Dear Families,
We continue to be off to a wonderful start to the school year, and it has been a pleasure welcoming our students back to Emily Carr. As we move into our third week, there is so much to look forward to.
One highlight on the horizon is our Clubs Fair on Tuesday, September 29, during lunch, where students will have the chance to explore the many activities, teams, and groups that make Carr such a vibrant place. We encourage all students to get involved and discover what our school has to offer. Clubs Fair is the first event that our School Council plans for the school year. Our teacher supervisors are also extremely instrumental in supporting our clubs throughout the year.
Thank you once again for your partnership and support as we begin this school year together. We are excited about the journey ahead!
Important Reminders:
Action Required: Start up information
The YRDSB has sent online start-up forms to be completed by families. These forms require your attention. Please review the below forms:
- Start-up permission form
- Student information consent form
- Request for faith accommodations
Action Required: Completion of applicable medical forms
Please ensure that any applicable medical forms are completed for this school year. Please refer to the email sent earlier last week from Emily Carr Secondary School.
Keeping information up to date at ECSS:
Please ensure that you share with the school any changes in your contact information ie. telephone number, home address, email address, emergency contact information and medical information, if applicable.
Valedictorian Candidacy Process – Information Meeting September 17
This week we had our first meeting with our potential Valedictorian Candidates. We explained the process and the rational for the course meetings as follows:
Throughout the course, students will have opportunities to learn about:
- Public speaking and effective communication
- The expectations and responsibilities of the valedictorian role
- Ways to connect meaningfully with students, staff, and the broader community
- How to represent their graduating class throughout the school year
This process is designed to help students and families better understand the valedictorian role and selection process. It will provide students with opportunities to share their experiences and keep their peers informed and engaged throughout the year.
All students interested in achieving candidacy must take part in the course throughout the year.
We look forward to meeting with interested students and beginning this year's process together.
ECSS First School Council Meeting – Tuesday, September 22, 2026
On behalf of the administration team at ECSS, we would like to formally extend an invite to our first School Council Meeting of the 2026-2027 School Year.
It will be held in our school library/learning commons on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 6:30pm. During the first meeting the elections will take place. In addition to receiving it in the school start up package, we have also included in this message the nomination form and school council handbook. Please either have your student drop off the form, or send it via e-mail to the principal, Tanya-Lynn Paul at Tanya-Lynn.Paul@yrdsb.ca by end of day on Monday, September 21st.
We hope to see many parents/guardians present, we need your voice and partnership.
Ms. Paul, Ms. Lawrence & Mr. Gangbar
Administration team at ECSS
Guidance Updates 2026-27
Ontario Universities’ Fair is taking place on September 26th and 27th from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm (daily) at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre - South Building. This event is considered one of the largest educational fairs in North America. Admission is free. Refer here for more information.
Ontario Universities' Events are hosting a collection of events this fall, where students and their supporters can speak directly with university and student representatives. Please click here to sign up and connect with Ontario’s universities at the Ontario Universities’ Events.
The ECSS Student Wellness Team is hosting our Senior Sunrise (TBD - soon) and Senior Sunset (TBD - Spring). This is an opportunity for our graduating students to make some final memories at ECSS. All of the events are filled with music, games, some treats, and a beautiful sunrise/sunset - all for FREE!
We have approximately 220 students on track to graduate this year, so we’re looking for donations from the parent/guardian community to support this event and MAKE IT FABULOUS! We would appreciate any of the following items:
- Cases of water bottles
- Glow Sticks / Glow Bracelets
- Cups for hot chocolate
- Bubbles
- Snacks - donuts, cookies, bars
- Monetary donation to purchase any of the above
If parents/guardians would like to make a donation for these events, please reach out to Fiorella Finelli (fiorella.finelli@yrdsb.ca).
Guidance appointment bookings will begin once all students are fully timetabled and timetable updates are complete. This will most likely begin late next. Students will be able to book appointments through TeachAssist. Instructions on how to make appointments will be posted in the All Grade Google Classrooms.
Safety Week – September 21–25
This year, our school will be holding Safety Week during the week of September 21st. Throughout the week, we will conduct a number of emergency preparedness drills, including:
- Fire drill
- Lockdown drill
- Hold and Secure drill
- Bomb threat drill
These drills are an important part of ensuring that our students and staff are prepared to respond safely and appropriately in the event of an emergency. Students and staff will be informed about the drills in advance and will be provided with instructions as required by our emergency procedures.
All schools are required to complete Safety Week during the first month of the school year to ensure that emergency procedures are reviewed and practiced early in the year.
We recognize that some of these drills may feel unfamiliar or unsettling for students. Our goal is to ensure that everyone understands the procedures and knows what to do should an emergency situation ever occur.
