Thornlea SS E-Bulletin - September 5, 2025

STEM Certificate Review and Update

As of this school year, current grade 9 and 10* students can register for our STEM Certificate. (*Students in grade 10 will need to have met the eligibility criteria for their grade 9 year.) This certificate is available to students in all pathways and would be granted upon graduation. To earn this certification, students will complete a combination of academic coursework and participate in a variety of STEM clubs, contests, and community work. Please see the complete list of Thornlea STEM Certificate criteria. Interested parents need to complete the STEM Certificate Expression of Interest Google Form. Families will be notified by September 29 that their STEM Certificate registration has been confirmed. If you have questions, please contact us at thornlea.ss@yrdsb.ca.

School News 

Medical Peril

If your child has a medical condition including but not limited to Anaphylaxis, Asthma, Diabetes or Seizures, complete the appropriate Health Care Plan and return all forms WITH the appropriate medication to the school with your child. The form and medication can be placed in a sealable bag (write the student’s name on the bag) and submitted to the main office.

School Council 

The first School Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 15 at 7:00 PM in the library. At this meeting we will be holding elections for positions on our Council. If you would like to run for a position, please complete a School Council Nomination Form during the first two weeks of school. You can access an electronic version of the nomination form on our Board Website and via Start-Up Forms. Please send the completed form to thornlea.ss@sc.yrdsb.ca by Friday, September 12.

School Photos

e encourage all students to have their picture taken for their Student Identification Card on Monday, September 15, 2025. 

Missed photo day will take place on Wednesday, October 22, 2025. You will also have the option to pre-purchase photo packages.

Family Dashboard and Guide to School Year

The Family Dashboard gives parents/guardians secure one-stop access to information and applications (e.g. start-up forms, report cards) related to your child’s education. It is designed to make it easier for families to engage with their child’s education.

The Board will send a central email to all families with a link to the Family Dashboard to complete the start-up forms. Translations are available

For families who do not yet have a Family Dashboard account, you can sign up for an account at any time at family.yrdsb.ca. You can find information on how to create an account on the Board website or in this instructional video. For secondary school students, the Start-Up Permission Form will also be sent to students’ GAPPS accounts for students to complete online.

Start-up forms include the following:

• The Start-Up Permission Form (mandatory)
• Student Information Consent Form (mandatory)
• Request for Faith Accommodations Form
• School Council Nomination Form

The Guide to the School Year is available online. The link is on the Family Resources page on the Board website

Tentative International Field Trip - May 2026

Thornlea staff are excited to announce the International Trip to Paris and Barcelona for 2026 (pending Board approval). If you have questions, please contact N. Pilaram.

Indigenous and International Languages Courses

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:

1. Wednesday evenings from 5:45 p.m. to 9:25 p.m.
2. Saturday mornings from 8:45 a.m. until 12:25 p.m. 

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.

Terry Fox Run

The Terry Fox Run/Walk will take place on Tuesday September 16 during period 2. All students will be participating with their classes. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to accept cash donations, so we are counting on the Thornlea Community to donate to this worthy cause by using the school's fundraising page. Our goal is to raise $1250, which is roughly $1 per student. Please consider making a small donation to help us raise money towards our goal using the following link:

Thornlea Secondary School Fundraising Page 

Thank you for your support!

School Cash Online: Student Activity Fee and Phys. Ed. Uniform

School Cash Online is now available for students to pay for their Student Activity Fee and Phys. Ed. uniform.

• Student Activity Fee - $35

Thornlea offers a variety of extra-curricular activities that enhance student learning throughout the school year. The Student Activity Council (SAC) fee of $35 allows us to enrich the learning experience and engage students beyond the classroom. This fee is used to support the following:

• A variety of club activities, displays, and events
• Performances, celebrations, assemblies, and rallies
• Annual Wellness Fair, wellness activities, and Healthy Schools initiatives
• Theme and spirit days
• STEM activities and contests
• Sustainability and conservation initiatives
• Culture Day
• Thornstock
• Transportation subsidies

The $35 SAC fee allows us to offer all of the above for all students in the school. Also, in the 2025/26 school year, we would like to introduce a discount on Homecoming (Semi-Formal) and Prom tickets for those who have paid their SAC fee. 

Thank you for your ongoing support in making Thornlea a welcoming and vibrant learning community.

• Phys. Ed. Uniform - $34 package; items also sold separately

Students participating in a Phys. Ed class must wear the Phys. Ed uniform which consists of a t-shirt and shorts with the Thornlea Secondary Health and Physical Education Department logo on them. The Phys Ed. teacher will distribute the uniform.

• Package includes two t-shirts and one pair of shorts: $34
• Shorts only: $16
• T-shirt only: $11

The shorts are black in colour, 100% polyester with a "dri-fit" design. The front left leg of the shorts is screened with the Thornlea Secondary Health and Physical Education Department name. The shorts come in sizes X-small, Small, Medium, Large, X-large, XX-large and XXX-large. T-shirts are purple in colour, softstyle 50/50 and manufactured by Gildan. The front of the t-shirt is screened with the Thornlea Secondary Health and Physical Education Department logo. T-shirts come in sizes small, medium, large, X-large, XX-large, XXX-large.

School Cash Online - Instructions

School Cash Online is convenient, saves time, and reduces paper. With School Cash Online, you no longer need to send cash or cheques to school. It takes less than 5 minutes to register. Parents who opt to participate will receive notification via email of student fees owed (both required and optional), and can make secure online payments by credit card or Interac and receive a receipt. Please note that all purchases on School Cash Online are subject to a 3% fee.

Follow these easy steps to register and get started:

Step 1: Register

1. If you have not yet registered for School Cash Online, please visit School Cash Online and click "Register".
2. Complete each of the three registration steps. For security reasons, your password requires 8 characters, one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, and a number. 

Step 2: Registration Email

1. 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 Student

Note: A Student Number is Required

This step will connect your children to your account.

1. Enter the school board name
2. Enter the school name
3. Enter your child's student number and last name
4. Select continue
5. On the next page, confirm that you are related to the child, check the agree box and select continue
6. 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 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.

Thornlea School Council

Parent Council Email List for the 2025-26 School Year.

Be the first to receive updates on events, parent socials, and support available from the Council. 

Fill out this short Google form to join the email list!

School Reminders

Our main office is here to help you regarding student absences. Here are a few notes: Edsby does not support absence reporting for high school students.

To report a student's absence, parents or guardians can either email thornleass.attendance@yrdsb.ca or call 905-889-9696.

When sending an email or leaving a message, please provide the following details: 

1. Student Name (First and Last name)
2. Student Number
3. Current Grade
4. Absent date and / or period
5. Reason

Anticipated Absence Form

If the student will be absent for 3 or more consecutive days, please come to the office to obtain the anticipated absence form. It must be completed by teachers and then signed by the parent. This form needs to be returned to the office before the absence begins.

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