April is a significant month for many different religious communities: Muslims will mark the end of the month-long fasting of Ramadan with Eid al-Fitr the evening of Saturday, March 29 – Tuesday, April 1. Passover is one of the most important holidays in the Jewish faith honouring the biblical story of the Israelites’ freedom from slavery in Egypt. This year, Passover begins the evening of April 12 and ends the evening of April 20. Christians observe Good Friday, April 18 as a day of prayer and reflection to remember Jesus Christ's crucifixion and death and celebrate Easter Sunday, April 20 honouring the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It marks the conclusion of the holy week that started on Palm Sunday, and it’s preceded by Lent – a 40-day period of prayer and fasting. Eastern Christian and Orthodox churches also celebrate Easter on April 20 this year.

In the TDSB, April is also Sikh Heritage Month and on April 14, Sikhs around the world will commemorate Vaisakh, or Khalsa Day, a Sikh festival that commemorates the founding of the Khalsa order by the tenth guru in Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh. It is celebrated by Sikhs across the world.

Puthandu or Tamil New Year's Day is celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month of Chitterai. As per the Gregorian calendar, Puthandu will be celebrated on April 14.

On April 2, we commemorate World Autism Awareness Day. I encourage you to raise awareness and support for those with autism and their families, as well as promote a greater understanding and acceptance of neurodiversity.

Below, please find selected April Commemorative Days – this is not an exhaustive list.

Since 2016, the TDSB has proudly recognized Sikh Heritage Month every April, becoming the first school board in Canada to do so. 

The theme for Sikh Heritage Month 2025 is Ekta (Oneness), Solidarity, and Resilience.

Educational offerings for students, staff, and the community are inspired by Guru Nanak's teachings on justice, equality, and community. These principles challenge discrimination, combat bullying, and promote inclusivity. By celebrating Sikh diversity and shared humanity, we foster dialogue, learning, and collective action. Through storytelling, workshops, and school-wide initiatives, we highlight how Sikh teachings inspire unity and empower students to stand against injustice with courage, compassion, and Chardi Kala (relentless optimism).

All students, staff, and community members are invited to attend the TDSB Sikh Heritage Month Virtual Celebration. The event features Navjot Kaur, author of We Are Cheesemakers, as the keynote speaker, along with several student entertainment pieces.

TDSB Sikh Heritage Month Virtual Celebration
Thursday, April 3, 2025
10 to 11 a.m.
Click here to access the live stream!

We are thrilled to share a Q&A with television director and producer Harbinder Singh as he details his professional journey to success.

The Sikh Heritage Committee is continuing with its podcast series! This year, listeners can enjoy new episodes that reflect our current theme of Ekta (Oneness), Solidarity, and Resilience. The complete podcast series can be found here.

We are excited to showcase this TDSB Sikh Heritage Month Committee video that teaches about Sikh identity, the power of unity, community, and cross-racial solidarity. May we continue to celebrate humanity and the oneness of all.

Follow Sikh Heritage Month on Twitter @TDSB_SHM.

As I wrote in last week's Update, the TDSB's revised Fundraising Policy was discussed at Committee last week. The vote at committee was 5-4 in favour of a mandatory contribution to the “System Priorities Fund”. In other words, a percentage of school fundraising dollars would be collected centrally to be used for system priorities. 

There are a number of other changes in the revised policy that include alignment with revised Ministry guidelines and provisions regarding online donations. 

What hasn't changed is the school principal is ultimately responsible for all fundraising activities conducted in the name of the school, including school council activities and will have financial oversight of all school generated funds. Fundraising activities must be accountable and transparent, with school/student councils and their local school communities being informed about how fundraising proceeds are used by the school and funds must be raised for a designated purpose and used for that intended purpose. In addition, school generated funds will be used within a two-year period unless specified for a specific project or use. 

I have been clear that my preference is for a voluntary contribution process. This has been a decades-long discussion at TDSB. In my years as a Trustee, I spoke often with parents about schools in lower socio-economic geographies and the Boards attempt to create equity of opportunity by providing those schools with additional support - including differentiated school budgets, additional staffing and contributions from many of our partners and corporate sponsors.

