Bi Weekly Bulletin : October 3 to October 17, 2025

A Message from your Administrators 

Dear Langstaff Families and Community Partners:

It has been so nice to welcome the fall season with the beautiful fall colours while we are getting to enjoy warm summer weather.

Exciting things are happening at LSS! Some of our sports teams are up and running. Our students have participated in Track & Field, Basketball, Volleyball, and Soccer. It is nice to see our students out on the fields, participating in activities they enjoy, while competing with their peers. In addition to sports, many clubs are up and running as well. These clubs are very busy planning activities and events to be shared with their members and, in some cases, with the whole school. Getting involved is a very important part of the High School experience, and we love to see how many of our students participate in our clubs.

We are holding our elections for Grade 9 Student Council representatives on Monday, October 6. Once these Grade 9 reps are elected our Langstaff Student Council will be complete, and STUCO (as our students refer to Student Council) will be ready to get underway for spirit planning and overseeing all of the activities that our students enjoy so much.

Now, I am going to take a moment for a shameless plug. All our wonderful student activities led by STUCO, student clubs, and teams do need some financial support. These monies come directly from our Student Activity Fee. Over the summer, you received a package from the school and School Cash Online asking you to please pay $40 per student for the Student Activity Fee. All of these monies go directly to the students. We use these monies to help STUCO run their events, for clubs to purchase what they need and to subsidize our teams so that the costs are reasonable for our student athletes. In fact, it is a rule that any student who wishes to be a part of a club or team must have paid their Student Activity Fee in order to participate in a club or team. So I am asking you, our wonderful Langstaff families, please find that package and pay the Student Activity Fee, if you haven’t already, for your child(ren). If you are not comfortable using School Cash Online, you are more than welcome to send $40 into school, cash or cheque, with your child(ren). If you haven’t yet paid, please expect a phone call from one of the lovely ladies in the office; she will be calling asking you to pay this very important school fee. Thank you! All monies collected for the Student Activity Fee will go directly back to the students! If you wish to discuss this, please contact me. I am always happy to talk to you.

To help with your planning, some important dates coming up are:

We wish to thank you for your unwavering support and understanding.

Ms. S. Epstein

Principal

School News 

On September 30th, our school community came together to recognize Orange Shirt Day. Students and staff wore orange, participated in learning activities, and reflected on the message that Every Child Matters.

Our school proudly participated in the annual Terry Fox Run. Students ran and walked in honour of Terry’s legacy, showing incredible school spirit and determination. Together, we raised awareness and funds to support cancer research, carrying forward Terry’s message of hope and perseverance.

Please refer to photos sent in the bi-weekly bulletin to families. 

SHSM

Interested in Experiential Learning Opportunities and Cooperative Education? Would you like to build your skills and gain valuable sector-recognized certifications? Students in grade 11 or 12 should consider signing up for Specialist High Skills Major Program (SHSM). A pop-up station will be available to answer student questions on October 15th at lunch. Know your interests? 

LOGIN TO YOUR YRDSB @gapps ACCOUNT TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION:
 

https://bit.ly/YRDSBSHSMStudentapp

Below are some pictures from Mr. Taivassalo’s annual visit to the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University. This hands-on experience within the Exercise Science laboratory is for our Health and Wellness SHSM students and is in collaboration with the Grade 12 Introduction to Kinesiology class. It is an engaging introduction to human performance and body composition testing, led by graduate students from McMaster’s Department of Kinesiology.

Please refer to photos sent in the bi-weekly bulletin to families. 

Sports

The Senior Boys Volleyball team started their season with excitement and energy, growing together with every game they played. While the scoreboard didn’t always show a win, the team gained confidence, skills, and plenty of laughs along the way. We are so proud of their effort, spirit, and sportsmanship throughout the season. A huge thank-you goes out to our amazing coaches, Ms. Gerskup, Ms. Chehade & Ms. Keegan, for their time, support, and encouragement; this season wouldn’t have been the same without them!

Please refer to photos sent in the bi-weekly bulletin to families. 

School Start-Up Forms – Completing Online

We thank families who have already filled out the Online School Start-Up forms.

For those families who have not yet had a chance to do so, please take a moment this weekend to complete the important School Start-Up forms as
soon as possible.

Please click on this link to complete the forms: https://startupforms.yrdsb.ca/

You will need your child’s student number, which you can get from your child. Parents/guardians must complete a separate form for each child
attending school.

Start-Up forms are also available in the Family Dashboard at family.yrdsb.ca. Click on the arrow beside your child’s name, select the
Start-Up forms button under your child’s name, and choose your language.

Please complete the forms for each child. Forms will automatically populate with your child’s information.

