The York School Welcome Package 2014 by The York School

WELCOME TO

Information for new families

2014-2015

www.yorkschool.com/a-z

CONTENTS Welcome from our Head of School 3 Advancement 4 Annual Fund 4 Contact Us 5 Financial Information 6 (con’t) 7 Meals & Food Services 8 Online Services & Yorknet 9 (con’t) 10 (con’t) 11 Uniforms 13 (con’t) 14 (con’t) 15 Volunteering 16 Junior School: Athletics (con’t) (con’t) Junior School: Before & After School Options (con’t) Junior School Calendar Junior School Major Dates for 2014-15 JK – Grade 5 New Parent Orientation (con’t) Junior School: Student Life (con’t) Junior School: What to bring on Sept. 3

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Middle School: Course Selection Middle School: What to Bring on the First Day

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Middle & Senior School: Important Dates for 2014-15 Middle & Senior School: Learning with Laptops Middle & Senior School: New Student Orientation Middle & Senior School: Athletics (con’t) (con’t) (con’t) Middle & Senior School: Welcome Evening for Grades 6-11 Middle & Senior School: Student life, Trips & Clubs (con’t) Senior School: Course Selection (con’t) (con’t) (con’t) Senior School: What to Bring on the First Day

29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43

Welcome from our Head of School, Conor Jones

Welcome to The York School.

e are delighted your family is joining The York School community for the 2014-2015 school year!

This welcome package provides some key information about our school to help you get off to a great start. From calendar dates to our athletic programmes to what to bring on the first day of school, you will find this to be a great resource. It is organized and colour coded to Junior, Middle and Senior School. Don’t be overwhelmed; you won’t need all of this information today but be sure to save this for future reference. We will be in touch in July with a summer update and again later in the summer with our “August Flash” which is a Back-to-School electronic newsletter. We will provide much more information in these communications as you look forward to the new school year. This is the first of many communications to follow! As we send this welcome package out and look towards next year we are still busily engaged with projects to conclude our present academic year and make the school a better place for next year. One of our summer projects is a relaunch of our website. You can expect to see some major enhancements to it over the months ahead as we improve the ease of use for you.

Please contact us (how to do that is on page 5!) if we can make the transition to next year smoother in any way, or if you have questions. I hope to meet you at one of our welcome events and get to know you over the coming months as you get more involved in our community. On behalf of everyone here at The York School I wish you and your families a safe and happy summer - see you soon! Conor Jones, Head of School

ADVANCEMENT ANNUAL FUND

The Advancement Department focuses on raising funds to support students and faculty and on building a thriving community at The York School. The department organizes fundraising campaigns and works closely with parent and alumni volunteers to develop community building initiatives.

Attendance: If your child will be late or absent from school, please notify the school via email at attendance@yorkschool.com or call the attendance numbers below.

It is through the generosity of our parents, grandparents, alumni and friends that we are able to enhance our programming and provide an exceptional educational experience for all students. Funds raised each year help cover costs that go beyond tuition fees; the generosity of our donor community provides immediate benefits for students and faculty, such as technology As an independent school, advancements, the chance to we receive no federal or learn from seasoned experts, provincial government facility improvements and funding and have only tuition abundant co-curricular fees and donations as our opportunities. sole source of revenue. Please contact our Executive Beginning in October Director of Advancement, parents are asked to support Hallie McClelland, at the Annual Fund programme hmclelland@yorkschool.com for the academic year. All if you have any questions or gifts are tax receiptable and would like to further support directly impact the student our school. experience at The York School.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

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This section is designed to help you plan for the financial requirements of sending your child or children to The York School. There are expenses beyond tuition that you will need to take into account, but not all potential costs will apply to all students.

Online Payment

Please contact the Business Office for assistance at 416.646.5276 should you have any questions.

Payment of tuition fees can be done through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), which is supported by most major banks. To make a payment, set up the “York School” as a payee. Complete the process by using the last five digits of your child’s student number as your online account number.

Instalment Plan

Payment of the May and September fee instalments can be made by ten (10) payments (bank debits) commencing May 1, 2014 and ending February, 2015. An additional charge of $140 applies. Note: If you choose to make monthly fee instalments, please complete the Monthly Instalment Plan form which you have received with the offer of place letter. If you would like further information or assistance, please contact Winston Berrotte in the Business Office at 416.646.5276 or wberrotte@yorkschool.com.

