District School Board we recognize the historical and ongoing impact to Black students and staff. We are committed to addressing and interrupting anti-Black racism. This commitment will help us ensure that Black students and staff within the Halton District School Board feel supported, receive culturally responsive services, and are represented in mental health and well-being initiatives.

Click here to access a list of community resources.

Equity & Inclusive Education

International Women's Day

IWD is a global day set aside to celebrate the social, economic, political, and cultural achievements of women. The first event was run by suffragettes in 1911.

In Canada, this year’s theme is "Every Woman Counts."  To learn more about the women who have had an impact on Canadian life, click HERE (for some short biographies) and HERE (for a timeline).

The International Women's Day organization's theme this year is #EmbraceEquity. They are working towards creating an inclusive world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. To learn more, please click HERE.

Graduation Packages Now Availavble for Purchase

Grade 12 Graduation will be on Monday, June 12, 2023 at 4:30 pm at the Meeting House (2700 Bristol Cir, Oakville, ON L6H 6E1). Students will be given 2 tickets each for guests to attend.

Grad packages are now ready for purchase on School Cash Online for $55 and include a gown and 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 28.

Prom Tickets Now Available

Grade 12 Prom will be on Thursday, May 25, 2023 at the Oakville Conference Centre (2515 Wyecroft Rd, Oakville, ON L6L 6P8). Tickets are now available on School Cash Online. Tickets are $90 and will need to be purchased no later than Thursday, May 11, 2023. Everyone attending will need to have a ticket.

All students must complete a prom contract and submit it to the main office once their ticket has been purchased. Blank contracts can be picked up in the main office. If students are bringing a guest, a second ticket will need to be purchased and the guest will need to complete their portion of the contract as well. Please allow time for the guest's school administrator to fill in their section. 

All ticket purchases and contracts must be in by Thursday, May 11, 2023.

Save the Date - Spring Concert

Our spring music concert will be happening on Thursday, June 1, 2023. All are welcome to attend. Please put this date into your calendar.

Extended Absence Reminder

Parents 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 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.

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!

Fashion Forward Open Houses

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:

*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

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

OFSAA Snowboarding

Congratulations to Nolan Beale who finished 14th of 126 racers at OFSAA held at Devil's Glen Ski Resort this past week. Thank you to coaches Mr. Bonin, Mr. Chang, and Ms. Westenberg for all their time spent with our Alpine team this season. Congratulations to the entire Alpine Team for a phenomenal season on the slopes! 

Photo Credit: Ryan Beale

Swim Team at OFSAA

The Garth Webb Swim team had an AMAZING showing at OFSAA this past week. In the Jr Girls 100 freestyle, Courtney Oliver finished 15th overall in the finals and Jenna Andrade finished 15th overall in the 100 metre backstroke finals. Our Sr. Girls Relay of Jenna Andrade, Keri Besana, Alicia Handzlik, Sarah Watson, and Evelyn Cross dropped a whopping 3 and a half seconds to finish 16th overall in finals. Our Sr. Boys relay of Jack Ross, Reuben Kruger, Jamie Stewart, and Artem Sudarkin dropped nearly one second to finish 13th overall in the finals. And finally, in a 50 metre butterfly, Rueben Kruger dropped neatly 3 tenths of a second to finish 5th overall in the province! Congratulations to all swimmers on a fantastic season! A big thank you to coaches Ms. Morley and Ms. Hosany for all their work with the team this season and thank you to Mr. Faulhafer for joining the team at OFSAA.

5409 Chargers Robotics Update

Hey Chargers! We are fast approaching our Newmarket competition! It is an overnight competition that will take place over the weekend of March 4th and 5th. We are excited to see our Robot compete.

Media has had a busy week preparing a video for  FRC Premiere night, check this out: https://youtu.be/-uNRea2p6dY.

Programming has had the opportunity to test Bishop and make adjustments to enhance performance. The drive team has been busy training their communication skills.This allows them to properly maneuver the robot and work in sync.

If you would like to join us at this weeks competition the location is: Ray Twinney Sports Complex, 100 Eagle Street West, Newmarket, ON L3Y 1J4 Canada. We hope to see you there!

Huge shoutout to our new sponsor HAWE Hydraulik for their generous donation! The team greatly appreciates your support!

Guidance Counsellors

 For the 2022-2023 school year, the following counsellors are working with each group of students:

 Ms. Tolton (A-E)

Ms. Mactaggart (F-L)

Mr. Sanderson (M-Q)

Ms. Hosany (R-Z) 


Google Classrooms

 Grade 9 - bix3yen

Grade 10 - krgiixa

Grade 11 - reyclkl

Grade 12 - cenqs5v

From Your Student Services Department

Scholarships for the Trades!!!

