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I want to wish everyone a Happy Lunar New Year. We are lucky to be able to celebrate so many different cultural traditions in Toronto and Canada. The Lunar New Year is a chance for people to come together, have fun, enjoy spectacular performances and eat great food. Look for some of the activities happening this month at our schools and throughout the city as we honor African and Chinese Heritage at the TDSB. There will be some spectacular performances and displays at the TDSB Board Offices on Wednesday, February 8th in the cafeteria before the next regular board meeting which starts at 7pm. Drop by and watch the Lion dance if you want to be part of the ceremonies. It kicks off at around 5 pm at 5050 Yonge Street. Hope to see you there.
Alexander
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A Message from John Malloy, Director of Education:
Recent Events in Quebec City
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Our thoughts and prayers are with Muslim communities in Quebec, here in Toronto, and around the world in the wake of an attack on a Quebec City mosque last Sunday.
It is difficult to comprehend what motivates these acts of violence, but more than likely at the root lies hatred, bigotry and racism. Undoubtedly, all Canadians will begin their day, not only in shock of this horrendous act, but also concerned for the future. Today in our schools, the events of last Sunday will be top of mind for many of our students and staff. For our Muslim communities and for all of those who face Islamophobia, there will be feelings of insecurity. For our students of Muslim faith, there will also be an added feeling of vulnerability.
At the TDSB, we work every day to ensure that our schools, classrooms, hallways and playgrounds are safe and caring spaces for everyone. Today, we will need to work extra hard. As a school system, we have the responsibility and I would say the opportunity to engage young people in a broader conversation about the importance of building a more inclusive society.
Today we have reminded TDSB staff that promoting a positive school climate is an important part of our work. We have asked them to keep in mind that as educators, they have the greatest opportunity to plant and nurture the seeds of inclusion, respect, and compassion. Our schools, more than any public institution, have the responsibility and obligation to offer safe, caring and bias-free places to learn and work.
As a school community, together we can embrace these opportunities and obligations, while facing the challenges which are sometimes presented in our communities and around the world. In the wake of tragedies such as these and wider events around the world, we remain committed to supporting all of our students and families. We are not immune, but we are also not deterred.
The TDSB has a longstanding commitment to equity. Racism, bigotry and hate are issues that concern us all – staff, parents, students and members of the community. We share a responsibility to promote belonging, inclusion and respect, and to identify and report acts of hate. We have asked our staff now as we have before to make this among their highest priorities.
Like our schools, we welcome people from all over the world in our country. Like our schools, our country is filled with rich and thriving linguistic, religious and ethnic diversity and like our schools, we have grown strength from this diversity. We have asked all TDSB staff to lead by example with love, compassion and respect and to continue drawing on and promoting this incredible strength in our schools and within our communities.
We believe there is need to bring the events in Quebec City into the conversation as we all – schools and the community – reflect and act on shaping a better tomorrow. With that in mind, all flags across the TDSB have been lowered to half-staff in memory of those lost in this senseless attack.
John Malloy, Director of Education
Robin Pilkey, Chair
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| February is African Heritage Month at The TDSB "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela February is African Heritage Month at the Toronto District School Board. African Heritage Month is an opportunity for the experiences, contributions and achievements of African Canadians to be affirmed. Throughout February, a number of activities are taking place system-wide (see poster) starting with an opening celebration on Wednesday, February 1 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at 5050 Yonge Street, on the main floor(see invite). The keynote speaker will be the Honorable Minister of Education Mitzie Hunter. This year’s theme is “Celebrating 150 years of African Heritage.” The month will focus on the contributions peoples of African descent have made to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), and the Rites of Passage Process.
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| February is Chinese Heritage Month at The TDSBB
A nation's treasure is in its scholars. - Chinese Proverb
The Toronto District School Board is proud to recognize February as Chinese Heritage Month for the first time. During this month we celebrate the energetic culture and traditions of the Chinese community with students, staff and community members of the TDSB and the City of Toronto.
The Chinese community is integral to the growth and success of the City of Toronto and Canada. Members of the Chinese community represent approximately 10 percent of the total GTA population and form its second largest visible minority group. As we celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary this year, Canadians remember and appreciate the Chinese workers who helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway that united our country.
Chinese-Canadians will recognize the Lunar New Year starting on January 28 and will continue with celebrations throughout the month of February.
