Keeping you engaged and informed
Keeping you engaged and informed
Ward 11 Weekly Update header

Week of September 3, 2018 

Welcome Back!

Thank you for choosing the TDSB! Hope you have a wonderful last day of summer vacation... please tweet your first day experiences using the hashtag #TDSBFirstDay. I look forward to following along.
The TDSB Website has put a number of resources onto a page for both parents and students. Please click here for some resources to help you have a great year. Are there other resources you think would be helpful to post here? Please let me know... 

Legal Challenge re Bill 5 

At our Board meeting Wednesday, Trustees voted to formally proceed with supporting the City of Toronto in a legal challenge of Bill 5, the Better Local Government Act. Justice Edward Belobaba heard the case on Friday and it is reported that he will provide his decision on upholding (it would mean the trustee wards would be as per our motion on August 11) or striking down Bill 5 (which would mean we would revert back to our decision from the spring which fit 22 wards into 47) by September 11 or 12. In our factum, the TDSB stated that should the Better Local Government Act be struck down, the TDSB can return to the previous ward boundaries that aligned with the original 47 city ward model. In addition, the Board also raised a potential argument under s.58.1(3) and (4) of the Education Act which states that a regulation affecting school board ward boundaries applies “to permit the next regular election after the regulation is made…to be held in a way that takes account of the provisions of the regulation.” As a result, the TDSB believes changes to the Education Act regulation that supports realignment of Trustee ward boundaries with a 25 city ward model under Bill 5 do not apply to the 2018 municipal election, but to the next municipal election.
During the hearing, the Judge conceded on our first point and as such, did not hear from the Board. Now we wait... the decision will have a profound effect for both Councillors and Trustees but more importantly, for local democracy in Toronto.

HPE Curriculum

At our Board meeting Wednesday evening, I was pleased to work with my colleagues Jennifer Story and Robin Pilkey on a motion that passed unanimously. The Motion speaks for itself -
Health and Physical Education Curriculum
Whereas, the government introduced a new submission platform for parents called Fortheparents.ca, dubbed the “snitch line”;
Whereas, encouraging parents to use this line to complain about teachers anonymously also circumvents school board policies, such as the Board’s Parent Concern Protocol, that exist to resolve parent concerns;
Whereas, the Board’s Parent Concern Protocol begins with a conversation between the parent and the classroom teacher, with the intention of creating effective relationships in the best interest of students;
Whereas, the “snitch line” has the opposite impact;
Whereas, the College of Teachers, who will be vetting the concerns from the “snitch line”, urge complainants to “talk to the teacher, school principal or a school board official first” as the initial step to address any concerns and do not even address anonymous complaints;
Whereas, the Board supports the Ontario Public School Boards' Association’s (OPSBA) position, as outlined in their letter dated August 10, 2018 to the Minister of Education, to respectfully advocate for a status quo position regarding the Health and Physical Education 2015 (revised) curriculum for September 2018 until such time as the Ministry of Education puts forth a fully vetted and evidence-based Health and Physical Education curriculum;
Whereas from the beginning, the Board has been vocal about its concerns with regards to the inclusion of important topics such as online safety, gender identities, sexual orientation, and consent; and
Whereas, curriculum is a starting point and a baseline, not a script or a lesson plan, and the room for teachers to augment or enhance curriculum is built in to our education system;
Therefore be it resolved:
  • That the Board urge the Minister of Education to cancel the “snitch line” immediately;
  • That the Board continue to recommend that parents who have specific concerns with instructional approaches to resolve these through discussion with teachers and principals as per our Parent Concern Protocol; and those with concerns related to the re-issued 2010 Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum contact the Ministry of Education;
  • That the Board affirm its support for the Director’s efforts to communicate to teachers, students, families and the broader public that topics such as consent, online safety, gender identity and sexual orientation can still be covered in our elementary classrooms by virtue of the 2010 curriculum, human rights code and board policy, and to remind them that the 2015 curriculum will still be taught in secondary schools;  
  • That the Board reaffirm its support for and our trust in our teachers, as professionals, to teach and respond to students’ curriculum questions appropriately; and
  • That the Chair share these directions with Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, School Board Chairs, and copy the Minister of Education, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation and the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario.
For context, to read the complete letter from Director John Malloy to teachers, please click here. More information to both teachers and parents will be coming this week.

Discovery Math? 

As you are probably aware the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) released highlights of the provincial-level results from its 2017–2018 Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Primary Division (Grades 1–3), Junior Division (Grades 4–6), the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics and the OSSLT. As noted by others, as distinct from previous years, there was no thank you to students, educators & parents/guardians and no comment on Reading or Writing results. You can find the news release and links to provincial results here. And there was little fanfare regarding reading and writing... just math...
It is important to reiterate what Dr Carol Campbell has noted. Regardless of what has been said, it is important to be clear & specific: The Ontario Mathematics curriculum is not based on “Discovery Math” & the current curriculum absolutely involves teaching “fundamentals”Divisive sloganeering is not helpful when substantive educational considerations of how to support learning are needed.
But there has been a decline in math results based on EQAO and that prompted the previous provincial government to make investments - and has prompted many to look at the curriculum itself. I agree with Dr Campbell when she says,  "I support evidence-informed change when needed. Balanced Math Instruction provides students with the opportunity to develop both conceptual/procedural understanding. There is a place for basic facts/operational skills in supporting students in judging reasonableness of their solutions. It involves more than just fact recall. As for the release it is the same curicculum. In case you’re wondering what “math fundamentals” are in recently announced @fordnation #OntEd plans. There’s now a teachers’ guide & parent fact sheet (based on existing curriculum) #OnPoli #Math"

What is the TDSB Doing About Math?

