Early French Immersion Application Process – November 2021The online application process for Early French Immersion (EFI) will be open from November 1 to 26, 2021.
The entry point to Early French Immersion is changing to Junior Kindergarten. For entry to Early French Immersion for September 2022 only, the entry group will include Junior and Senior Kindergarten students. Families of children born in both 2017 and 2018 may apply in November 2021 to begin the program in September 2022.
It is an entirely online process. All communication will be sent via the email address you provide. Please check your email regularly, including junk mail folders.
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Proof Of Vaccination Against COVID-19: Community Use Of Schools
TDSB had previously advised all permit holders that permit participants including spectators, age 12 years and older, must be fully vaccinated to partake in any activity held inside a TDSB facility. We had also communicated to permit holders that the each group/organization would be responsible for managing and tracking the proof of vaccination and contact information. The Ministry’s memo clarified that it is the board’s responsibility to ensure that community use “patrons to provide, at the point of entry, proof of identification and proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or confirm the patron is exempt, as outlined in O. Reg. 364/20 and Ministry of Health guidance. Patrons who fail to produce the required identification and proof of vaccination are expected to be denied entry, unless they provide proof that they are exempt from these requirements.”
In light of the Ministry’s memo, TDSB has introduced another step in the permit process to require all permit holders/organizations to submit an attestation stating that they have undertaken the screening plus Proof of Vaccination (PoV) for all participants for every permit. The Attestation form is to be submitted to the Permit Unit. Permit holders are to maintain the names, PoV and contact information for participants, for a minimum of 21 days and to provide this information upon request to Toronto Public Health or the TDSB. The Permit Unit staff will follow up with any permit groups or organizations that do not submit the Attestation form. Failure to meet this requirement could result in cancellation of the permit.
This information was shared with all the permit holders on Friday, October 15. Weekend permits commenced on Saturday, October 16. In addition to verify receipt of the Attestation forms, TDSB will undertake spot checks of a few permits on the weekends to ensure that the permit holder is meeting the screening and PoV requirements. At this time, there have only been a limited number of weekday/evening permits issued for the City’s Parks Forestry and Recreation permits. This will allow the time for staff to assess the cleaning and set-up needs for evening permit use.
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TDSB Student and Parent Census - Spring 2022
Student Census is coming Spring 2022!
The TDSB Student Census is a confidential and voluntary survey that asks important identity-based questions as well as questions about experiences inside and outside of school. Students in grades 4 to 12 complete the census themselves, while parents complete the census for students in kindergarten to grade 3
Since 2006, TDSB schools have been collecting identity-based data through the Student Census to identify and remove systemic barriers which may limit student achievement and well-being. Since 2018, this work has been encouraged for all school boards in Ontario under the Provincial Anti-Racism Act. In 2023, this work will be mandated for all school boards.
By gathering this important information through the Student Census every 4 to 5 years, school communities are able to determine what is working well, where change is required, and where support should be focused. This data can be instrumental in highlighting the various forms of systemic oppression and complex issues of human rights that impact students and families in the TDSB.
Consultations with students, staff, and community members are beginning in November.
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Secondary School Models of Instruction UpdateThe TDSB is committed to ensuring that all Virtual and In-Person students are learning in an environment that is welcoming, engaging, and supportive through home schools.
As shared at the October 14, 2021 Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee meeting – the guiding principles to developing our Secondary School Models of Instruction were as follows:
Maximize the ability to honour student voice in terms of program/course selection especially in elective courses in order to increase engagement, well-being, and achievement.
Provide for a seamless transition back to in-person learning when students wish to return to in-person learning.
Allow students and families to maintain a connection with their school, school staff resources, and school community including extra-curricular activities.
Enable students to remain in their chosen specialized programs as much as possible (AP, IB, STEM, French Immersion, Cyber ARTS, Exceptional Athlete, Leadership Pathway, Arts Focused)
Since the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, we have supported Virtual secondary students as well as their classroom teachers by providing access to technology, professional learning, including weekly resource guides, as well as on-going technical support for students and staff.
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Share Your Voice: Policy Consultation on the new Specialized Schools and Programs Policy
Students from across the TDSB are welcomed into a variety of specialized programs including arts-focused schools, specialized programs in math, science and technology, CyberArts and International Baccalaureate. These specialized programs and schools are part of our commitment to ensure students have opportunity and variety in their school experiences.
We want to ensure that more students have access to these programs and opportunities and that the process to apply is consistent and fair. To do that, we have drafted a new policy – the Specialized Schools and Programs policy. This new policy, which is currently in draft, will outline clearer and more consistent admission procedures, practices and timelines, which are different from those in regular schools.
We want to hear your voice to help shape this draft policy into something meaningful and relevant. You’re invited join our online consultations to learn more, ask questions and share your feedback:
- Thursday, November 18, 2021, 7:00-9:00 pm – Public Consultation Webinar
- Monday, November 22, 2021, 1:00-3:00 pm – Public Consultation Webinar
- Monday, November 22, 2021, 7:00-9:00 pm – Public Consultation Webinar
- If you are unable to register online and participating by phone, please call 416-395-3626 to pre-register
- If you require an interpreter on November 18 or 22, please complete this google form by Friday, November 12 at 3:00pm
- Learn more and share your feedback through our policy consultationwebsite.
- Included on the policy consultation website is a link to a feedback survey which will be live from November 1, 2021 and December 17, 2021.
- If you require a paper copy of the survey, please contact your child’s school after November 8. A paper version will be sent home with your child within a few days along with an envelope for its confidential return to the school.
Part of our consultation will focus on collecting student voice, as such, if your child is in Grades 5 to 12, they will receive an e-mail to complete the survey.
This feedback will be used to inform the draft policy, which will then be presented to Trustees for review at the Governance and Policy Committee in Winter 2022. If passed, it will be presented to the full Board of Trustees in Winter 2022. If approved, it would be in place for the student application process for the 2022-23 school year.
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Happy Diwali
Diwali 2021 (Deepavali 2021) is on Thursday, November 4.
Diwali is India’s most important festival of the year—a time to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. Widely observed among more than a billion people from a variety of faiths across India and its diaspora, the five days of Diwali are marked by prayer, feasts, fireworks, family gatherings, and charitable giving. For some, Diwali is also the beginning of a new year.
But Diwali is perhaps best known as a festival of lights. Derived from the Sanskrit dipavali, which means “row of lights”.
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