Message from Toronto Public Health
Toronto is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases in the community. During this time please continue with daily COVID-19 symptom screening for students, and adults. If anyone in your household has one or more, new or worsening symptoms of COVID-19 they should arrange to get tested as soon as possible or contact their health care provider. For more information about COVID-19 testing along with a list of places you can go for testing, please visit COVID-19 testing.
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Cases, Testing, and Vaccination
With information from OPSBA's Legislative Update
Due to virtual learning taking place across the province this week following the winter break, cases of COVID-19 in publicly funded schools were not reported in the past 14 days in southern Ontario schools. However, as of January 12, cases in northern schools are now being reported on the government’s website once again.
Building on the efforts of the targeted testing in Phase 1, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health will be working together with Ontario Health, Public Health Units and school boards to expand access to COVID-19 testing.
The rollout of Phase One of the government’s vaccine implementation plan has a goal of ensuring that all residents, health care workers and essential caregivers at long-term care homes in the priority regions of Toronto, Peel, York and Windsor-Essex receive a COVID-19 vaccination by January 21, 2021. For provincial vaccination data, click here.
On January 13, the government revealed that it plans to vaccinate up to 8.5 million Ontarians in Phase 2 of its vaccination plan, with teachers/education workers included in the list of “frontline essential workers.” Phase 2 is expected to start in April.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
This past week the government announced funding for training for teachers and educational assistants to support children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The training program will be delivered by the Geneva Centre for Autism and is to begin this year.
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Results of Province’s Targeted Testing Pilot
(School-Wide COVID-19 Testing)
From November 23 to December 18, 2020, the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health conducted a pilot program in schools to support disease control and develop testing strategies. Schools in the province’s 4 regions with high incidence of active cases (Toronto, Peel, York, and Ottawa) were offered voluntary school-wide COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic students and staff. Toronto Public Health identified the schools based on the school having multiple cases of COVID-19 for which there were no epidemiological links and/or where multiple cohorts had been dismissed. Eleven schools in the TDSB participated in the pilot program. Please click on the link for the summary of the results of the testing.
Please note we continue to support asymptomatic testing to be available for all schools - and since August are on record for asking to pilot saliva-based tests.
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Update on our elementary transfer numbers
The chart below shows the number of transfers requested in October 2020 and in January 2021. As you can see, the total number of transfers requested in October was 8,043 compared with 10,124 today. One important note—the October transfer requests were for students to switch from physical school to virtual school only. The January 2021 numbers reflect requests for transfers in both directions—from physical school to virtual school, and from virtual school to physical school.
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Month
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LC 1
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LC 2
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LC 3
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LC 4
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Total
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October
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1,782
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2,136
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2,809
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1,316
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8,043
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January
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2,085
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2,916
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3,395
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1,728
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10,124
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The attached document provides a more detailed breakdown of the data.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON MIDDLE FRENCH IMMERSION
There is an important deadline coming up for students looking to participate in TDSB's French language programs.
The deadline to apply to our Middle French Immersion (Grade 4 entry) program is January 29th, 2021. Grade 3 is the only time your child may apply to begin the Middle French Immersion program and there will be no other opportunities to enter this program.
WHAT IS MIDDLE FRENCH IMMERSION?
Middle French Immersion programs are designed for students who do not speak French at home. The Middle French Immersion program (Grade 4 Entry) offers 100% model of French instruction in Grades 4 and 5 in most schools (with the exception of a PREP providing subject that may be delivered in English if required). English is introduced in Grade 6. The model of instruction for Grades 6 - 8 is 75% French and 25% English with Science and Language taught in English.
Please note: This program will replace the Junior Extended French program as the Grade 4 entry program in TDSB.
The subjects taught in French from Grade 4 through to Grade 8:
• Math
• Social Studies (Geography/History)
• French Language
After Grade 8, students continue the French Immersion program at designated secondary schools. Students who successfully complete a minimum of 10 credits in French at the secondary school level are eligible for a Certificate of Bilingual Studies in French within the TDSB.