If we need to add more budget to Model Schools, then that's what we should be doing.

My colleague Trustee James Li is organizing a virtual Ward Forum on April 1st - "Stop Taxing School Donations"
Tuesday April 1, 2025, | 7:00 pm to 8:30. 

If you are interested in participating, please Register Online
http://tiny.cc/77ge001

The Board meeting to make a final decision is on April 16.

Please read the Toronto Star article - TDSB to vote on controversial fundraising change some call a ‘tariff on parent donations. As always, I look forward to your comments.

International Day of Pink is April 9. This year, on April 9, we celebrate Re-Emergence—honouring the brave actions of 2SLGBTQIA+ activists who have fought, and continue to fight, for safer, more inclusive communities. 

This year’s theme marks significant milestones in 2SLGBTQIA+ history. We're honouring the anniversaries of key events that have shaped our community and the fight for equality.

This year, we’re honouring the 35th anniversary of the coining of the term “Two-Spirit” at the 3rd Annual Intertribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference in Winnipeg (1990).

The livestream event takes place Wednesday, April 9 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Watch here on the day of the event. This live production will feature student performances from Kapapamahchakwew – Wandering Spirit School, remarks from Director La Touche, Chair Shan, Mayor Chow, and Superintendent for Indigenous Education Tanya Senk, and Indigenous leaders John Sylliboy and Lyndon George.

Please join us as we reflect on the past and build a brighter future together. 

The TDSB is currently receiving feedback regarding a proposed boundary modifications involving Northern SS, Lawrence Park CI, North Toronto CI, York Mills CI, and Leaside HS. These modifications are to address the four shared attendance boundaries between Northern SS, Lawrence Park CI, York Mills CI, and Leaside HS, and the accommodation pressures at North Toronto CI.The slide deck from last week's public meeting, along with an FAQ document, is posted on the Accommodation Reviews webpage. You may view the recording of the March 27, 2025, public presentation. The best ways to provide feedback are to complete this feedback survey, email me or your local Trustee, or email staff at accommodationreviews@tdsb.on.ca with any questions or concerns.

Next steps. After reviewing comments, TDSB staff will present a report with their recommendations to the Board’s Planning and Priorities Committee on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 4:30 PM, Boardroom, Main Floor, 5050 Yonge Street, Toronto. If you would like to share your thoughts in person with Trustees at the committee meeting or in writing, please contact delegates@tdsb.on.ca by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, May 12, 2025. More informaton https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Leadership/Boardroom/Delegations.

The staff report will be included in the Planning and Priorities Committee agenda and posted online (http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Leadership/Boardroom/Agenda-Minutes). by May 12, 2024. I will include it in my update.

The Planning and Priorities Committee recommendations regarding the Boundary Change review will be presented to the Board at a meeting on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, where the Board of Trustees will make the final decisions about the schools in the review. None of these changes will be implemented until September 1, 2026.

Proposed Changes through this Review - The Boundary Review is proposing the following changes (Please note that no decisions have been made for this review):

As of now, the updated projected financial position for the TDSB's 2025-26 Operating Budget is a deficit of $70.3 million.

TDSB is operating a structural deficit where planned spending is greater than expected revenue.
• In some cases, TDSB is choosing to spend more in certain areas than funded based on priorities
• In some cases, TDSB is not fully-funded for certain areas
• In some cases, TDSB is not funded at all for certain areas

The intention of the report presented at the last FBEC was to identify these areas as they contribute to the projected structural deficit. The accompanying slide deck is now also posted.

The completely unfunded areas included in the TDSB budget (see slides below) amounts to over $112.6M far surpassing TDSB's current deficit.

In addition, the Ontario government has never reimbursed TDSB for $61M from our reserves (as per their direction) to ensure our schools were as safe as possible during COVID. Since 2023 we have asked them to reimburse pandemic costs.

And as per the Ontario Public School Boards Association, provincial education "funding, when adjusted for inflation, now sits at $11,506.03, a gap of $776.41 per student. This is the lowest level of per pupil funding in more than 10 years. With 1.3 million students in our English public system, this is a significant gap of more than a billion dollars."

