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Labour Negotiations Update (from the TDSB website)
Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) - Due to the ongoing job action, ETFO has directed its members to not prepare report card comments or complete or package progress reports. As a result, we are unable to issue Kindergarten to Grade 8 elementary Progress Report Cards between November 6 and 12, as previously scheduled. Find out more. Read the parent/guardian letter sent today regarding fall Progress Report Cards. ETFO also announced if there is no settlement they will withdraw extra-curricular activities as of October 28. We regret this action as it negatively impacts our students.
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) - A new round of talks is scheduled to begin on October 27, 2015.
Ontario Secondary Students Teachers' Federdation (OSSTF) Support Staff - Not Teachers - A new round of talks is scheduled to begin on Monday, October 26, 2015.
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) - The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) has ratified its agreement with the provincial government. Now the TDSB and OSSTF will work towards a local agreement.
The continued withdrawal of services by ETFO and CUPE is having an impact on the normal operations of our schools.At the TDSB, we have nearly 11,000 ETFO teachers and 15,000 CUPE staff currently taking part in work-to-rule job action. This means that the only staff inside an elementary school that are not working-to-rule are Principals and/or Vice-Principals. It is not business as usual. It is simply NOT possible for elementary Principals/Vice-Principals to perform the many duties and tasks that are performed by ETFO and CUPE staff on a daily basis. It is OPSBA's goal to negotiate fair and equitable collective agreements through this new process. Our priority continues to be the improvement of student achievement and well-being. We remain hopeful that negotiated contract agreements with these unions can be achieved in the very near future to bring an end to the labour action and return schools to normal for our students’ sake.
The TDSB will continue to update parents and guardians on the implications of the work-to-rule and partial withdrawal of services in our schools. For more information and updates visit www.tdsb.on.ca/labour.
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Yonge-Eglinton Program Area Review
There will be a second public meeting (with the same information that was presented on October 20th at 7:00 p.m. at Hodgson Sr. PS) on Tuesday, October 27th at 7:00 p.m. at Forest Hill CI (730 Eglinton Avenue West). The meetings will give parents, guardians, and community members an opportunity to review, provide feedback, and ask questions about a number of potential program and accommodation solutions that are being examined by the Program Area Review Team (PART) to cope with enrolment pressures in the Yonge-Eglinton area.
A response to some questions posed at the first meeting can be found on my website.
More detailed analysis of this model (as well as materials provided at all working meetings) can be found on the TDSB website: Yonge-Eglinton Review.
A document containing answers to ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ regarding this review can also be found on the website, under ‘Helpful Information’.
The Program Area Review Team`s next public meeting (presentation recommendations will be shared at a final meeting on Tuesday, November 17th at 7:00 p.m. at Hodgson Sr. PS.
Capital Funding Announcement for the Rebuilding of Davisville Jr Public School!
Thanks to Dr Eric Hoskins, I have permission to share the News Release below in advance of tomorrow! I am over the moon that the province has announced capital priority funding to rebuild Davisville Jr Public School! As the province was announcing this funding riding by riding, we will not fully understand the total amount of this round of capital funding the TDSB has received - that should be known by the first few weeks in November - but for now, with this funding for Davisville, there is a strong possibility that the redevelopment concept with the severing of land can be rescinded… further, with the $14.7 provided to the board, it actually enhances the opportunity to work with Councillor Josh Matlow and the City on a community centre as part of the rebuild. I simply cannot thank the Davisville community (special thanks to Principal Farrelly, Lisa and John) enough for your patience and support through the years - and I am thrilled to work with you on the next process that builds the school! Stay tuned...
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| N E W S R E L E A S E Province commits $14.7M for new Davisville Jr. Public School For October 26, 2015 TORONTO—St. Paul’s MPP Dr. Eric Hoskins today announced $14,742,268 in provincial funding for a new Davisville Junior Public School.
“As a growing area of our community, Davisville was a personal priority of mine,” said Dr. Hoskins. “Our government continues to support local students with better schools for better learning. This is a substantial investment for Davisville students and their families.” This provincially-funded project will accommodate 728 elementary students and a new Full-Day Kindergarten class. "We are so pleased that the province is funding this priority project within the TDSB—the Davisville / Spectrum students, parents and community look forward to programming in a facility that meets their needs,” said Shelley Laskin, TDSB Trustee, Ward 11. MPP Hoskins added: "I want to thank the countless members of our community who have been advocating for this project, including Trustee Shelley Laskin and Councillor Josh Matlow. I'm proud to have worked with all of them to deliver a new school here in St. Paul's." Ontario is providing school boards across the province with over $11 billion to help build new schools in areas of high growth, improve the condition of existing schools and invest in projects to reduce surplus space through school consolidations. “Our government is proud to invest in capital projects that are supporting students by giving them improved facilities and greater opportunities to learn in a high-quality environment,” said Education Minister Liz Sandals.- - 30 -
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Items of Interet at the Board Meeting, Wednesday, October 28
The agenda is posted here.
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Trustee Vacancy in Ward 21 (Scarborough-Rouge River) – the board will vote to fill the vacancy left by the election of Shaun Chen to Member of Parliament by either election or appointment. -
Toronto Lands Corporation: Bannockburn: Update on Disposition – the TLC is recommending to continue with the severance and work with the City of Toronto to create a parkland for the Bannockburn community.