Thank you for your continued support as we work together to maintain a safe and prepared school community.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day
A reminder that Wednesday, September 30th is Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
This is an important day for Canadians to learn about the history and lasting impact of residential schools, and to recognize the experiences, strength, and resilience of Indigenous Peoples, residential school survivors, and their families.
Orange Shirt Day was founded by residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad, whose story reminds us of the importance of remembering the children who attended residential schools, including those who never returned home.
We encourage all students and staff to wear orange on September 30th as a way of showing that every child matters and supporting the ongoing work of truth and reconciliation.
Throughout the week, there will also be opportunities to learn and reflect on this important part of Canadian history.
VIDEO NEWS RELEASE: Building Belonging Through Student Leadership at Emily Carr Secondary School
Students in the unique leadership class at Emily Carr Secondary School are helping to build a more inclusive school community by planning and running events for students with special education needs.
The Leadership Class is designed to help students develop initiative, communication, teamwork and public speaking skills through lessons and taking an active role in planning and leading school activities.
The class focused on creating meaningful opportunities for students in the community class to connect with their peers, helping to foster a sense of belonging, inclusion and community within the school.
“My expectation for this activity is just to give them a sense that we’re all together, and that we don’t see them as someone with a disability. They’re just another kid like me,” said Nico, a student in the Leadership Class.
As part of their learning, students explore the different ways people communicate and learned how to create activities that are welcoming, safe and enjoyable for everyone.
“I think the lesson informed us [that] everybody communicates differently, and how to be patient with one another and to treat people with respect and kindness,” said Lia, a Leadership Class student.
Students put their learning into action by organizing a board games event with two community classes, creating opportunities for students to build relationships and connect with one another.
“The patience and the kindness from the leadership class is really evident, and their comfort level is really evident, and the kids in the autism class are just being their awesome selves and having a great time,” Sarah Hunter, Head of Physical Education.
The Leadership Class also hosted a track and field event for students in the community class on the school’s new turf field. Leadership students planned and led a variety of activities, including races and throwing events, served as event hosts and coached participants throughout the day.
Through experiences like these, students are developing valuable leadership skills while gaining a deeper understanding of inclusion, empathy and collaboration.
“What I’m hoping with the leadership class is that my students have an opportunity to grow as individuals and to see that not everybody is so different, and also take some of those skills into the working world with them, because it's not just going to be in a school community that we work with people with different needs,” said Shannon Ogilvie, Leadership Class Teacher at Emily Carr Secondary School.
Watch the smiles on students' faces and hear more from students in the Leadership and community classes in this short video.
Learn More
About Emily Carr Secondary School
Special Education at York Region District School Board
Video link: https://youtu.be/QGv-4WIMrqI?si=LFbrCyH7VlZMVf01
Leadership By Design Program
Over the past decade, the Leadership by Design program has provided
leadership-development opportunities to hundreds of Black high school students from across Ontario – including youth from the York Region District School Board.
The Leadership by Design program partners with parents, universities
including University of Toronto, and corporate institutions (e.g. CIBC bank)
to provide high-quality programming that helps promising Black youth
optimize their talents and fulfill their highest ambitions.
Leadership by Design is now inviting applications for admission from Grade 10 students.
Your support in sharing this opportunity can make a meaningful difference for a young person ready to grow, lead, and thrive.
Leadership by Design (LBD) provides out-of-school time leadership development that complements the Ontario high school curriculum.
Leadership by Design (LBD) partners with parents, universities, and other educational organizations. Parents are engaged during the admissions process and must accompany their students at an in-person admissions-orientation session. Parent engagement is fundamental to LBD programming.
Leadership by Design (LBD) now invites application for admission from Black youth who are currently in Grade 10. The deadline for applications is September 28, 2026.
Please share the attached poster with guidance counsellors, teachers of the Grade 10 cohort, and with parents of eligible Grade 10 students. All you need to do is encourage the student to discuss our program with parents, and then, collaborating with parents...decide on applying. Parents must participate in the admissions process.
Here is the admissions link: Leadership by Design – Lifelong Leadership Institute
Some Features of LBD: LBD students are provided a wide array of opportunities that target their social, personal, academic and career success. We also encourage and facilitate post-secondary participation. Programming includes Saturday seminars and group work (e.g. the annual CIBC Hackathon), mentoring services, workshops (e.g. MS Excel, using the Arduino, study/learning skills, business communications, public speaking), conferences (e.g. Democracy XChange, Massey Lectures, TEDxUofT), a special STEM program delivered by University of Toronto, a Regional Science Fair hosted by the Canadian Black Scientists Network, summer learning experiences (e.g. Shad partners), and socio-cultural experiences. We also provide scholarships. LBD is a learning community.
No Costs: The LBD program is free to participating students.
Meetings: Our learning sessions are delivered in-person and online. Our in-person sessions are usually on Saturdays, school breaks and during the summer. We meet at university or corporate sites.