School Blog-Week of March 20th, 2023

 

Canadian Multicultural Inventors Museum

Dear Families,

On March 28th, we have invited the Canadian Multicultural Inventor Museum into our school and will be holding an exhibit for our students. The exhibit highlights the contributions of numerous inspiring Black individuals from diverse backgrounds as well as notable Asian Women. This will serve as a great opportunity for students to learn about Black inventors and innovators of African descent as well as the contributions of women from Asian communities.


Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) Renewal (Your Voice Matters)!
Source: TDSB website

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Multi-Year Strategic Plan - the MYSP - sets direction and identifies the goals for the work of everyone at the TDSB. It guides how we work every day to transform student learning, create a culture of well-being, provide access to learning opportunities, allocate resources strategically and build strong partnerships.

We are beginning the process to renew the MYSP and encourage the entire TDSB community to share their thoughts and ideas and Have Your Say!

TDSB plans to build on the foundation of our current plan with updated goals that are relevant to our current context, measurable and integrated to ensure every student has equitable access to programs, resources and opportunities that support their academic success and well-being.

We are seeking input from all members of the TDSB community, including students. We want to know: What is important to you? What are your needs and priorities for your school? Throughout the next several months there will be a variety of opportunities to Have Your Say! and contribute to the renewed Multi-Year Strategic Plan.

Please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/MYSPrenewal for ongoing updates throughout the renewal process and to watch a video with more details about the Multi-Year Strategic Plan Renewal.

If you have questions or need additional information, please email MYSP@tdsb.on.ca.

TDSB Student Census

Source: TDSB website

The TDSB Student Census is a confidential and voluntary survey that asks students important questions about their school experiences and identities including participation in school activities, safety, well-being, mental health, outdoor learning, etc. It is an opportunity for students to share their voice and provide valuable information to help improve our schools and system.

The TDSB is asking all parents/guardians/caregivers and/or students to consider filling out a census survey online. 

Kindergarten to Grade 3: Parents/guardians/caregivers will receive an email link to complete the census at home on behalf of their child(ren).

Grades 4 to 8: A new consent process for students in grades 4 to 8 will provide parents the choice of having their child complete the Census themselves at school, or at home. Watch for an email to provide consent within the next few days.

Please watch for more information about the Student Census in an email from the address TDSBStudentCensus@qemailserver.com next week. For more information, please visit the Student Census website.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Tuesday, March 21 was the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Toronto District School Board(TDSB) is committed to addressing incidents of hate and racism that continue to take place throughout the district. 

To learn more about the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, please visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/federal-anti-racism-secretariat/international-day-elimination-racial-discrimination.html

Ramadan Mubarak

Source: Shelley Laskin's Weekly Updates

Ramadan Mubarak to all observing. Ramadan (the Islamic lunar month of fasting for millions of Muslims, world-wide) will begin on March 23rd, 2023. Muslims around the world will be fasting from just before sunrise until sunset during this special month of self-reflection, giving charity, and sacrifice.

The TDSB's Islamic Heritage Committee has tweeted that during Ramadan, Muslims engage in acts of kindness to promote peace and caring in the community. How do you show that you care about your community? Please see some ideas in the poster. Share your stories! @TDSB_IHM. Check out Ramadan teaching resources at bit.ly/Ramadan2023ihm .Enter the IHM Poster Contest! Click here to submit your poster. 

Virtual Office Hours for Parents and Caregivers Hosted by TDSB OT/PT

TDSB's occupational therapists and physiotherapists are hosting our third professional development and virtual office hours for both parents/caregivers as well as educators of students with special education and inclusion needs for the 2022/2023 school year. The session will focus on support for students in ISP-DD/DK/PD classrooms, but the information is also relevant for students in other settings. Our upcoming session will occur on March 29th, 2023 with a lunch session for parents/guardians/caregivers (12:30-1:30pm) and an after school session for educators (3:30-4:30pm). The format of these sessions includes the provision of a brief education session from our TDSB OT/PTs followed by an open forum where attendees may ask questions, receive generalized strategies to support their student(s)/child(ren), and connect with one another. This month's discussion will focus on Finding Calm: Supporting Yourself and Others During Stressful Behaviours.

