Welcome 2022
I hope the coming of the new year finds you safe and healthy despite the current challenges. I know a return to remote learning was not the start to the new year we hoped for; many have reached out about the Provincial decision to close schools. While it brought relief for some, it has triggered anger or sadness in others. I think we all recognize that in-person learning is critical and plans must prioritize getting back to in-person learning as quickly and as safely as possible. In-person learning has always been a priority for the TDSB and staff continue to work to procure resources and work with our local health partners to serve school communities. It has been disappointing, if not surpirising, that recent announcements from the Province failed to include the enhanced safety measures requested by Boards and health partners, or include plans for a safe return to school, and have announced rollback of health & safety measures already in use. This past week the Ontario Student Trustee Association (OSTA-AECO), the Ontario Principals' Council (OPC), Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA) and the TDSB called on the government to commit to the measures called for by stakeholders and health experts over the last several months. The TDSB is calling on the government to put schools first, provide short-term health and safety measures to allow schools to reopen, and provide long-term commitments to ensure schools can remain open. Please see links below for further information:
Also in this Newsletter:
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Emergency Remote Learning
The Premier announced on January 3rd that schools across the Province would pivot to remote learning until at least January 17th. We're extremely grateful to school and central staff who have worked long hours and moved quickly to engage families, distribute resources, and accommodate students. On January 4th senior staff presented on 'what we know' while awaiting further direction from the Ministry of Education (see memo from January 4th). You can watch the presentation here. Among the updates that staff presented were accommodations for in-person learning for students with special needs and delivery of devices to students. The TDSB has purchased, centrally and at individual schools, nearly 150,000 devices over the last year and a half. Students and families that need devices for remote learning should contact their school Principal. A memo was received from the Ministry last night and staff are working through the details. Updates will be shared as more information and resources become available.
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Priority Clinics for Education workers - on January 6th the Province announced that it would prioritize access to vaccination appointments for education workers (teachers, support staff, caretakers, bus drivers). Beginning Friday, January 7, the provincial mass vaccination clinic at the International Centre in Mississauga (6900 Airport Rd., Mississauga) will support priority booking for education staff, including educators, custodial staff, administrative staff, and school bus drivers, and child care staff. The clinic will operate seven days a week, with specific appointments being made available for education and child care staff from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Outside Toronto appointments will be coordinated with local public health.
Vaccinations for students and community:
In Beaches-East York our health partner is Michael Garron Hospital - East Toronto Health Partners. MGH/ETHP staff have been amazing throughout the pandemic in supporting health & safety, testing, and vaccinations for our school communities. MGH/ETHP schedule weekly clinics at schools, at Community Outreach Centres (Crescent Town, Danforth Shoppers World, Thorncliffe Park), and via pop-up clinics. Below is the most recent update from the MGH/ETHP School Support Team:
- MGH will continue to support and accept the take-home COVID-19 PCR test kits for schools and childcare centres in East Toronto. These kits will be prioritized for symptomatic students and education staff who meet testing eligibility.
- Symptomatic students and education staff who meet testing eligibility can also pick up and drop off take-home COVID-19 PCR test kits at our MGH COVID-19 Assessment Centre or COVID-19 Outreach Centres . You do not need an appointment to pick up or drop off a take-home test kit.
- MGH continues to offer first, second and/or third doses at both our school based clinics and also our MGH vaccine clinics. Students/Staff and families can book a first dose, second dose and/or third dose appointment at:
- An MGH/ETHP vaccine clinic using the provincial booking system online or call 1-833-943-3900.
or Call the MGH COVID-19 vaccine booking office at 437-537-5131.- If parents would like their child aged 5-11 to receive their second dose before the 8 week interval they can call the provincial booking line to book a second dose appointment >21 days after their first dose. Parents and guardians will be asked to give verbal consent over the phone. Our vaccine clinics at schools will also accept children for 1st or 2nd doses.
- A participating pharmacy
Mobile WALK-IN school clinics across East Toronto will also offer:
- First and second dose: Open to individuals aged 5 and older who live and/or go to school in any postal code. At This time Children need to have had their 5th birthday to be eligible. We expect there may be any update to this eligibility in the coming days.
- Third (booster) dose eligibility: Open to individuals aged 18+ who live and/or go to school in a priority postal code designated for that clinic.
