~from the TDSB web:
Italian Heritage Month is recognized proudly during the month of June at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). The TDSB passed a motion to recognize Italian Heritage Month in June in May 2012. This year the theme of Italian Heritage Month is Made in Italy.
The Province of Ontario also celebrates Italian Heritage Month since June 2010 when the Italian Heritage Month Act (link: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/10i17) was passed. As stated in the Italian Heritage Act, 2010, “Ontario is home to more than 1,350,000 Italian Canadians. Since the 1880s, the Italian Canadian community has made and continues to make significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of the Province of Ontario.”
In keeping with our theme, Made in Italy, we are pleased to share a calendar with you (attached) that includes two chef-led online cooking classes. Let's learn how to make a delicious Italian meal with Chefs Vanessa Gianfrancesco on June 11, 2021 from 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm and Antonietta Ferretti on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, at 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm. (Please see the attached calendar for registration details).
The calendar also provides daily quotes and provides information regarding an interview with former Toronto District School Board student and celebrity actor Frank Crudele. As an accomplished actor Frank Crudele has worked with several exceptional Directors including Martin Scorsese and held many countless roles including those for feature film (cinema), film (TV series) and film (TV film). His characters are those of leads, supporting actor/leads amongst other proficient contributions.
A powerpoint on Italian Heritage Month is currently being created that will provide information on the Italian heritage that highlights notable individuals, facts, items “Made in Italy” and an overall understanding of Italian customs and traditions! Enjoy!
Please follow us on twitter TDSB_ItalianHeritage
TDSB Professional Library: June - Italian Heritage Month Guide
Video Interview with Actor, Frank Crudele (To follow)
Italian Heritage Month Powerpoint (To follow)
Posters (To follow)
Videos (To follow)
~from the TDSB web:
Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Month is proudly recognized during the month of June at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) for the past 10 years since 2011. The Province of Ontario passed the Celebration of Portuguese Heritage Act in 2001 (Link: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/01c22) and this year marks the 20th anniversary of this Act. This year our theme is Esperança! / Hope! The attached poster was created to reflect this theme.
The contributions of the Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Community to Canada are significant as they include the arts, sports, music, culinary arts, and many professional contributions to educational and medical service areas. Canadians, along with all TDSB students, staff, and its communities and beyond all enjoy the energetic and vibrant traditions that are shared through the customs of this heritage. Over 1,400 TDSB students speak Portuguese as their mother tongue or as a primary language. Internationally, there are 250 million Portuguese-speaking people worldwide, making it the fifth-most spoken language.
We are inviting all TDSB community, students, and staff to join our Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Month virtual launch to celebrate the culture and tradition that this heritage brings.
Join us for an extraordinary hour filled with prominent guests, information and celebration on Thursday, June 10 at 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm LIVE STREAM. Here is the URL:
https://www.tdsb.on.ca/stream/LiveWebcast-PortugueseHeritageMonth.html
A PowerPoint on Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Month, is currently being created (to be shared shortly on the TDSB website). Each of the 10 countries in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), will have a dedicated slide highlighting a citizen who has affected change and inspired hope in their country.
· Poster
· Quotes
· TDSB Professional Library: June - Portuguese Speaking Heritage Month Guide
· PowerPoint (to follow)
· Poster Slide Presentation (to follow)
· Photography Slide Presentation (to follow)
· PSHM Virtual Launch Celebration – June 10th Link (to follow)
Celebrated every June, National Indigenous History Month is a time when Canadians honour the history, heritage and diversity of First Nation, Inuit and Métis peoples, and recognize the strength of Indigenous communities. The Urban Indigenous Education Centre (UIEC) is hosting a number of amazing events for students and staff. Join Indigenous artists and Elders in panel discussions, performances and film screenings discussing Indigenous art, cultures and identities. The full calendar of events will be available on the UIEC's Resources Site.
In December 2014, the Board passed a motion, Effects of Residential Schools on Aboriginal Communities, directing the Director to “convene a committee of curriculum experts to determine a way for students to graduate with a significant knowledge of the effects of residential schools on Aboriginal communities.”
