Thank you for all those who attending our School Council meeting on September 26th.
For those who were not able to attend, you can find the meeting presentation on our school website.
.jpg)
REGISTER AT: https://yrdsb.cc/OYAP-OpenHouse
EMAIL QUESTIONS TO: pathways.yrdsb@gapps.yrdsb.ca
MORE INFORMATION: www.yrdsb.ca/ACCELoyap
School Start-Up Virtual Meeting for Black Families
Families, parents, caregivers, please join us for a special virtual meeting where Black families will have the opportunity to hear about initiatives, available resources and upcoming programming for Black Students in both elementary and secondary division.
Agenda:
- Introduction to some available resources for Black Students
- Important information for elementary and secondary division
- Upcoming Initiatives, programs and events
- Opportunities for collaboration and involvement
- Question and answer session
Registration:
Registration Link
Please register no later than September 25, 2024 to ensure you receive the zoom meeting link. Virtual meeting link will be provided after registration.
Let us come together to empower our students and build a stronger community. We look forward to seeing you there.
Location
Virtual meeting link will be provided after registration
When
Thursday, September 26, 2024 - 18:30 to Thursday, September 26, 2024 - 19:30
Contact
*Registration
information is collected pursuant to the Education Act and the Municipal
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and will be used for the
purpose of registering for the School Start Up Virtual Meeting.
If you
require further information about the collection and use, please contact iscs@yrdsb.ca
University and College Workshop
UNIVERSITY APPLICATION WORKSHOP
October 16
Period 4
Westmount Library
*For Grade 12 students only*
COLLEGE APPLICATION WORKSHOP
October 23
Period 4
Westmount Library
*For Grade 12 students only*
|
GUIDANCE
UPDATES - September 18 |
|
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR GRADE 12 STUDENTS HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS? 1. STUDENTS NEED TO ACCESS THE “Grade 12 - 2024 PUBLIC Folder”. Open the sub folder labelled “Scholarships”. **Only students can access the folder through
their GAPPS account. Students have been emailed instructions on how to access this folder STUDENTS NEED TO CLICK HERE TO ACCESS: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iTTam9QqUmqeoCrFOguFtkjRn_k4rTmJ?usp=sharing **Please note: Some scholarships are School Nomination Only. Please pay attention to the deadlines to submit the scholarship application to Westmount. 1.
THE SCHOLARSHIP REPORT We
wanted to make you aware of a newsletter called The Scholarship Report .
This resource provides helpful information as your student prepares for
postsecondary education. The Scholarship Report posts information on
postsecondary events and opportunities, application tips, advice from
experts, campus Open House Schedules, career resources, and lists of curated
scholarship and bursaries, and other ways to pay for school. Don’t miss out
on this relevant information! Accessing
The Scholarship Report: Click here to
access The Scholarship Report. The
password is: please ask your student (The
password is protected so it was sent directly to the student's @gapps
account.) Features
You Can Find In the Report: Open
House Schedules Awards
and Programs for Indigenous Youth Awards
and Programs for Black Youth College
and University Financial Aids and Awards Scholarship
Tracker |
|
APPLYING TO UNIVERSITY? KEY DATES The application for
admission in 2025 will be available in late September. HOW TO APPLY https://www.ouac.on.ca/planning/how-to-apply/ January 15, 2025 The deadline for
current Ontario high school students to submit their completed applications
to the OUAC. Note: The OUAC will
continue to process applications received after this date and distribute them
to the Ontario universities; however, specific university deadlines will
apply. May 29, 2025 The latest date all
current Ontario high school students who submitted their application by the
January application deadline can expect a response from an Ontario
university. This includes an offer of admission, a refusal or a deferral,
once additional information is received. June 2, 2025 The earliest date a
current Ontario high school student may be required to respond to an Ontario
university offer of admission and give a financial commitment (e.g.,
