Week of August 3, 2020 - Summer Edition #6
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Wash Hands.Physically Distance.Wear a Mask.Save Lives.Please wash your hands.
Keep physical distance. Wear a mask. Save lives. Stay safe and protect each other.
Please continue to #DoYourPart to reduce the spread of #COVID19 & keep everyone in our city SAFE. This means practising #PhysicalDistancing, washing your hands often, wearing a mask in indoor public settings & staying home when you are sick, even with mild symptoms.
Other Important Links:
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Special TDSB Meetings This WeekThe Toronto District School Board is committed to developing opportunities for our wider school community to connect and engage in conversations about education issues. Due to the closure of all schools and administration sites at the Toronto District School Board, all standing committee and regular board meetings will be held virtually and broadcasted live to the public. Click here at the start time to view - https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Leadership/Boardroom/Live-Webcast-of-Meetings
Committee of the Whole (Special Meeting) Tuesday, August 4, 2020 12 p.m. Electronic Meeting
- 4. Returning to School: A Guide to the Safe Reopening of the TDSB - It is recommended that the Returning to School: A Guide to the Safe Reopening of the TDSB report be received. (See below for details).
- 5. Emergency Motions
- 5.1 Review of Partnership Agreements With WE Charity/ME to WE (Trustees Pilkey and Story) -
- Therefore, be it resolved:(a) That the TDSB suspend its current agreements with WE Charity/ME to WE and any other related organizations, pending a review of the agreements; (b) That the Director review the terms of the current agreements in the fall of 2020, and present a report to the Board, through the Committee of the Whole, on the scope, process, considerations and outcome of this review before the end of the calendar year 2020, and before any consideration is made regarding any future contracts between the TDSB and WE Charity/ME to WE; (c) That the report at Part (b) above include a detailed description of the financial activity between the parties, as well as an analysis of both the formal and informal connections between WE Charity/ME to WE and the TDSB.
- 6. Written Notices of Motion
- 6.1 Support for ActiveTO and Active School Travel (Trustees Aarts and Story)
Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee (Special Meeting) Wednesday, August 4, 2020 12:00 p.m. Electronic Meeting
Special Meeting Thursday, August 6, 2020 3:30 p.m. Electronic Meeting
- 4. Committee of the Whole Rises and Reports and the Meeting Reconvenes in Public
- 5. Report of the Committee of the Whole (Private Session), August 6, 2020 - To be presented
- 6. Committee Reports
- 6.1 Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee (Special Meeting), Report No. 51, June 23, 2020
- 6.2 Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee (Special Meeting), Report No. 52, July 7, 2020
- 6.3 Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee (Special Meeting), Report No. 53, July 9, 2020
- 6.4 Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee (Special Meeting), Report No. 54, July 15, 2020
- 6.5 Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee (Special Meeting), Report No. 56, August 5, 2020 - To be presented
- 6.6 Committee of the Whole (Special Meeting), Report No. 23, August 4, 2020 - To be presented
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Returning to School - A Guide to the Safe Reopening of the TDSBThe staff report will be discussed at a Special Committee Meeting on Tuesday, August 4 at noon. You can view the meeting by clicking here. The report includes information on
- Health and Safety
- Well-Being & Supports for Students - Mental Health and Well-Being; Professional Support Services; Reopening Principles for Itinerant Staff
- Learning and Instruction - Elementary Models; Before- and After-School Programs; Secondary Models; Adult Day High School; Continuing Education; Guidelines for Subject Delivery; Additional Learning and Instruction Considerations; Classroom Setup; Field Trips; Large Gatherings; Lunch & Recess; Organized Sports; School Clubs and Extra-Curricular; Technology/Allocation of Devices
- Operations - Transportation; Administrative Sites; Community Use of Schools; Cafeterias & Student Nutrition Programs; Budget; Communications
On July 30, the Ministry of Education confirmed the following models for return to school in September:
- Elementary (Kindergarten to Grade 8): Students (including those in Special Education and French Immersion & Extended French programs) will attend school 5 days per week, with one cohort for the full day, including recess and lunch. Enhanced health and safety protocols will be in place.
