Principal's Message
Dear Families and Community Members,
On May 5 and 6, under the leadership of music teachers Mr. Hu-A-Kam, Ms. Bharucha, and Mr. Langdale, students in our school’s music program, as well as students from nearby elementary schools, performed at Flato Theatre Markham in the annual Spring concert, Markville Pops. Congratulations to all students who performed during the two evening performances.
On May 15, more than 157 students raised over $10,000 and participated in the Relay for Life fundraising event in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. Thank you to members of the Markville Athletic Council (MAC) who planned and coordinated the event under the leadership of staff advisors Ms. Chong, Ms. Wou, and Mr. Ninichuk.
On May 22, under the leadership of staff advisors Ms. Ye, Ms. Delairi, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Lee, Student Activities Council (SAC) held the annual school carnival which included carnival games, student performances, video game competitions, food trucks, bubble tea, as well as free popcorn, cotton candy, and freezies. In the evening, the Music Council held the annual Music Banquet at J&J Swagat Bur Oak Banquet Hall. The evening included delicious food, awards, and speeches to honour students and staff in the music program. A special thank you is extended to Mr. Hu-A-Kam, Mr. Langdale, Ms. Bharucha, and Mr. Peter for their ongoing support of students in our school’s music program.
On May 29, grade 12 students attended Prom at the Venetian Banquet Hall in Concord, Ontario. Students who attended the event enjoyed a delicious meal, an interactive photo booth, formal pictures taken by Edge Imaging, dancing, and even a snack table that included a waffle station, poutine, and beef sliders. Thank you to the prom committee under the leadership of Ms. Joseph for planning and organizing another successful Prom.
On June 9, Markville Athletic Council (MAC) under the leadership of staff advisors Ms. Chong, Mr. Ninichuk, and Ms. Wou held the annual Athletic Banquet at Crystal Fountain Event Venue. The evening included delicious food, awards to honour the top athletes across all teams, as well as a time of music and dancing.
On June 24, we celebrated with more than 400 students and their families at the graduation ceremony at Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel and Suites. Thank you to our school’s graduation committee, including Ms. Mitrevski, Ms. Wilson, Ms. Distefano, Ms. Babiolakis, and Ms. Fiorentino, as well as over 60 staff volunteers who made the evening possible.
I would also like to thank School Council Co-Chairs, Ms. Sarah Ali and Ms. Vincci Zheng, as well as Vice-Chair, Mr. Ian Turner, for their many years of leadership and service to our students, staff, and school community. We are thankful for your contributions over the years and wish you and your family all the best in the future.
A communication was sent to all families on June 13 about an administrator update at our school. Ms. Victoria Johnson-Lee, who is currently a Vice-Principal at Thornlea Secondary School, will be transferring to our school for the upcoming 2025/2026 school year. Please join me in welcoming Ms. Johnson-Lee to our school. Ms. Mirella Sanwalka has been supporting our school since Ms. Morrison went on leave in May. Thank you Ms. Sanwalka for all your help and support of students, staff, and families during the past two months. We wish you all the best.
It has been a wonderful and successful school year. A special thank you is extended to all staff for their contributions to student academic success and well-being both inside and outside of the classroom. On behalf of the administrative team, I would like to wish all students, families, and staff a fun and restful summer. We look forward to seeing everyone at the end of August for the start of the 2025/2026 school year!
Warmest Regards,
Anthony Hu, Principal, Markville Secondary School
Message from Guidance
Student Timetables
Efforts to communicate with next year’s Grade 10 and 11 students with GAPPS in their timetable occurred in June, with most students connecting with a counsellor to plan accordingly. These issues remain a top priority. Grade 11 and 12 students missing a compulsory/pre-requisite course or who had FIAR (4 in a row) were also notified. During the development of student timetables, many alternate choices needed to be used to complete schedules. Waitlists have been generated for requested courses where it was not possible to timetable requests for students. These students will be prioritized as spaces in courses open up. Please note that balancing a timetable may not always be possible.
Timetables will come out via TeachAssist and GAPPS/guardian email one week before the start of school. Note: Last year, TeachAssist opened mid-summer unexpectedly and revealed courses that were not accurate. Please ONLY trust what comes to you via email or TeachAssist (website, not the app) one week before school begins. At that time, students will receive a google form, which will open on August 25th, to address issues. It is important to note that we may not be able to accommodate course change requests due to course scheduling constraints. In filling out the form, a counsellor will review the request and prioritize it against other student requests/needs. We will try to accommodate as many requests as possible. If able to be accommodated, a change will be reflected in TeachAssist. Students need to follow their TeachAssist schedule until changes are made. The Guidance Department will be open for appointments to discuss Semester 2 as soon as Semester 1 issues are resolved. The form will be used to address Semester 1 needs only.
