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Happy DiwaliDiwali (also called Divali or Deepavali) is a “festival of lights” that celebrates the triumph of light over dark and good over evil, and the blessings of victory, freedom, and enlightenment. The name comes from Sanksrit dipavali, meaning “row of lights.” Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world. To all observing wishing you and your family Happy Diwali!
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TDSB Celebrates Local Government WeekFrom October 21-25, the Toronto District School Board, along with our partners at the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA), will be celebrating Local Government Week. School board trustees are the oldest form of elected representatives in Ontario. Since 1807, generations of community-minded citizens have made decisions on behalf of local, publicly-funded schools, building the foundation of our system today.
Trustees are elected by the public during municipal elections. As a Board, they work together to advocate for public education and the achievement and well-being of students and their families.
The TDSB has 22 Trustees, the largest representation in Canada, who represent the unique needs, priorities and educational requirements of their communities.
Trustees meet as a Board at least once a month during the school year, which is live-broadcasted, and attend regular standing committee meetings, to discuss and make decisions about the important work at the TDSB.
Trustees set the Board’s vision, establish policies, allocate resources and set goals that lay the foundation for driving programs and operations. They also recruit and monitor the performance of the Director of Education. Currently, the Board is focused on achieving the goals outlined in the Multi-Year Strategic Plan.
The Board also includes two Student Trustees. Each year, they are elected along with the TDSB Student Senate Executive. Student Trustees attend Board meetings and represent the voice of all students at the TDSB.
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Ward 8 Forum - Tomorrow October 29 LPCIAlthough a few days after Local Government Week, please join me at our first ward forum and engage with us... and confirm the topics for these events.
Please hold the following dates for future Ward Forums -
- November 26, 2019 - Long-Term Program & Accommodation Strategy with Dan Castaldo, Senior Manager, Planning
- February 6, 2020 - Joint Ward Forum with Ward 11, Trustee Rachel Chernos Lin with Director John Malloy
- April 28, 2020 - TBC
- June 2, 2020 - TBC
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Labour Negotiations UpdateSchool boards and unions share a commitment to public education and work together towards positive labour relations. The collective bargaining framework for the education sector features a two-tier bargaining process, involving both central and local bargaining. Learn more about the process https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Labour-Negotiations/The-Process.
The Council of Trustees' Associations (CTA) is a partnership among the following four Associations: Association des conseils scolaires des écoles publiques de l'Ontario; Association franco-ontarienne des conseils scolaires catholiques; Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association; and the Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA). OPSBA represents 31 public district school boards and public school authorities across Ontario, which together serve more than 1.3 million public elementary and secondary students. The Association advocates on behalf of the best interests and needs of the public school system in Ontario. Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) Update: October 17, 2019 ETFO is in contract negotiations with representatives of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA - representing Ontario’s public school boards, including the TDSB) and the Ontario government.
ETFO has also begun the process of taking a strike vote across the province. The federation is asking its members whether they are supportive of elementary teachers taking strike action if there is no agreement on a new contract. Voting by its members is expected to be completed by November 1, 2019. It is important to note that a strike vote of its members does not necessarily mean that job action/partial or full withdrawal of services will be taken by elementary teachers.
As was reported on October 16, 2019, ETFO has applied to the Ministry of Labour to appoint a conciliator (a third-party person to act as a mediator) to assist the parties with central negotiations. As part of the conciliation process, ETFO could choose to ask for a “no board report”. If this request is granted, it is possible that ETFO could be in a position to take strike action by the third to fourth week of November, if there is no agreement on new contracts.
Contract negotiations among ETFO and public school boards and the Ontario government are on-going.
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) Update: October 17, 2019 OSSTF is in contract negotiations with representatives of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA - representing Ontario’s public school boards, including the TDSB) and the Ontario government.
OSSTF has begun the process of taking a strike vote across the province. The federation will be asking its members whether they are supportive of the federation taking strike action if there is no agreement on a new contract. Voting by its members will be completed by November 15, 2019. It is important to note that a strike vote of its members does not necessarily mean that job action/partial or full withdrawal of services will be taken by the OSSTF. Contract negotiations among the OSSTF, public school boards and the Ontario government are on-going.
