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School Council Appreciation and Information Evening
Please join us on Thursday, February 25, 2016 at Montecassino Hotel, Downsview, for a special evening to celebrate the work and contributions of school councils and parents to the education system. It’s an opportunity to enjoy a wonderful dinner, network with school council members, and participate in round-table discussions. Please see the attachment for details or visit http://www.tdsb.on.ca/parentconference to register.
Toronto District School Board Pre-Budget Submission 2016
TDSB Chair Robin Pilkey will be meeting with the Honourable Associate Minister of Finance Mitzie Hunter on Monday, January 18, 2016 as part of the Ministry’s province-wide pre-budget consultations. The focus of the Chair’s presentation is based on our capital and renewal challenges the need for adequate and predictable funding to repair and modernize schools. As part of this presentation the Chair will also be providing a copy of the TDSB’s feedback on the 2016-2017 Education Funding Consultation Guide that has been submitted to the Ministry of Education for consideration. The Chair will also be sharing this pre-budget submission with all Toronto area MPs and MPPs. I will include a link to the presentation next week.
Ward 21 By-election Update
The by-election for the office of Trustee in Ward 21 (Scarborough-Rouge River) is on Monday, January 25, 2016. The advance vote was held this weekend on Saturday, January 16 and Sunday, January 17. In total there are 20 candidates running for the trustee position. For more information and to find a full list of candidates, please visit the City of Toronto website at www.toronto.ca/elections/by-election. For ongoing, up-to-date information about the by-election, follow the official City of Toronto Election Services Twitter account at: https://twitter.com/torontovotes. Information has also been provided to all TDSB schools within Ward 21 to help with increasing community awareness and promotion of the by-election.
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Parent Representative Participation in Vice-Principal Interviews
As you may be aware, The TDSB currently includes a Parent Representative on Vice-Principal Interview Committees.The P/VP Process and Interview Training Session is scheduled for Tuesday, February 9, 2016, 5050 Yonge St – Boardroom from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Attendance at a Training Session is mandatory in order to participate as a Parent Representative on a Vice-Principal Interview Team. The last parent interview training session was offered on October 20, 2014. If you attended that session, it is not necessary for you to attend again, although you are welcome to come as a refresher. For the Spring 2016 cycle, interviews for Elementary and Secondary Vice-Principal will be held on two of the planned interview dates: Tuesday, February 23, 2016, Thursday, February 25, 2016 and Tuesday, March 1, 2016. In early February, 2016 the decision will be made, and communicated, regarding the specific date each of the vice-principal interviews will be held. All interviews are held at 1 Civic Centre Court (Burnhamthorpe and Hwy #427) during the day; Parent Representatives would be required to be in attendance from 8:00 am until no later than 4:30 pm.
Although forms were due on January 15, if you would like to volunteer to participate in the Spring 2016 vice-principal interviews, they may still need people so please e-mail cori.byberg@tdsb.on.ca for a form to complete.
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PR537 - Head Lice (Pediculosis) - Clarification
The TDSB’s current procedure with regards to head lice (PR537) is that “the parent is required to keep the child at home until the problem is cleared.” It’s important to note that this procedure, which aims at reducing the spread of lice, remains in effect for the TDSB and has not changed. Recently, Toronto Public Health changed its head lice policy following a position statement from the Canadian Pediatric Society which states: “Exclusion from school and daycare due to the detection of the presence of ‘nits’ does not have sound medical rationale.” As Toronto Public Health advises the TDSB on health matters, staff are now looking at our current procedure to determine if any changes are needed or required. At this point in time, there have been no final determinations. I will be sure to keep Trustees informed of this procedure.
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Ecoschools: Applying for bike racks, water refill stations, schoolyard greening
The implementation of the TDSB Charter for Active Safe and Sustainable Transportation is underway. The TDSB Ecoschools Cycling Support program is developing new ways to help schools create a culture of cycling by providing infrastructure and programming support. Visit Ecoschools cycling supports website to find out how to apply for bike racksl. Soon to come: opportunities to have a free skills-based cycling education program presented at your school.
Water Bottle Refill Stations: Plastic water bottles are expensive, take a lot of energy to make and transport, plus they last 400 years in landfill. The TDSB is encouraging students and staff to bring portable refillable water bottles. Send a message of environmental stewardship and go from landfill to refill by applying here for a free Oasis water bottle refill station in your school for fall 2016.
Schoolyard Greening: in March 2015, the TDSB approved new guidelines for schoolyard greening and landscaping projects. EcoSchools has resources to help schools with smaller projects such as building outdoor classrooms, or larger scale multiple-year partner-funded projects. Find out more and book a schoolyard design consultation at no cost here.
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Worth Repeating...
TDSB Parent Conference 2016: Parents as Partners - April 16, 2016 The Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC), Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC), Mental Health and Well-Being Parent Partnership Committee and Model Schools for Inner Cities’ Parent Academies are partnering to bring one INCLUSIVE conference on Saturday, April 16, 2016. Please save this date in your calendar.
Premier's Awards for Accepting Schools - Nominations are now open for the 2015-16 Premier's Award for Accepting Schools. This award recognizes “exceptional and innovative work being done in schools to create a safe and accepting school environment.” Application Information is available online. The application deadline is Friday, February 19, 2016 at 5 p.m. EST.
Public Consultations Being Held for Feedback on Two Policy Revisions - Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education released new guidelines for Pupil Accommodation Reviews and for Community Planning and Partnerships. To adhere to the new guidelines, we must update our policies. As part of the consultation process, we are seeking feedback from staff, parents/guardians, and community members. We would like to invite you to provide your feedback by:
Optional Attendance - Within the City of Toronto students have the right to attend a school which is designated to serve their residential address. The "Find Your School" section of the website identifies the designated schools for each residential address. Students also have the opportunity to access schools outside of the school that is designated to serve their residential address by applying on optional attendance. Acceptance at these schools is subject to space availability and program suitability. The procedures, conditions and timelines relating to optional attendance are described in the Optional Attendance Policy and the Optional Attendance Operational Procedure. Please note that the optional attendance status is updated every January for admission in September.
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. The dates and times for all High School Information Nights are available online at www.tdsb.on.ca/highschool.
HOLD THE DATE - Ward Forum, February 29, 2016
Hear from Dr John Malloy, our new Director of Education and a presentation on our 2016-17 Budget by Craig Snider, Comptroller, Budget, Revenue & Financial Reporting - Agenda and location will be finalized the first week of February.
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