Week of March 6, 2023

School Improvement Planning

This past week, our staff was involved in grade team planning focused on our School Improvement Goals. Our SIP goals (noted below) are more than simply words on a paper; they are goals that drive and inform continuous action and improvement in our school. More specifically, our school goals and school vision is the road map that sets the changes and improvements that are required to increase student engagement, well-being and achievement. Just recently, our SIP goals were shared with our school council in order to solicit feedback from parents/guardians/caregivers.  As parents/guardians, you are invaluable partners in our school improvement planning, and as we continue to embark on the work of school improvement, our goal is to cultivate a shared sense of purpose in our school and ensure that our School Improvement Planning is a continuous collaborative process involving our families. 

It is important to acknowledge the special effort made by our school council to provide our staff with refreshments as we engaged in SIP planning this past week. Your daily efforts at our school are always appreciated and do not go unnoticed. Thank you for all that you do. 

Nowruz

At Davisville we encourage the exposure of holidays and celebrations of various cultures to help foster a sense of belonging and inclusion among our students, staff and community. Nowruz is the Persian New Year and is celebrated in the beginning of the spring season not only in Iran but also in several of its neighboring countries.

We have a large Persian community in our school, and so we would like to organize a Nowruz celebration for our Persian students and to introduce this wonderful holiday to the rest of the Davisville community. We would like to invite any families and students who observe Nowruz and are interested in helping to organize this holiday at Davisville to please reach out to our vice principal, Mona Moftakhar, at Ramona.Moftakhar@tdsb.on.ca  and Ammeleyla at Leyla.gholami@tdsb.on.ca


We Recognize Black Mental Health Week

On March 6th, 2023, we honour the start of Black Mental Health week, initially recognized by the City of Toronto, Taibu Community Health Center, CAFCAN and Strides Toronto in 2020. At TDSB we recognize the impact Anti-Black racism continues to have on the mental health and well being of individuals, students and families.

A day or a week is not sufficient-supporting Black Mental Health and well-being must be every day. Anti-Black racism has deeply rooted impacts on the emotional well-being for Black communities and we recognize and understand this emotional impact is real, present and daily. In this link you will find numerous resources, information and videos that support Black Mental Health.

Black Mental Health, wellness and well-being, are adversely impacted by Anti-Black racism, which is woven into the fabric of our institutions and systems. We remain committed to further developing our understanding that racial stress & trauma results in fatigue, exhaustion, distrust of Mental Health supports and the silencing of Black voices.

Exciting news about PIAC Parent Conferences!
PIAC Conference: Save the Date of May 6!

Join the Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC) as it returns to the first post-pandemic, in-person conference, with speakers and workshops focused on bridging gaps in Parent Engagement and School Councils. Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 6, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Earl Haig SS. Learn more.

Parents and Caregivers as Partners: Call for Workshop Proposal

The Parents and Caregivers as Partners Conference (PCasP), happening on October 21 and 22, 2023 is seeking proposals for virtual and hybrid (in-person or streaming) workshops, micro-sessions, and panel presentations. PCasP provides an opportunity to highlight innovation and high-impact strategies for partnering, collaborating, and nurturing parent/caregiver partnerships and alliances. Submit your proposal now! Due by April 11, 2023. Visit www.parentsaspartners.ca for further information.

Week of February 27, 2023

 

Steps to Address Parent/Guardian Questions and Concerns

Dear Families,

The TDSB has protocols for sharing your questions and concerns. Below, you will find our board procedure for addressing educational concerns brought forward by parents/guardians.  

Please note that in many situations, your child's teacher is the first point of contact, followed by the school administrators (i.e., principal and vice principal), the school superintendent and finally your Trustee. It is important to note that appropriate flexibility will be given in implementing these procedures to suit individual circumstances. 