- Walk-ins welcome from eligible individuals while supply lasts. Either Pfizer or Moderna will be administered.
To see all upcoming school clinics please visit: tehn.ca/VaccinePopUps.
- For more information about vaccination for children 5-11 years please contact your healthcare provider, make an appoint to speak with a healthcare provider via an outreach centre such as Scarborough Health Network VaxFacts, or visit:
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Switch between In-person and Virtual Learning
Elementary Schools:
To switch between in-person and virtual learning for February 2022, parents/caregivers and students requesting a change must complete an Elementary Switch Form between Friday, December 3 and Friday, January 7.
A form must be completed for each student requesting a switch.
Parents/caregivers and students who do not wish to make a change do not need to complete a form. It is our goal to accommodate as many requests as possible based on available programs and spaces (e.g. French Immersion, Extended French, Specialized Programs, Alternative Schools, other limited circumstances).
Elementary classes will reflect changes due to switches beginning on February 22, 2022. Depending on the number and location of switch requests your child’s teacher or class (or school for virtual learning classes) may change due to a possible re-organization. For more information, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/switchform and/or contact the Principal at your child’s school with any questions.
Secondary Schools - new deadline January 7th:
Due to the changes this week announced by the Province the TDSB has re-opened the Secondary Switch Form for Semester 2 between Wednesday, January 5 and Friday, January 7. The switch request will be for the entire duration of Semester 2, which begins February 3rd.
What to Do:
- Log-in to the Secondary Switch Form to see the method of instruction (Virtual or In-Person) selected for Semester 2.
- If satisfied with the method of instruction (Virtual or In-Person) for Semester 2, do NOT complete the Secondary Switch Form.
- If a student would like to change method of instruction (Virtual or In-Person) for Semester 2, please complete the Secondary Switch Form by Friday, January 7.
For Semester 2, to minimize the use of simultaneous learning (teachers instructing students learning in person and virtually at same time), schools will:
- Reduce optional course offerings at grade 9 and 10 where most of the program consists of compulsory courses (e.g. All Grade 9 students would take Art as their optional course rather than choose between Visual Arts, Drama, or Music)
- Offer courses virtually in specialized programming (e.g. TOPS, MAST, IB, AP, Extended French and French Immersion, etc.) where a viable cohort of virtual learners in the school exists
- Form "hubs" with other schools, where possible. Virtual Learning students may be taught by a teacher from another TDSB secondary school as students are shared across schools in a simultaneous and/or fully virtual class.
- Offer courses that are primarily experiential/'hands on' only in-person which includes many Technology and Physical & Health Education courses. Please check with your local school for the list of In-Person courses.
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Middle French Immersion - Deadline January 28th
For families interested in the Toronto District School Board's system-wide Middle French Immersion Program (which begins in Grade 4), we offer an online process to apply. To apply for the Middle French Immersion for September 2022, applications for current grade 3 students must be completed online between January 3 and January 28, 2022.
An offer of placement in the program is guaranteed to all on-time applicants and will be made in the weeks following the close of the application window. Please note: Families with an older sibling currently enrolled 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.
For more information about the Middle French Immersion (Grade 4) application process, please join us for a Virtual Webinar Session on one of the following dates: January 13th at 1pm and January 17th at 7pm.
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Join the Student Equity Collective!
Racism and hate have no place in our school communities. But we know many of you deal with it every day. That is why we are looking to you and to hear your voices (loudly!) on how to make positive change in the TDSB and beyond.
If you are a TDSB student in Grade 7 to 11 with an understanding of, and commitment to, addressing racism, hate and all forms of discrimination, and you bring a passion and enthusiasm for collaborative problem-solving, idea generation, and change then consider applying to join the Student Equity Collective.
Applications are due January 12th by 4pm.
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Call for TDSB Facilitators - Modlets on Anti-Asian Racism
The TDSB is seeking course facilitators for a 25-hour synchronous and asynchronous modlet that will take place in the winter/spring of 2022. Applicants should have a deep understanding and commitment to equity, anti-racism, and anti-oppression and ways to address anti-Asian racism. The course will be delivered online.
For more details, see the attached flyer and please share widely with your communities.
