Week Ending Jan 14

Hello Parents/Caregivers of the Davisville and Spectrum Community,

First and formost we'd like to give a big thanks to our staff for working successfully at a seamless transition to remote learning.

Thank you parents/caregivers for your patience, perseverance, and flexibility.

Everyone's personal commitment to making a difference in these unprecedented times and challenging times is HUGE.

We so look forward to greeting our students back to in-person learning on January 17/22! 

The upcoming week will be filled with many mixed emotions. We hope that together we will be able to ease the tensions and allow our students and families to feel comfortable with the in-person return. We continue to prioritize health and safety as well as student learning, engagement, and well-being.

By now, you would have received the TDSB email with respect to many items that contain return to school information. Below some of those items will be repeated.

A reminder that all students continue to be required to wear a mask while in school buildings.  At this time, students are not required to wear masks outside as long as they remain within their cohort.

On Monday, upon arrival at the school, please have your child line up in their respective line/cohorted area. Supervision in the school yard begins at 8:40 a.m. At 3:30 dismissal (Davisville), please pick up your child from their respective line. A reminder that we are trying to limit the contact between cohorts and adults while on school property. If you are dropping off or picking up your child/children you are encouraged to do so while distancing and wearing a mask. We appreciate your efforts of a quick drop-off and pick-up as classes begin and are dismissed. Please note that the East Kindergarten yard is still under construction, thus the drop-off and pick-up will remain at the 2 gated yards to the most easterly part of the school building. The impacted classes are: Heath/Parveen, Zahora, Guerin/Kabeya. Thank you for your understanding as they work to complete the project.

Students will continue to be outside for recess and lunch unless there is steady rain or extreme cold. Please dress accordingly. This is in support of our student's mental and physical well-being. As per TDSB Severe Weather Policy, from time to time, it is necessary to hold indoor recess or a shortened recess due to inclement weather (rain, extreme cold or heat, severe icy conditions). This decision is typically made at the school-level depending on local conditions which can vary widely across the city; however in some cases, a board-wide directive may be issued.

While bussing will continue as normal, please note that service disruptions are likely as a result of the impact of COVID-19 on bus operator staffing. Please continue to check the www.tdsb.on.ca website or the TSTG website for updates.

Daily Screening: 

Staying home when you are sick is one of the most important things we can do to slow the spread of COVID-19. Toronto Public Health has strengthened its screening tool, based on provincial direction, that all students and staff are expected to do before coming to school each day. Please review and become familiar with the screening tool, including the second page which provides direction on isolation measures in a variety of scenarios based on age and vaccination status. Please complete the TDSB Health Pass or Health Screening App daily prior to 8:30 a.m. so that we are able to verify your child's screening before entry to school.

Use of the Health Screening App (Servicenow) info:
The instance name is http://tdsb.service-now.com. Use your TDSB email address and password to log in. Please ask your child's teacher if you require a student password reset.

• Google Play Store (for Android devices) 
• Apple App Store (For iPhones or iPads) - requires iOS 12+
• Detailed instructions for the health screening app

TPH Letter re: Returning to in-person school and COVID-19 Omicron guidance changes: Thursday, Jan. 13/22

Review the updated screening tool
The COVID-19 Screening tool has changed based on provincial guidance. Your child must be screened daily for symptoms of COVID-19 and answer all questions before attending school.

Remember – do not send your child to school if they are experiencing any symptoms, even if they are mild.

When to stay home and self-isolate
Everyone in your household must stay home and self-isolate if your child or another member of the home has:
 Symptoms of COVID-19
 A positive PCR test or
 A positive rapid antigen test.

How long to self-isolate
If your child has symptom(s) they will have to self-isolate for:
 5 days: If the child is 12 years of age and older and fully vaccinated; or 11 years or younger regardless of vaccination status
 10 days: If the child is 12 years or older and not fully vaccinated; or immune compromised.
All household members must self-isolate for the same amount of time as your child. This includes siblings. For more information about self-isolation, please review page 2 of the screening questionnaire on the City of Toronto website.

Returning to School
Your child can return to school when symptoms are improving for at least 24 hours (or 48 hours if nausea/vomiting/diarrhea) and:
 Your child has completed the required self-isolation time, OR
 Your child has a negative PCR test, OR
 Your child has two negative rapid antigen tests 24 to 48 hours apart

Notify close contacts
Remember to notify all close contacts in the community with which your child had contact in the last 48 hours before your child's symptoms began or their positive test result. A close contact in the community is anyone who your child:
 Spent at least 15 minutes of time with outside of the classroom/school AND
 Where the contact was within two meters for at least 15 minutes, or multiple shorter lengths of time.

If your child is a close contact of someone with COVID-19 in the community
If your child was identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19 in the community (e.g. at an indoor gathering, playdate, indoor activity) take the following measures based on provincial requirements:
 If your child is fully vaccinated and without symptoms, they do not need to self-isolate.
 If your child is 12 years and older AND either partially vaccinated, unvaccinated OR immune compromised of any age, they must self-isolate for 10 days from the last contact with the infected person.
 If your child is 11 years and younger AND either partially vaccinated or unvaccinated, self-isolate for 5 days from the last contact with infected person.

If your child is in a classroom cohort with a positive case
Based on the new provincial guidance, being in the same classroom cohort is not considered a close contact because preventive and protective measures are in place. If a student in your child's cohort tests positive or has symptoms, you should continue to monitor your child for symptoms every day.