OSSTF District 12 (TDSB) Update - October 18, 2019 OSSTF District 12 (TDSB) has announced that it will take a local strike vote of its Toronto members at the same time as the federation is undertaking a province-wide strike vote. Districts 12’s rationale, as communicated on social media, was that it is holding the local vote in support of achieving members’ priorities at the local bargaining table.
Other social media, from the Toronto Star for example, refers to an internal District 12 memo to members stating that they are holding their own strike vote because local bargaining is expected to be contentious, will need a strategic starting point and they want to deliver a strong unified message to the TDSB. Please note, however that local bargaining has not even begun.
On October 6, 2019 a tentative central agreement was reached between Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) the Government of Ontario and the Council of Trustees Associations. The details of the agreement remain confidential until ratified by all parties. Ratification should be completed by November 1.
A tentative agreement on a new contract was reached with CUPE and we are hopeful that a new contract can be negotiated with ETFO, OSSTF and all other school board employee groups.
For more information, visit the OPSBA website for the latest updates on central bargaining https://www.opsba.org/advocacy-and-action/labour-relations.
The TDSB is currently bargaining locally with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). We anticipate local bargaining with the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) in the near future and with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) in the next two weeks.
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Standing Committee Meetings This Week
Governance and Policy Committee - Wednesday, October 23, 2019 4:30 p.m.
Committee Room A, 5050 Yonge Street
4. Policy Review Schedule: 2019-20 to 2022-23 School Years - It is recommended that the Policy Review Schedule for the 2019/20 – 2022/23 school years, as presented in this report, be approved.
5. Development of a Records and Information Management Policy: Phase 2 - It is recommended that the Policy Development Work Plan for the Records and Information Management Policy, as presented in this report, be approved.
6. P038,Transforming Student Learning in Literacy and Mathematics Policy: Phase 5 - Through a review of existing TDSB policies, staff identified a total of three policies with related content: the Achieving Excellence in Reading, Writing and Mathematics Policy (P038) (see Appendix A), the Literacy Foundation Policy (P003) (see Appendix B), and the Mathematics Foundation Policy (P004) (see Appendix C). As detailed in the Policy Review Work Plan, staff is recommending to merge these three similar and overlapping policies into one comprehensive policy. Revisions to the proposed new Transforming Student Learning in Literacy and Mathematics Policy
(P038) (see Appendix D) are based on Committee’s directions, alignment with the MultiYear Strategic Plan and feedback from the policy consultations. The objective of the Policy is to affirm the Board’s commitment to improve outcomes for all students and to develop and deliver strong, effective literacy and mathematics programs in all TDSB schools.
7. Student Use of Service Animals in Schools: New Policy - On September 9, 2019, the Ministry of Education issued Policy/Program Memoranda (PPM) 163 – School Board Policies on Service Animals. The PPM163 directs school boards to develop, implement, and maintain a policy on student use of service animals in schools by January 1, 2020. To ensure compliance with PPM163, staff prepared the draft Student Use of Service Animals in Schools Policy (the “Policy”) for the Committee’s consideration. The Policy (see Appendix A) will support the implementation of the Board’s obligations under the Education Act, the Accessibility for Ontarian’s with Disabilities Act (AODA), the Blind Persons’ Rights Act, the Ontario Human Rights Code, as well as other applicable laws and government policies.
8. P020, Transportation of Students Policy: Status Update - The Transportation of Students Policy (P020) is currently under review and is expected to be returned to the next Governance and Policy Committee in January, 2020 at stage 2 with a draft policy and then put forward for consultation. In the meantime, provisions need to be put in place to address the financial targets as directed by the Board of Trustees in the budget.
9. Revisions to Procedure PR596, Student Dress - The Board of Trustees most recently revised the Student Dress Policy (P042) in May of 2019. The Student Dress Procedure (PR596) has been revised to support the implementation of the Student Dress Policy (P042).
