2015-2016 Optional Attendance Status

School	Regular Program	Extended French
A Y Jackson Secondary School	Limited	N/A
Agincourt Collegiate Institute	Closed	Limited
Albert Campbell Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Alternative Scarborough Education 1	Limited	N/A
Avondale Alternative Secondary School	Limited	N/A
Bendale Business and Technical Institute	Limited	N/A
Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Bloor Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute	Limited
C W Jefferys Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute	Limited	Limited
Central Etobicoke High School	Limited	N/A
Central Technical School	Limited	N/A
Central Toronto Academy	Limited	N/A
City School	Limited	N/A
Contact Alternative School	Limited	N/A
Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute	Limited	N/A
David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Delphi Secondary Alternative School	Limited	N/A
Don Mills Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Downsview Secondary School	Limited	N/A
Dr Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Drewry Secondary School	Limited	N/A
Earl Haig Secondary School	Closed	N/A
East York Alternative Secondary School	Limited	N/A
East York Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Eastdale Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Eastern Commerce Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Emery Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Etobicoke Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Etobicoke School of the Arts	Limited	N/A
Etobicoke Year Round Alternative Centre	Limited	N/A
Forest Hill Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Frank Oke Secondary School	Limited	N/A
George Harvey Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
George S Henry Academy	Limited	N/A
Georges Vanier Secondary School	Limited	N/A
Greenwood Secondary School	Limited	N/A
Harbord Collegiate Institute	Limited	Limited
Heydon Park Secondary School	Limited	N/A
Humberside Collegiate Institute	Closed	Closed
Inglenook Community School	Limited	N/A
Jarvis Collegiate Institute	Limited	Limited
John Polanyi Collegiate Institute	Limited
Kipling Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
L'Amoreaux Collegiate Institute	Limited	Limited
Lakeshore Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute	Closed	Closed
Leaside High School	Closed	Limited
Lester B Pearson Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Malvern Collegiate Institute	Limited	Limited
Maplewood High School	Limited	N/A
Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute	Closed	N/A
Martingrove Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Monarch Park Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Native Learning Centre	Limited	N/A
Native Learning Centre East	Limited	N/A
Nelson A Boylen Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Newtonbrook Secondary School	Limited	Limited
North Albion Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
North East Year Round Alternative Centre	Limited
North Toronto Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
North West Year Round Alternative Centre	Limited	N/A
Northern Secondary School	Limited	N/A
Northview Heights Secondary School	Limited	N/A
Oakwood Collegiate Institute	Limited	Limited
Oasis Alternative Secondary School	Limited	N/A
Parkdale Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Parkview Alternative School	Limited	N/A
R H King Academy	Closed	N/A
Richview Collegiate Institute	Limited	Limited
Riverdale Collegiate Institute	Closed	Limited
Rosedale Heights School of the Arts	Limited	N/A
Runnymede Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
SATEC @ W A Porter Collegiate Institute	Closed	N/A
Scarborough Centre for Alternative Studies	Limited	N/A
Scarlett Heights Entrepreneurial Academy	Limited	N/A
School of Experiential Education	Limited	N/A
School of Life Experience	Limited	N/A
SEED Alternative School	Limited	N/A
Silverthorn Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Sir John A Macdonald Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate Institute	Closed	N/A
Sir Robert L Borden Business and Technical Institute	Limited	N/A
Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate Institute	Closed	N/A
Sir William Osler High School	Limited	N/A
South East Year Round Alternative Centre	Limited	N/A
Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Subway Academy I	Limited	N/A
Subway Academy II	Limited	N/A
THESTUDENTSCHOOL	Limited	N/A
Thistletown Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Ursula Franklin Academy	Limited	N/A
Vaughan Road Academy	Limited	N/A
Victoria Park Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
West End Alternative School	Limited	N/A
West Hill Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
West Humber Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Western Technical-Commercial School	Limited	N/A
Weston Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Westview Centennial Secondary School	Limited	N/A
Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts	Closed	N/A
William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Woburn Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
York Humber High School	Limited	N/A
York Memorial Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
York Mills Collegiate Institute	Limited	N/A
Yorkdale Secondary School	Limited

Sir Robert L. Borden B.T.I. Grade 8 Parents’ Night

Thursday, January 8, 2015
Light Dinner Served 6:30 p.m.
Information Meeting 7:00—8:15 p.m.

