Sherwood Secondary School Newsletter

Fall Edition
2023 –24 School Year

From The Principal’s Desk

Dear Sherwood families and friends,
As the leaves are starting to change in colour and the brilliance of the fall season is upon us, I bring
you greetings using this maiden issue of the Sherwood Newsletter (Fall Edition) as my means of
communicating some key aspects of school life at Sherwood with you.
Our staff and students are beginning to settle into the first semester of the school year, and I can
say on behalf of the Sherwood team (that comprises of academic and non-academic staff), who
have been working tirelessly since the summer to prepare the school for re-entry and are
continuing to do so since the school year opened in September, that we appreciate our Sherwood
families for entrusting their precious ones to our care. We do not take this responsibility lightly and
have embarked on a journey to continue to improve and make this 2023 -24 school year one that
is categorized by an improved sense of belonging, building of positive, trusting relationships that
are undergirded by a culture of dignity and care for all students and staff.
In this edition, we have highlighted snippets of the Sherwood school life so far. Just like any high
school building, we have had our own challenges and continue to surmount them with a united
front and strategic collaboration. We are also grateful for our neighbours and families who
continue to be our eyes in the community. Your constructive feedback has been as precious as
treasured gems that we continue to use as opportunities for growth and improvement.

Please browse to the end of this newsletter to the “Important to Note” section and assist us in
firmly reiterating the messages therein with your child so that we continue to be on the same page
at school and at home, for the common good of creating and maintaining a safe and healthy
environment. We are determined to be as rigorous in fostering a positive school climate and
culture as we will be in enabling academic excellence for all our students. We invite you to come
on this journey with us.
Sincerely,
Principal Ayeni
On Behalf of the Sherwood Team

____________________________________________________________________

SOME PHOTOS FROM RECENT EVENTS

Football Team having fun with their coach and the coach's kids.

