Welcome to a New Semester!
Important School Dates
– Friday February 16th – PD Day
– Monday February 19th – Family Day (school closed)
– Wednesday February 28th – Pink Shirt Day to raise awareness about bullying in schools
February 14th is Valentine’s Day!
Use this as an opportunity to spread love in all its forms. Show gratitude toward your friends, family members, whoever has made an impact in your life. Sprinkle kindness everywhere you go!
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) results were released in mid-January.
If you have questions about this, please contact Ms. G.
New After-School Club Offerings
Our after-school club offerings have changed slightly for second semester, and we are excited for the new clubs to start…
Our French courses have all finished for the year, but we are excited to still have Mme Esra visiting us each week to run a French Club! This is a great opportunity to practice the language and also become familiar with the rich and wonderful French culture. (Tuesdays)
Mr. Max will be offering a Chinese Club this semester, to provide us all with an opportunity to get to know this culture better and learn an incredibly popular language! (Thursdays)
Are you interested in creative pursuits that might be different from visual arts? If so, join Ms. Jesmy’s Creative Club and explore your own passions. (Wednesdays)
Ms. Sara will continue to offer Art Club for those students who enjoy visual arts and are excited to have the chance decorate the school for various holidays and events. (Mondays)
Ms. Sheron will be bringing movement to the school with her Zumba Club! If you have always wanted to try this type of dance-based fitness class, this is your chance. (Tuesdays)
*Don’t forget to fill out the form sent to your email earlier this week to make your club selection!
Grade 12 English Class
Trip to Mackenzie House Museum
On a chilly day toward the middle of January, our grade 12 English class visited Mackenzie House Museum. This trip gave students the opportunity to delve into the life, contributions, and impact of Mary Ann Shadd Cary, with particular focus on her activism and journalism during the 19th century.
Bell Let’s Talk Day – January 24th
We observed Bell Let’s Talk Day prior to the start of February and the exam season. This day is designed to raise awareness of mental health and to combat the stigma surrounding mental illnesses.
We challenged our students to complete self-care and mindfulness activities toward the Bell Let’s Talk bingo activity. Students who successfully completed a “bingo” received a mindfulness fidget tool as a prize from the school.
Chinese New Year
February 10th
The 2024 Lunar New Year will take place this month.
We are entering the Year of the Dragon!
You can learn more about this tradition here.
Black History Month
February is Black History Month, and we use this time to honour the legacy of black people in their communities and the impact of their achievements.
This year’s theme is “ours to tell”. You can learn more about what this means, as well as what events and festivities are happening in Toronto, here.
Groundhog Day
February 2nd
Groundhog Day will be observed this month, and is a tradition where Canadians and Americans look to local groundhogs to determine the weather forecast for the coming weeks. Will winter continue or will we have an early spring? Stay tuned on February 2nd to find out.
Learn more here.
Cool Things Keystone Students Do – Sailing!
Our students are multi-talented! They don’t just thrive in the classroom, they also accomplish great achievements in their private lives, and we are so thrilled to celebrate them.
For example, we recently learned of grade 12 student Charlie’s awesome successes in sailing, and wanted to share them with you all…
Charlie has been sailing since he was 6 years old, beginning with the Cayman Islands Sailing Club in an Optimist class sailboat. During this time he competed in local and overseas regattas, winning his first regatta in Fort Lauderdale, USA, when he was 10 years old. This was the moment that Charlie started to take sailing more seriously! In 2018 he competed at the British National & Open Championships, finishing 10th in his fleet of 60. In 2021, which was Charlie’s final year sailing Optimists before aging out at age 15, he had been training hard to compete at the 2021 Optimist World Championships. Sadly, however, due to Covid19 travel restrictions he could not go. This did not put Charlie off and he progressed to sailing a Laser 4.7. It was in this boat that he ranked 10th at the 2022 North American Championships. Currently Charlie is sailing a Laser Radial 6 and is a member of the High Performance Race Team at Toronto’s Ashbridge’s Bay Yacht Club. In 2023 he was invited to join the Ontario Sailing Team after competing in various qualifying regattas and at the CORK International and Olympic Classes/Sail Canada Youth Championships where he ranked 2nd in his fleet. Charlie’s next regatta is at the end of January 2024 in Clearwater, Florida – wish him luck!
We hope you have a wonderful month and that spring will be just around the corner for us all!