- Secondary: Adapted model: Students attend school every day, in smaller class sizes of approx 15 students, in either the morning or afternoon, with learning continuing at home the other half of the day. Schools will operate on a quadmester schedule.
In addition, the Ministry directed -
- Parents will continue to have the option to opt their children out of in-person delivery and participate in remote learning.
- Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 will be encouraged but not required to wear masks.
- Students in Grades 4 to 12 will be required to wear non-medical or cloth masks/face coverings indoors, including in hallways and in classrooms. Outdoor times can be opportunities to provide student breaks from wearing masks within their cohorts.
- Students may wear their own non-medical masks, and non-medical masks will also be made available. Reasonable exceptions on the requirement to wear masks will apply.
- School-based staff who are regularly in close contact with students will be provided with all appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Direct and indirect contacts in schools for elementary students should be limited to approximately 50 and for secondary students should be limited to approximately 100.
Although confirmation of the learning models was only received on July 30 from the Ministry of Education, the Returning to School: A Guide to the Safe Reopening of the TDSB provides significant details in a number of important areas. In the days and weeks ahead, a more complete and comprehensive guide will be developed that will be shared with staff, students, parents, education partners and the community. Additional documents and resources for staff will be created to accompany the guide and provide the necessary information for implementation. From the Guide -
Mental Health and Well-Being: Students - Returning to school after many months away will require time to address the social and emotional needs of students. All staff have a role to play in supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing. Building relationships and connections, offering support and building capacity of school-based staff will help ease the transition back to school and help meet the needs of students. We know from our student survey that about half of students were concerned about getting used to school routines again and about one-third were concerned about getting used to in-person interactions with teachers and peers, not being able to interact with friends like they used to (35%), and coping with their fears or anxiety.
One-quarter to one-third of students noted that the following would help them feel more comfortable at school: – having a relaxing and calming space to go in the school if feeling overwhelmed – support for re-developing school routines – support with social emotional learning skills – additional information to support their mental health and well-being and the support of a Social Worker, Psychologist, Guidance Counselor, or Child and Youth Worker. We will provide students with a blended model of support, including both in person and virtual supports, including: office hours, wellness clubs and social community circles, crisis support, and clinical counselling, as appropriate. There will also be support for students at transition points (returning to school, attending a new school, entering Grade 9, participating in e-learning) with reengagement support and opportunities to be welcomed by and connected to other students.
Pre-registration Survey - The TDSB is undertaking pre-registration of elementary, secondary and adult students in order to plan for September. The process will begin with an automated phone survey of parents/guardians and adult students as well as an online survey by all international students and their families. To support parents/guardians and adult students in their own language, the TDSB website will include translations of the phone survey in 20 languages and an online survey will be sent to those who are not able to respond to the phone survey. The pre-registration process will be open for one week: Opening: Monday August 10, 2020 Closing: Monday, August 17, 2020. Follow up with families who have not responded to either the phone survey or online survey will be through the local school when school administrative staff return to schools in late August. Please note as per direction from the Ministry of Education, students may not necessarily be able to move between remote and in-person learning, and families should anticipate the possibility of being wait-listed if they change their mind.
Once we receive information from the pre-registration survey to families, we will have a better idea as to what class sizes will be (some students will opt for remote learning). We will work to ensure that we don’t have overly large elementary class sizes to minimize risk. In the event that class sizes need to be adjusted, staff will explore strategies such as reorganizing classes or adding additional resources to the extent that the budget will allow. Given current class size caps in the Secondary collective agreement, we do not anticipate significant cohort size issues in most secondary classes.
Information will also be gathered from all staff via survey regarding ability to return to work, potential accommodation needs, and other pertinent and important information.
Ensuring the health and safety of students and staff is our priority. Following guidance from Toronto Public Health, a number of key measures will be implemented to help stop the spread of COVID-19, including: physical distancing, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and screening for symptoms. Please read the full report for details.
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Additional Investment is RequiredTrustees have received many template letters to continue our advocacy - and on our behalf, the Chair has answered - and I completely support this board message. Please see below.