registration deposit, residence deposit, etc.). All other
admission-related elements, including scholarships, other forms of student
assistance or financial incentives, and offers of residence, are considered
part of the offer of admission. Therefore, a student may accept these other
offers before June 3, 2024, but Ontario universities will not compel a
student in any way to make a decision before this date. |
|
APPLYING TO COLLEGE? KEY
DATES Early October 2024: Online Application Opens
In early October,
access to the online college application becomes available for programs
beginning in the following academic year (August to July). You may create an
account and begin your application. November 1, 2024: Earliest Offer Date
This is the earliest
date that colleges may begin to send offers of admission to programs for the
upcoming academic year. Offers will continue to be issued until programs are
filled or wait-lists are established. February 1, 2025: Equal Consideration Date
Apply on or before
this date in order to receive equal consideration for admission to programs
starting the following fall. After this date, colleges consider applicants on
a first-come, first-served basis until programs are full. Note that applications
to Highly Competitive Programs must be received by
this date in order to be considered. Applicants are
encouraged to complete their applications well before the Equal Consideration
Date, as website volumes on the online application are at their highest at
this time. Many programs continue
to accept applicants after February 1. Use our Find
a Program
tool at any time to find programs that are still open. May 1, 2025: Deadline to Confirm Offers of
Admission
Applicants must
confirm their acceptance of an offer of admission by this date. Log in to
your ontariocolleges.ca account to confirm your offer. Colleges may extend
offers of admission after this date. Each college will set the deadline to
confirm offers made after May 1, and this deadline will be communicated to
you with your offer. June 2025: Tuition Deposit Due at the
Colleges
The colleges require
payment of a tuition deposit in June to secure your spot in your program.
Each college sets its own tuition deposit amount and payment deadline. This
information will be communicated to you by the college. |
|
GENERAL SUPPORTS FOR WELL BEING 310-COPE:
905-310-2673 (available 24/7) Kids Help Phone:
1-800-668-6868. Text 686868 (available 24/7) Mental Health
Helpline: 1-866-531-2600 (available 24/7) Suicide Crisis Helpline:
Call or text 9-8-8 Black Youth
Helpline: 416-285-9944 2SLGBTQ+
Youthline: 647-694-4275 |
|
IMPORTANT EVENTS September 21 (12:00pm - 5:00pm) 370
King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1J9 October 5-6, 2024, from 9:30 am
to 5 pm, daily Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building IVEY BUSINESS PROGRAM -
WESTERN UNIVERSITY A representative will be
visiting Westmount. October 8. Period 2 or 3. Westmount
Library. *Only for Grade 11 and 12
students. Sign up required. A google form will be sent to student’s gapps accounts. October 16 (5:00pm - 9:00pm)
and October 17 (9:00am - 2:00pm) Enercare Centre November 2 (12:00pm - 4:00pm) |
|
ONLINE LEARNING GRADUATION REQUIREMENT All students must earn at least two online learning credits as part of the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) unless they have opted out or been exempted. You can opt out of this requirement. How do I opt out? 1.
Through the course selection process in
February in myBlueprint. For Grade 12s, this option only applies if you opted out through myBlueprint last year. If you didn’t, choose the option below. OR 2.
Pick up a paper copy of
the opt out form from the guidance office, fill it in, and return it to the
guidance secretary, Ms. Han. |
WCI Student Feature
The
York Region District School Board has had the opportunity to partner with the
Career Education Council to provide our ICT and Business SHSM students an
opportunity to learn how to create their own app through Swift. Two of our
Develop the Future alumni students shared their experiences with the program
and how it has impacted their future aspirations and pathways.
Please tell us a little bit about who you are and where you are now in
your journey.
Paul:
Hi, my name is Paul, and I’m a Grade 11 student at Westmount Collegiate
Institute. I’m an alumni of the Develop the Future program and am now a mentor
to those currently taking the program.