For additional information, please contact Salima Kassam, Centrally Assigned Principal, Equity, Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression, & Teachers Learning and Leading, salima.kassam@tdsb.on.ca or Dargine Rajeswaran, Program Coordinator (acting), Equity, Anti- Racism, Anti-Oppression, dargine.rajeswaran@tdsb.on.ca.
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Mental Health and Wellbeing
Additional Staffing - Professional Support Services
- 35 Child and Youth Workers
- 35 Itinerant Child and Youth Counsellors
- 16 Social Workers (10 to fill in for those on short term medical leave, 6 new positions)
- 40 additional School Based Safety Monitors
TDSB Support Services Virtual Drop-in Sessions
TDSB Professional Support Services offers virtual drop-in hours for parents and caregivers to discuss strategies to help support the mental health and well-being of your child.
There are sessions open to all (Tuesdays 10-11am; Thursdays 7-8pm) and a special drop-in for parents/caregivers of students with special/complex needs (Wednesdays 7-8pm).
Learn more by visiting Virtual Mental Health Support
Winter Wellbeing Guide
Staff have produced a downloadable Winter Wellbeing Guide containing a variety of culturally responsive resources and accessible activities to help make this winter a little easier and fun for you and your family. Information on where and how to reach out for help is also included.
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TDSB Pandemic Recovery Plan
Since the initial school closure in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) have experienced ongoing closures and multiple transitions to online, remote learning. While these closures have impacted all students and families, we know that the experience has varied greatly from student to student depending on individual and family circumstances.
The Toronto District School Board’s COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery Plan is a three-phase plan that will identify which groups have been most impacted, where interventions will be put in place, and initial outcomes that result from these interventions. This is the first report in what will be a series of reports over the next two years. It consists of an in-depth analysis of key student perception and learning outcome data and has been divided into sections that address the areas of focus for the year ahead:
- Building Relationships and Enhancing Belonging
- Use of Play/Outdoor Play
- Honouring Skills/Knowledge Gained During the Pandemic
- Assessment For Learning/As Learnin
- Differentiated Supports For Those Who Have Had Greater Impacts From the Pandemi
- Staff Collaboration
- Digital Tools for Engaging Students/Families
- Virtual Learning 2021-2022
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TDSB Community Support Hub
TDSBHub is a great online resource for TDSB families developed and maintained by our Community Support Workers (CSWs). CSWs have collated resources, community program information, and organize workshops and education sessions for caregivers. Please visit tdsbHub.ca for more information.
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In December, as part of the Ministry of Education's consultation on the 2022-23 budget the TDSB and the Ontario School Boards Association (OPSBA) submitted feedback on identified funding needs (see links below). Ongoing funding shortfalls in Special Education and growing need for youth mental health supports are among the key issues highlighted. In addition the TDSB has launched its own 2022-23 budget process and is currently seeking feedback on the Strategic Budget Drivers. More information is available using the links below:
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TDSB Winter Clothing Drive
One in every three children lives in poverty in our city, and too many children come to school without proper clothing to keep them warm during the winter months. In addition, many TDSB students are new to Canada and this may be their first time experiencing a Canadian winter.
The TDSB holds an annual Winter Clothing Drive to help ensure that all students have warm winter clothing to get to and from school, and are prepared to participate in all of the fun outdoor activities winter has to offer. This year’s Winter Clothing Drive will run from October 2021 to the end of February 2022. Donations help provide warm winter coats, pants, hats, gloves and boots for our students.
Our need for winter outerwear is greater this year. Canada is welcoming newcomer families from Afghanistan and the TDSB is welcoming many of these newly arrived students into our schools. The newcomer students are adjusting to their first Canadian winter and need proper winter outerwear.
Monetary donations can be made through School Cash Online. We will also accept new winter outwear items. Due to potential health & safety, hygiene, sorting and storage limitations, the TDSB can only accept new clothing items. Contact the Business Development department at BusinessDevelopment@tdsb.on.ca for more information about how to donate new outwear items. 100% of all proceeds and in-kind donations go to benefit our students.