A bird does not sing because it has an answer.
It sings because it has a song. - Chinese Proverb
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- Join Trustee Alexander Brown and Ken Lister (Don Valley East) for a joint ward meeting to learn about the TDSB 2017/18 Budget and provide feedback on the process, the recommended budget and any priorities that you have for schools in the TDSB.
- Child Care and Translation services are provided. Please contact Araz Hasserjian at araz.hasserjian@tdsb.on.ca to arrange.
- Light refereshments will be available.
For more information about the TDSB Budget click on the links below and you will have access to the public documents from the January 25th, 2017 Finanace, Budget and Enrolment Committee meeting.
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| Special Meeting @ McKee Public School
How do we solve the problem of portables and overcrowding at schools in Willowdale?
Please reserve the evening of February 22nd (7pm to 9pm) to come take part in this discussion.
SPECIAL MEETING ON OVERCROWDING IN OUR WILLOWDALE SCHOOLS
Guest Speakers:
The Honourable David Zimmer, MPP for Willowdale
Mr. Alexander Brown, TDSB Trustee for Willowdale
Key Topics: - Will the Provincial Government now provide the funds for needed new school space?
- Can we change the provincial laws so that our local Board can tax local developers in order to pay for needed new school space - Education Development Charges?
- Or is rezoning the only solution?
Hosted by: the McKee Student Advisory Council (SAC)
Where: McKee Public School (in the gym)
Child Care: Child care services will be provided.
Translators: If a parent requires Translation services for the event, we are also making arrangements for this assistance.
- Wednesday, FEBRUARY 22nd, 2017 (7-9 pm)
- Hosted by McKee School Council
- Guests - Trustee Alexander Brown, TDSB Planning Staff & Willowdale M.P.P. David Zimmer
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Kindergarten Registration Month - February 2017
At the TDSB, Kindergarten Registration begins in February. We understand that this is an important and exciting milestone for children and their families. Schools are supported to ensure that Kindergarten Registration is a positive experience for all families. A range of promotional materials have been created and will be shared via various media and the TDSB website. Kindergarten Registration information can be found at www.tdsb.on.ca/kindergarten.
We are pleased to share the booklet "Come Learn With Us" with you. This valuable resource has been updated to reflect the new Kindergarten Program 2016 and is available for families as part of their Kindergarten Registration process. Should you have any questions, please contact Colleen Russell-Rawlins, Executive Superintendent of Early Years (colleen.russell-rawlins@tdsb.on.ca) or Sheryl Robinson Petrazzini, Central Coordinating Principal, Early Years (sheryl.Robinson-Petrazzini@tdsb.on.ca).
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| Parents As Partners Conference 2017 - April 1, 2017 You’re invited to our annual Parents as Partners Conference! The Parents as Partners Conference 2017 is on Saturday, April 1 and all parents are welcome! This free conference – planned by parents, for parents – includes a variety of workshops and resources that will help any parent support their child in their achievement and well-being at school and at home. Keynote speakers include John Malloy, Director of Education at the TDSB, and Itah Sadu, an award-winning storyteller and author. Transportation, childcare, lunch and translators are all provided. Registration opens mid-February. If you have any questions, please contact Vicky Branco, Superintendent, 416-394-2044.
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City of Toronto Budget 2017
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| I had the chance to speak to the City of Toronto Budget Committee on January 9th at the Civic Centre in North York. I was clear that the elimination of the Child Care Occupancy Grant would make licensed child care at the TDSB more expensive for many families who already find it unaffordable.
The City's Budget Committee at its January 26 meeting continues to recommend the eliminate the Childcare Occupancy Grant in the City of Toronto Budget 2017. The elimination of this important source of funding will have a direct impact on the affordability, accessibility, and quality of childcare in Toronto. For childcare centres within TDSB schools alone, 60 percent of children would experience an increase in fees.
Mayor John Tory has asked the provincial government to pay the Occupancy Cost. The TDSB's Grant for Student Need Submission (the province funds school boards through this process), asked for the same thing... However, until the province steps up and takes this responsibility the City must maintain the Childcare Occupancy Grant. Providing the families of our city with safe, affordable, accessible and high quality childcare options is essential to ensure children have the best possible start in life.
