Dear friends,
It's hard to believe we are already in the middle of May, with only a month and a half of school to go. I hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day weekend (that seems like weeks ago to me somehow...), and I would like to wish all those celebrating the end of Ramadan tomorrow a joyful Eid al-Fitr. Eid Mubarak! With everything going on the world, may this special day bring peace, love, happiness, and health.
Although the case counts in the GTA remain stubbornly high, vaccine rollout is ramping up. This past week saw the announcement that the Pfizer vaccine is now approved for those 12 years of age and older, and all current in-person education workers are now eligible to book vaccines. Alberta has begun registering those 12 and up for appointments, so we hope Ontario will soon follow suit. These developments bring hope and suggest our current school situation may improve significantly by summer if everyone follows the rules and gets vaccinated when their turn comes. I will conitnue to advocate for making a safe return to school linked to our Province's vaccination strategy. For a more stable school year next year, it is imperative our Province prioritize making two doses available to all education workers and age-eligiblle chiildren in time to develop proper immunity before start of school.
In Ward 11, our vaccination partners at Sunnybrook Hospital and Michael Garron Hospital have been instrumental in Toronto's vaccine rollout, and their outreach and school support throughout the pandemic has been such a help to our local schools and communities. A special shout-out however must go to Sunday's pop-up clinic in Thorncliffe Park, where a City of Toronto daily record of 4,048 vaccines were administered in just one day! This location ran from 12pm to 12am, enabling Thorncliffe and Flemingdon residents observing Ramadan to come after breaking their fasts. The partnership between the team at Michael Garron Hospital and local community residents and organizations working together on vaccine rollout have been nothing short of amazing in their efforts to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Kudos to all involved, including those who came out all day, and well into the night, to get vaccines!
In Board news, last week saw great starts to Asian Heritage Month & Jewish Heritage Month. The launch of Asian Heritage month was on Tuesday, May 4 and included an excellent presentation about a new package of resources focussing on anti-Asian racism produced jointly by TDSB and the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO).
The following day, trustees and the Equity Policy Community Advisory Committee brought forward a motion asking staff to report back in the fall on an implementation plan regarding how these resources are being used in our schools. This motion passed unanimouly at committee and will go to Board for final approval on May 26, 2021. While anti-Asian racism has been a persistent problem in Canada for many years, we know from our own TDSB Human Rights Report that incidents of this kind have been on the rise in our schools and have become increaasinly common since the start of the pandemic country-wide. At the TDSB we are committed to interrupting, naming and dealing with all incidents of racism and oppression, and we look forward to learning more in the fall about how educators are incorporating these resources into their work.
As mentioned in my last newsletter, the Jewish and Asian heritage committees are working on a joint venture called "Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup". As part of this initiative, the TDSB is seeking chicken soup and dumpling recipes from staff, students and their families from all cultures to incorporate into a cookbook to be sold next year with profits going towards the Foundation for Student Success, the TDSB's charitable partner that helps to fund breakfast programs in TDSB schools. To learn more about this initiative, and to submit your family recipe, please click here.
Planning for the 2021/2022 School Year
On Friday, May 7, trustees (and the public) had their first glimpse of next year's planning and ministry guidance for the 2021/2022 school year at a special Planning & Priorities Committee meeting (see the full slide presentation, and even more is below).
Selecting Remote or In-Person learning for September
It was confirmed that the Ministry of Education is requiring that all school boards once again provide both in-person and remote learning options for the new school year. Understanding that this is a very difficult decision to make with incomplete information about the Covid-19 pandemic (i.e. what covid case counts will be like by end of summer, where we will be with vaccine rollout, etc), schools boards must neverthless begin planning and hiring so that we are ready to go in September. As a result, staff has indicated that we will be asking everybody to select whether their children will be attending school in-person or fully remote by June 1, 2020 (additional information will be provided around May 17, registration starts May 25). Those not registering a choice will see their children placed In-Person.
Please note (i): The remote learning model will look different from most of this year. At this point in time, staff is indicating that we will not have a central Virtual School. Instead, remote learning will be provided through the local 'brick-and-mortar' schools or in 'hubs' (students from a smaller group of schools). Recognizing the importance of connection to local schools, and lacking funding from the government to administer a centralized virtual school this coming year, this is seen to be the best approach to support our staff, students and families.
