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Welcome to the 2025-26 School Year!

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Welcome to the 2025-26 School Year!

Be.Connected@HWDSB

First Day of School 

HWDSB is excited to welcome students, families, and staff back to classrooms on Tuesday, September 2!

Read a welcome message from the Director of Education!

Director of Education, Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini

Dear HWDSB Families,

I hope you’re enjoying a memorable summer filled with moments of connection, joy, and rest.

As we approach the end of August, I want to take a moment to connect with you to support your preparations for the year ahead through the first edition of our newly re-named newsletter, Be.Connected@HWDSB – designed to keep you aware of all-things HWDSB with the same informative and helpful updates.

The 2025-26 school year begins on Tuesday, September 2. This can be a time filled with anticipation – whether it’s excitement, a few nervous butterflies, or the energy that comes from a fresh start.

This school year you may be new to Hamilton and about to experience our HWDSB community for the first time. For some, it’s your child’s very first day of school. For others, it may be their first day at a HWDSB school – or the exciting first day of their final year in their K–12 journey before beginning a new chapter.

Wherever you are on your HWDSB journey, please know that as your Director of Education, I am honoured to lead a system dedicated to supporting every student’s experience and success throughout the year.

I encourage you to explore HWDSB’s most recent edition of Be.Connected@HWDSB, which includes:

      • Details about the Parent Portal
      • Registration information
      • Student transportation resources
      • And much more to help your family feel ready for September.

At HWDSB, our values of dignity, trust, compassion and joy guide everything we do. And our vision—Growing Together—reflects our commitment of ensuring that every student feels seen, safe and supported.

We prioritize well-being, knowing that a healthy mind and body are essential for learning. And we focus on student experiences and achievement, recognizing that each pathway to success is unique, valued and important.

As partners in your child’s education, our shared goal is to create safe, caring, and engaging learning spaces where every student is fully included and can thrive.

We are excited to welcome every HWDSB student on Tuesday, September 2.

Until then, I wish you a safe and joy-filled end to summer, and I look forward to seeing the smiles, curiosity, and potential that a new school year brings.

Sincerely,

Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini
HWDSB Director of Education

HWDSB Students sitting on benches.

Parent Portal

The Parent Portal is now open. Please note, classroom teachers for elementary students and class timetables for secondary students will be made available on Monday, August 25.

We encourage you to explore the ‘Forms’ section on the platform to review and complete relevant forms for the start of the school year.  We recommend the web version, as the Parent Portal app (by PowerSchool) may be experiencing a delay in updated information.

Click here to access Parent Portal.

Staying Connected  

Elementary offices will open on August 25 and secondary school offices are already open for the school year. Office staff are available to support questions related to Parent Portal, registration, back to school and more. Contact your school via email or phone (click here for the elementary listing and click here for the secondary listing).

Secondary School students will receive their timetables in the Parent Portal on August 25 and can contact the school to make any necessary changes for the start of the semester.

To learn about more ways

that you can stay connected, click the links below:

It is important to note that School Bell Times can be found on your school website.

Starting the School Year with Wellness 

Supporting mental health is important all year long, and HWDSB is committed to providing a wide range of supports to help students throughout the school year.

Students and families can click here to find mental health services and supports on our We Help webpage.

Preparing for Potential Summer Heat

Three hexagons with photos of students in the classroom.

September often continues to bring high temperatures and humidity.

We want to remind students and families about how we address severe weather. Hamilton Public Health Services monitors weather forecasts closely and notifies the HWDSB community partners of a heat event.

To learn more about HWDSB heat protocols in the schools, please click here.

Kindergarten 

Kindergarten families should have received an email once their Parent Portal account was created. If you have not received your email, please contact your child’s school.

Before the start of school, every new Kindergarten family will be notified by their school team of the time of their child’s Kindergarten orientation visit on Tuesday, September 3.

All Kindergarten students will begin their first full day on Wednesday, September 4. Click here for more information about Kindergarten.

Code of Conduct

Ahead of the first day of school, it is important to review the HWDSB Code of Conduct.

Minimizing distractions helps foster positive climates in all HWDSB schools and supports the achievement and human rights of every student. The actions we take together as families, students, staff and community members are about co-creating classroom conditions centred on learning outcomes, safety and wellness.

Student Dress Guidelines 

As the school year approaches, now is the time to familiarize and review the Student Dress Guidelines.

These guidelines were developed in collaboration with students, with a strong focus on supporting students in their dress as it relates to human rights, safety, mental health, well-being, compassion, dignity and belonging.

By supporting personal expression and self-identity, schools can become safer and more welcoming environments for every student.

Click here to explore the full Student Dress Guidelines.

Elementary Remote Learning  

Elementary families with students who are in grades 1-8 who are interested in changing from in-person to remote learning will have an opportunity to register students starting Monday, August 25.

The 2025-2026 Remote Learning Registration form will be available in Parent Portal and will close at 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 4. Families can complete this form if they wish to change from in-person to remote learning or change from remote learning back to in- person.

Families selecting a new learning option will be choosing this for their child for the entire 2025-2026 school year. Students will begin attending their new classes after the school re-organization process has been completed in early October. Click here for more information about Elementary Remote Learning.

Photo of two students laughing.

Student Transportation 

Information for the 2025-26 school year was made available on the HWSTS Portal on August 19, 2025, and will be updated throughout the entire school year.

Click here to read the message. 

It is important to re-check transportation information before sending children to their assigned pickup locations on September 2, as last-minute changes can sometimes occur.

Click here to visit the HWSTS website.

 

We look forward to welcoming students and families back to HWDSB schools on Tuesday, September 2. Have a wonderful week!

Additional Resources for School Readiness:    

Be you. Be Excellent.
Updated on Friday, August 22, 2025.
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