Principal's Update: March 28
Hello Danforth Families,
We are very excited to once again have had strong interest from the community in the sophomore year of the TDSB’s Secondary School Without a Boundary process, and the inaugural year of the new Specialized Program process. We’re also excited to announce the arrival of French Immersion at Danforth next year. With all of the incredible things happening at the school, it’s easy to see why so many families are choosing Danforth.
Skills Competition
Danforth has once again upheld our proud heritage as a legacy technical school, earning two bronze, four silver, and one gold medals in March in Baking (Silver), Electrical Installation (Bronze and Silver), IT Office Software (Silver), Job Interview (Bronze), Photography (Gold), and Prepared Speech (Silver). All medalists have qualified for the Ontario competition, and there may be more to come, as some of the Toronto competitions are still to come. Congratulations to all our medalists, and all who competed for our school. Good luck in the Ontario finals!
Swim Team
Danforth’s Swim Team continues to impress. After winning four gold medals and a bronze medal in the city championships, the team sent five swimmers to OFSAA, with some making it to the finals in the Ontario-wide competition. A huge thank you to our coaches, Ms. Burton and Ms. Hickey, along with the whole team who put in long and early hours in the pool to earn their place among the best in the province.
National Theatre School Festival
Thank you to everyone who came out to support our Danforth players, as they performed their original production, The Observer Effect, in the opening round of the National Theatre School Festival. We’re very excited to be moving on to the City Finals, hosted at Hart House on Thursday April 9, at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are available through the Hart House website: Hart House Theatre | Ticketing - National Theatre School Drama Festival: Toronto Regional Festival
Gardiner Museum “Emerging Voices” Exhibit
Danforth is proud to have three artists featured in the Gardiner Museum’s Emerging Voices exhibit through March 29. If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, head down to the Gardiner to check it out!
Mutation
Mutation is about my heritage and my mom’s family’s journey to Canada from Vietnam. My Chinese family name Pong means house of the dragon, which sits at the center, showing tradition and the old values of my grandparents. The “mutations” on its face and base represent the growth, evolution, and change living in Canada has done to my grandparent’s traditions. The melted glass is a mirror, reflecting both the horror and beauty of mutation.
My Horse
My Horse is my relationship with my body and societal expectations that affect how I see myself. The pig is for my Malaysian background, and my Chinese zodiac. This misunderstood animal rests in bliss on the back of a horse (an animal of strength and beauty). The protruding teeth are mine. My smile is a point of pride against expectations of beauty. The shame of society’s views on women’s body hair is also presented.
Fragments of My Heart’s Garden
Flowers are the labels of the sleep medicine I must take, a nightly ritual.
An angel, useless, shattered. I don’t go to church anymore.
Broken language of a porcelain bowl my Pau Pau would feed me from.
Rivers of Latvia, Vietnam, the Philippines, places my ancestors fled.
My existence is owed to greedy men who gamble with soldiers’ lives.
The rivers are filled with blood.
Marching Band
For the first time in more than a decade, Danforth has a Marching Band! The students have been practicing hard on the track, braving cold weather to ensure they’ll be ready for the Easter Parade. Our banner arrived Friday, and excitement is building. Details about the parade route and how to join will be sent out next week.
Urban Garden
Ms. Minielly and Mr. Lorca have been working on raised planters to start off an urban garden initiative at Danforth. We’re excited that the first of these raised beds is already in place at Exit 2, thanks to the hard work of our builders Maliha, Nuzhat and Eddie!
Roller Coaster Champs!
Mr. Weight’s Engineering Design class hosted this semester’s Roller Coaster design competition this past week, and Group B won with an impressive coaster including jumps, teeter-totters and loopty-loops. Congratulations to them and all of the incredibly creative designs on display.
