Re: 2020-2021 Elementary Reporting: June Communication with Families

Dear Central Park Families:

We hope this correspondence finds you and your family well.

Your child’s Term 2 Elementary Report Card report will be distributed electronically with instructions on how to access the report between July 5 - 8, using their GAPPS accounts.

The Elementary Report Card, provides you with information about your child’s general progress in working toward the achievement of the curriculum expectations across subject areas. The report card grade represents a student’s achievement of overall curriculum expectations, as demonstrated to this point in time.

For all Report Reports, our board will include the following statement: “This reporting period reflects learning that has occurred in a modified learning environment, as required by the provincial public health guidelines.”

We hope that this report will encourage your child while supporting conversations about learning at home.

Summer Programs and Resources

Welcome to Summer!

Please visit 2021 Online Summer Program Opportunities for Children, Youth and Families.

You will find a list of programs organized by category and age group. We encourage you to check the link regularly as the Community and Partnership Developer Team will be making regular updates to available programs and resources.

Also check out the Community Resources Page for other important information regarding mental health, financial, legal and other supports.

The following Community and Partnership Developer staff will be available throughout the summer to support families with information and resources they might need. These staff members can be reached by email or phone:

Oksana Majaski oksana.majaski@yrdsb.ca 416-568-2252
Yasmin Mawani yasmin.mawani@yrdsb.ca 416-727-8179
Yvonne Kelly yvonne.kelly@yrdsb.ca 416-697-4208
Patti O’Sullivan patti.osullivan@yrdsb.ca 905-252-0597
Shani Blake shani.blake@yrdsb.ca 416-554-0362

Re: Student Material Return and Retrieval Process

All EVS and F2F students and families may now arrange to safely return items that belong to the YRDSB and pick up items they left at school on June 25 and 28. If you are not participating in a YRDSB summer school program, you must return all YRDSB technology (e.g., laptop, chromebook, etc.) to your home school. Students are also expected to return all school items including textbooks, school library books, musical instruments and anything else that is property of the YRDSB. Please ensure that items are placed in a bag that is clearly labeled with your child's name and grade.

Students & families will follow the schedule outlined below:

Friday,June 25th 8:30am-12:00pm - Last name A-L

12:00pm-3:30pm - Last name M-Z

Monday, June 28th 8:30am-12:00pm - Last name M-Z

12:00pm-3:30pm - Last name A-L

Guidelines for Visit

• Visits to the school must be conducted within the Public Health Guidelines and will include; physical distancing, single entry/exit point and use of hand sanitization. Further, a self-screening must be conducted prior to entering the building.

• Elementary students, a parent/guardian is to retrieve materials with your child (gr. 7/8s may attend alone)

• Ensure you know your child’s homeroom, teacher’s name and/or locker number/combination

• No additional family members, particularly children, will be allowed to enter the building

• No access to washrooms or drinking fountains

• If your child has medication at the school, it will be bagged, labeled and available for pick up.

• Desks, lockers and any other individual spaces must be cleared out, as all remaining items will be discarded. Lockers should be left open, and school locks may remain

• Family members/students will be told where to return items (one central drop off for secondary, homeroom class for elementary). There will be no walking to other rooms
  

Our goal is to provide a safe and supportive process to allow for the retrieval of materials and return of school property. We appreciate cooperation as we facilitate a safe and organized process.

Sincerely,

David Valentim
Principal

EVS/F2F Student Materials RetURN and Retrieval - June 25 & 28

• These days have been set aside for all EVS and F2F students to drop off borrowed technology and textbooks. It is imperative that all technology and paraphernalia (ex. adapters and WiFi supports) be returned to ensure that Central Park P.S. has resources available for a full return to school in September. We appreciate your cooperation in providing a prompt return of all materials.

• Prior to the shutdown students were asked to take all personal items home; however, in the event that items have been left at the school please call the office in advance if you are requesting access to the building.

A SWITCH TO PROVINCIAL COVID SCREENING TOOL

Effective immediately, all students and staff are required to complete the Provincial COVID screening tool. If you select “Yes” to any of the screening questions, the student/ child/staff/essential visitor should stay home (do not go to school or child care)

YRDSB Survey for Families and Students

Dear Families,

The York Region District School Board is conducting two surveys to collect feedback from students and families across the system to understand their experiences at school. The deadline to complete the survey has been extended until June 29, 2021. There is one survey for students and one for families.

