News and Announcements

April Break takes place from April 12th to April 16th.  Classes will resume on Monday April 19th.  Further information will soon follow through School Messenger.  We wish the Mackenzie community a wonderful safe April Break!

Toronto District School Board commits to standing up against discrimination and acts of racism in all of its forms. Anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Asian racism, antisemitism and xenophobia, whenever and wherever they occur. Now more than ever, we need to work together, to build a more just and inclusive world for all of us.
This year to honor the International Day for the Elimination of Racism, the United
Nations has chosen its theme, “Youth Standing Up Against Racism” using the hashtag,
#FightRacism, which aims to foster a global culture of anti-discrimination and calls on each and every one of us to stand up against racial injustice.

Eliminate Racism Poster

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) is the formal evaluation and credit-granting process whereby students may obtain credits for prior learning. Prior learning includes the knowledge and skills that students have acquired, in both formal and informal ways, outside secondary school.  Students may have their knowledge and skills evaluated against the expectations outlined in provincial curriculum policy documents in order to earn credits towards the secondary school diploma.

The 2020/2021 PLAR Challenge process will kick off with a Virtual PLAR Information Session for Families on March 23, 2021. Please visit the following links for more information:

PLAR Community Letter 2021

PLAR website

World Autism Day, April 2nd, 2021, is on Good Friday this year and will be celebrated on Tuesday, April 6th, 2021.

In previous years, the TDSB joined Autism Ontario and 300 schools and municipalities across the province in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day by holding a Raise the Flag ceremony at 5050 Yonge St. and in many schools.

The first Raise the Flag event was held in April 2010, when Shari Bishop-Hume of London, Ontario, thought about how a community could bring more awareness to Autism.  With support from her family, the community, professionals, and advocates, it was proposed that we raise a flag in support of World Autism Day. 

This year, we invite our staff and students to join a virtual Raise the Flag ceremony. Please see the link below.

https://raisetheflagforautism.com/#:~:text=Raise%20the%20Flag%202021,us%20on%20Tuesday%20April%206th

Let’s help support TDSB students who have ASD and increase awareness and understanding of this disorder.

Many of our Mackenzie students have been working tirelessly for 5 MONTHS writing, auditioning, stage managing, filming, editing, and producing an original play: Much Ado About Zoom Class by our very own, Mia Rebelo. The performance will be streamed tomorrow, Thursday March 11 at 7:30 pm via YouTube Premiere on the WL Mackenzie CI Art Dept Channel, Much Ado About Zoom Class. Join early (7:10 pm) for a pre-show countdown & live chat! I am really looking forward to this presentation as another production I was able to attend last year by this talented group of art students, was outstanding! Mackenzie students, please support your classmates by tuning in. Parents, please carve some time out of your busy schedule to enjoy the wonderful and many talents Mackenzie has to offer. Donations are being accepted on behalf of the Arts department to cover production costs, etc. Please use this school cash online link, Much Ado About Zoom Class Donation Link, to make a donation.

The William Lyon Mackenzie CI School Council is inviting you to join Paul Davis to discuss social media safety strategies. Paul brings 29+ years of IT expertise which he shares with parents and youth to empower them on the topics of social media, sexting, child pornography, digital trails, smartphones, cyberbullying & more. Paul has been featured on CTV News, CBC, Global TV and more. Don’t miss this opportunity to see Paul live. For more information, please click on the following link:
Social Networking Safety

A message from School Council:

Imagine a green space designed to engage students in learning. A space that invites students and staff to connect to the outdoors while caring for, and protecting the environment.

There are two locations on the south-side of the school yard, facing the sports fields and shielded by trees where we envision building this learning area, that would also double as a lunch and lounge  space. It is a place for students to thrive, think, work and dream. 

Please visit the following link for more information:
Outdoor Classroom

Thank you to Mackenzie’s School Council for coordinating the virtual event, Parenting Teens through Crisis. Internationally known Barbara Coloroso provided some practical advice on how to manage teens through these difficult times!

In case you weren’t able to attend but are interested in learning more, a recording of the event can be found here:
Parenting Through a Crisis Virtual Event

Barbara Coloroso’s Web Event Handout
Parenting Through Crisis

Barbara Coloroso’s Website and online Resources:
http://www.kidsareworthit.com/