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Week of November 1, 2015

November is Aboriginal Education Month

November is Aboriginal Education Month across the TDSB. This month encompasses several significant dates for Aboriginal peoples, including honouring Aboriginal veterans for Remembrance Day (November 11) and Louis Riel Day (November 16). The goal is to increase knowledge and understanding of contemporary Aboriginal realities, and to honour the cultures, histories and experiences, as well as the achievements of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada.

For more information, visit the TDSB’s Aboriginal Education page

Labour Negotiations Update (from the TDSB website)

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

Take Our Kids to Work Day

The TDSB is supporting Take Our Kids to Work Day on Wednesday, November 4. This is the day when Grade 9 students across Ontario will be accompanying a parent, relative or friend to the workplace.

The initiative gives students an opportunity to view the work that adults do and gain an understanding and appreciation for the challenges people face daily and the accomplishments that are achieved. This opportunity helps students think about the choices they will have to make and the path they must follow to meet their future career goals. Thanks to everyone participating!

Mental Health & Well-Being Belongs to Us

The TDSB is actively working to improve the mental health and well-being of our students. The World Health Organization defines mental health as a "state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community." (World Health Organization). This is the ideal toward which we strive.

Mental Health & Well Being Newsletters are now on the TDSB public webpage.You can find them by clicking the following l ink. Other valuable TDSB Mental Health and Well-Being information is at www.tdsb.on.ca/mentalhealth.

EcoFair at the Barns - Sunday November 8th, 12 – 4pm Artscape Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie Street

The 7th annual EcoFair at the Barns is a free, fun, family event that informs and inspires people to make greener choices in their lives, homes and communities. Come and enjoy the many ‘green’ nonprofits, eco-vendors, kids’ activities, interactive workshops as well as electric car test drives and good food. For details visit: www.ecofairtoronto.org

See ‘THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING’, a film by Avi Lewis inspired by Naomi Klein’s book of the same name. Free admission. Shows are at 11am and 4pm.

For tickets visit: EcoFairToronto.Eventbrite.ca.

Summary of Key TDSB Decisions - Regular Meeting October 28, 2015

Amended Licence Agreement for Artificial Outdoor Ice Rink Between the City of Toronto and the Toronto District School Board at Hodgson Senior Public School - The Board decided that that the existing license agreement with the city of Toronto to operate an artificial outdoor ice rink facility at Hodgson Senior Public school be amended to accommodate community access during the school day

Trustee Vacancy in Ward 21 (Scarborough-Rouge River) - The Board decided that the City Clerk be advised that pursuant to section 221(2) of the Education Act, the Toronto District School Board requires that an election be held to fill the vacancy created in the Toronto District School Board Ward 21 (Scarborough-Rouge River.

Toronto Lands Corporation: Bannockburn: Update on Disposition - The Board postponed consideration of the following to February 2016 to allow the Toronto Lands Corporation the opportunity to negotiate with the City of Toronto and the Toronto Catholic District School Board and to engage in com-munity consultation.

Procedure for the Election of TDSB Parent/Guardian Representatives and Alternates on the Parent Involvement Advisory Committee - The Board approved procedures and guidelines.

Placement of Students in Secondary Gifted Intensive Support Programs - The Board decided that the placement of students with a gifted exceptionality in secondary gifted intensive support programs be based on home address and be determined through an IPRC review process; that students currently in existing 2015-16 secondary gifted intensive support programs be unaf-fected and remain in their current school until graduation or withdrawal from the program; and that the new placement process begin in 2015-16 school year, in time for the September 2016-17 school year. For the proposed map click here.

De-streaming at the Grade 9 Level - The Board decided the Director present a report to the Program and School Services Committee on the recommendations made in the report, Sifting, Sorting and Selecting: A collaborative inquiry on alterna-tives to streaming in the TDSB, including funding.

