This Week's Update
- Happy Holi
- Good Friday Wishes and Happy Easter
- Passover Continues This Week
- COVID Testing Update
- OPSBA Statement on the Government’s Proposed Plan for Remote Learning
- Committee Meeting This Week
- Report on Preliminary Findings on Impacts to Learning Due to the Pandemic
- Superintendent of Indigenous Education
- April is Sikh Heritage Month at the TDSB
- April is Latin-America History Month at the TDSB
- April is Hispanic Heritage Month at the TDSB
- Ward 8 PARTS/Community Updates
New Invitations - Save the Date-PIAC Spring Event
Worth Repeating - EnVision Conference
- EECOM 2021 Exploring the Nature of Cities April 21-24, 2021
- Prime Minister's Awards Deadline Extended
- TDSB Summer School Registration 2021
- Policy Consultations
- Download the COVID-19 App
- School Year Calendar
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Happy Holi!
Holi 2021 began today and ends on Monday, March 29. Holi is a popular ancient Hindu festival, also known as the "festival of love", the "festival of colours", and the "festival of spring". The festival celebrates the eternal and divine love of Radha and Krishna. It also signifies the triumph of good over evil. To all celebrating, Happy Holi!
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Good Friday Wishes and Happy EasterGood Friday falls on Friday, April 2 and Easter Monday is on April 5. Both are statutory holidays in Canada. Easter marks important events in Christianity - the death and later resurrection of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the Son of God, and whose life and teachings are the foundation of Christianity.
To all those observing these traditions, wishing you a blessed holiday filled with happiness, love, and faith.
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Passover Continues This Week
Tonight those of us who observe Passover, the Jewish Festival of Freedom, we concluded our Second Seder tonight for the second year due to the Pandemic. The celebration of freedom reminds of to fight on behalf of all who are oppressed and marginalized and keep Passover's values all year... free the enslaved, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, support the needy. To those celebrating, Chag Sameach. Passover ends the evening of April 4, 2021.
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COVID Testing Update
Symptomatic testing: Toronto Public Health continues to identify many cohorts and whole schools to be tested to support investigations. The testing of the dismissed cohorts and the whole schools is being done by the testing hospitals.
Asymptomatic testing: Next week, there will be two asymptomatic testing hubs supported by LifeLabs:
- Wednesday, 31 March 2021, at Ecole Secondaire Catholique Saint-Frere Andre and Ecole Secondaire Toronto Ouest (shared site), 330 Lansdowne Avenue; and,
- Thursday, 1 April 2021, at Woburn Jr PS, 40 Dormington Drive.
These hubs are open to all students and staff of schools of the four school boards in Toronto. The testing is voluntary. The students and staff must not have symptoms in order to participate in these testing opportunities. The asymptomatic testing sites are posted on the TDSB website; this page will continue to be updated as new sites are identified.
We also continue to stay on top of the number of active confirmed COVID-19 cases among students and staff in TDSB schools. As of Friday, our current case count is 441 student cases and 82 staff cases with approximately 270 TDSB schools having one more cases of COVID-19. We are working on a map of our current cases to see trends. Late Sunday afternoon, Toronto Public Health recommended the closure of two schools for further investigation. In spite of the cases, we remain grateful to the tremendous work of our staff and families for their commitment to health and safety and helping to slow the spread of COVID-19 in schools. Check here for the latest information https://www.tdsb.on.ca/In-Person-Learning/COVID-19-Advisories.
Advocating for Education Workers to be Vaccinated
As noted in last week's updated, Acting Director Karen Falconer has written to Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, the Toronto Central LHIN and local health partners about the urgency to vaccinate all education staff during the April Break. Please read the letter here.
The Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) has also sent a letter to the Minister of Education in support of TDSB's letter asking for education workers to be vaccinated as soon as possible in Phase 2, especially in areas and communities with high COVID-19 case numbers. To read the letter, please click here.
