As another eventful school year comes to its close, it is time to reflect on all of the wonderful opportunities we have had to celebrate student success. First, we would like to congratulate Andrew Dai for winning the Marie Pick Award for Proficiency in English Writing, Jillian Ouyang for winning the Robert MacDonald Award for Excellence in English Literature, and Leeza Grishpul for winning the Edna Izzard Award for Proficiency in English and Drama. The students who received the awards for highest marks in their courses were: Amy Song (ENG4UE), Caellum Yip Hoi-Lee (ENG4U), Cyrus Toloue (ENG4C), and Claire Chen (EWC4U). Last but not least, we would like to acknowledge the great turn out for the two internationally recognized Advanced Placement English exams, with over fifty students representing RHHS. The results will be published in the fall.​

On May 28th, the RHHS Slam Poetry Team competed in the YRDSB Slam Poetry Championship. Students at all YRDSB schools within the board were invited to come out and perform an original poem, offering them an opportunity to share their thoughts and voices with their peers, teachers, and families.  A number of remarkable performances filled the evening of verse, showcasing the literary and creative talents of YRDSB students. Our Slam Poetry Artists gave heartfelt and memorable performances, winning the 2025 YRDSB Slam Poetry Championship. Congratulations to the members of this year’s RHHS Slam Poetry Team: Hannah Bhimani, Vania Habibi Mogadam, Roham Moslehi, Helena Haghanyat, and Darcy Lock. The Teacher Advisor for the Slam Poetry Team is Mr. Cimetta. These talented individuals have spent the past month pouring their hearts into their work, practicing tirelessly, staying focused, and supporting one another every step of the way. Their dedication and passion have truly paid off in the best way possible. We are so proud of each of you. Your voices were powerful, your message was moving, and your victory was so well-deserved.

Over 200 English students attended several different virtual creative writing workshops this year. RHHS alumnus Pardis Aliakbarkhani inspired us with a selection of readings from her four books of Poetry Revelations, A Drink from the Caspian, The Siren, and For Pomegranates as well as leading us through a poetry workshop focused on self-empowerment. Pardis was also kind enough to gift all of the students with a free copy of her latest work entitled Revelations. At the 2025 Festival of Literary Diversity students explored tips and techniques for creating sensory imagery and vivid descriptions with Denise Da Costa. They learned about the creative craft involved in writing a book in addition to the details that go into publishing a work from Kyo Lee. Alicia Ellis joined our classes to discuss the impact that A.I. is having on publishing; while Saleema Nawaz walked students through the basics of storytelling for film and television. We were also fortunate enough to meet with stage and screen actors John Jarvis and Marvin Karon in early June for a workshop on writing dramatic monologues. These were all wonderful opportunities which enabled our students to explore the immense diversity in the Canadian publishing industry and to ask questions about the various pathways to success in the writing profession.​

If you have any questions regarding the English program at RHHS please feel free to contact the English department at any time. Take care and stay in touch.

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