TDSB Trustee Anu Sriskandarajah
Toronto District School Board Updates
I hope you all had a restful break with family and friends. I wish you love, happiness and light for 2023!
Addressing School Safety
Student and school safety is an urgent priority for staff, students, families and community members, and the TDSB will continue to invest resources in it. The board is taking a number of different steps to improve school safety, including the hiring of additional staff, creating a Safe Schools Audit Team, and forming an Expert Table Reference Group with representation from service providers across the city.
Reducing Spread of Respiratory Illness
Recently, there has been an increase in respiratory viruses among children, including RSV, influenza and COVID-19. View this important message from Toronto Public Health tdsb.on.ca/Home/ctl/Details/mid/42863/itemId/42 about the steps that can be taken to help keep children and others safe. Toronto Public Health and Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health strongly recommend wearing a well-fitted mask in indoor public settings. The TDSB continues to provide medical masks to staff and students who want to wear one.
Inclement Weather
With our cold Canadian winter comes snow, ice and severe weather. It is sometimes necessary to cancel student transportation, classes and/or programs. Visit tdsb.on.ca to learn more about Snow/Cold Weather and the Procedure for Severe Weather.
Middle French Immersion
The entry point to the Middle French Immersion program for September 2023 is Grade 4. The online application process for this program will take place between January 9 and February 3. An offer of placement in the program (not a specific school) is guaranteed to all on-time applicants. 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.
Outdoor Education
We are committed to outdoor education and offer students “beyond the classroom” learning experiences that connect them to the natural world. Learn more and view a video on the Outdoor Education webpage at tdsb.on.ca
TCDSB Trustee Garry Tanuan
A blessed New Year to one and all! Our TCDSB schools were quite busy throughout the month of December with the return of in-person Advent Masses, Christmas concerts, and Markets! We hope you and your family had the opportunity to rest and enjoy time with loved ones and that the spirit of the season will continue and give us strength and inspiration for the work ahead.
Kindergarten Registration
Registration for the 2023-24 school year opens on Wednesday, January 25 at 10 a.m. Children born in 2019 are eligible to register for Kindergarten in 2023. For more information and to register, go to: tcdsb.org/page/kindergartenregistration
Inclement Weather Protocol
If buses are cancelled and schools are closed: The decision to close schools (which would include childcare centres and Extended Day Programs) will be determined by the TCDSB and TDSB by 6 a.m. in order for families to make other arrangements. Updates will be posted on our website tcdsb.org and Twitter as well. https://busplannerweb.torontoschoolbus.org/Cancellations.aspx
Viola Desmond Awards
Nominations are now open for high school students who self-identify as Black women. The deadline to submit a nomination is January 16. Full details here: https://www.torontomu.ca/equity/events-awards/viola-desmond-awards-bursaryprogram/award-criteria-nomination-process/
Senior Boys Volleyball
Congratulations to the Senior Boys Volleyball team for representing Francis Libermann Catholic High School at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championship in Huntsville and earning the title of Consolation Champions.
Get Involved!
The Catholic Parent Involvement Committee (CPIC) is a provincially mandated and funded committee of the school board that supports student academic achievement through increased parent involvement. The more active a parent is in their child’s school, the higher the student performs in academic achievement, enhanced social skills, and better attendance. https://www.tcdsb.org/page/catholic-parent-involvement-committee
Questions? Contact: Trustee Garry Tanuan 416-512-3408 or 416-222-8282 ext. 2659 (Constituency Officer: Ida Serpe)