Please note (ii): At this point, we still await detailed guidance from the Ministry as to the school day model for in-person secondary school in Toronto. As you may know, this year the Ministry required all GTA boards (and several others, where Covid-19 was more pronounced) to follow an "adapted" timetable for in-person learning; students were cohorted into groups of roughly 15 or less, spending part time in-person and part-time in remote learning. The Ministry has indicated that for the 2021-2021 school year, high-school students must not have more than two cohorts. Today, staff announced in a message to all families that next year the high school schedule will again be divided up in Quadmesters, with two courses at a time (September - Mid November; Mid-November - January; February - mid-April; Mid-April - June). However, we do not know what the daily schedule will look like, as we have not been given parameters regarding size of cohorts. We have been told to expect this guidance to come in August, once there is a clearer picture of case counts and vaccine rollout. As a result, staff are planning for several contingencies and reviewing options to make all of these work best for students based on the learning from this year's schedule.
Please note (iii): a date to switch between models is currently part of the plans, but not until February. Switching students between models is complicated and destabilizing to the entire system because it can lead to major disruptions of classes. As a result, staff are suggesting only one switch date.
With other Trustees, I have stressed that as much as possible detailed information needs to be provided to students and families so that they can make informed choices.
Provincial Funding
This past week, Boards also recieved information about the 2021-2022 Grants for Student Needs (GSN), the funding that makes up much of the Board's Budget. The Ministry also provided details regarding the continuation of the temporary COVID-19 funding along with learning recovery and renewal support for next year. We are encouraged to see the Ministry’s continued commitment to COVID-related funding for this September so that our students and staff can return to school safely with the supports they need for a successful school year.
Ward 11 Updates: Hodgson addition; Yonge-Eglinton PART (affecting John Fisher)
In Ward 11, last week was also busy. We had two important online community meetings, one regarding the addition to be built at Hogson Middle School (with construction to start as early as September 2022), and the other regarding the Yonge-Eglinton Program Area Review (PART).
There are follow-up meetings/surveys that may be of interest to families regaring both of these projects. These include:
- A follow-up meeting about the Hodgson Middle School addition scheduled for Monday, May 17, 6:30-8:00pm (pre-registration already available).
- The Yonge-Eglinton Phase 2 Program Area Review has a seperate website with more information including a Frequently Asked Questions section that is being regularly updated.
A second Feedback survey was launched on May 5. It seeks input on the current recommendations as modified by the Program Area Review Team. Results of the first feedback survey were reviewed and shared with the Program Area Review Team and the original recommendations have been modified to reflect some of the feedback that was received. This survey will be open until Tuesday, May 11th, 2021.
While I realize the above was already a lot of information, the newsletter below provides once again an abundance of additional important information, including event announcements, 2021 Summer School, the 2021-2022 school calendar, (take note of a slightly unusual start date for classes on Thursday, September 9), Covid-19 updates, ongoing construction projects at all Ward 11 schools, and more.
So, please find a comfy spot and read on!
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Elementary Summer School
This summer, thirty-eight (38) programs will be offered to students in Kindergarten to Grade 8, from July 5 to 30, 2021. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all instruction will be virtual (online).
Registration is now open! Please note: filling up quickly!
Click for a full list of participating schools and registration information.
High School (I): Continuing Education Summer Credit Program
This program runs July 5-30 as well, and includes:
- Full Credit Summer School
- Adult 21+ Full Credit Summer School
- Summer Credit Recovery for TDSB Students ONLY
- Remote Grade 8 Reach Ahead for TDSB Incoming Grade 9 students ONLY
High School (II): e-Learning Summer Program
TDSB e-Summer School is a free high school credit program for Ontario students who wish to pursue secondary school courses online. TDSB e-Summer School offers dozens of online courses available in both July and August sessions.
To learn the difference between the High School e-Learning Summer Program and the High School Continuing Education Summer Program, please click here.
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Planning for September 2021
As mentioned above, at a Special Planning and Priorities Meeting held Friday, staff presented their preliminary analysis of September Guidance and Funding Announcements received from the Ministry of Education on Tuesday, May 3.
Further highlights include the following:
- TDSB's commitment to support equity initiatives, focused on Black, Indigenous, racialized students and underserved communities and a continued focus on ensuring equitable distribution of staff and financial resources to support our most marginalized learners and communities.