Please continue to follow the development of the 2025-26 Budget - you can see the schedule above and find additional information on the TDSB's Budget Webpage. 

The next FBEC Meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 (after the consultations). It is expected the Agenda will include an Update on Operations to Balance: 2025-26 and an Update on Ministry funding for 2025-26 (if available).

TDSB’s Budget Town Halls ensure that families, students and community members have the opportunity to hear more about the 2025-26 budget, ask questions and share feedback. *To ensure enough space is available, please register below only if you plan on attending in person. See the options below.

A year ago, on March 28, 2024, Toronto District School Board, together with the other boards announced a lawsuit against social media tech giants.

The suit alleged that these companies [Meta Platforms Inc. (Facebook and Instagram), Snap Inc. (SnapChat), and ByteDance Ltd. (TikTok)] have negligently designed and marketed addictive products that have disrupted our Board’s mandate to enhance student achievement and well-being. It is important to note that school boards will not be responsible for any costs related to the lawsuit unless a successful outcome is reached. Any funds recovered through the litigation will be allocated to meet the needs of our students (e.g., additional staff, technological safeguards, programming and training, etc.). 

Almost a year later, on March 7, 20255, after the social media giants asked to the Court to dismiss the litigation, Justice Leiper of the Ontario Superior Court released a decision dismissing their motion. The suit can continue.

In her judgement, Justice Leiper noted “The statistics, if true, and the methods and outcomes of social media on the learning environment reveal broad effects that impact not only the immediate access to the right to an education, but to the futures of many young people. It is arguable that an addictive product that interferes with the mental health and educational aspirations of students is a public nuisance that requires a remedy.” 

Please read the Toronto Star article here Group of Ontario school boards says lawsuits against social media giants can proceed.

To learn more about the lawsuit and to follow developments, please visit the Schools for Social Media Change Alliance at www.schoolboardsforchange.ca.

Every year, the TDSB Excellence Awards help shine a light on the stories of extraordinary staff commitment, and we are delighted to announce that nominations for the Excellence Awards are open for another two weeks.

The Excellence Awards align with our shared system priorities and help highlight TDSB staff’s efforts to foster joy, engagement and belonging in our schools, workplaces and communities as a foundation for academic achievement, student success, and service excellence. We want to know who are inspiring students, innovating the curriculum, championing digital transformation, creating inclusive schools and workplaces, and working behind the scenes to support operational excellence.  

We welcome nominations from anyone – staff, students, parents/caregivers or community members – please send your nomination submissions through the Excellence Awards website during the nomination period between February 25 and April 4, 2025.  

The 2025 EcoSchools Student Leadership Conference (grades 6-8) will energize your students to take the lead on climate actions, build their facilitation and leadership skills, and collectively transform schools into communities of hope and activism.

During the full-day session, students will be actively engaged in climate change games and activities that focus on solutions. Students will learn and lead one game for their peers and begin planning for an upcoming EcoEvent. Participants will leave with the games and planning resources they will need to replicate an EcoEvent at their school.

Visit our website to get the full details and registration link! We are down to about 10 spaces left! Registration will close at the end of the school day on Tuesday, so don't dally!

Please note the information on Summer Programs on the website will continue to be updated.

Elementary Programs

Summer School - The Elementary Literacy and Numeracy Summer School Program offers the opportunity for students to continue learning in the summer. Programs are offered in-person at various locations to students in Kindergarten to Grade 8, from July 2 to July 25, 2025. A remote program is available for students in grades 6 to 8.

Registration Information: Program Dates and Hours - Monday, July 2 to Friday, July 25, 2025, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Registration is online. To fill out an application, please click on the school registration form link on the website.

Summer Extended Day Program

The Extended Day Summer Program provides fun explorations and learning for children from Kindergarten to Grade 6. Children will develop skills such as collaboration, responsibility, problem-solving, creativity, citizenship, and leadership through interesting activities, and experiences. The Summer Program is delivered by TDSB staff, Designated Early Childhood Educators, and Early Childhood Assistants.
Registration Information: June 30 to August 15. Please see website here.