If you have already completed the survey, thank you for providing your feedback, and please disregard this email.

Survey for Students

All students in Grades 7 to 12 are invited to participate in this online survey to be completed at their convenience.

• The survey is voluntary and will take about 15-20 minutes to complete.

• The survey is anonymous and individual responses will be kept in strict accordance with all relevant legislation.

• Individuals will not be identified in any reports resulting from this survey.

• Students may skip questions they do not wish to answer.

• Students in Grade 7-12 have received an invitation to their GAPPS account to complete the survey.

Survey for Families

All parents and guardians of students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 are invited to participate in the survey for families.

• The survey is voluntary and will take about 15-20 minutes to complete.

• The survey is anonymous and individual responses will be kept in strict accordance with all relevant legislation.

• Individuals will not be identified in any reports or presentations resulting from this survey. ● Students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 are invited to complete the family survey with their parents/guardians.

Parents and guardians can access the english survey here.

Translated versions of the survey are available below.

• Arabic

• Chinese (simplified)

• Chinese (traditional)

• Farsi

• Gujarati

• Hebrew

• Korean

• Punjabi

• Russian

• Tamil

• Turkish

• Urdu

• Vietnamese

Survey for Students in Grades 7 to 12

All students in Grades 7 to 12 are invited to participate in this online survey to be completed at their convenience.

• The survey is voluntary and will take about 15-20 minutes to complete.

• The information students provide will be anonymous and individual responses will be kept in strict accordance with all relevant legislation.

• Individuals will not be identified in any reports resulting from this survey.

• Students may skip questions they do not want to answer.

Students can access the survey here.

Thank you for your support.

New to Central Park's Kindergarten Program

Dear Central Park Kindergarten Families,

Thank you for joining us at our Discover Kindergarten Event and for inviting us into your lives! It was wonderful to meet you and your child. If you were unable to attend, please know that we look forward to meeting you and your child in September. We would like to offer some additional resources to support your child’s transition to school.

Learning Through Play Happens At Home, Too!

We are excited to share the Learning Through Play at Home digital resource with you. This resource contains a variety of play-based learning experiences that you and your child may wish to try at home over the coming months. These experiences will help your child build a sense of joy and familiarity with learning through play.

Playful Learning in Kindergarten Digital Picture Book

Playful Learning in Kindergarten is a digital picture book for families and children that highlights how children can learn through play. To find information about the learning that happens during purposeful play, look for the "Did You Know?" headings throughout the book. Over the coming months, reading and re-reading this book with your child can help them become excited about kindergarten.

Staying Connected With Us

For more information about the Kindergarten Program, please visit the YRDSB website.

You can also stay connected by visiting our school website, Twitter @CPPSMarkham, or follow @YRDSB on Twitter and @yrdsb.schools on Instagram. If you have additional questions, please contact us using our school email central.park.ps@yrdsb.ca.

We can’t wait to see you in September.

Sincerely,

The Central Park Kindergarten Team

Help Central Park in Planning for the 2021-22 School Year

While we don’t yet know all the details regarding school operations for the Fall, our school has begun planning for 2021- 2022. In many respects, the work we do now is especially important, because our accuracy with anticipated enrollment helps us better plan, and optimistically, minimizes the need to move students across classes (‘reorganize’) in September.

Expectedly, the current situation presents some significant challenges. With the physical building closed, we may have less direct contact with prospective families inquiring at the school. Similarly, parents may be unsure how to contact the school to inquire about registration-related questions. We would ask our community for its help!

First and foremost, for all Face to Face and EVS families, if you know you will be moving out of the area in the months ahead or you know your child will be attending a different school, please let the office know as soon as possible, to help us be accurate with our enrollment estimates. Similarly, if you have a child who will be joining us at the school for the first time in junior kindergarten (or any other grade) and have yet to register, we would ask you to do so at your earliest convenience. And if you meet someone moving into the community, or have a neighbour with kindergarten-aged children, please encourage them to register sooner rather than later! To update any information or get the registration process started, simply email central.park.ps@yrdsb.ca.