In addition to our concerns over withdrawal of funding for childcare, we are very concerned that in the City's Proposed Budget for 2017 there is a NEW reduction of 10 school pools that will not be funded - Swimming pools: The city could close some 48 outdoor and wading pools and cancel programs at 10 indoor pools at Toronto District School Board locations, which would significantly reduce the amount of aquatic programs and city recreation facilities.
On top of the 3 school pools the City stopped funding in last year's budget this is a huge issue for the Board - the board's ability to cover the operating costs for 13 pools in our budget is not sustainable. And yet the benefits are invaluable.
Here's what you can do. . .
Call 416-397-2489 or Email mayor_tory@toronto.ca to let him know cuts that affect the TDSB's operating budget must be stopped - we need the Childcare Occupancy Grant until the province comes through and schools and community need swimming pools.
Sign the Petition to save the Child Care Occupancy Grant
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Improving School Traffic Management Report
I have spoken with many parents, principals and teachers in Willowdale schools who have all continue to be frustrated with the traffic problems, distracted driving and dangerous conditions created for students during the rush to drop kids off before work begins. I have committed to working with parents in Willowdale schools to focus on finding solutions to the traffic headaches at individual schools and hosting an interactive traffic education forum in October 2017. We need to find a way to connect, bring good ideas together and make plans that can be implemented. I've attached the full report from TDSB staff to be presented at the February 1st Planning and Priority Committee. I will be voting to receive this report and will monitor how the TDSB acts to implement the proposals.
Read the Staff Report to the TDSB Planning & Priorities Committee February 1st, 2017. Below is an excerpt from the report. So far, the primary focus (of the TDSB) has been on the actions that schools can take to encourage more students to walk and cycle to and from school.
In addition to encouraging students to choose more active modes of transportation, more work can be done to help the schools under the most pressure from the surge in traffic during drop off and pick up times.
By working together, the goal would be to develop the capacity to work with up to 15 schools a year to:
- Investigate and respond to traffic related concerns on school sites;
- Attend meetings with staff and school councils to facilitate workable solutions;
- Assess traffic flow and behaviour at school sites and prepare traffic management plans;
- Request street improvements from the City of Toronto (e.g. traffic calming measures, reduced speed limits and modifications to road crossings).
- Design and conduct traffic observations and travel surveys
- Prepare maps and other tools to help families plan their journey to and from school.
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| Attention School Councils: Register Today PIAC School Council Appreciation & Information Evening - Thursday, February 23, 2017
- 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
- Montecassino Hotel and Event Centre, 3710 Chesswood
Registration will close by February 17, 2017 Child care and interpretation available through on-line registration only
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Reminder - Optional Attendance Information for September 2017 Now Available - Learn more about Optional Attendance, including definitions of the classifications, as well as links to full school listings.
Important Dates
February 3, 2017 - Optional attendance forms due at secondary school
February 17, 2017 - Optional attendance forms due at elementary school
Please Note the Following: It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to deliver this application to the school or schools of choice; Priority of placement in the requested school will be based on a lottery if applications exceed the space available at the requested school; If admitted, a student is expected to continue at the requested school until graduation.
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Premier's Awards For Accepting Schools: Nominations Now Open
The Premier's Awards for Accepting Schools recognize Safe and Accepting Schools Teams for initiative, creativity and leadership in promoting a safe, inclusive and accepting school climate. Nominate your school's team today! Anyone in the school community can nominate a team, including a teacher, parent or student. Simply complete the online nomination form and submit by email. Deadline for nominations is February 17, 2017.
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TDSB Presentations at The International Congress For School Effectiveness And Improvement 2017
You may find the information and data contained in these presentations interesting and useful. Trustees, central staff and schools have used the information in various formats for policy and procedure development, improvement planning, among other things.
If you have questions or comments that you'd like to share with me drop me a line at alexander.brown@tdsb.on.ca OR call me at 647-391-8410 anytime.
Title: TDSB’s Student and Parent Census: Understanding Student Needs to Ensure Equity in Education Click here - Workshop Description: Few school boards in Ontario, indeed in Canada, are collecting extensive demographic data - and none to the extent of the TDSB. There is a need to learn from existing examples of successful implementation. In addition to sharing examples of how the TDSB has used the Census findings to address access, opportunity and achievement gaps, workshop participants will have the opportunity to: understand the goals of the Student and Parent Census; gain insight into the factors that led to the development of the Census; discuss planning and implementation considerations, particularly how to address human rights and privacy concerns; learn how to analyse and present disaggregated information for knowledge mobilization; and engage in discussion of critical issues regarding the collection and use of demographic data.
