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Statement Re: Crash of Ukraine International Airlines Flight
We are heartbroken to learn that a number of TDSB students and their family members, along with a family member of at least one of our employees are among those who lost their lives in the crash of the Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 in Iran. On behalf of the Toronto District School Board, we offer our sincere condolences to the friends, family, teachers and classmates of the following students:
Sophie Emami, Sr. Kindergarten at Lillian PS
Arsam Niazi, Grade 6 at Pleasant PS
Arnica Niazi, Grade 3 at Finch PS
Maya Zibaie, Grade 10 at Northern SS
Rahmtin Ahmadi, Grade 4 at Muirhead PS
Shahzad Eghbali, Grade 3 at Dallington PS
May their memories be a blessing.
Social work staff are already working with the impacted schools and we are supporting the victims’ loved ones in any way we can. In honour of those who lost their lives, flags at the victims’ schools and all TDSB administrative sites were lowered to half-staff.
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Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience
Presented by Cosburn Parent School Council
Wed, January 29, 2020. 7PM-9PM
Cosburn Middle School
520 Cosburn Ave, in the Den
Adults $5 each (cash at door); Children FREE (with paid adult)
From the director of SCREENAGERS: Growing Up in the Digital Age comes Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience and is about helping young people thrive in our screen and stress-filled world.
Filmmaker and physician Delaney Ruston uses a personal lens and professional eye to help us all flip the script on stress, anxiety, and depression. We follow Delaney as she finds herself at a loss on how to help her own teens as they struggle with their emotional wellbeing. Ruston sets out to understand these challenges in our current screen-filled society, and how we as parents and schools empower teens to overcome mental health challenges and build emotional agility, communication savvy, and stress resilience.
We witness Delaney as she finds her way from ineffective parenting to much-improved strategies. We follow other personal stories of families from an array of backgrounds with a spectrum of emotional challenges. We also observe approaches in schools that provide strategies relevant beyond the classroom setting. Interwoven into the stories are surprising insights from brain researchers, psychologists, and thought-leaders that reveal evidence-based ways to support mental wellness among our youth. The impact of social media and other screen time is incorporated in all the topics raised Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, how it may be impacting our teen’s mental health, and what we can do to help foster youth in the face of struggles.
Film run time: 7PM-8PM
Student-led discussion to follow: 8PM-9PM
Support Cosburn Parent School Council fundraising: Snack Bar available (cash only)
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As noted on the site, Arts education is an essential part of school for students of all ages and we are highlighting some of the most dynamic programming and sought-after programs and schools. Whether dance, drama, media arts, visual arts or music, the TDSB provides students with an incredible variety of options and the opportunity to learn from creative and dedicated staff. That said, equity of access is a major commitment of the Board and we continually review programs and teaching strategies in elementary and secondary schools to ensure that a strong curriculum is being delivered in all areas and serving all students in the best way possible.
On the webpage Chair Robin Pilkey shares a critical message - while highlighting the Board's investments in the arts, she also makes it clear there were budget reductions to all programming in the TDSB and how we must work together to protect the overall quality of public education and the funding we need to provide our students with the programs, services and opportunities they need to succeed. You can find the Chair's full message here https://youtu.be/qunczORHNJM.
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| TDSB Expands Itinerant Music Instructors (IMIs) to More Schools
Starting this school year, the TDSB has expanded its IMI enrichment program to include 17 new schools. As a result of this expansion, more than 1,200 new students will have access to the program through 1,600 new IMI hours.
The expansion of the program is the result of a review of the distribution of IMI hours which found that some schools had a disproportionately high allocation of hours, while others had none. More information, including a list of schools, is available online.
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Financial Assistance for the IB Program
As you know, as part of last year’s budget process when we were faced with unprecedented reductions, the decision was made to begin charging registration fees for the International Baccalaureate program in order to keep the program in the 5 Secondary Schools where is currently runs - Monarch Park CI, Parkdale CI, Sir Wilfrid Laurier CI, Victoria Park CI, and Weston CI. This fee structure, which is in line with what other GTA boards charge for the IB program, covers the cost of running the program (i.e. teacher training, annual dues, program coordination, and participation in IB examinations) and will not result in any extra revenue for the TDSB. Starting in the 2020-21 school year, there will be a registration fee of $1500 per year for Grade 11 and Grade 12. There is no fee for pre-IB (Grades 9 and 10).
In order to ensure equity of access to the program, a financial assistance program has been developed for IB. The TDSB’s IB financial assistance program will be managed by the Business Services department to ensure privacy and confidentiality. The funds for the financial assistance program for IB will come from the TDSB’s Central Equity Fund. If one's family income level is less than $30K the fee of $1500 will be fully covered; if the family income is $30K to $50K, you can receive $1000 of financial assistance ($500 program fee); and if one's family income is between $50K to $75K one can receive $500 of financial assistance ($1000 program fee). In addition to the amounts listed above, families (whose income is $75,000 or less) with three or more children (dependents under the age of 16) are eligible to receive $500 of additional financial support.