Note: Information on International Languages and African Heritage Language & Culture Program, Outdoor Education Summer Camp and Summer Music & Art Camps will be available shortly.

Secondary Programs

e-Summer School Program - Registration will open on Tuesday, April 15 at 10:00 AM for TDSB students and on Tuesday, April 29 at 10:00 AM for NON-TDSB students. More information can be found here.

• All Grade 9 and 10 online Summer School credit courses will be delivered synchronously through the Continuing Education Remote Summer Program.

• All Grade 11 and 12 online Summer School credit courses will be delivered asynchronously through the e-Summer Program.

• The Grade 8 to 9 Reach Ahead Summer Credit course will be offered only in-person through the Continuing Education Reach Ahead Credit Program.  

Summer School

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Continuing Education Summer School Secondary Programs are open to students in Grades 9 to 12 and adult learners who are enrolled in the Ontario curriculum and working towards their high school diploma. Students can earn a new credit or retake a previously completed course to improve their grades.

All students enrolling in summer school, including adult students, are required to have earned the current prerequisites. Students may register for one full-credit course or two half-credit courses (Civics and Careers). These classes are available only in July.

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) reserves the right to cancel classes. All classes are subject to the availability of space, teachers, and sufficient enrollment.

Registration for all Summer Programs will open April 22, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.
Summer School classes will be held from July 2 to July 25, 2025 Monday to Friday, from 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. These classes are available only in July. More information on how to register available here.

The Grade 8 to 9 Reach Ahead credit course is available only in person.  Students will attend face-to-face classes with a teacher. Reach Ahead Flyer 

Remote Learning All Grade 9 and 10 credit courses will be delivered through synchronous learning. In-Person Learning All Grade 9 to 12 credit courses, students will attend face-to-face classes with a teacher. Summer School In Person Sites/Locations

Special Education and Inclusion Summer 2025 Programs 

Special Education and Inclusion Summer School 
Special Education and Inclusion will once again offer summer school programs from July 2 to 25 for students currently enrolled in Developmental Disability (DD), Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH), and Physical Disability (PD) Intensive Support Programs (ISPs). Principals were asked to share this information flyer with the families of students currently enrolled in these programs. 

These half-day programs will be held in-person at various locations throughout the TDSB. Students will be supported to develop their independence through programming based on their Individual Education Plans (IEPs) in the areas of functional literacy and numeracy skills, activities of daily living, communication, and social skills. Visit our summer school website for more information. 

Focus on Youth Summer Program for Students with Special Education Needs 
The Focus on Youth (FOY) Program provides learning and employment opportunities for youth in select low-income neighborhoods who face personal challenges and barriers to employment due to circumstances directly linked to systemic inequality, racism and discrimination, and their lived experiences of socio-economic disadvantage. As part of the FOY Program, students with intellectual, developmental, and/or physical disabilities and intersecting identities are supported by Special Education and Inclusion through staff from Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy (OT/PT) Services to engage students in experiential job-readiness learning through employment.  

Students are provided with opportunities to develop essential job readiness skills such as socialization, executive function and self-care among others, while receiving minimum wage compensation for a period of six weeks, commencing July 2, 2025. Eligible students are those currently enrolled in a cooperative education or experiential learning program. Staff select these students based on their readiness for safe, community-based job experiences, in accordance with Ministry criteria for the Focus on Youth Program. 

Summer Skills Development Leisure Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) 
The Summer Skills Development Leisure Program is designed for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Through this half-day, month-long (July 2025) program, students are able to develop and enhance their social and communication skills through leisure activities that include board games, physical education and outdoor activities, arts and crafts, neighborhood excursions, and cooking activities. Many parents attend the program with their children and can observe strategies modelled by staff for at-home use that help students be more successful in regulating their emotions and behavior (e.g., visual schedules, timers, 5-minute countdowns, breathing techniques, etc.). Registration information is forthcoming. 

