Academic calendar
Secondary School Year 2026-2027 runs Sep 3, 2026 – Jun 30, 2027. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Secondary School Year 2025-2026
- Secondary School Year 2026-2027Relevant now
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 28 of 28 terms
A
- AC
- Athletic Council, the student group that organizes intramurals and school sports events.
- Athletic Council
- A student organization that helps manage school sports, intramurals, and athletic banquets.
C
- CK
- A common shorthand used by students when referring to the school or the city of Chatham.
- CKSS
- Chatham-Kent Secondary School; the common abbreviation for the school used by students and staff.
- CKSS AA
- Chatham-Kent Secondary School Athletic Association, which oversees school sports teams.
G
- Golden Hawks
- The official mascot and collective name for the student body and athletic teams.
- GSA
- Gender and Sexuality Alliance; a student-led club providing a safe space for LGBTQ+ students and allies.
H
- Hawk High
- A colloquial nickname for the school used by students and alumni.
- Hawk Pride
- A common slogan used to denote school spirit and community involvement.
- Hawks
- The shortened, common nickname for CKSS students and athletes.
I
- Interact
- A student club focused on community service and international humanitarian projects.
L
- LKDSB
- Lambton Kent District School Board; the governing school board for CKSS.
- LKSSAA
- Lambton Kent Secondary Schools' Athletic Association, the regional sports league the school competes in.
M
- Me to We
- A student organization dedicated to social justice and global development initiatives.
S
- SAC
- Student Administrative Council; the student government body responsible for organizing school events and dances.
- SHSM
- Specialist High Skills Major, a specialized program allowing students to focus their learning on specific economic sectors.
T
- The Caf
- The school cafeteria, the primary location for student lunches and social gathering.
- The Creek
- Refers to McGregor Creek, which runs adjacent to the school property and is a common landmark for students.
- The Hawk
- Refers to the school mascot or the general spirit and identity of the school.
- The Hawk's Nest
- The school's spirit store where students purchase Golden Hawks branded apparel and snacks.
- The Nest
- A nickname for the school or the specific student cheering section during home games.
- The Patch
- A regional slang term for the city of Chatham, frequently used by students to describe the local area.
- The Pines
- Refers to Kingston Park, a large wooded park located directly behind the school where students often hang out.
- The Plaza
- The nearby commercial area (Chatham-Kent Centre) where students frequently go for off-campus lunch.
U
- U-Knights
- A student group focused on community service and school spirit initiatives.
- U-Turn
- A student success program and dedicated room providing academic support and credit recovery.
- UCC
- Ursuline College Chatham; the primary cross-town rival school.
- UCC
- Ursuline College Chatham; the cross-town rival high school often mentioned in the context of sports and competitions.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Aspen
- The student information system used to track grades, attendance, and schedules.
- Brightspace
- The digital learning management system (D2L) used by students to access course materials and submit assignments.
- CK
- The common shorthand abbreviation for Chatham-Kent Secondary School.
- CK Transit
- The municipal bus system that provides transportation for students living within the city of Chatham.
- CKSS
- The common shorthand for the entire Chatham-Kent Secondary School building.
- ckss_cafeteria
- CKSS Cafeteria
- CKSTS
- Chatham-Kent Student Transportation Services, the organization that manages school bus routes and delays.
- CLASS
- Chatham-Kent Lambton Administrative School Services; the organization that manages busing and transportation logistics.
- Day 1 / Day 2
- The alternating timetable system used to determine the order of classes each day.
- Edsby
- The primary digital platform and app used by students to track grades, attendance, and school-wide announcements.
- Fog Day
- A common local occurrence where school buses are cancelled due to heavy fog, though the school typically remains open for walkers.
- Large Gym
- The main gymnasium used for major sporting events, assemblies, and physical education.
- Late Start
- Scheduled mornings where classes begin later than the standard time to accommodate staff professional development.
- Learning Commons
- The modernized school library and study area.
- McNaughton
- The street name often used to refer to the school's physical location.
- MyClass
- The student portal used for accessing individual timetables and school records.
- OSSLT
- The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, a provincial exam typically taken in Grade 10 that is a graduation requirement.
- PD Day
- Professional Development days where students have no school while staff attend training sessions.
- School Cash Online
- The mandatory web portal used for paying student fees, purchasing spirit wear, and funding field trips.
- Small Gym
- The secondary gymnasium used for smaller classes and practices.
- STS
- Student Transportation Services, the organization that manages busing and transportation for the Chatham-Kent area.
- Student Card
- The mandatory photo ID required for checking out library books and purchasing tickets for school dances.
- StudentConnect
- The online portal where students check their official grades, attendance records, and timetables.
- Tech Wing
- The section of the school dedicated to technical and vocational courses like automotive and woodworking.
- The 40
- The mandatory 40 hours of community involvement required for students to earn their Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
- The Big Gym
- The primary gymnasium used for major athletic events, assemblies, and physical education.
- The Gym
- The primary athletic facility used for physical education and Golden Hawks home games.
- The Hawk Dome
- A nickname for the main gymnasium, used primarily during home basketball and volleyball games.
- The Large Gym
- The main gymnasium used for major sporting events and assemblies.
- The Learning Commons
- The official and student-used name for the school library and digital resource center.
- The Main Office
- The administrative center where students handle attendance issues, late slips, and official inquiries.
- The Nest
- The school gymnasium, specifically when hosting Golden Hawks athletic events.
- The Pit
- The central, often sunken, common area or cafeteria space where students congregate during breaks.
- The Small Gym
- The secondary gymnasium used for smaller classes and team practices.
- The Tech Wing
- The section of the school dedicated to shops and technical vocational courses.
- The Weight Room
- The specialized fitness facility used by athletes and physical education classes.
- vending_den
- Vending Den
- Virtual Library
- The school's online resource hub for research databases and digital book collections.
- Zone 7
- The specific transportation zone designation for Chatham schools used to check bus delays or cancellations.
- Zone 8
- The specific geographic transportation zone for Chatham; students check this zone for weather-related bus cancellations.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Secondary School Year 2026-2027 runs Sep 3, 2026 – Jun 30, 2027.
- How much campus context is included?
- 28 approved campus terms and 40 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.