Ward 3 Update - February 2022
February Greetings!
To the students, families and teachers of Ward 3, Etobicoke Lakeshore. As your local trustee I would like to say that its time we all thank each other for the teamwork, patience, and humility it took to get our communities through this pandemic. Like never before, in the past two years we have all had to make sacrifices and adapt to ongoing changes. COVID has been history in the making which all of us have been a part of. Although the impact this has had on our lives feels immeasurable, I am very happy to remind everyone that the healing has already begun, and soon we will be remembering this pandemic in so many different ways.
As we resume issuing permits next week and into the spring, our schools will become even more alive on evenings and weekends. And as the data on this pandemic continues to trend in our favour I anticipate that our system, and the communities they serve, will once again be able to come together and thrive. I look forward with great pride to celebrate the accomplishments of our students who have continued to achieve so much despite the many disruptions and challenges.
Below are some updates and helpful links, I also would like to remind our communities to register and attend our Virtual Joint Ward Forum this Thursday, February 10. The forum will focus on system planning for Wards 2 & 3. Do you ever wonder how our schools will be able to support all of the new developments coming up in our neighbourhoods? Are you curious about how a new school gets proposed and planned for? Join us or tune in this Thursday evening from 7pm to 9pm! Please register ahead of time through the link in the event poster below.
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Virtual Joint ForumWard 2 & Ward 3
Thursday, February 10, 20227:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Trustees Nunziata and MacLean invite you to attend a meeting to discuss Long Term Program and Accommodation Strategy in Wards 2 and 3. Special Guests Andrew Gowdy, System Planning Officer, Strategy and Planning, and Daniel Castaldo, Senior Manager, Planning will be in attendance to answer your questions and address your concerns.
Members of the South Eatonville Residents Association (SERA) will also be in attendance and will provide a presentation.
The meeting will be hosted on Zoom. Registrants will be sent a meeting invite with a link and call in details for the session, the day of the meeting.
We hope to see you there!
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TDSB to Provide Medical Masks for all StudentsTrustees with the Toronto District School Board have approved a motion during this evening’s regular Board meeting to purchase Level 3 medical grade masks for TDSB students.
While students may continue to wear their own mask as per the TDSB’s COVID-19 Mask Procedure, one medical mask per day will be made available to all students until the end of the school year should they wish to wear them.
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Semester 2 Update
- School days previously designated as Exam Days will continue to support Credit Rescue activities. Consistent with Semester 1, students will not write examinations in Semester 2 of the 2021-2022 school year.
- End of Semester evaluations will be in the form of culminating activities and rich tasks.
- Parent/Guardian-Teacher Interviews provide an opportunity to share important information about students to support their success at school. Interviews will be scheduled virtually on a date determined by each school.
If you have any questions about the information above, please contact your school directly.
We continue to follow all Ministry of Education and Toronto Public Health guidance with regard to COVID-19 including masking, physical distancing to the greatest extent possible and daily health screening.
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Introducing the TDSB Student Senate for 2022-23
On January 20 and 21, students in Grades 7-11 from across the Toronto District School Board participated in an online election. Students were encouraged to watch the campaign videos submitted by each candidate to ensure informed decisions were made when voting. Over 3,300 students voted during these 2 days.
We want to thank the 201 students who put their names forward for a position on the Student Senate, the shortlisted candidates who prepared amazing campaign videos and all the students took the time to participate in this election process by voting on the Election days.
We are pleased to announce the newly elected members of Student Senate for the term February 2022 to June 2023.
Congratulations to all!
- President – Yi Kai Zhou, A.Y. Jackson SS
- Vice-President – Annika Tran, Central Toronto Academy
- Secretary/Treasurer – Riddi Saini, West Humber CI
- Communications Officer – Lisa Nguyen, Northview Heights SS
- LC1 Co-Chair – Neela Ethayakanthan, Weston CI
- LC1 Co-Chair – Ava Elcsics, Hilltop MS
- LC1 Secretary/Treasurer – Lovely Malicat, Weston CI
- LC2 Co-Chair – Beatrice Tamburro, Claude Watson School for the Arts
- LC2 Co-Chair – Dhyaana Shroff, Zion Heights MS
- LC2 Secretary/Treasurer – Jiayi Shao, Don Mills MS
- LC3 Co-Chair – Jahangir Khurram, Sir Wilfrid Laurier CI
- LC3 Co-Chair – Aaisha Pathan, SATEC @ W.A. Porter CI
- LC3 Secretary/Treasurer – VACANT
- LC4 Co-Chair – Alice Strachan, Earl Grey Sr. PS
- LC4 Co-Chair – Audrey Platteel, Malvern CI
- LC4 Secretary/Treasurer – Jaanuya Mahinthan, Parkdale PS
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Mental Health and Well-Being
Everyday, the TDSB supports and focuses on the mental health and well-being of all students. Professional Support Services staff continues to develop resources to support students and their families. Check out the new, grade-specific Choice Boards.
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Vaccination Clinics
The TDSB continues to work with health care partners to support vaccination clinics for students. Learn more.