- TDSB's committed re-engagement strategy as we transition to 2021-22: to develop and strengthen relationships, connections and community, focus will be prioritizing a whole-school approach to student engagement and student well-being and mental health.
- Ministry is requiring boards to offer remote learning options consistent with PPM 164 (Requirements for Remote Learning, regarding synchronous and asynchronous learning)
- School boards to delay deadline for parents to indicate either in-person or remote to June 1, 2021 at the earliest - the TDSB is planning to ask parents to select In-Person Learning or Virtual Learning for the 2021-22 school year by June 1 in order to plan effectively for September 2021.
- All students will be registered in a TDSB home school for 2021-22. In-Person Learning and Virtual Learning will be offered through home schools and/or groups of schools.
- Students will continue to be supplied devices to access remote learning
- Local school board public health guidance to be followed
- Full health and safety guidance will be released this summer, including: Masking, Cohorting for clubs and other extracurriculars, Daily Health Screening and the timeline for returning to full classes in secondary
Elementary - Staffing for all student learning, including virtual learning, has been allocated directly to schools. This supports the transition of students back to the local home school area where there are direct connections that will be a foundation to support learning options for next year. At this point, we are not sure of what remote learning will look like but we know that it will be attached to local schools rather than in the form of a stand-alone Elementary Virtual School which currently exists. There will be one opportunity to switch between In-Person Learning and Virtual learning after the Family Day weekend in February.
Secondary - Ministry is directing that cohorting of students is to continue to limit number of student to student interactions. As such there will be a limit of two classes per day when possible and the planning for pivoting to fully remote must be planned should it be necessary. Our staffing process has already begun for next school year.
Update May 12: Today, staff announced in a message to all families that next year the high school schedule will indeed again be divided up in Quadmesters, with two courses at a time (September - Mid November; Mid-November - January; February - mid-April; Mid-April - June).
IT Devices - 75,000+ devices were loaned to TDSB students for remote learning during Spring 2020 and over the course of the 2020-2021 school year. These loaned devices need to be retrieved & returned to schools to support 2021-2022 school year programming and student needs. The replacement costs for these devices would be $27.5M. Students attending summer school will not have to return and re-request a device. All other devices must be returned by the first week of July for cleaning, technical inspection, necessary repairs and data wiping. More details to come regarding how to return devices. Once returned, these devices will then be re-distributed to the schools they were initially borrowed from.
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Draft 2021/2022 School Year Calendar (pending Ministry Approval)
In developing the TDSB’s 2021-22 calendar, a key goal of the School Year Calendar committee was to ensure as smooth as possible a back to school start. This September marks an unusual start to the school year, as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, falls on the two days right after Labour Day, when we typically start school. With many students and staff taking those two day off of school, there were significant concerns about the stability of a start to our school year with many staff and students absent, as we know it would be hard for students to have subsitute teachers on their first day. Keeping in mind that staff and students are returning after a challenging and disruptive school year due to the pandemic, the priority became ensuring that staff are given opportunity to do professional development together prior to the start of the school year and that all students and staff can start the 2021-22 school year together.
Thus, the official school year calendar for the Toronto District School Board runs from September 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, inclusive, with the following first and last days of classes:.
- First day of classes for students is September 9, 2021
- The last day of class for elementary students is June 30, 2022
- The last day of class for secondary students is June 29, 2022
Please note that the TDSB’s 2021-22 School Year Calendar was approved by Board on May 4, 2021. The calendar has now been submitted to the Ministry of Education for final approval. The calendar remains in draft form until approved by the Ministry.
In addition, there are no classes for students on the dates listed below:
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Next Ward Community Coffee: June 9
The final Coffee Meeting of the school year ('casual conversations about the TDSB and our Ward 11 schools') will be on June 9 (mark your calendar!).
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Nearly 140 pharmacies started offering COVID-19 vaccines to all adults in some Ontario virus hot spots this weekend - this includes 78 pharmacy locations in Toronto and Peel Region that now offer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to people aged 18 and older. Vaccine-seekers can search by postal code to find local pharmacies administering shots and are advised to book online or contact pharmacy sites directly - https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations.
