Principal's Update - October 1

 Hello Danforth Families!

It’s hard to believe we’re already a month into school (maybe because the weather has been so summer-y). I hope that you’ve been settling in and getting to know your teachers and you’re making friends and getting to know your peers as well. 

What’s Coming Up?

Wednesday October 1 - Post-Secondary Assembly (Grade 12)

Wednesday October 1 - Caring, Safe and Accepting Schools Committee Meeting

Tuesday October 7 - Sports Night

Friday October 10 - PA Day (no school for students)

Monday October 13 - Thanksgiving Holiday (no school for students)

Wednesday October 15 - Red and White Day

Thursday October 16 - School Council

Wednesday October 22 - Late Start & Early Dismissal | Parent Teacher Interviews

Friday October 24 - Mole Day

Wednesday October 29 - Late Start

Friday October 31 - Halloween

This is not an exhaustive list. Parents and students are encouraged to check the Calendar on the website regularly for the latest information!

Announcements

Danforth’s announcements are now integrated into the TDSB Connects app, Danforth Brightspace page, posted in hard copy outside the main office each morning, and posted to the Student Council Info Hub in Google Classroom, so there’s more ways than ever to find out what you might have missed!

Club Master List

Looking for opportunities to get involved? Danforth has fifty (yes, 5-0!) clubs you can join. Check out the Club Master List for information on meeting dates, times, places, staff advisors, Google Classroom codes, and social media accounts (supervised by the staff advisor). Looking for a club opportunity that’s not yet on the list? Let us know what you’re looking for and we’ll do our best to make it happen!

Student Council

Be sure to join the Student Council Info Hub on Google Classroom (join code: rr4xcqq). All the latest Student Council news and information is here!

Individual Education Plans

Work on updating IEPs for the new school year is already well underway, and by now parents should have received consultation letters requesting feedback in their development. I want to reassure students and parents that pre-existing IEPs have been accessible to staff from the start, and it’s just updates we’re working on now. Accommodations based on the previous IEP are already in place. Determining what those accommodations look like, and integrating them into classroom practice, is part of the teacher’s duty, and parents should always feel comfortable reaching out to their child’s teacher to discuss how the IEP is being implemented.

IEPs will be complete by October 14, but students and their families should know that the IEP is a living document and can be revised and updated as needed throughout the school year. If something isn’t working as intended, we encourage you to connect with us so that we can make changes.

Photo Day

Did you miss photo day? Not to fear - there’s a retake opportunity coming on October 21. Why get a photo taken? In addition to helping us ensure that we can identify all of our students, it’s also how you get your Student ID Card and get included in wonderful things like our school yearbook. Mark your calendar!

Thanksgiving Pies

Students and staff in our Hospitality Program are once again taking care of the baking, and making delicious pumpkin and apple pies for the Thanksgiving weekend. Check out the flyer for more information, or submit your pre-order today!

Lockers

We highly recommend that all students claim a locker, particularly as colder air moves in and students begin to wear coats and boots to school. Lockers are also a great place to securely store items of importance when you’re participating in gym, sports, or other activities where you won’t be able to keep all of your belongings on your person. Students who lack a locker should see their homeroom teacher to get one - there’s a locker available for everyone!

School Council

Our next School Council meeting is on Thursday October 16, 2025 at 7:00 in room B20 (and online, link to come closer to the date). We encourage all parents, guardians and caregivers to attend and get involved!

Cyber Awareness Month

The TDSB is encouraging all schools and families to review the resources provided on the K-12 CyberAware website. These resources are useful for educators, students, and families to learn more about keeping Ontario students safe and secure online. Check it out! 

October 10 PA Day

The TDSB has published details on the next PA Day for staff. Parents and students can view the topics being covered here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IuSbjHi8nwxIxyTu24jipjgLBJBq4m9H/view?usp=sharing

Advanced Remote Pilot Certification

Through a partnership with the Toronto Police ProAction program, we have been given the opportunity to recommend a dozen students to participate in a training and certification program that will allow them to fly drones commercially. The program isn’t for the faint of heart - the exam is 200 questions and timed, and the program involves several months of weekend study and learning combined with practical flight training. If you’re 16 or older (required for the certification) and interested in learning to fly remote aircraft professionally, contact Ms. Martin in guidance for more details. 

PPM128 - Reminders about Cell Phones and Vapes

A further reminder to families that the Province has mandated restrictions on cell phone use during class time. If a teacher sees or hears a phone during class they are expected to confiscate it. The same is true of e-cigarettes or vapes. The policy, implemented last year, makes these objects prohibited on school grounds, and requires that they be confiscated if seen. 

Eating in Stairwells and the XY Floor

We encourage students to make use of the cafeteria for lunch, but know that many students opt to eat in the hallways. This isn’t an issue provided space is left for people to pass by. In the stairwells however, there’s an added danger of someone tripping, slipping or falling as a result of people sitting on the stairs, food items or wrappings left on the steps, or drinks that may be spilled. Students are not to eat in the stairwells for these reasons. The XY Floor is open at lunch for students to access the weight room and south gym, but we are also asking students not to eat there. There is work underway to fix issues with leaking water and musty smells from the various mechanical rooms down there, and it’s not a sanitary place to eat. Please stick to the upper 3 floors of the building at lunch time unless you’re accessing the Phys Ed spaces.

Parking

Parking on site is restricted to staff during the school day. There is insufficient space to make parking available to students, and students parking in the lot risk being ticketed. Tickets are issued by City of Toronto Bylaw Officers, and the school is not able to intervene if a vehicle is ticketed when parked in the staff lot. If students drive to school, they must find other parking options.

Cool Classroom Activity of the Month

Mr. Weight’s science class created airfoils to examine the principles of lift required to make aircraft fly. Science in action! 

Did you do something awesome in class this month? Let me know! bryan.wires@tdsb.on.ca

That’s all for now Danforth. More details on many of our upcoming activities will be coming soon. 

Have an amazing first day of October!

Bryan Wires
Principal