The new provincial guidance indicates that your child can continue to attend school if they do not have any symptoms. The province and local school boards continue to work on how best to communicate positive cases within schools with school families. There will be more information in the coming days and Toronto Public Health will continue to support schools based on all available information.

Short Term Remote Learning:

We know that some families and students will choose not to return to in-person learning for a period of time for a variety of reasons. During this transitional time, it is incredibly important for students to remain connected to their school, classroom and teacher. Educators should continue to regularly update virtual learning platforms with class work for students to access while at home. To support schools in responding to requests by families to access short term virtual learning, schools will be provided with Guidelines to Support Short Term Virtual Learning shortly. To support teachers, a variety of resources will be made available on TDSBweb on Monday, January 17. Additional learning resources will also be posted on the TDSB website for families and students to access directly.

Mental Health and Well-Being: 

Navigating the pandemic has brought forward a number of challenges and we continue to prioritize students’ mental health and well-being. You can access supports and resources directly on our website, including mental health and well-being toolkits, virtual drop-in office hours for parents/caregivers, and culturally-responsive resources.  

Kindergarten Registration 2022:

Kindergarten registration for all TDSB schools begins in February 1, 2022! 

For some frequently asked Welcome to Kindergarten questions please view the following: Kindergarten FAQ

Starting February 1, 2022, families will have the option to begin the 2022-2023 registration process online or to make an appointment with their school for a virtual face-to-face meeting to complete the registration process. Information and instructions about the registration process are available at www.tdsb.on.ca/kindergarten.

Middle French Immersion Program – Grade 4 Entry:

To apply for the Middle French Immersion Program (Grade 4 entry) for September 2022, applications must be completed online between January 3 and January 28, 2022.
An offer of placement in the program (not a specific school) is guaranteed to all on-time applicants and will be made in the weeks following the close of the application window.
Please note: Families with an older sibling currently enrolled in a French program and who will be in attendance next year are still required to complete an online application for the new student. Please select the “sibling option” within the online application.
For more information about the Middle French Immersion (Grade 4) application process, please join us for a Virtual Webinar Session on January 6, 2022 – 10 am; January 13, 2022 – 1 pm; or January 17, 2022 – 7 pm. 
Families can request interpretation services for this event in advance, by completing this online form before December 17, 2021.
Information about the Middle French Immersion Program is available in multiple languages. For details, please see the information package. For more information about French programs, the application process and important dates, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/french or click on Application Process.

Davisville Parent Council: Tuesday, Jan. 18/22:

It’s a New Year and the first Parent Council meeting of 2022 is just around the corner.

TUESDAY JAN. 18, 6:30 pm -  https://tdsb-ca.zoom.us/j/95917238186?pwd=SWIra003aXUrZ1JaVEw2Y1Z3WE5Ldz09 

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT:

MEETING OUR NEW PRINCIPAL

UPCOMING EVENTS

MUSIC NEEDS

OUR PARENT SURVEY

Please join us. Your voice is needed as we want to ensure we are hearing everyone, and being relevant for all. 

Link and agenda can be found here if you’re scrambling on Tuesday! https://davisvilleparents.com/home/parentcouncil

If you have questions or want to bring something up at Council, don’t hesitate to reach out to council@davisvilleparents.com.

Spectrum Alternative Virtual Open House: Wed. Jan 19 at 5:30-6:30 p.m.:

Please see the following flyer for Spectrum Virtual Open House information and virtual link.

High Park Alternative Open House (JK-Grade 8):

Thursday, January 27th, 2022, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. Please see the following flyer: High Park Alternative Open House

High School Open Houses and Information Nights: Learn everything you need to know about our incredible variety of schools, programs and courses. Please note that some schools are hosting “live” virtual open houses that families can join in real time, during the specified date and time. Please check this page regularly, as schools will continue to post information about virtual open house dates/times and available pre-recorded information sessions. You can view the prerecorded sessions at any time by clicking the link provided. If you have questions about a specific school or open house, please contact the school directly for more information.

Optional Attendance 2022-2023:

Students who reside within the City of Toronto have the right to attend a school which is designated to serve their residential address. The "Find Your School" section of the website identifies the designated schools for each residential address. Students also have the opportunity to access schools outside of the school that is designated to serve their residential address by applying on optional attendance. Acceptance at these schools is subject to space availability and program suitability. Most schools in Ward 8 are closed to Optional Attendance.
If you are planning to apply to a TDSB Elementary school through the Optional Attendance process, please visit the TDSB Optional Attendance webpage to get up to date information.
Elementary Optional Attendance – Key Dates:

• February 11, 2022 Optional attendance forms due at elementary school

• March 04, 2022 Deadline for parents/guardians to be informed of the status of the application request

• March 25, 2022Parents/guardians must inform the requested school of their acceptance of the offer

Secondary Optional Attendance – Key Dates:

• January 28, 2022 Optional attendance forms due at secondary school

• February 11, 2022 Date for parents/guardians of students to be informed of the status of the application request

• February 22, 2022 Parents/guardians must inform the requested school of their acceptance of the offer via email and submit course selections via MyBlueprint

School Trustee's Weekly Newsletter - Ward 8:

• For updates regarding topics affecting the TDSB, please subscribe to Shelley Laskin's weekly newsletter.

TDSB website reporting delays or bus cancellations: www.torontoschoolbus.org

To order Davisville spiritwear: check school cashonline, or visit  davisvillepublicschool.entripyshops.com