navigating the west Toronto high school options for your grade 8 student

My youngest daughter is in grade 8 so I am doing this all over again, but as with everything, it is looking a lot different this year! Due to covid, all of the Toronto high school open houses are virtual this year, but we are still logging in and weighing our options. She will be graduating from Karen Kain School of the Arts (KKSA) so ESA is an option, as well as our home school and some of the specialty programs that are offered at other high schools, such as UFA and Western Tech. I will let you know how it goes!

Here is our annual guide to all the (virtual) open houses, programs, key dates and application deadlines for many of the West Toronto high schools.

Specialty Programs & Key Dates

Bishop Allen Academy (Catholic)

• Congregated Advanced Placement Program - an internationally recognized program that fosters success in higher education by encouraging students to develop critical thinking skills at the highest level

• application & strong academic performance in grades 7 & 8 required - applications are available as of October 8th and are due October 29th. Notification of acceptance to specialty programs is on November 27th (wave 1) & December 4th (wave 2)

Bloor Collegiate - Open house November 16th, 6:30-8:30pm

• Talented Offerings in the Programmes of Sciences (TOPS) on Bloor program

• exam required - exam registration starts November 16th and closes November 26th @ 4pm. Exam to be held on December 2nd from 4-6pm

• Bloor Collegiate also provides the following programs: advanced placement (AP), math & science focus (MST), pre-advanced placement (Pre-AP) and specialist high skills major (SHSM)

Etobicoke Collegiate - Open House November 26th, 7pm

• they offer a specialist high skills major (SHSM)

• students must live within the school's catchment to attend the regular program

Etobicoke School of the Arts - Open house November 16th, 7-9pm

• arts focus in dance, drama, music & film

• applications are available November 9th and the online application submission deadline is December 9th

• acceptance dependent on audition - virtual auditions are being held January 15th, 2021. Offers of admission will be emailed in early February 2021

Father John Redmond (Catholic) - Virtual Open House

• Congregated Advanced Placement Program (CAP)

• Regional Arts Program (RAP) - applications available as of October 8th and are due October 28th (online) or October 29th (paper). Portfolio/Audition videos must be uploaded by November 13th and auditions will be conducted from November 18-20. Notification of acceptance is on November 27th (wave 1) & December 4th (wave 2).

• Gifted & Enrichment Program

• Update: apparently they have changed their application process and you can only apply to CAP if you have been accepted into Father Redmond through a feeder school or into the Regional Arts Program

Humberside Collegiate

• extended french & french immersion programs for students coming from feeder schools

• students in the english program must live within the school's catchment to attend

Martingrove Collegiate - Open house November 24th, 6:30 & 7:45

• they offer advanced placement (AP) and specialist high skills major (SHSM)

• students must live within the school's catchment to attend the regular program

Parkdale Collegiate - Open house November 18th, 7pm

• International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme

• applications are due December 18th

• IB Entrance Assessment also required

• they also offer: LEAP (LP) and specialist high skills major (SHSM) programs

Richview Collegiate - Open house November 24th, 7-9pm (french) and November 25th, 7-9pm (english)

• extended french & french immersion programs for students coming from feeder schools

• students in the english program must live within the school's catchment to attend

Runnymede Collegiate - Open house December 2nd, 6pm

• Masters of Math, Science & Technology Program

• application, ‘all about me’ application and exam required - applications available soon

Ursula Franklin Academy

• Integrated technology & academics for the real world with a focus on 5 core values: spirit of inquiry, democracy, social justice, community of learners, and connected knowledge

• application required - applications due January 29th

• if the number of eligible students exceeds the number of spaces available, a lottery will be held the first week of February and acceptance letters will be sent out February 12, 2021 and must be accepted by February 26th

Western Technical-Commercial School - Open house November 19th, 7pm

• Specialized High Skills Majors (SHSM) in leadership, design studio, engineering robotics & hospitality studies

• applications are available on-line and are due by January 29, 2021

• they also offer: LEAP (LP), Cyber Arts (CA) and Cisco/Nortel Systems (C/N Sys)

Please click here, for a list of open houses at all TDSB schools.  Happy open housing and the best of luck to all of you.....high school is a whole other post ;).

Best of the West: Lace Up Your Skates

Okay, I’ll admit it, I don’t love winter, but living in Toronto you really only have two choices, embrace it or complain about it. In the spirit of embracing the cold, this month’s Best of the West is about the best outdoor skating rinks in Toronto’s west end.

I find that if I do embrace winter (and dress warmly!), I actually end up enjoying myself. It’s just the getting out of the warm house that is the struggle! Skating really is such a great winter activity though, not only is it inexpensive but it’s also a fabulous way to spend time with the family or a group of friends. So, where are the best places in the west end to embrace the winter and lace up those skates?

High Park

There is a busy ice rink in the middle of High Park where you can take in the natural scenery and do a few laps around the rink. It is also a popular spot for pick-up games of shinny. I did love to skate on Grenadier Pond when the ice was thick enough to do so, but unfortunately due to budget cuts, the city is no longer monitoring the ice so skating there is now a no-no.

The Bentway

I think our city gets high marks for this ingenious addition that was added in January 2018. It is a 220-metre figure eight that is located under the Gardiner Expressway on the lands of Fort York National Historic Site, running from just east of the Fort York Visitor Centre (250 Fort York Blvd) to Bastion St. There is also a winter village that sells beverages, warming stations and free skate rentals on Thursdays, courtesy of Billy Bishop Airport. Thanks to The Bentway not-for-profit and the CBC, skating this year has been extended until March 22nd and is open from 5-9pm weekdays and 12-9pm on weekends.

