Keeping you engaged and informed
Keeping you engaged and informed
Ward 11 Weekly Update header
Week of October 11, 2015
HappyThanksgiving!
I hope you are enjoying the long weekend with family and friends... I know I have much to be thankful for... at this time, and always, thanks to everyone engaged in the public education system supporting students to succeed and reach their full potential... staff at all levels of the organization, parents & guardians and the community...

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. 

October is Skilled Trades & Technologies Month (from TDSB Website)
Connectivity, robots and rapid prototyping using 3-D printers are some of the technologies impacting the learning required for journeypersons, also known as skilled trades people. Electricians, carpenters and aircraft technicians are a few examples of trades requiring intensive study, which blends technology with careers and academic learning.  

In October we celebrate Skilled Trades and Technologies month and the contributions that over 300 skilled occupations make to our economy. At the TDSB, there are many ways to explore skilled trades and technologies: the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship (OYAP) program, technological education programs in 10 broad-based areas of study, the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM), STEM and dual credit programs at Toronto’s colleges. Apprenticeship is a post-secondary pathway which incorporates college study with work-integrated experience, hence the term live your learning! 



Program and School Services Committee Report - Destreatming at the Grade 9 Level
After the articles on the staff report on the potential of de-streaming at the grade 9 level, I received concerns how it would affect gifted programming and I want to clarify that The TDSB will continue to provide gited programs for students who, according to the Ministry of Education definition, have “An unusually advanced degree of general intellectual ability that requires differentiated learning experiences of a depth and breadth beyond those normally provided in the regular school program to satisfy the level of educational potential indicated.” There is no intent to undermine gifted programming. We will continue to ensure that these students are placed in the most enabling learning environment in support of their achievement and well-being. 
That said, the Program & School Services Committee wanted data to help determine how to support students in pathways that have traditionally limited opportunities ‎for success. What is clearly evident is that we have work to do with respect to supporting students who may be streamed towards certain types of programming. There is clear evidence to indicate that racialized students, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds ‎and students identified with exceptionalities other than "gifted" are far more likely to be streamed towards "applied level courses" than are their peers. Meanwhile, those same students are underrepresented in "gifted" programs. That is certainly enough cause for us to ask questions about how and why these trends occur. A part of this work is to engage in effective professional learning so that our teachers are better able to serve all of our students.  
At the same meeting, the committee approved a report to expand secondary school gifted options by adding more programs and making access to programming based on home address. The report comes to the board for approval at the October 28 meeting. 

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, TFSS supporters, politicians, and public figures raising awareness and collecting pledges to help feed Toronto’s hungry students. During this week communities across Toronto will come together in support of our children. For more information, please visit www.tfss.ca/feed-tomorrow.
  • Tuesday, October 20 – ACE Bakery Student Snack Down, 4 – 5 p.m. Rockcliffe Middle School, 400 Rockcliffe Boulevard, Toronto
  • Wednesday, October 21 – Nutrition Program Bus Tour followed by a VIP Reception, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.  St. Lawrence Market, 92 Front Street East
  • Thursday, October 22 – TTC Take Over Days, 4 – 6 p.m. St. Patrick Station
  • Wednesday, October 21 (5050 Yonge) and Thursday, October 22 (1 Civic Court) – TDSB Administrative Breakfasts 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
  • Friday, October 23rd – Wrap Up with Rice Culinary Competition, 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. President’s Choice Cooking School located at the Loblaws store at Maple Leaf Gardens

Watch the Dates - French Programs Application Deadline
For families interested in the TDSB's French Immersion or Extended French programs, we offer an online process for applying to: 
  • Early French Immersion which begins in Senior Kindergarten
  • Junior Extended French which begins in Grade 4
  • Middle Immersion which begins in Grade 4 (available in a limited number of schools)
We guarantee an offer of placement in the program (not a specific school) to all on-time applicants. Transportation is provided as per the Board's Transportation policy. Please note the timelines for applying for these programs for September 2016:  
  • Applications for Early French Immersion (for a Junior Kindergarten aged child), must be completed online between November 2 and December 3, 2015. 
  • Applications for Junior Extended French or Middle French Immersion (for a child currently in Grade 3), must be completed online between January 4 and January 28, 2016.
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: families with an older sibling currently in a French program are still required to complete an online application for the new student. Further information on French as a Second Language programs and the application process is available online at www.tdsb.on.ca/french.
 
Vote on October 19 - Why is it important to Vote (from Elections Canada)
  • The right to vote is a fundamental democratic right that is protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is the cornerstone of democracy.
  • When we vote, we choose the representatives who will make the laws and policies that govern how we live together.
  • The legitimacy of a government lies in the fact that it is elected. Low voter turnouts may call into question this democratic legitimacy.
  • While democracy involves much more than holding elections every five years, voting is a powerful way to send a message to governments and politicians. The more votes, the more powerful the message is. In other words, every vote counts.
  • Compared to other forms of political participation, voting does not require a lot of time or effort – in other words, it is one of the easiest ways to have a say in how your society is governed. 

Public Meetings for Yonge-Eglinton Program Area Review Team (PART) 
  • Tuesday, October 20 at Hodgson Sr PS, 7pm
  • Rrepeated on Tuesday, October 27 at FHCI, 7pm
  • Final Meeting on Tuesday, November 17 at Hodgson Sr PS, 7pm
Please click on the following links for information.

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.
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/.
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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