The Hogarth Herald - December 5

Join us for a free live webinar where EQAO staff will discuss math questions that Ontario students encounter when they participate in Ontario’s large-scale assessments. These assessments are taken by all Ontario students in Grades 3, 6 and 9. During the webinar, EQAO staff will show how these math questions help assess the skills students are learning in their math classes. Staff will also share valuable insights from the past three years of assessment results, which can help parents and guardians support their children’s math learning.

Next Event: Monday, December 8, 2025 at 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. (ET)

Edge Imaging will be here to take grad photos beginning Tuesday January 6, 2026 Don’t forget to book your appointment!   Please sign up on line at www.bookmygrad.ca.  Our school code is: XPW

Sign up early to get the time that works best for you.  Congratulations class of 2026; we look forward to seeing you for your graduation photos.

Student Trustee Applications Open

If you will be in grade 11 or 12 next school year and are passionate about student voice, consider becoming a student trustee, and representing students across YRDSB.

Student trustees network with students, staff and the Board of Trustees to share information that gives students a meaningful voice. Learn more about the role and how you can apply at www.yrdsb.ca/studenttrustees.

Applications can be submitted between December 1-15. The deadline to apply is December 15, 2025, 11:59 p.m.

All students in Grades 5-12 will have an opportunity to vote for the candidate who represents our area of the Board. There are four areas of the Board (central, east, north and west). Once the four final candidates are announced, students can vote for two of the four candidates to represent them as student trustees in the 2026-2027 school year.

Students will receive information on how to vote in the election during the campaign and voting 

Roles and Responsibilities Video

Link: Roles and Responsibilities Video

Understanding and Navigating the Education System - Families of YRDSB Black Students Monthly Virtual Information Session on Monday, December 15, 2025, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

Families, parents, and caregivers, please join us for our monthly virtual meeting, where families with Black children come together to learn about resources and upcoming programs for Black students in both elementary and secondary schools.  Please see our flyer for more information and the registration link.

I hope you are enjoying your week.  As we roll into December some winter weather seems to finally have arrived so I wanted to take a moment to send out a few reminders and requests as we move into some colder temperatures.

1. Lockers - I would appreciate it if you would remind your children to lock the locks on their lockers while they are at school.  I walked the halls this morning and locked all locks that were hanging open.  In total I counted 107 locks that were not locked.  There were also other lockers that had items stored in them that had no lock at all.  I am incredibly thankful that we have such an honest community of students because we have very few reports of stolen items but the lock is there for a reason and we'd like our students to use them.  If you can talk to your children about this we'd apprec iate it
2. Microwaves - If you could please remind your child what can and cannot go into a microwave I'd appreciate it.  I will be making an announcement as well.  At the beginning of the year the school purchased four new microwaves to go with the existing ones for our students to heat up their lunches.  Since the beginning of September we have had two microwaves destroyed because students put metal or foil in them to heat up their lunches.  In another more recent incident we had an accidental fire alarm and a visit from our local fire department. (I am happy to say their response time is exceptional). As a result, three microwaves have had to be disposed of.  The school can't afford to keep purchasing microwaves and we don't want to end up in a situation where students will need to bring a thermos if they would like a warm lunch.  That said, this option is welcome.
3. Lost and Found - we have accumulated qu ite a large assortment of items in our lost and found.  Please encourage your children to check it if they are missing anything.  At the winter break we will be donating what we can to local organizations.  We also have had an e-bike in our office that I found unlocked.  We have had it for well over a month now and no one has come to claim it.  If your child is missing their e-bike and it went missing at school, please have them come by the office as we may have it.  They will need to be prepared to identify it without looking at it.
4. Driving and Parking  - Just a few reminders regarding parking lot safety
   • With winter comes snow and ice.  Our caretaking team works very hard to ensure our walkways get cleared and salted to make it safe for our students and visitors.  We have a snow removal service who does the roadways and the school parking lot.  There are times after big snowfalls that it takes a littl e longer to have everything cleared so please be careful when walking through the parking lot and on the walks on the way in to the school.
   • We have noticed an increase in cars not observing the signs in the school lot.  Please remember that the two lanes in front of the school are each one way.  If you aren't sure which is which, please look for the posted signs.  We have had incidents where cars almost hit one another because one of the cars was driving in the wrong direction.  
   • Please also remember that the lane directly in front of the school is a bus lane.  If you choose to stop there to pick up your child you may receive a ticket if By-Law comes through.  They now take pictures of license plates and mail the ticket to the driver's home address.
   • Lastly, there is a cross walk that crosses both laneways directly in front of the school.  Please remember to give the right of way to pedestrians.  The is also a stop sign and a speed bump in the lane directly in front of the school.  Regardless of whether or not someone is crossing the crosswalk, you must stop.  We have seen an increase in people driving straight through and not slowing down.  (I know this because my office window looks out onto the laneway.). Our students are very important to us.  We appreciate your assistance in helping us to keep them safe.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to read this email.  I hope you enjoy your day and have had a great start to December.