A Message from your Administrators
Dear Langstaff Families and Community Members:
Our second semester is off to a good start! Students and Teachers are already busy learning and creating in all classes, and we cannot wait to see all the amazing things that will happen this semester.
We have a couple of very important school-wide assemblies planned for the students this month. First, just this past week, all of our students attended an assembly led by both our Guidance department and our Vice-Principals. During this time together, the students had a review of all our “Safe Schools” policies, and the course selection process for the upcoming school year was also shared.
We are also very excited for our Black History Month assembly taking place this month. On February 19, Alpha Rhythm Roots will be spending the day at Langstaff SS, sharing their interactive African Drumming workshop with all our students. We know that our students will enjoy this wonderful event. We hope that our students will enjoy our Black History Month display just inside our link hallway, right by the silver doors.
Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, and we are asking the students and staff to wear red, pink, and white on February 13. It will be so nice to see these bright colours since our days have been so gray and gloomy recently. There will be a few activities taking place on February 13th to celebrate this day of “love”.
And speaking of Pink… we are going to ask the entire LSS community to wear Pink again on February 25th to show our support for anti-Bullying. February 25 is the official Pink Day, Canada’s day to formally raise awareness about bullying, its impact on individuals, and the importance of preventing bullying in schools, communities, and online spaces. We are going to have a number of engaging “pink” activities for the students to participate in during lunchtime on this day. In addition, we are asking everyone in the Langstaff community, all students and staff, to wear pink on this day, so that we flood the school with pink to show everyone that “Bears” care about keeping everyone safe and happy in our school.
With Semester 2 Start Up behind us, it is time to shift our gaze to next September! Course Selections for the 2026-2027 school year open on February 12 and will close on February 20. If students have questions regarding the process, please consult the LSS Guidance Website and/or a member of our Guidance team. However, the best place for students to get answers, if they are curious about a specific course, is the teachers. You can find a complete list of staff, the various departments that they teach in, and their email address on the school website, if your child is unsure of whom to connect with.
As always, if you have any questions, please connect with a member of the school administration.
Have a lovely week!
Ms. S. Epstein
Principal
School News
Mathematics and Computing Contests
For semester 2, Langstaff S.S. will be offering four University of Waterloo Mathematics contests - Pascal (grade 9), Cayley (grade 10), Fermat (grade 11), and Euclid (grade 12, but all students may participate).
The Pascal, Cayley, and Fermat contests will all be written at the same time on Wednesday, February 25th, 2026. Each of these contests is in a multiple-choice format and will be given 60 minutes to complete.
The Euclid contest is intended for students in grade 12, but any student may write it. It will be written on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026, and is a 2.5 hour, full solution contest.
If any students are interested in writing any of these contests, please sign up with Mr. Krane in room 161. The deadline for registering for the contests is February 9th for the Pascal, Cayley, and Fermat contests, and March 4th for the Euclid.
Speak to Mr. Krane for the costs of each contest or listen for announcements. If you'd like more information about any of the contests, you can find it here.
Literacy Test Results
For students who wrote the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) in November 2025, results will be shared with students in the first two weeks of February.
Important Graduation Information for the Class of 2026
Graduation Ceremony
Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
Ascott Parc Event Centre 2839 Rutherford Road Concord, Ontario L4K 2N7
Graduation Fee
Students attending the ceremony are required to purchase the graduation package through School Cash Online. The cost is $85, which includes:
- Cap, gown, stole, and tassel
- Three guest admission tickets (to be presented at the door; graduates do not require a ticket)
The deadline to purchase the graduation package is Friday, February 20, 2026.
Meeting this deadline is essential, as it supports the graduation committee in planning and organizing the event.
Important Reminder
All library materials must be returned, and any outstanding issues with the LSS Library must be resolved before June 3, to ensure students receive their graduation package.
We look forward to celebrating this important milestone with you on June 24!
Krispy Kreme Donuts - Best Buddies Prom!
Support the Best Buddies Prom!
Community Classes are excited to host a Krispy Kreme fundraiser in support of this year's Best Buddies Prom —and we'd love your help!
Treat yourself (and your family, friends or students!) to delicious Krispy Kreme donuts:
- $16 per dozen
- $8 per half-dozen
How to order:
Place your order through School Cash Online.
Donut delivery: March 25
All proceeds will go directly toward creating an unforgettable Best Buddies Prom experience for our Community Class students.
Thank you for your support!
Library Commons News
Lunar New Year Display
In collaboration with Mr. Z’s class, the LSS Library Learning Commons is celebrating the Year of the Horse with a vibrant Chinese New Year display!
Through read aloud stories and interactive activities, students learned about this significant cultural celebration. Ms. Tang and Ms. Rosetta helped enrich our learning experience with their personal anecdotes about how they celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Students used their creative skills to make drums, lanterns and firecracker crafts, all on display just across from the library learning commons. Special mention to the Art Department for the use of many supplies during the creative process.
Thank you to Mr. Z and his class for taking part in this learning and helping make our display a huge success!
Please refer to photos sent in the bi-weekly bulletin to families.
Guidance News
Your Guidance Department Mission Statement
Support and promote students' interpersonal development, and career development in order to help them develop resilience and realize their potential (success) as individuals and as valuable members of society.
