November 2019 Newsletter

Early French Immersion Parent/Guardian Information Sessions
This year, there will be two virtual (online webchat) information sessions for parents/guardians interested in the Early French Immersion (SK entry) application process. For more information on dates/times for each virtual online webchat session, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/French website or click on Information Sessions.
Secondary Program Review
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is undertaking a review of secondary schools to ensure all students have equitable access to programs and opportunities, as close to home as possible. As part of this review, modifications and updates to current policies and procedures will be required. This includes the Optional Attendance policy (P013) and its procedures (PR545 and PR612).
For more information, please visit the TDSB webpage for Secondary Program Review
Addressing Discrimination
Our TDSB schools should be safe, welcoming, inclusive spaces where students, staff, parents/caregivers and community partners know their rights are protected. Read about how we are supporting TDSB parents and students know their rights and responsibilities and how we uphold these when dealing with incidents of discrimination and harassment in our schools.
Academic Pathways: Grade 9 and 10
Student success drives everything we do in the Toronto District School Board. Our focus is to ensure that every student receives a great education by having equitable access to programs and resources and increased opportunities. As part of the Board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan, we are committed to working over the course of three years to support the majority of students to study academic courses for Grades 9 and 10.
To learn more about this work, including the benefits and timelines, please visit the TDSB webpage for Academic Pathways and read the document, Leading to Success. 
PIAC Parent Conference
Registration is now open for the PIAC Parent Conference on Saturday, November 16, 2019. This year’s focus is on School Councils, so whether you’re on one, would like to join one, or would like to learn more, join us! Registration is free and includes bussing, lunch and childcare.
Keeping Kids Safe
Drivers are reminded to do their part to keep children safe near school buses.
Drivers should follow these tips: 
  • Stop and never pass a school bus when its red lights are flashing.
  • Leave space around school buses and avoid blocking school bus loading zones so children can enter and exit safely.
  • Be prepared to stop for a school bus at any time, not just during school hours.
  • Always obey the rules of the road and watch for children, especially in school zones.
  • Stop for pedestrians at crosswalks and school crossings.
Parents can also help keep their children safe by reminding them to be aware of their surroundings when they are on or near school buses.
Reminder: Call School if Your Child Will be Late or Absent
One measure of keeping our students safe is to ensure we can account for any absences or reasons for being late to school. We would like to remind you that if your child is going to be absent or late for any reason, we ask that you contact the school immediately and report the reason for the absence. If we are not informed about the absence, we will make attempts to contact you through our automated call-out system to determine the reason for the absence. To find out how this automated system works please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/HighSchool/CaringSafeSchools/SafeArrivalProgram.
Please let the office know by calling the school if your contact information, including phone number, changes at any time throughout the school year.
Thank you for your continued cooperation to keep your children safe and accounted for.
Parent-Teacher Interviews
Regular parent-teacher communication is an important part of student learning. Parent-teacher interviews are scheduled throughout the year after report cards are sent home. [Insert school specific interview information].
These interviews are your opportunity to ask questions about your child's progress and to discuss any issues. In addition to regular scheduled parent-teacher interviews, you can request a meeting at any time during the school year by contacting the school or your child's teacher directly.
Continuing Education - Community Programs
Registration for Winter Learn4Life classes starts November 13, 2019. Classes begin Saturday, January 11. Keep up with your New Year's fitness goals, learn a language, or even learn to tango! Take up a new sport, or even learn how to make your own jewellery.
Register at www.learn4life.ca. Facebook.com/TDSBLearn4Life @TDSB_ConEd
Lockdown and Fire Drills
At the beginning of each school year, our students and staff prepare for the year ahead by establishing the foundations for a successful year. One of the ways we know we can help students be successful is to create a safe environment in which to learn. Though no one ever wants to see an emergency happen at a school, it's important for school staff to be equipped to deal with those situations, should these occur.
The safety of students and staff is a top priority at our school and to that end, as with all emergency drills, it is essential that we are prepared and understand the importance of procedures that will help ensure the safety of everyone in our school.