Statements of Account

Statements of account are set up for each student and rendered periodically throughout the year. They reflect not only the fee instalment outlined above but also additional costs for books, York Shop and cafeteria purchases, YPA membership, yearbook, supplies, cultural and sporting activities, etc. These costs vary widely between students, due to different levels of participation in athletic, outdoor and cultural activities, as well as spending habits. All statements are due upon receipt. Please contact the Business Office at 416.646.5276 if you do not wish your child to have The York Shop or cafeteria charging privileges on their student account.

MEALS & FOOD SERVICES

ONLINE SERVICES & YORKNET

The York School offers food services at both the 1320 and 1639 Yonge Street campuses. Aramark is our food service provider and is valued part of ensuring that our students and staff receive nutritious, balanced meals every day. Menus are planned by term and rotate in three-week cycles. Menus are posted on the YorkNet calendar by school location and are available on our home page for easy reference.

The York School offers a number of services online and communicates extensively with parents via YorkNet (our community portal) and electronic communications. Below, you will find an introduction to some of the things you may be looking for to get your student(s) ready for the start of school and where you will find information and resources throughout the year.

At the Junior School, there is a meal plan program available which you can register for by term or pay as you go on a daily basis. The meal plan fee is $8.00 per day and includes a healthy lunch as well as morning and afternoon snacks. The pay-as-you-go program is $8.00 for lunch and does not include snacks. Children can also bring their own lunch and snacks (nut-free). At the Middle and Senior School, the cafeteria is run on a retail basis where students and parents can purchase a variety of meals and snacks. Many students also bring lunches and snacks to school. All purchases can be paid for by cash or a charge to the student’s account. Charges to the student account can be done by providing the student number or through biometric fingerprint scanning. More information regarding the biometric finger print scanning will be provided in our Back-to-School communications. Grade 11s and 12s can also choose to leave the school for lunch and other grades enjoy periodic

Your username and password will be sent to you in your registration package, but the general format is as follows: username: first name and last name - one word all small letters, (johnsmith) password: your family number - the first 5 digits of your child’s account number Introduction to YorkNet All parent information can be accessed through the school’s website at www.yorkschool.com by clicking on the Parent or login link in the top right-hand corner of the site. Following our web redesign this summer, you will be sent directly to a parent portal with more information about your family in a dashboard. You will have a username and default password, so look for your individual login details in the registration package. You will find our school calendars, announcements, news, forms, parent directories, media galleries and much more behind the password. Registration for social and school events, parentteacher interviews, uniform and textbook ordering, as well as lots of other news is available online behind the password. If

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you forget your password, you can use your email to request that a new one is assigned.

Family Connection is an application used to guide and monitor a student’s Middle and Senior School success plan and help prepare him/her for post-secondary and beyond. It is available to our Grade 6 – 12 students, again accessible through a button on YorkNet in the parent portal. Instructions for parents to sign in and observe this information will be e-mailed to parents by Student Services. For more information please contact Claudia Da Fonte at cdafonte@yorkschool.com.

For any questions regarding your portal login or any requests or suggestions regarding our online services, please contact Kara Lysne-Paris at klysne-paris@yorkschool.com. The YorkNet parent portal will provide you with helpful information such as textbook and laptop ordering links, uniform information and other things to help with your family’s transition into the school. Blackboard is our online course management system available to Middle and Senior School Students (Grades 6 – 12). Each parent in these grades has an observer role to be able to view the course material and the assignments of his/her child. Sign in information is included in the registration package. For any questions regarding Blackboard, please contact Douglas Peck at dpeck@yorkschool.com.

Calendar The official school calendar is available on YorkNet. This calendar contains all school activities and events and is updated daily. The Calendar is a collection of calendars that can be turned on and off (ie. Junior School Events, Parent Events). You may also wish to subscribe via RSS feed to certain calendars. So that our families can check our homepage quickly, our lunch menus are also calendars that are accessible from the home page. Contacting Staff and Faculty We strive to be as accessible as possible to our community. Each member of our staff and faculty can be reached via voicemail and/or e-mail. Contact information can be found on our website in the Staff Directory in the “About Us” section. All staff emails follow the ‘first initital last name@yorkschool.com’ format (jsmith@yorkschool.com). If you aren’t sure who to call, please contact our receptionist and your call will be directed appropriately.

