Dear Students, Parents and Caregivers,
Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP)
We are proud to launch the updated MYSP, Inspiring Minds & Shaping Futures: Our Multi-Year Commitment to Student Success (2024-2028), which sets direction and identifies system goals to support the TDSB’s 238,000 students and nearly 600 schools. To learn, please visit the webpage at www.tdsb.on.ca/MYSP.
New Special Education and Inclusion Video Resource
I am pleased to share this video resource, which provides a high-level overview of TDSB’s Guide to Special Education for parents/guardians/caregivers, which includes information about programs and services for students with special education needs. We encourage families to review the complete guide on the TDSB website, along with several other guides.
Calling New and Soon-To-Be Parents! Roots of Empathy Instructor Volunteers Needed
This is a truly exciting opportunity for new and soon-to-be parents! See firsthand how bringing a baby into a classroom of children is helping to instill lifelong empathy. How does it work? Your baby, known as a “tiny teacher”, is 2-4 months old at the start of the school year, and you are matched with a local school in your neighbourhood as well as a Roots of Empathy Instructor who will support you in and out of the classroom. The program follows the course of the school year with monthly visits. To find out more, please watch this short video to see how you and your baby in a classroom teach empathy to students, or visit the Roots of Empathy website for more information on how to get involved.
Cell Phone/Mobile Device Use in Schools Policy Update
With the Work Plan approved at the Board Meeting on Wednesday, May 22, the pre-consultation phase of policy development will begin next week, which includes gathering input from staff and school and community partners.
Pre-consultation will include an online survey, which will be live on the TDSB website beginning early next week. Plans are also being finalized for two live webcasts to provide information and answer questions about the policy and its development.
Professional Activity (PA) Days
As you know, beginning this school year, boards of education are now required to publicly share detailed information about PA Days. All information and details will be posted to www.tdsb.on.ca/PAdays at least 14 days in advance of the scheduled PA Day. The next PA Day is scheduled for Friday, June 7, 2024.
Semester 1 e-Learning Day School Registration
Students are asked to connect with their home school Guidance Counsellors to complete their registration.
Asian Heritage Month
The TDSB proudly recognized Asian Heritage Month at the TDSB during the month of May. This year’s theme was Our Journeys: Thriving Through Struggle and Triumph. The volunteer committee assembled various educational opportunities and resources for our students, staff and wider TDSB community.
Jewish Heritage Month
The TDSB proudly recognized as Jewish Heritage Month by the Toronto District School Board. This year, the Jewish Heritage Committee developed lesson plans and activities for students K-3 using the book, The Mouse Who Danced the Hora by Pamela Mayer, illustrated by Christine Davenier, to teach diversity and equity through Jewish wedding traditions, and learning to dance the Hora.
Update on Special Education and Inclusion for 2023-2024 School Year
This school year (2023-24), there are 41,075 students of a total 238,106 students (17% of total TDSB student population) with special education needs (formally identified as well as having an Individual Education Plan or IEP only). Of the 41,075, 17,501 or 43% are formally identified with exceptionalities as defined by the Ontario 2 Ministry of Education, while 23,574 or 57% have IEPs, but no exceptionality.
Inclusion Ontario Regulation 181/98 requires school boards to consider placing students with exceptionalities into regular classes with appropriate special education supports before considering placement in special education classes. Students who are welcomed, included and supported in neighbourhood schools in age-appropriate, regular classes are able to learn, contribute and participate in all aspects of school life.
In the TDSB, we continue to be responsive to the understanding that some students may require more specialized or intensive programs and services. This school year, of the 17,501 students with exceptionalities, 41% (7,193 students) are in regular classes, while 59% (10,308 students) are in special education classes. When all students with SEN are considered (i.e., including the 23,574 IEP-only students), 75% (30,767 students) are in regular programming, while 25% (10,308 students) are in special education classes.
Employability Skills for Students with Special Education Needs
TDSB continues to support students with special education needs with experiential learning opportunities both within and outside of schools and classrooms. Our central co-operative education programs provide work experiences for students.
The SPEEL (Special Education Experiential Learning) Team supports students with developmental disabilities to reach their full potential through their successful participation in experiential learning opportunities and appropriate transition planning. During the 2023-24 school year, the SPEEL team has supported more than 120 students to attend six-week blocks of placements in a wide variety of employment sectors from retail to library to recreational center work placements. Through liaisons with community networks and our work with special education teachers, we facilitate the transitions from secondary school to appropriate post-secondary opportunities.
TDSB’s Canadian Space Resource Centre
The Science & Technology, STEM, and Robotics Department operates the Canadian Space Resource Centre (CSRC), which provides immersive virtual tours of the solar system using a Digital Star Lab, an inflatable, mobile planetarium enabling virtual solar system tours. Additionally, the CSRC offers vital safety guidelines, educational materials and system resources related to astronomical events, such as solar eclipses and the Artemis II mission (e.g., eclipse resources developed and available through the Library and Learning Resources public landing page). It further enriches learning with 25 unique, grade-tailored virtual space presentations covering topics from orbits and rotations to galaxies and nebulas.
