ECSS Newsletter - September 5, 2025

Dear Families,

We are 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 second week, there is so much to look forward to.

One highlight on the horizon is our Clubs Fair on Monday, September 29, at 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.

Thank you once again for your partnership and support as we begin this school year together. We are excited about the journey ahead!

2025-2026 Schedule

This week you have seen administration outside directing traffic to try to ensure all families are aware of how the traffic should flow at ECSS.

 As a reminder, if you are dropping off your child to school, you must use the loop in the front of the school as indicated below.  The area on the side of the school next to the parking lot is used for our students in community classes who are dropped off by accessible transportation.  For their safety and the safety of the staff supporting them, please do not drive in that direction.  Some of our must vulnerable students can be unpredictable and we must prioritize their safety.

Families who choose to drive their children to school are asked to consider parking a block or two away from the school and walking the rest of the way. You can avoid the morning rush by dropping your child off before 7:45 a.m., carpooling, or encouraging your child to walk or make use of public transit. This will help alleviate traffic congestion while allowing the students time to gather materials from their lockers and still be in class on time.  Another option is to enter by the community center entrance and exit the same way to avoid additional congestion in the front of the school.

Thanks for your continued partnership and understanding.

Partnering with Al Palladini for Lunch 

Students interested in accessing the Activity Room at Al Palladini, please review the attached flyer.

Field Construction Update!

As you are aware, the field at ECSS is under construction.  We wanted to share the progress this summer, please see the drone footage here.  We are expecting the field to be completed by sometime the end of October, middle of November.  We are extremely excited about the opportunity this gives our students and community. (“Drone footage courtesy of Larry Arbuckle.”)

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 this 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.

Caring and Safe Schools:

On Tuesday, September 10, students will be attending the Caring and Safe Schools Grade Assemblies which includes the student code of conduct and school expectations. You can find the information that is covered on the board website on Caring and Safe Schools page. This information is delivered to students in student friendly language.

Updates from Guidance

Continuing Education programs for 2025/2026 are now available. This includes Night School and International Language programs. Please refer to Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 Night School Courses for more information and important dates. Students register using myBlueprint and are required to return their Sign-Off Form to the Guidance Office to ensure approval. Students are welcome to come by the Guidance Pop-Up Shop for help, if needed.

Students looking to make a course change request must meet the outlined criteria and submit their request using the ECSS Course Change Request Form. The link to the form was emailed to students’ GAPPS accounts on August 28th and posted in the Grade Google Classrooms. Students must be logged into the GAPPS account to access the form.  The Course Change form is currently open and will close on Monday, September 8^th at 3:00 p.m. Only Course change requests that are submitted using the Google form will be addressed - please do not email Counsellors or leave voicemail messages so we can ensure an equitable and fair process for all. As a reminder to students and families, seats in classes are limited and these changes can take some time. We ask everyone to please be patient and continue to follow the assigned schedule. Students should check their Gapps account for updates on their request.

Guidance appointment bookings will begin once all students are fully timetabled and timetable updates are complete. This will most likely begin the third week of September. Students will be able to book appointments through TeachAssist. Instructions on how to make appointments will be posted in the Grade Google Classrooms. Students are welcome to stop by the Guidance Pop-Up Shop outside of room 129 before school or at the beginning of the lunch hour should they require support.