UNIFORMS

The Friday Flash The York School publishes a weekly all-school e-newsletter every Friday to keep parents up-to-date with communications from the Head of School, upcoming events, news featuring the activities of our students and announcements. Most critical information goes through the Friday Flash rather than individual emails. Archives can be accessed on the Parent Portal for the previous month. If you would like any other friends or family members to receive the Friday Flash, we also have a Friends of The York School list. TRAIL Mail TRAIL is an acronym for Taking Responsibility and Action for Independent Learning and is a method integrated into our e-mail system for Middle and Senior School students to inform parents, under teacher supervision, of results of tests and assignments.

The York School has a standard uniform for students in JK - Grade 5, and for students in Grades 6 - 12. There is a separate summer and winter uniform for each, as well as athletic wear. To ensure that your child has a complete uniform ready for September, please make an appointment with the York Shop for May, June or August. Appointments are scheduled from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday to Friday. For the best time selection, please book your appointment as soon as possible. To book your uniform appointment, please contact: Ginny Bates â&#x20AC;&#x201C; York Shop Manager, at gbates@yorkschool.com (for Junior, Middle or Senior School appointments) When we size uniforms, we allow plenty of room for growth over the summer, knowing that for many students, summer means a growth spurt. We recommend that any alterations be done just prior to the start of school. The York Shop will gladly exchange unworn and unaltered garments with all original tags still attached, if the size purchased is no longer suitable. To ensure that we are able to expect a consistent dress code amongst our students, all uniform items except shoes need to be purchased from the York Shop. For a more detailed outline of uniform items and requirements, please visit www.yorkschool.com/uniforms.

(CON’T) Shoes Your child requires all leather black dress shoes. Girls’ shoes require a 1” heel. At the Junior School, we are now offering the recommended black dress shoe for sale. We are selling two different styles for girls and boys. You can have your children’s shoe ‘sized’ at the Junior School shop during your uniform appointment, then ordered as we stock sample sizes only. We recommend that all clothing, water bottles and lunch packaging brought to school be labelled, to ensure that they can be returned in the event that they are misplaced. Ssuede, patent, buckles, decorations, ballet slippers, flats, Uggs, boots or any other fashion footwear are not permitted as part of the uniform. 14

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Uniform Sale The Second Hand Uniform Sale takes place this year on Tuesday, May 13 at the Junior School Cafeteria (1639 Yonge St.) from 3:00 - 7:00 PM. New parents are welcome to attend! For more information, contact Pearl Goodman, Advancement Officer, at pgoodman@yorkschool.com. If you miss it this year, you can look forward to next year’s sale. We have a York Shop at both our Junior and Middle & Senior School campuses, which also sells non-uniform items to show York School pride! Come and check out all of the other great things we stock before birthdays and holiday shopping. 15

VOLUNTEERING

JUNIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS

Our parent community is an amazing group. Parent volunteers are at the school every day, running events and helping to build our school spirit and sense of community. Volunteering any amount of time is one of the most valuable ways in which you can get involved in supporting your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education. It is also a wonderful way to meet new people within the community. There are many ways you can get involved as a new parent: the York Parent Association (YPA); the Board of Directors; Event Committees; Class Parent representatives; library volunteers or as an event volunteer. We have a large York International Parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association (YIP) who can offer support and advice about living in Toronto. The Parent Volunteer Handbook for 2014-2015 will be available to you in August. It outlines the many volunteer opportunities available for parents. We hope you join this dynamic group of volunteers as we work together towards building a remarkable school and school community. For more information about being a parent volunteer or donations to The York School, please contact Hallie McClelland, Executive Director of Advancement by phone by email at hmcclelland@yorkschool.com. Please visit us at http://www.yorkschool.com/about/support.

