December Community Newsletter

Principal’s Message:

As we head into the month of December, we have 27 instructional days remaining before Semester 1 Final Evaluations. Mid-term reports were shared with students and families this past month and highlighted the learning and growth experienced by students during the first term while identifying areas for growth. This report, containing current marks and learning skills, provides us with an opportunity to connect and develop success plans. Interventions for improved achievement may include conversations around IEP accommodations, co-creating plans with students for submission of outstanding tasks, creating a communication and monitoring plan with school staff, or leveraging in-school and community supports (e.g., Student Success, Learning Resource, Graduation Coach, Pathways). Outside of our classrooms, we had many events that will continue into December that highlight the talents of our students and demonstrate the care of our Westdale school community!

Sincerely,

Brian Goodram

Upcoming Calendar Dates:

Date:	Event(s):	Audience:
Monday Dec. 1st	Grad Photos Continue (through to December 12th; Cafeteria)	Class of 2026
Wednesday Dec. 3rd	International Day of Persons with Disabilities	All
Thursday Dec. 4th	Little Women School Musical (6:30pm curtain, Auditorium) $15 General Admission, $10 Admission—Students/Seniors	All
Friday Dec. 5th	Little Women School Musical (6:30pm curtain, Auditorium) Last Show!	All
Saturday Dec. 6th	National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (recognized at Westdale Dec. 5th)	All
Wednesday Dec. 10th	International Baccalaureate Program Information Night (6pm, HWDSB Education Centre) International Human Rights Day	Students / Families interested in the IB Program All
Thursday Dec. 11th	Festive Music Concert (7pm; Auditorium)	All
December 20th to January 4th	Winter Break	All

Shout Outs / Good News:

Westdale Music:

The Jr. Band, Sr. Band, Sr. Jazz and Warriors Band have had a busy month with many events during the month of November and many more to come in the weeks and months ahead. Last month the musicians performed in the Westdale Auditorium, treating the audience to a variety of pop music selections. Thank you to Mr. Abell for his ongoing leadership and advocacy of music programming here at Westdale. As shared in the calendar, the next (Festive Music) concert is on December 11th. We welcome families to attend. You won’t be disappointed!

Westdale History:

Thank you to Ms. Dick for opening up her classroom so staff could learn alongside her Grade 10 History (CHC2D1) class about the history of the Westdale community and our school. The class recognized and honoured the contributions of former Westdale students, some of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice in service of their country. The learning was timely, leading into Indigenous Veterans Day and Remembrance Day.

Health Care SHSM: Sharing Our Learning:

Health Care SHSM students visited St. Joseph’s Hospital to receive certification in medical calculations and drip rates for IVs. They were also certified in sterile technique to learn the basics of maintaining a sterile field and why sterility matters in healthcare. Students practiced setting up and working within a sterile environment. As well, students learned conflict resolution strategies in working with colleagues, patients and their caregivers. Thank you to Ms. Taylor for her ongoing leadership with this SHSM and for setting up these authentic and valuable learning experiences for our students!

Westdale Athletics:

November was a successful month for our Westdale Warriors on the courts and field. Congratulations to Coaches Ms. Adachi and Mr. VanHarten on leading the Jr. Girls Basketball team to the Division 1 City Championship!

On the volleyball court, Mr. Francis and the Junior Boys Volleyball won the Division 1 City Championship with a straight set win over Westmount in the final.

Not to be outdone, the Varsity Football team won their first City Championship in 10 years after an impressive win over the defending champions from Westmount. Thank you to Mr. Olah, Head Coach Mike King (pictured below getting a celebratory bath) and the number of community coaches for all their time and work with the student-athletes. The Warriors finished the season as SOSSA Finalists. Way to go Warriors!

Other News:

Numeracy Support Program:

As shared last month, Westdale is offering a free Numeracy (Math) Support Program. This program focuses on numeracy skills and homework help for students in grades 9 and 10. The program will run to mid-January on Tuesdays (2:45-3:45pm) and Thursdays (12:00-1:00pm) in Rm. 2059. As this program allows for continuous intake, students can begin at any time. As well, TVO Learn Mathify provides free online math help for Ontario students up to grade 12. Math tutoring can be accessed through the website: https://mathify.tvolearn.com from any digital device, as needed.

Final Evaluations—The Final 30%:

The Ministry of Education document, Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario Schools (2010), informs assessment and evaluation practices across the province. Growing Success states that 30% of the final grade of secondary courses is based on a final evaluation administered at or towards the end of a course. Final evaluations may include the following: an examination, a performance, culminating activity or task, an interview, essay, and/or another method of evaluation suitable to course content. Teachers will communicate to their students what the evaluations will entail in their respective courses for the final 30%. We encourage parents to have conversations with their student(s) to ensure they know of the expectations for the final 30%. As always, we encourage families to connect with staff to support student success. We are here to partner and help!

Future Readiness Day:

As noted in the 2025-26 school year calendar, there is an instructional day on Thursday, January 29th. This day falls between the end of semester 1 and the beginning of semester 2. Students are expected to attend on this day, providing them with the opportunity to reflect on their progress, receive meaningful feedback from staff and peers, and set themselves up for success in their next steps. As a staff, we will be organizing a meaningful day based on student voice and will provide details to our community once plans are finalized.

Public Health Vaccinations:

On November 14th, Hamilton Public Health sent letters to families of students who need to have their vaccine records updated. Please see the  infographic at the end of this newsletter for key dates, timelines and contact information. Westdale has a vaccine catch-up clinic set for Thursday March 5th. This clinic will run during the school day and is open to all secondary students. Given the size of our school community, we have requested an additional clinic date for Westdale and will communicate an additional date if it can be provided. Thank you in advance for your support as it will help to minimize disruption to student learning.

Parking:

As shared earlier, there is no student parking permitted in the school lot. Additional signage will be posted in the lot to remind students of this restriction and By-Law Officers will be contacted, as needed. Students are asked to park in approved areas surrounding the school.

Gift and Give—The Westdale Way:

Thank you to our community for the quick and generous response to our annual gift card drive! After the first week of donations, over $1,000 was raised to support purchasing items to include in holiday hampers for students and families in need within our community. The drive will continue over the next couple of weeks. Gift cards can be dropped off directly to the Main Office by families or students between 8am and 3pm or donations can be made through School Cash Online.