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Mourning the loss of Trustee Howard Kaplan
Last Monday, Chair Pilkey and Director Malloy announced, with heavy hearts, the passing of Trustee Howard Kaplan. It was a shock for many of us - although we knew of Howard's health issues, his passing came very suddenly. In his memory, flags at the TDSB were lowered to half-staff Monday. We know all of you join us in expressing our sincere condolences to Howard’s family, friends and colleagues. Howard was first elected in 2010 as the School Trustee for Ward 5, York-Centre. From early years programming to special education, Howard was passionate about public education and was a strong believer in equity and in social justice issues. On a personal note, Howard always operated with sincerity and integrity and I will miss him dearly. We will celebrate Howard's life at our May meeting.
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TDSB Graduation Rate at All-Time High
The goal of supporting student success is demonstrated by the Board’s most recent graduation rate, which is at an all-time high of 85%. This marks a 1% increase over last year and an overall increase of 16% since 2000 when the TDSB began tracking rates.By providing targeted supports for at-risk students, re-engaging early school leavers, expanding partnership opportunities with college, university, government and community agencies, the TDSB is able to connect students with the right programs and supports to help students graduate from high school. Since the TDSB began tracking graduation rates in 2000, there has been a 16% increase (69% to 85%). FYI, the 85% graduation rate is for the 2010-2015 cohort of students. To study graduation rates, the TDSB follows a group of Grade 9 students over five years — the time it takes most Ontario students to complete high school. Many thanks to our excellent teachers and education workers, fundamental to our students' success.
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Ward Forum Report from April 14, 2016
The few parents in attendance last Thursday were treated to wonderful presentations by TDSB staff on two items of interest, expecially to our community. Richard Christie, Manager of Sustainability spoke to the core assumptions behind our program - We do not live sustainably on the planet;
- Schools have an important role in shaping a positive future by helping students learn to live more sustainably; and
- To help students learn to live sustainably, school systems must undergo significant change.
He reviewed the programs the TDSB has in place and provided us with statistics on how the changes we have made are making a difference. In the TDSB, for examplet, greenhouse gas emissions in 2014/15 decreased by another 1.54% compared to the previous year; in 2014/15, the TDSB avoided $770,000 in energy costs compared to what it would have spent if energy use had not declined; since 2000/01, electricity consumption has decreased by 91.7 million kWh and natural gas by 16.9 million cubic meters; using 2000/01 as a baseline, $14.96 million in utility costs have been avoided for 2014/15. The TDSB is on track to install 34 megawatts of solar PV on 323 schools, and upon completion, the solar PV on TDSB school rooftops will generate 42 million kWh of electricity a year, equivalent to about 15% of the Board’s current level of electricity consumption. To review the presentation deck, please click here Environmental Sustainability.
Dan Castaldo, Manager, TDSB Planning and Jeff Latto, Senior Manager, TDSB Major Capital Projects & Building Partnerships presented an update on the Long-Term Program and Accommodation Plan for Ward 11. It inclded an Update on Enrolment, Demographic Trends / Residential Development, an Overview of Completed and Planned Reviews in the LTPAS, Vertical Schools in Mixed Use Developments and the Davisville Capital Project Update. I will be discussing these issues in future updates - please click here to review the deck.
HOLD THE DATES for Future Ward Forum - June 6, 2016 - TBD
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like explored at Ward Forums, please send me an e-mail.Thanks!
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Meetings this Week at the Board
Policy Review Committee and Governance Committee Monday - PO24, Educational Programing Partnerships
- Policy Consultation Requirements
Regular Board Meeting Wednesday - for the Agenda click here- Trustee Vacancy in TDSB Ward 5 (York Centre)
- Establishment of a Black Student Achievement Advisory Committee
- Receipt of Section 45(9) Funds from the City of Toronto to Fund Improvements at West Prep
- Improving Playing Fields - Support of a Playing Field Replacement Management Plan - includes both capital priorities and a strategy for improving maintenance
- Policy Review Process and Policy Review Work Plan
- Revisiont to 076 Facility Parnterships Policy
- Professional Development for Trustees: Background and Proposed Policy
- Notice of Motion for the Establishment of a Selection Committee for a Permanent Director of Education
- Notice fo Motion for a Bylaw Amendment regarding Delegations
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Hodgson's 100th Anniversary May 13-14, 2016
Hodgson is celebrating its 100th anniversary in May 2016 and all former students and their parents, former staff and community members are welcome! As a former chair of Hodgson School Council I look forward to coming back! On Saturday, May 14, the open house is from 12 noon-5pm. Wander the halls and see what today's students are up to as well as visiting our decade rooms to catch a glimpse into the school’s illustrious past, and how it intersects with the current student body! Join us at 2pm in the gym for Showcase where past and present come together in a special live performance and you’ll hear from an eponymous Hodgson descendant, as well as some local dignitaries. The evening is a ticketed event - the Hodgson 100th Gala from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm held in the school gymnasium. For more information on how to purchase tickets click here.
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New Invitation -
SERRA Annual General Meeting - April 20 - Manor Road United Church. Doors Open at 6:30pm with Speakers at 7:00pm. For more information, click on www.southeglinton.ca
Worth Repeating...
Celebrate Jewish Heritage Month at the TDSB Tikkun Olam Social Justice Fair - May 25, 2016 - May is Jewish Heritage Month in TDSB. In 2016, the celebrations will highlight Tikkun Olam, a classical Jewish concept that has become, “synonymous with the notion of social action, good character development, and the pursuit of social justice which is integral to the Jewish paradigm and concept of our responsibility in the world.” Please see the poster for detailson how your school can participate. For more information, please contact Shari Schwartz-Maltz, Media & Issues Manager at shari.schwartz-maltz@tdsb.on.ca.
Applications for Parents Reaching Out Grants 2016-17 Now Open - Grant applications for the 2016-17 school year are now open and will be accepted until May 29, 2016. In the 2015-16 school year, the province funded more than 2,200 projects that helped identify barriers to parent engagement and found local solutions to help more parents be engaged in their children's learning. For more information, click on http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/reaching.html
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NOTE - Change of Date - Presentation by Jennifer Kolari, Wednesday, May 25, 7-8pm at Oakwood CI, 991 St Clair Av - Oakwood Collegiate invites all parents to attend a Parent Presentation by Jennifer Kolari. This presentation will show parents the importance of communication in the parent-teen relationship and is for parents and teens. Her Website is: connectedparenting.com. Light refreshments will be provided. Chilcare available if requested at youmeweee@hotmail.com.
2015-2016 is Hodgson’s 100th Anniversary year! Hold May 13-14, 2016 - Hodgson's 100th anniversary celebration is scheduled for Friday, May 13, 2016 and Saturday, May 14, 2016. There will be more information coming about this event, but we wanted to make sure that you marked the dates on your calendar. #Hodgson100th Brandon.Culakovski@tdsb.on.ca (100th Anniversary Committee Chair).
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