School Information from Community Message – October 18th
Dear Glendale Bears and Families,
Time is certainly flying by, as we find ourselves in mid-October. The cooler air and fall colours on the trees also hint at where we find ourselves on the calendar. I hope this message finds you and your family well.
The Bear’s Den has been a very busy and positive place over the past few weeks. Teams, clubs and activity groups are up and running, offering our students a vibrant co-curricular program with many opportunities for students to get involved. On September 30th and during the week leading up to the date, many classrooms and student groups honoured National Day of Truth and Reconciliation or as it’s better known as Orange Shirt Day. Thank you to our staff for leading this sensitive learning. During the first week of October, Glendale’s Arts department organized a wonderful trip to Stratford, where our students watched three amazing productions and participated in master-class sessions with theatre professionals. Thank you to the staff organizers for creating this wonderful authentic learning opportunity.
Last Thursday, our school’s athletic department organized a wonderful pep rally to celebrate our fall athletes and their respective teams. It was a wonderful celebration of school spirit and community.
Later in the day, we had our first buy-out of the school, with almost 500 students buying tickets to watch our football team take on Saltfleet. Thank you to our athletic team for organizing this amazing day celebrating Bear Pride! Last, with us recently celebrating Thanksgiving, and harnessing its spirit of gratitude I would like to recognize and thank Glendale’s amazing staff; classroom, office, EA and custodial for their incredible efforts to make our school a great place for our students. Thank you Glendale Staff for all you do for our Bears!
School Calendar and Events
To help with your student’s planning, I would like to share some upcoming school-wide events;
- October 18th – Picture retakes for students that missed our original date or were unhappy with their proofs. Retakes will be done in the learning commons.
- October 21st – Preliminary Reports sent home electronically. After receiving your student’s preliminary report, please connect with your student’s educators with any questions. In-person interviews are being held at Glendale on October 27th from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Interviews can be booked online starting on Friday, October 21st at 6pm by following this link – https://parentinterview.com/s/glendale
- October 21st – Glendale will be hosting cyber-security expert Paul Davis to the Bear’s Den to speak to our students about internet safety and safe use of social media. A link to Paul’s bio is here – https://socialnetworkingsafety.net/sample-page/
- October 24th – PA Day. There are no classes for students on this day. Staff will be in the building learning and working together.
- October 27th – Family Teacher Interviews from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm.
A bit further out on the calendar, but for your awareness;
- November 8th – Fall Literacy Test (OSSLT) – More details will be shared with students that are writing the test.
- November 16th – Grade 8 Transition Night – 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm at Glendale. This information-rich event is intended for students and their families that are planning on attending Glendale for their Grade 9 year.
- December 1st – Semi-Formal at Carmens.
Road and parking safety at Glendale.
During the school day, the streets around Glendale and our school parking lot are extremely busy. At the beginning and end of the school day, Rainbow Drive, the street in front of Glendale, has increased traffic due to school buses, taxis that are transporting our students and parent drop-offs and pick-ups. Drivers are asked to quickly drop off or pick up their students, and not park their vehicles in the school zone for an extended period. Drivers should not block or park directly in front of our driveway semi-circle (red area), allowing access to our buses and taxi cabs. Preferred parking areas are further down on Rainbow Drive, Star Ave. and Glen Echo Drive (marked in blue). As well, our school parking lot is for staff and student parking during the school day. During the day, it is very busy and full. Drivers, please do not use the parking lot for student drop-offs or pick-ups, nor should it be used as a turnaround area. Last, we ask our student drivers to be respectful and cautious when navigating our school parking lot and neighbourhood streets.
Smoking and Vaping
Smoking and vaping are not allowed on school grounds and failure to follow this expectation can result in suspension and city bylaw fines. Students making these life choices, are to do so off of school property.
Finding Success
I would like all students to commit to a strong start to the academic year. This means regular attendance, completion of all assessments and focusing on learning skills such as organization (awareness of due dates), initiative (completing assigned work) and self-regulation (avoiding distractions).
Electronic devices should only be used at school as a learning tool during the instructional time at the invitation of the classroom teacher, otherwise, they should be stored in lockers or backpacks. We recognize that these devices can be a huge distraction and derail learning for students. Please find attached the HWDSB policy (attached) around personal electronic devices (cell phones and tablets).
Get Involved
Glendale is a wonderful school offering lots of exciting clubs, teams and activities for students to engage in, to bump up their experience as a Glendale Bear. I encourage all students to get involved in Glendale’s extracurricular programs by joining a team or club. Research shows that students that are involved in their school through extracurriculars have better attendance, are more engaged and enjoy higher levels of academic achievement. Whether it’s competitive sports, a dramatic production or the pursuit of a personal interest these important and engaging activities bring life to our building! Please encourage your student to find a club or team in which to participate. Take a chance and try something new; step onto our stage, sports field, or courts and Be a Brave Bear!
Bells Times
Our school bell times are 8:30 am to 2:50 pm (attached). Maximizing student instructional time in the classroom with their subject teachers is an important factor in learning and student success. Regular attendance and punctual arrival for every class is the best way for students to maximize their instructional time with their teacher. I would like to remind our students and families of our school bell times (please see below). Our school day starts at 8:30 am, with lunch at 11:10 am, and the school day ends at 2:50 pm.
| Glendale Secondary School Bell Times | |
| Period 1 | 8:30 am– 9:45 am |
| Break | 9:45 am – 9:55 am |
| Period 2 | 9:55 am – 11:10 am |
| Lunch | 11:10 am – 12:10 pm |
| Period 3 | 12:10 pm – 1:25 pm |
| Break | 1:25 pm – 1:35 pm |
| Period 4 | 1:35 pm – 2:50 pm |
Lunch Time at Glendale
During Glendale’s lunch period (11:10 am – 12:10 pm), students are asked to eat in the cafeteria or to get outside and enjoy the fresh air on the school grounds. Students may also eat their lunch in a classroom voluntarily supervised by a school staff member as part of a team, club or activity. Students should not be in our second-floor hallways during lunch.
Student Absences
If your student needs to miss an instructional day(s) or a portion of one, we encourage caregivers to use School Messenger (https://go.schoolmessenger.com/#/home). For late arrivals or early dismissals, caregivers can continue to call our attendance desk.
Student Schedules and Student Information
Parents and students (over 18yrs) can also access and update their information in HWDSB’s Parent Portal- https://ps.hwdsb.on.ca/public/home.html.
School Council
On Thursday, September 29th Glendale held our first School Council meeting of the year. This year our School Council Chair will be Laura Neubrand. Glendale’s next School Council meeting will be held on Thursday, December 8th at 6 pm. Later meetings are scheduled for February 23rd and May 25th. Joining School Council is a great way to have your voice heard and “get in the know” about what’s happening at Glendale. If you would like to join School Council please call or email the school.
Classroom Questions
As the school year starts and we flow into the first few weeks of the school year, families may have some questions about their student’s academic program. For families with questions about their student’s level of achievement or classroom program, please reach out directly to their child’s educator via phone or email. Classroom teachers are the course experts and are knowledgeable in that subject area, positioning them to be the best resource for answering your questions.
Be Brave Bears (In Ojibwe – Akadewag Makwak),
Dave Schroeder, Principal
Updated on Tuesday, October 18, 2022.