Reminder to Grade 12 students that having 7 courses is deemed a full timetable; however, all efforts will be made to provide more courses where possible/required. For grade 12 students, please also note that some compulsory courses are oversubscribed - this is an issue every year and we typically resolve it. For those concerned about applying to programs that would like 8 courses, Guidance has been told that the expectation is to show a fulsome schedule - this can be done via 8 courses (via day school or reputable Board Night/eLearning courses), part-time work, and extracurricular activities. A fulsome schedule would be communicated to schools in the supplementary write-ups. Information regarding Night School will be communicated to students as soon as Guidance has that information.
Rest assured that Guidance takes your course schedule very seriously and seeks to meet the needs and interests of students as best as possible.
Summer School
For any course that has been cancelled, the student will receive an email to their GAPPS account from myPathway Planner indicating they have been removed from the course. This means students either need to sign up for the course at a different location, remotely, or online (if applicable). Students must check myPathway Planner and take action, where necessary.
Students will be receiving a welcome email prior to the start of programming (usually just prior). This email will include a link to a form to withdraw from the course if they are no longer interested in taking it.
Summer school issues must be taken up directly with the student’s summer school teacher or, in an emergent situation, with continuing.education@yrdsb.ca for In-Person/Remote Learning, or online.learning@yrdsb.ca for Online Learning. Markville Guidance does not have any affiliation with Summer School, nor are counselors available in July and August.
Post-Secondary
OUAC and OCAS will upload marks on July 3rd. Markville Secondary School (MSS) Semester 2 marks, as well as report cards delivered by students for TDSB/TCDSB, will be uploaded at that time. Important: As communicated numerous times to students, Private Schools must upload marks directly to OUAC for midterm. The final report card MUST be emailed directly from the Private School to Guidance so that the course can be added to the student’s transcript. Note: OUAC and the Transcript are not the same thing. Please ensure that the report card has been sent to markville.ss@yrdsb.ca.
Students completing courses after July 3rd must provide MSS with the report card. Again, private schools must upload marks to OUAC/OCAS, and MSS will conduct another upload at the start of August. Such students will need to ensure that accepted programs are aware and have agreed to this date for required courses that meet conditional offers. In all cases, students are responsible for ensuring marks are in OUAC/OCAS and report cards are received by MSS.
Guidance Summer Closure
Please note that Guidance will be closed for the summer, as of June 27th. Students/families are asked to hold their email inquiries until school begins, as email will not be monitored until then. Unfortunately, no emails about timetables can be answered upon our return. If you require support for an immediate safety risk for a youth, please contact 911 or access your local hospital.
If you require support from a counselling agency, please contact Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) or 310 COPE (1-855-310-2673), or review the multitude of additional resources that can be accessed on the Board's Mental Health Page.
June Student Wellness Spotlight
The YRDSB Mental Health Team has put together Summer Wellness Guides for students and families as they move into a different routine over the next couple of months. The guides can be accessed at the following links:
Wishing you an incredible and restful summer ahead. Congratulations to our 2025 Graduates! We look forward to seeing our Grade 10, 11, and 12 Mavs in August! Your Guidance Team~
School Notices
Access Report Cards in the Family Dashboard
As we reach the end of the school year, schools will be sharing student report cards by June 30 for elementary schools and July 10 for secondary schools. Report cards will be available in the Family Dashboard until July 30. You will receive an email when your child’s report card is 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.
The Family Dashboard gives parents/guardians secure one-stop access to information and applications related to their child’s education. It is designed to make it easier for families to engage with their child’s education.
Please note, you can still request a printed copy of your child’s report card if you prefer by contacting your child’s school.
As we wrap up the school year, we also want to remind families that it’s important that the school has updated contact information for students and parents/guardians, including home address, phone numbers, email address and emergency contacts. This will ensure that the school can contact families in case of emergency, and also that you continue to receive important communications and updates from the school. Please contact the school directly with any changes.
Upcoming Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| August 25 | Grade 9 Day |
| August 26 | First Day of Classes (for all grades) |
| September 4 | Photo Day |