Week of December 4th, 2023

 

Happy Hanukkah

Hanukkah 2023 (Hebrew Year 5784) begins Thursday, December 7 at sunset and the holiday ends Friday, December 15 at nightfall.  A candle is lit for each of the 8 nights. Wishing all those celebrating  this Festival of Lights, a bright and happy festival. 

Elementary Alternative Schools Online Application Process

The TDSB has a wide range of elementary alternative schools available to students. The application process is managed centrally and includes an online application form. Information about the online application process will be available on the Alternative Schools website on December 11, 2023. The online application for admission for September 2024 will be open from Monday, January 8, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. to Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.

Elementary alternative schools will hold information sessions and/or open houses for students and parents/guardians/caregivers in December 2023 and January 2024. More information is available on the Elementary School Open Houses and Information Nights web page.

There will also be two Elementary Alternative Schools live webinars, including one daytime and one evening session. Registration is required, and a recording of the webinars will be posted on the website.

The registration link for the December 12 webinar, from 1 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. is:
https://tdsb-ca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hUaDVOo5SWOSyaGxRPTo0g

The registration link for the December 13 webinar, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. is:
https://tdsb-ca.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yzjAeULCQg6ELcK0qBWxAA

Middle French Immersion (Grade 4 Entry) Application Information and Timelines

For families interested in the Toronto District School Board's system-wide French Immersion Program, there is an online process to apply for Middle French Immersion (begins in Grade 4). To apply to the Middle French Immersion Program for September 2024, applications must be completed online between January 8 and February 2, 2024. Families with an older sibling currently in a Middle French Immersion program are still required to complete an online application for the new student. For more information, please visit: Middle French Immersion or the Application Process. Interested families can apply via the Application Link.

At any time, please visit the TDSB French website to view a video that provides information about the TDSB French Language programs as well as the application and placement process in the Early French Immersion and the Middle French Immersion programs. More information about the Middle French Immersion Program is available in 22 languages, or visit the Information Sessions website for related links to join a live zoom webinar about the application process.

Playing Safely in the Snow!

The first snowfall of the season brought so much joy and fun for our students this past week. While the snow provides plenty of fun activities for students to enjoy outdoors, we do need to stress the importance of safety and responsible behaviour. In order to avoid serious injuries, we do not permit snowball throwing at our school. During morning announcements, students will be reminded of our expectations and rules. Please discuss the importance of not throwing snow balls with your children. We thank you for your support and co-operation in this matter.  Boys Basketball Tryouts this Week! We will be holding tryouts for any boys in grades 4, 5 and 6 interested in trying out for our Davisville Boys Basketball Teams. December tryout dates are as follows: Monday Dec. 11 @ 3:25-4:45pm Tuesday Dec 12 @ 8:00am Thursday Dec 14 @ 3:25-4:45 Monday Dec 18 @ 3:35-4:45 Tuesday Dec 19th @ 8:00am ****Students should attend ALL tryouts to be considered. Please fill out the EMA Permission to participate online: https://parent.ema.tdsb.on.ca/ EMA Tip: Athletics are not “tasks”, please make sure that you click the Athletics (or Athletic Teams) tab in the drop down menu or menu bar. Click “Boys Grade 6 Basketball” (even if your child is in grade 4 or 5) and fill out the appropriate boxes. TDSB Student Census Results Source: Trustee Shelley Laskin's Weekly Updates    In Spring 2023, the TDSB conducted its fourth Student Census, which resulted in a response rate of approximately 58% across all grades. The Student Census asks students important questions about school experiences and identities and is an opportunity for students to share their voice and provide valuable information to help improve our schools and system. Visit the Student Census web page now to learn more, read highlights and view the full Student Census results. Toronto Public Health Source: Trustee Shelley Laskin's Weekly Updates    Feeling under the weather? Help keep loved ones & your community safe by staying home if you feel any of these symptoms. Learn more: http://toronto.ca/community-people/health-wellness-care/health-programs-advice/respiratory-viruses/covid-19/reduce-respiratory-virus-spread-guide/ Revised Out-of-Area Admissions Procedure Source: Trustee Shelley Laskin's Weekly Updates    In May, 2023, updates were made to the Out-of-Area Admissions Policy (P013). On November 14, 2023, the revised Operating Procedure, PR545 was approved by Executive Council and will be going to the Governance and Policy Committee and the Board Meeting in January 2024 for information. The changes in the revised Procedure will be reflected on the various public TDSB Out-of-Area Admissions websites. When applying for September 2024, applicants may submit one school/program choice in their application. The online application will be available on January 8, 2024. City of Toronto Programs Source: Trustee Shelley Laskin's Weekly Updates Winter recreation listings are now online!  Registration opens at 7 a.m. on Dec 5 (Etobicoke York, including York South-Weston, Toronto and East York) and Dec 6 (North York and Scarborough). Browse programs http://toronto.ca/WinterRec Find out when you can register, how to get your account ready and how to search for programs on How to Register for Recreation Programs. Programs start the week of Monday, January 8, 2024. With more than 10,000 registered courses on offer and more than 128,600  spaces available, there’s something for all ages, interests and skill levels this winter. Find your nearest location using the Registered Programs Map. ILEP (International Languages Elementary Program) Source: Trustee Shelley Laskin's Weekly Updates Did you know that there are International Language Elementary Programs in our Ward? We have 5 sites with 15 classes in total.  Deer Park Jr & Sr PS:  3 x Spanish Eglinton Public School: 1 x Arabic; 2 x Mandarin Simplified; 1 x Russian; 1 x Tamil J.R. Wilcox Public School: 1 x Hebrew; 1 x Spanish John Ross Robertson PS: 1 x Farsi; 1 x Greek; 1 x Mandarin-Simplified; 1 x Spanish and Joyce Public School: 1 x Mandarin Simplified; 1 x Spanish. At JR Wilcox and Joyce we only have 2 classes and we need to expand to at least 3 classes for program viability. Each class needs 23 students. We are encouraging more parents/caregivers to participate in the program. Please contact shelly.xu@tdsb.on.ca.