Hoping you get a Break...Toronto Public Heath has announced that all schools in Toronto will remain closed up to and including Sunday, April 18, 2021. Please read more here. We hope that this move and the latest provincial lockdown truly will work... As the amount of community spread directly affects cases in our schools, we expect to hear at the end of next week what the plans are for a return to in-person learning and when it may be and you will receive an email from TDSB as soon as we know more. We understand the impact on the mental health and well-being of all students and staff that this uncertainty brings. I will do my best to tweet any news during the break and include the latest information in next week's update.
I am deeply appreciative of the continued support and resilience of students, staff and families. May you truly get a break from the screen this week - may you enjoy the spring weather (hoping it stops raining) and most importantly, stay healthy. As Toronto Public Health tweeted with the picture below, Let's continue to practice self-protection measures to stop virus spread & work towards a summer we can all enjoy.
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This Week's Update- Ramadan Kareem!
- COVID Testing Update
- Vaccinations for Educator Finally Starting...
- Day of Pink
- Update re Government’s Proposed Plan for Remote Learning
- Ward 8 PARTS/Community Updates
- Yonge-Eglinton PART Phase 2
- 2021 Summer Programs
- School Excursion Forms Are Now Digital
- Upcoming Meetings
New Invitations - Join TDSB's Mental Health & Wellness Committee
- Skilled Trade & Technology Virtual Information Night
- Have Your Say about Toronto’s Next Chief of Police
- EECOM 2021 Exploring the Nature of Cities April 21-24, 2021
- Hold the Date - Ward Forum - May 31, 2021
Worth Repeating - St Paul's Summit on April 18, 2021
- Save the Date-PIAC Spring Event
- Prime Minister's Awards Deadline Extended
- Policy Consultations
- Download the COVID-19 App
- School Year Calendar
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Ramadan Kareem!Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. It’s important to Muslims, because it is the period of time in which the holy Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Ramadan 2021 begins the evening of Tuesday, April 13 and ends the evening of Wednesday, May 12. For many Muslim students and educators, this will be the second consecutive Ramadan restricted by social distancing.
For those celebrating and observing, Ramadan Kareem! Ramadan Mubarak! May you have a blessed and generous Ramadan.
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COVID Testing UpdateThe TDSB will continue to work with its testing partners and the Ministry of Education to continue to offer targeted testing in schools through a variety of testing approaches, including school-based clinics, to help support the safe return to in-person learning. The following options for asymptomatic will be available to staff and students during the week of April 12 - 18:
- Mobile testing locations in schools will continue to be communicated by schools. Please keep an eye out for these testing locations and consider participating.
- In-pharmacy testing, in both existing pharmacies that have currently offered asymptomatic testing for staff as well as students - children attending child care located within schools will also be eligible to access this testing. Please check with your local pharmacy on minimum testing age. While students/children can access testing in pharmacies for April 12-18 only, this testing will continue to be available for all staff. To book an appointment, visit the Covid-19 Testing Locations website, and select “pharmacy” as your location type, with the booking details requested.
- New pharmacies - In addition to these pharmacies, Shoppers Drug Mart is also able to offer additional in-pharmacy Rapid Antigen Screening for students and staff beginning April 14, 2021 - (see full list here )
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Vaccinations for Educators Finally Starting...
Thank you to all who joined us in advocating for all education staff to be vaccinated - the province has now announced that starting on April 12, “...education workers who provide direct support to students with special education needs across the province, and all education workers in select hot spot areas, will be eligible to register for vaccination. Vaccinations will commence during the April break starting with priority neighborhoods in Toronto and Peel, then rolling out to priority neighborhoods in other hot spot regions, including York, Ottawa, Hamilton, Halton and Durham. This will be followed by a rollout across the province as supply allows.”
Please note we received clarification from Toronto Public Health (TPH) that education workers who support students with special education needs includes teachers and education workers as well as principals, custodians, and office workers who interact with these students.
With regard to Toronto neighbourhoods that have the highest incidences of COVID-19, TPH has confirmed education workers in schools and residents over 18 years old who either work or live in these neighbourhoods will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. To book your appointment, as of 8am, Monday, April 12, please call the Provincial Vaccine Information Line at 1-888-999-6488 (TTY 1-866-797-0007). You are not able to book this appointment online. Toronto Public Health has advised that additional areas may be added to the list - please visit the TPH website often for any new areas added.
I know, yet again, we are scrambling to react to the provincial announcement instead of being prepared for it... I know there is still a degree of uncertainty regarding whether or not education staff staff need a letter to book if they live or work in the hot zones - I am trying to seek clarity and will tweet once received.
