Aug 25, 2024 - First Update of 2024-25

I hope you are having a good break. One week to go!

While schools have been closed to students, I have appreciated the efforts of all central staff who worked over the summer keeping the system running and all caretaking and facilities staff for all you have done in preparing schools for students this coming year. 

Welcome back and welcome to new staff recently promoted and to staff transferring into Ward 8 schools… I hope you will enjoy your time supporting students, staff and community in your new school.

Secondary school offices opened this past week and tomorrow elementary school offices will open. Thank you to all the office staff and administration following up on emails and messages received over the summer. Please be patient if you are waiting for a call back! Thank you to all the teachers and education workers who will also come in this week to prepare classrooms as they get ready to welcome students and families to the 2024-25 school year.

You should be receiving my "Back to School" letter in the next few weeks directly from your schools - it is already posted on my website should you wish to read it now!

First day of school for students, Tuesday, September 3, 2024. 

Back to school can be an exciting, and yet challenging time for students - 1 in 5 kids in Ontario are affected by mental health issues. Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) has an article worth reading in full, but here are the 6 tips:

To support the 2024-2028 Multi-Year Strategic Plan, a new system organization, Learning Centre model, and new Family of Schools configuration will be implemented for the 2024-2025 school year. The concept of a Family of Schools refers to an organizational structure within a school district where schools are grouped based on specific criteria such as geographical proximity, ward, grade levels, and elementary to secondary attendance patterns. According to senior leadership, this approach is designed to foster deeper collaboration, create a more cohesive educational environment, where best practices are shared, streamline resources, and enhance school community connections for students and staff.

The new organization consists of two Learning Centres (LC) and 22 Families of Schools (FOS) and will be supported by a Senior Team structure, which provides coherent instructional leadership required to have an intentional focus on each student’s achievement, belonging, thriving and revitalizing our school environments and system practices.

The ward I represent, Ward 8 - Eglinton-Lawrence and Toronto-St Paul's - is in LC 1 and is part of 4 different FOS – our schools will be supported by Superintendents Cassandra Alviani-Alvarez in FOS 6, Alison Gaymes San Vicente in FOS 7, John Currie in FOS 8 and Jennifer Chan in FOS 10. In addition, Peter Chang will be supporting Yorkdale. Click on the FOS links to see what other schools are in your FOS. Click https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Find-your/School/By-School-Name to find out more details about your school.

The Toronto Student Transportation Group (TSTG) would like to provide an update on student transportation for September 2024. Currently, all companies have reported a sufficient number of drivers and spare drivers to start the new school year. The TSTG will once again be implementing a phased-in start for the 2024-25 school year.

For more information, click https://www.tdsb.on.ca/EarlyYears/Kindergarten/Transportation

The student transportation portal is now open - https://busplannerweb.torontoschoolbus.org/. If you have children on transportation please log in and confirm their transportation details. If any changes are needed, please contact your local school early next week so they can forward us the new details. Should there be any questions or concerns, please reach out at any time.

The Toronto District School Board is committed to developing opportunities for our wider school community to connect and engage in conversations about education issues. Meetings will be broadcasted live to the public. Click here at the start time to view - https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Leadership/Boardroom/Live-Webcast-of-Meetings.

To submit a delegation request (written for the Trustees to read or oral to present to Trustees) for a Board Committee (delegations are not accepted for Board meetings), please see 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. 

Full Agenda and Reports for meetings are available here - click on the appropriate meeting https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Leadership/Boardroom/Agenda-Minutes

Monday, August 26 – Special Meeting - Finance, Budget & Enrolment Committee - 4:30pm - Boardroom, 5050 Yonge St - Agenda

Wednesday, August 28 – Regular Board Meeting – Public Session 7:00pm - Boardroom, 5050 Yonge St - Agenda

Please note that Trustees Chernos Lin and Lulka Rotman moved a Business Arising motion on my behalf at the Program & School Services Committee on June 18. It passed unanimously at PSSC and the recommendations were to come to the board meeting for approval on June 19. Unfortunately, the meeting ended before this item could be discussed.

The Motion titled Requesting Support to Deal With Incidents of Hate and Geopolitical Tensions is on this Wednesday's Agenda and I look forward to discussing it with my colleagues and asking for their support. It is an important ask of government and  includes a number of requests of the Minister of Education to support all boards to support all students:

The TDSB is currently revising its Code of Conduct to reflect new guidelines from the Ministry of Education about cell phone/mobile device use in schools as per PPM128: The Provincial Code of Conduct and School Boards Codes of Conduct. 