The Family Dashboard gives you secure one-stop access to information and applications related to your child’s education.

It is designed to make it easier for families to engage with their child’s education. Learn how to create a Family Dashboard account if you do
not have one.

If you prefer to complete the forms on paper or have questions about the information in the forms, please contact the school office.

Thank you.
 

Attendance Reminder

Parents/Guardians are reminded to report all absences and/or late notices to the Attendance Office

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE by calling: 905-889-6266 extension 1: 

OR

email: langstaff.ss.attendance@yrdsb.ca

Should your student have a planned absence for 3 or more days, an Extended Absence Form must be signed by each subject teacher, parent/guardian, and the Vice-Principal before leaving for the absence; Extended Absence Forms are available at the Main Office.

Student Parking

Langstaff SS has a student-designated parking lot, which is on the west side of the school.  To park there, students must come to the main office and pick up a student parking form and have it filled out and signed by their parent/guardian. 

School Bell Times

Age of Majority Consent

Once a student turns 18, it becomes more complicated for School/Teacher to reach out and connect with you, either with specific concerns or to share information in general.  In order for the school to maintain contact, our adult child (i.e., after their 18th birthday) must sign and return the Age Majority Consent Form.  This form can be obtained from the Main Office.

For any student who has not submitted the form after their 18th birthday, contact between school and home ceases.  If your child is turning 18 this school year, please discuss with them what will happen when they turn 18.

 If you have any questions, please connect the Main Office.

Communication with Home

At LSS we offer several methods of communication to share information on a regular basis with our parents’ and guardians’ homes.  A calendar of school events and our bi-weekly news bulletins are posted on our school website.

We also provide daily attendance reports to parents and guardians every day.  In order to provide you with up-to-date attendance reports and other information, we request that all parents and guardians submit current email addresses; these can be updated by sending your email address to: langstaff.ss@yrdsb.ca 

Allergies/Medical Conditions

If your child has a serious life-threatening allergy or medical condition, please let the Main Office know immediately and complete the appropriate medical forms.

There are students and staff members in our school who have life-threatening allergies to nuts and other allergens. If they smell or come into contact with these foods, they may have an anaphylactic reaction.

To help create an allergen-safe environment, do not bring nuts or nut products to school.

Please notify the school if your child has one of the following medical conditions:

• Anaphylaxis - Anaphylaxis Health Care Plan
• Asthma - Asthma Health Care Plan
• Diabetes - Diabetes Health Care Plan
• Epilepsy / Seizure Disorder - Epilepsy Seizure Disorder
• Health Care (Other) - Health Care Plan (Other) 

In addition to completing forms, please provide any life-saving medication your child may require at school (e.g., EpiPen, Inhaler/Puffer, etc.)

Thank you for your cooperation in helping ensure a safe and supportive environment for all students and staff.

Student Council

Langstaff’s Student Council, or STUCO, is excited to be back in action this school year.  We have a lot of activities planned throughout the school year, such as:

· Halloween pumpkin carving competition

· Global Bears orientation

· Holiday Candy Grams

· Battle of the Bands

· Fundraiser events

· Valentine's Serenades 

· International Food Festival

· And many more!

You can keep up to date with STUCO news and upcoming events via our Instagram: @yrdsb.schools also on: (@langstaffstuco)

Guidance News

 Contact Information: Please note the Guidance Counselors below

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

Guidance Appointments: can be made in person by coming to guidance. There is a red binder on a standing desk in the Guidance Office. Students can book with their respective counsellor, by alpha last name. The appointments are made available every Monday morning for the week.

SEMESTER 2 TIMETABLES 

Guidance is currently working on transitions, pathway planning, and post-secondary preparation. For students wanting to discuss semester 2 timetable options, please note that a window for course changes will be available in mid-November. More details to follow.

GUIDANCE APPOINTMENTS
Change is coming! Making guidance appointments will soon move to an online sign-up system. We are working on having this up and running soon. Stay tuned for updates!

POST SECONDARY PREPARATION

Please see the flyer below for all YRDSD events

UPDATE: Grade 12 Post Secondary Presentation: Preparing to apply
to College and University
CHANGE OF DATE

Guidance is hosting a presentation for Graduating Grade 12 students to help prepare for applications.

Date: October 16
Time: Period 2
Teachers will accompany their classes. Please share with Grade 12 graduating students who have a spare or in a grade 10/11 in period 2.

OEN NUMBERS
Grade 11 and 12 students will receive an email from the school board, which will include their OEN (Ontario Education Number). They will use this to create their accounts for their Ontario college or university applications.

NIGHT SCHOOL - Continuing Education 

Registration is now closed. 