Education and Community Partnership Program (ECPP) Summer School 
The Education and Community Partnership Program (ECPP), in collaboration with agency and hospital partners, will provide full-day summer school in July for students in care and treatment programs at SickKids Hospital, Humber River Hospital, Youthdale Treatment Centre, Lumenus Community Services at York Humber, Fernie Youth, Central Toronto Youth Services, Abiona Centre for Young Women, Jessie and June Callwood Centre for Young Women, and Turning Point Youth Services and Springboard Youth Services at Overland Education Center. Teachers will work alongside agency staff to provide academic programming while students receive care and treatment. Students are able to earn credits in various subjects including English, Math, Family Studies, Physical and Health Education, and Geography. 

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. 

Learning Opportunities Index Policy Consultation 

Consultation closes in early April 2025. Draft New Policy [docx]  Draft New Policy [pdf]

Please provide your input and feedback here. If you have any questions related to the review and consultation of the Policy, please feel free to contact us at: research@tdsb.on.ca Consultation closes April 4, 2025.

One consultation remains. There will be opportunities to ask questions and share feedback on the dates listed below:

Please use the RSVP form to let us know you will be attending. Click here to view the flyer. 

Thank you to all who attended our virtual Joint Ward Forum on March 20.

I was joined by Trustees  Alexandra Lulka Rotman, Deborah Williams, and Michelle Aarts.

The topic was: Stop the Hate - Creating Understanding In times of Geopolitical Conflict. Presenters were Mark Sandler LL.B LL.D (honoris causa) and Dr. Karen Mock. They spoke on Hate, Antisemitism and Having Respectful Dialogue.

Please know I have posted the meeting recording, the slides shared and a number of resources on the Ward Forum tab on my website. You can find the information here - https://www.tdsb.on.ca/ward8/Ward-8/Trustee-Ward-Forum

The TDSB’s Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Strategy is a community-led and TDSB staff facilitated initiative that uses data from the TDSB’s Racism, Bias and Hate reporting portal, which tracks incidents of racism, bias and hate submitted by staff. In turn, this data will help establish a comprehensive strategy and action plan for the TDSB.

Following a board decision in February 2025, staff will continue to engage communities through planned consultations to complete all three phases identified in the Update on TDSB's Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Strategy (March 2023). This will shape the development of a unified, consolidated and comprehensive Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Strategy to combat hate and racism in all their forms, which includes the Combatting Hate and Racism Student Learning Strategy.

The TDSB is committed to developing and implementing a strategy that is responsive to the voices of communities in addressing incidents of hate and racism that continue to take place within the district. Community consultations are ongoing and as they are scheduled, please continue to check this page.

Overall, the Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate strategy takes intersectional and systemic approaches with student success as the primary focus. How we address specific forms of hate, racism and discrimination needs coherency, community partnership and cross-collaboration within the diverse groups impacted. The strategy emcompasses six pillars:

1. Affirmation of Identities
2. Student Learning Strategy
3. Professional Learning
4. School-community Relationship
5. Employment Equity
6. School Culture and Climate

NOTE: The workplan on all focus areas as per the Update: Affirming Jewish Identities and Addressing Antisemitism and the Combatting Hate and Racism Strategy will continue as planned. The amalgamation of those workplans will be the creation of the final strategy.

As staff continue developing the overarching Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Strategy please remember that should an incident of antisemitism or any form of hate or racism occur in our schools, principals have an obligation to report it.

As I repeat in every update, the TDSB collects data through the Bias and Hate (RBH) Portal. An increase in antisemitic incidents is being experienced in our schools as it is in our communities - on my website I have excerpted from all our public reports on the data - TDSB Public Reports with RBH Portal Data 2018-2023. Principals and Superintendents are being reminded of their responsibilities in documenting incidents and educating against them. All students and staff - all students and staff - must be safe in our schools and free from discrimination, harassment and hate. Antisemitism is but one form of hate our students and staff are experiencing. 

If you are a staff or a student or a parent/caregiver, and you are a victim of/or witnessing an incident of racism, bias, or hate in our schools, please report it to the school's principal, who has a duty to investigate all incidents. For more information, please visit the webpage for Reporting an Incident of Hate or Discrimination Involving or Impacting Students. If you experience it, or witness it, report it. Please. If you are concerned your complaint is not being taken seriously after you follow the Parent Concern Protocol, please let me know.