In actual fact, the TDSB was developing a Cell Phone/Mobile Device Use in Schools Policy, which will play a critical role in supporting student success, belonging, and well-being prior to government direction. To learn more about the policy development and consultation, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/mobiledevicepolicy.

For additional details, click https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Elementary-School/Cell-Phone-Mobile-Device-Use.

Below is a summary of the province's requirements for cell phone/mobile device use, effective September 1, 2024:

We know the difference air quality makes to student and staff health and wellness and TDSB staff are continuing to review and monitor and amend instructions for schools.

Regardless of the ventilation system(s) in use at a school, all TDSB classrooms have been equipped with medical-grade, fan-powered HEPA filtration units. HEPA filters are clinically proven to reduce the spread of airborne infections in health care facilities by removing viruses, bacteria and allergens as small as 0.3 microns from the air. The use of HEPA filtration units, in combination with improved ventilation strategies and existing health and safety protocols, work together to reduce the risk of airborne contaminants such as respiratory viruses and smoke particles, and support a safer environment for staff and students.

HEPA units will remain in schools for the 2024/2025 school year. School administrators and Caretaking staff have been provided with guidelines regarding the care and use of the HEPA units, as well as the process to report and replace any non-functioning units. Units have been inspected over the summer months and filters were replaced as per manufacturer's guidelines.

Next week, the website will be updated with additional information - see ventilation in TDSB schools https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Facility-Services/Ventilation.

The Hodgson project team would like to provide the school community with the following update on progress of the addition and renovation project currently underway at Hodgson Middle School.

The overall project is progressing well and remains on track for completion in the summer of 2026 with the newly renovated and expanded school welcoming students for the 2026-27 school year (September of 2026.) Please speak to Principal Bozzo should you have any questions or concerns. Read the full report here - https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Facility-Services/CapitalProjects/Hodgson-Middle-School

Below, please find a chart indicating the status of projects that were scheduled over the summer - many are near completion. Sincerely appreciate the dedicated work of Facilities to get as much as possible done over the summer. Should you have any questions or concerns, please speak with your Principal.

In a media conference on August 1, 2024, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw spoke to the latest Toronto Police Service report on hate crimes in Toronto. "In the last 10 months, police have attended 1,556 suspected hate crime calls for service which is an average of 156 calls monthly. Last month, they attended 171 hate crime calls...Anti-Semitism accounts for more reported hate crimes than any other category. Of the 273 hate crimes so far this year, 45 per cent were anti-Semitic. The most common charges are mischief, assault and uttering threats. Hate crime occurrences are up 55 per cent over the same period last year."

The TDSB collects data through our Racism, Bias and Hate (RBH) Portal, and the increase in antisemitic incidents is also being experienced in our schools - on my website I have excerpted from all our public reports on the data - TDSB Public Reports with RBH Portal Data 2018-2023. Principals and Superintendents are being reminded of their responsibilities in documenting incidents and educating against them. All students and staff - all students and staff - must be safe in our schools and free from discrimination, harassment and hate. 

You can read more on TDSB's Combating Hate and Racism Strategy on our website. It is important that there is accurate information about Board updates and decisions as they relate to combating hate and racism. Questions and Answers have been prepared to provide additional information - should you have any additional questions, please email me. 

If you are a staff or a student or a parent/caregiver, and you are a victim of/or witnessing an incident of racism, bias, or hate in our schools, please report it to the school's principal, who has a duty to investigate all incidents. Each time an incident takes place in a school, it is to be recorded in the portal I previously referenced which then begins a system response. We have a responsibility to educate against hate. For more information, please visit the webpage for Reporting an Incident of Hate or Discrimination Involving or Impacting Students. If you experience it, or witness it, report it. Please. If you are concerned your complaint is not being taken seriously after you follow the Parent Concern Protocol, please let me know.

Complaints regarding social media postings should be sent directly to the TDSB's Human Rights Office at humanrightsoffice@tdsb.on.ca. The intake process is being centralized in the Human Rights Office to ensure for consistency of process.

If you witness something inside the community, report any allegations of hate-motivated crimes to police for investigation at 416-808-2222 or 9-1-1 in an emergency. The Police state they will not tolerate any intimidation, harassment, or hate-motivated behaviour aimed at specific communities. You can also call 1-800-222-TIPS to Crime Stoppers anonymously.

Please remember TDSB's Mental Health and Well Being Professional Support Staff (PSS) are here to support your mental health and well-being and to help you navigate the tools and resources you may need. Please see resources on their website.

Please ensure you check for Days of Significance before scheduling student and community events - as the TDSB is currently reviewing ours - for 2024-25, the TDSB will only publish a Faith/Creed-Based Holy Days Calendar and an Indigenous Days of Significance Calendar. For now, please check the Multi-Faith calendar available online https://multifaithcalendar.org/cal/index.php.

