TDSB Trustee Anu Sriskandarajah
TDSB will open Indigenous Learning Site
The Toronto District School Board Urban Indigenous Education Centre, with guidance from the Elders Council, will open the Boyne Natural Science School as an Indigenous Land-Based Learning site. Trustees unanimously supported the initiative.
This site is located on 308.5 acres of the Niagara Escarpment, adjacent to the Bruce Trail and the Boyne River Provincial Park. Its reopening supports the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action and supports Indigenous Education on the Land for all students, staff and Indigenous communities.
Mandatory Vaccine for Staff
The TDSB has released a COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccine Procedure for implementation. By November 1, employees, Trustees, and other individuals who have direct contact with staff or students at a TDSB workplace must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (subject to approved requests for exemptions under the Human Rights Code). Until then, those who are not vaccinated or have not disclosed their vaccination status must continue to undergo rapid antigen testing at home and provide proof of a negative result twice per week.
Virtual Mental Health Support
Professional Support Services is offering virtual drop-in hours for parents and caregivers to discuss strategies to help support the mental health and well-being of your child.
International Languages
This free online program welcomes JK to Grade 8 students to learn a language (except for English and French) for 2.5 hours a week. Learn more about International Languages: Elementary and African Heritage (ILE-AH) at tdsb.on.ca.
Daily Health Screening
Ensuring the health and safety of our students and staff is a priority and everyone plays a role. The most important thing families can do to help mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 is to screen their children daily for any COVID-19 symptoms and keep them home from school if they are sick or have had close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19. Learn more at tdsb.on.ca/healthscreening.
TCDSB Trustee Garry Tanuan
Student Award Competition
The Filipino Centre Toronto has announced the opening of the 2021 Outstanding Student Award competition for all elementary and secondary school graduates of Filipino heritage (one or both parents or grandparents should be Filipino) and residing in Ontario. The deadline to apply is December 10. See here for more information: https://www.tcdsb.org/FORSTUDENTS/OpportunitiesForStudents/Documents/Filipino-Centre-Toronto-Outstanding-Students-Award-Application-2021.pdf
TCDSB Newcomer Day
On October 28, the TCDSB presented this day as “Newcomer Day at the Toronto Catholic District School Board.” As an organization committed to the nurturing of a caring Catholic learning environment, we welcome and celebrate our newcomer students.
TCDSB schools have been busy planning activities and opportunities for our newcomers these past few weeks. To commemorate this occasion, the Board has launched a “Newcomer Video Competition.” Submissions for this contest will be accepted until Friday, November 19 at 5 p.m. There will be six cash prizes awarded. For more information on this competition visit: https://www.tcdsb.org/forcommunity/newcomers/pages/default.aspx
Newcomers are permanent residents, international students or refugees who arrived in Canada from 2016-21.
Take Our Kids to Work Day
This event will be run virtually on November 3, so students will remain in their school’s respective cohort/schedule. It is up to the individual school to decide how to best run the day. To register visit: thelearningpartnership.ca/take-our-kids-to-work.
Information and Resources
New questions focus on reorganization, rapid antigen testing, and more. www.tcdsb.org/FORSTUDENTS/back-to-school/Pages/faq.aspx
Questions? Contact: Trustee Garry Tanuan 416-512-3408 or 416-222-8282 ext. 2659 (Constituency Officer: Ida Serpe).