Keeping You Informed...
Keeping You Informed...
Ward 12 newletter header
                              Welcome to the 2016-17 school year!
I'd like to say that it's been a great start to the new year but with the extreme heat and the excessive problems with busing and transportation issues during the first two weeks it certainly doesn't feel that way. I'd like to apologize for any inconvenience that the TDSB has caused anyone due to the probelms with buses and the lack of clear communication to schools and parents. I can understand the frustration this creates. You should have received a letter from the Director of Education outlining the approach the Board is now taking to get the bus issue under control for all schools last week. I'd like to point out that Trustees are taking this incident very seriously and have brought forward a motion that was considered at a Special Board Meeting last Wednesday. The Director of Education will present a report to the September 28th Finance and Accountabilty meeting outlining the reasons for the current problems with busing and recommendations to fix the problem so that we can avoid it in the future. 
The Ombudsman of Ontario is also looking at the situation and may conduct an investigation. The TDSB is commited to full cooperation with the Ombudsman's office. Click here for a link to the Ombudsman's statement.
If you continue to have problems with TDSB buses contact the number below or get in touch with me and I will inquire on your behalf with one of the Superintendents of Education. 
Student Transportation Group. 
416 394- 4BUS

Regardless of this year's problems, I am looking forward to a really good year with many exciting events and a renewed focus on our students. I've brought back the Toastmasters International Youth Leadership Program for secondary school students. Please share the information with any high school students in Willowdale (details below). Enjoy the rest of September and look for my next e-newletter here or on a school website.  
Below is a copy of the Welcome Back to School Newsletter that will be sent home with all students in Willowdale elementary and middle schools. Going forward, I plan to post all newsletters in an electronic form on school websites. The newsletter below has some useful information in it. To view the entire greeting and newsletter click here.

Alexander

NEWS ABOUT the Director of Education - John Malloy
Toronto District School Board Interim Director of Education Dr. John Malloy has been appointed permanent Director of the TDSB. The Trustees and staff were very supportive of appointing Dr. Malloy as the permanent Director. We look forward to continuiong to work with him in the coming years.
Since joining the TDSB in January 2016, Dr. Malloy has introduced a Board-wide Learning Centre strategy that moves resources closer to classrooms and improves school responsiveness to student, parent/guardian and community needs.
Dr. Malloy’s vision for learning includes reducing barriers to achievement so that all students can be successful and emphasizing the shared leadership of all employees to support schools and improve student achievement.
He has also demonstrated his commitment to inclusiveness and open communication by launching regular, interactive webcasts to engage staff, parents/guardians and the public on key issues facing the TDSB community.
In addition, Dr. Malloy was among the first Ontario Directors of Education to post his employment agreement with the TDSB on the Board’s website. His updated agreement will be posted in the near future.
Quick Facts
  • Prior to joining the TDSB, Dr. Malloy served as an Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Student Achievement Officer with the Ontario Ministry of Education, and as Director of Education for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board.
  • Before that, he was a Superintendent of Education with the York Region District School Board and the Durham Catholic District School Board.
  • Dr. Malloy received his Bachelor of Education at the University of Dayton, a Master of Education at Xavier University, and a Master of Theological Studies and Doctor of Education at the University of Toronto.

“I am honoured to serve the TDSB as Director of Education, and most importantly, I am privileged to work with students and a dedicated team of administrators, teachers and support staff across the system. I look forward to continuing to build partnerships with parents and our communities, and remain committed to improving student achievement and well-being for all students.”
- John Malloy, Director, TDSB
The 2016-2017 school year is the first year for the new Learning Centre model introduced by Dr. John Malloy. All TDSB schools across the district have been assigned to one of four learning centres. You can find your school by clicking here for the district wide map.
Schools in Willowdale are part of LEARNING CENTRE 2
Learning centres will be hubs where staff can collaborate and share resources. 
Learning centres will be closely connected to the schools they support and will be able to better serve the needs of school staff, students and parents/guardians.  

Each centre will be staffed by:
  • Learning coaches who will provide extra support for teachers in the classroom
  • Seven superintendents, led by an executive superintendent
  • Staff from the TDSB’s professional support services department, including psychologists, social workers and counsellors

The learning centres are designed to:
  • Provide classroom teachers with extra support
  • Allow staff to better identify and respond to the learning needs of students 
  • Improve communication with parents/guardians
  • Make it easier for students, parents/guardians and the community to navigate the system
  • Help resolve any issues or concerns in a more timely manner
  • Ensure that all students across the TDSB have equitable access to programs and services
I'm providing a link to the Learning Centre page on the TDSB website here as well as photos, names and contact information for the three Superintendents of Education for Willowdale schools in Learning Centre 2. I also encourage you to get in touch with them if you have any questions at all. They are here to help you and will respond in a timely manner. You can also contact me directly to answer your questions.
LEARNING CENTRE 2 - Superintendents of Education
An photo of Superintendent Addo will be added in the next e-newsletter
LINDA CURTIS                    LOUIE PAPATHANASAKIS              ELIZABETH ADDO
Linda.Curtis@tdsb.on.ca       Louie.Papthanasakis@tdsb.on.ca      Elizabeth.Addo@tdsb.on,ca
416-396-4172                       416-394-2050                                   416-394-3900
SAVE THE DATE
Learning Centres
Bringing Resources Closer to the Classroom
OCTOBER 27th  
7pm to 9pm
Earl Haig Secondary School
    This is the first Ward Forum of the 2016-2017 school year. It will focus        on the new Learning Centres at the TDSB. You will have a chance to            learn more about the learning centres and how they work, ask the              Director of Education questions and interact with Superintendents of          Education on a personal level. 
         Trustee Alexander Brown
     Director of Education, Dr. John Malloy
     Student Trustees, Shams Medhi & Saad Wazir