The TDSB has taken steps to ensure your child's safety while in school. Each school has developed emergency preparedness plans that include steps staff will take in the event of an emergency, how staff will get students away from possible dangers, and how students' families will be contacted.
One aspect of emergency preparedness is the lockdown and fire drill. All schools are required to conduct a minimum of two lockdown drills and six fire drills each school year. Lockdown drills, like fire drills, are an essential component to ensuring student and staff safety. It is important that all staff and students are prepared and know how to respond in cases of emergencies. The drills last approximately 5 minutes and ensure plans are effective and can also systematically identify any safety concerns.
Communication is also very important in any emergency situation. The emergency contact information kept on file is important in helping this happen. It lists the people who can pick up a student from the school. If you have not yet provided this information to the office or have updates to the information on file, please make sure our office staff have that information as soon as possible.
Remembrance Day
On Monday, November 11, students and staff at our schools and across the city will mark Remembrance Day with classroom activities and school assemblies. For Remembrance Day, teachers make connections between global events and students' lives by promoting peace within our school community. On this solemn occasion, staff, students, parents, and the wider community all join together in a call for peace. 
As a point of interest, TDSB's Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute has the recognized distinction of having the greatest number of students, graduates, teachers, and other staff enlist in the military during the Second World War than any other school in the British Commonwealth.
John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, thou
gh poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Take Our Kids to Work Day
The TDSB is supporting Take Our Kids to Work Day on Wednesday, November 6. This is the day when Grade 9 students across Ontario will be accompanying a parent, relative or friend to the workplace.
The initiative gives students an opportunity to view the work that adults do and gain an understanding and appreciation for the challenges people face daily and the accomplishments that are achieved. This opportunity helps students think about the choices they will have to make and the path they must follow to meet their future career goals.
All employees are invited to bring a grade 9 student (child, relative or friend) to work on that day. Please join us in welcoming these students at our school.
High School Information Nights
To help you make an informed decision when choosing a high school, TDSB schools host information nights for parents and grade 8 students each year between October and January. Learn everything you need to know about our incredible variety of schools, programs and courses.
The dates and times for all High School Information Nights are available online at www.tdsb.on.ca/High-School/Going-to-High-School/Open-Houses-and-Information-Nights.
November is Indigenous Education Month at the TDSB
In November, we honour Indigenous Education Month at the TDSB. This month provides an opportunity to centre First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives, histories and contemporary realities. In classrooms across the TDSB, it is an opportunity to learn about treaties, Indigenous leadership, achievements, and resistance.  Learn more about Indigenous Education Month at www.tdsb.on.ca/News/Article-Details/ArtMID/474/ArticleID/1366/November-is-Indigenous-Education-Month-at-TDSB.
Hindu Heritage Month is recognized at the TDSB in November
In 2016, the Government of Ontario declared the month of November each year as Hindu Heritage Month.     Further to this, On April 18, 2018, the TDSB Board of Trustees voted to recognize the month of November as Hindu Heritage Month.  The theme chosen this year is OM – Sound of the Universe. The sound OM, or AUM, is energy, a vibration from which all the universe originates. It is believed that form and creation emanate from this vibration. OM symbolizes vibrations of being, life, and consciousness in all worlds and all creatures. By chanting OM correctly, one feels a connection to the creation and transformation of the cosmos. And then, it is traditional to pause, sit in silence, and experience that creative void of complete peace and understanding.  
Canadians of Hindu faith have greatly contributed to civic life in Canada for decades, and are a vibrant part of the growth and prosperity of Toronto, Ontario and Canada.
November is an opportunity to celebrate the Hindu way of life, examine its impact and contributions to the world culture, and recognize values which promote compassion, tolerance and inclusion – and hey, it is the birthplace of the number zero, without which the binary code in computers could not exist!
Materials, including posters, will be available on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019. Please visit the main page of tdsb.on.ca and click on Hindu Heritage Month in the bottom left corner.
Follow @tdsb_HHM on Twitter.     
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