Information for Families of New Student Registrants to the HDSB

Dear parents/guardians,

As parents/guardians of new student registrants at the Halton District School Board (HDSB), you will soon be receiving a text message (SMS) from SchoolMessenger. SchoolMessenger is the system the HDSB uses to report student absences and send messages to parents/guardians. 

The message will invite you to opt-in to receive text messages from the Halton District School Board. The message will request that you reply “Y” to opt-in to receive text notifications regarding your child’s attendance at school. 

By replying “Y” to the opt-in text message, you will be subscribed to receive notifications by text about your child’s attendance. If you take no action with the text message, you will not receive text message notifications from the HDSB. No repeat invitations will be sent. If you wish to receive text message attendance notifications at a later date, you can update your communication preferences on the SchoolMessenger website or app once you create an account with SchoolMessenger in September. 

At the beginning of the school year, parents/guardians of students new to the HDSB will receive further information about the SchoolMessenger system.

SchoolMessenger information/resources: Learn about SchoolMessenger and access Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and training videos on the  SchoolMessenger information webpage of the HDSB website (hdsb.ca). 

Grade 10 Career Coach Initiative Pilot - Spring 2025

We are excited to inform you that in alignment with the Ministry of Education’s announcement in May 2024, Grade 9 and 10 students will be receiving mentorship from community-based Career Coaches. The Career Coach initiative will be a pilot program this year as the Halton Industry Education Council (HIEC) was hired mid-year by the province to oversee this initiative. 

Program Details

Through this program, Grade 10 students will have the opportunity to have at least one 30-minute career coach visit this year to learn about various careers with a focus on local, in-demand career sectors.  Beginning in the Fall, every Grade 9 and 10 student will receive two visits from Career Coaches over the school year.

Career Coaches from a variety of high demand labour market areas across the Halton region will be recruited, vetted and trained by HIEC. These coaches will then meet with HDSB students in small groups to provide insight into regional labour market trends and share their career journey. Parents/guardians that are interested in serving as a Career Coach can learn more here.

Students will have the opportunity to ask questions and reflect on what they have learned from the Career Coach and how it connects to their own post-secondary and career interests as part of their Individual Pathways Plan (IPP). 

Next Steps

In the coming weeks, your school will be in touch with additional information about how and when Career Coach visits will take place. Each school has been given the opportunity to create a plan for these visits that meets the needs of their school community. As a result, these visits may look different from school to school.  

Questions

Should you have any questions about the Career Coach initiative at your school, please reach out to your secondary school Guidance team. For any questions about how the initiative is being organized across the Halton District School Board, please email Lisa Galay, Secondary Instructional Program Leader for Student Supports and Regional Programs at galayl@hdsb.ca.