Hello Students,
I hope you are all excited to be coming back to school on Tuesday! I have enclosed the letter (with some edits) that we sent out in the summer just in case anyone has forgotten what they have done with it and would like the details again.
Have a great long weekend,
Principal MacKinnon
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Dear Students, Parents/Guardians:
I hope you have all had a wonderful summer! We’re looking forward to welcoming all of our new students and welcoming back all of our returning students. Below is the format for the first day of school on Tuesday, September 3, 2013.
Grade 9 Students
On September 3 please arrive to school no later than 8:40 a.m. Class lists, according to your arts major, will be posted in the hall. Find your name and remember the teacher’s name and the room number that is listed. You will then proceed to the Theatre for a short assembly. Following this program you will spend about one hour in your homeroom class. You will receive your timetable and you will be able to choose a locker. Traditionally, ESA has students entering Grade 9 from over 50 different elementary schools. You will begin every morning in your arts major so it will not take long before you meet a whole new group of friends who have similar interests. ESA is a great place and we hope you have a fantastic year!
Grade 10 and 11 Students
Between 9:30 and 9:55 a.m. students should consult the lists posted in the cafeteria to find their homeroom location. Following a short assembly in the Theatre at 10:00 a.m. students should report to their homeroom class.
Grade 12 Students
Please arrive by 10:45 a.m. and find your homeroom on the lists posted in the cafeteria, then proceed to the Theatre for a brief assembly at 11:00 a.m. Should you require any timetable changes, the guidance counsellors will be available on Wednesday, August 28. Timetable changes should be done as soon as possible due to strict class size restrictions set by the TDSB.
The school office is now open – please ensure that you have returned all owed textbooks before the start of the school year. (We spend thousands of dollars of your money each year to replace lost textbooks – thanks for helping us to get back as many as we can!)
All students should bring a Dudley combination lock and a cheque for $150 to cover Student Fees (please see the reverse of this letter for more information on fees). Student fees should be paid to the homeroom teacher by Friday, September 6.
Wednesday, September 4 is a regular school day with classes commencing at 8:48 a.m. I look forward to seeing all of you! Finally, enjoy the remaining days of summer!
Sincerely,
Rob MacKinnon
Student Fees at ESA
Every year the school collects $50 in Student Activity Fees. These fees cover the cost of a yearbook, school agenda, Student Council activities, Athletics, and student photocopying (among other things).
Individual Arts Majors also charge fees to support the purchase of materials and to cover the costs of their enhanced Arts Programs. ESA, as you all know, offers a program that goes far beyond what traditional high schools can provide for their students. These fees ($100 per major) help the school to bring in guest artists and instructors, and to provide materials and technology that help to prepare students for a professional life in the Arts. The breakdown of how these fees are used is outlined in each department’s program information that you will receive at the beginning of the year.
In order to facilitate the collection of these fees, we ask that parents provide a cheque for $150 made payable to Etobicoke School of the Arts ($50 will cover the Student Activity Fee and $100 will cover the Arts Enhancement Fee per major). Homeroom Teachers will be collecting these during the first week of school. In future, these fees will be payable through an on-line service.
We understand that these fees may pose a hardship for some families. If this is the case, please feel free to contact your student’s Vice Principal in order to further discuss this; these conversations are, of course, confidential.
No additional fees will be charged for curricular materials (e.g. French Cahiers and Geography workbooks).
This fee policy respects the new Board and Ministry guidelines around school fees. For further information, the Board’s policy (PR 579) on Student Fees may be reviewed at the Board’s website https://www.tdsb.on.ca/index.asp .
If you would like to make a contribution to the school above this fee, tax receipts are available. Please make a separate cheque payable to “Etobicoke School of the Arts –TDSB”. These donations are gratefully received and can be used for general school improvement or can go to a specific major when so indicated. Please ensure that you have included all pertinent information if you would like a tax receipt.