Horizon Parents and Students,
Land Acknowledgement
On behalf of our school community, we recognize that we are situated on the lands that rightfully belong to the Anishinabewaki, Wendake, Haudenosaunee, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We acknowledge that Turtle Island is the original land of all Indigenous peoples and want to rectify the harmful actions of the past. We will continue learning about how we can share this land together.
(Written by Grade 8 Class of 2023)
Texte Reconnaissant de Traités
Nous reconnaissons que nous sommes accueillis sur les terres des Mississaugas des Anishinabes, de la Confédération Haudenosaunee et du Wendat. Nous voulons également reconnaître la pérennité de la présence des Premières Nations, du Métis et du Inuit.
Please find attached a copy of the grade 7 and 8 TM sheets for this week. Below you will find the special announcements for this week as well.
Just a reminder that you can email the school at horizon_alt@hotmail.com or Vanessa directly at vanessa.shrimpton@tdsb.on.ca. When students are sharing assignments, they should do so with their classroom teacher or submit to the appropriate Google classroom.
Special Announcements
Week of December 2 Monday is Day 5.
*please note that items you need to take care - forms, etc., are highlighted in bold
General
Open House at Horizon is this week on Wednesday, December 4th, from 6-8pm. Your child may have volunteered to help present to incoming students. Please check with them that they are available that evening and arrange for pick up.
Horizon’s Annual Alternative Schools Volleyball Tournament will be held on Thursday, December 12th all day! Parents, please review the survey attached to sign up for bake good contributions and a possible volunteer slot.
Mark your Calendars!’ Our annual Winter Feast will be held on Wednesday, December 18th, from 6-8pm. This is a night for all famIlies to come together to celebrate, eat, and enjoy performances by Horizon students. It is a PotLuck and more info will soon follow from SAC.
For attendance, if you are aware that your child will be late or absent, please send an email to vanessa at horizon_alt@hotmail.com or vanessa.shrimpton@tdsb.on.ca and copy Lucy, our OA, at lucy.torres@tdsb.on.ca.
Programming Notes
Chore Leaders for the week are Ollie and Ella.
RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) points will be awarded this week during whole school meeting.
We have introduced Study Hall Partners with groups of combined Grade 7s and 8s who will meet once weekly to work on time management and homework planning.
Office hours (formerly Math Help) for Claire are Monday and Thursday mornings at 9 in room 201. This is drop-in time for support with anything academic: time to work, specific questions, extensions, personal interest, etc. Claire is most helpful with Math and French, but happy to support all subjects.
Office Hours/Studio Time with Joanne are Mondays at lunch (12:15-1:15pm) and Tuesdays (8:45-9:45am).
Extracurricular Activities
Congratulations to our Girls Basketball and Boys Volleyball teams! Excellent team spirit and hard work show on the courts!
Book Club with Claire is Tuesday at lunch. Just Shy of Ordinary is still on the go!
Guidance - Transitioning from Grade 8 to 9!
These announcements will share guidance information throughout the year. Vanessa is your contact for all things guidance and we will begin the process of transitioning soon. In advance, please ensure that you attend the following webinars to learn about options. There are changes that have been made to high school options this year so it is important that you understand them.
CTA Open House is this Thursday night. Here is info: http://tinyurl.com/ctaopenhouse
CSIP applications are now done. The next step is in January for Out of Area schools but be sure to attend any Open Houses of interest.
The Choices series
*Newly Released Choices: Planning for Grade 9 (2024-2025) Contains information about course types and the diploma requirements. It also explains other relevant opportunities that will be available throughout high school.
*Newly Released Choices: Secondary Program Guide(2024-2025) Will help students explore the many programs available in TDSB secondary schools.
Central Technical School’s Open House will be on November 13, 2024 from 6:00 – 8:00pm.
We are now a Secondary School Without A Boundary, so any student is eligible to attend, regardless of home address!
Beginning with admissions for September 2025, all interested students must apply for entry to a Secondary School without a Boundary (SSWAB) regardless of where they live. The technical and commercial boundaries that are currently showing on the “Find Your School” site only apply for entry during the 2024-25 school year. They do not provide access for those starting in September 2025.
The application for SSWAB can be found within the Secondary Out-of-Area Admissions application. Applicants can opt to apply for:
One Out-of-Area Option
One Secondary School without a Boundary Option
Both an Out-of-Area option and a Secondary School without a Boundary option
If applying to both and if offered a seat in both, applicants may only accept the seat at one school.
The decision to decline a seat cannot be undone.
Learn more about the Admission Priorities for Secondary Schools without a Boundary
Application for CSIP programs opens on November 4 and closes on November 22, 2024 at 4 p.m.
To further support students and families with the application process, TDSB staff will host two Central Student Interest Program Application Support Sessions to answer questions that students or families may have about the application. Live, online support will be available on the following dates:
o November 12 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. (Click here to join)
o November 18 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. (Click here to join)
Horizon SAC (Parent Council) Executive
Our last meeting was Nov 20th where we had Grade 7 parents come forward for the executive. Minutes are attached.
A very productive meeting was had and we filled the SAC positions! This is our 2024/25 SAC Committee:
Co-Secretaries: Kristin McGregor (Grade 7) with Jill Mahoney & Elinor Bray-Collins (Grade 8)
Co-Treasurers: Stephenie Hui (Grade 7) with Mark Bury (Grade 8)
Andrea Holbeche – Co-Chair (Grade 7) with Martha (Grade 8)
An email was sent to those parents who volunteered for the fundraising committee. Please contact us if you missed that call out and would like to be a part of this important work.
Context: In past years, our fundraising efforts have primarily focused on the Auction, the main event of the school year, which takes place at the end of the year. The Auction remains the critical source of funding for the school’s budget and will happen again this year. However, we also see an opportunity to expand our fundraising efforts. This year, we hope to explore new opportunities and methods for raising funds to ensure that the programs and activities Horizon provides remain possible and accessible to everyone.
This new committee will focus on:
Identifying new avenues for fundraising (e.g., Jordin's proposal, among others).
Coordinating and implementing new fundraising efforts.
Planning for the Auction (starting earlier to maximize success).
Anything else the committee wants to do