Islamic Heritage Month Event with Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir – October 21, 2021
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) proudly recognizes Islamic Heritage Month during the month of October since our Board of Trustee passed their motion on June 22, 2016. Our main theme for this month continues to be: Reflect. Celebrate. Learn.
The Islamic Heritage Month Volunteer Planning Committee has organized several activities to celebrate Islamic Heritage Month during the month of October. This year, a virtual event will be led by former American Professional Basketball Player Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, will present at our virtual event. Bilqis challenged the International Basketball Federation when informed that she could not participate in the league while wearing a hijab. She will share the challenges she faced while trying to change this requirement for players.
Islamic Heritage Month Event with Master Chef Contestant Reem Ahmed and City TV Host Maleeha Sheikh – October 22, 2021
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) proudly recognizes Islamic Heritage Month during the month of October since our Board of Trustee passed their motion on June 22, 2016. Our main theme for the month continues to be: Reflect. Celebrate. Learn.
Canadian Islamic Heritage Month is also recognized across our nation since October 2007. Subsequently, since November 2016, the province of Ontario established October as Islamic History Month through the Islamic Heritage Month Act.
During the month of October several Islamic Heritage Month events and we're excited to invite students, staff, and the Toronto District School Board community to join a virtual event with Master Chef contestant Reem Ahmed and City TV Host Maleeha Sheikh. We will learn about preparing a meal and we'll hear a candid conversation about Islamophobia and what is like to be Muslim in Canada.
Registration is required. (Ingredients will be shared once you register)
Date: Friday, October 22, 2021
Time: 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Registration: https://bit.ly/IHM2021COOK
Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day
This year in Ontario, Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator appreciation day will take place on October 21, 2021. Celebrated annually, this day recognizes the valuable contributions of Child Care Workers and Early Childhood Educators and the impact they have on children, families, and communities.
The Toronto District School Board is the largest employer of Early Childhood Educators in Ontario, with educators supporting quality early years experiences and student success in our Full-Day Kindergarten classrooms, EarlyON Child and Family Centres, and Extended Day Programs. In our schools we also support more than 370 community led school-based Child Care and before-and after-school programs. The contributions of these educators are meaningful and imperative to the development and well-being of all children.
Thank you to the Early Learning and Child Care heroes that make a difference in the TDSB each day!
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Important Information for Families Interested in the Early French Immersion Application Process – JK and SK Entry (Sept 2022 only)Please note that central messaging about the Early French Immersion application process this year has taken on many diverse forms in order to ensure we reach not only TDSB families, but our surrounding communities (i.e. those not currently attending). Messaging will be distributed to all families in TDSB via school messenger. In addition, this information is being shared via digital advertising, print media (i.e. local community newspapers), our child care partners, our EFI Principals, our French Public website, our French Resources for Families Site, various social media outlets (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) amongst other forms of communications.
Early French Immersion Program – Application Information
For families interested in the Toronto District School Board's Early French Immersion program, we offer an online process to apply. The entry point to Early French Immersion is moving to Junior Kindergarten. There will be one transition year wherein students who will be entering Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten in 2022 will be eligible to apply to the Early French Immersion program during the November 2021 application period. Moving forward (2023), the only entry point for Early French Immersion will be Junior Kindergarten.
An offer of placement in the program (not a specific school) is guaranteed to all on-time applicants. The timelines for applying for the program for September 2022 are:
Early French Immersion: Applications must be completed online between November 1 and November 26, 2021.
Offers of placement within your chosen program (not a specific school) will be made to all on-time applicants in the weeks following the close of the application window. Families with an older sibling currently in a French program and who will be in attendance next year are still required to complete an online application for the new student. Please select the “sibling option” within the online application.
Virtual Information Sessions for the Early French Immersion application and placement process are available in November on the following dates:
- November 8, 2021 at 7 p.m.
- November 15, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- November 23, 2021 at 7 p.m.
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Kindergarten iPad Initiative
As we continue to honour the skills and knowledge gained during the pandemic and bridge learning experience and opportunities gained in different learning environments, each Kindergarten classroom space, both English and French Immersion will be provided with a bin (5) of iPads to continue to leverage digital tools in the support of early literacy and assessment. While developing digital fluency and early literacy in the early years, kindergarten educators will be provided with professional learning on how to actively involve student and family in the process of pedagogical documentation to strengthen engagement, agency and collaboration.
