Dear Families,
As we begin a busy Semester 2, we would like to remind everyone of the expectations that support a caring, safe, and respectful school environment. This week, students participated in our Caring and Safe School presentation, where we reviewed the Student Code of Conduct, appropriate behavior at school and online, and the importance of making positive choices.
Responsible Use of Social Media
We continue to see conflicts arising from students participating in group chats - often with individuals they do not personally know. These online interactions frequently lead to misunderstandings, the spreading of rumors, and ongoing peer conflict that carries into the school day.
We kindly ask families to:
- Speak with your child about safe and responsible social media use.
- Remind them to avoid joining group chats with unfamiliar people.
- Encourage them not to engage in rumors, gossip, or drama, and instead focus on their own positive interactions.
- Reinforce the importance of minding their own business and not getting drawn into conflicts that do not involve them.
Vaping and Respect for School Property
We continue to address concerns regarding vaping in washrooms, on school property, and in nearby community spaces. Please review with your child:
- The school’s no‑vaping policy and the consequences associated with vaping on school grounds.
- Respecting all school facilities, including washrooms, classrooms, hallways, and outdoor areas.
- Demonstrating care for our community spaces, as students represent our school both inside and outside the building.
CARR Scoop
Please have a look at the latest publication of CARR Scoop.
Math Contests at Emily Carr Secondary School
Emily Carr will be hosting the University of Waterloo Math and Computing Contests. The Grade 9 Pascal, Grade 10 Cayley and Grade 11 Fermat math contests will take place on Wednesday February 25 and the Canadian Computing Contest will take place on Wednesday February 18. Signing up for these contests is closed on School Cash Online. If you are still interested in writing them and need to sign up, please see Ms. Moledina in the Math Office. The Grade 12 Euclid math contest will take place on Tuesday March 31. You have until March 3rd to sign up on School Cash Online.
Student Trustee Elections - Student Voice Matters
Each year, students in Grades 5–12 have the opportunity to elect two student trustees who will represent their voices across York Region District School Board.
Voting takes place between February 17-20, 2026. Voting closes February 20 at 4:00 p.m. This is an important opportunity for students to participate in the democratic process and help choose the students who will represent their voices next year.
How to Vote
Details on how to vote will be sent to all eligible students through their GAPPS email account when voting opens on February 17. Please encourage your child to check their email for instructions.
Meet the Candidates
Students can learn more about the final four candidates and watch an all-candidates panel discussion at www.yrdsb.ca/studenttrustees. This is a great chance to hear directly from each candidate and their views and thoughts on issues that matter to YRDSB students.
Student Exchange Program
In cooperation with the York Region District School Board and as the only approved student exchange vendor, ISE-Ontario offers students aged 13-17 the opportunity to participate in an exchange program. Students apply directly through ISE-Ontario and must obtain approval from their school Principal before participating. For more information, please visit the ISE-Ontario webpage.
Guidance Updates
Parents/guardians are asked to have their students (who have applied to postsecondary programs at colleges or universities in Ontario) check their OCAS and/or OUAC accounts this upcoming weekend. ECSS has completed the upload for final first semester marks for all students. If students notice any mark discrepancies, or if they notice any courses that appear that should no longer be there, they are asked to pop by the Guidance Office or contact their guidance counsellor.
COURSE SELECTIONS FOR THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR are open in myBlueprint and will close on Friday, February 20th, 4:00 p.m. Please review some key points below to assist in your conversations with your student(s):
- Grade 9 - 11 students participated in a Course Selection assembly last past week. Details from the assembly have been posted in the All Grades Google Classrooms.
- Grade 12 Students who are graduating and any other students who are not returning, must submit a “Not Returning" response at this time to finalize their next steps. Counsellors circulated to grade 12 period 1 classes on February 11th to discuss this task and answer any questions.
- Course Selection Student Lunchtime Support took place in the Library today and will be available again on Thursday, February 19th at 11:25 am - 11:55 am.
- In addition to Guidance appointments, counsellors are also available during the morning Pop-Up Shop and during lunchtime drop-in times to answer any questions and provide support.
- Please note that course selections are not completed/locked in until parent/guardian has approved selections via email (email comes from myBlueprint - parents/guardians should check junk mail folder if they cannot find the email).
- Find tips and advice for students and families planning course selection and listen to the latest episode of the Tune In YRDSB podcast for more on course selection.
- There will be an opportunity in the spring to verify course selections and make updates.
- For those students considering Summer School Learning Opportunities, registration will open in the spring.
There will be a representative from the University of Trent in the main hallway outside of the cafeteria from 10:45 am until noon on Thursday, February 26th. They will be there to answer any questions related to Trent University, campus life, program requirements, and so much more.
There will be a representative from the Toronto Metropolitan University in the main hallway outside of the cafeteria from 10:45 am until noon on Tuesday, March 10th. They will be there to answer any questions related to TMU, campus life, program requirements, and so much more.
There will be a representative from the University of Guelph-Humber in the main hallway outside of the cafeteria from 10:45 am until noon on Thursday, April 9th. They will be there to answer any questions related to University of Guelph-Humber, campus life, program requirements, and so much more.
Save the date! YRDSB and YCDSB will be hosting a Post-Secondary Fair for Grades 9-12+ students, families, and staff to connect with Admissions, Recruitment, Accessibility, and Student Support Offices. There will be a special presentation, Accessing Support in Post-Secondary: How Accessibility Services Help You Succeed, by the Regional Assessment and Resource Centre (RARC) and information booths from the participating post secondary institutions. Date: March 25, 2026 -Time: 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM Location: Sir William Mulock Secondary School (705 Columbus Way, Newmarket, ON L3X 2M7).