Toronto police have once again reached out to local high school students for help in finding new leads in the case of missing teen Mariam Makhniashvili who was last seen more than a month ago.

Investigators have gone beyond speaking to her classmates at Forest Hill Collegiate by holding assemblies at two other schools in mid-town Toronto on Thursday morning.

"The focus of this presentation today is to keep Mariam in the hearts and minds of yourselves and beyond the walls of the school," Det. Sgt. Dan Nealon told students at Northern Secondary School as he asked them to focus on a slide show being presented behind him that displayed dozens of pictures of the missing girl and her belongings.

Nealon said is to see if students can remember seeing Makhniashvili or her knapsack in the area of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue in the days after Sept. 14 - the day she disappeared.

Her schoolbag was found on Oct. 8 in a laneway behind 120 Eglinton Avenue East, about three kilometres from where she was last seen.

The laneway connects to Roehampton Avenue and is a popular hangout spot for students who attend both Northern Secondary and North Toronto Collegiate.

Though police were notified in October that the bag was found, witnesses have since said they had spotted it in the area for about three weeks before it was eventually turned over to authorities.

Makhniashvili was last seen by her brother George as they walked to Forest Hill Collegiate together the morning of Sept. 14.

The girl, who was carrying her backpack, said she would be going into the school through a separate entrance but her teachers say she never made it to class that day and hasn't been seen since.

The siblings were new to the country, having moved to Toronto from the Republic of Georgia in June. They came to Canada to join their parents after being separated from them for the past five years.

Police say the girl was enrolled in ESL classes but knows enough English to get by.

Nealon said Makhniashvili's brother remembers calling out "I'll see you later," as she walked away.

Forensic testing

Nealon told the students that the girl's bag was opened when it was found as if someone had rummaged through it. Her school books that were inside and the bag itself have been sent for forensic testing, he said.

However, he warned it would be a long process before authorities can determine if her belongings hold any vital forensic clues.

"As you can understand, these were not new text books," he said. "Many students have leafed through those books several times."

Students at the schools had the opportunity to ask Nealon questions about the case. They were urged to call Toronto Police's 53 Division, Crime Stoppers or their school officials if they have any information pertaining to the case.

"Our task force has worked tirelessly throughout the last four weeks and now we're entering the fifth week," he said. "We would appreciate any assistance you can give us in this matter. All we need is some light to point us in the right direction."

Makhniashvili was last seen wearing black jeans with front and back pockets and buttons as well as a baby blue, long-sleeved v-neck shirt. She was wearing a waist-length blue jean jacket and was carrying an oversized, used black backpack with a silver stripe that was hastily painted over in green.

The teen is described as being white, 5'3" with light brown, shoulder-length hair and brown eyes.

People with information are asked to contact police at 416−808−5300, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416−222−TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, or text TOR and a message to CRIMES (274637).

With a report from CTV Toronto's Michelle Dube