TDSB Trustee Anu Sriskandarajah
Welcome back to school!
I hope everyone had a restful, safe and enjoyable summer. I would like to take a moment to recognize and commend all your efforts in making our previous school year run as smoothly as possible considering our current reality. Balancing both work, home life and virtual learning is no easy task! Even if you do not have students in the school board, keeping our schools safe is a collective effort. Minimizing community spread means more chances for our schools to remain open!
Although I am excited about the return to school, I am also cautiously optimistic. We are still in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. As such, I ask our community to continue to practice caution and flexibility. Although we all desire more stability and predictability, plans will continue to evolve and conditions can change plans at a moment’s notice, as we all experienced last year. We ask our parents and community members for patience as we strive for the safest school experience we can provide for our students with the resources we have been given.
Last but not least, a special thank you to our teachers, custodial staff, and other support staff who have worked through these strange times. We are inspired by our teachers, who have demonstrated great flexibility this year, many of whom had to go beyond their comfort zones by transitioning to online learning. You have shown our students the importance of adaptability and resilience in the face of adversity. We hope this year will be less taxing on everyone.
Ventilation
Enhancing ventilation is one measure we are employing to minimize the spread of COVID-19. In addition to ensuring all HVAC systems are operating efficiently, the TDSB is placing HEPA filters in every classroom. Filters in the mechanical equipment will be changed every two months. The ventilation systems will be running two hours before school begins and two hours after school ends to maximum outside airflow. The TDSB has also created an air quality (IAQ) guideline to monitor air quality. If parents have concerns with the air quality in their child’s classroom, please work with the local principal.
Health and Safety during COVID
Enhanced health and safety measures will continue to be of great importance. Some of the areas of focus will be the following:
- Encouraging vaccinations for students over 12 years old and staff
- Daily screening for COVID-19 symptoms
- Mandatory masks for all students and staff
- Practicing proper hygiene (signage about hand washing and proper respiratory etiquette; providing alcohol-based sanitizers throughout the school and at entry and exit points).
Enhancing cleaning (enhanced cleaning of high-touch surfaces, including light switches, handrails and door handles
TCDSB Trustee Garry Tanuan
Welcome to a new school year!
A new school year, a fresh new start! Welcome back students, parents and guardians to a school year that promises to reveal some of the fun and familiar activities we’ve missed. The first day of school for all elementary and secondary students is September 9. For the full school year calendar, visit www.tcdsb.org.
Ice Cream Fun Day
On July 28, the MEDD campers at St. Dominic Savio were treated to their very own ice cream visit. The event was a big success with the MEDD students, as well as the staff. A big thank you to the principals and superintendents for their support. I was thrilled to be an integral part of this special day.
2021 Top Scholar for Ward 8
Kaniga Pirabagaran, a graduate of St. Mother Teresa Catholic Academy (SMTCA) achieved a 98.33 percent average. Kaniga will be attending the University of Toronto, Scarborough (UTSC) this fall for the Physical and Environmental Sciences program. Congratulations Kaniga on your awesome academic achievement as one of the distinguished 2021 TCDSB Top Scholars.
Student Transportation
There have been a number of changes to student transportation since the onset of COVID-19. Check out the link at www.tcdsb.org for the latest information and to assist in answering questions. This page will be updated as required.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the latest information about the 2021-2022 school year, visit our website at: www.tcdsb.org
Questions? Contact Trustee Garry Tanuan 416-512-3408 or 416-222-8282 ext. 2659 (Constituency Officer Ida Serpe)