Indigenous Education remains one of the strategic drivers behind the Board's budget. And the Urban Indigenous Education Centre's (UIEC) mandate is to offer a variety of services with the goal of closing the opportunity gap for Indigenous students. This mandate is approached by infusing Indigenous perspectives across the curriculum for all students as well as by providing direct wrap-around supports to enhance the overall achievement of First Nation, Métis and Inuit students throughout the TDSB.
As the Truth & Reconciliation Commission reported, over 130 residential schools were located across the country, and the last school closed in 1996. These government-funded, church-run schools were set up to eliminate parental involvement in the intellectual, cultural, and spiritual development of Aboriginal children. During this era, more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were placed in these schools often against their parents' wishes. Many were forbidden to speak their language and practice their own culture. While there is an estimated 80,000 former students living today, the ongoing impact of residential schools has been felt throughout generations...
Last Thursday, the discovery of 215 bodies of children buried at the Kamloops Indian Residential School was announced by the chief of the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation. Rosanne Casimir, called the discovery an “unthinkable loss that was spoken about but never documented at the Kamloops Indian Residential School”.
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights recognizes that the colonial experience in Canada, from first contact to the present, constitutes genocide against Indigenous peoples. The Indian residential school system was one key component of this genocide.
As we mourn these children, let us redouble our efforts to ensure genocide education is part of compulsory education in Ontario and continue to support the UIEC's mandate.
The TDSB flags will be at half-mast in honour of the 215 children whose remains were uncovered in a mass unmarked grave in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc. As we continue the work, there cannot be reconciliation without truth.
Please see this link for resources curated by the TDSB's Urban Indigenous Education Centre (UIEC)
Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Month is proudly recognized during the month of June at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) for the past 10 years since 2011. The Province of Ontario passed the Celebration of Portuguese Heritage Act in 2001 (Link: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/01c22) and this year marks the 20th anniversary of this Act. This year our theme is Esperança! / Hope! The attached poster was created to reflect this theme.
The contributions of the Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Community to Canada are significant as they include the arts, sports, music, culinary arts, and many professional contributions to educational and medical service areas. Canadians, along with all TDSB students, staff, and its communities and beyond all enjoy the energetic and vibrant traditions that are shared through the customs of this heritage. Over 1,400 TDSB students speak Portuguese as their mother tongue or as a primary language. Internationally, there are 250 million Portuguese-speaking people worldwide, making it the fifth-most spoken language.
We are inviting all TDSB community, students, and staff to join our Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Month virtual launch to celebrate the culture and tradition that this heritage brings.
Join us for an extraordinary hour filled with prominent guests, information and celebration on Thursday, June 10 at 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
A PowerPoint on Portuguese-Speaking Heritage Month, is currently being created (to be shared shortly on the TDSB website). Each of the 10 countries in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), will have a dedicated slide highlighting a citizen who has affected change and inspired hope in their country.
PowerPoint (to follow)
Poster Slide Presentation (to follow)
Photography Slide Presentation (to follow)
PSHM Virtual Launch Celebration – June 10th Link (to follow)
June is Pride Month 2021 at the TDSB! It’s an opportunity to celebrate diversity and raise awareness among all staff and students about the rich culture and history of our 2SLGBTQ+ community. TDSB school communities are encouraged to hold intentional sessions with their students about issues related to 2SLGBTQ+ communities as well as the impact of homophobia, transphobia and biphobia on TDSB students, staff and community members.
Here are some of the things we’re doing at the TDSB to recognize Pride Month 2021:
Two Spirit Indigiqueer Pride - June 16-22, 2021
Sharing curriculum resources with all schools: please visit Gender Based Violence Prevention Links and Resources and the TDSB Urban Indigenous Education Centre to learn more about how to respectfully and intentionally honour 2-Spirit identities and how to best cultivate transformative, healthy and equitable learning spaces at their school in solidarity with Indigenous sovereignty movements.