Philosophy

The Junior School Athletics Programme is designed to give our young athletes a variety of positive experiences doing physical activity and sports. Our athletes improve their daily fitness and sport specific skills while contributing to the athletic culture of our school through participation in our activities. Our JK to Grade 5 students have many opportunities to develop their skills in Athlete Development Programmes. Competitive teams are offered to athletes in Grades 3, 4 and 5. Athletes participating in any Junior School Athletic Programmes demonstrate the values of commitment, enthusiasm and respect in their activities. In the late summer, you will receive information about scheduling for activities and sports. Sign up will take place online.

(CON’T) Interscholastic League by Season, Age, Gender

Grades 3 and 4: Under 10 Grade 5: Under 11 Note: Referring to an age group as “under” means all players must be that age or younger on December 31. For example, U11 for 2014-15 means all players must be 10 or younger on December 31, 2014.

Try-outs

Generally, there is a one-week time period before each team is selected for tryouts to take place. Skill, a positive attitude along with the ability to commit to practices and games are considered for player selection.

(CON’T) In past years, programmes have included: Tennis, Fitness, Soccer, Yoga, Basketball, Volleyball, Skipping, Dance, Ultimate Frisbee and Soccer. Programmes are offered either during the lunch recess time or after school. Registration is done on a term by term basis. Details will be available on Yorknet at the beginning of the school year.

Athletic Transportation and Fees Transportation

Transportation to and from away games is generally by bus. For games that take place over the weekend, parents are asked to assist with pick-up and drop-off.

Practice Schedules

Fees

In each season of play, teams practice twice a week. Practices can be either before school 7:00-8:05 AM or after school from 3:30-4:45 PM or 4:45-5:45 PM. Practice schedules are determined as each team is finalized and this information will be provided in the registration information.

Athletic Development Programmes

For more information on athletics registration, please contact Susan Doyle, Athletics Assistant at sdoyle@yorkschool.com or Rick DeMarinis, Director of Athletics at rdemarinis@yorkschool.com.

Athletic Development Programmes (ADP) offer a variety of sports to students in JK to Grade 5. Programmes vary by term to provide students a variety of positive sport experiences.

BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL OPTIONS Early Morning Drop-off

The school doors open at 8:00 AM. For those parents who need to drop their children off earlier, there is supervision in the extended daycare area for all students starting at 7:30 AM.

Co-Curricular Programmes

Each term, students in JK to Grade 5 can register for a variety of Co-Curricular Programmes such as drama, Mandarin, choir, woodworking, Mad Science, chess and baking. There are three sessions: fall, winter and spring. Sessions become available online prior to the change in term. Programme information will be available in August before registration begins. Spaces can fill up quickly; please ensure that you are aware of the starting date and time for registration online. An announcement will be posted on YorkNet when registration is open prior to each term.

Extended Daycare

The York School provides students from JK to Grade 5 an Extended Daycare Programme after school until 6:00 PM. This programme provides a seamless transition from your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school day to child care. The children can relax, play, do homework and have a snack.

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CALENDAR

Extended Daycare costs are included in the tuition for JK and SK students. For students in Grades 1 to 5, a fee of $12 is charged (in 15 minute increments) and will be billed to your school account monthly.

The complete school calendar is available on YorkNet and is updated regularly. Please check the YorkNet calendar for the most accurate and updated listing of events.

Students registered in the Extended Daycare Programme who attend our afterschool athletic programmes or the Co-Curricular Programmes will be billed only for the hours they are in Extended Daycare.

Late Pick-Up

Our Extended Daycare Programme ends at 6:00 PM. If you pick up your child after then, late fees of $25 per 1/4 hour, or any part thereof will be charged.

The Calendar does not require login; it can be accessed from our home page and is also exportable as a feed to iCal,Outlook, or as an RSS. All teams have individual game and practice schedules accessible through our Athletics pages and also exportable to your own calendars.

For more information on the Extended Daycare, please contact Carol Klestinec at cklestinecyorkschoolcom.

MAJOR DATES FOR 2014-15

JK â&#x20AC;&#x201C; GRADE 5 NEW PARENT ORIENTATION We have an early orientation evening on Thursday, May 22 at 7:00 PM for new parents of students entering the Junior School, where they will hear about day-to-day life at 1639 Yonge Street. This is an opportunity to have questions answered, as well as to meet York School faculty and other new parents.