Parent Teacher Interviews
Parent Teacher Interviews will happen March 31, from 1-3 and 5:30 - 7:30. Instructions on how to book appointments were sent to parents on March 25, or you can access them on the website: https://danforthdaily.blogspot.com/2026/03/parent-teacher-interviews.html
If you have any issues, please don’t hesitate to contact the school. Drop-ins are welcome, but those with scheduled appointments will be prioritized, so to be sure you see the teachers you want to see, please be sure to make an appointment in advance.
Relay for Life
The Danforth Leadership class is once again preparing to organize the Relay for Life, benefitting cancer research. The assembly is coming April 7, after which students wishing to participate will be given the opportunity to sign up. I’ve already been asked to participate in a number of fundraising events, so look forward to scenes like this coming soon:
Thanks for your support of this worthy initiative, and a huge thank you to the leadership class for your hard work, industriousness and devotion!
Holland Bloorview
Not a Danforth initiative, but an enterprising young person from UCC stopped by to ask me to help raise awareness of the Play Cup fundraiser they are hosting benefitting Holland Bloorview. If this is of interest to you, check out the flyer here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ERVm3LVp4l0ZJcsByCsLkY4TaLvX8eic/view?usp=sharing
Donation Link: Play Cup
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/play_cup_2026
Free Chromebook Repairs
If you’ve been managing a broken or damaged Chromebook, issued under the 1:1 device process through the TDSB, the board has announced a limited window to get those devices repaired, free of charge to the school or the individual. See Mr. Kohn in the library for details on how to get your device repaired.
Semi Formal
Semi Formal tickets are on sale! The Student Council has been selling tickets for the event in the front foyer this past week at lunch. The event itself is happening April 10.
If students are in need of financial assistance, please contact your vice principal to discuss options while tickets are still available.
Road Closures
We have been advised that Greenwood Ave. will be under construction during the month of April, with the section of Greenwood in front of the school closed April 15 - 20. We have been told there will be no issues of access, with sidewalks and entrances open, but traffic in the area will be impacted.
Spring Sports
The regional coaches meeting was held at Danforth last week to launch the Spring sports season. Some teams have already been holding tryouts and practices in anticipation. For a list of our spring sports, check here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KOj45Xp1duYktszm87SMpHVUDxevJPo6/view?usp=sharing
Upcoming In April
You can always view our live calendar on the website: Calendar
Policy and Process
Devices & Wearables
A reminder this month that PP128 prohibits the use of internet connected devices, such as cell phones, but also including other smart devices, in classrooms without the direction of the teacher for educational purposes, medical purposes, or to accommodate for special education needs. Staff are required by the policy, which is Ontario-wide, to confiscate phones or other devices if they see or hear them during class. We appreciate the cooperation of students and families as we aim to provide a distraction-free environment, conducive to learning. This policy also helps to ensure the privacy rights of students are being respected. No one may be recorded or photographed without their explicit consent while in the school.
There are internet and AI enabled wearables, such as glasses, which have the ability to take photographs or video. These fall under the same policy and must not be worn in the classroom, or used to record video or take photos anywhere else in the school. While it would be preferable to not bring them to school at all, if you do bring such devices to school, they must remain in your bag, unseen and unused.
Extended Holidays
As mentioned in my December update, the TDSB and Danforth CTI do not support extended voluntary absence from school. That said, if families elect to plan vacations or holidays during the school year, please be mindful that these decisions can have negative impacts on your education. Please inform the school of your plans in advance and pick up a form from the attendance office to document your absence and ensure your teachers have been informed. Students are responsible for any missed work during their absence, and must make arrangements with their teachers in advance to ensure they don’t miss out on important opportunities. Due to ministry enrolment requirements, prolonged voluntary or unexplained absences may result in a student being demitted from school. Danforth reports attendance as an in-person school, and cannot use online or distance education registers. We will be happy to re-register students upon their return.
Phew! Quite the long update this month, and I know that I’ve missed so many things. Look forward to more updates and exciting events throughout this month!
Bryan Wires
Principal
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