-Ontario School Counsellors' Association
Accessing Your Guidance Team
Contact Information: Please note the Guidance Counselors below
| Staff Member and Contact Information | Staff Member and Contact Information | Staff Member and Contact Information | Staff Member and Contact Information |
|---|---|---|---|
Ms. R. Chidiac Alpha: A-L |
Mrs. L. Rico Guidance Secretary
| Ms. S. Starkman Alpha: M-R |
Ms. A. Sitt Alpha: S-Z
|
Stay Connected and in the “Loop”: Continue to stay up to date
by following us on Instagram and LSS Guidance & Success Google Classroom
Instagram: @lssguidance
Google Classroom: https://classroom.google.com/c/NjcxOTQwNzYzNDFa?cjc=4rjwryf
Semester 2 News:
We welcome Ms. Sitt to Guidance! Please note the new alpha split above.
Semester 2 Timetables
The course change request window closed on December 19, 2025. Guidance will be supporting students who may need to make timetable changes due to semester 1 results.
Guidance Appointments
How to make a Guidance Appointment:
- Students will log in to TeachAssist.
- Please plan accordingly to ensure you do not have an in-class
assessment. - Book with your alpha counsellor.
- If you need to cancel your appointment for any reason, click "cancel."
- Appointments are released on a weekly basis.
- If you don’t see availability for the day selected within the week, it means
we are fully booked. We open appointments on a weekly basis, check at
the end of the day Friday or the weekend for the following week. - If you are in a personal crisis, please come to guidance.
Financial Need:
If students are in financial need, there is support available related to the application fees. See a guidance counsellor if this applies to you.
Leadership & Volunteer Opportunities
Please check the Google Classroom for ongoing opportunities.
Course Selection
Course Selection opens on February 12 and closes on February 20. Students are encouraged to start thinking about their pathway plans and what courses they would like to take for the 2026-2027 school year. Students will also receive a copy of their current OSS (Ontario Student Status) which outlines earned courses and what is still required. We encourage students to use this tool while selecting courses. The Course Selection presentation is posted in the LSS Guidance and Student Success Classroom, along with the handouts.
Community Involvement - New Update From The Ministry Of Education
If students go above and beyond their volunteer work during high school, they can earn a Minister's Certificate of Recognition for Community Involvement when they graduate. This new certificate celebrates their dedication to helping others and for completing more than 50 volunteer hours during high school.
Please refer to photo sent in the bi-weekly bulletin to families.
If students would like to submit hours beyond the 40 required, they have the opportunity to do this asap. Grade 12 students: A firm deadline of April 1, 2026 is required in order to order the certificates for graduation. Please plan accordingly.
Night School Registration (Continuing Education)
NEW: For semester 2, Credit Recovery for MPM2D, MTH1W, SNC1W, and SNC2D will be offered. The credit recovery sessions will run from Feb 12 to April 21, 2026 (55 hours).
This is intended for students who are not successful and recommended to Credit Recovery Reinforcement by their teacher.
Night School for New Courses :
Night School courses are an opportunity for students to:
- Take a new course that is not available at their home school.
- Retake a course previously taken to upgrade a mark.
- Students may take only one Night School credit per semester.
Registration opened on December 15.
The program will be delivered virtually in real-time (synchronous).
Classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30-9:45 p.m.
Semester 2 - Winter: February 12, 2026 to June 9, 2026
Course offerings (Grade 11 and Grade 12) are the same for both semesters. We encourage students to register early as course offerings are not guaranteed and are subject to sufficient enrollment. See more details, including course offerings, here
Italy 2026
LANGSTAFF BEARS! SPOTS ARE FILLING UP QUICKLY FOR THE 2026 ITALY ADVENTURE! DON'T MISS OUT — GO TO YOUR GAPPS ACCOUNT AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY! LET'S MAKE ITALY YOUR CLASSROOM THIS SPRING!
Please see Ms.Romero in the library for more details.
Community News
JF & CS - High Conflict Divorce
Strategies to disengage from the conflict
Topics will include :
- impact of conflict on children
- different interaction models for different levels of conflict
- how to avoid being triggered by an ex-partner
- different parenting strategies for higher conflict families
$45 per person
Wednesday March 25, 2026 7:00 - 9:00 pm via Zoom
JF&CS strives for inclusivity in all its programs, serving community members of any income, family structure, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, level of observance, race, ethnicity, cultural identity and place of origin.
For more information or to register, please call 416.638.7800 x 6234
Please refer to the Message From Our Trustee Page for February 2026 Message.
Please refer to the Bi Weekly Bulletin : January 26 to February 6, 2026 regarding the following flyers:
YRPH Flu Season Parent Letter
Black History Month - Celebrating STEM With YRDSB
JF & CS - Parenting for Caregivers of Children 7 - 12 Years of Age
Please refer to the Bi Weekly Bulletin : December 15 to January 2, 2026 regarding the following flyers:
YRES Camps 2026
JF&CS - Parenting For caregivers of children 13 - 18 years of age
York Region Volleyball Presents Winter House League
Please refer to the Bi Weekly Bulletin : November 3 to November 14, 2025 regarding the following flyers:
Café EXTRA Ordinaire