January 28 2025 O'Neill CVI Communications

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We made it through our first Semester!

Congratulations to all our students on completing their exams and summatives! Hoping all students are well-rested to return on Thursday and start Semester Two off with enthusiasm and happy smiles!

Just a few reminders and important notes to start the semester off;

Need2Talk

Free, confidential mental health and wellness support at O’Neill CVI for any student!

Book directly with a clinician on scheduled days, without a referral, and talk about anything on your mind. Mental and emotional health, relationship challenges, information about longer term supports, challenges at school, or perhaps you have something else in mind-our clinician team is here to help!

Please see attachment for a QR code to book a session!

Durham Black Educators Network (DBEN)

The Durham Black Educators Network (DBEN) will be hosting a BlackHistoryMonth Celebration on Thursday, February 20 from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm at Ajax High School, 105 Bayly Street E..

Everyone is welcome to join for an evening celebrating Black Excellence in the DDSB community, featuring food, student talent, community vendors, a silent auction and the Keynote Speaker, Margaret Lazarus.

Please see the attachment for more details and ticket costs.

Reminders:

Engagement Speaker Series: Overcoming Obstacles-Roland Acheampong

Hello Redhawk Families (Students and Parents/Guardians)! Building on the success of the DDSB's recent Family Engagement watch party, the DDSB, in collaboration with O'Neill's SCC, invites you to join us for another upcoming event. Many parents found the previous session on resilience highly valuable, and we believe this upcoming one will be equally engaging and beneficial.

Come and listen to Roland Acheampong; All-Canadian athlete, executive manager, sales director, and entrepreneur and his upcoming presentation Overcoming Obstacles-How to Succeed No Matter What is in Your Way.

Please join us in the Library for light refreshments and door prizes, to watch the event and engage with other parents!

This will be held on Thursday January 30, 2025, between 7:00 – 8:00 pm in our library. Please park and enter at the North Entrance. 

SCC members will be in the library from 6:30pm and will stay until 8:30pm if you wish to chat, ask questions, or find out more about SCC’s endeavours. Please try and RSVP by Thursday, January 23rd so we can have enough supplies on hand.

RSVP: SCCONeillCVI@scc.ddsb.ca      See attached

Bussing, Pick-up and Drop-off

Safety of our students is always our number one priority. Parents/Guardians are reminded that drop-offs/pick-ups occur on Mary St (back of school) or Simcoe St (front of school). Drop-offs can occur in our parking lot before buses begin arriving in the morning and pick-ups can occur in our parking lot once our first eight buses arrive and leave at the end of the day. At the end of the day the first eight buses double park to pick up the students and begin leaving at 2:10pm.

Parents/Guardians; please wait until after 2:10pm to enter our parking lot once our passing lanes is open. Parking in between buses causes buses to back up onto Mary Street causing traffic congestion and trouble loading our students onto the buses, delaying everyone.

Students are encouraged to board their bus right after bell dismissal at the end of the day. The first eight buses in the parking lot will be dismissed at 2:10pm to create room for the next buses coming in. Students are reminded that buses do NOT always arrange in the same position each day (this is due to their schedule before the O’Neill run and/or possible traffic delays) so students must check for their correct bus each day.

Parents/Guardians are reminded not to use neighbouring driveways or apartment parking lots as their drop-off/pick-up spots. These areas are private property.

Parents/Guardians are reminded to avoid the east side of Mary St (no stop zone) and to follow the city signs for times of drop-off and pick-up. Bylaw officers do frequently come to Mary St and issue tickets outside these times.

To avoid the limited areas we have surrounding our school, think about parking down the street or around the block and have your child meet you there instead. Or pick-up after 2:10/2:15pm once our first eight buses exit the parking lot and open the passing lane in our lot.

Thank you for assisting us in keeping your children safe.

Guidance Information and Reminders

Students are asked to book a Guidance appointment to request a timetable change using the booking link available in their Guidance Google Classrooms.

This final day to submit a request is Thursday, February 6, 2025. 

Students are reminded that they must continue to attend their scheduled courses until they have met with a counsellor and confirmed a change. Students are also reminded that changes are not guaranteed as space in classes is extremely limited.

All students are strongly recommended to join their Grade Guidance Google classroom. Your counsellors and codes to join are below:

Grade 9 - Ms. Hadjigeorgiou   3zj6jme

Grade 10 - Ms. Aunger  xunjdk7

Grade 11 - Mr. Maki (A - L) and Mme. Muir (M - Z)  nujfnnp

Grade 12 - Ms. Kenny  fvoxdze

Where to find more information? Follow us on Social Media

School: @oneillcvioshawa on Instagram

Athletics: @oneill_redhawks on Instagram

Activities/Leadership: @ocvi_activities on Instagram

Performing Arts: @ocvipa on Instagram

General School Info: https://oneillcvi.ddsb.ca/en/index.aspx

Course Selection for 2025/26 School Year

Course selection will open in myBlueprint for the 2025/26 school year on February 11, 2025.  Selections must be submitted by Friday February 28 at 4:00pm.  Parents and guardians are encouraged to log in with students to explore careers and educational pathways so that they can select courses that support their goals. Please click the following link forinstructions to submit courses through myBlueprint. 

The Guidance Department has created a Google Site to provide resources to students and their families with the course selection process.  Please click thisCourse Selection 2025/2026 to visit the site and learn more about O'Neill's programs, courses and opportunities.

Guidance Counsellors will be holding Course Selection Assemblies for all Grades on Friday January 31 and will be following up with presentations and visiting classrooms to support with the course selection process beginning in early February.  Students are also encouraged to book an appointment with their Guidance Counsellor for support with their planning by using the appointment booking link in the Guidance Google Classroom.  Please reach out to the Guidance Office at (905)728-7531 x2 if you have any questions.

Upcoming Important Dates

Thank you and we will see all of you back on Thursday!

The Admin Team of O’Neill CVI

Attachments

DBEN POSTER WITH QR CODE

Engagement Speaker Series - Roland Acheampong Flyer_01

Need2Talk Flyers ONeill CVI 8

Need2Talk-Screens-1920x1080-ONEILL-CVI