Update on Sherwood Transition

Letter_Sherwood Transition June 2022

June 7, 2022

Dear Sherwood students and families,

We are happy to provide an update about the Sherwood Revitalization Project, as staff and students prepare to transition to the temporary location at 75 Palmer Road.

Our first day at the new site will be September 6, 2022. Work is already underway to prepare.

The Sherwood School Transition Committee has begun to meet to ensure a smooth transition.

Members represent Sherwood educators, custodians, non-teaching staff, School Council, students, families, as well as the Superintendent of Student Achievement.

We know that you may have questions about this transition, and we commit to keeping you updated along the way. Our students have asked some great questions already, and we will share some responses in the attached Questions & Answers document.

We plan to communicate again in the weeks and months ahead, for example, with details this summer on orientation visits for students. As we do so, we will also include responses to new questions, from students and families.

You can find this and other family communications on the Sherwood website, and shared to the email on file for your family. We will post Transition Committee meeting materials to the HWDSB web page for Transition Committees.

If you have any questions we can answer, please email [email protected]. We will strive to include responses in our future communications.

Kind regards,

Colin Pinkney
Superintendent of Student Achievement, Family of Schools 3

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Questions & Answers about the Sherwood Transition

We have developed this Q & A to help everyone understand Sherwood’s temporary move to 75 Palmer Road. We will update this document as more questions arise and will share responses with our community. To submit additional questions, please email [email protected]

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Will Sherwood students start school year at the new location in September 2022?

Yes, the temporary location is being prepared to receive our students and we will start school at 75 Palmer Road on Tuesday, September 6, 2022.

Will our school still be called Sherwood Secondary School?

Yes! We are the Sherwood Saints. We will try our best to have our colours displayed as prominently as possible at the new location. Our name, colours and athletics uniforms will not change.

Will bell times to be the same as in 2021-22?

Yes, we expect bell times to stay the same.

Will students fit into the Palmer Road building – or will there be portables?

All students will fit. Like we do now, we will use a five-period day in 2022-23. This gives us just enough space to fit all our programs inside the school at the temporary location.

How long will we be at this temporary location?

We want to return Sherwood students to the High Street location as soon as possible. There are many factors at play and this, of course, depends on the speed of the renovation at the Sherwood (High Street) site. Updates will be provided as we move into construction.

Will any upgrades to the Temporary Sherwood site be made?

Yes, minor renovations will be done, to ensure the temporary site is clean, safe and ready to support all the current Sherwood programs.

Are any programs affected by the move?

No, all programming will remain the same. This includes programs like our Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSMs), French Immersion, tech shops, hairstyling and more. In fact, we are excited to add our French Immersion SHSM program starting next year as well!

Will maps of the school be provided and will I know how to get to my classes?

We are planning orientation visits for students to get to know the Palmer Road site, so they know where to find their classes, cafeteria, washrooms and more. We will share more information with students this summer.

Is transportation affected for any students due to the move?

We are already planning transportation for 2022-23, including how eligibility boundaries apply to the temporary location. Route planning will be finalized in late July. We will keep families informed as details emerge. Transportation will be provided in accordance with HWDSB policies. The 75 Palmer Road site is walkable for more students than the Sherwood site.

Is there a cafeteria and will food service be provided at the temporary location?

Yes, there is a large cafeteria with food service available.

Will class sizes be affected at the temporary location?

No classes will be affected. We will have the same class size ratios at the temporary location as we would have at Sherwood.

Will staff come to temporary location as well?

All staff will accompany students to the new temporary location

Will clubs and sports be affected?

All clubs and sports teams offered at Sherwood will be offered at the temporary location.