All parents of grade 8 students are invited to attend an information meeting about the programs offered at Borden. Parents and students will gain an understanding of the true “Borden experience.”

Learn about the following programs:

• Literacy & Numeracy
• Technical Programming
• Guidance Supports
• Special Education Supports
• Business Studies
• Take a tour of our Arts, Business and Technical Departments

Administration Team
Principal: Patrick Knight
Vice-Principals: Antonia Katsinos & Alison Paul
Office Administrator : Jemma Baptiste
416-396-6810, ext. 20000

Guidance Team
Curriculum Leader: Melanie Bast
Guidance Counsellors: Kari Peters & Bobby Ferguson
Sr. Office Assistant: Renee Evans
416-396-6810, ext. 20040

Sir Robert L. Borden B.T.I.
200 Poplar Road, Scarborough, Ontario, M1E 1Z7

We are located at the first set of traffic lights west of Morningside, south off Kingston Road.
Contact the school if you need assistance with transportation.

Getting Ready For Grade 9

Hopefully, after attending one of the elementary school parent information evenings, you were  also able to attend some of the secondary school Parent Information Nights. 

In early January, a course selection sheet  for your child's home high school will be coming home for you to review , complete and sign.  Classroom teachers will have had an opportunity to make recommendations as to what course types they recommend for your child:  

The Ministry of Education has developed three types of core courses in Grade 9: Academic, Applied and Locally Developed Compulsory credits.  Mathematics, English and science, French and geography are offered at both the Academic and Applied levels.  Locally Developed Compulsory Credit courses are only offered in mathematics, English and science.  Other courses, such as the arts, physical education and business, which have one set of expectations for all learners are offered as Open courses.

Applied courses cover the essential concepts of a subject and focus more on using learned knowledge in real-life situations.  These courses are designed for students who likely have content gaps in the specific subject area.  Applied courses meet OSSD requirements.

Academic courses cover the essential concepts of a subject and draw heavily on theory and abstract examples/problems.  These courses are designed for the independent learner who has limited to no gaps in subject area content.  Academic courses meet OSSD requirements.

Locally Developed Compulsory credit courses try to meet students’ needs not met by the existing Provincial Curriculum.  These courses are for students with gaps in knowledge and skills in the specific subject area.  Locally Developed Compulsory credit courses meet OSSD requirements.

Grade 9 course decisions should be based on ensuring that your son/daughter achieves success.  Obtaining “16 credits by the age of 16” at the end of their Grade 10 school year is a very important step in your child being successful in obtaining their OSSD.

With this in mind, we realize that there may be some confusion when deciding whether to choose Academic, Applied or Locally Developed Compulsory courses.  Important questions to ask are:  “Which would best suit my child’s learning style?”, “How has my son/daughter faired over the years in this subject?” and “Where would my child be successful?”  Also, please take into consideration the teacher’s recommendations when deciding on course level for your child.

We urge you to follow these teacher recommendations as much thought has been given to the suggestions. The school team makes recommendations with respect to the most appropriate grade 9 placement for each student. These recommendations are based on a student's educational history, current achievement levels, learning style, attitude, motivation and abilities.  The grade 9 program and subject selection should be based on teachers recommendations to ensure the student's success.  Appropriate placement of a student in grade nine is of vital importance to the student's ability to succeed in secondary school.

The Home Secondary School Course Selection Sheet that you are receiving in early January must be submitted to the homeroom teacher no later than Monday January 26^th, 2015.  Thanks for your prompt attention to this important matter.

Please be reminded that Optional Attendance Applications are due at the selected school  no later than January 30th, 2015. The List of Limited and Closed Schools will be publicized by the TDSB by Mid- January.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact your child's  Guidance Counsellor by leaving  a message at their school indicating: your name, a phone number where you can be reached, the student’s name and they will be in touch with you as soon as possible. 

