PIAC Newsletter

PIAC E-News November 2014

Congratulations to our newly elected and re-elected TDSB Trustees. (The current Board will serve until November 30, 2014 and the Board will be sworn in on December 1, 2014) Ward 1: Michael Ford (defeated John Hastings) Ward 2: Chris Glover (re-elected) Ward 3: Pamela Gough (re-elected) Ward 4: Tiffany Ford (Stephnie Payne retired) Ward 5: Howard Kaplan (re-elected) Ward 6: Chris Tonks (re-elected) Ward 7: Robin Pilkey (Irene Atkinson retired) Ward 8: Jennifer Arp (Howard Goodman retired) Ward 9: Marit Stiles (Maria Rodrigues retired) Ward 10: Ausma Malik (*Briony Glassco retired) Ward 11: Shelley Laskin (re-elected) Ward 12: Alexander Brown (defeated Mari Rutka) Ward 13: Gerri Gershon (re-elected) Ward 14: Sheila Ward (re-elected) Ward 15: Jennifer Story (defeated Cathy Dandy) Ward 16: Sheila Cary-Meagher (re-elected) Ward 17: Ken Lister (defeated Harout Manougian) Ward 18: Parthi Kandavel (defeated Elizabeth Moyer) Ward 19: David Smith (re-elected) Ward 20: Manna Wong (defeated Sam Sotiroupolus) Ward 21: Shaun Chen (re-elected) Ward 22: Jerry Chadwick (re-elected) * Note: Following the resignation of Ward 10 Trustee Chris Bolton in June 2014, Briony Glassco was appointed Ward 10 Trustee, after on open application process, for the remainder of the term.  Trustee Briony Glassco did not run as a candidate in the October 27, 2014 municipal elections. 8th Annual Parent Involvement Makes a Difference Conference Increasing Knowledge and Enhancing Confidence Date: Saturday, November 15, 2014 Time: 8 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. Location: Earl Haig Secondary School, 100 Princess Avenue, Toronto ON Keynote Speaker: J. Richard Gentry, Ph.D. J. Richard Gentry is a former university professor and elementary school teacher and author of Raising Confident Readers: How to Teach Your Child to Read and Write. He hopes to help bring back research-based spelling and writing in elementary school. Some of Richard's earlier books include Breakthrough in Beginning Reading and Writing and The Science of Spelling. Richard has degrees from the University of North Carolina Chapel-Hill and the University of Virginia. Bussing, child-minding and interpretation will be available through registration ONLY! For more information, please contact 416-397-3529. SCHOOL ADDRESS Bus #1 Lakeshore CI 350 Kipling Avenue Burnhamthorpe ALC 500 The East Mall Kingsview Village JS 1 York Road West Humber CI 1675 Martin Grove Road Elmbank Jr Middle Academy 10 Pitsboro Drive Bus #2 North York Sheridan Mall 1700 Wilson Avenue (at CIBC) Jane Finch Mall (at McDonald’s) Northview Heights SS 550 Finch Avenue West Bus #3 Central Technical School 725 Bathurst Street Carleton Village Jr Sr School 315 Osler Avenue Bala Community School 6 Bala Avenue John Polanyi CI 640 Lawrence Avenue West Bus #4 Sir Robert L Borden 200 Poplar Road SATEC-W A Porter Ci 40 Fairfax Crescent David and Mary Thompson CI 2740 Lawrence Avenue East Bus #5 Malvern CI 55 Malvern Avenue George Webster School 2 Cedarcrest Boulevard Danforth C-TI 800 Greenwood Avenue East York CI 650 Cosburn Avenue Thorncliffe Park ES 80 Thorncliffe Park Drive Don Mills CI 15 The Donway East Bus #6 Malvern Town Centre 31 Tapscott Road (at TAIBU Health Centre) Stephen Leacock CI 2450 Birchmount Road Sir John A McDonald CI 2300 Pharmacy Avenue TDSB Terminates Partnership With The Confucius Institute At the Board meeting on October 29th Trustees voted to terminate a controversial partnership between the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and The Confucius Institute. NEW & IMPORTANT: SK French Immersion Applications due DEC 5 Dear Parents and Friends, In the past, TDSB Senior Kindergarten (SK) French Immersion information nights and the application process took place after the Christmas break. This year the TDSB decided to move the process to November-December to allow parents more time to sort out their family logistics and to allow more time to get staff in place for the following September. SK French Immersion information nights are taking place from October 29-November 27, 2014. Details here. Applications to start SK French Immersion in September 2015 will be accepted on-line from November 3-December 5, 2014 here.  This is NOT a first come, first served process. However, parents must apply by December 5, 2014 to be guaranteed a spot in September 2015. Siblings of those already in the program also have to do the on-line application. Late applicants are given a spot only if there is extra space. Parents who are not on-line can ask for assistance at their home school office or from the FSL department. Very Important: the first step is for the parent to apply on-line. There is an immediate response from the TDSB saying the application has been received. In the weeks following the December 5 deadline, parents receive another email from the TDSB with details about the placement. In the second step, parents must respond to the placement email to secure the spot. Parents should check their email inboxes, including junk email, frequently during this time.  Please share this information with friends, neighbours and family.

November is Aboriginal Education Month In November, we celebrate Aboriginal Education Month at the TDSB. This month provides an opportunity to re-examine how Aboriginal perspectives, histories and contemporary realities may be incorporated across the curricula, and to focus on treaties and the legacy of residential schools. At the TDSB, all students should feel supported, have a sense of belonging and feel respected and valued. Ensuring these values are at the core of Aboriginal education, a priority of the Years of Action. By infusing Aboriginal perspectives across curriculum in all areas, we want to create inclusive spaces for students to see themselves reflected as individuals and validated within the school community. Aboriginal education is not just for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students, but for all students and staff. When non-Aboriginal people learn about the rich histories, cultures and contemporary contexts of diverse Aboriginal peoples, cross-cultural understandings occurs and a common commitment is formed, leading to equitable and more inclusive learning spaces. Information from OPSBA on Revised Health and Physical Education (HPE) Curriculum On October 30, the Ministry of Education announced that they will be moving forward with parent consultations around the Health and Physical Education (HPE) Curriculum, following through on their commitment to further engage with parents on this topic.  Highlights from the news release pasted below. To see Background Information for Parents click > here. The timeline that lays out how the curriculum will be finalized and released is as follows. November 2014: Online survey to a parent representative at each elementary schools In person sessions with parent organizations from our partnership table (P4E, OAPCE, Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations, Parents partenaires en éducation) and students December 2014 – January 2015: Curriculum content finalization February 2015: Curriculum release February-August 2015: Training, resource development September 2015: Curriculum implementation SHARE INFORMATION WITH SCHOOL COUNCIL EXECUTIVES Hello everyone, Due to many requests, as well as a recognition of the need to provide support, the Audit & Risk Management Department has developed training information sessions for School Council Executives.  There are three session dates at three different locations for school council executives within WR1, WR4-WR7 families. Attached is a flyer that is to be shared with the council executives to provide them information on the sessions and to register.  This is a great opportunity for the executives to get trained on Board Policies and Procedures, on developing a Non-Board Financial Plan, collecting and safeguarding cash, recording financial transactions and reporting financial activities. Allow me to use this opportunity to thank Lorraine Linton, Kelly MacDougall, and Dilawar Alvi, for arranging space to conduct the sessions.  I hope these locations are convenient for the council executives to attend.  Also, I thank all school and office administrators in sharing the information with their council members and encouraging them to attend. For information about how to register click > here

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