We also host an Open House for all new JK - Grade 5 Junior School parents and students on Tuesday, September 2. Parents and students are welcome to drop in during the morning between 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM to see the school and meet the teachers and staff.

Please check YorkNet for updates and changes.

JUNIOR SCHOOL: STUDENT LIFE “Experience Teaches.” It is our school motto, and it is on display inside and outside of the classrooms at the Junior School. Whether it’s the Grade 2 “Rock Walk” as part of the Boulders to Bits Unit of Inquiry, or the Grade 4 and 5 overnight excursions in the spring, students regularly have experiences that build on the principles of the IB Primary Years Programme. The fun continues after school; a wide range of Co-Curricular Programmes are offered each term (fees vary). For the 2013/2014 school year, Co-Curricular Programmes included the following: Mad Science (JK - 5) Reptilia (JK - 5) Knitting & Crochet (1 - 5) Bugs Without Borders (JK - 1) Whimz! (JK - 5) Hip Hop (2 - 5) Jazz (2 - 5) Chess (1-5) Spanish Schoolhouse (1 - 5) Robots (3 - 5) Bricks 4 Kids Lego Animation (3 - 5) Design and Technology (3 - 5)

Junior Chefs (JK - 1) Dare To Be Girl’s Club (2 - 5) Sweet Decorations (3 - 5) Designher Co. (1 - 3) Shytoons Ink Cartoon (3 - 5) Frozen by Act One (1 - 5) Pitch Perfect by Act One (1 - 5) Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat by Act One (1 - 5) Individual Guitar and Piano Lessons Rainbow Loom/Duct Tape Art (1 - 5) BOATsmart (4 - 5) Minute To Win It! (1 - 3)

(CON’T) Some of the activities in the Co-Curricular activities were run by our talented York School teachers. These included: Primary Choir (SK - 2) Junior Choir (3 - 5) Junior Glee Club (3 - 5) Art/Sewing (2 - 5) Geography Club (3 - 5)

Kids for Kids (3 - 5) Mandarin (SK - 5) Shutterbugs Photography (3 - 5) Coding For Kids (4 - 5)

Many of our students are also involved in Junior School Athletics. For more details, please see the section on Junior School Athletics. Our House System of four Houses (Champlain, Simcoe, Johnson and McClung) fosters school spirit, and becomes a platform for leadership opportunities at the Middle and Senior Schools.

JUNIOR SCHOOL: WHAT TO BRING ON SEPT. 3

MIDDLE SCHOOL: COURSE SELECTION

Please wear summer uniform, bring a water bottle and a pencil case for supplies. Please also label all items.

Upon entering the Middle Years Programme (MYP), all students are assigned a counsellor who tracks their progress and addresses their academic and psycho-social needs. Since the essence of the counsellor’s role begins with understanding the whole child, each student remains with the same counsellor through the middle school years to ensure continuity.

Grade 1 Lunch and snacks (if not participating in lunch programme). Grades 2 and 3 Lunch and snacks (if not participating in lunch programme). All necessary supplies are provided for students.

Grades 4 and 5 All necessary supplies are provided for students. The teachers will hand out folders, notebooks, paper, pencils, erasers, workbooks and textbooks as well as student agendas. Basic school supplies are provided at no cost to the students. However, workbooks, textbooks and student agendas will be charged to their student account.

In the Middle School, students are required to study 10 subjects each year - 9 compulsory courses, plus an additional course of their choosing (an ‘elective’, as outlined in the course selection forms). Please speak with your child to help him/her decide upon an elective that best reflects their interests. Be sure to review the course descriptions that are provided for you in the course selection form. You will find 3 forms one for each grade (Grade 5 into 6, 6 into 7 and 7 into 8). Please fill out and submit the appropriate form for your child. We will send forms in hard copy with your registration package. Your selections are

requested by May 26, 2014.

If you have any questions, please call the school at 416.926.1325 and ask to be connected with one of the counsellors in the Middle School Student Services office. Glen Blair counsels students with surnames A-L. Liz O’Dwyer counsels students with surnames M-Z.