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Day of Pink
Level Up The Love - We know that we can’t get together to celebrate Day of Pink as we would like to. But, just as it didn’t stop us last year, it certainly won’t stop us this year. In fact, we are hoping to make this year’s Day of Pink bigger than ever by focusing on a theme that is both important and relevant in these digital-focused days. This April 14th, on International Day of Pink, let’s say game over to cyberbullying.
Discrimination takes many shapes, whether it’s based on race, age, disabilities, gender or sexuality. The 2SLGBTQIA+ community is no stranger to the bullying and violence that stems from hateful beliefs. While progress has been made towards removing these social barriers from our society, discrimination still persists. So, every year, on the second Wednesday of April, we urge people around the world to put on a pink shirt and stand in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to continue fighting for equality and acceptance.
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Update re Government’s Proposed Plan for Remote LearningAs i referenced in last week's update, the recent draft proposal from the Ministry of Education regarding remote learning, and an expanded role for TVO in our education system is very concerning. Although the full details remain confidential, many of the details of the proposal have been published in a variety of publications, including but not limited to the Globe & Mail and the Toronto Star.
The Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA) continues to be at the forefront and convene its work teams to review the details once they are known. OPSBA issued a preliminary statement on March 25 which I shared in last weekend's update and they also sent a letter to the Minister on April 8.
At the TDSB Planning & Priorities Meeting on Tuesday, Trustees passed unanimously a Motion to Stop the Plans for Radical Changes to Remote Learning in Ontario - Preserve Student Achievement and Well-being through Locally delivered Public Education.
Be it resolved that the Chair of the Toronto District School Board write to the Minister of Education to express this board’s objection to the rushed and radical changes to remote learning that the government is proposing and that the letter include the following:
- There is no evidence to support that this policy change will improve student achievement or well-being;
- TDSB data shows that students and families prefer local in-person learning;
- Rushing through these radical changes to remote learning after a year of isolation and instability created by the Covid-19 pandemic risks causing real harm to our students; and
- The government must immediately stop its consideration of this proposal until the full impacts of remote learning on students during this pandemic are known.
Part of the conversation at the Board table was the importance of communicating to parents on the potential impacts that this proposal will have on their child/children’s education, as well as public educations as a whole. The timing is completely off - it comes at a time when our province continues to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic, and plans for the return to school this September are unclear - except the province has made it clear that there will be no additional funding to boards for remote learning.
We still don’t understand the full impacts of the pandemic on the mental health and wellness or on the academic achievement of students. While our data tells us some students have had a positive experience with remote learning, there are many others who have experienced significant mental health challenges and feelings of isolation - and 84% of our students surveyed in February said they learn better in-person compared to virtual learning;
Please watch for more on this - as we wrote in our motion - the government must immediately stop its consideration of this proposal until the full impacts of remote learning on students during this pandemic are known.
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Ward 8 PARTS/Community Updates
- Boundary change study re the cohort attending John Ross Robertson PS (Otter Creek area) - Community Meeting scheduled for April 27. A Local Feasibility Team made up of TDSB representatives has been formed to review a small portion of the John Ross Robertson Jr PS junior attendance area that has a split intermediate and secondary pathway (“subject area” shown on the map in this letter). The John Ross Robertson Jr PS junior attendance area is bisected by Ledbury Park E & MS and Glenview Sr. PS at the intermediate level and John Polanyi CI and Lawrence Park CI at the secondary level.
As part of this process, parents/guardians and community members will be able to provide feedback and ask questions at the public meeting before a final decision is made. Register here https://tdsb-ca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_45-ZwvdoSRaCiWL8RYLsfg
In addition, the following is an update on Baycrest PS.
- On Monday, March 15, 2021, the Baycrest PS community received an update on the status of the Sir Sandford Fleming relocation retrofit. At that time, the community was encouraged to voice your questions and concerns regarding the information shared at this event. The presentation and the questions received have been compiled in a Q and A and have been placed on the TDSB site. Please follow this link to access the related Q and A:
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Yonge-Eglinton PART Phase 2
In order to provide background to the Yonge-Eglinton Phase 2 Program Area Review, an information webpage has been set up - please click here for the direct link - https://sites.google.com/tdsb.on.ca/yonge-eglintonpartphase2/home. The information being presented has been broken down into six different modules, each relating to a separate topic in this review.
- Module #1 - Setting the Context: Accommodation Planning and Capital Funding - In this introductory module, we'll briefly examine the Toronto District School Board's approach to long-term program and accommodation planning, including an overview of our annual enrolment projection process. This module will also describe the constraints of the provincial funding framework and how they impact the TDSB's ability to plan for the future.
