Wildcat's Weekly - September 14-25

Wildcat’s Weekly – Parent/Guardian Edition

September 14-25

Office Hours 7:45am - 3:45pm 

Principal’s Message 

Hello Williams Families,

I’m very happy to welcome our students and families to a new school year at Dr. G. W. Williams Secondary School. I am excited about the year ahead and about the opportunities our exceptional new facility provides for learning, creativity, athletics, and connection. We are pleased to welcome several new staff members to Williams, and our entire faculty of teachers and support staff is delighted to have students back in the building.

Our first School Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. All parents and guardians are welcome to attend and learn more about our school community. I also encourage families to read our bi-weekly newsletter, as it contains important dates, announcements, celebrations, and information to help you stay connected to school life.

We look forward to working with our students and families throughout the year. I wish every member of our Williams community a happy and successful school year.

Mr. Andrew Gazaneo 

Principal

Student Drop-Off Areas

Just a reminder to all families that the yellow zones in our parking lot are designated as No Drop-Off zones. These areas must remain clear at all times to support safe traffic flow and emergency vehicle access. Please use the designated drop-off areas when arriving at or leaving the school. Thank you for helping us keep our parking lot safe for everyone. 

Lockers

The locker request form is now closed. Students who completed the form will be provided with their locker number and combination within the next couple of weeks.

If your student missed the opportunity to request a locker, there will be another opportunity to do so once all current requests have been processed.

Please note: Returning Grade 10–12 students will continue to use the same locker and combination they had last year.

Student Parking 

Parking and stopping in the area surrounding the school is regulated by Town of Aurora bylaws, which are enforced during school arrival and departure times. Please refer to The School Zone Traffic Map for parking/stopping restrictions. 

TeachAssist for Parents and Students

TeachAssist is a platform for students and parents to access the student record information. Students can see their courses and progress on TeachAssist.

Parents can access TeachAssist through the use of the parent portal. Please click this link for instructions.

Access Report Cards in the Family Dashboard 

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 your child’s education. It is designed to make it easier for families to engage with their child’s education.  

 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.  

Guidance Messages

Guidance Counsellors:

Ms. Morelli (Last Names A - H) susanna.morelli@yrdsb.ca

Ms. Chow (Last Names I - P) simone.chow@yrdsb.ca

Ms. Durbacz (Last Names Q - Z) sue.durbacz@yrdsb.ca

YRDSB Calendar 2026-2027 

The YRDSB 2026-2027 school year calendars have been approved by the Ministry. These calendars may accessed on the YRDSB website at: https://www2.yrdsb.ca/school-year-calendar 

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