MIDDLE SCHOOL: WHAT TO BRING ON THE FIRST DAY

MIDDLE & SENIOR SCHOOL: IMPORTANT DATES FOR 2014-15

Grades 6 to 8 Lunch (or money to purchase) TTC fare (if applicable) Wear the summer uniform Labelled water bottle Note: Students should NOT bring textbooks or laptop on the first day. A list of stationery items (i.e. writing tools, organizational folders/binders) will be sent in August.

MIDDLE & SENIOR SCHOOL: LEARNING WITH LAPTOPS The York School has one of the most dynamic technology integration programmes in Canada. The introduction and teaching of technologies with curricular aims is one of the cornerstones of a York School education. To ensure that our students develop 21st-Century skills, the school invests heavily in professional training and employs outstanding technology integration leaders. Mirroring the real world, we incorporate multiple platforms seamlessly and expose our students to cutting-edge technologies and responsible use of technology. Later in the spring, a detailed information package regarding all aspects of the laptop ordering process will be sent out. Following the information package, online ordering will be made available. For the most current information regarding our laptop models for next year and how to order them, please visit the following links: Middle School Laptop Programme (www.yorkschool.com/middle-school/laptop-programme) Senior School Laptop Programme (www.yorkschool.com/senior-school/laptop-programme) If you have any questions or require any additional help, please contact Kathleen Peak, Manager I.T. Services at kpeak@yorkschool.com.

MIDDLE & SENIOR SCHOOL: NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION

Our New Student Orientation will be held on Tuesday, September 2nd at 11:00 AM, the day before the first day of classes. This orientation is open to all new students joining The York School community and is designed to help make the transition to a new school easier. Student ambassadors will be on hand to lead activities that will help students get to know one another as well as the School. The new students will also be able to meet their Homeroom Teacher. The York School uniform is not required for this event. Lunch will be provided. For more information on the New Student Orientation, please contact: Middle School: Sarah Charley at scharley@yorkschool.com.

Senior School: Sean Mitchell at smitchell@yorkschool.com.

MIDDLE & SENIOR SCHOOL: ATHLETICS Philosophy The Middle and Senior School Athletics Programme focusses on providing exposure to a wide variety of sports at all levels. The goal is to develop a life-long passion for sport and healthy and active living. Our student-athletes have the opportunity to try out for interscholastic teams or join Recreational Athletic Development Programmes.

(CON’T) Interscholastic League by Season, Age, Gender

Grade 6: Under 12 Grade 7, 8: Under 14 Grade 9, 10: Junior (Under 16) Grade 11, 12: Senior (Under 20) Note: Referring to an age group as “under” means all players must be that age or younger on December 31. For example, U14 for 2014-15 means all players must be 13 or younger on December 31st, 2014.

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Interscholastic Team Tryouts Generally, the tryouts will take place during the first two weeks of scheduled practices. Skill, along with the ability to commit to practices and games are considered for player selection. Given that players’ experience and skill levels vary, some teams will be in the league while others will play exhibition.

Recreational Athletic Development Programmes Each term we offer Athletic Development Programmes to provide students a variety of positive sport experiences. Programmes such as Yoga, Fitness Boot Camp, and Strength and Conditioning will be offered. Registration is done on a term-by-term basis and details will be available on the York School website at the start of the school year.

The programme’s competitive nature, along with stringent qualifying criteria, may limit the number of players and may mean “cuts”. Where possible, practice squads will be set up to limit the number of cuts made. It is expected that an athlete who tries out, makes and accepts a spot on a team is committed to that team’s practice and game schedule, and that they represent The York School with dignity and pride.

Athletic Transportation and Fees Transportation Transportation to and from away games is generally by bus. For games that take place over the weekend, parents are asked to assist with pick-up and drop-off for local schools.

Interscholastic Schedules - Practices and Games In each season of play, Interscholastic teams typically practice 2 or 3 times per week and take place either before school (7:00 AM) or after school. Practice schedules are determined as each team is finalized and this information will be provided in the registration information and on the team web page. Game schedules are posted on the team web page at the start of the season.

A nominal flat fee is associated with team sports and is charged to student accounts at the end of each season based on school level. Fees for Athletic Development Programmes vary and will be posted with the registration information at the start of each term.These are also charged to student accounts. For more information on Athletics, please contact Susan Doyle, Athletics Assistant at sdoyle@yorkschool.com or Rick DeMarinis, Director of Athletics, at rdemarinis@yorkschool.com.

