September 2019
Dear
Parents/Guardians and Students,
Whether
you are a new or a returning member of the school community, it is my pleasure
to welcome you to The Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School, the home of the
Wildcats! We are pleased to have you as
part of our dynamic school community.
The school has a dedicated staff with a strong commitment to student
achievement and well-being and to promoting positive, inclusive and supportive
relationships with students, families, and community members. We are committed to providing a learning
environment where everyone feels safe, welcome and respected.
The
Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School is an authorized International Baccalaureate
(IB) World School offering the IB Diploma Programme. This year, we welcome our second cohort of
Grade 11 students in the IB Diploma Programme.
On
Tuesday, August 27, students can finalize their registration at the
school. On this day, students pick up
their timetable and pay their fees. Grade
9 students can finalize their registration from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Students in Grades 10 to 12 can do the same
from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. If you pay
your Student Activity Fee on School Cash Online, your timetable will be
e-mailed to you and there will be no need to come into the school to register. New international visa students will register
on Thursday, August 29.
Tuesday,
September 3 is the first day of classes for all Grade 9 students and community
class students. The day is designed with
Grade 9 students in mind – to provide a smooth start to your high school
career. On this day, Grade 9 students
and their parents/guardians have an opportunity to meet teachers, get
acquainted with the school, and participate in activities planned by the Peer
Mentors. Parents/guardians are invited
to join students and staff in the opening activities from 8:20 to 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday,
September 4 is the first day of classes for students in Grades 10, 11 and
12. All students attend classes this
day.
Student ID and yearbook photos will be taken on Friday, September 6. Students will be called to the
cafeteria alphabetically by last name throughout the day. Photo Retake Day will be on Monday, October 4. Students who did not have their photo
taken on September 6 will be called down to the cafeteria alphabetically.
Parents/guardians are welcome to join the School Council. The first meeting and election of members will
take place on Monday, September 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the school library. All parents/guardians are welcome to
attend. Our School Council meets six
times each year, usually on the third Monday of the month.
Here are a few
important upcoming dates that may be of interest to you.
- School Council Meeting and Election of
Members – Monday, September 16 at 7:00 pm
- PA Day – Monday, September 23
- Thanksgiving Holiday – Monday, October
14
- Interim Progress Reports – Friday,
October 11
- IB (International Baccalaureate) Information
Evening – Thursday, October 17 7:00 p.m.
- PA Day – Monday, October 21
- Parent-Teacher Interviews – Thursday,
October 24
- University/College Fair – Wednesday,
October 30, 6:00 pm at Aurora High School (155 Wellington St W. Aurora)
- Take Your Kids to Work Day for Grade
9s – Wednesday, November 6
- PA Day – Friday, November 15
We will welcome back some familiar faces for the 2019/20 school year: Ms. Kauffeldt in Business; Ms. Veale in
Visual Arts; and Ms. Murad, Mrs. Cannata, and Ms. Del Vecchio in English.
We are also looking forward to welcoming some new teachers to the
school. Some of these are Mr. Kim, Ms.
Zarrion, and Ms. Kozai in Math; Ms. Palm in Personalized Alternative Education;
Ms. DiPietro, Mr. Neem, and Ms. Sharifi in Science; Mr. Stathopulos in Tech; Ms.
Hopkins in the Autism class; Ms. Tsui in ESL; and Ms. Goodman in Geography.
Please
be sure to subscribe to receive e-mails of a commercial nature. Doing so gives you the latest information on
field trips, special events, and school items.
To subscribe to this, please go to the home page of our school website
and enter your e-mail address in the box.
We
look forward to working with you in the months ahead. Please do not hesitate to contact the school
if you have any questions. We welcome
the opportunity to speak with you.
On
behalf of everyone at Williams, I wish you a happy and successful school year.
Christopher
Hilmer
Principal