The TDSB's Professional Library has pulled together a list of resources to celebrate Pride, including an 2SLGBTQ+ Resource Guide https://tdsb-on-ca.libguides.com/LGBTQ2S
Virtual raising the Pride flag at 5050 Yonge (Details to follow)
Participating in the city’s Virtual Toronto PRIDE 2021 Parade on Sunday, June 27th– Everyone is welcome!
Please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/pride to learn more about these activities and find out how you can get involved.
For additional support and resources for 2SLGBTQ+ youth needing a safer space, community, flexibility, and/or a curriculum that reflects who they are, and are disengaged please connect with The Triangle Program http://triangleprogram.ca/.
The Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement hosted a virtual event on June 1 to celebrate the launch of the Centre. The new Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement is the first of its kind in public education in Canada. The Centre was established, with the explicit mandate, to dismantle anti-Black racism within the Toronto District School Board and to improve the experiences and academic outcomes for self-identifying African, Afro-Caribbean and Black students (ACB) while actively engaging with their families and the wider community.
Registration for Parent/Caregivers Focus Group - Parents/care-givers of African, Afro-Caribbean, and Black Canadians (ACB) students are invited to participate in a focus group. The purpose of the focus group sessions is to engage ACB families in grounding the mandates of the Centre. These conversations will also serve as the starting point to discuss how ACB parents and caregivers, and Non-Black families raising Black children can have opportunities to contribute and participate in meaningful ways.
The focus group sessions will begin on Monday, June 14, 2021 at 4pm.
Register on or before Sunday, June 13th, 2021
To learn more follow @tdsb_cebsa on Twitter and please sign-up for the mailing list
The Human Rights office is looking to better understand the experiences of staff from Indigenous and equity-seeking groups when it comes to human rights in the workplace.
Have you experienced or witnessed discrimination or harassment at TDSB?
Do you feel you are supported in interrupting and addressing human rights concerns?
How can the system better support you in feeling safe and supported at work?
Join one or more community staff forums to share your thoughts! Forums are open to any staff that self-identifies with the identities listed:
Racialized Staff ( Will include a breakout room for Black Staff)
June 8, 2021
4pm-6pm
Register here
Staff with Disabilities
June 10, 2021
4pm-6pm
Register here
2SLGBTQ+ Staff
June 15, 2021
4pm-6pm
Register here
First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Staff (in Collaboration with UIEC)
Date and Time TBD
The Toronto District School Board is committed to developing opportunities for our wider school community to connect and engage in conversations about education issues. Meetings will be broadcasted live to the public. Click HERE at the start time to view.
Please note that Virtual School administrative team directories are available online and are updated on an ongoing basis. A number of new staff have been welcomed to the teams this week. Please continue to refer to the links shared below for the latest directories:
Learning Centre 1 Virtual Elementary School
Learning Centre 2 Virtual Elementary School
Learning Centre 3 Virtual Elementary School
Thanks Mike Murphy & Tracey Allan @ West Rouge Junior Public School for the Board vendor & product information:
Vendor: Flag Shop 16367
Most commonly ordered item: Pride Flag with strips and Black triangle (inclusive) 3x6
The Toronto District School Board is now accepting applications for the positions of Student Trustees for the 2021-22 school year (two positions available).
Student Trustees represent the voice of approximately 247,000 students in the Toronto District School Board. They are elected members of the Board of Trustees and sit alongside the adult Trustees at board and committee meetings and act as a link to students, the Board and school communities. Student Trustees are members of the Student Senate and work closely with Student Senate Executives and school communities to empower and promote student voice and engagement across the district.
Applications close: Tuesday, May 25, 2021
View Candidates and Campaign Videos: June 21 - 24, 2021
Voting Day (Online): Thursday, June 24, 2021
Please note that due to the impact of COVID-19, Student Senate Elections will be held separately in the Fall. For more information, please visit the webpage for Student Trustees Election
Please note: The health and well-being of TDSB students, staff and families is our top priority. Given the unpredictability of what the status of the COVID-19 pandemic will be in the summer and the need to begin planning well before that time, the decision has been made to offer all Summer Programs fully remote (online) for summer 2021. While registration was originally supposed to open with both hybrid and remote (online) classes available, we have decided to offer all classes online only due to the current circumstances with COVID-19.