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OPSBA Statement on the Government’s Proposed Plan for Remote Learning
“The government’s draft plan for making online and remote learning options permanent, as referenced in today’s Globe and Mail, is not in the best interest of students. We are deeply concerned about any proposal that prioritizes cost-cutting or revenue generation over student success and wellbeing.
There are significant negative implications for students and for public education in the government’s proposal, including impacts on:
- Reduced student funding levels over the long term
- Students attending small, rural and remote schools
- Diminished local influence on education
OPSBA’s Board of Directors will be meeting next week to discuss a full response to the proposal.” Cathy Abraham, President 3/25/2021
Please Note: As appointed an alternate representative to the OPSBA Board of Directors I will be attending the emergency OPSBA Board Meeting Wednesday. I share the view this is not in the best interests of students. Our student, staff and parent survey results clearly showed that 84% of students said they learn better in-person compared to virtual learning. It also showed students struggling with mental health. Policy decisions should be based on evidence. I will update next week and note later in this update is our first report on how achievement has been directly affected by remote learning.
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Committee Meeting This Week
Delegation requests will still be accepted during the closure of all schools and administrative sites at the TDSB; however, oral delegations to address a committee of the Board will be presented by phone. To submit a delegation request (written or oral), please refer to the information found here https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Leadership/Boardroom/Delegations and email delegates@tdsb.on.ca. If your request is approved, further details will be provided to you via email.
Program & School Services Committee, Wednesday, March 31 4:30 p.m. Electronic Meeting
- 5. Reports from Community Advisory Committees
- 6. 2020-2021 Program Priorities Funding: Parent Reaching Out Grant Allocation Update
- Indigenous Education Annual Report - Urban Indigenous Education Centre (UIEC) staff will continue develop and implement strategies to support the achievement and well-being of Indigenous students throughout the Board, including culturally-relevant curriculum, enhanced learning opportunities, direct wrap-around supports (counselling, traditional healing programs, youth empowerment, etc.) that focus on the unique needs of urban Indigenous students, families and communities; and system-wide professional learning to enhance staff capacity by building understanding of Indigenous sovereignty, cultures, histories and current contexts, as well as trauma informed practices and cultural safety.
- 8. TDSB Psychological Services: Backlog Wait Lists, 2020-2021- Despite staffing reductions, several strategies are being considered in order to ensure timely service and address the backlog.
- 9. Preliminary Findings on Impacts to Learning Due to the Pandemic - See article below.
- 10. Promoting Active School Travel: Update - In 2013, the TDSB adopted a Charter for Active, Safe and Sustainable Transportation (ASST). Refer to Appendix A for the details of this charter. Since that time, the Board of Trustees has continued to demonstrate support for education and encouragement activities that promote ASST. Recognizing this need, following a written request from the Chairs and Directors of both the TDSB and TCDSB, in September 2020 Toronto City Council authorized the General Manager, Transportation Services to enter into an agreement with the two school boards to provide funding of $320,000 per year in total to both school boards for the next three years (2021-2023) for the expansion of existing school travel planning programs.
- 11. Use of Outdoor Spaces for Instructional Time: Update - Recognizing the need to coordinate messaging and support learning in the outdoors for all TDSB schools, staff have developed a web portal to house outdoor learning resources for school-based staff and families. To support all-season outdoor learning at TDSB schools, new outdoor spaces are planned for implementation in 2021.
- 12.1 Access to Free Menstrual Products for Students in Ontario Schools (Trustee Doyle, for Trustee Donaldson on behalf of Student Trustees Abusaifan, Shafqat and Shallo, and Trustee Mammoliti)
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Report on Preliminary Findings on Impacts to Learning Due to the Pandemic
As noted above, this Report will be presented at the Board’s Program and School Services Committee meeting on March 31 and includes preliminary findings of impacts to learning due to the pandemic. The findings represent a preliminary discussion of the impacts on learning using two important data sets:
- Grade 1 reading data; and
- Secondary school report card data.
