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| Shelley Laskin, Trustee
Toronto District School Board
Ward 8: Eglinton-Lawrence & Toronto-St Paul's
416-395-8787
Shelley.Laskin@tdsb.on.ca
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In this Issue -- Lunar New Year
- Come Learn With Us!
- Before- and After-School Program (BASP) Interest Survey Now Open
- 2023 Director Colleen Russell Rawling’s Annual Report
- 2024-25 Budget
- PA Day February 16
- OPSBA’s 2024 Public Education Symposium
- Ward Forum Presentations on Literacy and Math in our Classrooms Posted
- Committee Meeting This Week
- Combatting Hate
- New Invitations - Summer CampTO
- Worth Repeating - Chinese Heritage Month; African Heritage (Black History) Month; 2024 STSWR Winter Walk Day School Registration; Supporting Your Children With Math; Building Mathematical Minds Part 1; Winter Well-Being Guide; Winter Outerwear Drive; Please Keep Safe... and Keep Others Safe; Get Your Kids' Immunizations Back on Track; Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline; Useful Links; 2023-2024 Calendar; 2014-2025 Calendar; Dogs Are Not Allowed On School Property - How to Report; Community Safety & Support
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Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean communities, among others. The New Year celebration is usually celebrated for multiple days—not just one day as in the Gregorian calendar’s New Year. In 2024, Lunar New Year begins on February 10.
China’s Lunar New Year is known as the Spring Festival or Chūnjié in Mandarin, while Koreans call it Seollal and Vietnamese refer to it as Tết.
To all celebrating, Happy Lunar New Year! Xīnnián hǎo (新年好). Kung Hei Fat Choi (gōng xǐ fā cái).
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Come Learn With Us!
English Kindergarten Registration is Now Open - TDSB schools provide a rich learning environment for all children to learn and grow. In the Kindergarten program, your child will develop their skills and abilities through inquiry and intentional play-based learning that includes math, science and literacy. Teachers and early childhood educators plan learning experiences where children are actively engaged in learning and thinking creatively.
To attend Junior Kindergarten in September, children must turn four-years-old by December 31. To register for Senior Kindergarten, children must be five-years-old by December 31. Learn more about Kindergarten at the TDSB. If you would like to register a student to begin school immediately, please visit the registration page.
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Before- and After-School Program (BASP) Interest Survey Now Open
In alignment with P.022 Early Learning and Care Policy, the TDSB recognizes Before- and After-School Programs (BASP) are an integral part of Early Years learning. These programs also play an important role in supporting our students, families, and school communities. The TDSB would like to better understand the Before- and After-School Program (BASP) needs of Kindergarten to Grade 6 children. Families who are interested in a fee-based BASP at schools that currently do not have a program are able to express their interest.
Please note, completing this survey does not guarantee that a BASP will be offered at your child’s school. If there is sufficient initial interest, families will be notified, and a separate registration to determine viability will take place through a third-party licensed before- and after-school program.
Families who have questions about this survey and would like to speak to one of our team members may contact the TDSB Child Care Services Office at 416-394-2072 option 2 or CCS@tdsb.on.ca. For more details, click here.
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2023 Director Colleen Russell Rawling’s Annual Report
"In many ways, 2023 brought with it a renewed sense of purpose and optimism for the students, families, staff, and partners who are part of Toronto District School Board (TDSB). Over the past 12 months, we have found new ways to centre joy, engagement, and belonging as the foundation upon which we reach toward high levels of achievement and success for every student while eliminating disproportionate outcomes. We also recognize that there are challenges to overcome and new opportunities that continue to inspire learning, equity, and improved services... As we reflect on the past year, I am pleased to share our collective achievement and growth. From academic milestones to community engagement, your support has been instrumental at every stage. Let’s continue to co-create and invest in a culture of dignity, collaboration, and excellence where every student, staff member, Trustee, and parent/ guardian/caregiver feels respected. Each day, there are new accomplishments that take place across the TDSB’s 600 schools and sites. I am proud of what we are able to accomplish and for all that is ahead as we transform public education and positively contribute to the future of a healthy, inclusive, and prosperous Toronto – together."
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2024-25 Budget
Over the next few months, TDSB Trustees, in collaboration with TDSB staff, will be working together to establish a budget for 2024-25.