MIDDLE & SENIOR SCHOOL: WELCOME EVENING FOR GRADES 6-11 A Welcome Evening for new parents is being held on Tuesday, May 13th at 7:00 PM for new parents and new students at the Middle & Senior School. Parents will gather for an information session with Middle and Senior School administration, while our current York students host social activities for new students in the gymnasium. Students will be active during the session, so please dress casually and comfortably, with shoes you can move in! For more information please contact Julia Gordon at 416.646.5275.

MIDDLE & SENIOR SCHOOL: STUDENT LIFE, TRIPS & CLUBS Demonstrating our total commitment to experiential learning, we aim to bring the IB Programme to life by developing complementary learning opportunities beyond the classroom. Club Information Our school calendars attest to the incredible range of activities going on every single day of the year, at the school, in and around Toronto, across Canada, and globally. The York School offers a wide-ranging and constantly evolving list of clubs and activities to students. Participation in co-curricular activities is integral to student life and also provides many leadership opportunities. Below is a sampling of the clubs and activities currently offered at The York School:

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SENIOR SCHOOL: COURSE SELECTION Participation in the Middle Years Programme and International Baccalaureate Diploma Progamme requires that students include in their courses a second language, mathematics, an experimental science, a social science, an arts course, and English. This ensures that each student will meet Ontario requirements for the OSSD and have the appropriate configuration of Grade 12 credits for university entrance. Please connect with David Hanna, Director of Student Services, as soon as possible to discuss course selections. Contact the Student Services Administrative Assistant, Claudia Da Fonte, at cdafonte@yorkschool.com to set up a meeting.

Parent Information Evening Be sure to join us on Thursday, September 4th at 7:00 PM for an information session about co-curricular activities in the Middle and Senior School. For more information on Co-Curricular Programmes, please contact: Middle School: Sarah Charley at scharley@yorkschool.com or Senior School: Sean Mitchell at smitchell@yorkschool.com. 38

SENIOR SCHOOL: COURSE SELECTION (CON’T)

SENIOR SCHOOL: COURSE SELECTION (CON’T) Grades 11 and 12 Students in Grades 11 and 12 must select courses in line with the requirements of the International Baccalaureate Programme. Students and parents must meet with their counsellor for this process to begin. For international students, a phone call or Skype call is suggested. Should a student decide to follow the entire IB Diploma Programme, he or she must abide by the requirements. In addition, students should note that certain departments recommend minimum required marks for entering higher level courses; these are noted in either the preface to the course descriptions for Grades 11 and 12 subjects or in the “IB Description” for the subject. All students in Grades 11 and 12 follow the Theory of Knowledge course to make them eligible to receive the IB Diploma. Students may decide not to follow the entire Diploma but may seek to satisfy the IB requirements for individual courses; where successful, students would receive certificates in these courses. Some students may elect to take neither the diploma nor certificate courses and complete the Ontario Secondary School requirements only. Whichever path the student chooses to follow, he or she must meet with his or her counsellor to ensure that

SENIOR SCHOOL: COURSE SELECTION (CON’T)

SENIOR SCHOOL: WHAT TO BRING ON THE FIRST DAY Grade 9 Grade 9 students begin the year at an outdoor education centre, where they spend three days and two nights. The items required for that trip will be sent to you later in the summer.

course selections are appropriate in terms of both the IB requirements, graduation requirements and postsecondary prerequisites. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s counsellor, assigned by grade and student’s last name: David Hanna, Director of Student Services at dhanna@yorkschool.com (Last names A – K) Alison Champ, Student Services Counsellor, at achamp@yorkschool.com (Last names L - Z) Please connect with your counsellor as soon as possible to discuss course selections for Grade 11/12. Contact the Student Services Administrative Assistant, Claudia Da Fonte at cdafonte@yorkschool.com to set an appointment. 42

Grades 10 – 12 ½-inch binder with lined paper Laptop (if already received) Pen and pencil Lunch (or money to purchase) TTC fare (if applicable) Wear the Summer Uniform Note: Students should NOT bring textbooks on the first day of school. We look forward to seeing you!

WELCOME TO

Information for new families

2014-2015