Please note that there are various locations in our Ward that operate Covid-vaccine clinics, including:
Covid-preparation for September
The Ministry of Education has not yet shared any information regarding a re-opening plan for in-person learning in schools, although Minister Lecce was asked about this by multiple reporters earlier this week. Nor has any information been shared on vaccinations for children. However, on May 6 the ministry announced that all education staff or student transportation partners who typically work in-person in elementary and secondary schools not only in hotspots but across the district are eligible to book their vaccination appointments using the provincial booking system to book online or can call the provincial call centre at 1-833-943-3900 to book their appointment. Examples include: educators, custodial staff, administrative staff, and school bus drivers. Visit How to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for more information.
Vaccination of staff and students
Please know that senior staff at the TDSB continue to advocate to Toronto Public Health and the Province to ensure all education staff receive their first and second shots before the start of the new school year and that a plan for eligible children to be able to be fully vaccinated prior to the start of the new school year also be implemented. We continue to offer our schools as safe places within the community for pop-up clinics. More information will be forthcoming.
Included below is a map that was shared at our special meeting on Friday - it shows the COVID-19 cases since the April Break - the darker the blue, the more cases. It is imperitive our vaccine rollout prioritizes our most vulnerable residents and highest priority neighborhoods so that we may look forward to a future map with light blue (or, even better, no shading!) across our city.
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Nearly 140 pharmacies started offering COVID-19 vaccines to all adults in some Ontario virus hot spots this weekend - this includes 78 pharmacy locations in Toronto and Peel Region that now offer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to people aged 18 and older. Vaccine-seekers can search by postal code to find local pharmacies administering shots and are advised to book online or contact pharmacy sites directly - https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations.
Please note that there are various locations in our Ward that operate Covid-vaccine clinics, including:
Covid-preparation for September
The Ministry of Education has not yet shared any information regarding a re-opening plan for in-person learning in schools, although Minister Lecce was asked about this by multiple reporters earlier this week. Nor has any information been shared on vaccinations for children. However, on May 6 the ministry announced that all education staff or student transportation partners who typically work in-person in elementary and secondary schools not only in hotspots but across the district are eligible to book their vaccination appointments using the provincial booking system to book online or can call the provincial call centre at 1-833-943-3900 to book their appointment. Examples include: educators, custodial staff, administrative staff, and school bus drivers. Visit How to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for more information.
Vaccination of staff and students
Please know that senior staff at the TDSB continue to advocate to Toronto Public Health and the Province to ensure all education staff receive their first and second shots before the start of the new school year and that a plan for eligible children to be able to be fully vaccinated prior to the start of the new school year also be implemented. We continue to offer our schools as safe places within the community for pop-up clinics. More information will be forthcoming.
Included below is a map that was shared at our special meeting on Friday - it shows the COVID-19 cases since the April Break - the darker the blue, the more cases. It is imperitive our vaccine rollout prioritizes our most vulnerable residents and highest priority neighborhoods so that we may look forward to a future map with light blue (or, even better, no shading!) across our city.
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NEW: Additional Drop-In Hours for Parents/Caregivers of students with Special/Complex Needs
The Board's Professional Support Services offer regular Drop-In Hours to help access information and resources to support Mental Health & Well-Being. Regular Drop-In Hours are Tuesdays (10-11am) and Thursdays (7-8pm).
Newly added is a special hour every week for Parents/Caregivers of students with Special/Complex Needs: Wednesday evenings, 7-8pm.
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Construction Projects update for all schools in Ward 11
Staff recently provided trustees with a status update for all current school renewal and capital construction projects ($10,000 or greater). In the Summary for Ward 11 you will find them sorted by school, along with information regarding project descriptions, funding sources, budget costs, construction status of the work, and percentages of completion.
Project funding sources are identified under the following categories:
- Capital Projects – New Schools, Additions, Childcares
- School Condition Improvement (SCI) (Mechanical, Structural, Windows, Electrical, Barrier Free, Parking Lots, Field Restoration, Interior Components, Building Envelope)
- Renewal (Health & Safety, Emergency, Standards & Compliance, School Identified High Priority)
- Covid Relief Infrastructure Stream (CVRIS)
- Other information can be found at www.tdsb.on.ca/Conversation.
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Drinking Water Test Results posted for all schools
For the very first time, the Toronto District School Board has posted on every one of its 583 school websites the Safe Drinking Water Test Results for that school.