On behalf of the Board, thank you for contacting us and for sharing your views regarding the reopening of our schools in September. As you know, yesterday the Ministry of Education announced province-wide school reopening plans for September.
Highlights of the Ministry’s plans include:
- Elementary school children from Kindergarten to Grade 8 will attend schools 5 days per week, with one cohort for the full day, including recess and lunch.
- Secondary schools will open using an adapted model, with class cohorts of approximately 15 students, attending on alternate days, or alternate schedules that would represent in-person attendance for at least 50% of instructional days.
- Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 will be encouraged but not required to wear masks in common spaces.
- Students in Grades 4-12 will be required to wear non-medical or cloth masks while in school.
- Medical masks will be provided for teachers and all other school staff.
In terms of provincial government financial support, what we know from the Minister’s announcement is that “the province is providing over $300 million to purchase masks and personal protective equipment, add new teaching positions, provide enhanced cleaning supplies and more staff for schools and school buses and health and safety professional development for staff.“
As Trustees, we agree with you that there should be adequate funding to support the safe reopening of our schools. In fact, on July 22, 2020, the Board wrote the Premier of Ontario and Minister of Education and made the following requests: “The Board is advising the Ontario government to:
- develop of a larger and more robust staffing plan to accommodate getting as many students as possible, as soon as possible, back into physical schools/spaces, while respecting public health advice;
- provide temporary, emergency funding to ensure that part the above can be accomplished safely and effectively and in the best interest of all families and communities; and
- provide, as previously requested in our Board’s letter to the Minister of Education on May 22, 2020, that the necessary funding supports to school boards be in place for all extra Covid-19 costs including PPE, additional staffing, additional transportation, IT devices, mental health and well-being supports, cleaning supplies, repair/maintenance to ventilation systems, touch-free sinks and soap dispensers for handwashing, and water bottle refill stations.”
The Board also wrote the Prime Minister of Canada and the Mayor of Toronto and urged them to collaborate with the Ontario government on other funding, policies and programs that will help allow children and families to participate fully in the reopening school. These include new investments that will support a greater number of affordable and accessible childcare spaces and paid parental leave options for parents/guardians whose ability to participate in the workforce is hindered by the lack of complete school/childcare options for their child(ren).
We urged all of these leaders to act on these recommendations as soon as possible. The Board took this action because these are decisions and actions that need to be made but can only be made by other levels of government. They cannot be made by the TDSB.
Now I urge you to contact our provincial government and call on them to provide adequate funding support for the reopening of our schools. I also urge you to call on all three levels of government to implement the Board’s recommendations.
Thank you again for taking the time to write.
Regards
Robin Pilkey, Chair
Please note, until there is adequate funding, the TDSB must take direction and guidance from the Ministry of Education as well as Toronto Public Health. And TDSB's Return to School and Work Steering Committee with multiple sub-committees have created the best possible plan to prepare for reopening that has been informed by community, including unions and federation partners, staff, parents/ guardians and students. Student and staff mental health and safety remain top of mind and we will do everything possible to support.
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2020-21 Operating Budget For Approval This Week
Section 231 of the Education Act requires school boards to pass a balanced operating budget each year. Budgets are intended to align both human and financial resources to system priorities. School boards are required to submit their annual balanced operating budget to the Ministry of Education. This year the deadline for submission to the Ministry has been extended to August 19, 2020 due to the late release of the Grant for Student Needs (GSN). Total TDSB’s 2020-21 revenues are forecasted to be $3.4B.
While the Ministry of Education provided additional funds for labour agreements, these funds are a flow through to the Board’s budget since there are offsetting expense increases as well. TDSB is committed to using all resources responsibly and effectively. However, the funding provided by the provincial government does not fully meet the needs of students in Toronto. This has resulted in significant funding gaps in areas such as teacher costs, Special Education and supply staff. In order to address these funding gaps and to ensure that the needs of our students are met, TDSB is required to find savings in other areas within the Board to balance its annual budget. A full listing of these gaps is reported in the Financial Facts report, which is available on TDSB’s website: www.tdsb.on.ca/budget.
