Newsletter March 2026
Principal’s Message:
As we move into the month of March, I am pleased to share that Semester 2 is well underway. Students have settled into their new classes, and it has been wonderful to see their positive energy and focus throughout the school.
During February, we were honoured to recognize Black History Month. Our school engaged in meaningful learning through classroom lessons, activities, and special events that highlighted Canadian Black History, as we celebrated the many significant achievements and contributions of Black Canadians. We extend our sincere thanks to the BDHS Black Student Association and our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Team for their hard work, leadership, and dedication in planning these experiences for our school community.
Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome guest speaker Chris Vollum on Wednesday, March 4th at 6:30 p.m. Chris will speak about online safety, teens and social media, digital wellness, and artificial intelligence, with a question-and-answer session to follow. This presentation is open to all parents and guardians, and we hope you will join us for what promises to be a highly informative evening.
We would also like to remind families that school interviews for parents, guardians and students to meet with teachers will take place on Thursday March 12th from 5:30–7:30 p.m. Please watch for further communication via email containing instructions for electronic sign‑up to meet with teachers.
As spring approaches, we also look forward to the start of our spring sports season. We encourage all students to listen for announcements and take part in upcoming tryouts. In addition to athletics, BDHS proudly offers more than 35 clubs, and we encourage every student to find a way to get involved in our many terrific extracurricular opportunities. Participating in school life beyond the classroom helps students build connections, strengthen skills, and make the most of their time in high school. It is never too late to join a new opportunity!
In closing, I wish everyone a positive and engaging month ahead, and always encourage families to reach out to teachers, our guidance team, administration and support staff with any inquiries you may have. We are pleased to work in partnership with parents and guardians to help your student succeed.
Yours sincerely,
Heather Lagace
Key Dates to Remember:
March 4th – Guest Speaker: Chris Vollum – Online Safety, Teens & Social Media, Digital Wellness and Artificial Intelligence, 6:30pm in the BDHS Cafetorium
March 9th - CMHA Mobile Youth Walk-In Clinic (MOBYSS) at BDHS
March 12th – School Interviews Evening, 5:30-7:30pm
March 12th – Prom Formal Wear Donations Drop off, 5:30 – 7:30pm, BDHS main entrance
March 16th – 20th – March Break (no classes)
March 27th – BDHS Black Student Association Fashion Show
March 30th – School Council Meeting, 6pm in the library
March 12th – Prom Formal Wear Donations Drop off, 5:30 – 7:30pm, BDHS main entrance
Guest Speaker Event: Chris Vollum - Online Safety, Teens & Social Media, Digital Wellness and Artificial Intelligence
On Wednesday March 4th, beginning at 6:30pm, Bradford District High School will be hosting guest speaker Chris Vollum, who will deliver a presentation on Digital Wellness for Students and Families. During the evening parent / guardian session, Chris will offer practical guidance with regards to mobile device use at home. Through this presentation, families will learn:
- A simple roadmap to build trust and keep communication open
- A plain-language walkthrough of artificial intelligence (AI) and why it can mislead while sounding certain
- How students are using social apps and chatbots (and what to watch for)
- Well-being habits: sleep, attention, boundaries, and healthier routines
- Safety: privacy settings, account security, scams, and what to do if something goes sideways
- An easy-to-execute “next steps” plan for your family (what to say, what to change, what to monitor)
Following the presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session as well. All parents and guardians within the Bradford District High School family of schools are invited to attend, and we hope you will be able to join us on what promises to be a very informative evening. Please see the attached poster for further information, and should you have any questions, please contact our school main office.
Prom Formal Wear Collection Drive and Prom Shop Event
Our School Council is pleased to be organizing a Prom Formal Wear Collection Drive, followed by two prom shopping events where BDHS students can select prom attire free of charge. At this time, we are gratefully accepting donations of formal dresses, suits, shoes, and accessories that are clean and in good condition to help ensure all graduates have access to formal wear for Prom. Community members are invited to drop off donations at the Bradford District High School main entrance on the following dates: Thursday, March 12th (5:30–7:30 pm), and Monday, March 30th (5:30–7:30 pm). If you are unable to donate on these dates, items may also be dropped off during regular school hours at the school main office. Looking ahead, the prom formal wear shopping events will take place at BDHS on Saturday April 11th (12:00-4:00pm) and Wednesday April 22nd (after school), and our prom takes place on Friday May 22nd. Thank you for helping us make prom accessible and memorable for all of our graduates.
School Council:
Our School Council meets throughout the school year, and all are welcome to attend. School council is a committee made up of elected parents/guardians, community representatives, staff, and students that help to provide the community voice and parent/guardian perspective on important school topics. Our next meeting will be held on Monday March 30th at 6:00pm in the school library. Please see https://bdh.scdsb.on.ca/parents/school_council for more information on our Council, and to view our most recent school council minutes.
Congratulations to our Arts Department!
On February 10th, the Bradford District High School Concert Band travelled to perform at the annual Ontario Band Association Provincial Festival. The ensemble earned a Silver Plus Award and received an invitation to perform at MusicFest Nationals, recognizing the group’s musical growth, dedication, and hard work throughout the year.
Congratulations to all members of the Concert Band on representing BDHS with excellence!
Athletics Update:
Congratulations to all of our winter sports teams, athletes, and coaches on the completion of a successful winter season. Your hard work, dedication, and commitment are greatly appreciated.
We would like to wish Ryley F. and Thev D. the very best of luck as they represent BDHS at the OFSAA Swimming provincial championships this month. We are proud of your accomplishment and know you will represent our school with excellence.
The badminton team will begin competition in March—best of luck to all team members as the season gets underway.
