email : Webview : April 2019 Newsletter

Trustees approved the Budget Strategic Drivers

On Wednesday April 17^th, 2019 the TDSB Board of Trustees approved the Budget Strategic Drivers that will be used throughout the 2019/2020 budget process. A total of 15,250 people responded to the TDSB online survey. Parents/caregivers made up 53% of the respondents, students actually accounted for 3%. We asked respondents to indicated their level of importance for each of the drivers. Below is a listing indicating the levels of high importance;

Early Years – 75%
Student success – 75%
Differentiated approaches to serve our students – 74%
Staff allocation to support all students – 74%
Modernization and accessibility – 65%
Professional development – 62%
Parent engagement and student voice – 55%
Indigenous education – 54%

The research report summarizes the qualitative input under three themes which are listed below. Within each theme, there is an analysis of input that touches on the original eight drivers.

Theme One: Equity and Inclusion for Student Success and Wellbeing

Differentiated Approaches to Serve our Students – includes Special Education

Indigenous Education

Theme Two: Transforming Student Learning

Early Years

Student Success

Modernization and Accessibility

Professional Development

Theme Three: Engagement and Allocation of Resources

Parent Engagement and Student Voice

Staff Allocation to Support all Students

The Trustees and TDSB Senior Staff wish to thank all who participated in the survey process or attended the Public Ward Consultations. We used the data to assist us finalize the priorities that will guide this difficult budget process.

World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd

April 2nd was World Autism Awareness Day. I joined with TDSB staff as Chair Robin Pilkey and Director Dr. John Malloy spoke at the TDSB flag raising ceremony. Director Malloy challenged all of us to ignore the stereo types and treat each student individually, accepting each student's talents while working to improve upon those skills not yet mastered. While we recognize that there is much work to be done, we also embrace this opportunity to work with each student and their family as we all collaborate to help every student reach their considerable potential.

Protest Rally

I attended my first protest rally Saturday April 2, 2019. It was an honour to stand with 16 of my Trustee colleagues and both TDSB Student Trustees and ask the Provincial Government to reconsider their recently announced cuts to education, particularly the dramatic reduction of teachers in the Secondary School panel. It was a very powerful experience to stand with tens of thousands of people, all advocating on behalf of a quality public education.

Sikh Heritage Month

On April 4, 2019 it was an honour to join my fellow Trustees, Harpreet Gill and Chris Moise at North Albion Collegiate Institute for the opening ceremonies recognizing Sikh Heritage month in the TDSB. A number of neighbouring elementary schools attended the lively event which celebrated the extensive contributions of the Sikh Canadian Community.

Silverthorn CI Annual Sounds of Toronto Concert

I must admit that the biggest perk of my position is that I get invited to watch our TDSB students display their considerable talents. April 4^th was such an occasion; it was my distinct pleasure to at attend the Annual Sounds of Toronto Concert at Roy Thomson Hall. The highlight of the night for me was the performance of Bohemian Rhapsody by the combined acappela choir, congratulations to Ms. Schizas and her students from Silverthorn Collegiate Institute.

ECI Leadership Summit

April 5^th, 2019 was a special day at Etobicoke Collegiate Institute. The leadership council combined with students from Richview Collegiate Institute to host the first ECI Leadership Summit. The day was dedicated to “21^st Century Barriers in Health and Physical Education”. Students from seven secondary schools attended. The guest speaker was the Unstoppable Tracy Schmitt. Following her moving presentation, the students attended various workshops intended to recognize and deconstruct the many gender, physical, and cultural barriers that currently exist in the TDSB. The students were gracious enough to invite me to participate in some of the discussions and I know that I left ECI with a greater appreciation and understanding of some of the issues. Congratulations to all the organizers! I’m already looking forward to the 2020 Summit.