Special Olympics Soccer Tournament

Jr Boys Volleyball tournament at Hayden in Burlington

Important To Note
Nutrition: From a past data collection perspective, students mentioned in a survey that they felt
cared for when they are fed, and we try to provide a breakfast (grab and go model) at the main
entrance in the morning and at various points of the school during the day, including the office.
Even with the rise in food costs, we are still committed to this initiative and will continue to do this.
We have sponsorship to some degree and will be doing some fundraising during the school year to
complement our limited resources.
Sports and Games: There are numerous opportunities to engage in sporting activities and events
at Sherwood. We are thankful for all our coaches who are coaching and mentoring our students.
At Sherwood we have the grade 9 soccer team, girls' basketball team, senior girl's field hockey
team, junior and senior boys' volleyball teams, boy's baseball team, and a senior boys' football
team. Our students have done well and have won and/or lost some games. In each instance the
experiences have been well worth it. While a win certainly builds confidence, a loss may be good
for the soul in that it ignites a reflection for better performance in the future. If your child is
interested in any sport, have them reach out to a coach. We have however made it clear that
eligibility for playing and staying on sport teams include attendance, ownership of the student’s
academic journey, plus a stellar behaviour at school. It is our responsibility to prepare our students
for success in life. We want to ensure that our students turn out to be responsible local and global
citizens that carry the Sherwood name into their future destinations, with dignity.
Sherwood student-spectators: At our sporting events, both onsite and off-site, our student-
spectators are expected to be respectful and encouraging of all the teams, (both ours and the
guests’). The same code of conduct expected at Sherwood is expected off-site. Chanting negativity,
slurs and body-shaming are inappropriate and unacceptable and will be met with a conversation
with administration, followed by a consequence if the student-spectator persists. We want
everyone welcomed into our building with their full humanity.
School and Class Attendance: The guidance department has worked impressively hard to ensure
that students have timetables that are customized to their chosen field of expertise/future
destinations. The onus however rests on the students to show up and attend all their classes.
Administration and staff do our best to clear students from unsupervised spaces during class times.
The issues with skipping classes and loitering in unsupervised spaces such as bathrooms, stairwells,
car parks, certain doorways, the public park area etc., are numerous and are mostly negative,
ranging from the students opening themselves up to bullying, bad influences, fights, and vices. This
is why the Sherwood administration is taking truancy seriously as it is at variance with the school’s
goals. We will dole out consequences to students who have been steered in the right direction,
severally, yet continue to be found in unsupervised spaces during class times. This is our proactive
stance against truancy to prevent unfortunate incidents that occur as have been mentioned above.
Parking and Driving: We would like to caution our eligible drivers to exhibit some maturity and
drive with caution (at a slower speed) as they drive in and as they exit the parking lot. Parking up
front by the Tech doors is discouraged. We encourage students to park at the back parking lot while
there are still some parking spaces left. During the winter we may be evaluating our parking space
availability.
Expectations & Prohibitions: All students are expected to be always in their classes. At lunch, there
are spaces and activities that are safe, or prohibited. Activities and vices such as vandalism, vaping,
smoking, altercations, play fighting etc. are prohibited. Bathroom visits should not exceed 3
minutes. Congregating for longer than 5-10minutes in washrooms and stairwells are also
prohibited. We also advise students to use the cafeteria and Learning commons during their prep
times (for senior students). A prep is a study period and not a free time and should be spent wisely,
in the cafeteria or learning commons.
Vigilante justice is also prohibited. If a student has been rubbed the wrong way, they need to let
their Vice-Principal, or the principal know. Taking on the offender by themselves will not be
tolerated because of the tendency to resort to violence and get hurt.
Commendations: We are proud of our students who have used some of their lunch time to help
improve the cleanliness of our surroundings by volunteering to pick up garbage in exchange for
community hours. We have student volunteers who help with the breakfast program,
announcements, or serve as helpers during sporting and school activities. Our student council
attendance has been more robust this year than ever before and we commend the student council
leadership for hitting the ground running this year. Amongst all the wonderful things that they have
organized so far was a stellar grade 9 homecoming event that showcased a day of fun activities and
a barbeque. Sherwood has such an awesome crop of students from grade 9 to12, trying to do their
best with the help of the teachers in all programs (Academic, De-streamed, SHSM, French
Immersion, Special Education, Co-op etc.). The extra-curricular activities and numerous clubs and
sport teams are the icing on the cake that make Sherwood such a great school to be at. I was invited
to play an instructional game in a grade 9 French Immersion class, and did I have so much fun? I
learned a lot too. We commend our teachers and students for engaging in positive interactions and
communications in classrooms and in the hallways during transition times. The buzz you hear in
the hallways as students make the transition from period to period is so endearing. Some others
may need re-direction and we are aware and acknowledge this. We are not blindsided by the
challenged minority so that we do not recognize the beauty of our diverse school community and
all the genius that many of our students bring to our school every day. We also have the parents
to thank for getting them to us in their awesomeness.
Parent – Teacher Communication: Our teachers are exceptionally good at communicating with
parents at the start for the semester, to introduce themselves. The goal is to form an allyship with
the sole purpose of ensuring that your child succeeds. If you are yet to receive some
communication from your child’s teacher, your reaching out to connect with the teacher anytime
or during the upcoming teacher/parent evening will be appreciated. Please let your child’s teacher
know your preferred means of communication while ensuring that the school has your correct
contact details. We want teacher/parent communication to be on-going and consistent.
With Gratitude: Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. We are privileged to be part
of the Sherwood community experience.

Go Sherwood! Home to the phenomenal Saints!

 Important Dates

October 20, 2023 - PA Day

Semester 1, 2023 - Preliminary Report Cards sent home October 23, 2023

November 17, 2023 - PA Day

Semester 1 Mid-Term Report Cards sent home – November 20, 2023

December 25, 2023 – January 5 Board Holiday

Last Day of Semester 1 Classes – January 25, 2023

Exams January 26, 2023 – February 1, 2024

February 2, 2024 – PA Day

February 5, 2024 – First Day of Semester 2

Principal: Angela Ayeni

Vice-Principals: Dian Alexandre; Stephanie McNeill

Superintendent: Simon Goodacre

Trustee: Kathy Archer