email : Webview : Laskin Update - Week of October 18, 2015

Week of October 18, 2015

Federal Election Tomorrow!

Very proud to report that over 3/4s of TDSB Schools participated in Student Vote - those results will also be announced tomorrow evening.Engaging youth in the democratic process will only make Canada stronger - as the Blue Jays have advocated - vote first and then turn on the Game!

Labour Negotiations Update

The TDSB will continue to update parents and guardians on the implications of the work-to-rule and partial withdrawal of services in our schools. For more information and updates visit www.tdsb.on.ca/labour.

Increasing Community Access to Hodgson’s Artificial Outdoor Ice Rink

At this Wednesday’s Planning and Priority’s Committee, Staff are bringing a report recommending the Board amend the existing License Agreement with the City of Toronto to Operate an Artificial Outdoor Ice Rink facility at Hodgson Senior Public School to accommodate community access during the school day when it is not required by the school. Councillor Matlow’s office contacted me requesting reconsideration and happily, staff concurred. This change would reflect the historic use of the facility prior to the Agreement of 2014 and with anticipated Board approval on October 28th, Community Use of the Outdoor Ice Rink would be permitted by the Board, during the school day, from11:30 a.m. onward on all school operating days in the 2015/2016 academic year. I am glad we could make this happen. To read the full Report click here.

Yonge-Eglinton Program Area Review

For the schools directly involved, I want to thank the representatives and the administration for your commitment to participate in the Yonge-Eglinton PART and for asking questions, making suggestions and sharing your community’s concerns. Below is a note that further explains what will be shared at the public meeting Tuesday. For those, not directly involved, I thought you also might be interested.

Due to increasing population growth in the Yonge and Eglinton area, Eglinton P.S.’s boundaries and grades are being reviewed. There may be significant changes to our school over the next couple of years and parents are encouraged to attend the first public meeting for the Yonge-Eglinton Review. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 20th at 7:00 p.m. at Hodgson Sr. PS (282 Davisville Avenue). For those unable to attend this meeting, the same presentation will occur on Tuesday, October 27th at 7:00 p.m. at Forest Hill CI (730 Eglinton Avenue West). These meetings will give parents, guardians, and community members an opportunity to review, provide feedback, and ask questions about a number of potential program and accommodation solutions that are being examined by the Program Area Review Team (PART) to cope with enrolment pressures in the Yonge-Eglinton area. The Program Area Review Team will be putting forth the following model for your feedback at these meetings:

2016

Redirecting the current shared attendance area between Eglinton Jr. PS and Northlea E & MS to Northlea E & MS
Reducing Forest Hill Jr. and Sr. PS’ Extended French grade 4 entry cohort to 1 class going forward so the program can remain at the school through to Grade 8
Re-aligning intermediate boundaries for Hodgson Sr. PS, Glenview Sr. PS, and Forest Hill Jr. & Sr. PS
Planning for the transition of programming at Hodgson Sr. PS to become a middle school with the addition of Grade 6s in 2017

2017

Changing the grade structures at Eglinton Jr. PS (JK-5 English track and Grades 4-5 Extended French), Davisville Jr. PS (JK-5 English track, no change to French Immersion program), Maurice Cody Jr. PS (JK-5 English track), and Oriole Park Jr. PS (JK-5 English track)
Changing the grade structure at Hodgson Sr. PS to Grade 6-8

2020

Assuming Davisville Jr. PS’ replacement building is complete, Grade 6 English track cohort will remain at Davisville Jr. PS from 2020 onward, feeding into Hodgson Sr. PS at Grade 7 (reversal of grade change pending space pressures at both schools at that time).

2022

Changing an attendance area boundary between Eglinton Jr. PS and Maurice Cody Jr. PS (contingent on there being space available at Maurice Cody Jr. PS and continued space pressures at Eglinton Jr. PS)

A more detailed analysis of this model (as well as materials provided at all working meetings) can be found on the TDSB website: Yonge-Eglinton Review.

A document containing answers to ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ regarding this review can also be found on the website, under ‘Helpful Information’.

The Program Area Review Team`s recommendations will be shared at a final meeting on Tuesday, November 17th at 7:00 p.m. at Hodgson Sr. PS.

Local Government Week – October 18-24, 2015

2015 marks the 6th annual celebration of Local Government Week. I look forward to going to Civics Class! Did you know that School Board trustees are the oldest form of elected representation in Ontario? Since 1807, generations of community-minded citizens have made decisions on behalf of local publicly funded schools, building the foundation of the system we have today. The Ontario Public School Boards' Association works to raise civic awareness among Ontario's students and has produced the following resources:

Optional Attendance

Students who reside within the City of Toronto have the right to attend a school which is designated to serve their residential address. The "Find Your School" section of the website identifies the designated schools for each residential address.