This year presents some unique challenges for us in preparing for next year, so we thank everyone in our community in advance for their support with our school planning.

Families Invited to Provide Input into YRDSB Budget

York Region District School Board is inviting all families to participate in the annual budget consultation process. Fill out the online 10 minute survey by Thursday, April 29, 2021 or take part in a virtual consultation on Monday, April 26 at 7:00 p.m.. More information on how to join the virtual consultation is available on the YRDSB website.

The results of the consultation will be used to inform the 2021-22 school year budget allocation. Questions regarding the budget process may be directed to Budget20212022@yrdsb.ca.

Visit the New YRDSB Website

YRDSB has refreshed its Board website to make it easier for families to find the important information they are looking for at www.yrdsb.ca.

The new website has been designed to be mobile friendly, translatable, accessible, searchable, easy to navigate and to better reflect York Region District School Board and our community. This includes:

• Built-in translation tool

• Enhanced search capabilities

• Built-in accessibility features to meet accessibility legislation

• Revised navigation based on user testing, website analytics and research

• Quick access to six of our most accessed pages, including school calendars and school transportation information.

The new website also includes:

• Family Resources that provides quick access to online tools like Edsby, Google Classroom and School Cash Online, as well as links to information about translation tools, IT support for families and more. Use the “need help” button to access tips and support in using these tools.

• Updated Online Student Tools pages provide quick access to students to online learning platforms and resources to help with homework. Use the “need help” button to access tips and support in using these tools.

• An enhanced Newsroom with access to the latest news, events and videos so you can find out what’s happening around our Board.

• Easy access to information about supports for students, elementary school and secondary school programs, adult learning opportunities and more.

Information about COVID-19 and schools, including updated information, screening tools and frequently asked questions can still be found at www.yrdsb.ca/school-reopening.

We hope that the website makes it easier for families to find and access the information you are looking for. When you visit the new website, please take the time to share your feedback, so we can continue to ensure our website meets the needs of the community we serve.

Central Park P.S.
SCHOLASTIC VIRTUAL BOOK FAIR

March 29th to April 9th

When it’s time to shop, visit our school’s Virtual Book Fair

site using this link:

[ CENTRAL PARK VIRTUAL BOOK FAIR LINK ]

Reporting Student Absences and Lates AT CENTRAL PARK P.S.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are pleased to let you know that we are implementing a new telephone attendance reporting system, iNFORM, effective immediately. This is in addition to the online absence reporting already available through Edsby.

Regular and punctual attendance affects school success and is expected of all students. You are responsible for notifying the school before 8:45 a.m. if your child will be absent or late. We have a safe arrivals program so that we can account for the whereabouts of absent students if the absence has not been reported prior to our starting bell time.

To enhance our safe arrivals system, this new telephone system will reduce the time it takes to verify student attendance. It will also confirm student absences that have not been verified by automatically calling you.

If your child is going to be absent or late you now have two options. Please let us know before 8:45 a.m. by either:

1. Calling the schools main phone line at 905-940-1444 and select the option ‘To report a student absence or late’

OR

2. Logging in to Edsby and using the “Report an Absence” feature. For more information on reporting your child’s attendance through Edsby, please see the online video tutorial to learn more (bit.ly/edsbyabsence).

Long-term absences or absences beyond the following day can be reported through the new telephone absence reporting system, Edsby or by contacting the school. If your child will miss more than 5 consecutive days of school, you must complete the Request for Vacation Form available through the school.

Thank you for your cooperation as we continue to ensure the safety of our students. Please feel free to contact us with any further questions.

We thank you for your continued partnership.

February 2021 – Trustee Greetings for School Newsletters

Message from Our Trustee

Dear families,

I hope that you and your families are healthy and doing well. I want to thank all of our students, families and staff members for their flexibility, patience and perseverance during the school closures. We understand that the pandemic is creating challenges and hardships, and we will continue to prioritize and do our very best to support the well-being, learning and achievement of our students during these difficult times.

There are resources on the Board website that students and families may find helpful, including tips for speaking with your child about COVID-19, support using technology, community and mental health resources and more at www.yrdsb.ca/school-reopening.

