C.H. Norton Public School - The Hawk Highlights

January 19-23, 2026

It’s been another busy and exciting week at CHN! While Thursday’s snow day gave everyone a break from the classroom, students returned on Friday to a school yard full of snow and winter fun. We were also pleased to host the Tour for Humanity on Friday, providing our Grade 6–8 students with a powerful and thought-provoking learning experience.

✨HDSB BUDGET INPUT

The HDSB is seeking input on the 2026-2027 school year budget to help guide decision-making. Parents/guardians, students, staff and community members are invited to provide input on the budget development process through an online survey by Feb. 1 at 4 p.m.

Learn more about the budget development process and provide input on 2026-2027 budget priorities: hdsb.ca/BudgetInput

✨ECO NEWS: BOOMERANG LUNCHES

Starting Monday, January 19, CH Norton will be participating in a week of “Boomerang” lunches. Pack your lunches with reusable containers, and take everything, wrappers, and packaging back home except foodwaste. The Eco club is promoting waste reductionby making families aware of lunch waste and encouraging litterless, healthy, bulk-packed meals.

Our goal is to reduce school landfill waste and teach environmental responsibility by having waste "boomerang" back to its source.

✨CANADA MEETS SPAIN: Exchange Opportunity for 2026 - 2027 School Year (Flyer Link)

Dear Parents / Guardians and Students,

The Halton District School Board in partnership with Canada International Student Placement Inc. (CISPI) and Ken’s Education Group is pleased to offer a reciprocal exchange opportunity to Valencia, Spain during the 2026-2027 school year. Valencia is a coastal city on the Mediterranean Sea.

This program is for students entering Grade 9 or Grade 10 next school year who want to travel and experience international education in a safe comfortable setting with the support of HDSB and our Canadian and Spanish partners in international education.

Exchange programs provide students with valuable cultural and educational experiences in Canada and abroad, fostering international friendships and authentic learning experiences.

Students will live with their matched family and attend school in the Valencia area during the exchange. Tentative dates have the Spanish youth arriving in Canada and living with you for 3 weeks in mid September to early October 2026. Then our HDSB students travel to Spain to be hosted there by participating families for 3 weeks in February of 2027. The cost of this program designed to build respect, integrity, independence, friendship and peace is $2250 + the flight.

A virtual information session is being held on Monday January 26, 2026 at 7:00 pm.

Please confirm your interest in the program and attendance at the virtual information meeting by completing the following Exchange Program Information Session form: https://forms.gle/vkPXfyq3Hcowzu2o7 (a virtual meeting link will be shared with those who have completed the form).

Regards,

HDSB International Student Program

isp@hdsb.ca

✨ CANADA MEETS FRANCE: Exchange Opportunity for 2026 - 2027 School Year (LetterLink)

Dear parents,

CISPI is a designated exchange provider for your school board, and we are pleased to invite students born between 2009 and 2013 to apply for an exciting reciprocal exchange opportunity with students from France in the spring of 2026.

This one-month reciprocal exchange offers Canadian students the chance to attend school and be matched with a

French student of the same gender, similar age, and shared interests. The exchange is structured as follows:

April 2026: Canadian families host their French exchange student
May 2026: Canadian students travel to France and stay with their host family

The cost of the program is $1,950 plus airfare. Accommodation and meals are provided by the host families in both

countries.

The ideal candidate is a mature, open-minded student who is interested in improving their French language skills while being fully immersed in a new culture and school environment.

Please see the link (https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:us:46a479ba-8154-4a6a-88e9-bdbe269906fb) to learn

more about the French students participating in this exchange and to see if there is a potential French “brother” or

“sister” around your age with whom you would be interested in exchanging.

For further information or to express interest in the program, please contact Paul@cispi.ca.

Kind regards,

Paul Brown

CISPI

📌GRADE 2 FRENCH IMMERSION REGISTRATION

How to register for French Immersion

Registration is open from Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 to Jan. 31, 2026. The registration form will open on Dec. 1.

Step 1: Confirm your child’s designated French Immersion school

French Immersion placement is based on your home address. Using the Find My Local School tool on the HDSB website, enter your home address and note the French Immersion school listed for your address. You will need this information when completing the registration form.

