The Raven Report

On September 30th, we will recognize Orange Shirt Day at Eastside Secondary School. This day is dedicated to honoring the survivors of residential schools, remembering those who never returned home, and reflecting on the ongoing impacts of these schools on Indigenous communities. We will have learning activities in classes during the week of September 23rd - 27th and special announcements every day. It's a time for us to listen, learn, and commit to the journey of reconciliation. We encourage everyone to wear an orange shirt as a symbol of our shared belief that every child matters and to show our solidarity with Indigenous peoples across Canada.

SOAR (Safety - Ownership - Attitude - Respect) represents the core values we expect all members of our school community to uphold. By embracing these responsibilities, we can foster a safe, inclusive, and enriching learning environment for everyone.

Eastside Secondary School is committed to providing a safe, positive learning environment for all students which allows students to thrive in an atmosphere which emphasizes respect for learning, self, others, authority, property and the environment. We actively promote acceptance of all students and we teach understanding, tolerance and communication. There is no place for violence, intimidation or foul language at Eastside Secondary School. In-school and or out-of-school progressive discipline will be used to address any such issues. Students are expected to review the full Student Responsibilities.

The fall is a busy time for our grade 12 students who are getting ready for the transition to post-secondary.

Guidance has organized the “Are you Ready to Graduate” assembly for all grade 12s to learn about postsecondary options on Thursday, September 12. At this assembly, local business owner, Travis Donaldson, will speak to the grade 12s about the essential skills needed for success in life after highschool. Travis owns Donmac which is located in Foxboro. Donmac specializes in solution based manufacturing.

Throughout September and October, there will be presentations from various colleges and universities. The dates of these presentations can be found in the school calendar. Students are also encouraged to attend the regional fairs.

Applications for college and university will be available in October and guidance teachers will be encouraging students to complete the application before we leave for the December holiday.

Raven Athletics is in full swing. This year several fall sports teams will be hosting tryouts and practices. Any Athlete interested in participating in an Athletics Extracurricular is required to complete a "Permission to Try Out form" PRIOR to participating.

Check out the updated ESS Athletics page on our website for all the forms.

Eastside will have the following Fall Teams - Football, Varsity Girls Rugby, Girls Basketball, Golf, Cross Country Running, Boys Volleyball and Boys Soccer.

New to Eastside? In grade 10, 11 or 12? Interested in Playing a Varsity Sport? If so, please connect with Mr. Parcel's in the COOP office (in Room 124) or Ms. Kenzie (in Room 180) for a Transfer Form.

RAVEN'S ATHLETICS COUNCIL - New this Year! Students interested in leadership opportunities around Athletics are invited to apply to the Raven's Athletic Council. This group of students will be invited to assist in various athletic initiatives around the school and school community. Interested students should see Ms. Kenzie, Mr. Lynch or Ms. Tripp in room 180 for an Application Form.

Attending regularly and being on time for class are required for academic success. We expect you to be in classes if you are at school.

If you will be away, please let us know in advance. It’s only acceptable to be away from class for school related activities like trips and sports, or illness, bereavement, unavoidable causes (medical appointments, emergencies), and religious holidays. By using SafeArrival, parents/guardians can report an absence in advance, 24/7, using their choice of a mobile app. the SafeArrival website, or an interactive toll-free phone number. Future absences can be reported any time.

It is important for you to take responsibility for your learning and to be focused on classroom activities. Cell phones must be stored in a student's locker during instructional time. If your family needs to contact you, they can call the main office.

As directed by the Ministry of Education in Policy/Program Memorandum 128, starting in September, all Ontario school boards will be required to follow the updated Provincial Code of Conduct. This includes all students being required to follow strict anti-vaping guidelines. Students cannot bring electronic cigarettes (vapes), tobacco and/or nicotine products to school (including school transportation). If a student is in possession of an electronic cigarette (vape), tobacco or nicotine product it will be surrendered and disposed of and parents/guardians will be immediately informed. If a student is vaping/smoking on school premises, a progressive discipline approach will be followed, which will include an out of school suspension.

Medical Updates

We are working through our September process of updating medical plans. Plans will be sent home for updates and parent/guardian signature. If your child has a medical need or life-threatening condition and does not have a medical plan, please call the school to get a plan in place.

Emergency Response

To provide for the safety of students and staff, schools are required to have plans in place to respond to a wide range of emergency situations. Eastside SS will hold 3 fire drills in the fall and another 3 in the spring as per the Ontario Fire Code. Teachers will review fire evacuation procedures with students in advance of any drills. Emergency plans also include reviewing and practicing the stages of emergency response: lockdown, hold and secure, shelter in place, and emergency evacuation. We will work with our community partner, the Belleville Police Service, to plan and organize for this practice that will happen later in the school year.

Access to SEA devices is distributed throughout the school for student access. Priority is given to students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) who require access to a Chromebook to be successful. If you have questions or concerns about this process, please reach out to Jen Mullins, our Learning Support Teacher. jmullins@hpedsb.on.ca

Sept 10: Student Welcome Back Assembly @ 12pm

Sept 12: Grade 12 "Are You Ready to Graduate" Assembly @ 10am

Sept 23: School Council Meeting @ 5:30pm

Sept 30: Orange Shirt Day @ ESS

Sept 30: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Oct 2: Rosh Hashanah Begins

Oct 3: Undergraduate Awards @ 6pm

For all events, be sure to check out the calendar on our website: ess.hpedsb.on.ca

Students will be assigned a locker on the first day. They are expected to use their lockers to store personal belongings that do need to be taken to class (ie: coats, cell phones etc).

Students will need to purchase a school lock for $15. They will keep this lock for the duration of their time at ESS.

At Eastside, we want our students and families to be well informed. We have multiple ways that we will communicate with you:

1. Direct email: please make sure that when you review the information form in September that you verify a correct email address.

2. Social media: please follow up on Facebook and Instagram so that you can stay up-to-date on the amazing things happening at ESS.

3. Website: be sure to check out ess.hpedsb.on.ca as it has a lot of great information including an ESS Events calendar.

4. Newsletter: We will publish “The Raven Report” newsletter each month and send it directly to the email that we have on file.

We also encourage two-way communication between the classroom teacher and home, so please reach out to your child’s teacher at any point. Contact information can be found on our website.