Staff continue to recommend no reductions or changes to current operations so that all efforts can be focussed on re-opening the system safely, with staff and student health and well-being prioritized. As noted in the report, staff continue to recommend an additional $22.5M in COVID-19 related costs for the first four months of the school year (September-December) to ensure that schools can open safely for all students and staff.
On Thursday July 30th the Ministry of Education announced the school re-opening plans for September, included in these plans was additional funding of approximately $309M provincially. As additional information on purpose and uses of this funding are provided by the Ministry along with board by board allocations staff will update trustees and make the necessary adjustments to the budget at the Revised Estimate submission in November to the Ministry.
Since the projected operating deficit is primarily due to additional COVID-19 costs, staff are recommending the use of reserves to offset the projected deficit.
Should FBEC approve the Budget it will be brought before a Special Board meeting on August 6.
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55-65 Broadway & Roehampton Residence (former hotel) Update from Councillor Matlow
Our community understands and supports the need to provide shelter for vulnerable people in Toronto- and certainly in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic along with an opioid and housing crisis.
However, concerns raised about the recent behavioral impacts on Midtown residents’ safety from the new shelters at the Roehampton Hotel and 55-65 Broadway are real and should not simply be dismissed as “NIMBY”. The behavior affecting neighbourhood safety is unacceptable and, on behalf of our community, I have requested it be fully, and immediately, addressed by City Staff. Please click here for more information about 55-65 Broadway and Roehampton Residence including details of an upcoming public meeting -. https://joshmatlow.ca/newsletter/55-65-broadway-roehampton-residence-former-hotel-update/.
We have also ensured the Principals, Superintendents and School Council Chairs were informed - and we continue to work with our Facilities and Caring and Safe Schools staff to see what we can do to ensure safety for students, staff and community.
The community meeting to hear from City Staff will be held online:
- Date: August 19, 2020
- Time: 6 – 8 p.m.
Please note in the short term TDSB Security is working with the City to address issues raised by school communities. The City has contracted one mobile security patrol (ASP Security) to operate 24/7 in the immediate vicinity including going on to school properties. Four Community safety teams (of 7 people in high visibility vests) will also be patrolling 24/7 on foot and engaging the community and picking up and hazardous waste such as needles, drug paraphernalia etc. TSDB Security will be conducting additional patrols in the areas of concern where able. As this protocol is new, it will be adjusted as required... but we are hoping it will help with safety and security in and around schools.
In addition, our Facility Team Leads are reviewing any outstanding orders at the involved schools and specifically looking at building access, security lighting, security camera, fencing, gates, etc. Trustee Chernos Lin and I will continue to follow-up and keep the community informed.
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Invitation for Students #MCHOnline2020
Model City Hall will be running our first online conference on Saturday, August 8th from 10:15 AM - 6:15 PM. It is completely free, you can drop in or leave whenever you'd like, and all youth ages 14-25 are welcome. A follow-up event will be held to discuss the resolutions from our online conference with public officials to implement them into actual policies.
Topics and Guest Speakers:
COVID-19:
- Mental Health and Emergency Funding - Dr. Eileen de Villa: Chief Medical Officer of Health for Toronto
Human Rights:
- Racial Injustice, Police Brutality and Human Trafficking - Kojo Damptey: Interim Director of the Hamilton Center for Civic Inclusion; Matthew Green: MP for Hamilton Centre
STEAM:
- Privacy, Surveillance, and Algorithmic Justice - Karen Hao: Senior AI Reporter for MIT Technology Review; Kris Joseph: Digital Scholarship Librarian
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School Year Calendar 2020-2021The official school year calendar for the Toronto District School Board runs from September 1 to June 30, inclusive and has now been approved by the Ministry.
- First day of classes for all students is September 8
- The last day of class for elementary students is June 29
- The last day of class for secondary (full year) students is June 25
- The last day of class for secondary (semestered) students is June 28
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December 21, 2020 - January 1, 2021
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Secondary PA Day (Semestered Schools Only)
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Secondary School PA Day (Full Year Schools)
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EQAO
- Gr. 9 Math: 1st Semester: January 11 - 22, 2021
- Gr. 9 Math: 2nd Semester: June 3 – 16, 2021
- OSSLT: April 8, 2021
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