70 Guelph Street, Georgetown, ON  L7G 3Z5

T: 905-877-6966       F: 905-873-9689       gdhs@hdsb.ca 

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Weekly Newsletter - Friday, March 10

GDHS Weekly Newsletter

Hello GDHS Families,

Please allow us another opportunity to express our gratitude to our staff for their actions during last Thursday’s lockdown.  We have had a number of notes from the parent community sharing their appreciation for how staff acted quickly and decisively to do everything they could to keep students safe, and we want to once again echo these statements.  In those moments of greatest stress and uncertainty, our staff took students in, kept them reassured, and talked them through an unimaginable experience.  We are so grateful for the teachers, EAs, and support staff here at GDHS, and their professionalism and leadership in the greatest time of need.

Restricted Entry/Locked Doors

Starting on Monday March 20th, students will only be able to enter the school through doors 34 and 35 (the cafeteria doors on the North side of the building) from 9:30 am onwards.  This increased security measure is being taken to better control access to the building, and is in line with security practices at other HDSB secondary schools.  

**All doors will be open for morning arrival, so students may continue to use their preferred entry door if they arrive prior to 9:30 am.**

Washrooms at GDHS

Please be aware that students are not to be congregating and/or loitering in school washrooms.  Should students be observed loitering in the washroom, they will be ushered out and back to class by school administration.  Repeated instances of loitering will result in suspension.

Please also be reminded that vaping is not permitted anywhere in the school or on school property.  Should students be found vaping in the washroom, their vape will be confiscated, parents will be contacted, and school disciplinary action will be taken.

Spirit Wear Reminder

The Spirit Wear Store has been EXTENDED until 11:59pm, Monday, March 20th. Please check it out this week and if you have any questions email Mr. Costley. (costleya@hdsb.ca)

• GDHS Spirit Wear

Recording/Taking Photos of Students

It has come to our attention that some parents and students were taking photos and videos of other GDHS students during the lockdown.  Recording or taking photos of students without their consent is a violation of the HDSB’s Responsible Use Policy, which clearly states that 

“Students (and parents) must obtain permission of any subject (staff, students or any other person) before capturing, using, publishing or transmitting audio, images or video.”

The Responsible Use Policy details the fulsome responsibilities of staff, students, and parents in regards to the use of Information Communications Technology (ie - computers, cell phones, etc) in the school, or anywhere on school property.  Please familiarize yourself with the policy to ensure that we are protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all students, especially in the moments of greatest crisis.

GDHS Peer Tutoring Club

The Peer Tutoring Club provides students an opportunity to seek help from grade 11 and 12 mentors in any subjects. Grade 9 students are encouraged to drop by, but students from all grades are welcome if they have period 3 lunch. You can find us in room 211 every Wednesday during period 3. Please contact Ms. Abawi if you have any questions - abawih@hdsb.ca.

Student Consultation Survey

The HDSB Communications Department is in the process of reviewing its communication methods to determine how they can better communicate and connect with students. Students in Grade 6-12 are invited to complete this survey by April 26 to share their feedback. 

GDHS Athletics

Last week the GDHS Swim Team won its 13th CONSECUTIVE OFSAA Overall Championship!  Sincere congratulations to our championship swimmers!

Earlier this week, 5 GDHS wrestlers competed at OFSAA. Josh Milne, Jaime Barrows (top 12), Emily Hopper (top 8), Erika Roszell (5th), and Abagail Connell (silver) all represented GDHS with skill and professionalism.  Congratulations to our OFSAA wrestlers!

The GHDS Curling team won the Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference championship and is headed to OFSAA in North Bay. The team members are Kelsea Marcolini, William Jewell, Nathan Jewell, Jack Hudson, and Remy Brown-Vandervecht. Good luck curlers!

Please check the Halton Secondary School Athletics Association website for all past scores and  upcoming GDHS games.  

Staying Informed

Please see the GDHS Website for all upcoming events, key dates, and social media feeds.

-Your GDHS Admin Team