This distribution will be in a phased-in approach and is scheduled for late October.
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Re-Entry Plan for Wind Instruments
A plan has been finalized to support the safe and gradual re-entry of wind instruments in elementary and secondary schools. The re-entry plan has been approved by Toronto Public Health (TPH) and includes specific guidance in a number of areas (e.g. use of music spaces, masks for players, hygiene, cleaning procedures, etc.) and it will be important for routines to be established and practiced, especially for younger students.
At this time, wind instruments are permitted for playing indoors within a cohort with distancing requirements. Wind instruments are permitted outdoors in mixed cohorts with physical distancing, and outdoor playing is recommended wherever possible. To learn more about the re-entry plan for wind instruments and the specific considerations and guidelines for both elementary and secondary, please refer to the Elementary Re-Entry Plan for Wind Instruments and Secondary Re-Entry Plan for Wind Instruments.
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Voluntary Disclosure of Student Vaccination Status
The TDSB continues to prioritize keeping schools safe for students and staff and to focus on limiting the number of disruptions to learning as a result of COVID-19. In the event of a close contact of a COVID-19 case, students who have been fully vaccinated and are showing no COVID-19 symptoms, may not be required to self-isolate.
To more effectively manage possible COVID-19 cases and outbreaks in schools, Toronto Public Health is now requesting that Toronto school boards begin collecting the voluntary disclosure of vaccination status by students who have been eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. This is being done to ensure that students who are fully vaccinated (students who are having received all of the doses for an approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days ago) AND who are showing no COVID-19 symptoms are not dismissed from school unnecessarily. In the event of an interim cohort dismissal when there is exposure to COVID-19 in the school setting. This is intended to minimize disruption to the students and support a more efficient dismissal process. Please note you can choose to disclose or not disclose – it is entirely voluntary.
Those who do not disclose their vaccination status will be deemed “unvaccinated” for the purposes of the dismissal process.
To enable the Board to collect this voluntary information, a new “My Vaccination Status” menu item has been added to the TDSB Health Screening App and the online portal. When this item is selected, students should select “Update Vaccination Status” and complete the form, including uploading their vaccination receipt. See the full details at the bottom of this email.
COVID-19 vaccination status is personal information and will be collected in accordance with all applicable legislation, including the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Please see the Notice of Collection in the TDSB Health Screening App for additional details.
All Ontarians born in 2009 and earlier are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Walk-in vaccinations are available at City-run clinics in Toronto for first or second doses Tuesday to Saturday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.. Find your closest pharmacy to get your vaccine. Learn more about how to book a vaccine appointment in Ontario or visit Find Your Immunization from Vaccine Hunters to locate your closest available vaccines.
Thank you for your ongoing support and patience as we continue to work through these new practices. If you have any questions or need support, please contact your Principal directly.
How to Attest to Being Vaccinated via App on your Smartphone
- Log into the TDSB Health Screening App
- Click on the “My Vaccination Status” menu item, followed by “Update Vaccination Status”
- Carefully read each question and answer appropriately
- Upload proof of vaccination* (vaccine dose administration receipts or equivalent documents)
- Click on “Add Attachment” to upload proof of vaccination
How to Attest to Being Vaccinated via Health Screening Web Portal
- Access "Safe Return to School and Work" Portal via https://tdsb.service-now.com/tswp
- Click on the “My Vaccination Status” button, followed by “Update Vaccination Status”
- Carefully read each question and answer appropriately
- Upload proof of vaccination* (vaccine dose administration receipts or equivalent documents)
- Click on “Add Attachment” to upload proof of vaccination
* Copies of your vaccination dose administration receipt are available from most government websites. If you received your vaccine in Ontario, you can download your proof of vaccination through Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination website
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Updates to COVID-19 Daily Screening Tool for Students
Here is the revised TDSB Health Pass paper version and these updates are also reflected in the TDSB Health Screening App.
One of the most important thing families can do to help mitigate the transmission of COVID-19, is to screen their children daily for any COVID-19 symptoms and keep them home from school if they are sick or have had close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19. Thank you for your continued support in keeping our schools safe and healthy.
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