This preliminary analysis comes ahead of a more complete evaluation that will consider a variety of indicators from Kindergarten through Grade 12 as well as integrate perceptions from students, parents, and staff planned for June 2021 and will help inform direction, resources, and strategy for the 2021-2022 school year.
Grade 1 Reading Data - Report card data (reading marks) from January 2021 shows a three percentage point increase in the proportion of students meeting level 3 and above in Grade 1 reading when compared to the previous three reporting periods available for January (2017 to 2019).However, reading assessment data shows nearly a ten percentage point decrease in the proportions of students meeting grade level reading expectations in virtual schools in January 2021 (45%) when compared to pre-pandemic percentages (54%) in January 2019. The discrepancy between reading marks and reading assessments in 2021 needs more in-depth analysis, which is currently underway with an early summer completion date. Overall, data indicates that the pandemic has disrupted literacy learning for many early elementary students. It is important to remember that students’ marks are based on the totality of their achievement and learning progress as measured and evaluated by many factors by teachers through the course of the school year. Given the importance that literacy capacity has on future academic success throughout elementary and secondary schooling, literacy skills in early elementary should be a core focus of the TDSB in September.
Secondary School Report Card Data - Data indicates that TDSB secondary school report card marks have gone up since the pandemic began. We have seen a four percentage point average rise in marks, which has been sustained throughout Quadmester 1 and 2. The failure rate has also gone down slightly (2 to 3 percentage points). At this point, more evaluation and analysis is needed to understand the rise in average marks, as high percentages of students in January indicated that COVID-19 and the resulting disruptions to their experiences in schools over the past year has had a negative impact to their learning and feelings of well-being. However, there may be several contributing factors, including:
- The TDSB set specific assessment policies that may have affected how teachers approach summative assessments and grading in general.
- Seventy-five percent of in-person learning occurs virtually in the TDSB at the secondary level. Assessment and learning in the virtual environment are different than in person.
- Final exams traditionally worth 30% of a course mark have been reduced to very few or none during the pandemic. In TDSB secondary schools, culminating activities designed to provide opportunities for students to demonstrate understanding of course content now include a broader range of possibilities.
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Superintendent of Indigenous Education
At a Special Meeting last Wednesday, Tanya Senk was appointed TDSB’s first System Superintendent of Indigenous Education. We are proud to welcome Tanya into this role and will continue to work in Nation-to-Nation relationship to support Indigenous Education and communities. We have many commitments to Indigenous Education in the TDSB -- and to Indigenous students, staff, Elders and communities -- through our Multi-Year Strategic Plan, under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. This is an historic moment in TDSB. The appointment of Tanya Senk, marks the first time ever that TDSB will have a Superintendent that selfidentifies as Indigenous. Also on Wednesday, Christina Saunders was promoted to the Principal of Kapapâmahchakwêw -Wandering Spirit School. Congratulations to both Tanya and Christina.
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April is Sikh Heritage Month at the TDSB
Sikh Heritage Month is proudly recognized at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) during the month of April. On March 22, 2016, the Board of Trustees voted to designate April of each year as Sikh Heritage Month, making the TDSB the first school board in Canada to do so. This designation matches the recognition by the province of Ontario that proclaimed the Sikh Heritage Month Act in December 2013. This year our theme is Growing our Future: The Legacy of Sikh Farmers.
Sikh Canadians have lived in Ontario since the turn of the twentieth century. They have made significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of Ontario and their traditions and culture continue to be a vibrant part of every aspect of life of Canadians today. This includes many Sikh families who are engaged in farming throughout Canada.
We are inviting all TDSB community, students and staff to join our virtual Sikh Heritage Month launch to recognize the contributions of Sikh Canadians. Join us for a remarkable afternoon of information and celebration - Tuesday, April 6, 2021 from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm - click here.
