September 25, 2026

School Council News

SAC Fee & Donations: Help Make Thornlea Vibrant!

We want to thank everyone who participated in today’s Club Fair.  Did you know that Thornlea has over 40 clubs?  See the list at the bottom of this webpage.

At Thornlea, some of the most memorable parts of the school experience happen beyond the classroom — joining a club, cheering on a team, taking part in a spirit day, performing on stage, competing in a STEM challenge, or simply being part of a school-wide celebration.

The Student Activity Council (SAC) fee of $35 helps make these experiences even better for students throughout the school year.

What does the SAC fee support?

Your contribution supports/subsidizes a wide range of student activities and experiences such as the following:  

🎭 Performances and celebrations 
 🏆 Athletic Banquet and intramurals
 🔬 STEM activities and contests
 🎨 Club and council activities, displays, and events
 💚 Healthy Schools initiatives and the TWIC Wellness Fair
 🎉 Theme and spirit days
 🤝 Unity Day and other community-building activities
 🎶 Thornstock
 🌱 Sustainability and conservation initiatives

Why does your contribution matter?

The SAC fee creates a pool of funding that benefits all Thornlea students. When more families contribute, we can continue to offer and subsidize a broader range of activities and experiences.  Without your support, we cannot offer as many extra-curricular opportunities. 

If you haven't already, we encourage you to consider paying the $35 SAC fee through SchoolCash Online. Students who pay the SAC fee will also receive additional benefits, such as a discount on semi-formal tickets and access to bonus items.  

A small contribution can help create a big year of experiences for our students!

Want to Do More? Consider a Donation

Families who would like to provide additional support can also make a donation to Thornlea through SchoolCash Online.

Donations help supplement funding for student programming and can provide additional opportunities, activities, and resources for students throughout the school year.

YRDSB is a registered Canadian charity and can issue official charitable tax receipts for eligible donations that meet Canada Revenue Agency requirements and Board policies.

Donors may request that their donation supports a particular purpose, provided the donation meets applicable charitable-giving requirements. Decisions regarding the use of donated funds remain with the Board.

Thank you for helping to make Thornlea a vibrant, inclusive, and engaging school community for all students!

Student Personal Mobile Device Use

Students must store their mobile device out of view and power off or set to silent mode during instructional/class time. In 2024, the Ontario Ministry of Education introduced a directive modifying the use of personal mobile devices in classrooms. YRDSB already has Policy and Procedure 194.0 - "Appropriate Use of Technology" and many measures around personal mobile devices in place. The changes bring alignment with the Ministry Directive. The following expectations for students’ use of personal mobile devices are outlined in the revised Provincial Code of Conduct (PPM 128), and the York Region District School Board’s Policy #668 Caring and Safe Schools. A personal mobile device (PMD) is any personal electronic device that can be used to communicate or access the internet, such as a laptop, cellphone, tablets, smart watches, meta glasses, or other wearable smart devices.
 

Expectations
Students are responsible for their personal mobile device, how they use it, and the consequences of not following the provincial or school board policy. Students’ personal mobile devices must be stored out of view and powered off or set to
silent mode, except under the circumstances outlined below:
○ for educational purposes, as directed by an educator
○ for health and medical purposes
○ to support special education needs
Students in secondary school can bring a personal mobile device to school, but will be able to use it only during non-instructional time.
 

Practices at School
If an educator sees a personal mobile device that is not stored out of view and powered off or set to silent mode, even after staff reminders, the student may be required to place their personal mobile device in a storage area in a location designated by the educator for the class or period. Your child may face consequences if they use their personal mobile device inappropriately. Progressive discipline may apply and families may be notified.
 

Resources:
Families play an important role in teaching children about finding a healthy balance in using technology. You may wish to access the following resources:
● Media Smarts - Four Tips for Managing Your Kids’ Screen Time
● School Mental Health Ontario - Helping Your Child Manage Digital Technology
● Centre for Addiction and Mental Health - Problem Gambling and Technology Use Treatment Services
 

For additional information regarding Policy/Program (PPM) 128, please visit the Ministry of Education’s Cellphones and Other Mobile Devices in Schools site.  
 

Safety Week

The York Region School Board is committed to ensuring the safety of students, staff, and visitors in the event of an emergency situation. As such, during Safety Week (Monday, September 28 to Friday, October 2, 2026) and throughout the school year, schools in our Board practise various safety drills, including Fire Drills, Lockdown Drills, Hold and Secure Drills and Bomb Threat Drills. It is critical that all members of our school community become familiar with emergency protocols, as they are designed to keep us all safe at school. Please refer to Board Policy #669.0 for more information about Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Management.

Practicing drills may create some anxiety for some students. If you are concerned about how these situations might impact the mental health and well-being of your child, please contact school administrators, as we have school mental health professionals available to support your child.

Terry Fox Run

This Monday, September 28th, Thornlea is proudly participating in the Terry Fox Walk/Run in support of Cancer Research. Please support our students in reaching their goal this year by donating to https://schools.terryfox.ca/130662

Thank you for all your support!

School Clubs for Semester 1 2026-2027

Today we hosted the Clubs Fair where we showcased over 40 clubs! Students were able to sign up and join the club's Google Classroom today.  Students should also listen to the announcements for more information.