For incidents involving and impacting students, the following procedures can apply: Reporting and Responding to Racism and Hate Incidents Involving or Impacting Students in Schools, PR728 Parent Concern Protocol, PR505 Caring and Safe Schools related procedures

For employee complaints, the following procedures can apply: Workplace Harassment Prevention and Human Rights, PR515 (for employee conduct alleged to be a human rights violation or Code-based workplace harassment) Non-Code Based Workplace Harassment, PR740

In some circumstances an incident entered into the RBH portal may be a breach of the Criminal Code through the incitement of hate; in which case, the incident must also be reported to the police in accordance with PR728.

Complaints regarding social media postings should be sent directly to the TDSB's Human Rights Office at humanrightsoffice@tdsb.on.ca. The intake process is being centralized in the Human Rights Office to ensure for consistency of process.

If you witness something inside the community, report any allegations of hate-motivated crimes to police for investigation at 416-808-2222 or 9-1-1 in an emergency. The Police state they will not tolerate any intimidation, harassment, or hate-motivated behaviour aimed at specific communities. You can also call 1-800-222-TIPS to Crime Stoppers anonymously.

Please remember TDSB's Mental Health and Well Being Professional Support Staff (PSS) are here to support your mental health and well-being and to help you navigate the tools and resources you may need. Please see resources on their website.

Forest Valley Outdoor Education Centre - 60 Blue Forest Dr.

Our Annual Maple Syrup Open House is back!

Saturday, April 5th, 2025 between 10am and 2pm. 

Grow for Grub Fundraiser to Support
TDSB Student Nutrition Programs

Grow for Grub is a small group of friends & family, passionate about local urban vegetable gardening, who want to
support student nutrition programs at hundreds of TDSB schools. We believe that children need to eat to get the
energy to learn. We grow our own vegetable seedlings and are giving them away in exchange for donations to the
Toronto Foundation for Student Success (tfss.ca) who oversees 826 Student Nutrition Programs. Please donate by
purchasing our seedling boxes featuring a special variety of seedlings. All proceeds (100%) go to TFSS.
Donations $50 and above may receive a tax receipt.

See this year's featured seedlings in the 2025 Brochure and place your order here.

You will be contacted when orders are ready for pickup in Toronto. Thank you for your support!

Clean Toronto Together

Join the annual spring cleanup on April 25 to 27 – registration is now open.ery April, community groups, families, individuals and businesses in Toronto are encouraged to spend 20 minutes cleaning up litter in a local park, beach, ravine or other natural spaces. 

Students can celebrate Earth Day by spending 20 minutes cleaning up their schoolyard or a neighbourhood park.

All educational institutions in Toronto, including schools, colleges and universities are encouraged to join. Registration with the City is not required.

School cleanups require the approval of your school principal. School participants should reach out to office staff or caretakers to obtain litter bags and gloves. NOTE: the City no longer provides free cleanup supply kits to schools.

EQAO Webinar for TDSB Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers: Primary and Junior Assessment for Reading, Writing, and Math - April 15
TDSB Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers are invited to register for a live webinar to learn about the Primary (Grade 3) and Junior (Grade 6) Assessment for Reading, Writing, and Math. Participants will learn about the purpose of Ontario’s large-scale assessments. EQAO staff will explain the assessment format, highlight resources to support students, and answer questions from participants. The session is approximately 45 minutes, followed by a live Q&A with EQAO staff.

To register, please complete and submit this form.

Date: April 15, 2025

Time: 6:30PM - 7:30PM
Registration closes on April 10, at 8:00 PM.

Climate Camp is Back for August!August 18th-21st, 2025, Mono Cliffs Outdoor Education Centre

Last year, we held the first Climate Camp with 52 educators from across the board at the lovely Mono Cliffs. Yes, the days were filled with hands-on workshops, but there was time for hikes and art and yoga and meditation. Plus the campfires with guitar and smores (and a bit of opera)!