Teaching and learning mathematics is a priority and the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is committed to providing support to all learners. Ongoing support and professional learning is provided to TDSB teachers, emphasizing teaching that will result in the learning of numeracy, problem-solving and communication skills. Teachers, teacher leaders and administrators dig deep into data to reveal information that will inform school professional learning strategies, math department plans and classroom instruction. Below are references to TDSB research reports.
TEACHING AND LEARNING MATHEMATICS RESEARCH SERIES I: Effective Instructional Strategies: Mathematical skills and confidence are essential for students. Given the importance of mathematical skills and confidence, this study focuses on research-based instructional strategies that can provide guidance for effective classroom practices for supporting student development in mathematics. Readers are encouraged to read the full report for details on effective instructional strategies. Summary and recommendations are provided at the end of this report. Click here for the full report (2016).
TEACHING AND LEARNING MATHEMATICS RESEARCH SERIES II: Effective Intervention Strategies: This brief will go hand-in-hand with the Teaching and Learning Mathematics Research Series l: Effective Instructional Strategies to present evidence-based mathematics interventions to help address the challenge of students struggling in mathematics. The interventions outlined are based on meta-analyses, best-evidence synthesis, education reviews, and research briefs from national centres of education in the United States, Australia, European Union, and United Kingdom. There are many intervention strategies discussed in this brief, but with all the interventions there should be a shared commitment to the intervention program for it to be successful. Click here for the brief (2016).

New COOP Curriculum

In September, schools across Ontario will be implementing a new Cooperative Education (Co-op) curriculum. Until now, there has not been a Co-op curriculum; schools have used a policy document. The new Co-op curriculum now includes overall and specific course expectations, as in any other curriculum area and allows for increased opportunities for students to take Co-op by the creation of a stand-alone Co-op course (DCO3O: Creating Opportunities Through Co-op). The curriculum also reflects the diversity of learners in our system and supports career/life planning.
All students can benefit from participating in Cooperative Education. Students are able to develop:
  • a) a reflective habit of mind to derive meaning from their experiences;
  • b) the ability to apply (e.g., transfer) their learning to influence decisions and actions in various aspects of their lives;
  • c) the skills, knowledge, and habits of mind required to become competent and confident education and career/life planners.
Students interested in pursuing Co-op should speak to their school Guidance Counsellor or Co-op Teacher. The new curriculum document can be found on the Ministry of Education website, or by clicking here.

City of Toronto Recreation Programs

Registration for fall and winter recreation programs begins next weekend. Plan ahead, explore program options at , have your family and client numbers ready and confirm the district for your programs. 

Page Program

Each year approximately 150 young students from across Ontario are selected to participate in Ontario's Legislative Page Program. This unique educational experience for Ontario students in grades 7 or 8 provides an opportunity to experience the provincial legislature in action and forge new lifelong friendships with peers from all over province! 
Applications for the Spring 2019 Parliamentary Session open September 15th to November15th (Spring Parliamentary Session February to June of the following year). For more information, please click here https://www.ola.org/en/visit-learn/programs/about-page-program.

School Year Calendar 2018-2019

The official school year calendar for the Toronto District School Board runs from          September 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019, inclusive.
  • First day of classes for all students is September 4, 2018
  • The last day of class for elementary students is June 27, 2019
  • The last day of class for secondary (full-year) students is June 25, 2019
  • The last day of class for secondary (semestered) students is June 26, 2019 
2018 - 2019 Dates to Remember: Official Holidays and PA Days 
Labour Day
September 3, 2018
Board-wide PA Day
October 5, 2018
Thanksgiving
October 8, 2018
Board-wide PA Day
November 16, 2018
Board-wide PA Day
December 7, 2018
Christmas Break
December 24, 2018 to January 4, 2019 (inclusive)
Last day of school is December 21, 2018
School resumes January 7, 2019
Elementary PA Day
January 18, 2019
Secondary PA Day
(Semestered Schools only)
* January 31, 2019
Board-wide PA Day
February 15, 2019
Family Day
February 18, 2019
March Break
March 11 to 15, 2019
Good Friday
April 19, 2019
Easter Monday
April 22, 2019
Victoria Day
May 20, 2019
Elementary School PA Day
June 7, 2019
Secondary School PA Day
(Full Year Schools only)
* June 26, 2019
Secondary School PA Day
June 27, 2019
Board-wide PA Day
June 28, 2019
Also please note Days of Significance - click here for the complete list
  • Eid al-Adha celebrated on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, lasts for four days and will begin Tuesday, August 21 
  • Rosh Hashanah will begin in the evening of Sunday, September 9 and ends in the evening of Tuesday, September 11
  • Islamic New Year Tuesday, September 11
  • Yom Kippur will begin in the evening of Tuesday, September 18 and ends in the evening of Wednesday, September 19
  • Passover 2019 will begin in the evening of Friday, April 19 and ends in the evening of
    Saturday, April 27 (first 2 and last 2 days are considered holy)
  • Ramadan 2019 will begin in the evening of Sunday, May 5 and ends in the evening of Tuesday, June 4 (Dates may vary)
  • Eid al-Fitr celebrated at the end of Ramadan will begin on Tuesday, June 4 
EQAO - The following dates have been established: 
  • Gr. 9 Math:  1st Semester:  January 14-25, 2019
  • Gr. 9 Math:  2nd Semester: June 5-18, 2019
  • OSSLT:  March 27, 2019
  • Primary/Junior EQAO: May 21-June 3, 2019
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