At our Special Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee on February 14, staff will present their suggestions for dealing with a $35M deficit that begins the 2024-2025 budget. Staff provided this detail in their Report - Projected 2024-25 Financial Position which was presented at the Special FBEC on January 29, 2024. By law, school boards are required to balance their budgets by June 30.
Funding for education is determined through a set of provincial benchmark costs for the major components of education operations, as well as the number of students. The benchmarks has never worked for Toronto students as they do not reflect the real costs of education. Staff are currently updating the Financial Facts document which outlines the gaps in ministry funding.
I encourage you to participate in our public consultations, which are an important part of this budget process. Please visit the budget website to learn about opportunities to participate in the budget process - more details will be provided after our February 14 meeting.
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PA Day February 16
As per the Ministry of Education’s Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) 151, Professional Activity Days Devoted to Provincial Education Priorities, school boards are required to designate three Ministry mandatory PA Days. This year, these PA days will focus on the priority areas of Literacy and Mathematics, Curriculum Implementation, and Student Well-being, School Safety and Violence Prevention. The next elementary PA Day is on Friday, February 16th.
Target Audience: All Staff – Elementary
Topics: Assessment and Reporting
Description: Elementary teachers will be engaged in Assessment and Reporting activities.
Target Audience: All Staff – Secondary
Topics: Literacy, Mathematics, and Curriculum Implementation
Description: Educators will engage in a variety of professional learning sessions focused on effective strategies to support student learning. The sessions are centred on the following: Literacy: K-12 instructional strategies (i.e., critical and comprehensive literacy, CRRP, comprehension, striving/struggling readers, literacy across the curriculum, etc.), and universal design for learning. Mathematics: The implementation of high-impact instructional practices in mathematics Curriculum implementation.
Please Note PA Day Rescheduled Due to Solar Eclipse
The PA Day originally scheduled for Friday, April 19, 2024 has been rescheduled and will now occur on Monday, April 8, 2024. This decision, which was made following guidance and consultation with the Ministry of Education, is in line with similar changes announced by other school boards in the Greater Toronto and Golden Horseshoe Area, including the Toronto Catholic District School Board, with which we share student transportation services.
Family Day 2024
Remember that Monday, February 19, 2024 is a province-wide statutory holiday and there will be no classes. Family Day occurs on the third Monday in February each year to celebrate the importance of families taking time to be together.
Response to Concerns re PA Day Dates in 2024-25
We received emails from teachers concerned that there is not a PA Day on the last day of school. As you may know, the TDSB has 7 PA days. Three of these days are set aside for professional learning for both TDSB and Ministry of Education priorities. Of those three, the Elementary Teachers of Toronto has negotiated one as a Federation day and a half day is used for Compliance Training. This leaves 1.5 days for professional learning on new initiatives, curriculum, Equity and Indigenous Education which cannot be delivered on the first or last day of school.
Of the remaining 4 days that the TDSB can allocate, the Elementary Teachers of Toronto has negotiated two with the Board for Assessment and Reporting and the other two have been allocated to Parent/Teacher interviews. While I understand the concerns staff have raised and recognize the work required to close out the school year, it is not possible to reassign one of them for the last day of school (or for first day for planning).
It is our hope that Principals will support their staff's workload regarding their work during and at the end of the school year - especially those changing classrooms or moving schools.
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OPSBA’s 2024 Public Education Symposium
On January 25/26, OPSBA hosted the 2024 Public Education Symposium in downtown Toronto. Featuring outstanding keynote speakers, including TVO’s Steve Paikin, Romaine Mitchell of the Ministry of Education’s Indigenous Education Office, and emotional intelligence coach Jamelle Lindo, the conference provided an engaging and informative professional development opportunity for more than 250 public school trustees and senior school board staff. I was pleased to attend with Colleagues Rachel Chernos Lin, Michelle Aarts, fellow OPSBA alternate Debbie King and our TDSB OPSBA Representatives Deborah Williams (Vice-President representing TDSB) and Alexis Dawson.
Additional sessions included a panel discussion on school board collaboration with municipalities and workshops on the following:
• An introduction to Skills Ontario
• Navigating public relations challenges
• The transformational power of school food programs
• Understanding hate in Canadian classrooms and how to address growing antisemitism
• Affirming Muslim learners and challenging Islamophobia
• Two tier bargaining – experiences had and lessons learned
• Indigenous language revitalization
• Education finance – a tutorial and Q&A
• Bill 98, Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act – impacts on trustees
• Human Rights and equity issues
• Digital media literacy in the age of Artificial Intelligence
• A special session for Chairs and Vice-Chairs on running effective meetings and governance tools
Professional learning is a critical part of the Trustee role and it was great to reconnect with colleagues from across the province and meet new ones.