The deadline to apply for financial assistance for IB is January 22, 2020. Parents/guardians will be notified on January 24, 2020 (a week before the TDSB’s optional attendance deadline) to allow time for other decisions to be made by students and parents/guardians, if required. Parents/guardians will be contacted directly in January regarding their financial assistance approval and will be provided instructions for remaining fee payment, if applicable. IB registration fee payment for the 2020-21 school year is due in full on June 30, 2020. Parents/guardians have the option of paying in full any time before this deadline, or paying in five monthly installments.
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Basketball Net Pilot Project Update
In June 2019, the Board initiated a pilot project to keep basketball nets up at all TDSB schools in order to provide increased access to recreational opportunities. This was a departure from our current practices at a number of sites, where nets were removed at the end of each day. Our basketball pilot ended the beginning of December and staff have begun to review the pilot project, including a review all of the community feedback received. Next steps and recommendations will be part of a staff report tracking to the January Committee of the Whole meeting.
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Labour UpdateTDSB has a webpage dedicated to latest labour news. In addition to updates via TDSB Connects emails, please check here for latest updates.
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Parents Reaching Out Grants: Letter to Minister of Education
The Chair of the Board Robin Pilkey wrote to the Minister of Education to express the Board’s concerns with the new funding model for the Parents Reaching Out Grants and the reduction in funding for the 2019-20 school year. Read the letter.
2019 / 2020 Parent Reaching Out Grant (PRO Grant) Allocation
The Ministry changed the PRO GRANT program from an application-based funding model to an allocation-based grant provided to each school board. School boards received a predetermined funding amount for parent engagement projects.
TDSB was allocated $133,405.35 for projects that demonstrate a commitment to respecting the role of parents in students’ educational experiences which is about 1/3rd of what schools received last year. All funds must be spent and reported to the Ministry by June 15, 2020. The Board, at its meeting on November 27, 2019, approved the allocation as follows:
Learning Network / Centre & Ward Engagement ($103,405.35)
Learning Centre Executive Superintendents will consult with Superintendents of Education, Trustees and the Parent Involvement Advisory Committee Representatives to identify initiatives that fall within the following areas: Supporting and enhancing school council capacity; Enhancing the efficacy of families around mental health and wellbeing, equity or achievement and/or Engagement of diverse families and school councils in the School Improvement Process (e.g. workshops/training for families)
2020 Parents as Partners (PAP) Conference ($30,000)
PAP is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2020 and will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Toronto Congress Centre. The day will offer families/guardians the opportunity to participate in day long learning, sharing and networking with families, staff and community partners. The day will feature a keynote address, informative workshops and a vendors’ marketplace of local associations and agencies which provide many different kinds of support for children and families. Please hold the date now!
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Automated Speed Enforcement Program
The City of Toronto’s Transportation Services has begun the installation of Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) systems across the city to enhance road safety in Community Safety Zones near schools. The system captures any vehicle travelling in excess of the posted speed limit, without exception. This includes emergency vehicles and fleet vehicles. A Memorandum from Barbara Gray, General Manager of Transportation Services at the City of Toronto provides further information on the program. Kindly note that we were not directly consulted with the locations of the photo radar installations. As per the memorandum, they are mobile and it is anticipated they will rotate every three to six months within the City ward.
The following additional resources are also being provided for your information:
- A map showing the location of the 50 cameras and their proximity to TDSB schools; Ward 15 ASE locations are Morse Street Junior Public School, 180 Carlaw Ave. & Kapapamahchakwew-Wandering Spirit School, 16 Phin Ave.
- An Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) Question & Answer document.
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Junior Extended French Parent/Guardian Information Sessions
This year, there will be two virtual (online webchat) information sessions for parents/guardians interested in the Junior Extended French (Gr. 4 entry) application process. For more information on dates/times for each virtual online webchat session, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/French website or click on Information Sessions.
Early French Immersion Parent/Guardian Information Sessions
This year, there will be two virtual (online webchat) information sessions for parents/guardians interested in the Early French Immersion (SK entry) application process. For more information on dates/times for each virtual online webchat session, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/French website or click on Information Sessions.
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TDSB Appoints First Indigenous Student Trustee
Clarity M. Smoke, a Grade 9 Anishnaabe student from Monarch Park Collegiate Institute, has taken her seat as the first ever Toronto District School Board Indigenous Student Trustee.
This position will provide Indigenous students, families and communities with additional representation at the highest level of the TDSB; help improve the Board’s decision-making process; and increase understanding about Indigenous ways of knowing and being, as well as the issues that matter most to Indigenous students and their families. For more information, please read the news release.
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TDSB Celebrates Tamil Heritage Month in January
During the month of January, the Toronto District School Board is excited to be starting off the New Year by celebrating Tamil Heritage Month. This year, the chosen theme selected by the volunteer planning committee is, Vision 2020: Yengal Kathaigal - Our Stories / Vision 2020: எங்கள் கதைகள் - Our Stories.
Toronto has the largest Tamil population outside of the South Asian subcontinent with thousands of TDSB students and staff members heritage identified as Tamil. All have stories of their journey of how they or their families arrived in Canada, and how they continue to embrace this country as their home. The attached poster reflecting the theme is being shared with all schools. Our intent is that it will be used as an educational tool to examine stories within and across cultures of students in the TDSB and how they shape our individual and collective identities.
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