- Module #2 (Part 1) - Overview of the Yonge-Eglinton Area - This module will provide some background about the Yonge-Eglinton Phase 2 Program Area Review: an overview of the Yonge-Eglinton area and why this study is being undertaken.
- Module #2 (Part 2) - Overview of the Program Area Review (PART) Process - The module provides information about the Program Area Review process - the role of the Program Area Review Team and the timelines associated with this review.
- Module #3 - TDSB Accommodation Reviews in the Midtown Area, 2009-2020 -To address accommodation pressures at Midtown schools, TDSB staff have engaged in a number of reviews over the decade. This module provides an overview of those accommodation studies, and highlights the decisions that came out of them.
- Module #4 - Enrolment and Facility Information - This module shares with the actual and projected enrolments for Eglinton Junior Public School and John Fisher Junior Public School, assuming status quo. Facility information is also shared for the two schools, as well as for the Bannockburn site, which is being considered as an accommodation solution in this review.
- Module #5 - Local Feasibility Team's Recommended Option -The Local Feasibility Team is composed of directly affected Superintendents, Principals, Trustees, and other TDSB Central Staff. The role of the Local Feasibility Team is to review data, discuss impacts of any proposed changes, and to bring a recommendation to the Program Area Review Team for its consideration. This final module shares with you what the Local Feasibility Team's recommendation is.
Feedback Survey and Frequently Asked Questions - Please share with us your questions and comments in the feedback survey open from Tuesday, April 6th through to Tuesday, April 20th. In order to better understand the survey, we recommend that you watch Module #5 (or consult the slide deck) prior to answering the questions. Your comments will be reviewed with the Program Area Review Team and will be addressed by staff at the public meeting on Tuesday, May 4th. Information on the public meeting will be out April 20. Please also see 'Frequently Asked Questions' which will be updated periodically throughout this process to address feedback received.
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2021 Summer Programs
Please note: Prior to April 19th registration date, students will not be able to register.
Elementary Summer School
The focus of the Elementary Summer School Program is to continue student learning and engagement through the month of July. Programs, embedded in Literacy and Numeracy, are developed by the local summer school Principal to reflect the local school focus. Thirty-eight (38) programs are offered to students in Kindergarten to Grade 8, from July 5 to 30, 2021, in-person or online through virtual instruction. Registration is now open! Click here for a full list of participating schools and registration information - https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Innovation/Elementary-Summer-School.
Secondary Credit Summer Programs Please note that space is limited, and courses may fill up prior to the close of registration.
TDSB Grade 8 Summer Reach Ahead Opportunity: Current TDSB Grade 8 students are eligible to register for either the TDSB Continuing Education, Hybrid or Remote Secondary Full Credit Summer Reach Ahead course, GLD2O1, or the e-Summer Full Credit Summer Reach Ahead course, GLD2OE.
Remote Credit Recovery - For TDSB Students ONLY: The Toronto District School Board is offering current TDSB students the opportunity to recover one or two credits for the month of July 2021. Remote Summer Credit Recovery courses are open to current TDSB high school students who have taken the course in the past two years but have not earned the credit. All classes are remote, there are no in-person classes available. Regular attendance in the remote environment is a requirement. Students may enroll in one course either in the AM or PM, or in two courses, one in the AM and one in the PM.
Remote Summer Full Credit Program: Students can enroll in one full credit course that is offered in July only. All classes are remote in the remote learning model. In our Remote Learning model students will be at home learning live with their teacher daily from 9:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and again from 2:00 p.m.to 3:15 p.m. Students will be able to receive extra help daily from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
In-Person Hybrid Summer Full Credit Program: Students can enroll in one full credit course that is offered in July only. Should an announcement be made that only remote learning can take place, students need to be prepared to pivot to remote learning. In our Hybrid Learning model students will be following a three (3) day rotating schedule including in-person, synchronous and asynchronous learning.
Remote Summer Full Credit Program Adult 21+: Adults can enroll in one full-credit course that is offered in July only at City Adult Learning Centre or Emery Adult Learning Centre. All classes are remote. There are no in-person classes available.
Please note the Continuing Education Department, Secondary Credit Programming office remains closed and cannot receive phone messages at this time. Please email us at ConEd_eReg@tdsb.on.ca. For complete details about the Continuing Education Credit programs, visit www.creditprograms.ca.