The testing aligns with a commitment to, and responsibility for, safety. We want to assure every student, every member of our staff, and every person visiting our schools can safely consume drinking water. All Ontario school boards test school drinking water in accordance with the Ontario government’s Ontario Regulation 243/07 (Schools, Private Schools and Child Care Centres). Reporting on the test results aligns with the Board's Our Open Data Policy.
The data presented is for the year 2020. It is easy and convenient to access. For example, if you want to see the Safe Drinking Water Test Results for a school, you can now visit a school’s website (Find Your School via the TDSB website) and find this information in the menu.
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Funding for free menstrual products in all schools
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Chair Alexander Brown wrote a letter to Minister Lecce to ask for the full funding for free menstrual products in all schools in the Province of Ontario.
Please read the letter for the many reasons why this is important. No student should have to worry about having access to menstrual products.
The TDSB, as one of the first school boards, entered into a partnership with the charitable organization, Brands Canada, in 2019 to secure access to menstrual products. Free menstrual products were provided in all elementary and secondary schools beginning in the 2019-20 school year. However, the products are currently funded by charitable organizations, and not guaranteed to all students who need them (and providing it on student's request invades their privacy).
This is an important request, as menstrual hygiene products are not a luxury but a necessity.
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Understanding the Opioid Crisis - Roehampton Residence Community Meeting
At the request of community members, the City is organizing a facilitated conversation to discuss the opioid crisis. The online meeting is taking place on Monday, May 17 at 7 p.m.
See the flyer for more information.
Please be aware that a group of Ward 8 and Ward 11 administrators, TDSB central staff, and the two trustees (myself and Trustee Laskin) continue to meet regularly with City and Roehampton staff regarding issues arising at our local schools related to the shelter. It is imperative we continue working together in the best interest of our students, staff and childcare partners.
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The Board's Parent and Community Engagement Office (PCEO) and Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC) has been engaged in a series of regular "Conversations" on important topics featuring speakers on timely issues. The most recent Conversation was on a very current subject "Let's Talk Vaccines!" with Dr. Vinita Dubey (Associate Medical Officer of Health, City of Toronto) and Nicole Welch (Director & Chief Nursing Officer), City of Toronto). The Conversation is archived for (re)watching on the PCEO Youtube Channel
- Navigating Life’s Highs and Lows for Teenage Girls (with Lisa Damour, PhD)
- Families Amidst Racial Traumas (with Charmaine Lane M.Sc., RP)
- Screenagers Next Chapter -- Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience Screening
- How Children Understand Race and How Adults Can Help (with Professor Erin Winkler)
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The schedule for the upcoming weeks is as follows:
- May 12 - 4:30pm - Finance Committee (Agenda)
- May 19 - 4:30pm - Planning & Priorities Committee
- May 26 - 4:30pm - Regular Board Meeting
To see links to agendas of all Standing Committee and Board meetings, including those listed above, please click here.
All Committee meetings allow any member of the public to submit a delegation either in writing or in person (currently virtually). More information about the process is on the Delegation Process web page.
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Review of School Names to Reflect Toronto’s Diversity
The TDSB recently approved a motion that will lead to a city-wide review of school names to better reflect the diversity of the city. The Board will form a special group that will inform the consultation process for the review of policy P047 and procedure PR592 ("Naming of Schools and Special Purpose Areas"); propose amendments; and provide a proposal for a city-wide review of all TDSB school names by the end of June 2021. This group will be comprised of students, parents/guardians, educators, community members, appropriate qualified experts and individuals involved in anti-racism work.
This plan aims to improve the naming and renaming process for schools to ensure that school names better represent the diverse people, cultures and history of Toronto, including, but not limited to, Indigenous and Black leaders and the contemporary values of the city.
For more information, please read the approved motion for Renaming Schools Celebrating the Diversity of Toronto.
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School Year Calendar 2020-2021
Note: Virtual Schools follow the same calendar as in-person schools unless otherwise noted.
The official school year calendar for the Toronto District School Board runs from September to June 30. This year, the last day of class for elementary students is June 29, the last day of class for secondary students is June 28.
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(still-current links from previous newsletter)
Programming:
Board, Policy & Resources
Covid & Safety & Mental Health/Well-Being:
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See you June 9 for the Coffee Morning!
As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
And until the next time, stay healthy, stay safe!
Warmest wishes,
Rachel
Rachel Chernos Lin
TDSB Trustee, Ward 11, Don Valley West, Rachel.ChernosLin@tdsb.on.ca
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