Week of October 21, 2024

 

Wards 8 and 11 School/Student Councils, Parents/Caregivers, Community

Members, and School Staff

Please join us for a special joint ward forum:

Meet and Greet on Monday October 28, 2024 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Location: Davisville Junior Public School, 50 Davisville Ave

Please join trustee, Shelley Laskin, and our local Family of School (FOS) Superintendents for a
joint Ward Forum Cassandra Alviani-Alvarez FOS 6, Jane Phillips-Ling (A) FOS 7, John Currie
FOS 8 , Jennifer Chan FOS 10, Peter Chang FOS12, Kurt McIntosh FOS13, Nadira Persaud FOS14 & Jack Nigro, Executive Superintendent of Education for LC1.

This is a great opportunity to connect with Shelley and our shared Family of School Superintendents to hear issues, ask questions, share feedback, engage in discussion with other school community members.

How to RSVP for the Ward Forum
• If you are interested in participating, please Register Online
(https://forms.gle/74dLeEmX7TbxV18s8)

Preparing for Halloween 2024: Cultures Are Not Costumes

As we prepare for Halloween in our school, families and students can choose whether or not to participate in Halloween related activities.

In terms of costume guidelines, to support a safe, welcoming, and dynamic learning environment, it is important to be aware of cultural appropriation and stereotypes. This includes reminding students that certain costumes can be viewed as offensive, inappropriate and/or discriminatory to many different cultures/peoples, and as a result can cause harm to members of our school community.  Therefore, please be mindful of certain costumes and the harm they could potentially cause.

Davisville’s Great Pumpkin Auction!

This year we are having a pumpkin auction! Each class is in the process of planning and decorating a class pumpkin that will be available for viewing and bidding on. Viewing of pumpkins and bidding will begin Wednesday Oct. 30th after school and will end Thursday Oct. 31st at 9am. Winning bidders will be able to take their pumpkins home on Thursday.

Funds raised from this will go to support our school and your child. If you have any questions please contact Gillian.harnick@hotmail.com

Cross Country

Congratulations to our student athletes who participated in Cross Country! All of our 140 athletes put forth their best effort and demonstrated wonderful sportsmanship. We had 7 Grade 4 students (Valentina, Lauren, Izzy, Zoya, Charlotte and Hugo) qualify for the Southern Division Qualifier meet. All 7 students ran amazing races. Two of our runners qualified for the City Championship competition. Valentina and Lauren did an amazing job at city finals.

Thank you to all the parents/caregivers and staff who helped our team out.

Learning in our FDK Classes (What gives you joy?)

In Mr. Brink and Ms. Abdi's class, students read a book called, "When We Were Alone". The book is about a grandmother telling her granddaughter about her residential school experience, but it is framed around joy. The grandmother shares several things that give her joy (e.g., having long hair, wearing bright colours, speaking her language); things not allowed in the residential schools. In a discussion after the book, the children were asked, "What brings you joy?" Using loose parts, students created images & pictures of what brings them joy. 

Parent/Guardian/Caregiver Special Education & Inclusion Learning Sessions: Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Please see below for information about an upcoming professional learning session offered by Special Education & Inclusion for our parent/guardian/caregiver community. 

Date: November 27 Day (AM)
Time: 10:00am - 11:30am

Date: November 28 Evening (PM)
Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Please visit the following flyer if you are interested.

Early French Immersion Application Process

The entry point to Early French Immersion is Junior Kindergarten. For families interested in the Toronto District School Board's system-wide French Immersion Program, we offer an online process to apply for Early French Immersion (begins in JK). To apply to the Early French Immersion Program for September 2025, applications must be completed online between November 4 and November 29, 2024. Families with an older sibling currently in an Early French Immersion program at the same school are still required to complete an online application for the new student. For more information, please visit: Application Early French Immersion.

At any time, please visit the TDSB French Language Programs webpage 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 Early Immersion Program is available in 22 languages, or view the application video.

SEAC Town Hall for Parents/Guardians/Caregivers of Students with Disabilities/Special Education Needs

Source: Trustee, Shelley Laskin's Weekly Updates

TDSB’s Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) includes volunteers who advise the TDSB on how to improve special education programs and services. We want your feedback and to learn from your experience.