Pink Day Celebrations

Queen Alexandra Middle School was a special place to be on April 10^th. They were the proud hosts for the 2019 TDSB Pink Day Celebrations; the entire school was decorated in pink with messages of support throughout the building. There were many engaging speeches from Mayor John Tory, inspirational speaker/Olympian Mark Tewksbury, TDSB Director John Malloy, Trustees Robin Pilkey and Jennifer Story. All spoke about the need to stop and prevent bullying, the need for greater inclusion and the need to eliminate discrimination of any kind. Mark Tewksbury explained that events like this did not take place when he was struggling in his middle school days and how proud of the students he was for their support and awareness. But I must be honest with you; it was the students who stole the show! The dramatic poems and presentations were amazing, the themes of “You are not alone” and “See something, say something” were very memorable. The world has changed and continues to change, but there is still much work to be done. It is incredibly reassuring that our students are up to the challenge!

FIRST Robotics Competition

The most exciting experience I’ve had as a Trustee was on April 12, 2019 when I attended the FIRST Robotics Competition in Mississauga. The competition was extremely compelling; these students are given six weeks to construct their robot to perform specific tasks on a unique course. The team from Martingrove Collegiate Institute proudly showed me their robot and explained the various strategies that applied during the 150 second round. The characters in the “Big Bang Theory” are definitely no longer as impressive, brilliance is alive and well in the TDSB.

Relay for Life at Martingrove CI

Martingrove Collegiate is having its 2019 Relay for Life on April 26, 2019 from 10:00am until 7:00pm. All proceeds from the Relay will go to support the Canadian Cancer Society. If you want to help make the students and staffs make a difference you can make a donation at the link listed below.

Relay for Life at Martingrove CI

Hispanic Heritage Month:

Latin American Scholarship Foundation is an organization that is working on raising funds to grant scholarships to Canadian students of Hispanic Origin who have demonstrated academic excellence.

The TDSB celebrates April as Hispanic Heritage month, to celebrate the culture and traditions of thousands of students whose families immigrated to Canada looking for better opportunities. Many of these students are unable to continue their post-secondary education due to financial constraints. Latin American Scholarship Foundation will be granting a total of $15,000 in scholarships. The following information will be posted on BD SharePoint website:

Latin American Scholarship Foundation is awarding two (2) scholarships to students who identify as being of Hispanic origin;
Students must be graduating in June be Canadian residents;
Submit a 200-word essay; and
Have an average of 80% for the Academic scholarship, or community involvement for the Community Work scholarship.
Find more info online at https://latinscholarship.ca/the-scholarships

Relay For Life 2019 - We need your help Silverthorn

Silverthorn Collegiate Institute is also having an event in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. On May 3rd from 10:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Silverthorn will again host the Relay for Life. This is an extremely successful event each year; to date they have raised almost a quarter of a million dollars. If you are interested in making a monetary donation please use the link below.

www.relayforlife.ca/silverthorn

TDSB Open Data Webpage Provides Transparency to its School Communities

To ensure transparency with its parents, students and communities, the Toronto District School Board has posted its Open Data Webpage on the TDSB public website. The page provides context for why it is posting data for the public to view, a link to the TDSB Open Data Policy, and a list with links to the various types of data already available for public view, including the Director’s Employment Contract, Facilities Condition Index, Renewal Needs Backlog, and Health and Safety Workplace Inspection Reports. Open Data is an ongoing commitment and process. On a regular basis, departments of the Board will be asked to review their data for potential reporting under the TDSB Open Data Policy

Chair Writes Letter to the Minister, re: Reduction of Teaching Positions and Funding

Robin Pilkey, Chair of the Board, wrote to the Minister of Education Lisa Thompson to express the Board's deep concerns with the Ministry's announcement on Friday, March 15, regarding funding reductions and increased class sizes. The full letter is available below.

Chair's Letter to the Minister

Excellence Awards

Do you know a TDSB staff member who goes above and beyond to support our students? Now is the time to honour that outstanding individual with an Excellence Award Nomination. Deadline is April 26, 2019.

Policy Consultations

The TDSB is currently looking for public input on the Caring and Safe Schools Policy (P051). To learn more, including how you can participate, please visit the TDSB webpage for Policy Consultations. Your input is welcomed and appreciated.

Continuing Education – Summer Music Camps

Add to your child’s summer vacation with music camp. Through three unique programs – Summer Sounds, DownTown Summer Strings and Toronto Summer Music Camps – the TDSB offers band, strings and orchestral experiences for students from Grades 3-9. Registration is open now.

For more information please visit http://www.tdsbsummercamps.ca .

Follow the TDSB

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.

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