We will also have short report from our Ward 12 PIAC Representative, an       update from SEAC (Special Education Advisory Committee) and we will need to choose a French as a Second Language Advisory Committee representative (either by election or appointment). If you are interested in this position please contact me at alexander.brown@tdsb.on.ca
Child Minding services will be available if you RSVP to Araz.Hasserjian@tdsb.on.ca
All SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS in WILLOWDALE
This is an opportunity to develop your public speaking skills & leadership skills, become more confident and have fun doing it.
It's the Toastmasters International Youth Leadership Program  sponsored by Trustee Alexander Brown.
TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY NOW before the fall session is full.
ONLY 25 SPACES AVAILABLE!!! 
There is NO COST to any student from Secondary Schools in Willowdale. All materials and instruction are provided. See Poster below.

UPDATE: 
Elementary Classroom Reorganization 

Some parents/guardians have expressed concerns about the number of students in elementary classrooms. I can understand the concerns that are expressed in terms of teacher to students ratios, crowded learning environments and unsafe conditions when it appears that too many children are assigned to classrooms. The TDSB does its best to ensure we reorganize class sizes based on the staffing needs of each elementary school.
Every September, the TDSB reviews actual student enrolment in our elementary schools (compared to April’s projections) and provides schools with updated staff allocation numbers. This process is required due to several factors:
  • Ministry of Education legislation on class size compliance:
    - Boards must have 90% of primary classes (grades 1-3) across the system at 20 or fewer students. 
    - 10% of these classes (grades 1-3) can exceed 20 students to a maximum of 23. 
  • Collective Agreement for Grades 4-8 whereby the Board must have a system average of 23.24 students.  
  • FDK guidelines - while there is no cap in FDK, the Ministry and the TDSB work under the assumption of setting 30 students as an expectation in these classrooms (there are, however, some classes over 30 within the system).    
The official count date for elementary schools was last Friday, September 16, 2016. These updated numbers are used for staffing purposes to begin the re-organization process.
Over the weekend, staff will have worked on the new allocations and, once verified, they will be shared with elementary Principals on Monday, September 19
This year, in order to ensure that we meet the Ministry requirements as a system, we anticipate that there will be greater movement of staff than in previous year
  
  • Every September, schools review actual student enrolment as compared to initial projections from last April, and re-organize classes where required to best support students. 
  • We do our best to plan for the new school year, but there are always factors, such as new or departing students, that might affect how classrooms are organized. 
  • In addition, to ensure smaller class sizes, the Ministry of Education sets out specific class size requirements to benefit student learning.
  • We know that for students and parents, changing classes may be difficult and may require an adjustment period. Students will be supported as they transition through these classroom changes to ensure a successful and rewarding school year.

  • Thank you for your patience and cooperation through the re-organization process.
UPDATE:
2016 Ontario Assessments: Reading, Writing and Mathematics     
Provincial results for the 2015-16 reading, writing and mathematics assessments were released by Ontario’s Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) recently. The results are for the Primary Division (Grades 1-3), Junior Division (Grades 4-6) and the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics. Read highlights from the EQAO report. EQAO results for the Toronto District School Board will not be released until September 21, 2016. Across the province, we know that math has been a challenge for a number of students and the results over recent years have reflected that. At the TDSB, we focus attention on improving results by creating targeted programs and initiatives to support all students to succeed. Once EQAO results are released on September 21, we will review the results in detail to determine next steps and what additional supports we can put in place for our students. 

UPDATE: BACK TO SCHOOL RESOURCES
The TDSB has prepared a one-stop resource page made available on the TDSB website. Whether your child is joining classes for the first time or returning after the summer break this resource page contains all the information you need for the start of the year including school year calendar, homework tips, contact information and more. Click on the icon above or here to go to the Back to School Resources link.
POLICY UPDATE
Reporting of Suspected Wrongdoing: TDSB WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY
This policy was implemented in June 2016 to ensure ethical and professional conduct at the Toronto District School Board and to demonstrate the Board’s commitment to maintaining and enhancing public confidence in the integrity of its trustees and employees.

It allows anyone including the general public, parents and students, to raise concerns about suspected wrongdoing by a trustee or employee of the Board 
and to protect them against reprisals related to reporting of suspected wrongdoing.

I encourage you to review the policy attached in full and keep it in mind if you are ever in a situation where you need to report something that you feel falls within the definition of wrongdoing.      

 
Wrongdoing means:

• a contravention of a federal or provincial act or regulation by a trustee or employee (for example: Criminal Code of Canada, Education Act and applicable regulations, etc.);
• an act or omission that create
s danger to life, physical and mental health, safety of persons, or to the environment;
• mismanagement inconsistent with laws, regulations, and Board policies, including waste of financial resources, abuse of managerial authority, mismanagement, or loss/theft of public assets;
• financial fraud (e.g., an act of deception, manipulation, or trickery) in respect to the finances of the Board or a school/department operated by the Board;
• time theft (i.e., a fraudulent act where an employee collects pay for time not actually worked);
• deliberate non-compliance with Board policies and procedures; and
• directing or counseling a person to commit any of the above

UPDATE:
Continuing Education

Registration for the Fall Continuing Education courses at the TDSB opened on August 17th, 2016. There are many general interest courses to choose from and nearly 30 000 adults in Toronto take courses in their communities. It's a great way to learn a new skill, meet people and find a hobby that maybe you've been wanting to take up for awhile. Check out the courses available by clicking here Learn4Life.
Happy learning!!
Classes begin on September 17th, 2016

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