The Bentway, photo credit: @bbishopairport

rennie park

Located in Swansea, this popular west end destination has both a hockey rink and a skating trail. The skating trail is built around a tree and has no fences making it popular late at night, particularly with teenagers. The hockey rink has proper boards, a scoreboard and sound system. There's also a large change room and observation room.

dufferin grove park

Embrace the community spirit at these two side-by-side ice rinks, one dedicated to informal hockey games and one to leisurely skating. Skate rentals are also available on the cheap. Located on the east side of Dufferin, across from Dufferin Mall.

colonel sam smith park

It may be crowded, but it’s worth it! This figure eight trail provides an alternative to the typical rinks found in the city. It is located in south Etobicoke, at Kipling and Lakeshore, and has a picturesque trail, free parking and indoor change areas.

Colonel Sam Smith Skate Trail, photo credit: City of Toronto

trinity bellwoods park

A popular destination for shinny, this outdoor rink is located in Trinity Bellwoods Park, south of Dundas, on Gore Vale Avenue. This popular park has it all, including an artificial rink that attracts winter enthusiasts of all ages.

nathan phillips square

It may not be located in the west end, but we can’t talk about outdoor skating without mentioning the grand-daddy of them all, the beautiful rink at Nathan Phillips Square. It is totally worth tackling the crowds to take part in this very Toronto pastime. With the big Toronto sign in the background, it is a fabulous way to spend a winter afternoon or evening, and a great date night destination. It also features a snack bar, skate rentals, skating lessons and DJ skates.

So lace up those skates #westsiders and I hope to see you out there!

A look back at our west end business spotlights from 2019

As the first month of 2020 comes to an end, we thought it'd be fun to look back at the amazing west end Toronto business owners we highlighted in 2019. These women were so much fun to interview and spend time with. We wish them continued success and happiness this year.

Vicki Bell The Little Paper Toronto

Vicki Bell is the owner of The Little Paper, a local mama, a city girl, a nature lover and continues to find time to give back so much to the west end she calls home. We loved doing a spotlight on her, you can read it here.

Amy Montemurro Kid Kind

Amy Montemurro is the proud owner of KidKind, a local business focused on educational programming, workshops, camps and spreading kindness.

Lauren PIncente Wildhood Toronto

If you haven't been to Wildhood yet, go now. And if you are lucky you'll get to meet Lauren Pincente the owner and florist extraordinaire.

Julie Sousa Annette Street Music

We have had the pleasure of working with Julie Sousa for the past 8 years and she still greets us with the same warm smile every week. If you are looking for music lessons in the west end of Toronto, look no further/ Annette Street Music offers a variety of classes for all levels of musical interet.

Jennifer Slauenwhite Queens Fitness Toronto

Jennifer Slauenwhite pushes women to become their best selves at her west end fitness studio Queens Fitness. We love her motto that fitness is not about being better than someone else, it is about being better than you used to be.

What a great roundup of amazing entrepreneurs who are all doing their part to make our communities shine. If you know of any west end business owners that deserve to be in spotlight let us know. We'd love to meet them!

Christmas Countdown | Days 21 - 24

Thanks for joining in on our holiday countdown again this year. We have all had a busy month and we are 4 days away from our 2019 countdown finishing up. We are easing in to Christmas this week spending time with family and spreading some holiday cheer. Here's what we'll be up to over the next four days.

Thank you for a wonderful 2019. Enjoy the holidays with your loved ones and we'll see you in the New Year. xo

Christmas Countdown | Days 16 - 20

How is there just over a week until Christmas? I’m being reminded constantly how many more sleeps until the big day (nine in case you are wondering). Is the excitement building with you and yours? There is still time left to lend a helping hand and show our gratitude. Here’s what we’ll be up on Days 16-20. 

Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20

Pop back on the 21st for our last four days of the 2019 WSS Christmas Countdown!

Christmas Countdown | Days 6 - 10

Will it be a white Christmas? It's quite the winter wonderland this morning here in Toronto so if this weather keeps up, it just might be. The next few days are about taking the time for family and passing along some holiday cheer to others. These few days should have you feeling jolly in no time. Have fun!

Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10

Can't wait to see you on the 11th!

Christmas Countdown | Days 1 - 5

It’s December 1st today and that means it's the first day of our WSS 2019 Christmas Countdown. We are so excited about our advent calendar and hope you will follow us here and on Instagram to see what we are up to everyday.

Starting out with Days 1-5 we have a very special surprise for you. We are giving away two tickets to see the award winning musical Hamilton in Toronto! That's right, something to look forward to all winter long. If you'd like to enter, here is how to do so:

1. Like us on Instagram &/or Facebook

2. Like at least 4 posts during our West Side Storeys Christmas Countdown which runs from today until December 24th

3. Comment by tagging a friend in all 4 posts that you've liked

4. Follow along & participate in at least 4 activities during the countdown by tagging us @westside_storeys and using the hashtag #westsider

That’s it, easy peasy!  Everyone who fulfills the 4 conditions above will be entered into a draw to win 2 tickets to see Hamilton in Toronto in April 2020 ($500 value). 

As well, anyone who bought, sold, referred or was the subject of one of our business spotlights will be automatically entered to win!  The draw will take place on January 6th, 2020. Best of luck to everyone!

Alright, let's do this, here is what we'll be up to on Days 1 - 5.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Advent Calendar

Stay warm, have fun and countdown to Christmas with us west-end style!

See you on December 6th!