Students also have the opportunity to access schools outside of the school that is designated to serve their residential address by applying on optional attendance. Acceptance at these schools is subject to space availability and program suitability. The procedures, conditions and timelines relating to optional attendance are described in the Optional Attendance Policy and the Optional Attendance Operational Procedure. Each year in January, schools are classified as limited or closed to optional attendance based on the space they have available for the upcoming school year.

High School Information Nights

To help you make an informed decision when choosing a high school, TDSB schools host open houses and information nights for parents and grade 8 students each year. Open houses take place between October and January and are an opportunity to learn everything you need to know about our incredible variety of schools, programs and courses.

Forest Hill Collegiate Institute Dec 01 6:30 PM
John Polanyi Collegiate Institute Nov 26 6:30 PM
North Toronto Collegiate Institute Jan 13 7:00 PM
Northern Secondary School Jan 14 6:00 PM
Oakwood Collegiate Institute Nov 03 7:00 PM
Vaughan Road Academy Nov 18 7:00 PM
Western Technical-Commercial School Nov 17 7:00 PM Regular Program; Dec 01 7:00 PM Specialized

This link shows all the open houses.

New Invitations

ROM Youth Advisory Circle

The Royal Ontario Museum is looking to recruit 8-10 members between the ages 16-22 to help form a youth perspective at the ROM. They want to encourage youth to have a voice – TTC tokens and light supper will be provided for every meeting – the meetings will be held bi-wwkly every other Thursday from 6:00-8:00pm. If you are interested, please contact J’net Ayayqwayaksheelth at Jneta@rom.on.ca. Applications have been extended until Monday, October 26.

Town Hall – Manor Road United Church. (240 Manor Road East)

Manor Road is holding a Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, October 28th from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm to share the Church renovation plans, and to hear Councillor Matlow provide an update on the park that is being established on land formerly owned by the Church. Everyone is welcome

Worth Repeating

tdsbCARES: Refugee Crisis Appeal - This TDSB fundraising appeal will run until December 11. The federal government has announced that they will match all eligible donations made by that date (up to $100 million) and set aside each dollar in its own Syria Emergency Relief Fund. For more information or to make a donation online, please visit the TDSB website at www.tdsb.on.ca and click on the Refugee Crisis Appeal banner. With thousands of people impacted by this ongoing crisis, the need is great. With that in mind, we are asking students, staff, parents and our school communities to do what they can. No gift is too small or insignificant. Your donations are much appreciated.

Feed Tomorrow Week October 19-23, 2015 - The Toronto Foundation for Student Success (TFSS), the independent charitable organization of the Toronto District School Board, will be hosting a week of events dedicated to feeding Toronto’s hungry students and nourishing hungry minds. The City of Toronto has proclaimed October 19 - 23 the 11th annual Feed Tomorrow week, five days that will see student volunteers, educators, For more information, please visit www.tfss.ca/feed-tomorrow.

College Fair October 19 -- 5:00-9:00pm; October 20 -- 10:00am-3:00pm - All the Ontario Colleges in One Place! Meet college faculty, staff and students at the Enercare Centre (formerly Direct Energy Centre) which is at Exhibition Place in Toronto 100 Princes' Blvd.For more information, click on http://www.ocif.ca/.

French Immersion & Extended French Timelines - A reminder that the TDSB guarantees an offer of placement in the Early French Immersion or Junior Extended French program (not a specific school) to all on-time applicants. Timelines for the application process to French Immersion and Extended French programs for September 2016 are as follows:

Early French Immersion (EFI): Families must apply on-line (for a JK aged child) between November 2nd 2015 and December 3rd 2015;
Junior Extended French or Middle Immersion: Families must apply on-line (for a child currently in Grade 3) between January 4th and January 28th 2016.

For further information, please click here.

Learn more about the Toronto Ward Boundary Review at www.drawthelines.ca.

Legislative Page Program for students in Grade 7 and 8 http://discoveryportal.ontla.on.ca/en/page-program/apply-now.

People for Education – Making Connections 2015 – Saturday, November 7, 2015
Rotman School of Management, 105 St. George Street, Toronto - Special Guest. Dr Allan Sears, Professor of Social Studies Education at the University of New Brunswick, and the lead researcher for the citizenship domain in People for Education’s Measuring What Matters project. Click here for informtion and to register.

PIAC – Hold the Date – 9th Annual Parent Conference – November 14, 2015 - TDSB’s Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC) is currently organizing the 9th annual Parent Conference. This is a wonderful conference for parents – you have the ability to attend a variety of workshops that can help you understand your child’s school and the system. PIAC meetings are public – the next one is October 13 at 5050 Yonge.

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