TDSB Technology Drive - Closing the Digital Divide
Last year the TDSB spent approximately $11 million procuring devices for students, only ~$1.5 million of this is funded directly by the Province. Since the start of the pandemic the TDSB has advocated for 1:1 device access for all students in the Province. In the meantime the TDSB has launched a 1:1 student:device program that begins in grades 5 and grade 9. Each year students in grades 5 and 9 will receive a laptop that is theirs to keep for the duration of their education in the TDSB. It will take several years before we can roll out this program to all grades 5-12 students. Not all students have the same access to digital tools and the internet. And, during this unprecedented year of remote learning, the pandemic has highlighted the gaps of technology access among students and the learning gaps that resulted.
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TDSB Events & Heritage MonthsJanuary is Tamil Heritage Month This year's theme for Tamil Heritage Month is: Our Histories. Our Legacies. Our Homelands. (எமது வரலாறுகள். எமது மரபுகள். எமது தாயகங்கள்). Toronto has the largest Tamil population outside of the South Asian subcontinent with thousands of TDSB students and staff members identified as Tamil. The importance of building awareness, creating a strong self and collective identities, and understanding one's own roots and rights are important objectives of the Tamil Heritage Month volunteer planning committee. For more information please visit - January-is-Tamil-Heritage-Month-at-the-TDSB Sihk Heritage Month - Call for Volunteers
Throughout the school year the TDSB proudly recognizes 14 Heritage/History Months. Sikh Heritage Month is recognized at the TDSB in April. This is a call-out for individuals to join a volunteer planning committee to develop system-wide activities for students, staff and the TDSB community. The mandate of the volunteer planning committee is to provide learning opportunities for students, staff, and the TDSB community, as well as to enrich the curriculum resources through a collaborative approach of TDSB staff, community members and Trustees. Details of the first planning meeting are as follows, we hope you will be able to join us:
Should you require additional information on Sikh Heritage Month, please contact Peter Singh, Executive Officer, Information Technology and Information Management, and Executive Lead, Sikh Heritage Month at peter.singh@tdsb.on.ca.
EnVision Conference March 29 – March 30: Save The Date
- Join us at the annual EnVision Conference from Tuesday, March 29th to Wednesday, March 30th. The focus of this year's conference is 2SLGBTQI+ Indigenous, Black and racialized collective care and activism.
The EnVision Conference invites 2SLGBTQI+ elementary and secondary students and their allies/co-conspirators to honour and celebrate 2SLGBTQI+ communities, as well as discuss issues faced across Ontario in addressing homophobia and transphobia. Students will use various virtual platforms to ask questions and explore ways to celebrate gender and sexual diversity in schools and beyond.
Please hold the dates in your calendars and look out for more information!
Latin-America History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month : Invitation to Participate in Planning Committee
- Hispanic Heritage Month and Latin- America History Month are both recognized at the TDSB in April. This is a call-out for individuals to join the volunteer planning committees to develop system-wide activities for students, staff and the TDSB community.
Details of the first volunteer planning meeting for both these committees are noted below and we hope you will be able to join us!- Hispanic Heritage Month Volunteer Planning Committee
Date: Thursday, January 27, 2022
Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm on Zoom: https://tdsb-ca.zoom.us/j/92671493038
- Latin-America History Month Volunteer Planning Committee
Date: Monday, January 31, 2022
Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm on Zoom: https://tdsb-ca.zoom.us/j/95422984249;
Should you require additional information on Hispanic Heritage Month and Latin-America History Month, please contact Jim Spyropoulos, Executive Superintendent and Executive Lead, Hispanic Heritage Month and Latin-America History Month at Jim.spyropoulos@tdsb.on.ca.
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TDSB Facilities - Updates
Over the last year TDSB Facilities staff have undertaken several initiatives to improve the condition, accessiblity, and sustainability of our school buildings. Please see the list below for recent staff reports that will be used to inform TDSB Capital projects and advocacy to the Province, as well as long-term planning for student accommodations.
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New - Live Google Calendar of Events and Activities
TDSB families can now find scheduled events from the Mental Health & Professional Support Staff, the Parent & Community Engagement Office (PCEO), and tdsbHUB.ca (Model Schools Community Support Workers) plus other TDSB events and activities all in one calendar at https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/School-Year-Calendar
- Click on specific events for details or to add them to your own calendar. You can also use the +GoogleCalendar button on the bottom right to add all events to your calendar at once.
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TDSB 2021-22 School Year Calendar
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