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Absence Reporting
Each day, TDSB schools submit absence reporting data to the Ministry of Education as well as any school closure information. For information, please visit our COVID-19 Reporting webpage.
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Parent/Caregiver Academies
Model Schools for Inner Cities is hosting a number of Parent/Caregivers Academy Workshops open to all parents, caregivers, and school staff. See the amazing workshops they have scheduled for the coming months.
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The Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement
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TDSB System Calendar
There are many ways for parents/guardians and school community members to get involved, learn, connect and participate in TDSB activities and events. Check our new system calendar to see what’s going on across the Board.
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Student Equity Collective
The TDSB Student Equity Collective is still accepting applications! Students in Grades 7 to 11 who are interested in a unique leadership opportunity that will address racism, hate and discrimination in the TDSB can apply!
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Tkaronto Indigenous Youth Council
Calling all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students! Join the Tkaronto Indigenous Youth Council (TIYC), a group of Indigenous youth from across the TDSB that come together to make positive change in their community and support one another in the process. See link for details. TIYC Flyer 9.0 (002).pdf
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Free Skills Upgrading Classes for Adults in Toronto
Community Services is operating free Essential Skills Upgrading (ESU) classes remotely for adults in the community. Individuals seeking to upgrade math, reading/writing or computer skills so they can pursue more education or employment should visit upgrademyskills.ca.
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English Instruction for Adult Newcomers with Free Childcare
The TDSB’s Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) classes is the largest LINC provider in Canada. All sites provide free care for newcomer children, so adult newcomers can gain English instruction without worrying about costly childcare. Visit linctoronto.ca to learn more.
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Kindergarten Registration Begins in February! Registration for all TDSB Kindergarten programs begins in February. We look forward to welcoming you and your child at school in September!
To attend Junior Kindergarten in September, children must turn four-years-old by December 31. To register for Senior Kindergarten, children must be five-years-old by December 31. For more information about the Kindergarten program and registration requirements, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/kindergarten.
Early French Immersion: Parents/Caregivers who have already accepted placement in French Immersion via the central application process for 2022-2023, and whose children are not yet registered with the TDSB, will receive a unique link via email in order to register their child at the French Immersion school at which they have accepted placement. This email will come from TDSB Registration (noreplyregistration@powerschool.com). Please note: the deadline to apply for placement in Early French Immersion was November 26, 2021.
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Municipal and School Board Elections Through voterlookup.ca, Ontario electors can update their information, add a name to an address or change their school support, in preparation for Municipal and School Board Elections which will be held on October 24, 2022.
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Winter Walk Day
Winter Walk Day is back! On February 2, TDSB students are joining schools across Canada for Winter Walk Day - an annual celebration of active transportation!
It's the perfect opportunity for parents and kids to get outside together and stretch those legs. Walk to school for daily physical activity, a healthier environment, safer streets, making friends and to have fun! Walking is the simplest form of exercise and helps kids get the 60 minutes of daily physical activity they need.
Winter is still a great time to walk and be outside and it's also a great cure for those winter blues! Dress properly and don't let cold, wind, snow or rain keep you from heading out for a walk. Below are some great winter weather dressing tips from Green Communities Canada:
- Keep hands and head covered to prevent heat loss
- Wear warm, waterproof boots
- Wear a warm coat that deflects the wind
- Woolen clothing helps to retain heat
- On really cold days, wear a scarf over your face and mouth
- If possible, change wet clothes at school
- Wear clothing or carry knapsacks with reflective material, it's important to be seen
- Below -25 degrees Celsius is considered too cold for walking, so move your walk indoors or select another day
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February 21 is a Statutory Holiday
There will be no classes on Monday, February 21 to reflect the province-wide statutory holiday called Family Day. The holiday occurs on the third Monday in February of each year for the purpose of emphasizing and celebrating the importance of families taking time to be together.
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February is African Heritage Month at the TDSB
During the month of February, the Toronto District School Board proudly recognizes African Heritage Month. It is an occasion to celebrate the many achievements and contributions of peoples of African descent to Canada and the world. The chosen theme for 2021-2022 is NIA: Walking in Our Purpose.
An artwork created by students under the leadership of their teacher, Matthew Chapman, from Downsview Secondary Schools in 2020 has been updated to showcase this year’s theme NIA: Walking in Our Purpose. Five principles of Kwanzaa are presented in this painting:
- Umoja (unity) the tattoo
- Nia (purpose) the logo on the shoe
- Kuumba (creativity) the logo on the shirt
- Imani (faith) the brand tag on the hijab
- Kujichagulia (self determination) found in the fabric of one of the shirts.
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February is Chinese Heritage Month at the TDSB
The Toronto District School Board is proud to recognize Chinese Heritage Month (CHM) during the month of February.
This year CHM coincides with one of the most important Chinese celebrations, the Lunar New Year which begins on Tuesday, February 1st. Lunar New Year is also known as the spring festival and begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon of the lunar calendar 15 days later. We encourage everyone to participate and make our Chinese Heritage Month spectacular. This year’s theme is YEAR OF THE TIGER– Brave, Compassionate, Adventurous, and Optimistic.
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