Save the date for the 2024-2025 Virtual Parents and Caregivers as Partners Conference (PCasP) taking place on Saturday, November 16, 2024! 

This year's theme is: "Journey to Joy, Wellness, and Wholeness."

Join us to explore Equity and Truth and Reconciliation, break down barriers, and build inclusive communities. Learn from experts and discover how every student, parent/guardian/caregiver can experience joy, wellness, and wholeness in education. Registration details will follow soon.

We are inviting you to submit proposals for virtual workshops, micro-sessions, and panel presentations. The PCasP will run from 10:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.  We are welcoming submissions from school districts, universities, schools, School Councils, administrators, educators, community organizations, researchers, and parents/guardians/caregivers.

To apply as a presenter, please complete the application form no later than, October 1, 2024.

Learn4Life!

Registration for Learn4Life's Fall 2024 term is NOW OPEN! Hundreds of courses available in categories like art, crafts, dance, fitness, food, languages, music, self development and more. Try something new this fall!

Register now ▶ http://learn4life.ca

Please Note - A minimum number of registrants is required to open a class. The Toronto District School Board has the right to make the final decision to open or close a class or to revise the fee structure.

The Toronto Police Service Board (Board) invites you to participate in a consultation on a new Board policy on protests

Ontario Regulation 392/23: Adequate and Effective Policing (General) made under the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 (Act), requires, among other things, that police service boards establish a policy on police action in respect of protests, demonstrations and occupations.

The policing of protests, demonstrations and occupations poses a complex and delicate challenge, as the Toronto Police Service (Service) is required to respect the constitutional rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly of all people, while also ensuring community safety and preserving the peace. Due to the unique complexity and considerable public interest in this matter, the Board is seeking the public’s input on the overriding principles and key elements that should be a part of this policy. Submissions are due by August 30th. Click here for more information and to submit https://tpsb.ca/public-order-policy.

TDSB Backpacks & School Supplies Drive

We know that backpacks and school supplies can be expensive and represent a difficult purchase for some students and families. I encourage you to participate in TDSB’s Backpack & School Supplies Drive. 

The drive will run until the end of September. We are accepting donations of new products, including backpacks (gender neutral coloured with no commercial logos preferred), lunch bags, crayons, calculators, notebooks and basic school supplies. If you are interested in supporting this great cause, please complete an online donation form. Contact BusinessDevelopment@tdsb.on.ca.

Model Parliament for High School Students

The High School Model Parliament program at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is designed for civic-minded Ontario students in grades 10 to 12, who are interested in current events and provincial issues. This unique experience brings together students from across the province for a three-day Model Parliament Program in Toronto.

Students will have the opportunity to play the role of a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) and learn how parliament works through a series of workshops and presentations. They will meet key figures in Ontario’s Parliament as they forge new friendships with like-minded students. Applications will be accepted from August 7 to October 6, 2024.

The upcoming Model Parliament dates are February 19 to February 21, 2025 (onsite in Toronto). The virtual component of the program starts in November 2024. The first mandatory virtual meeting will take place on November 7, 2024.

For more information, click on https://www.ola.org/en/visit-learn/programs/model-parliament-high-school-students.

Dogs on school properties have been an ongoing challenge for many years despite the “no dogs permitted” signage. TDSB school grounds are private property and dogs are not permitted on school board property. Section 6.10 in PR523, Access to School Premises prohibits canines on TDSB properties at any time (except service animals).  

There have been examples of dog owners taking their dogs off leash or even leaving their dogs unattended in a school yard, or within the kindergarten or childcare enclosures. There have been incidents of off-leash dogs chasing as well as biting students, members of the public and staff. 

Dog feces and disposal bags are frequently left on the school grounds impacting the student use and enjoyment of outdoor activities. 

The City of Toronto also has rules for dog owners. Please click here https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/animals-pets/pets-in-the-city/dogs-in-the-city/responsible-dog-ownership/.

Please contact 311 if you see dogs in school grounds so they can log the concerns and please also call TDSB’s 24-hour Call Centre at 416-395-4620. Tracking the concerns will allow us to build the case for increased surveillance.

If you should you ever see any suspicious activity around school buildings after school hours, please contact 311, Toronto Police Services Dispatch at 416-808-2222, or the TDSB’s 24-hour Call Centre at 416-395-4620.

If you or a family member is in crisis, please contact Kids Help Phone:1-800-668-6868 or get support right now by texting CONNECT to 686868.

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