If living and breathing climate change education sounds like the thing for you, register now. LIMITED SPACES and all that jazz.

Community Consultation for the Latin America Diaspora - April 26

The TDSB wants to hear from you about how to improve the academic achievement of students from the Latin America diaspora.  

Reunión para la comunidad latinoamericana. El TDSB quiere escuchar de ti de cómo mejorar la oportunidades académicas de nuestros estudiantes.

Please see details for this event:
Date: April 26, 2025
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location: CW Jeffreys Collegiate Institute

Register here  

Virtual Urgent Care Kiosk, an in-person space at the Lawrence Allen Center

SickKids started a Virtual Urgent Care (VUC) platform in 2021 (Learn more by clicking here).

After initial community consultation, SickKids have created the Greeter-supported Virtual Urgent Care Kiosk, an in-person space at the Lawrence Allen Center (a local mall located at Lawrence and the Allen Road). This one-year project is a novel, health equity-focused approach to urgent care, which would see SickKids provide an additional way for one of Toronto’s most digitally underserved communities to access our VUC platform.

The initiative launched in late January. SickKids are very excited to bring this novel, health equity-focused resource to the community - we hope this project brings benefits to the local community and learning that will improve care for patients and families.

Learn4Life.ca - Adult General Interest Courses General Interest Programs Adults 18+ and Seniors Program Information General Interest courses are for adults, 18 years of age and older. Seniors' Daytime courses are for registrants 65 years of age and older. For more information please visit www.learn4life.ca Registration is Open  Classes Begin: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 

Please ensure you check for Days of Significance before scheduling student and community events - as the TDSB is currently reviewing ours - for 2024-25, the TDSB will only publish a Faith/Creed-Based Holy Days Calendar and an Indigenous Days of Significance Calendar. For now, please check the Multi-Faith calendar available online https://multifaithcalendar.org/cal/index.php.

2005 - 2026 School Year Calendar

Regulation 304 requires that there be a minimum of 194 school days between 1 September and 30 June, including a maximum of ten examination days for secondary schools and a maximum of seven Professional Activity (PA) days.  It also establishes the dates for the Winter Break and the Mid-Winter Break. 

It is the hope that presenting this early provides students, parents and staff sufficient notice to make plans for the 2025-2026 school year following Ministry approval. 

March is Greek Heritage Month (GHM) 

2025 marks 10 years of recognizing GHM at the TDSB. For this reason, our theme for this year is:

Odyssey - A Decade of Celebrating Greek Heritage Month
Oδύσσεια - Μία Δεκαετία Εορτασμού του Μήνα Ελληνικής Κληρονομιάς

To mark Greek Heritage Month, the TDSB has planned several educational activities.

The TDSB Greek Heritage Month Volunteer Planning Committee looks forward to celebrating GHM with everyone! OPA!

Learn more or register for this free event today!

Celebrate inclusion on April 5 at Day of Pink 2025!

International Day of Pink has one purpose – to create a more inclusive and diverse world. Day of Pink works with schools and host public events in key cities across Canada each year to recognize significant milestones in 2SLGBTQIA+ history. 

The 2025 Day of Pink Re-Emergence Tour is making its way to Toronto. On April 5, 2025, at 2:00 PM, Fairlawn Avenue United Church will host an inspiring event featuring powerful discussions and performances by Two-Spirit leader and educator Elder John R Sylliboy and drag performer and advocate Chelazon Leroux. This free event invites the public to celebrate the resilience, activism, and progress of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Special Education and Inclusion Guides for Parents/ Guardians/Caregivers

From learning about Individual Education Plans (IEPs) to navigating the Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) process, these resources are here to support you every step of the way.

We encourage you to explore the full guides on the Special Education and Inclusion website, where you’ll also find\additional Special Education resources for families.

School Mental Health Ontario (SMHO) has launched By Your Side, a new parent/caregiver learning hub that has been designed to meet the needs of Ontario’s families.By Your Side was created by Ontario parents/caregivers and school mental health professionals and includes resources and supports made available in multiple formats—including web content, PDFs, and videos to ensure that families can easily access information and strategies that promote mental health and well-being at home. Key topics include understanding mental health, promoting mental health at home, supporting mental health at school, stress and anxiety management, substance use prevention, navigating digital technology use, and reaching out for help. Our hope is you find these resources helpful. Mental health matters.

