Principal's Update (June)

Hello Danforth Families!

I can hardly believe that it’s the last day of school in May!

That means it’s almost (but not quite) the end of the school year. 

Here’s what’s coming up in June:

June 1 - Pride Month Drag Performance (Lunch)

June 2 - Athletic Banquet

June 3 - Caring Safe and Inclusive Schools Committee Meeting

June 4 - Carnival Day (Extended Lunch, Free Food!)

June 5 - Special Education Grad Lunch

June 8 - SciTech Fair (Period 4)

June 16 - End of Term - Final Classes of 2025-2026

June 17 - Start of Exam Period

June 18 - School Council Meeting (7 p.m.)

June 23 - Commencement (2 p.m.)

June 24 - Marks Review Day

June 25-26 - PA Days (no school)

June 29 - July 3 - Diploma and Awards Pickup

Check the Calendar on the website for more upcoming events!

Exams (duh duh duh!)

It’s that time of year again. In case you missed it, here’s the exam schedule, and the announcement sent out by Ms. Ellam today. Make sure to check it closely - missed exams will result in a zero! If you have an exam conflict, or are medically unable to write on the day of the exam, see your Vice Principal for support.

Pride Month

Danforth’s GSA is proud to host our fifth annual drag performance in honour of Pride Month. Come to the auditorium at lunch to take in speeches and performances by the Queens of Dim Sum. Happy Pride!

Track and Field Heading to OFSAA

Danforth’s track and field team is sending an impressive 6 student athletes to compete at 9 events at the Ontario championships. Go Redhawks!

Athletic Banquet

Celebrate the year’s achievements at the annual Athletic Banquet June 2. Join your team mates for a night of celebration, awards and dancing!

Carnival Day

Come celebrate our annual end-of-year Carnival, put on by the Student Council, with the generous support of the Toronto Police, Cardinal Meats, and Gordon Food Service. Every student is encouraged to come to the field at lunch to take part in fun, games, and of course, free food! We’ll be having an extended lunch period to give time for all students to eat and participate in all the fun. 

Menstrual Product Survey

The TDSB is conducting a survey of students regarding the Menstrual Equity Initiative, which provides free menstrual products for students. 

The board is hoping to get a strong, representative response to the survey - please take a moment to complete the form and ensure your voice is heard! https://tdsb.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cGrCie9rqhyBbDw 

Pathways to Wellbeing

TDSB’s Professional Support Services team is putting together a free mental health event at John Polanyi C.I. on May 30. See the flyer here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bsl020wGIRmZeXZqVOR-_KibfxeNreMc/view?usp=sharing

Skills Canada

The awards ceremony for Skills Canada is happening Saturday, May 30 from 11:00am to 1:00. Danforth’s own Eli L. was competing in IT Office Software Applications. Eli won Gold in the Ontario competition to qualify for the nationals. If you want to view the ceremony and cheer on Eli live, you can tune in here: https://www.youtube.com/@SkillsComp%C3%A9tencesCanada 

Celebrations

Senior Soiree

May 29 (today!) is the Senior Soiree, a chance for the graduating class to get together for fun, games, activities, and a chance to make some final memories before the school year draws to a close. A huge thanks to the student council, Ms. Fisher and Ms. Mochina, and all of our staff and student volunteers for making this event possible!

Cooking with the Wolfman

Students in Mr. Barone’s class got a chance to cook with Chef David Wolfman and learn about Indigenous Fusion cuisine. We thank Chef Wolfman for sharing his knowledge with our aspiring young chefs!

Outdoor Build

Mr. Lorca’s classes got the opportunity to do an on-site build at the Etobicoke Outdoor Education Centre (EOEC). The structure was impressive, and we’re so excited for our students to have had this opportunity to learn by doing. Faciendo Discimus!

Spring into Arts

Our annual showcase of the best works from our visual artists was truly impressive. We thank the crowds of parents and community members who joined us to share in the joy of artistic expression! A huge thank you to Ms. Neub, Ms. Townson, Ms. Seedhouse, and Mr. Wilson for the hard work putting the show together, and to Mr. Passmore at the Danforth Tech Society for opening up the museum to share a little of the school’s history. 

Relay for Life

We hit an impressive total, collecting $51,132.75 for cancer research! An enormous thank you to everyone who participated (nearly 250 students), and to Mr. D’Angelo and the planning committee for organizing this huge, but very important fundraising event. Danforth has now raised $137,000 in the past four years running the relay!

Grad Breakfast

Thursday was our Grad Breakfast, and our potential grads got to break bread (or croissants) together and hear about important information about commencement, post-secondary opportunities, and other important info about transitioning out of high school post-graduation. They also got to hear from our prospective valedictorian candidates. Thanks to the Student Services team for putting the event together, and to our Hospitality program for providing breakfast!

Transitions Night

We send a huge thank you to Ms. Martin and the Student Services team, along with Ms. Cotton, Ms. Michael and the Special Education team for hosting a wonderful Transitions Night for students new to the school. It’s wonderful to be welcoming so many new students into the Danforth family!

Friday Night Lights

A huge congratulations to Danforth’s Athletic Council, and Mr. D’Angelo for an amazing Friday Night Lights event on May 8 vs. Sir John A Macdonald. Our Redhawks played hard, and it was great to see so many students and families come out to support the event on (close to) home turf! An extra thank you to Monarch Park Stadium for donating the use of the field!

Did I miss anything? Definitely. It’s been a busy month, and there’s only more good things to come. One month left Danforth — finish strong!

Bryan Wires

Principal