As we enter the final weeks of this school year, it is important to take pride in what has been accomplished by our school community. Our Freaky Friday musical was a major production and success, and we want to congratulate all involved for making it such a fantastic show! The performances were simply stunning and a testament to the extraordinary gifts of our students and staff.

We are also deeply grateful to our amazing teachers, support staff, coaches and event organizers. Throughout the year, I have seen how hard you work and your dedication to our students! Your leadership and dedication in everything from athletic events to academic endeavours have motivated our students to be the best they can possibly be.

We are grateful for your involvement within our thriving NDSS community. Wishing you a successful finish to the month of May.

Warm regards,

Mr. MacDonald, Ms. Hasler, Ms. Todd

The NDSS Admin Team

Left to right - Stella Sutton, Timmy Johnson, Derek Li, Abby Birdsell, Molly Dafoe, Peyton Conger

Congratulations to the incoming members of StuCo for the 2024-2025 school year:

Brooke Alaver

Chloe Davey

Peyton Conger

Connor Birney

Nate Gifkins

Scotty Schembri

We look forward to the energy and leadership you will bring next school year!

As we continue to work together to enhance the educational experience at NDSS, we would like to remind you of our upcoming School Advisory Council (SAC) meeting.

Date: Thursday, May 23, 2024

Time: 6:00 pm

Location: Room A9

To contact a member of the Council please email:

ndssparentcouncil@gmail.com

To access our daily in school announcements please click on the button below.

Scroll down and click on the day of the week you want to read!

We are thrilled to congratulate the talented cast and dedicated crew of NDSS for their outstanding production of "Freaky Friday"! Your hard work, passion, and creativity shone brightly on stage, bringing this fun and heartwarming story to life. Each performance was a testament to your dedication and teamwork, leaving the audience thoroughly entertained and impressed. Bravo to everyone involved for making this show a memorable success!

We want to emphasize the importance of attendance as it is fundamental to your success. Regular attendance builds a strong foundation for learning and contributes to a vibrant school community and academic success. Your active participation not only enhances your understanding of the curriculum but also fosters meaningful connections with peers and teachers.

When Absent:

• If students are under 18 years of age, verbal notification, or notification through School Messenger/Safe Arrival by the parent/guardian, each time the student is absent.

• Students 18 years of age and older must submit a written and legitimate reason for absence to the Attendance Office. Reasons for signing out or for absence will be monitored and a doctor’s note may be requested at the student’s expense. A doctor’s note must be provided for absence on Examination days.

Legitimate reasons for absence from school are:

• Illness or other unavoidable cause

• Music instruction not exceeding one-half day in any week

• Suspension or expulsion

• Holy Day for religious denomination to which student belongs

A student who has signed out or been signed out by a parent/guardian must leave the school property. A student may not be signed out from class in order to work in another area of the school.

Education Act – School Attendance - Education Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.2 (ontario.ca)

This Equity Group RedBubble is put together by NDSS to sell student-crafted art as related to Equity in the school. You can buy pins, stickers, mugs, shirts, notebooks, and several other things. Proceeds go back into the school through student celebrations! Also available are the NDSS Hawk logo on a variety of goods, as well as the NDSS Crest. More designs to come over time!"

May 29 - Valedictorian Election in Homeroom

May 29: Art Celebration 6:30-8:30 pm (an art gallery open house and then move to the gym for music and drama performances)

May 30 - GRAD BREAKFAST! (all Grad forms, including RSVP are due)

May 31: PA Day

June 26: Gateway Graduation

June 27: Graduation

June 27: Last Day of School

June 28: PA Day

When: November 23, 2024

Where: Napanee District Secondary School

The ONLY way to become a vendor at our event is to submit our application form: https://forms.gle/GzRDoZ9sRHhdcumw7

After you have applied, if you have not received an email within a week, check your spam/junk mail and/or email hawksholidaybazaar@gmail.com to check on the status of your application.

Since its unanimous passing in the Provincial Legislature on 23 February 2012 -- and more recently in the House of Commons on 28 March 2018 -- Jewish Heritage Month provides us with the unique opportunity to learn, share and celebrate the history and culture of Jewish Canadians.

May is Asian Heritage Month. Canadians are invited to learn more about and celebrate

the many achievements and contributions of Canadians of Asian origin who, throughout history, have done so much to make Canada the culturally diverse, and prosperous nation it is today.

International Firefighters' Day is held every May 4th to recognize the work and sacrifice of firefighters across the globe in keeping their communities safe and to remember those firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Also known as Red Dress Day, this solemn day is observed to honour and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people, and to encourage one another to take action for change. On this day, we encourage everyone across the school district to wear red and remember, honour, and give voice to MMIWG2S whose stories have not been heard.

A week to raise awareness and reduce stigma around mental health.

A national event to build awareness about actions people can take to prepare for emergency situations. The province’s theme for 2023 is “A Safe, Practiced, and Prepared Ontario” and is coordinated by Emergency Management Ontario (EMO).

Annual event celebrated by school boards and schools across the province. It is a time for students, teachers, and parents to celebrate teaching excellence and student achievement.