Have a wonderful Holiday Season :)

Course Selection Procedures

We are in the midst of high school planning and over the next couple of months, students will be required to make some important choices for grade 9. This is a very exciting and important time for our grade 8 students. The purpose of this newsletter is to keep you informed of some of the procedures and important deadlines for course selections.

Grade 9 Course Selections

We will begin course selections the week of Jan 12^th  2015. All students must complete course selections for their home high school using the myblueprint program. Students who have applied for specialized programs or regular school programs under optional attendance, will need to provide letters of acceptance to their Elementary School Guidance Counsellor in order for a new course selection sheet to be completed for that school/program. If students are successful with their choices, they need to inform the schools of their acceptance or not, within the given time frames (refer to the back of the optional attendance sheet for specific info). For students who are unsuccessful with their choices, we will continue with the home high school course selections. It is strongly recommended students log in to the myblueprint program at home and further explore the high school planner with their families, to ensure they are prepared to make final decisions for grade 9 within the next few weeks. All grade 8 students have already created accounts on myblueprint and worked through several aspects of the program including the high school planner. Students can log in from home at www.myblueprint.ca/tdsb with their username and password. Only students attending their home high schools will be given time in class  to select courses online. Students attending specialized programs or optional attendance schools will complete paper pencil versions of course selection sheets. Classroom teachers will have an opportunity to make program recommendations by the first week of February and send them home along with the hard copy versions for parents to review and sign. Parents/ guardians are expected to verify and sign course selection sheets and return them to their elementary  school no later than February 16th,  2015.

2015 Important Dates

     Week of January 12th – Elementary schools will be notified of which high schools are open for Optional Attendance. (Optional Attendance forms are available at your elementary school)

     January  30th – Optional Attendance forms are due to high schools (delivered by parents/guardians).

 Week of February 9^th –13th Students are informed of their acceptance to Specialized Programs and Optional Attendance schools.
    Week of February  16^th- Completed course selections are verified and signed by parents/guardians  and returned to classroom teachers.
     February 23rd  – All course selection sheets are delivered to high schools by their Elementary Guidance Counsellor

If you have any questions or concerns regarding course selections or any of the information above, please contact your Elementary Guidance Counsellor by leaving a message at your child's school to set up an appointment. 

A letter with more information will be sent home with your child's  course selection and posted online in early January.

Woburn CI Open House

Many @TDSB Open Houses Happening This Week!

Wexford C.S.A: November 12th (Performing Arts) & November 13th (Visual Arts) 7pm 

Lester B. Pearson: AP Program/ Health & Wellness SHSM November 12th 6:30pm

Sir Wilfred Laurier: IB Program & Aboriginal Education Program; November 13th 6pm 

35 Tips for an Exceptional, Superb & Powerful Life!

1.)  Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate antidepressant.

2.)  Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3.)  Be active and make time to exercise.

4.)  Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of Six.

5.)  Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants And eat less foods that are manufactured in Plants.

6.)  Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

7.)  Try to make at least three people smile each day.

8.)  Clear your clutter from your house, car, desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

9.)  Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control.  Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.

10.)   Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class .......but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

11.)   Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a layman And dinner like a beggar.

12.)   Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

13.)   Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

14.)   Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15.)   You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

16.)   Make peace with your past so it won't mess up the present.

17.)   Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

18.) (With parental permission of course) Go ahead,  burn those 'special' scented candles, use the 600 thread count sheets, the good China and wear fancy clothes now. Stop waiting for a special occasion. Every day is special.

19.)   No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

20.)   Frame every so-called disaster with these Words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

21.)   Forgive everyone for everything.

22.)   What other people think of you is none of your business.

23.)   Time heals almost everything. Give time, time!

24.)   However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

25.)   Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch with them.

26.)   Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

27.)   Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

28.)   The best is yet to come.

29.)   No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

30.)   Do the right thing!

31.)   Call your family & friends often.

32.)   Each night before you go to bed complete the Following statements: 'I am thankful for __________.'

33.)   Today I accomplished _________.

34.)   Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

35.)   Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast Pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.