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Ward Forum Presentations on Literacy and Math in our Classrooms Posted
I am grateful to Superintendents Roni Felsen, Andrew Howard & Kim Pividor for highlighting TDSB issues to start our Ward 8 Virtual Forum last Thursday. Glad to have Kaydeen Bankasingh, one of our Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC) Co-Representatives provide an update on behalf of herself and our other Co-Representative Anshu Grover as well as Lynne Leblanc, our French as a Second Language Community Advisory Committee (FSLCAC) Representative who also provided an update. If anyone is interested in joining Lynne representing the Ward on FSLCAC, please let me know.
The main topic of the evening was a conversation on Numeracy and Literacy in our classrooms. Educators shared how they embed explicit instruction of evidence-based strategies in their classrooms centered on the Science of Reading and the TDSB Early Reading Framework and the TDSB's Math Achievement Action Plan.
Thank you to Lauren Viner, Grade 1/2 French Immersion Teacher and Susan Johnson, Grade 1/2 at Davisville Jr Public School and to Mirela Ciobanu, Grade 8 Teacher at Bessborough Drive Elementary and Middle School for presenting on Literacy and to Denise Humphreys, System Superintendent, Mathematics for presenting on Math.
Please find the links for the presentations from the Ward Forum Below.
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Committee Meeting This Week
Wednesday, February 7, 2024 - Board Meeting - 4:30 p.m. Boardroom Agenda - 5.1 Policy P103, Flexible Working Arrangements, Phase 5
- 5.2 Policy P102, Disconnecting From Work, Phase 5
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Combatting Hate
In Our Schools
If you are a staff or a student or a parent/caregiver, and you are a victim of/or witnessing an incident of racism, bias, or hate in our schools, please report it to the school's principal, who has a duty to investigate all incidents. Each time an incident takes place in a school, it is to be recorded in a portal which then begins a system response. We have a responsibility to educate against hate. For more information, please visit the webpage for Reporting an Incident of Hate or Discrimination Involving or Impacting Students. If you experience it, or witness it, report it. Please.
Complaints regarding social media postings should be sent directly to the TDSB's Human Rights Office at humanrightsoffice@tdsb.on.ca. The intake process is being centralized in the Human Rights Office to ensure for consistency of process.
In Our Communities
Report any allegations of hate-motivated crimes to police for investigation at 416-808-2222 or 9-1-1 in an emergency. We will not tolerate any intimidation, harassment, or hate-motivated behaviour aimed at specific communities. You can also call 1-800-222-TIPS to Crime Stoppers anonymously.
Toronto Police provide new online option to report hate-motivated graffiti
Toronto Police Service is launching a new option for the public to provide information to police about hate-motivated graffiti in their neighbourhoods. The web form, available on the Service’s website, provides an additional avenue for the public to alert police to hate-motivated graffiti, so officers can attend, gather evidence and arrange for the hate-motivated graffiti to be removed as quickly as possible. This reporting mechanism will be monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Please remember TDSB's Mental Health and Well Being Professional Support Staff (PSS) are here to support your mental health and well-being and to help you navigate the tools and resources you may need. Please see resources on their website.
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Summer CampTO
Registration for Summer CampTO opens on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 at 7 a.m. for facilities in all districts. Programs start in early July 2024.
Children and youth can be active, learn new skills and make fun memories close to home at the City’s seasonal camps. Learn How to Register for Recreation Programs.
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Chinese Heritage Month
TDSB’s Chinese Heritage Month continues this month. This year we celebrate the Year of the Dragon: Majesty, Brilliance, Confidence, Leadership.
Congratulations to Sophia Zhang, grade 3 student from John Ross Robertson Jr PS has been selected as the winning poster in the first-place category (Kindergarten – Grade 3) in the Chinese Heritage Month Poster Challenge. Please learn more here.
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African Heritage (Black History) Month
We are proud to continue African Heritage (Black History) Month through February.
This year’s chosen theme is Our Black Is… Our Black Is Resilient, Community, Beautiful, Unity, Joy, Self-Determination, Excellence, Empowering, Purpose, Brilliance, Engaging, Creative, Belonging, Tenacious, Powerful, Faith, Audacious, Powerful, Me…Learn more.
View Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement's menu of offerings during the month of February. Please join us!
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2024 STSWR Winter Walk Day School Registration - Feb 7, 2024
Winter Walk Day (WWD) is an annual celebration of winter walking that takes place on the first Wednesday of February. Schools across Ontario will celebrate WWD with special events on Wednesday, February 7th, 2024, or throughout the month. We encourage schools to participate by promoting walking and wheeling to school and organizing winter-themed walking events. Register here
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Supporting Your Children With Math
TDSB Community Support Workers (Model Schools)
in partnership with
@TVOMathify invite you to explore a variety of free TVO digital learning resources that support K-12 students in math at home.
Tuesday, February 6th, 2024 from 6:30 to 7:30pm
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Building Mathematical Minds Part 1
TDSB Community Support Workers (Model Schools) invites you to Building Mathematical Minds Part 1. Wednesday, February 7th, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.
This session will provide parents/caregivers with strategies to make learning math at home a positive experience for everyone.
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Winter Well-Being Guide
The Guide is filled with activities, games, wellness tips, identity affirming resources and community agencies to support wellness for all students, caregivers/guardians, families, and school communities over the winter months. Created by Professional Support Services Staff who are part of the Mental Health and Well-Being Committee, the TDSB Mental Health Leads and the System Leader for Mental Health and Professional Support Services, this Guide provides accessible resources and has been translated into the top 20 TDSB spoken languages. Also from TDSB Psychology please see the December issue of Hearts and Minds: December Newsletter.
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Winter Outerwear Drive
The TDSB holds an annual Winter Outerwear Drive to help ensure that all students have warm winter outerwear to get to and from school, and are prepared to participate in all of the fun outdoor activities winter has to offer. You can support our students and their families by making a donation to provide warm winter coats, pants, hats, gloves, and boots. This year’s Winter Outerwear Drive will run from October 2023 to the end of February 2024. 100% of all proceeds and in-kind donations go to benefit our students. Tax receipts are available for these donations. Contact the Business Development department at BusinessDevelopment@tdsb.on.ca for more information about how to donate new outwear items. Please donate here.
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Please Keep Safe... and Keep Others Safe
Layers of protection work to help reduce virus spread. For example:
😷wear a well-fitted mask
🧼wash hands often
🏠stay home if sick
💨choose well ventilated spaces
🛡️stay up-to-date with your vaccines
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Get Your Kids' Immunizations Back on Track
Routine vaccinations play an important role in keeping your child safe against serious infections. Get your kids’ immunizations back on track by booking an appointment for any missing vaccines at a community clinic.
Book now: http://TPHBookings.ca
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Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline 9-8-8 - On November 30, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC ) through the Canadian Radio and Television Corporation (CRTC) announced a national three digit Mental Health and Suicide Prevention hotline number, 988. Learn More.
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2023-2024 Calendar
Please ensure you check these dates before scheduling events. Please also note the PA Day originally scheduled for Friday, April 19, 2024 has been rescheduled and will now occur on Monday, April 8, 2024.
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Dogs Are Not Allowed On School Property - How to Report
Please contact 311 if you see dogs in school grounds so they can log the concerns and please also call TDSB’s 24-hour Call Centre at 416-395-4620. Tracking the concerns will allow us to build the case for increased surveillance.
At our recent Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee, the staff report confirmed the following -
Dogs on school properties have been an ongoing challenge for many years despite the “no dogs permitted” signage. There have been examples of dog owners taking their dogs off leash or even leaving their dogs unattended in a school yard, or within the kindergarten or childcare enclosures. There have been incidents of off-leash dogs chasing as well as biting students, members of the public and staff. Dog feces and disposal bags are frequently left on the school grounds impacting the student use and enjoyment of outdoor activities.
Signage is posted near the entrances, such as gates or openings in the school ground fencing (refer to Appendix A for a copy of the signage) that clearly indicates TDSB school grounds are private property and dogs are not permitted on school board property. Section 6.10 in PR523, Access to School Premises prohibits canines on TDSB properties at any time (except service animals).
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Community Safety & Support
If you should you ever see any suspicious activity around school buildings after school hours, please contact 311, Toronto Police Services Dispatch at 416-808-2222, or the TDSB’s 24-hour Call Centre at 416-395-4620.
If you or a family member is in crisis, please contact Kids Help Phone:1-800-668-6868 or get support right now by texting CONNECT to 686868.
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