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April is Latin-America History Month at the TDSB
During the month of April, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) proudly recognized Latin-America History Month. In April 2016, our TDSB Board of Trustees voted that April be designated as Latin-America History Month. The motion was a result of advocacy on behalf of TDSB students, educators, parents/caregivers as well as community organizations within LAEN-The Latinx, Afro-Latin-America Abya Yala Education Network. Together, hundreds of community members called for the TDSB to take up the work of addressing social inequities harming TDSB school families with ancestry from the Lands that are known in Western mainstream culture as Latin-America.
This year’s theme – a “(DeColonizing) Latin-America History Month: Learning together, from the Eagle, Quetzal and Condor about our pasts with our relatives of today,” – braids the different elements of our complex and diverse personal, academic and professional identities, lived experiences, ways of knowing and teaching, social positionality and levels of impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to grow stronger as a TDSB community by sharing our stories of resilience, struggle and success, in relation to intentionally honouring and co-creating with the many territories and peoples over which the Eagle, the Quetzal and the Condor fly.
Please join us for the Latin-America Virtual Launch Celebration taking place on Wednesday, April 7th from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm. Click here.
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April is Hispanic Heritage Month at the TDSB
During the month of April the TDSB recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month. In March 2010, our TDSB Board of Trustees voted that April be designated as Hispanic Heritage Month at the Toronto District School Board.
As stated in the Hispanic Heritage Month Act, (May 5, 2015): "Ontario is home to more than 400,000 first-, second- and third-generation Canadian of Hispanic origin. As early as 1914, Canadians who originated from 23 Hispanic countries began immigrating to the province and today the Hispanic community is one of the fastest growing in Ontario. Hispanic-Canadians represent a dynamic community that has made significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of the Province of Ontario.
By proclaiming the month of October as Hispanic Heritage Month in Ontario, the province recognizes the rich contributions of Hispanic-Canadians to our social economic, political and multicultural fabric. Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about the outstanding achievements and contributions of Hispanic people in the province."
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Ward 8 PARTS/Community Updates
- Grade change study to expand Armour Heights PS from JK-6 to JK-8 - Community meeting was held on Thursday, March 18, 2021. The Final Report of the Program Area Review Team including the Team's recommendations may be found here. TDSB staff will present a report with their recommendations to the Board’s Planning and Priorities Committee on Tuesday, April 6 at 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be held virtually and can be accessed through tdsb.on.ca..For more information about this review and to register for the meeting, please visit http://www.tdsb.on.ca/AccommodationReviews: Click on "Armour Heights PS, St Andrew's MS, and Ledbury Park EMS" under "Program Area Review" or click here for the direct link.
- Boundary change study re the cohort attending John Ross Robertson PS (Otter Creek area) - Community Meeting scheduled for April 27. A Community Letter will be sent to all affected households and schools the week of April 5th.
- "Phase 2 of the Yonge-Eglinton review" began with a staff study that focused on options to balance enrolment within local elementary schools in Wards 8 and 11, and includes consideration of the Bannockburn building to resolve ongoing accommodation pressures - The first PART Meeting is on April 1, 2021. Information will be posted the week of April 5th. The public meeting associated with this process will be held in early May.
In addition, the following is an update on Baycrest PS.
- On Monday, March 15, 2021, the Baycrest PS community received an update on the status of the Sir Sandford Fleming relocation retrofit. At that time, the community was encouraged to voice your questions and concerns regarding the information shared at this event. The presentation and the questions received have been compiled in a Q and A and have been placed on the TDSB site. Please follow this link to access the related Q and A:
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Save the Date-PIAC Spring Event
TDSB’s Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC) invites all parents and caregivers to take part in our Spring Event “Breaking Barriers by Changing Biases”.
Join us virtually on May 1st and 2nd, 2021 via Zoom.
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EnVision Conference
Join us virtually at the 2021 EnVision Conference TDSB's conference for 2SLGBTQI+ students and their allies on Tuesday March 30th, Wednesday March 31st, and Thursday April 1st!
This year the conference focuses on 2SLGBTQI+ Black and Indigenous Activism and Wellness. The EnVision Conference provides middle and high-school students with the opportunity to honour and celebrate 2SLGBTQI+ communities, as well as discussing issues they face across Ontario and engage in anti-homophobia and anti-transphobia work. Students use various platforms to ask questions and explore ways to celebrate gender and sexual diversity in schools and beyond.
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EECOM 2021 Exploring the Nature of Cities April 21-24, 2021
The Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) is Canada’s only national and bilingual network for environmental learning that works strategically and collaboratively to advance environmental learning. Since 1995, EECOM National Conferences have been among the largest annual gatherings of environmental learning stakeholders in Canada, and provide outstanding professional development and networking opportunities.
With most of the world’s population living in urban areas, helping citizens understand their impact on their environments is key to making cities more sustainable and livable. EECOM 2021’s theme Urban Environmental Education is well-timed to address growing concerns about the climate crisis. EECOM 2021 is being chaired by EcoSchools Canada, the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE), and the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Sustainability Office. It will be based out of the University of Toronto.
There is at least one session involving students on Friday April 23rd – 1:00 – 2:00 pm – Youth Forum: Climate Leaders of Tomorrow - Grades 7-12 classes from across Canada have participated in Learning for a Sustainable Future's virtual Climate Action Youth Forums throughout the 2020-2021 school year. Each class participated in interactive virtual kickoff, speaker and workshop events that engaged them in climate issues, equipped them with skills and knowledge, and empowered them to take action. Please join us as four classes share their exciting climate action projects.
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Prime Minister's Awards Deadline Extended
Canada’s educators are showing resilience and commitment to students in the face of COVID-19.
Do you know an exceptional teacher or early childhood educator? Consider nominating them for a 2021 Prime Minister's Award! This program honours innovative and outstanding elementary and secondary school teachers and early childhood educators who are helping prepare Canadian youth for the challenges of tomorrow. The nomination deadline has been extended for the 2021 competition until April 27, 2021.
Looking for inspiration? Check out previous teaching and early childhood education award recipients. 2021 nomination packages are available at www.pma.gc.ca. The nomination deadline is April 27, 2021 at 11:59 a.m. (Pacific Time).
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TDSB Summer School Registration 2021
The focus of the 2021 Elementary Literacy and Numeracy Summer School Program is to address student learning gaps and to continue student engagement through the month of July. Programs, embedded in Literacy and Numeracy, are developed by the local summer school principal to reflect the local school focus. Programs are offered to students in K to Grade 8, from July 5 – 30, 2021. Registration is online. In-person and virtual (online) classes available. Most classes run for 3 hours from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Please note: The TDSB takes direction from the Ministry of Education and Toronto Public Health related to COVID-19 protocols. We will continue to keep you informed if any direction changes that impacts our programming. All established health and safety precautions will continue through the summer. Click here for a list of participating summer schools https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Innovation/Elementary-Summer-School. To fill out an application for in-person or virtual learning, please click on the registration form link.
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Policy Consultations
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. Please see revised the Policy Review Schedule.
New Consultations
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Download the COVID ALERT APPTogether, let's limit the spread of COVID-19. COVID Alert is an additional tool to protect yourself and your loved ones. COVID Alert helps us break the cycle of infection. The app can let other app users know of possible exposures before any symptoms appear. That way, we can take care of ourselves and protect our communities. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/covid-alert.html. Please note, unfortunately, the app is only available on certain phones/operating systems.
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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.
The last day of class for elementary students is June 29
Secondary Quadmester Calendar
- Quad 3: Feb 8 - April 22
- Quad 4: April 23 - June 28
Note: Passover 2021 ends in the evening of Sunday, April 4. Ramadan 2021 will begin in the evening of Monday, April 12 and ends in the evening of Wednesday, May 12.
PA Days & Holidays Remaining
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April (formerly March) Break
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