Florence:
Hi, I am Florence from Unionville High School. I am also an alumni of Develop
the Future. I took the program last semester and created Remindable, an app
that helps organize the chaos of everyday life geared towards the elderly and
those with ADHD like myself. Since the program, I have continued to work on
Remindable and hopefully by next fall, it will be out to the public.
Please tell us about your connection with Develop the Future.
Paul:
I was a part of the program last semester, where I learned a lot about app
development and entrepreneurship. I created an app called Chimesy, which
basically allows users to store and play audio files they have saved on their
phone in playlists, allowing for a convenient add free listening experience. It
was an amazing experience and I’ve started recommending the program to everyone
I know taking co-op with an interest in computer science.
Florence:
Same as Paul, I took the program last semester and created my aforementioned
app. Through Develop the Future, I learned not only coding and technical
skills, but also the “soft” skills, which really aren’t that soft. Given the
current state of the world, being able to collaborate and learn in an online
environment has become more pertinent than ever. Working in an online
environment with a diverse group of mentors and fellow peers, I’ve been able to
really put those important “soft” skills into practice. In fact, the skills
have come in handy pretty recently when I was planning a hackathon, AliceHacks,
this past 5 months. With a team across Canada, working online is the only
viable option and the experience with Develop the Future has greatly improved
my ability to lead my team. Soft skills are not “soft”. These are skills that
will serve you forever in whatever you do.
What was your view of computer science and app development before
starting the program, and how did your perspective change as a result of this
experience?
Paul:
While I did have experience coding before attending the program, I’d like to
note that there is a difference between coding and programming and developing.
Within this program, I was able to learn all the additional things on top of
programming that go into making an actual feasible product that can have an
impact on the world. Anyone can write a line of code, but to actually develop
something of substance, takes a lot more effort and planning and requires
different types of skills.
Florence:
Last year, I took a computer science course, but I’m going to be completely
honest and say it wasn’t my absolute favourite. Sometimes computer science can
feel quite monolithic, especially as a beginner or from an outside perspective.
But here at Develop the Future, I think it really puts into perspective that
computer science is just a tool at your disposal. All those crazy ideas that
you’ve had floating around in your head? You can make them into a reality! That
in itself is amazing, but to be able to share it with people worldwide by
making it accessible digitally is even more mind-boggling.
What do we need to do to inspire more students to pursue computer
science and more schools to join this revolutionary program, #DevelopTheFuture?
What is your advice for students, teachers, industry experts and stakeholders?
Paul:
There's this notion today that, before you can even attempt to learn computer
science you need to already be a genius. Like if you can’t derive a function in
your head, don’t even bother trying. The fact is anyone can learn to code and
Develop the Future is so great in that aspect because it teaches you from
scratch. We need to make people less afraid to learn and make it known that you
will be supported through your journey of learning to code regardless of
experience or skill level. If you want to try it, just start. There should be
no barriers for anyone who wants to get started. Look at me for example, I went
from someone who didn’t own a MacBook to creating an app using Swift, and now
becoming a mentor for the program.
Florence:
Just getting the word out there that programs like Develop the Future even
exists and is accessible to any student of any skill level would be huge. Right
now, in my opinion, students are more ambitious than ever before and educators
are well aware of that. But, many may not know that opportunities like this are
right around the corner.
School Council Meeting
Please join us for our first Westmount C.I. School Council Meeting of the 2024-2025 school year!
Agenda:
Introductions
School Council Roles & Election
Applying to Post-Secondary / Post-Secondary Opportunities
Summary of School Start-Up Items
POST-SECONDARY INFORMATION EVENING
PRESENTATION
Please join us on
September 26 at 6:30
Cafeteria
There are many post-secondary education options and opportunities available after secondary school. We will help you better understand the process and timelines that are involved and also provide information about the search for scholarships.
Who Should Attend?
Students and Parents/Guardians - Grade 11 and 12
Indigenous Languages and International Languages (ILIL) Program
For more information please please see the link below.