Stay Home If You Are Sick

During this respiratory virus season, I encourage you to review tips from Toronto Public Health (TPH) to help prevent the spread of infections in schools and communities.

Stay home if you are sick: If you have symptoms of illness, even if they are mild, stay home and wear a mask for 10 days after symptoms start. Practice good hygiene: Wash or sanitize your hands often, cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or a tissue, and clean frequently touched surfaces.

Vaccines

Toronto Public Health (TPH) is hosting community clinics to help students catch-up on their school-based vaccines. Clinics are appointment based and residents are encouraged to book an appointment.

In Ontario, the Immunization of School Pupil Act (ISPA) requires all students to be up to date with meningococcal vaccines or have a valid exemption  even if they received a meningococcal vaccine as a child. Visit School Immunization Program (SIP) clinics.:

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) presents Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away, which examines the history and legacy of the most significant site of the Holocaust, for its exclusive Canadian showing. The exhibition opened on January 10, 2025, and runs to September 1, 2025.

The public is invited to purchase tickets - more information can be found here. Please note that a group of TDSB educators from the Jewish Heritage Committee (as reported at our last JHC Executive meeting) and members of TDSB Central Teaching and Learning Team (part of a team of educational advisors and partners to the ROM), were invited to an advance preview of the exhibit in December and began to plan how we would promote it internally to TDSB and that plan is currently underway…. We have messaged this important opportunity to teachers and all staff through DirectLine, administrators through the System Leaders Weekly, Trustees in Trustees Weekly and Social and World Studies and Humanities teachers through the department newsletter. More information on school visits for grades 6-12 can be found here. 

Virtual Drop-In Hours: Pathway to Care for Mental Health

Virtual Drop-In Hours will be quarterly on dates provided for all Parents, Guardians & Caregivers with students at TDSB, including students with Special Education/Complex Needs are welcome, for this 2024-2025 school year.

When: Quarterly on Wednesdays on dates below, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 pm.

Where: Virtual; Teams Meet

Information here.

TDSB Special Education Department Family Sessions
Drop-In Q & A with Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy Staff - Receive general OT/PT strategies for your child(ren) / Chat with other parents/caregivers; Ask questions.

If you require translation services or have any questions or concerns, please email:
Learning Centre 1 - Rhanda Craig: rhanda.craig@tdsb.on.ca and Leslie Hopkins: leslie.hopkins@tdsb.on.ca Learning Centre 2 - Anna Lin: anna.lin@tdsb.on.ca and Andrea Wiltsie: andrea.wiltsie@tdsb.on.ca
Get the link here Sensory and Motor team parent/guardian/caregiver VOH flyer

I have been communicating issues we have been having with dogs on school property with every update. Now, as part of our ongoing efforts to maintain a safe and welcoming environment on TDSB properties, we would like to update you on the policies and new reporting procedures related to dogs on school grounds.

The TDSB enforces a strict policy regarding dogs on its properties. Dogs are generally not permitted on TDSB grounds, with the exception of service animals as defined by the Student Use of Service Animals in Schools Policy (P096) and the Use of Service Animals by the General Public Procedure (PR604). These guidelines are in place to ensure proper management and support for service animals within our schools.

New Reporting Process for Dogs Off-Leash

To effectively address incidents of dogs being off-leash on school properties, a new reporting process has been established through the City of Toronto’s 311 service. Community members can report such incidents either by phone or online:

Phone Reporting: Call 311 to report dogs off-leash on school property

Online Reporting: Visit the City of Toronto Service Request or Feedback webpage.

If you should you ever see any suspicious activity around school buildings after school hours, please contact 311, Toronto Police Services Dispatch at 416-808-2222, or the TDSB’s 24-hour Call Centre at 416-395-4620.

If you or a family member is in crisis, please contact Kids Help Phone:1-800-668-6868 or get support right now by texting CONNECT to 686868.

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