Are you enrolling in College for September 2023 in a skilled trades program? The Schulich Foundation is thrilled to announce a new scholarship program focused on skilled trades.

We are awarding 100 scholarships for skilled trades at 10 Ontario colleges, with a value of $40,000 per award for two-year diploma programs and $20,000 per award for one-year certificate programs.

We rely on skilled trades to build and maintain the infrastructure of our cities and towns. Our challenge is not having enough of these talented people to meet the demands fueled by our growth. Schulich Builders will combat the shortage of skilled trades in Ontario and amplify their importance and value to our communities by awarding 100 annual scholarships to the most promising candidates.

Click HERE for more detailed information.

If interested in being nominated by GWSS, please send an email to Mrs. Mactaggart (mactaggark@hdsb.ca) describing the trade you are pursuing and why you have a passion for this trade (150 words max) by Friday, March 31, 2023.


Tuesdays @Ten

Please join us virtually on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 10 am to learn more about OYAP, Pathways, and the Skilled Trades.  Christopher Lehman from School Programs will be joining us to talk about the Skilled Trades and opportunities in high school. The presentation will provide students with information related to the Skilled Trades, Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, Specialist High Skills Major programs, and high school technological education classes.

A link to the presentation will be shared on the Monday prior to the event.

Volunteer Club

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:

Volunteer Halton - Supporting Non-Profit Agencies

This database is a great tool for searching for volunteer opportunities in Oakville. Students can filter results based on activities that qualify towards their 40 hours of community service for graduation.

Volunteer Halton

Links to our Regular Columns

Please take some time to click on the below links to view these regular Principal's Blog columns online.

Women as Career Coaches

HIEC is thrilled to be bringing our in-person Women as Career Coaches (WACC) back to the community on Thursday, March 23, 2023 from 5:15pm - 9:00pm at the Burlington Convention Centre. 

Women As Career Coaches brings together a community of young people and adult mentors for an impactful, inspiring and uplifting evening. Students will have the opportunity to hear from spotlight speakers as they discuss their personal career journeys, participate in roundtable conversations with women from the community from a variety of backgrounds, and ask your questions about how to navigate pursuing a career that you can be proud of. After the disruption of the last few years, we're very excited to re-connect young women with a community of support and insights as they envision their future careers. 

Contact Ms. Anjos for further information and to register for this event.

Director’s Panel Series: Bringing the Multi-Year Strategic Plan to Life

We are inviting families, students, staff and community members to the Director’s Panel Series on Bringing the Multi-Year Plan to Life to raise awareness about the commitments outlined in the HDSB’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan (2020-2024). Each session in the series will explore issues and themes outlined in our Multi-Year Plan from various perspectives, including student voice. Themes include Mental Health and Well-Being, Environmental Leadership and Indigenous Perspectives and Awareness. 

The first session in the panel series will be:

Normalizing Mental Health in Everyday Speech

Thursday, March 2 at 6 - 7:30 p.m. 

Registration is not required

Normalizing Mental Health in Everyday Speech will provide the foundation for students across the HDSB to acknowledge and begin their own mental health journey. 

 Panel speakers include: 

Those interested in attending the event can submit a question to the panel before or during the panel discussion through this Google Form: https://bit.ly/3SBQEut. Please note that this will be a virtual event with the livestream linked on the HDSB website. 

Future sessions in the series include:

Through the Director’s Panel Series, we will dive deeper into the work we’re doing to advance Mental Health and Well-Being, Environmental Leadership and Indigenous Perspectives and Awareness, as reflected in the HDSB’s Multi-Year Plan 2020-2024 and the Human Rights Equity Action & Accountability Plan - The Way Forward.

HDSB Budget Input

The HDSB values input from parents/guardians, members of the community, staff and students concerning the development of the 2023-2024 budget. We would appreciate your assistance in sharing this information on your school websites and in your newsletters. Individuals are encouraged to provide input on the budget priorities for the upcoming school year online through a questionnaire found on the Budget Input page of the HDSB’s website (hdsb.ca) by March 6, 2023. 

Save the Date: HDSB Parent Involvement Conference 2023

A CONFERENCE PLANNED BY PARENTS FOR PARENTS 

LEARN, GROW AND INSPIRE TOGETHER

The Halton District School Board’s Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) welcomes parents, guardians and community members to join us for a great conference, filled with outstanding speakers and curated content. Free entry and childminding.

Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Jean M. Clinton, BMus MD FRCP(C)

Clinical Professor at McMaster University - Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences

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.

School Calendar & Sports Schedule

Click here to view the sports schedule on HSSAA

If you have any questions or suggestions for improving the school, our virtual door is always open. Please feel free to contact our admin team by email anytime.

Pam Jenkins, Meg Carey, Nancy Annibale, Derek Graham

Garth Webb S.S. Admin Team