Committee Reports
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Procedure for the Election of TDSB Parent/Guardian Representatives and Alternates on the Parent Involvement Advisory Committee -
Placement of Students in Secondary Gifted Intensive Support Programs – the recommendation is that the placement of students with a gifted exceptionality in secondary Gifted Intensive Support Programs (ISPs) be based on home address and be determined through an IPRC review process; That students currently in existing 2015-16 secondary ISPs be unaffected and remain in their current school until graduation or withdrawal from the program; and that the new placement process begin in the 2015-16 school year, in time for the September 2016-17 school year. -
School Safety and Engaged Communities – the staff update on the 41 recommendations was received. -
De-streaming at the Grade 9 Level - the recommendation is that the Director present a report to the Program and School Services Committee on the recommendations made in the report “Sifting, Sorting and Selecting”. -
Expansion of Focus on Youth into an After-School Job Program – the recommendation is for the Director to present a report on this expansion including recommendations for securing and operationalizing funds from the Ministry of Education. -
Proposal for Mandarin and English Bilingual Education – the recommendation is that the Chair write to the Ministry of Education to request that the TDSB be permitted to start the program. -
Amended Licence Agreement for Artificial Outdoor Ice Rink Between the City of Toronto and the Toronto District School Board at Hodgson Senior Public School – this is great news for our community – the recommendation is community use hours expand
Notices of Motion
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January as Tamil Heritage Month (Trustees Kandavel and Stiles) -
City of Toronto, Poverty Reduction Strategy (Trustees Arp and Story) -
October, Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month (Trustees Arp and Brown)
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New Invitations
Supper with Syria
On November 29th, a few Ward 21 and area residents will be hosting Supper with Syria at Wychwood Barns in the hope of raising $70,000 to bring two Syrian families to Ward 21. Please join the community for this special evening as Syrian and Canadian chefs come together to prepare traditional Syrian dishes and share personal stories of home cooking and culinary traditions. It will also be an opportunity for the Toronto Syrian community to connect with ours and share their culture, history, music and tales of a once flourishing country.
For information on tickets and how to get involved, please e-mail info@supperwithsyria.org.
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Holocaust Education Week Nov 2-9, 2015
The Neuberger’s annual signature event, Holocaust Education Week 2015 explores Liberation: Aftermath & Rebirth in honour of the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. More than 100 multidisciplinary programs across the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding region explore the theme and the diversity of experiences in the aftermath of liberation.
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Kindness Week - The Human Kindness Project Sunday, March 1 – Friday, March 6, 2015
It started with a simple idea – give students the platform to demonstrate their innate kindness and let the rest of Toronto celebrate their actions. In two short years this idea has grown from 3,000 students participating in Year 1, 7,000 students in Year 2 and a planned 12,000 students for the third annual Kindness Week. And we're looking to go Canada-wide!
To help us achieve our goal, we are holding a movie night fundraiser - the movie is a 45 minute documentary titled Teaching the Life of Music about Venezuelan children who rise out of their slums by being given musical instruments and instruction. The movie is Monday, November 16th at the Cineplex Empress Walk (between Sheppard and Finch). See https://www.facebook.com/events/898497920235290/ for more detail. Tickets are $20. If you can't go yourself, please consider buying one and sending a student!
More information on Kindness Week will follow.
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Worth Repeating
tdsbCARES: Refugee Crisis Appeal - This TDSB fundraising appeal will run until December 11. The federal government has announced that they will match all eligible donations made by that date (up to $100 million) and set aside each dollar in its own Syria Emergency Relief Fund. For more information or to make a donation online, please visit the TDSB website at www.tdsb.on.ca and click on the Refugee Crisis Appeal banner. With thousands of people impacted by this ongoing crisis, the need is great. With that in mind, we are asking students, staff, parents and our school communities to do what they can. No gift is too small or insignificant. Your donations are much appreciated.
High School Information Nights - To help you make an informed decision when choosing a high school, TDSB schools host open houses and information nights for parents and grade 8 students each year. Open houses take place between October and January and are an opportunity to learn everything you need to know about our incredible variety of schools, programs and courses. This link shows all the open houses.
French Immersion & Extended French Timelines - A reminder that the TDSB guarantees an offer of placement in the Early French Immersion or Junior Extended French program (not a specific school) to all on-time applicants. Timelines for the application process to French Immersion and Extended French programs for September 2016 are as follows: - Early French Immersion (EFI): Families must apply on-line (for a JK aged child) between November 2nd 2015 and December 3rd 2015;
- Junior Extended French or Middle Immersion: Families must apply on-line (for a child currently in Grade 3) between January 4th and January 28th 2016.
For further information, please click here.
People for Education – Making Connections 2015 – Saturday, November 7, 2015
Rotman School of Management, 105 St. George Street, Toronto - Special Guest. Dr Allan Sears, Professor of Social Studies Education at the University of New Brunswick, and the lead researcher for the citizenship domain in People for Education’s Measuring What Matters project. Click here for informtion and to register.
9th Annual Parent Conference – November 14, 2015 - TDSB’s Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC) is currently organizing the 9th annual Parent Conference. This is a wonderful conference for parents – you have the ability to attend a variety of workshops that can help you understand your child’s school and the system.
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