One of our priorities as a Board of Trustees is to Champion Equity and Inclusivity: we aim to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to remove barriers in support of all learners.

Anti-Black Racism

We want each and every one of our students to know that they are valued, welcome, safe and respected in our schools. We know that sadly that is not the reality for some students and that incidents of anti-Black racism continue to occur in our community and our schools. These incidents cause pain, make our students feel unsafe and affect their well-being and achievement. This is not acceptable.

In the coming weeks, we will be sharing information and inviting you to participate in the Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Strategy: Creating anti-racist and Black affirming learning and working environments virtual event. During this event we will be unveiling our Anti-Black Racism Strategy, which was developed in coordination with families, students, community partners, educators and members of our senior leadership team. The strategy was developed in response to continued evidence of anti-Black racism, and it will be a critical tool to support positive change in the system and to improve the experiences of Black students and staff.

A series of training sessions, webinars and opportunities for learning will also be made available. Future communication will provide registration options.

I want to thank the members of the Anti-Black Racism Committee for generously giving their time, sharing their difficult experiences and their voice. We are committed to ensuring that this strategy is more than a piece of paper and are committed to doing the work to create more equitable learning environments.

I also want to acknowledge that February is Black History Month, and while we take this opportunity to highlight and celebrate the incredible contributions made by Black Canadians, we will also be looking forward to launching our Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Strategy. We will also be continuing our celebration of Black excellence in our community and I encourage you to take the time to read the stories of some of the inspiring individuals learning and working here in York Region.

We all have a role to play in creating a community that enables everyone in it to thrive, and in doing this work, we will create a more inclusive and positive environment for all of our students and families.

Elementary ‘Thoughtexchange’ on Current Learning Environments

Dear Families,

Thank you for your ongoing support this school year as we continue to adjust to changing circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The York Region District School Board is committed to ensuring our students continue to have effective teaching and learning through access to technology, resources and engaging learning experiences and environments.

To further support students and families, the Board will continue to gather parent/guardian and student feedback on learning environments. We want to hear from elementary families and students to better understand best practices and suggestions for student learning and well-being support.

We are using an online tool called Thoughtexchange to invite meaningful feedback from our students and families. Parents and guardians of elementary students are encouraged to support their children in responding to the Thoughtexchange. The current Thoughtexchange asks families and students:

What successes have you/your child experienced this school year?

What supports do you feel will increase your/your child’s learning and engagement experiences?

Please provide any comments or suggestions you feel may help us when considering the improvement of your/your child’s learning experiences.

To participate and learn more, please visit the YRDSB website. This opportunity closes on February 8 at 11:59 p.m.

Please visit www.yrdsb.ca/covid19 for school board information and www.york.ca/coronavirus for Public Health information.

Thank you again for your ongoing support.

Wellness Resources for Families

We’d like to share a variety of wellness-related resources with families in our community.

A wide range of parent and guardian workshops are available through York Hills Centre for Children, Youth and Families, with topics including:

• Navigating and Accessing Mental Health Services in York Region,

• Conscious Parenting – Raising Teens,

• Triple P Seminars – The Power of Positive Parenting,

• Navigating Experiences of Grief and Loss,

• Understanding and Managing Challenging Behaviours,

• And Many More …

As well, many virtual offerings are being made available through Family Services of York Region, including language-specific Positive Parenting Programs in Cantonese, Mandarin and Farsi. Other programs include emotional and interpersonal skills development for teens, women’s support groups (including language-specific groups) and groups for adults on mindfulness and stress reduction.

Lastly, Kinark Child and Youth Services provide updated resources for children, youth and families during the pandemic.

We wish everyone in our community safety and good health. We thank you for your ongoing support of the school.

other info

• News and events calendar from Community Living York South

• See the Get Support Learners for information regarding a one- time payment. Due February 8, 2021.

• Special Olympics Stay at Home Activities

• Click this link https://sohealthyathome.ca/to find activities!

NOW OPEN!

Edsby Parent/Teacher Interview Scheduler

Parents should receive a communication through Edsby indicating that the Interview Scheduler is now open for bookings. It is important to note that you will only be able to book an interview time if you have signed up for Edsby. If you have problems please contact the school for assistance.