10. Revisions to Procedures PR545, Optional Attendance and PR612, Admissions to Specialized Schools and Programs - In an effort to clarify the existing procedures which outline application processes, deadlines and practices, staff undertook a review of the Optional Attendance (PR545)
and Admission to Specialized Schools and Programs (PR612) Procedures. This review resulted in aligning the revised Optional Attendance Procedure (Appendix A) and Admission to Specialized Schools and Programs Procedure (PR612) with the TDSB’s Optional Attendance (P013) and Equity (P037) Policies.
11. Revisions to Procedure PR585, Board Code of Conduct - In accordance with the PPM128, the school boards are required to update their codes of conduct with regard to the use of personal mobile devices during instructional time. Following the requirements of the PPM128, staff made corresponding revisions to the Board Code of Conduct (PR585), which were reviewed and approved by the Director’s Council on October 15, 2019. The revisions will come into effect on November 4, 2019.
12. Written Notices of Motion for Consideration
12.1 Development of a Communications Policy (Trustees Brown and Smith)
13. Written Notices of Motion
13.1 P011, Community Use of Board Facilities and P095, Restrictions on Alcohol, Drug and Tobacco Use Policy: Waiver (Trustees Brown and Tonks, on behalf of Trustee MacLean)
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Change re PR 585 re Personal Mobile DevicesAs referenced above in agenda item 11, the following bold text had been added to PR585 to meet the requirements of government direction.
Standards of Behaviour:
(a) Respect, Civility, and Responsible Citizenship
Under the Provincial Code of Conduct, all members of the school community must:
- respect the need of others to work in an environment that is conducive to learning and teaching, including by ensuring that personal mobile devices are only used during instructional time for education purposes, as directed by an educator, for health and
medical reasons and to support special education needs; and not swear at a teacher or at another person in a position of authority; - In addition cyberbulling has been added to bullying behaviours
In essence this does not change current practice within the TDSB - from the Agenda - Use of Technology - Technology is used in classrooms to engage, enhance and support student learning. The TDSB is focused on enabling more technology-based learning tools by adding wi-fi in schools to help improve student learning in the digital age. Students may choose to bring their own devices, such as smartphones and laptops, to school. This can be an important way for parents and caregivers to stay connected and engaged with their child’s learning. It is important, however, to ensure that technology is used appropriately and responsibly and does not interfere with learning. Social media can enhance learning and networking for the future when used in a positive way, but don’t forget that online behaviour matters. As part of digital literacy, students will be taught strategies to engage responsibly on social media platforms. To learn more about your school’s rules around technology, speak with your teacher or Principal. Also, read the TDSB’s Code of Online Conduct at www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Policies-Procedures-Forms/Online-Code-of-Conduct.
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2020-2021 Optional Attendance DatesElementary Schools (applying for September 2020 admission)
(a) Optional Attendance forms will be made available on the first Monday of November. Applications may be submitted to the school following release of the Optional Attendance forms, but no offers of admission can be made prior to February 17, 2020. Any offers of admission before February 17, 2020 will be considered null and void.
(b) Applications must be received by Friday, February 14, 2020.
(c) A lottery, if necessary, will be held the first week of March 2020.
(d) Parents/guardians will be informed of acceptance or non-acceptance prior to March Break, but no earlier than February 17, 2020 and no later than Friday, March 6, 2020.
(e) Parents/guardians must inform the requested school of their acceptance of the offer by Friday, March 20, 2020
(f) No student will be admitted into an elementary school through optional attendance after Friday, April 3, 2020.
Note: It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to deliver this application (no faxed or scanned copies) to the school or schools of choice.
Secondary Schools (applying for September 2020 admission)
(a) Optional Attendance forms will be made available on the first Monday of November. Applications may be submitted to the school following release of the Optional Attendance forms, but no offers of admission can be made prior to February 3, 2020. Any offers of admission before February 3, 2020 will be considered null and void.
(b) Applications must be received by Friday, January 31, 2020.
(c) A lottery, if necessary, will be held the first week in February 2020.
(d) Parents/guardians or students 18 years of age or older will be informed of acceptance or non-acceptance prior to Friday, February 14, 2020 but no earlier than February 3, 2020.
(e) Parents/guardians or students 18 years of age or older must confirm the offer of admission by completing a course selection sheet by Friday, February 28, 2020.