For information on the Application process or how to find your associated Middle French Immersion school for your area, please visit the website below and/or access the Frequently Asked Questions under Application Process – left menu bar:
https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Elementary-School/School-Choices/French-Programs
*Catchments are based on the student’s home address and may change in accordance with TDSB procedures.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Application process opens: January 4, 2021
Deadline for applications: January 29, 2021
PARENT/GUARDIAN/COMMUNITY INFORMATION SESSIONS:
For information on specific sessions, please visit our FSL website regularly for updates:
https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Elementary-School/School-Choices/French-Programs/Information-Sessions
The scheduled information sessions are as follows:
January 21, 2021 – 7 pm
January 27, 2021 – 7 pm
Please note: To participate in a live scheduled web chat, please visit the web page above and a link will be available to join on the dates/times as outlined above.
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Important ESL Information for Adults
Important information for adults wanting to improve their English (as a second language) skills
The Adult ESL program in the Continuing Education Department is offering free virtual English language instruction to qualified adults 18 years of age and over. Part-time and full-time classes are offered at various times during the day, evening and Saturdays at all language levels. Our online program offers:
- High-quality instruction
- Flexible schedules: part-time, full-time, evening and Saturday classes
- Continuous enrollment
- All levels and specialty classes
For more information, please visit: www.ESLToronto.ca or call 416-338-4300. Free for eligible learners. Please check our website for more information. Funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
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Emergency Child Care Programs for Essential Workers In alignment with the government’s direction to extend the elementary school closure across Ontario, all Before-and After-school programs continue to be prohibited from serving children in kindergarten to grade 6. This includes our Board operated Extended Day Program. Child care programs serving infant, toddler and preschool age children however may continue to operate, including those located in TDSB schools.
In order to support parents/guardians of school-aged children who may not be able to accommodate their child’s remote learning/care at home, the Ministry of Education has extended the targeted emergency child care program until the return to in-person learning for school-aged children. Recognizing that these continued closures and cancellations will be challenging for many families, this past weekend, the government also extended the eligibility criteria for access to these programs in an effort to support as many families as possible.
For more information on the full list of Emergency Child Cares, and the extended eligibility criteria, please visit the City’s Website. Of the 35 Emergency Child Care Programs currently in operation, 20 are located inside TDSB schools. TDSB has made arrangements to provide WiFi access to these programs to ensure all students can engage in their virtual learning. Please see the attached list and contact information for these TDSB sites.
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Candidates for the Student Senate Election (2020-21)
The Toronto District School Board will reveal the candidates for upcoming Student Senate Election on Tuesday, January 19. The candidates and their campaign videos will be available online at www.tdsb.on.ca/StudentSenateElection until Thursday, January 28.
Voting will take place online on Wednesday, January 27 and Thursday, January 28.
Attached you will find promotional materials for social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). Please share this information with your school communities and encourage students to view the campaign videos to ensure they are making informed decisions when voting.
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Save the Date: Guildwood Family Festival (virtual) February 13 @ 7pm
The event is open to all residents of Guildwood Village, their friends and family. Registration is free and simple, just click on the link below and then stayed tuned to the GVCA's social media channels, including E-News updates, for more details as we get closer to the event.
Registration:
To Submit your video:
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Worth Repeating
Virtual School Staff Directories
Please note that Virtual School administrative team directories are available online and are updated on an ongoing basis. A number of new staff have been welcomed to the teams this week. Please continue to refer to the links shared below for the latest directories:
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Revisions to Optional Attendance Process Please note: The information about Optional Attendance is relevant only to those families and students who are applying to attend a school other than their home school for September 2021. It is not related to your child’s learning for the current school year.
On January 8, all TDSB parents/guardians received an email with information about Optional Attendance applications for September 2021. Today’s communication provides clarification on how to apply for Optional Attendance under the constraints of our current provincial State of Emergency circumstances. Our adjustments to this process will ensure that all students/families who wish to apply to another school or program for the 2021-2022 school year, are able to do so.