Step 2: Ensure your child is registered with the HDSB

If you are receiving this email, your child is registered in the HDSB. If this message was shared with you and your child is not currently an HDSB student, please complete their HDSB school registration online first, prior to registering for French Immersion. Once your child is registered with the HDSB, you can complete the French Immersion registration form (below).

Step 3: Complete the online French Immersion registration form

As of Dec. 1, registration will open and families can complete the French Immersion Registration Google Form by Jan. 31, 2026.

All students registered between Dec. 1 - Jan. 31 will be placed in the French Immersion program. No additional steps or confirmations are required at this stage.

SCHOOL COUNCIL UPDATES

✨School Council Meeting

Our School Council Meeting was to take place on Thursday, however, due to the Snow Day was cancelled.

📌COBS Bread Bakery

You can support School Council initiatives by buying fresh bread and other baked goods at COBS Bread, 3450 Dundas St. at the corner of Walkers Line (the Longo's plaza). Tell them you belong to the C.H. Norton School community, and a portion of your purchase will go towards school fundraising at the end of the school year. Last year’s profit from this fundraiser was $300.00.

📌 Mabel's Labels

You can support School Council fundraising initiatives while purchasing durable labels for your kids' stuff through Mabel's Labels. Follow this link and search for "C. H. Norton" and a portion of your purchases will go towards school fundraising. https://mabelslabels.ca/en_CA/fundraising/support/. These labels are a great way to identify all your child’s belongings that stay at the school. This fundraiser contributes approx. $100 per year to our school initiatives.

📌Kidssentials

Kidssentials is catering pre-ordered hot lunches for C.H. Norton students on Thursdays. Order from their large variety of menu items the week before to ensure delivery. The menu for our school is now live on the portal. Please click here for additional information, including registration information for families new to the program, program info and their cancellation policy.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Jan 26th PA Day

Feb 4th Grade 8 Photo Day

Feb 16th Family Day

Feb 17th Kindergarten Communication of Learning, Gr 1-8 Report Cards and Alternative Reports Go Home

Feb 19th Band to Musicfest

Feb 23rd Gr 6-8 Ski Trip

January 12-16, 2026

Welcome back! We hope your family had a restful and joyful Winter Break. It has been wonderful to see our hallways buzzing again this week as students reconnect with friends and staff. As we ease back into our school routines, we are taking time to reflect on our learning journey so far and reset our intentions while setting meaningful goals for a bright and inspiring 2026 ahead!

We are also happy to officially debut our new newsletter name, The Hawk Highlights. Proposed and selected by our student body, this refresh reflects the creativity and voice of our students and we are glad to carry it forward. To help you navigate our updates, we are now using symbols in our headings to highlight information at a glance. You can look for ✨ for New Information and 📌 for Repost or Reminder items. We hope this makes our weekly communication even more helpful for your family!

✨ WELCOME MS. MC ARA

Ms. McAra, from Falgarwood Public School in Oakville, will be joining us on February 2nd as our new principal. She is deeply passionate about equity, inclusion, and making sure every student feels seen, valued, and supported. Ms. McAra is looking forward to connecting with students, staff, and families, and to partnering together as we learn, grow, and celebrate along the way.

✨ CHESS SET DONATIONS

In February, Chess Club for Grades 4 and 5 will resume at CHN, offering students a fun and challenging way to sharpen their skills. To help expand participation, we are seeking donations of chess sets. If you have a chess set you'd like to contribute, please send it to the school, care of Ms. Mason. Thank you for supporting our young strategists!

✨ MENTAL HEALTH & WELL-BEING INFORMATION SESSIONS FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS

The HDSB is hosting Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions for parents/guardians this Winter and Spring. Each session will be led by a mental health expert in that area who will share their knowledge and provide helpful information and resources. The upcoming sessions include:

Executive Functions in Teens: How Parents Can Help Students Thrive | Jan. 20
Helping Your Child Build Positive Relationships and Manage Conflict | Jan. 22
Halton ADAPT (Alcohol, Drug and Gambling Assessment, Prevention & Treatment Services) - Exploring Our Services | Jan. 27
AI, Well-Being and the Digital World | Feb. 4
Shaping How Kids Feel About Food: Mindful Language and Everyday Actions | Feb. 10

Registration is required as limited spots are available. Learn more and register: https://tinyurl.com/mryumysd