Message from Our Trustee
September 2024
Welcome to the start of the 2024-2025 school year. We are so
pleased to welcome all of our new and returning students and families to a new
school year.
How Trustees Help
As school board trustees, we have a number of roles and responsibilities, including setting
policies and budget and advocating for quality public education. My responsibilities
also include communicating with the public. I will continue to keep you
informed throughout the school year through these regular newsletters. You can
also reach out to me directly. Learn more about how
we can help and how you can reach me if you have any questions
or concerns.
You can also stay up-to-date with school board news and
events through school communications, social media (X @YRDSB and Instagram
@yrdsb.schools), our newsroom and Board podcast TuneIn YRDSB.
Our Priorities as a School Board
One of our responsibilities as a Board of Trustees is also
setting the Multi-Year Strategic Plan. This plan outlines the priorities that
will guide our work as a school board for the next several years. We want to
thank the many students, family and staff members and community partners who
shared feedback in the spring that was used to inform the development of the
plan. Some key themes emerged in the feedback that families will see reflected
in the plan, including a clear focus on student achievement and well-being. We
look forward to sharing more with you very soon.
A New School Year
The start of a new school year is a time of transition -
whether your child is starting elementary or secondary school for the first
time, entering a new program, moving to a new school or beginning a new grade.
The caring, dedicated and professional staff members who work in our system are
here to help support your child through this transition. Please feel free to
reach out to your child’s teachers or the school to speak about your child’s
transition and the supports that are available.
We also recognize that transitions can take place throughout
September. Elementary schools may be required to adjust some classes due to
enrollment changes and class size restrictions. In secondary school, schools
may also see timetable requests and adjustments in the first few weeks. These
are occurrences that happen each fall and schools do their best to be
responsive and to minimize the effects of any changes on students.
Partnerships with Families
We value the essential partnership between schools and
families and want to ensure that families are aware of the many resources
available. Our family resources page, available from the
homepage of www.yrdsb.ca,
gives you quick access to platforms that we use, tips and information, the Guide to the School Year and student learning resources. It also includes
resources for newcomers, translation information and much more. We are
also working on a dedicated new family portal to make it easier for families to
engage with their child’s education. To ensure you receive notifications and
updates, please make sure the school has your up-to-date email address.
If you are not receiving emails, please contact your school to confirm. More
information will be shared in the coming months.
I wish you and your family all the very best for a safe, successful and enjoyable 2024-2025 school year, and look forward to communicating with you in the months ahead.
Estelle Cohen
Trustee, Vaughan Wards 4 and 5
Update From Guidance
TIMETABLE CHANGES
Thank you for your patience as we continue to work through timetable change requests this week. We have over 500 requests so it is taking us some time to get through them all. Students and parents have been voicing their concern over entering a new class into the second week of the semester. We have assured them that teachers will be supporting students who enter a class within the first two weeks of school (our timeline to complete changes). Thank you in advance for your help.
HOWL DAY
Grade 9 day at
Green Acres camp is taking place on September 19. This is a day for
students to make connections with other grade 9 students and take part in
leadership activities. All grade 9 students should be
participating. Grade 12 Wolfpack leaders will also be attending to
support their groups of students. We intend for students to be back to WCI to
attend their period 5 class.
We acknowledge
that this can be a very stressful time for Grade 12 students. In an effort to
provide some information to grade 12 students to educate them on what to expect
this year and how to prepare, counsellors will be popping into all Grade 12 Period
1 classes on September 24 and 25. This will be a brief talk. We
will follow this up with a Grade 12 assembly on October 9 where we will provide
some in depth information.
POST SECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES INFORMATION EVENING
On September
26, we will be delivering a presentation at the School Council meeting in the
evening about pathways after high school. The presentation will include information on how to research options, how to apply, and how to
finance an education in addition to other helpful resources.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)