TDSB SEAC is hosting a Town Hall. This is an opportunity for families who have a child with a disability/special education needs to share their experiences at school.

Date: November 4, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual or In-person (TDSB Board Office, 5050 Yonge St.)

We will ask you 2 questions:

1. What barriers to learning have you and your child encountered in school?
2. What recommendations do you have to enhance services and experiences for students receiving special education services?

We will use this information to help develop recommendations for the TDSB on how it can better serve these students.

At the Town Hall, you will get up to 5 minutes to share your experiences. If you want to attend in-person or online, please complete this registration form. If instead, you would like to submit a pre-recorded video, your written comments, or even an artistic piece, email it to lianne.dixon@tdsb.on.ca.

At the Town Hall and in any feedback you send in, to respect privacy, please do not use the names of specific staff or schools. SEAC cannot investigate specific problems. We want to learn from your feedback on what system-wide reforms we should recommend to TDSB.

Grade 8 to 9 Transition

November is the start of the Grade 8 to 9 Transition period. Over the next few months, secondary schools will be hosting Open Houses and Information Nights for current Grade 8 students and their parents/guardians and caregivers. The information and links below will assist Grade 8 students and families in planning for a smooth transition from Grade 8 to 9:

Open Houses and Information Sessions

TDSB Beyond 8 website

Secondary Central Student Interest Program

Out-of-Area Admissions

Secondary Schools without a Boundary

Central Student Interest Programs website

Preparing for High School Information Webinar Sessions

Below is a summary of the two upcoming webinars. Further details, including the link to register and request an interpreter, will be posted shortly on the TDSB Guidance site and the Central Student Interest Program Website.

Grade 8 to Grade 9 Transitions: Taking place on October 29, 2024 at 7 p.m., this session will focus on the Top 10 Tips and Considerations in the Transition to High School. This presentation is designed to augment the work already taking place through secondary open houses and at the Grade 8 schools. More information: TDSB Beyond 8 website.

Student Interest Programs: The TDSB offers over 50 programs with a particular focus. These programs are for anyone who demonstrates an interest and passion in the particular program area. On October 30, 2024 at 7 p.m., the Student Interest Program Webinar will provide more information about Secondary Schools without a Boundary, local programs, Out-of-Area Admissions and applying to Central Student Interest Programs (CSIP). Application for CSIP programs opens on November 4, 2024 and closes on November 22 at 4 p.m.

High School Open Houses and Information Nights

To help you make an informed decision when choosing a school, TDSB schools will host in-person open houses and information sessions for parents/guardians and students between November and January. Learn everything you need to know about our incredible variety of schools, programs and courses. If you have questions about a specific school or open house, please contact the school directly for more information.

Note: Please check this page regularly, as secondary schools will continue to post information about open house dates/times.

Elementary School Open Houses and Information Nights

To locate your designated elementary home school by address, please Find Your School - By Address. Schools that offer Central Student Interest Programs and local programs will host open houses and information sessions for parents/guardians and students between November and February. Learn everything you need to know about our incredible variety of schools and programs. If you have questions about a specific school, please visit the school’s website or contact the school directly for more information.

Note: Please check this page regularly, as elementary schools will continue to post information about open house dates/times.

Policy Consultations - We'd like to hear from you

Source: Trustee, Shelley Laskin's Weekly Updates

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is committed to open and inclusive policy decision-making and values community input and participation through consultation. Consultation is a two-way communication process between the Board and external participants, including students and their parents/guardians, school councils, advisory committees, community members, different levels of government, service agencies, professional organizations and union partners. The objective of consultation is to gather public input regarding options, alternative courses of action, as well as to identify unintended effects for various participants and to find solutions.

Personal Mobile Device Use in Schools Policy - NEW

Objective - To outline requirements for the appropriate use of Personal Mobile Devices by students, staff and other members of the TDSB School Community at schools; to advance a conducive learning environment and promote responsible Digital Citizenship; and to reduce negative impacts of excessive screen time and social media use on students’ achievement, well-being, and mental health.

Draft New Policy [docx] Draft New Policy [pdf]

Please provide your questions, comments and suggestions related to the draft Policy to: mobiledevicepolicy@tdsb.on.ca by December 10, 2024.

TDSB School Year Calendar