Women's Health Week is celebrated each year, beginning on Mother’s Day, to encourage women and girls to make their health a priority.

The Moose Hide Campaign began as a BC-born Indigenous-led grassroots movement to engage men and boys in ending violence towards women and children. The campaign is grounded in Indigenous ceremony and traditional ways of learning and healing.

A cornerstone of the Moose Hide Campaign is the moose hide pin. Wearing the pin signifies your commitment to honour, respect, and protect the women and children in your life and speak out against gender-based and domestic violence.

IDAHOTB supports the recognition of human rights for all, irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

Victoria Day is a federal Canadian public holiday honouring Queen Victoria, who is known as the "Mother of Confederation". All LDSB schools and board office are closed. No classes for students.

Wesak or Vesak Day commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Siddhartha Gautama, who is commonly known as Buddha.

This annual event is an opportunity for Canadians to come together to celebrate the valuable contributions and leadership of Canadians with disabilities, highlight the work of individuals, organizations and communities who are removing barriers, and reflect on our ongoing efforts to become a better, more accessible, more disability inclusive Canada.

A day when people across Canada come together and wear red to create a visible display of solidarity: to show their support for persons and families of those who are living with disabilities, celebrate the achievements of people living with disabilities, and pledge commitment to help create a fully accessible and inclusive society.

Professional Activity Day, no classes for students.

Main Office Hours: General office hours are 7:30 am to 3:00 pm.

School Hours: Our school day starts at 8:10 am and ends at 2:30 pm.

Grade 9-12 Schedule:

8:10-8:15 Homeroom

8:15-9:30 - Period 1

9:30-9:38 - Break

9:38-10:53 - Period 2

10:53-11:52 - Lunch

11:52-1:07 - Period 3

1:07-1:15 - Break

1:15-2:30 - Period 4

Bus Departure 2:40

As we begin the month of May, we are excited to highlight a special theme within our school community. This month, our "Hawks Have Character" focus is on celebrating the collective character traits that we have emphasized throughout the academic year.

Throughout the year, we have explored valuable traits such as Perseverance, Good Judgement, Courage, Respect, Integrity, Self-Discipline, Responsibility, and Kindness. Each of these traits contributes not only to the development of individual character but also to the character of our entire school community.

This month, we will reflect on these traits, and how each one plays a vital role in shaping the environment and culture at Napanee District Secondary School. Our focus will be on recognizing and appreciating how these qualities are displayed daily by our students and staff.

Let's continue to support one another in fostering an environment where these values flourish, making NDSS a community where everyone is proud to belong.

Thank you for your continued commitment to building a school community grounded in strong character. Here's to a month of reflection, celebration, and growth!

Respect. Everyone would agree that this is an important shared value. As outlined in the Ontario School Code of Conduct, NDSS Code of Conduct, LDSB Code of Conduct, and LDSB Safe and Caring Schools, we must respect and treat others fairly, regardless of their race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, creed, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status or disability. We all need to consider the audience and impact of our words and actions and to remember that schools are places that must feel safe for everyone.

For September, our school community will be focused on kindness to help our new and returning Hawks feel welcomed!

Classroom Routines and Attendance. In our school community, it is critical that we respect and observe the routines necessary to maximize learning. Students are expected to attend school regularly and to attend all classes. Frequent absences from class may affect a student’s grades. This September a focus will be on students arriving at each class on time and minimizing disruption to the learning environment.

Please see these LINKS to the LDSB Code of Conduct, NDSS Code of Conduct, Safe and Caring Schools, and Ontario's Code of Conduct: Parents Guide.

Please see the attached LDSB Administrative Procedure regarding Student Clothing.

School Messenger

SchoolMessenger App: Download the SchoolMessenger App to stay connected. Use your mobile device to download and install the free SchoolMessenger blue app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, the SchoolMessenger website portal, or from within the LDSB mobile app. *New families will be able to create their account after the first day of attendance.

The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account.

How do I report an absence?

Please use the Safe Arrival system to report your child's absence; do not call the school to report an absence. If your child is going to be absent from learning, please ensure you use the Safe Arrival system to report the absence. If your child will be late, please report a full day absence and then we will sign them in when they arrive. You cannot indicate a half day absence.

How to report your absence:

1. Toll-free telephone

• Call 1-855-257-9349 toll-free to report an absence using the automated phone system.

2. School Messenger App

• Use your mobile device to download and install the free SchoolMessenger blue app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, the SchoolMessenger website portal, or from within the LDSB mobile app.
• The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
• Select Attendance, then select Report an Absence and follow the prompts.

3. SchoolMessenger SafeArrival Website Portal

• Visit the SchoolMessenger website portal.
• The first time you use the app, you must select Sign Up to create your account. Please ensure you use the same email address your student’s school has on file. If you do not use that same email address, you will not be able to create an account, or may not be able to see the "Attendance" option. You may have already created an account when we introduced the Communicate broadcast system.
• Select Attendance, then Report an Absence and follow the prompts.

245 Belleville Road, Napanee, ON K7R 3M7

Phone 613-354-3381