Special Education Placements - The Optional Attendance Process is not the process used for school/program recommendations and placements for students receiving special education support and programming (i.e. programs to support: learning disability (LD), developmental disability (DD), autism, gifted, mild intellectual disability (MID), and multiple exceptionalities (ME) identifications). Offers of school and program placements will be made in conjunction with the IPRC Annual Review Process.
English Language Learners (ELL) - English as a Second Language (ESL), English Literacy Development (ELD) Placements - The Optional Attendance Process is not the process used for school/program recommendations and placements for ELL students receiving ESL or ELD support. Offers of placements will be made in conjunction with the Newcomer Centre assessments.
Home Schools and Optional Attendance Schools - Typically, students attend their home school – which is determined by their residential address – and no application is required. Some students, however, may choose to apply to attend a school other than their home school for programming reasons. This is known as Optional Attendance. Acceptance for Optional Attendance is subject to space availability and specific program criteria for specialized/alternative programs. Often a lottery system determines acceptance if there are more applicants than spaces. Once accepted on Optional Attendance, the new school is considered the student’s “home school.” Note: Many schools are closed to Optional Attendance due to enrolment constraints. Please view list of secondary schools closed to optional attendance here.
If you wish to apply to a school under Optional Attendance for September 2021:
- Complete the Elementary Optional Attendance Form or Secondary Optional Attendance Form. Please sign if you have a printer. If you are unable to print, you can submit without signing.
- Email your completed form to your current school principal (any format – PDF, photo, screen grab).
- Your current school principal will approve your application and ensure your Optional Attendance application is sent and received by the school your child is applying to.
- Students currently enrolled at either the Secondary Virtual School or Elementary Virtual School who wish to apply to a school or program under Optional Attendance must send their forms to their home school (bricks and mortar school) for approval. Reminder: this is for attendance at a school for September 2021.
- Your current school principal must receive your application to both approve it, and to ensure our policies are being followed.
- If you completed and submitted an Optional Attendance form, prior to or during school closures, you do not need to resubmit.
If you have any questions related to the Optional Attendance process, please reach out to your current home school principal.
All current timelines are still in effect. Forms for secondary schools are due by January 29, 2021, and for elementary schools by February 12, 2021.
Elementary Optional Attendance – Key Dates:
- February 12, 2021 - Optional attendance forms due at elementary school
- March 05, 2021 - Deadline for parents/guardians to be informed of the status of the application request
- March 26, 2021 - Parents/guardians must inform the requested school of their acceptance of the offer
Secondary Optional Attendance – Key Dates:
- January 29, 2021 - Optional attendance forms due at secondary school
- February 12, 2021 - Deadline for parents/guardians of students to be informed of the status of the application request
- February 26, 2021 - Course selection sheets due at secondary schools
- March 1, 2021: Course selection sheets due at secondary schools via myBlueprint
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School Year Calendar 2020-2021 The official school year calendar for the Toronto District School Board runs from September 1 to June 30, inclusive and has now been approved by the Ministry.
The last day of class for elementary students is June 29
Secondary Quadmester Calendar
- Quad 2: Nov. 23 - Feb 4
- Quad 3: Feb 8 - April 20 + exams April 21 & 22
- Quad 4: April 23 - June 23 + exams June 24, 25 & 28
PA Days & Holidays Remaining
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TAMIL HERITAGE MONTH
Tamil Heritage Month is recognized nationally since October 2016, provincially since March 2004 and by the Toronto District School Board since January 2016. The month of January was chosen as it coincides with one of the most important celebrations for Canadians of Tamil heritage, the Thai Pongal harvest festival. Millions of Tamil people around the world irrespective of their religion celebrate Thai Pongal and offer thanks for an abundant harvest.
Please click here to learn more about Tamil Heritage Month at the TDSB
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