Box 308, Watson Lake, Yukon, Y0A 1C0
Phone: (867) 536-2501 Fax: (867) 536-2518
Home Of The Bears
Our Student's, Staff and Community Welcome you to Watson Lake Secondary School, Watson Lake, Yukon.
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Watson Lake Secondary School is located on the Traditional Territory of the Kaska People and the Liard First Nation. Our school is a place of opportunity for all, where each and every one of our students has the opportunity to make the very most of his or her talents. We strive to provide excellent academic instruction at all levels of ability, as well as a rich variety of co-curricular and extracurricular activities from sports teams to student council. We are also always on the lookout for opportunities outside the school and have sent WLSS students all over the territory and the country for sports activities, leadership conferences and national competitions including Skills Canada. Our goal is for all of our students to find success in a way that is meaningful to their career plan. We are all proud to be Watson Lake Secondary School Bears! MIDA'S RETIREMENT
CONGRATULATIONS ON OVER 20 YEARS OF SERVICE TO WLSS WLSS hosted a retirement party for respected Elder and longtime staff member Mida Donnessey. Mida retired in the summer of 2018 after approximately 20 years teaching and assisting in the Kaska class. She worked with Ms. McDonald, teaching cultural skills as well as language. Her party was well attended by staff, students and people from the community. Sharon Shadow, Flora Asp and Tammy Stoneman, from First Nations Programs and Partnership Department at YTG, came to Watson Lake to join us for the celebration. Mida is always welcome to our school, to visit and be with us. On behalf of myself, our staff, students and former students, I would like to say soga senla
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TEAM
FOR WINNING THE RURAL VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TONIGHT WITH A BIG WIN OVER DAWSON! 
BADMINTON
Wednesdays 6 PM IN THE GYM 
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Important Dates
Quick Links
Watson Lake Secondary Library Online Kaska Dena Council Watson Lake Secondary School Weather Online Yukon Native Language Centre - Kaska Emergency Procedures fentanyl_info_sheet_oct_2018.pdf Kaska 8 Birch Bark Basket making
Ms.McDonaldʼs Kaska 8 class took part in a wonderful opportunity offered by LAWS (Liard Aboriginal Womenʼs Society) the week of November 5th to the 8th. Two ladies from Ft.Liard led the workshop in teaching Birch Bark Basket making. This was an intense class demonstrating a lot of new skills working with birch bark as well as porcupine quills. It requires a lot of patience and focus to make the colour flowers and to secure the basket with sinew and root. The Kaska 8 class did a wonderful job and they were assisted by Ms.McDonald and Mrs. Rotondi. Thank you to LAWS for giving us this opportunity to learn this wonderful art. 
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CANNABIS INFORMATION
Cannabis legalization information for parents
As of October 17, cannabis will be legal in Canada. We continue to work with school communities to ensure students have the information they need to make healthy choices and stay safe.
Legal age for cannabis
The legal age to use, possess, cultivate or purchase cannabis is 19 years of age. As an adult, if you have any cannabis or cannabis plants, you are legally responsible for ensuring children who are under 19 do not have access to cannabis or cannabis plants that may be in your possession.
Cannabis legalization and schools
Drug and alcohol education, including cannabis, continues to be part of Yukon’s school curriculum. The curriculum has grade-appropriate learning outcomes about the risks of harmful substances to support students in making safe and healthy life choices. We are providing more information to school staff about cannabis legalization and health effects to ensure students are receiving current information.
The use of cannabis continues to be prohibited on school grounds. If a student is found to be using cannabis at school, the school principal will notify the parents and determine the appropriate action, which may include counselling by qualified school staff or outside agencies, and/or disciplinary action.
Some of the health effects of cannabis
The health risks of cannabis use are higher in younger users and when used more often and for longer periods of time.
Cannabis use can be harmful for youth brain development until the age of 25. Its use has been linked to the development of psychosis and schizophrenia, especially when use begins in adolescence and there is a family history of these illnesses.
Cannabis can be addictive. About 1 in 11 people who use cannabis will become addicted. That risk rises to about 1 in 6 for people who started using cannabis as a teen. Visit the Government of Canada’s cannabis website at canada.ca/cannabis to learn more about the health effects of cannabis.
Substance use supports
School counselors are available at all of our schools to provide students with guidance and advice around healthy decision making and avoiding risky and unsafe situations. We also work with Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services to offer more in-depth counselling to students.
If you suspect your child is having problems with drugs or alcohol, you can talk with your school about getting help from a school counsellor or contact Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services at 867-456-3838.
Talk with your child
Conversations about cannabis and other substances needs to happen both in school and at home. It is important to speak with your child about cannabis to help them make informed decisions to keep themselves safe and healthy.
- Be open, calm and ask questions. Do not blame, shame or lecture.
- Ask what they have heard about cannabis and other substances.
- Children are experts about their worlds. Listen and learn.
- Tell them you care about them. Speak from your heart.
- Help them make healthy decisions. Focus on your concern for their safety.
Find out more
For more information on how we are educating students about the risk of cannabis and other drugs, visit www.education.gov.yk.ca/drug_education.html or speak with your child’s teacher. For more information about cannabis legalization in Yukon, visit yukon.ca/cannabis or see the key things Yukoners need to know about cannabis video at youtu.be/N1v2BLibNqc.
Homework Club
3:30 PM in the Library
Monday to Thursday Weekly
3:30 PM in the Library
Monday to Thursday Weekly
