May 2022
Annual Indigenous Education Report
The 2021 Annual Indigenous Education Report was presented at the May 2022 Program and Services Committee Meeting. In March 2014, the Ministry of Education provided an updated Ontario First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education Policy Framework Implementation Plan for school boards. In November 2017, the Ministry informed school boards they had to create plans to address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada: Calls to Action. The Toronto District School Board’s Indigenous Education strategy focuses on supporting student achievement and well-being by centering Indigenous perspectives, providing “wholistic” supports for Indigenous students and families. Implementation of the Board’s Indigenous Education strategy is overseen by the staff at the TDSB Urban Indigenous Education Centre (UIEC). UIEC staff develop and deliver programs and services to students, staff, and communities across the Board, covering the Seven Canopies of Indigenous Education:
- Student Well-Being and Voice
- Professional Learning
- Community Engagement
- Programming, Curriculum Development, and Implementation
- Research, Development, and Innovation
- Partnerships
- Reconciliation, Relationships, and Governance
Planning for the Renewal of the Multi-Year Strategic Plan
The current TDSB Multi-Year Strategic plan is nearing the end of its fourth year and will require the creation of a new strategic plan that will reflect current realities, including:
- Indigenous Education
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action, 2015
- Pandemic recovery and student, family and staff re-engagement
- Board’s current financial situation
- Recommendations from Board Self-Assessment Tool
Barrier-free employment resource centre in Scarborough
Did you know Community Services operates a free employment resource centre in Scarborough? The Scarborough Centre for Employment Accessibility provides free resources to all job seekers, including people with disabilities. Visit www.AccessibleErc.com now.
Becoming an Ontario-licensed hairstylist through TDSB
The TDSB Community Services’ Studio500 Hairstylist program offers an extremely accessible pathway to become a licensed hairstylist in Ontario. Visit Studio 500 Hairstylist Program for more information!
Bicycle Safety
With warmer weather approaching, children may be participating in more outdoor activities like bike riding. To help keep children safe while playing outdoors this summer please follow social distancing and all other guidelines provided by Toronto Public Health.
When children are riding their bicycles, parents and caregivers can take steps to protect them.
Here's how:
- Make sure children wear the correct helmet properly when they ride. Ontario's bike helmet law requires all children and youth under age 18 to wear an approved bike helmet when riding a bicycle.
- Keep children away from traffic when they use wheeled sports equipment. Make sure they ride in a safe place.
- Teach children how to:
- steer, brake and ride in a straight line
- wear the right safety gear, and
- do a safety check every time they ride a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, use in-line skates or wear shoes with wheels.
- Be within arm's reach when your children are learning to ride any wheeled equipment.
- Tell children that you are happy when you see them riding safely.
- Remind children of the safety rules when they forget.
Caring and Safe School Report
At the May Board meeting, Trustees received the annual Caring and Safe Schools Report. This report provides a summary of the suspensions and expulsions at the TDSB during the 2020-21 school year. This year’s report was unique because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Because public schools were ordered to close to in-person learning for long periods of time by the provincial government it resulted in fewer students in schools during the 2020-21 school year as one third (33%) of TDSB students chose full-time virtual learning. In addition. students who were in brick and mortar school had reduced hours. These factors led to a lower number of suspensions/expulsions in 2020-21 compared to school years before the Covid-19 pandemic. Incidents motivated by bias, prejudice or hate accounted for 21% of the suspensions. The full report will be posted on Caring and Safe Schools Annual Report.