(f) No student will be admitted into any secondary grade levels through optional attendance after Friday, February 28, 2020.
Note: It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to deliver this application (no faxed or scanned copies) to the school or schools of choice.
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Hold the Date - Public Consultation on Optional Attendance PolicyThe Optional Attendance Policy P013 is currently being reviewed. A working draft Policy will be posted on the TDSB website for public feedback at the beginning of November for 90 days, as per the approved work plan. Four public consultation meetings will be held in November. The dates and locations are as follows:
November 14, 7 p.m. – Western Technical-Commercial School, 125 Evelyn Crescent, Cafeteria
November 20, 7 p.m. – East Education Office, 140 Borough Drive, Committee Room 3/4
November 26, 7 p.m. – C W Jefferys CI, 340 Sentinel Road, Cafeteria
November 28, 7 p.m. – John Polanyi CI, 640 Lawrence Avenue West, Cafeteria
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Update from Discussions at Committee of the Whole Last Week
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Protecting and Promoting Human Rights and Addressing Discrimination and Other Inequities
The TDSB is committed to creating, maintaining and promoting a school system that is free from discrimination and harassment, where our community – students, staff, families and community partners – feel welcome, and are included and respected.
All students, staff, parents, caregivers, and community partners should be able to move through our school system knowing that their rights will be protected. The well-being and academic success of our students and success of our system as a whole depends on this.
The TDSB has outlined Expected Practices for Understanding, Addressing and Preventing Discrimination for school administrators and staff to help ensure we fulfill our professional, moral and legal obligations to create equitable, safe, respectful, and inclusive spaces for all students, parents, and staff.
This guide was developed to help support TDSB parents and students to know their rights and responsibilities, and how we will uphold these, when dealing with incidents of discrimination and harassment in our schools. Please click here https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Equity/Addressing-Discrimination-and-Other-Inequities.
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1.1 M Tulips “1.1 Million Tulips Honouring 1.1 Million Canadians”
The Canadian Tulip Festival, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the National Capital Commission are celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands with the Liberation75 Tulip. The goal is to cover the country in 1.1 Million Liberation75 Tulips in honour of the 1.1 million Canadians who served during the Second World War.
You can purchase a Bag of 15 “Liberation75” Tulip Bulbs to help commemorate this milestone for only $15! $1 of every bag sold goes to the Royal Canadian Legion - additional proceeds will support commemoration activities through the Canadian Tulip Festival. The Liberation75 Tulip is a bright orange tulip with crown-shaped petals, early-mid blooming, hearty flower, that displays your proud support of the Canadian Armed Forces while honouring the fallen Canadians of the Liberation of the Netherlands.
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Vote Monday!
How do I register to vote?
You can register to vote online using the Voter Registration Service, or by calling 1-800-463-6868. You can also register in-person or update your personal information at your polling station on election day.
Who gets to vote?
You can vote in a federal election if you are a Canadian citizen aged 18 or older on election day while providing valid proof of identity and your address.
What is my riding?
Your riding is the geographical area represented by a member of Parliament and is where your home address is based. You can find your riding through the search options on the Elections Canada website which allow you to locate your riding through your postal code, by browsing maps and through the name of your local candidates.
Where do I vote? How do I find my polling station?
You can locate the nearest polling station in your riding on the Elections Canada website. By entering your postal code, the website will redirect you to the nearest polling station — likely a school or community centre.
How can I find out who is running in my riding?
You can find out which candidates are running in your riding on the Elections Canada website by entering your postal code and clicking on the “Who are my candidates?” option.
When do the polls open and close?
Polling stations are open for 12 hours across Canada and the timings are staggered so that results can come in at approximately the same time. In Eastern time zones, polls open at 9:30 a.m. and close at 9:30 p.m.
Do I get time off work to vote?
By law, everyone who is eligible to vote must have three consecutive hours to cast their vote on election day. If your hours of work do not allow for three consecutive hours to vote, your employer must give you time off to either leave work to vote or adjust your hours.