Title: Effects of International Students’ School Experiences on their School Engagement, Wellbeing, Academic Attainment, and Post-Secondary Destinations Click here- Summary: Using its unique Student Census, this Toronto District School Board study examines over 5,000 international students in its secondary schools during a 10 year period, with an in-depth analysis of the effects of their experiences on their school engagement, wellbeing, academic attainment and post-secondary destinations. This study aims to measure how well we support the aspirations and future endeavours of our international students so that they can reach their goals, post-secondary and otherwise.
Title: Differentiated Effects of First- and Second-Generation Immigrant Students’ Demographic Characteristics and School Experiences on Their Engagement and Graduation Outcomes Click here - Summary: Using the comprehensive Student Census data and other longitudinal information from Canada’s largest and the most diverse school board, this large-scale study employs a heuristic model to investigate the differentiated effects of Grade 9-12 students’ demographic characteristics and school experiences on their school engagement and academic outcomes, with a focused examination of those students who had an immigrant background.
Title: The Toronto District School Board Full Cohort Study: The Relationship Between Special Education Programming and Elementary Suspensions Click here - Summary: The Full Cohort Study examined the outcomes of all students who started as JK students in 2002-03, and were in Grade 12 (Year 1) in 2015-16. These 9,000 students wrote the TDSB's Student Census during Grade 8. Logistic regression was employed to investigate the relationship between student characteristics and the likelihood of suspension over elementary school (JK to Grade 8). Students in the HSP (Home School Program) and ISP (Intensive Support Program) in Grade 8, were most likely to be suspended, while students in other Special Education categories were more likely to be suspended than those without Special Education Needs. Higher parent education and living in higher income neighhourhoods was associated with lower suspension rates, while race and gender also play an important role in elementary suspension.
Title: A Multilevel Exploration of Associations between Student, Family, School, and Neighbourhood Social Disorganization on Streaming Students’ towards Post-secondary Pathways. Click here - Summary: In this study, Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) is used to make predictions and to estimate the individual or interactive effects of certain student, school, family and neighborhood characteristics on stratification and educational sorting of students’ towards PSE pathways.
Title: The Impact of Food Insecurity on the Academic Success and Post-Secondary Transitions of Toronto District School Board Students
Click here
- Summary: There is little research in Canada that seeks to explore the use of free school meals as a lever for reducing inequalities in opportunity among marginalized, particularly racialized low-income students. The TDSB 2011 Student Census data is employed to conduct an exploratory analysis of the following general research question: "What is the impact on student’s academic success (including credit accumulation, average grades in Grades 11/12 and confirmation of university/college) of eating breakfast on a regular basis during the school week?" An intersectionality framework is used to understand that marginalized youth often occupy multiple axes of "difference" -- their sex, race, social class or income level, and whether they have special education needs all act together to contribute to their likelihood of academic success.
Title: An Exploration of Post-secondary Education Pathways in Ontario
Click here
- Summary: In recent years, a major shift has taken place in Ontario, with most students now going to post-secondary (University or College). It is therefore important to understand who goes to post-secondary; who graduates but does not go to post-secondary; and who does not graduate. Using data from three systems (district school board student information systems; the Ontario testing authority EQAO; and the Ontario university and college applications systems, or OUAC and OCAS), researchers will explore student Grade 9 course selection, their subsequent achievement on EQAO assessments, graduation outcomes, and confirmed post-secondary education destinations.
Title: Inclusion of Elementary Students with Special Education Needs from a segregated Home School Program into Regular Class Instruction
Click here - Summary: In the TDSB, there has been a great deal of data regarding students, who entered a half day Special Education program, called the Home School Program (HSP). There was an introductory study undertaken to identify a small number of elementary schools, who had shifted practice from a self-contained program (HSP) for students with Special Education needs towards greater inclusion of students into regular classroom instruction and then to conduct focus interviews with the school principals, vice-principals and teachers. The questions from the focus interviews were designed to elicit from the school staffs some valuable information that could be shared across the TDSB and shift practice in other schools. This is the first step in a larger study that will include input from students and parentsapplications exceed the space available at the requested school; If admitted, a student is expected to continue at the requested school until graduation.
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