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 1 - Fall: September 25, 2025 to January 22, 2026 

More info, including courses offered for both semesters, can be found here.

POSTSECONDARY PREPARATION

The Ontario College Fair will not take place in 2025. Students are invited to attend one of the College Information Program opportunities offered at colleges and polytechnics throughout Ontario

Grade 12 Post Secondary Presentation: Preparing to apply to College and University

Guidance is hosting a presentation for Graduating Grade 12 students to help prepare for applications.

Date: October 22
 

Time: Period 2
 

Teachers will accompany their classes. Please share with Grade 12 students who have period 2 Spare or are in grade 10/11 classes and graduating in period 2.

YRDSB POSTSECONDARY FAIR

Thursday, November 6 @ Alexander Mackenzie High School, 6:30pm-8:30pm

All LSS students and parents are welcome.

OYAP AND APPRENTICESHIP

Accelerated OYAP & Apprenticeship Information Virtual Open House Information

• Flyer (see flyer below)
• Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2025
• Time: 6:30PM - 8:30PM
• Registration for this Open House is now open - https://forms.gle/QLntgPv7XcrgSUy9A
• A link to the virtual open house will be provided after registration.

Information about the Open House

• This is a multi-board event where families can go to specific Training Delivery Agents (TDA) (i.e. Centennial College or Carpenters Union) to hear about their programs.
• It is a virtual event
• This event will be of interest to:

o    Students in Grade 12 who are interested in applying for one of the Accelerated OYAP Level 1 Training programs (note: students must have 4 credit Co-op/ALEP on their timetable in semester 2 and have completed 26+ credits towards their OSSD)

o    Students in Grades 10-12 who are interested in learning more about apprenticeship and OYAP programming and;

o    Parents/guardians/educators who want to learn more about OYAP and Accelerated OYAP opportunities. 

Accelerated OYAP is for students in Grade 12 who are in full day Co-op/ALEP in semester 2. Please visit www.yrdsb.ca/ACCELOYAP for more information. Information regarding OYAP for all other Grade 11 and 12 students can be found at www.yrdsb.ca/OYAP.

 For more information on the open house event, please do not hesitate to contact:

• David Lovisa (david.lovisa@yrdsb.ca), Regional Dual Credit and Accelerated OYAP Teacher
• Sabrina Liu (sabrina.liu@yrdsb.ca), OYAP Consultant

 Accelerated OYAP Information:

The application for the semester 2 Accelerated OYAP programs is now open. The direct link to it is www.bit.ly\DCOYAP  . The application deadline is Friday, November 7th. Information about each Accelerated OYAP program offered can be found on the Accelerated OYAP SharePoint. The exact dates for each program have not been finalized for the 2025-2026 school year, however, they will be very similar to the dates for the 2024-2025 school year.  The following is a brief summary of the Accelerated OYAP Program Eligibility:

• Graduating Grade 12 students (June 2026)
• Strongly recommended to have completed 40 hrs. community service and literacy test (or OLC4O)
• Registered in a 4 credit Co-op/PAE/ALEP in Semester 2 of Grade 12
• Must be sponsored by an employer/Co-op placement and be signed as an apprentice by the time the Accelerated OYAP program begins.
• Have related technical and/or Co-op experience and/or work experience and a strong interest in Skilled Trades
• Transportation to and from the location of the Accelerated OYAP level 1 programming is required.  G2 Drivers license is strongly recommendedStudent Success News
• The Bear Den - our student success room 132 is open for students as a quiet place to work.  Ms. Monroe and Ms. Starkman are available for support as needed. Students are welcome during their spares or if they have a form and teacher permission.
• Please join the Guidance and Student Success Google Classroom for all important information, including volunteer and leadership opportunities, post-secondary, and more.  Join code is:4rjwryf

Student Success News 

The Bear Den - our student success room 132 is open for students as a quiet place to work.  Ms. Monroe and Ms. Starkman are available for support as needed. Students are welcome during their spares or if they have a form and teacher permission.

Please join the Guidance and Student Success Google Classroom for all important information, including volunteer and leadership opportunities, post-secondary, and more.  Join code is:4rjwryf

Clubs and Teams

“The Wellness Club is a student-led group focused on building supportive, inclusive spaces at Langstaff.“The Wellness Club’s focus is on building supportive, inclusive spaces at Langstaff. We organize Wellness Wednesdays 3 days a month; low-barrier activities such as sport, music, or art-related group activities that give students opportunities to connect, de-stress, and express themselves.

The club itself meets formally on every fourth Wednesday to plan upcoming activities. These meetings are used to coordinate logistics, assign responsibilities, and prepare for future Wellness Wednesdays and larger projects such as Grade 7 Mental Health Day.  Our next planning meeting will be held on October 8th in the bear’s den-room 132 during lunch.  All students are welcome to all events and to be a part of the planning process.