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High School Information NightsTo help you make an informed decision when choosing a school, TDSB schools host open houses and information nights for parents and students each year between October and January. Learn everything you need to know about our incredible variety of schools, programs and courses. Please click here for the schedule https://www.tdsb.on.ca/OpenHouse. If you have questions about a specific school or open house, please contact the school directly for more information.Please note that not all programs/schools are open to Optional Attendance if you do not live in the school's catchment area. 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 December, schools are classified as limited or closed to optional attendance based on the space they have available for the upcoming school year.
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Notice - French Programs Application DeadlineFor families interested in the Toronto District School Board's French Immersion or Extended French programs, we offer an online process at this time, we guarantee an offer of placement in the program (not a specific school) to all on-time applicants. The timelines for applying for these programs for September 2020 are:
• Applications for Early French Immersion which begins in SK (for a Junior Kindergarten aged child), must be completed online between November 4, 2019 and November 29, 2019.
• Applications for Junior Extended French which begins in Grade 4 must be completed online between January 6, 2020 and January 31, 2020. Please note that this will be the last entry class for this program as it will be transitioning out - Grade 4 Immersion Program will continue
Offers of placement within your chosen program will be made to all on-time applicants in the weeks following the close of the application window.
Please note that families with an older sibling currently in a French program are still required to complete an online application for the new student.
Please also note that transportation for French programming is currently being reviewed and there may be reduced bussing offered for all in French programming from 2020 and onward. Please note there may be uncertainty at the time of the application.
For further information about French as a Second Language programs, the application process and important dates, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/french.
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Social Networking and Online Safety
An Evening for Parents with Paul Davis - October 23, 2019 at 6:30 pm - Cedarvale Community School - 145 Ava Rd - All are welcome
Ontario College Information Fair
Oct 23 - 24, 2019 Enercare Centre The Ontario College Information Fair provides the attendees with the opportunity to learn about careers available and which college programs will best prepare them for those careers, find out about unique programs that can only be offered at Ontario colleges, hear about campus life, housing, and student services, and find out how to pay for the colleges.
2020 Prime Minister's Awards Now Open
2020 nomination packages are now available at www.pma.gc.ca. The nomination deadline is January 14, 2020 at 11:59 a.m. (Pacific time).
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School Year Calendar 2019-2020
The 2019-2020 school year at the TDSB begins on Tuesday, September 3, 2019 following the Labour Day long weekend. For more information about important dates and holidays for the upcoming school year, please refer to the 2019-20 School Year Calendar.
The official school year calendar for the Toronto District School Board runs from September 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, inclusive.- The last day of class for elementary students is June 25, 2020
- The last day of class for secondary (full year) students is June 23, 2020
- The last day of class for secondary (semestered) students is June 23, 2020
PA Days & Statutory Holidays
- Board-wide PA Day November 15, 2019
- Board-wide PA Day December 6, 2019
- Winter Break December 23, 2019 to January 3, 2020 (inclusive)
- Last day of school is December 20, 2019
- School resumes January 6, 2020
- Elementary PA Day January 17, 2020
- Secondary PA Day (Semestered Schools only) January 30, 2020
- Board-wide PA Day February 14, 2020
- Family Day February 17, 2020
- March Break March 16 to 20, 2020
- Good Friday April 10, 2020
- Easter Monday April 13, 2020
- Victoria Day May 18, 2020
- Elementary School PA Day June 5, 2020
- Secondary School PA Day (Full Year Schools only) June 24, 2020
- Secondary School PA Day June 25, 2020
- Board-wide PA Day June 26, 2020
Also please note -
- Diwali begins October 27
Hanukkah begins sunset of Sunday, December 22, 2019 and ends nightfall of Monday, December 30, 2019 - Passover begins sunset of Wednesday, April 8, 2020 and ends nightfall of Thursday, April 16, 2020
- Ramadan 2020 will begin in the evening of Thursday, April 23, 2020 and ends in the evening of Saturday, May 23, 2020 (dates may vary)
- Eid al-Fitr 2020 will begin in the evening of Saturday, May 23, 2020
EQAO
Gr. 9 Math: 1st Semester: January 13-24, 2020
Gr. 9 Math: 2nd Semester: June 2-15, 2020
OSSLT: March 31, 2020
Primary/Junior EQAO: May 19-June 1, 2020
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