Step 1 - Classroom Teacher

The first place to go about any classroom-related question or concern is your classroom teacher. They can help you with:

• Any questions about the classroom
• Classroom rules and consequences
• Homework and assignments

Step 2 - School Principal

If you would like more information or if you have questions that are beyond the classroom, talk to your school principal. They can help with:

• Concerns about an individual school
• Student registration
• Student schedules
• Student suspensions
• Report card concerns
• Homework and assignments
• Code of Conduct
• Safety and security
• Budget and fundraising
• School Council

 

 

Step 3 - School Superintendents

Superintendents are responsible for a Network of Schools.
They support school staff and can be contacted if you have questions that have not been answered or for help with:

• Alternate attendance request
• Suspension appeals

 

Step 4 - Trustees

Trustees are your elected community officials. They are available to
help you with the following areas of the TDSB:

• Concerns about your community
• Ideas and suggestions for the Board
• Items on Board Agendas
• Board policies under review
• Board budget
• Collective bargaining

 

 

Nowruz At Davisville we encourage the exposure of holidays and celebrations of various cultures to help foster a sense of belonging and inclusion among our students, staff and community. Nowruz is the Persian New Year and is celebrated in the beginning of the spring season not only in Iran but also in several of its neighboring countries. We have a large Persian community in our school, and so we would like to organize a Nowruz celebration for our Persian students and to introduce this wonderful holiday to the rest of the Davisville community. We would like to invite any families and students who observe Nowruz and are interested in helping to organize this holiday at Davisville to please reach out to our vice principal, Mona Moftakhar, at Ramona.Moftakhar@tdsb.on.ca  and Ammeleyla at Leyla.gholami@tdsb.on.ca Excellence Awards 2023 to Celebrate Staff Dedication TDSB staff make our schools and workplaces incredible spaces to learn, work and play. We all know stories of staff who go above and beyond for students, colleagues and the broader community, and every year, the TDSB Excellence Awards are a chance to spotlight these stories and recognize the efforts of TDSB staff. Nominate a TDSB staff member for a 2023 Excellence Award today! Last year, the Excellence Awards were modified to align with our shared system priorities and help highlight TDSB staff’s efforts to foster joy, engagement and belonging in our schools, workplaces and communities as a foundation for academic achievement, student success and service excellence. Nomination categories also reflect our shared commitment to Indigenous rights and human rights, equity, anti-racism, anti-oppression – all within a framework of creativity and innovation. Learn more about the Excellence Awards and answers to frequently asked questions. Nominations can come from staff, students, parents/caregivers or community members. The deadline for nominations is Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 4 p.m.

Greek Heritage Month

March is Greek Heritage Month at the Toronto District School Board. It is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Greek Canadians to Canada, and an occasion to mark and enjoy the history of Greek culture.

The theme for this year is based on TDSB priorities: Joy, Engagement, Belonging  

Access more information and this year’s calendar of events.
Join us on Friday, March 24 for a Social Event at Floga Restaurant. RSVP using the instructions on the flyer.

Join us on Sunday, March 26 at 1:30pm for the Greek Independence Day Parade on the Danforth. We will meet at 15 Phin Avenue at 1pm.

Adult ESL 

Source: Shelley Laskin's Weekly Updates (School Trustee)

The Adult ESL program is offering free in-person English language instruction to qualified adults 18 years of age and over. Full-time and part-time classes are offered at various times during the day, evening and Saturdays at all language levels. Our program offers: • High-quality instruction • Flexible schedules: full-time, part-time, evening and Saturday classes • Continuous enrollment • All levels and specialty classes • Numerous locations across the city For more information, please visit: www.ESLToronto.ca or call 416-338-4300 or email adultesl@tdsb.on.ca. * Free for eligible learners, please check our website for registration criteria/information. Funded by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

Useful Parent/Guardian Links

School Year Calendar - https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/School-Year-Calendar
Resources for Parents- https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Innovation/ForParents
Resources for Students https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Innovation/Welcome-Back-Students
TDSB Hub - a comprehensive website to support families and school councils produced by TDSB Community Support Workers - information, resources, workshops, webinars, family events
TDSB Parent Resource Page - links to multiple resources for families
Reading at Home
Early Reading Instruction Caregiver Guide and Translated Guides
TDSB Mathematics for Families and Caregivers
High School English and Literacy
TDSB Virtual Library - ask your school about family log-in access
Learning in the Outdoors - information and resources for schools and families
Virtual Learning IT Support