Upcoming wellness events include bracelet-making, cozy lunch movies, and a refreshing walk to Starbucks, perfect ways to relax, recharge, and connect with friends. 

Stay tuned to the announcements for location information!!

School Cash ONLINE

Langstaff Secodary School accepts online payments through School Cash ONLINE!

School Cash Online is our preferred method of payment and provides the following benefits:

•   A convenient fee payment option can be made anywhere, anytime!

•   No need to send cash or cheques to school

•   A quick way to register. It takes less than 5 minutes to register

•     You can choose the language of your choice by clicking Google Translate! 

Parents that opt to participate will receive notification via email of student fees and can make secure online payments by credit card and receive a receipt.

Follow the easy steps below to Register and get started!

Step 1: Register

1. Please go to the School Cash Online parent site: https://yrdsb.schoolcashonline.com/
2. Select the “Register” button
3. Enter your parent information to create an account. 

*For Security Reasons your password, requires 8 characters, one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter and a number.

 Step 2: Confirmation Email

A registration confirmation email will be automatically forwarded to you. Click on the link provided inside the email to confirm your email and School Cash Online account. The confirmation link will open the School Cash Online site prompting you to sign into your account. Use your email address and password just created with your account.

Step 3: Find/Add Student

NOTE: Enter Student Number (not OEN)

 This step will connect your children to your account. 

1. Select the School Name from the list
2. Enter student information: Student Number and Last Name
3. Select Confirm

4. On the next page confirm that you are related to the child, 

   check in the Agree box and select Continue

5. Your child has been added to your account 

Step 4: View Items or Add Another Student 

• If you have more children, select “Add Another Student” option in My Account/My Students and repeat the steps above. 5 children can be added to one parent account.
• If you do not wish to add additional children, select “View Items For Students” option.
• A listing of available items for purchase will be displayed.

NEED HELP?

If you require assistance, select the GET HELP option in the top right hand corner of the screen or contact School Cash Online – Parent Help Desk at 1-866-961-1803 or parenthelp@schoolcashonline.com.

York Region District School Board Proposed Secondary School French Immersion Boundary Change  Public Information Meeting Wednesday October 22nd, 2025 at 7:00 pm Location: Thornlea Secondary School Cafeteria, 8075 Bayview Ave, Thornhill   The York Region District School Board will be hosting a public information meeting regarding a proposed change to the Langstaff Secondary School French Immersion boundary.    The purpose of this meeting is to provide information to parents regarding the proposal to add the current Langstaff Secondary School French Immersion boundary to the Thornlea Secondary School French Immersion boundary, effective September 2026.    Beginning in September 2026, French Immersion students entering grade 9 residing in the grey area shown on the map below will be impacted by the proposed change.            For more information visit the YRDSB School Boundary and Presentations webpage. Email: planning.services@yrdsb.ca

Community News

The York Region District School Board offers language learning for students at the elementary level (SK to Grade 8) and at the secondary level (Grades 9–12).

Elementary Classes

These extra-curricular classes are available for in-person or online classes. Each class is

2.5 hours long and runs once a week.

Class times are:

• Tuesday to Friday evenings from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
• Saturday mornings from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM

Registration is now open. To join the full language program, please register early by Monday, September 8, 2025. Registration will close September 8 to organize classes. Registration may reopen on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, if thereis space.

For more information about the elementary program, language class offerings, and locations, visit the ILIL Elementary webpage.

Secondary Credit Courses

These courses count for high school credits and are offered remotely only. Students can earn up to three credits in International Languages, and successfully completing the Level D (University) course can be used as one of their top six marks for

post-secondary applications.

Each course runs for the whole school year and takes place once a week for 3.7 hours. Choose one of the following class times:

• Wednesday evenings from 5:45 PM to 9:25 PM
• Saturday mornings from 8:45 AM to 12:25 PM

Registration is now open and will close by the third class (Saturday September 27, or Wednesday, October 8).

For more updates and information about the secondary credit program, visit the ILIL Secondary webpage to see what credit language classes are available.

*Please Note:

• Not all languages are offered at the elementary and secondary levels.
• All courses offered are subject to enrolment and teacher availability.
• Stacked classes may be created basedon registration numbers.
• $20 resource/consumable fee is collected which supports the costs of digital resources and classroom materials.
• Additional fees are required for international fee-paying visa students.
• The ILIL office can be contacted at ILIL@yrdsb.ca

*Languages Offered:

Arabic, Cantonese, Dari, Farsi, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Macedonian, Mandarin (combined), Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Punjabi, Ojibwe, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yoruba