Expansion of Focus on Youth Into an After-School Job Program - The Board decided that the Director present a report at the next meeting of the Program and School Services Committee on expanding the Focus on Youth program to include an after-school jobs program.

Proposal for Mandarin and English Bilingual Education - The Board decided that the Chair send a letter to the Ministry of Education to request that the Toronto District School Board be permitted to start a Mandarin-English bilingual program.

Establishment of a Documents for Access, Transparency and Accountability Workgroup -The Board decided that a workgroup be established in order to begin a process that would have data published to the Board’s web site unless it was deemed to be private; that the data be consolidated online in a way that is easily accessed by the public; and that the Director present a report on the establishment of a comprehensive open data policy, similar in nature to the Ontario Government, the Federal Government and other bodies, which would lead to improvements in the Board’s freedom of information process.

City of Toronto, Poverty Reduction Strategy - The Board decided that the Chair write a letter to the mayor of Toronto by Nov 1, 2015, express-ing the Board's support for the city's proposed poverty reduction strategy.

Safety in School Zones - The Board decided that the Chair write a letter to the Mayor of Toronto, City Council and Toronto Police Services to encourage the City of Toronto to investigate all options to increase safety in school zones, including but not limited to greater traffic enforcement, better signage, lighting and active speed control signs to encourage drivers to drive more cautiously and slow down.

January as Tamil Heritage Month and October as CHild Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month.

Director's Leadership Report - We have and will continue to:

champion Aboriginal Education and advance their achievements;
build a stronger foundation for early years learning & care;
execute an effective children and youth mental health & well-being strategy;
fulfill our commitment to equity & inclusive schools in curriculum, assessment and school climate;
lead internationalization and global education;
foster student creativity, leadership and ethical citizenship;
influence leadership and change through strong governance;
renew commitment to life-long learning, continuing education;
establish and implement strong talent growth and succession planning;
champion capital sustainability and reinvestment;
modernize our information technologies systems; and
implement our K-12 long term program and accommodation plans.

Fix Our Schools - Latest Information from their Website

"We are parents, students, teachers, grandparents, principals, caretakers, and voters who believe all Ontario students should attend safe, well-maintained schools that are funded as a critical part of our public infrastructure - on par with transit, roads and water "

October 28, 2015 - Ontario must fix more schools… and do it faster

Kathleen Wynne predicts progress on infrastructure in Ontario based on the federal election results. “Now that we have a federal partner with the same priority, we can do more and we can do it faster.” We want to ensure that Premier Wynne includes public school buildings on Ontario’s list of infrastructure priorities. Some of the new federal infrastructure money slated to flow to provincial coffers must go towards addressing the $15-billion of disrepair that currently exists in our province’s public schools. To this end, Fix Our Schools sent this_letter:

Please click on Fix Our Schools for more information and to support!

Note - at the PART public meeting many parents asked what they could do in order that the provice supported growth in our board with new schools and additions. I promised to share the above infomration... you can follow them on Twitter @Fix_Our_Schools.

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.

Supper with Syria - On November 29th, a few Ward 21 and area residents will be hosting Supper with Syria at Wychwood Barns in the hope of raising $70,000 to bring two Syrian families to Ward 21. or information on tickets and how to get involved, please e-mail info@supperwithsyria.org.

Holocaust Education Week Nov 2-9, 2015 The Neuberger’s annual signature event, Holocaust Education Week 2015 explores Liberation: Aftermath & Rebirth in honour of the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Join us this year.For a complete list of programs, visit holocausteducationweek.com

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. This link shows all the open houses.

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.

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.

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.

Kindness Week Fundraiser - November 16, 2015 - the movie is a 45 minute documentary titled Teaching the Life of Music about Venezuelan children who rise out of their slums by being given musical instruments and instruction. The movie is Monday, November 16th at the Cineplex Empress Walk at 7:15 (between Sheppard and Finch). See https://www.facebook.com/events/898497920235290/ for more detail. Tickets are $20. If you can't go yourself, please consider buying one and sending a student!

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