Cyber Incident Notice

YMCA Academy Community, Head of School

I want to share an important update about a cyber incident involving PowerSchool, an application used by the YMCA Academy and many independent schools and school boards across North America to store a range of student information. You may have seen or heard news coverage about it this morning as many independent schools and school boards have also been impacted.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, January 7, 2025, PowerSchool notified us and other independent schools and school boards in Ontario and across North America that on December 28, 2024 they became aware of a data breach and immediately implemented cybersecurity response protocols.

Our cybersecurity team is actively working with PowerSchool to understand the nature of the incident and specifically what personal information may have been affected. At this point in time, PowerSchool has confirmed that both staff and student information was involved, we are still determining the exact types information that may have been accessed or exported. PowerSchool has indicated it does not anticipate the data being shared or made public, and the company believes it has been deleted without any further replication or dissemination.

If it is determined that any personal information has been impacted, we will let you know as soon as possible.

We are also advising the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

We know this news may be concerning and are doing all we can to learn more from PowerSchool about what occurred and will share that information with you.

Sincerely,

Tim Seabrook
Head of School

Team Unbreakable Bold and Cold 5K

Jessamyn Polson Community, Events, Student Spotlight

On November 30, the YMCA Academy Run Club, joined by friends and family (and even Tim!), participated in the Team Unbreakable Bold and Cold 5K.

Running 5 kilometers is no small feat, especially outdoors at the end of November! We are incredibly proud of our achievement and thrilled to have raised over $3,000 for Team Unbreakable, an organization dedicated to supporting youth mental health through physical activity.

The YMCA Run Club will be going into hibernation for the next few weeks. We’re grateful for the beautiful weather we enjoyed this session, and, like the trees around us, we look forward to shifting our energy inward and resting during this festive and busy season. Run Club will return in February—stay tuned for updates!

CONGRATULATIONS, RUNNERS!

Level Up! Trades Fair

Zareh Demirdji Beyond the Classroom, Experiential Learning, Science and Math, Technology

As a first for our school, six senior senior students interested in pursuing trades after high school attended the Level Up! Trades Fair. The Mississauga International Centre had 144 different trade vendors spread across Hall 2, ready and eager to talk about their trades. Students had a two hour slot to walk around and explore a multitude of trades and vendors. Most of the vendors had fun, hands-on opportunities for students to engage with. From learning how to lay bricks and patch drywall to welding pipes, braiding hair and applying make-up, there was no shortage of tactile experiences for students to explore. There was even a mini helicopter and full sized TTC buses to explore. Whichever trade a student is interested in, the Trades Fair had something for everyone. This is a trip worth returning to next year with even more students.

Civics in Action

Jessamyn Polson Events

As the Civics and Citizenship course comes to a close, students have been reflecting on memorable moments and activities from the course.

One of the most memorable activities was an election simulation where students formed political parties, wrote platforms, and ran campaigns. Along the way, students learned every part of the electoral process, from identifying their own political beliefs to marking a ballot correctly. As one student reflected, “It’s important for me to learn how to vote because I am 15 now, and in a few years, I’ll have the responsibility to vote.” Through this project, students also practiced communication skills like deliberating effectively, collaborating within their parties, and graciously accepting election results.

Another course highlight was our visit to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, where we met Kristyn Wong-Tam, MPP for Toronto Centre. (Fun fact: Kristyn Wong-Tam was instrumental in the creation of our beloved Dr. Lillian McGregor Park across the street!) A memorable part of our field trip was sitting in the gallery while the House was in session, watching MPPs conduct their official business. Inspired by what they saw, students brought some of the issues discussed on the floor back to class for our own debates. Everyone, including teachers, had to hand in their phones for the duration of the field trip, and an unexpected lesson was that students realized they could go without their phones for an entire hour and a half!

As the Civics and Citizenship course comes to a close, students have been reflecting on memorable moments and activities from the course.
Students with Kristyn Wong-Tam

Finally, students practiced making their voices heard by providing feedback on the municipal budget and creating petitions about issues they care about. One student shared, “Making my petition was so fun and heartwarming. Getting teachers’ and family members’ support for harm reduction policies made me feel so validated and like I was doing good for my province.” Students enjoyed the chance to engage in civic action and practiced the art of perspective-taking and relating to one another with understanding.

Building a Roman style Aqueduct

Megan Steciw Experiential Learning, Science and Math

In Middle School, the students collaborated to build a wetland and replica Roman style aqueduct. One student explained, “With hard work and dedication, we made something remarkable.” The students planned, constructed and adjusted the designs in order to model their cross-curricular learning between science and social studies. Together, we have been investigating the features of wetlands including the biodiversity that maintains the cycles within these diverse habitats. The Toronto Wildlife Centre most recently visited the Middle School, delivering the program Kids Go Wild and providing insight on how to protect wildlife in urban spaces including decorating windows and keeping cats indoors.

The students continue to investigate natural wild spaces in the city for inspiration including Ramsden Park. One wetland, explains a student, is more realistic with dirt, seeds, rocks and the sponges represent how the wetland acts as the absorbent for pollutants from the atmosphere. The other wetland is a model of a wetland with plasticine and plastic to represent human impacts on the environment.

For the aqueduct, the students used cardboard, hot glue, and wax paper to construct a functioning system that channels water. A student described their tremendous efforts and how they had “fun” participating in the build. The opportunity encouraged them to maintain their motivation and inspired their individual creativity.