February is African Heritage Month and Chinese Heritage Month

The TDSB is proud to recognize African Heritage Month and Chinese Heritage Month during the month of February. It is an opportunity to recognize the experiences, contributions and achievements of African Canadians and celebrate the energetic culture and traditions of the Chinese community with students, staff and community members of the TDSB and the City of Toronto.

School African Heritage Month Assembly Honours Local 1936 Olympic Track Athlete  

As part of Central Technical School’s (CTS) African Heritage Month assembly on February 15, the school and the CTS Alumni Association, with the support of the Ontario Black History Society, proudly announced the naming of the pathway in front of the school “Sam Richardson Way.”

Two TDSB Students Selected for National Scholarship Award

Two TDSB students are recipients of this year’s Loran Award, one of the most prestigious scholarships in the country. Georgia Koep-Freifeld from Etobicoke School of the Arts, and Elektra Dakogiannis from Monarch Park Collegiate are among a select group of 34 students chosen from 5023 applicants across Canada. 

Three TDSB Educators Recognized as Canada’s Outstanding Principals

Three TDSB Principals have been recognized by The Learning Partnership as being among Canada’s Outstanding Principals of 2018.

This year’s recipients are:

The Learning Partnership’s Outstanding Principals program recognizes the unique and vital contribution of Principals in publicly funded schools.

Helping All Students Succeed

Trustees have approved broad new directions developed to enhance the way schools support students throughout the TDSB.

During their regular meeting, Trustees discussed the recently released Director’s Response to the Enhancing Equity Task Force which identified directions in seven key areas including professional learning, challenging streaming and exclusion and enhancing engagement and voice. Together, these directions align to the TDSB’s principles of equity, valuing student voice and ensuring that each and every student has the right tools, resources, access and opportunities they need to thrive.

While some of this work is already underway, this milestone reinforces the Board’s commitment to equity and gives the support to further these efforts in a coordinated, strategic way. This approved report will help inform the Board’s Integrated Equity Framework and action plans will be developed for September 2018.

Post-Secondary & Employment Supports for Students with Disabilities

Building on the equity work of the Board, Trustees have asked the Director to develop an action plan for September 2018 to better support students with disabilities transition to post-secondary employment or further education.

The action plan would potentially look at a number of areas including the collection of data on post-secondary pathways for students with disabilities, improved staff training, and the expansion of co-op opportunities. Read the Board decision (page 5). 

Easing Restrictions on U.S. Travel

Trustees have eased restrictions on student, staff and Trustee travel to the United States.

Effective immediately, school trips related to student competitions and professional development opportunities for Board staff and trustees in the United States will not be subject to the travel restrictions put in place by the Board in March 2017.

Of the trips that will be allowed to proceed, the Board will maintain its rule that should any individual student or staff member be refused entry to the U.S., for no fault of their own, the trip for all students and staff will be aborted and all involved will return home. Read the Board decision (page 4). 

Expanding Extended Day Programs

Trustees approved a recommendation to expand before- and after-school programs at the TDSB. In September 2018, the Board will begin to implement board-operated Extended Day Programs (EDP), in addition to existing authorized recreation programs and third-party child care operators in schools. Read the Board decision (page 3). 

Addressing Code of Conduct Complaint Investigations

Trustees voted to approve the recommendations of the TDSB Integrity Commissioner with regards to two Code of Conduct Complaint Investigations involving Trustee Sheila Cary-Meagher (Ward 16, Beaches-East York). You can read the recommendations here: Items 15.1 and 15.2. 

TDSB Opioid Overdose Prevention Plan

The TDSB will soon be providing Naloxone kits to all of its secondary schools. Trustees recently received a report from the Health and Mental Well-being Committee that outlines the Board’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Plan. Developed with the help of Toronto Public Health, the plan will see two to three staff members from each secondary school receive training on how to administer the medication, which can reverse the effects of an Opioid overdose within minutes. Training is expected to be completed by the end of April. Naloxone (intranasal) kits will then be provided to secondary schools to combat possible overdoses.