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School Excursion Forms Are Now Digital
School excursion notifications and permission forms are now digital! The TDSB has launched a new online system to replace the current paper-based model. While in-person excursions and athletics are not taking place right now, there is still a wide variety of virtual excursions available to our students.
When a teacher creates a virtual excursion for their students, parents/guardians will receive an email notification from tdsb.excursions@tdsb.on.ca about the upcoming event. As these opportunities are happening virtually and during the school day, permission is not required, but it is to let parents/guardians know what their child is engaged in.
When in person athletics and excursions resume, all related forms and communication will also be available through this online process, which will include a secure login process for parents/guardians to provide consent.
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Join TDSB's Mental Health & Wellness Parntership
We're looking for interested parents to join the TDSB Mental Health and Well-Being Parent Partnership Committee. This committee will focus on building on positive relationships between parents/caregivers and the board, encouraging conversation, focussed on improving Mental Health & Well-Being in the TDSB.
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Skilled Trade & Technology Virtual Information Night
Thursday April 29, 2021 - 5:00-6:15pm for Parents/Guardians and students in grades 7-12, All are welcome! Join thought-provoking conversations to remove the stigma behind careers in the skilled trade professions, with a focus on the Motive Power sector. Through this event you will have the opportunity to:
- Take a virtual tour with Centennial College Ashtonbee Campus through their labs, and watch a live automotive demo; and
- Hear about the partnerships and opportunities between the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP), Centennial College and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
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Have Your Say about Toronto’s Next Chief of PoliceEnvironics Research, on behalf of the Toronto Police Services Board (TPSB), is conducting public consultations to inform the process for appointing the Toronto Police Service’s next Chief of Police. There are still spots available to participate in public discussions about what Torontonians are looking for in the next Chief of Police on April 13th at 7pm. These sessions are open to all residents of Toronto - join us through this Registration Link.
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EECOM 2021 Exploring the Nature of Cities April 21-24, 2021
Thursday, April 22nd Schedule – EARTH DAY! - FREE virtual public Earth Day address for TDSB educators and their students.
KEYNOTE: 1:00-2:30 PM - Merging our Climate Justice and Anti-Racist Learning Journeys Larissa Crawford, Founder and Managing Director, Future Ancestors Services Through our shared time, this session seeks to inspire sustainable action that honours diverse peoples, our non-human kin, and Earth. By exploring the ways by which climate and racial justice require merged learnings and actions, we hope that you leave our space with a more profound and personalized understanding of how you can contribute to just and sustainable futures.
Workshops for Educators: 4:00 – 8:00 PM - Choose from a selection of topics – EcoJustice Education, Indigenous Education, Water Education, City as a Classroom.
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Hold the Date - Ward Forum - May 31, 2021
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Save the Date-PIAC Spring Event
TDSB’s Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC) invites all parents and caregivers to take part in our Spring Event “Breaking Barriers by Changing Biases”.
Join us virtually on May 1st and 2nd, 2021 via Zoom.
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Prime Minister's Awards Deadline ExtendedDo you know an exceptional teacher or early childhood educator? Consider nominating them for a 2021 Prime Minister's Award! This program honours innovative and outstanding elementary and secondary school teachers and early childhood educators who are helping prepare Canadian youth for the challenges of tomorrow. The nomination deadline has been extended for the 2021 competition until April 27, 2021. Looking for inspiration? Check out previous teaching and early childhood education award recipients. 2021 nomination packages are available at www.pma.gc.ca.
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Policy Consultations
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is committed to open and inclusive policy decision-making and values community input and participation through consultation. Consultation is a two-way communication process between the Board and external participants, including students and their parents/guardians, school councils, advisory committees, community members, different levels of government, service agencies, professional organizations and union partners. The objective of consultation is to gather public input regarding options, alternative courses of action, as well as to identify unintended effects for various participants and to find solutions. Please see revised the Policy Review Schedule.
New Consultations
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Download the COVID ALERT APPTogether, let's limit the spread of COVID-19. COVID Alert is an additional tool to protect yourself and your loved ones. COVID Alert helps us break the cycle of infection. The app can let other app users know of possible exposures before any symptoms appear. That way, we can take care of ourselves and protect our communities. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/covid-alert.html. Please note, unfortunately, the app is only available on certain phones/operating systems.
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School Year Calendar 2020-2021The last day of class for elementary students is June 29
Secondary Quadmester Calendar
- Quad 3: Feb 8 - April 22
- Quad 4: April 23 - June 28
Note: Ramadan 2021 will begin in the evening of Tuesday, April 13 and ends in the evening of Wednesday, May 12.
PA Days & Holidays Remaining
April (formerly March) Break
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