This time of year, the office staff of NTCI is busy collecting applications from potential future NTCI Alumni–grade 8 students who would like to spend their next four years at North Toronto. This is nothing new as each year hundreds of applications are received from students out of the North Toronto catchment area.

While students who are “in-district” (i.e. within the catchment area boundaries), are able to simply select North Toronto, those “out-of-district” must apply, even if they are just across the street from an in-district student. To date, the out-of-district applicants from NT’s feeder schools (Deer Park, Glenview and Hodgson) or those with siblings at NTCI have automatically been accepted; the remaining applications are at the mercy of a lottery for placement.

It is ironic that in 2003, when the old NT building was being considered for demolition, the TDSB considered NTCI as a good candidate for rebuilding as it was on the TTC line and would allow out-of-district students, specifically those from the former North York, to attend easily. At that time, it was the norm that over two thirds of the school population came from out-of-district, having won their place at NTCI through the lottery process. In 2009, there were 600 applications for 270 places.

Today, the tables have turned. As more condos are built in the area, the school’s population is more and more in-district. Last year about 500 applications were received for only 200 places; this year will be similar. But unlike the past, fewer and fewer places are available for the lottery.

The TDSB plays it safe and erects signs around new developments saying that moving into the new building does not guarantee that students will be able to attend a local school. So far this has not been the case, but with NT’s enrolment increasing each year, there may soon be a lottery for even feeder school students!

For NT alumni, it’s hard to think about our days at North Toronto without conjuring up memories of Red and Grey Day, Maytime Melodies or receiving the latest copy of Graffiti in homeroom. The same is true for Charity Week, an annual tradition at North Toronto that continues to be a hallmark of NT’s student initiatives.  

Charity Week has certainly changed over the years, but the purpose remains the same. Students choose a charity that they feel passionate about, and often, something that is relevant to the times. Two years ago, students chose Shine Bright, an organization supporting youth struggling with mental health issues, and most recently selected Forests Ontario, an environmental non-profit with a mission to make forests greener and healthier. The students then raise money for the charity through various fundraising events within a dedicated time frame: this year’s Charity Week was the fourth week of January.  

Some of us may recall past Charity Week fundraising events such as the teacher dunk tank, the “lip-sync”, or, the semi-formal at the St. Lawrence Market. However, today’s students have other events including a multi-cultural luncheon hosted by the Classics department, a raffle, and “home form booths” selling everything from pizza to “o-grams” (e.g. sing-o-grams, kiss-o-grams) and services. Not surprisingly, the student service auction no longer exists, likely a sign of these more politically correct times! Regardless, it is wonderful that Charity Week is still very much a part of the North Toronto experience.

At our fall Dragons’ Den session, we awarded funding to various clubs, as well as to the committee organizing the Remembrance Day. We thought you might like to hear from the recipients themselves how much your support means to them, so here’s a sampling of the thank you notes we received:

Good morning, Ron,

I just wanted to say thank you for listening to my pitch about Prom 2018 and for being so generous with the donation. It will strongly benefit the students attending! Thank you for allowing for this opportunity to occur.

Many thanks,

Dear Ron,

On behalf of the Remembrance Day committee, I would like to thank you and the NTCI Foundation for your continued support of the Remembrance Day assemblies. 

These two assemblies have become a fixture in our school and a very memorable, meaningful way to honour the tremendous sacrifice and participation of NT students in the Great Wars of the 20th century, the Korean War, the war in Afghanistan, and modern peacekeeping efforts. We would like to extend to you and any other members of the NT Foundation a personal invitation to attend either of our two services being held at the school on the morning of November 10, 2017. We would be honoured if you could join us.

 A very sincere and heartfelt thank you, 

Dear Mr. Wakelin,

On behalf of the Robotics Team at North Toronto, we’d like to thank you for supporting our team and providing us with monetary funds that are crucial to our team’s success.

We hope that the Robotics Team and the NT Foundation will continue to work closely together in the future to create a strong and welcoming engineering-based club for North Toronto students.

Regards,

Hi Mr. Wakelin,

On behalf on the Graffiti team, thank you so much for the generous funding, it is muchly appreciated. I can’t tell you how important it is to the continued success of Graffiti. Additionally, thank you for organizing such an awesome event, it provides a great opportunity for the students involved to gain skills in a pitch-like environment, amongst other things.

Thanks again,

Dear Mr. Wakelin,

Thank you for taking the time and consideration for funding so many clubs at North Toronto. On behalf of the PAL heads, Spanish Club, and Archery Club, we thank you for the funding. We know we will put it to great use to enhance the NT experience, encourage students to develop many skills, and ensure equity when buying club shirts and vests. 

Again, thank you and all the other alumni so much!