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| | Message from Trustee Gough
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| Dear :
One of the most appreciated holidays of the school year- March Break- will be upon us in less than two weeks. It runs from Saturday March 12- Sunday March 20. There are so many incredibly fun things to do with kids in the city during March Break. With some advance planning, you can get a Toronto Public Library Culture Pass to get your family in free to many museums and the Ontario Science Centre. Here are some of my picks for great "stealth learning" experiences:
In this issue:
Local Education News and Updates-
Online TDSB budget forum March 3 -
Focus on Youth job applications open March 7 2016 -
New TDSB information portal for parents -
Ward council on STEM education: March 29 2016 -
New EcoSchools newsletter: apply for bike racks, cycling education -
Evergreen Learning Grounds grants for schoolyard greening due March 28 -
Minister's Youth Advisory Council applications open -
Parent Reaching Out grant applications now open -
TDSB Parents as Partners Spring Conference April 16 2016
News and Updates from TDSB's Education Centre- Upcoming school year calendar
- R. H. King Academy to pilot a fall Wellness Week
- TDSB Museum and Fine Art Collection opens to public
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Local Education News and Updates
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Online TDSB budget forum March 3
It's budget time. The TDSB will be hosting an Online Budget Forum on Thursday, March 3, 2016 at 8 p.m. to hear from parents, students and the community on the 2016-17 budget. To access the forum, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca and click on the banner on the home page. The forum will allow participants to submit questions which will be answered live by Budget staff. For more information on the TDSB’s budget, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/budget.
Focus on Youth job applications open March 7 2016
The objective of Focus on Youth Toronto (FOYT) is to support high quality program opportunities for children and youth in Toronto’s less affluent areas. Programs promote learning through play, healthy lifestyle and positive self-image. FOYT offers use of school space at no cost for organized community-based programs such as LAMP in the Lakeshore. FOYT provides employment and leadership opportunities for youth aged 16 years and up who are in a TDSB secondary school. Summer employment pays $11.25/hr. Applications will be available here on March 7.
New TDSB information portal for parents
The TDSB is developing a Parent Portal that will allow parents/guardians to track their children’s academic progress, view attendance and school calendars and further enhance communication with their child’s teachers. We are exploring as a board, how a new information sharing tool can be leveraged to further engage parents/guardians to become more active in their children’s education.
Parents are invited to a demonstration of a parent portal on:
Date: Thursday March 10, 2016
Time: 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Location: TDSB Education Centre, 5050 Yonge Street, Boardroom
What is a parent portal? A parent portal is a secure web site designed for parents/guardians to gain access to up to date consolidated information on their TDSB student(s) related to achievement, attendance and school communication. The portal will be made available from any internet enabled desktop including mobile devices. Please confirm your attendance at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RCKPL7X
Ward council on STEM education: March 29 2016
Please join me on Tuesday March 29 for our ward council meeting. Featured guests will be Lanor Jr. Middle School's award-winning principal, Alison Gaymes San Vincente and her students, demonstrating Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in the TDSB. We'll also have an update on our local Safe Routes to School initiatives. Children 4-10 will be treated to a pizza program with Chef Sarah. Registration for the pizza program is limited to 15. Please advise Elizabeth Betowski at elizabeth@terradom.ca if bringing children for pizza making. More information is on this poster. See you there!
When: Tuesday, March 29, 7-8:45 pm
Where: Lanor JMS (450 Lanor Avenue, south of Evans and East Mall), school library.
New EcoSchools newsletter: apply for bike racks, cycling education
The latest TDSB Ecoschools newsletter has important information for schools on a path to becoming more environmentally conscious and sustainable. Read about how your school can apply for bike racks and cycle rodeos, celebrate TDSB Earth Hour on March 11, and register for April 11's Clean Toronto's Schoolyard Clean-up day!
Evergreen Learning Grounds grants for schoolyard greening due March 28
The Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds program helps schools create outdoor classrooms to provide students with a healthy place to play, learn and develop a respect for nature. Up to $3,500 is available for the purchase of native plant species, heritage seeds, tools, materials and professional services such as a landscape design professional. Applications are accepted for this school year on Monday, March 28, 2016.
Minister's Youth Advisory Council applications open
The Ontario Ministry of Education is now accepting applications from students in Grades 7 to 12 who go to publicly funded schools and who want to be part of the Minister's Student Advisory Council. Applications are accepted until March 11 at this site. If you are a student, this is an excellent opportunity to have your voice and opinions on education heard by the decision-makers. You are the one with experience of the system and now you have a chance to make a difference - apply!
Parent Reaching Out grant applications now open
Parents Reaching Out grants (PRO) are grants given to school boards from the Ministry of Education to encourage parent engagement. The Ministry of Education is now accepting on-line applications for 2016-2017 PRO grants. The deadline to apply is Sunday May 29, 2016. Under the PRO grant program, school councils are eligible to receive up to $1000 from the Ministry. More information, examples of past projects, and links to the application forms are available here.
TDSB Parents as Partners Spring Conference April 16 2016
This is a FREE conference for TDSB parents. Whether your child is just beginning on his or her educational journey in elementary school or closer to graduation and planning for the future, there are informative and empowering sessions for parents/guardians and caregivers of students of all ages and all stages of education. Bussing and childminding programs are free with registration.
Date: April 16, 2016
Time: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Location: Allstream Centre, 105 Princes Blvd
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News and Updates from TDSB's Education Centre
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Upcoming school year calendar
Trustees on the Programs and School Services Standing Committee have reviewed the staff recommendation for the next academic year's school calendar of instructional days and have sent it to the full board meeting in March for final approval. If approved, the last day of school before Christmas Break will be December 23th and holidays will run to January 6, 2017. You can see the recommended schedule here. It was developed in discussion with neighboring boards, including the Toronto Catholic Board. If the TDSB board decides to change the recommended schedule, I will update the next newsletter.
R. H. King Academy to pilot a fall Wellness Week
Scarborough's R. H. King Academy staff have asked TDSB Programs and School Services Committee to consider a request for a modified school year in response to a school climate survey and a student comments report, which showed that students were experiencing higher than expected levels of anxiety, especially in the fall term.
The school has asked to pilot a Wellness Week in early November, which would allow students to visit universities and colleges, fill out scholarship applications, get volunteer experience, complete job applications, etc.. School would start one week earlier in the late summer so the instructional year would have the same number of days. The pilot project will be for three years, and research will take place to determine whether it has a positive impact on student success and well-being. I am in favor of this idea, which has the potential to improve student success while decreasing stress.
The request was approved by the Committee and a final decision will be made at the next board meeting on March 22. You can read the full report here.
TDSB Museum and Fine Art Collection opens to public
TDSB's Museum and Fine Art Collection's "Debwewin" Exhibit of Indigenous Art. Free, open to the public for the first time ever on Tuesday March 15 (10 am-7 pm) and Thursday March 17 (10 am-5 pm).
Tours of the spectacular new exhibit of Indigenous art by Elder and Curator Dr. Duke Redbird take place Tuesday at 6 pm and Thursday at noon. Location: Eastern Commerce CI, 16 Phin Ave, close to the subway. Contact Archivist Greg McKinnon at 416-397-3682 or greg.mckinnon@tdsb.on.ca for more information.
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Grandkids Walk for Alzheimer's April 9 & 10 2016
Inspired by Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope, two George R. Gauld students have determined to carry out a personal project: they are going to undertake a two-day staged weekend walk from Ashbridge's Bay to Amos Waites Park in Mimico in support of Alzheimer's research. Other children are invited to join them. Details can be found here.
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