Looking ahead, spring sports will begin in March and April. Please watch for upcoming announcements regarding tryouts and team information meetings.
BDHS Prom Information:
- Location: The Club at Bond Head, 4105 7th Line
- Date: Friday May 22, 2026
- Time: 6pm – 10:30pm
- Price: $150.00 per ticket
- Prom Teacher Advisors:
What you need to purchase a ticket:
- Student Activity Fee Paid
- Student Identification Card
Please note: If the above is not completed, the purchase of your prom ticket will be cancelled and refunded during the week of March 30 to April 2. You will be notified through your school email account.
When you can purchase tickets:
- Tickets will be available through School Cash Online on March 23 to March 27.
- In an effort to ensure all grade 12 BDHS students have an opportunity to purchase tickets, sales will be limited to grade 12 BDHS students FIRST
- Dependent on numbers, if tickets remain available an additional week of sales will be open from April 7 to April 10, to allow grade 12 BDHS students to purchase guest tickets who may be in another grade or from outside of the school.
- If you do not purchase a ticket, your name will not be on the entrance list, therefore you will not be allowed to enter the venue.
What if my guest does not attend BDHS?
- ONLY if guest tickets are available for purchase, you must complete the prom guest agreement form and have it signed by parents or guardians.
- Give form to Ms. DiNino or Ms. Guerra
Specialist High Skills Major program:
Are you currently in grade 10 and interested in joining SHSM next year? Well, you are in luck, applications for the 2026/2027 year are open!
What is SHSM? A Specialist High Skills Major program (SHSM) that provides grade 11 and 12 students with an opportunity to focus their learning and gain valuable experience for both work and post-secondary opportunities. Upon graduation, students are given a specialized red seal SHSM diploma and transcript which demonstrates they have learned the knowledge and skills of today’s sector specific requirements. The program is open to ALL grade 11 and 12 students. BDHS has four different SHSM programs, Hospitality & Tourism, Information and Communications Technology, Construction, and Transportation.
The program requires students to complete a total of four grade 11/12 Construction, Information and Communications Technology, Hospitality & Tourism, or Transportation courses. Along with 4 supporting credits in English, math, business or science.
SHSM also requires a total of 2 cooperative education credits linked to the chosen SHSM sector. In addition to the course requirements, students must complete a designated amount of compulsory and elective sector-recognized certifications and/or training courses/programs along with experiential learning opportunities. SHSM students also get "first pick" to some of our most sought-after courses!
Need more information: SHSM Explained
Interested in joining? Email Mrs. Dunn in guidance: [email protected]
Guidance Update:
Summer School
The application process has now opened for Summer School courses being offered by Simcoe County DSB in July 2026. Students who are firm in their planning that they would like to take a July Summer School course, are asked to fill in the form (linked below) to request that a Guidance Counsellor complete registration for the requested course.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeZ6JQ0a3WPYljsJxRIcw4Qyu68tC8DEIGCwzHGIfOBiqkkAA/viewform?usp=header
Students who are not 100% sure or if they wish to take courses outside of SCDSB, are asked to please wait to sign up until their decision is firm. This form will stay open. For those students who have questions, they are invited to make a guidance appointment to meet with a counsellor.
Students who request a Summer School course, along with their parent/guardian, will receive emails to confirm that registration has been submitted, and it will indicate if a student has been either waitlisted or accepted. Please note that all SCDSB courses will be waitlisted at this point. We ask that students continue to monitor school email throughout the semester to receive updated information.
Link to available Summer School courses in SCDSB for July:
https://www.thelearningcentres.com/programs/summer_school
Link to available Summer School courses in other boards of education in July and/or August:
https://ontario.prismsis.com/course-offerings-2025-2026
Community Service Hours Reminder
Students need to complete 40 community service hours to graduate from high school. They can start accumulating these hours in the summer before they enter Grade 9.
Community involvement is intended to:
-encourage students to understand the roles they play in their community
-help students to develop a greater sense of belonging
Students are encouraged to choose activities that interest them or help them explore potential careers. Many students complete more than 40 hours, which can be beneficial for scholarships for post-secondary.
The Community Service Hours tracking form can be found in Guidance. Contact the Guidance Department if you have any questions. Alternatively, you can also visit the SCDSB website for forms and additional information.
Guidance Appointment Process
BDHS students can book a guidance appointment with their guidance counsellor online. Guidance counsellors each have their own list of students that are assigned by alpha. Students book a specific date/time but are reminded to wait in their classroom to be called down to Guidance. Their counsellor will do their best to honour that date/time but things can come up unexpectedly and we appreciate their patience if there is a need to re-book appointments. Please see our guidance counsellors, along with the group of students they work with, below:
Ms. Benjafield for students who have surnames that start with A-E
Ms. Accettola for students who have surnames that start with F-L
Ms. Ketcheson for students who have surnames that start with M-R
Mr. Basinger for students who have surnames that start with S-Z
Ms. Dunn for Multilingual Learners
Information and updates from the SCDSB:
This month, the SCDSB is sharing information related to the below topics. To read this information, visit the SCDSB website.
- March Break
- Collection and use of personal student information (elementary)
- Applications for the SCDSB Umoja Award are open
- Dreams Delayed
- SCDSB offers free Self-Reg Parenting Course – registration now open!
- Managing stress
- Kindergarten registration for September 2026 is open!
- Licensed March Break school age childcare programs
- Prom Glitz 2026
- Check out the SCDSB News video series
- Online math resources for families
- Parents/guardians invited to register for By Your Side, a free mental health webinar series
- Registration now open for summer eLearning!
- Summer eLearning opportunities for students entering Grade 9!
- March Break reminder: from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit