Trustee Update

April 2023

Dear parents/guardians/caregivers,

April has been a busy month at the TDSB! Read on for my update on Ward Forums, Budget, Heritage Months, Community News and more!

As TDSB approaches the end of its current strategic plan, we are launching the Multi-year Strategic Plan Renewal.

The strategic plan is the long-term vision for the TDSB, establishing clear priorities that will guide Trustees and system and school leaders over the next four years. The goal is to develop a four-year roadmap, driven by student-centered needs and goals that are equity-informed and evidence-based.

The most important contributor to the strategic planning process is the voice of the TDSB school community. Throughout the next few months, TDSB will be asking students, parents/guardians/caregivers, staff, and community members to reflect on the current strategic priorities and goals and contribute to renewing the MYSP.

All members of the TDSB school community are invited to Have Your Say! 

I will be co-hosting a MYSP Virtual Ward Forum on Apr 27, 7-9 PM for parents/caregivers and community members within Ward 9 (with Ward 7 and Ward 10).

We also encourage you to take advantage of the other opportunities to contribute to the conversation. Learn about other opportunities to contribute to the conversation: MYSP Renewal Website.

As communities continue to grow and intensify, accommodation pressures continue to emerge at local public schools when faced with increasing enrolment.

Please join me and Trustee Shelley Laskin (Ward 8) for a virtual Ward Forum on Tuesday, May 16, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm.

Information on updated enrolment and demographic information and the impact of residential intensification on local schools will be shared. Staff will speak to how the studies in the Board's Long-Term Program and Accommodation Strategy and Secondary School Review will mitigate these challenges and trustees will speak to our advocacy with the provincial government to address our capital needs. With special guests Andrew Gowdy System Planning Officer and Daniel Castaldo, Senior Manager, Planning.

Opportunities for Discussion and Feedback - Attend from Wherever You Are!

On March 22, 2023, TDSB Chair Rachel Chernos Lin and Director of Education Colleen Russell-Rawlins issued a joint letter to the Minister of Education requesting that the government reimburse the Board for pandemic costs.

During the pandemic, all available resources were put toward keeping students, staff and the community safe. The TDSB spent more than $70 million on measures like smaller class sizes that were not funded by the Ministry of Education. As the TDSB faces an operating deficit of more than $60 million for next year, it is clear that pandemic-related costs should be fully reimbursed by the province so that cuts impacting students are not required.

In addition, the letter also outlines the Board’s concerns regarding the pandemic funding that the Ministry plans to end for 2023-24. This funding of $31.5 million allowed TDSB to put an additional 485 staff resources into the system. This included teachers, social workers, child and youth workers, caretaking and vice-principals, among other categories, and we are worried about the ramifications to student well-being with the reduction of this funding. Cutting this funding now seems reckless and harmful to students. Read more in the joint letter to the Minister of Education issued by the TDSB Chair and Director.

I will have lots more to say on Budget in the coming weeks when we receive more information on the Grant For Student Needs (GSN); our primary source of funding from the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Share your voice! The TDSB Student Census is a confidential and voluntary survey that asks our students important questions about their school experiences and identities including participation in school activities, safety, well-being, mental health, outdoor learning, etc. It is an opportunity for students to share their voice and provide valuable information to help us improve our schools and system. We are asking all parents/guardians/caregivers and/or students to consider filling out a census survey online. Detailed information about the Student Census and consent process was shared directly with parents/guardians via email during the week of March 27. For more information, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/census and read the Student Census Questions and Answers.

The TDSB’s Student Equity Collective, a student-led group created by the Director of Education, which addresses injustices, racism and hate in our school communities is launching its first board-wide initiative ‒ Speak Up: Show Us How You Combat Hate and Racism! Students were invited to submit a two-minute video to share what they’ve accomplished together to make their schools more inclusive for everyone. This initiative is focussed on students from Grade 7 to 12, but a group or class in any grade may submit a video. This is an opportunity for students  to showcase how they’re addressing racism and discrimination in their own unique ways at their schools. For more details visit the Speak Up: Show Us How You Combat Hate and Racism webpage.

Looking to build your child’s literacy and numeracy skills? Elementary Summer School registration is now open! The focus of the 2023 Elementary Literacy and Numeracy Summer School Program is to continue student engagement through the month of July. Programs, which are developed by the local summer school principal to reflect the local school focus, are offered in-person to students in Kindergarten to Grade 8, from July 4 to July 28, 2023, in various locations around the city. This year, one remote program will also be available.

For more information, including a list of schools and online registration forms, visit our summer school program webpage. 

Hispanic Heritage Month is recognized in the month of April. 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.

April is Latin-America History Month at the TDSB! During the month of April, several activities are planned for students, staff, and community members. We invite everyone to join us to kick-off Latin-America History Month with a virtual launch. This year the theme to mark Latin-America History Month is (Decolonizing) Latin-America History Month & Beyond: Honouring & Uplifting the Real Hxstories and Multiplicities of Our Identities. 

We are celebrating Sikh Heritage Month! We are inviting all TDSB community, students, and staff to join our virtual Sikh Heritage Month launch to recognize the contributions of Sikh Canadians. This year the Sikh Heritage Month theme is Kes. Kes is one of the five Kahaars, indicators that Sikh individuals must acknowledge as part of their faith. The five Kakaars are five sacred articles of faith prescribed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. 

Here at the TDSB, we are always open to hearing your questions and concerns, and make every effort to address them as quickly as possible. Your child's classroom teacher is the first point of contact, followed by the school's principal, the school superintendent, and me, your Trustee! For more information, visit Steps to Address Your Questions and Concerns.

It was my pleasure to attend the annual Wadsworth Park Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 8^th. Volunteers distributed 7000 chocolate eggs and 400 people attended. What a success!

The Rawlinson Community School Annual Fun Fair will be held on Saturday June 10^th. All community members are invited to join in on the fun!

Earlier this month, I met with constituents and Councillor Matlow and Councillor Bravo’s office to discuss street safety in Oakwood Village and Vaughan Road. Thanks to the advocacy of a great group of neighbours, this area is being considered for the Neighbourhood Streets Plans Program. Neighbourhood Streets Plans (NSPs) are a new service for neighbourhoods where travel choices or traffic patterns challenge the safety and mobility of people using the streets. Through the planning process, a team of City staff will work with communities to identify local issues and opportunities, prioritize the greatest needs, and recommend changes to traffic operations and street designs. I am looking forward to working with Councillor Bravo’s and Councillor Matlow’s offices to make progress on this in the near future. Please keep an eye out for upcoming community meetings (TBA).

Do you have a free local event geared to families, or a good news story you’d like to share? Please email me at alexis.dawson@tdsb.on.ca and I’ll be sure to include it in my future newsletters (hint hint – it’s fun fair season!!)

The next Regular Board Meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. For a list of upcoming meetings, please click on the calendar at www.tdsb.on.ca.

Please join me at the grand opening of our Community Office, this Saturday, April 15^th from 12-2pm at 1240 Bloor St West.

I invite you to sign up for my newsletter at ausmamalik.ca and you can reach me and my team anytime at councillor_malik@toronto.ca or 416-392-4044. Let’s stay connected!

The MPP for Davenport is Marit Stiles and the MPP for Spadina-Fort York is Chris Glover.

Their offices can help with:

Join the conversations happening on TDSB's social media communities. You'll find the most up-to-date information about us on our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.