Elementary: Registration is online. Most classes run for 3 hours from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., please contact the specific school for more information. Full day programs are running from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Alexander Sterling PS, Flemington PS, Rose Avenue JPS and Yorkwoods PS.
Secondary: Registration for continuing education summer credit programs will open today, Monday, May 3,2021 at 9:00 a.m. Prior to the May 3rd registration date, students will not be able to register. ~More information
Regulation 304 requires that there be a minimum of 194 school days between 1 September and 30 June, including a maximum of ten examination days for secondary schools and a maximum of seven Professional Activity (PA) days. It also establishes the dates for the Christmas Break and the Mid-Winter Break. The following dates have been proposed by staff - they still need to be approved by the Board and the Ministry.
PA Day (Elem/Sec): September 3
Labour Day: September 6, 2021
PA Day (Elem/Sec): September 7, 2021
PA Day (Elem/Sec): September 8, 2021
First Day of School for Students: September 9, 2021
Thanksgiving: October 11, 2021
PA Day (Elem/Sec): 19 November 2021
Winter Break: December 20, 2021 – December 31, 2021
First Day of School for Students After Break: January 3, 2022
PA Day (elem): January 14, 2022
PA Day (semestered sec schools): February 2, 2022
PA Day (elem/sec): February 18, 2022
Family Day: February 21, 2022
Mid-Winter Break: March 14 - 18, 2022
Good Friday: April 15, 2022
Easter Monday: April 18, 2022
Victoria Day: May 23, 2022
PA Day (elem): June 3, 2022
PA Day (full-year secondary schools): June 29, 2022
PA Day (sec): June 30, 2022
Parents/Guardians
You can connect directly with staff from TDSB Professional Support Services to explore ideas regarding your child or youth's mental health and well-being:
Students
Every Friday from 12-1pm, students can connect virtually with a Child and Youth Counsellor and have an opportunity to talk about their mental health, relationships, etc. Sign in with your TDSB email account on Friday’s from 12pm - 1pm
No registration required - Zoom meeting ID: 925 8258 8047 - Password: ICYC
For TDSB Mental Health and Well-Being Resources During Covid-19, please click here https://www.tdsb.on.ca/In-Person-Learning/Resources-During-Covid-19.
Ongoing - Call Out!
The equity committee is looking for submissions of real equity case scenarios. These will be (anonymously) shared during our LN meetings together. If you have an experience from your school that would be valuable for our collective learning, we welcome the submission. Please email it to my attention violet.mari@tdsb.on.ca
Submissions can be ongoing,as our committee work with happen monthly.
Thank you
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. Please see revised the Policy Review Schedule.
Human Rights Policy (P031) - Deadline: April 5, 2021 - Draft Revised Policy - Email: Anu.Sharma2@tdsb.on.ca Objective: To protect, promote and advance the human rights of all TDSB members to learn, function and work in an equitable, accessible, respectful and inclusive environment free of discrimination and harassment on the basis of the prohibited grounds of discrimination specified in this Policy and protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code. To enhance the capacity of the TDSB to meet its positive human rights obligations, including to proactively identify, address, and prevent all forms of discrimination, including individual and systemic discrimination.
Workplace Harassment Prevention for Non-Human-Rights-Code Harassment (P034) - Deadline: April 5, 2021 Draft Revised Policy - Email: Ros.Salvador@tdsb.on.ca Objective: This Policy is designed to promote a healthy, respectful and supportive work environment. It highlights conduct that may amount to non-Code workplace harassment (i.e., harassment that is not covered by the Board’s Human Rights Policy or the Human Rights Code) and outlines the system’s shared responsibility for fostering a harassment-free workplace. The goal is to prevent non-Code workplace harassment from taking place and, where necessary, to investigate and respond to instances, potential instances, and complaints of such behaviour in a fair, timely and effective manner.
Parent and Community Involvement Policy - Objective: To establish a framework for building and supporting parent and community involvement in the Toronto District School Board. We are currently reviewing P023 – Parent and Community Involvement Policy and are inviting feedback from our community as we develop the first draft of the policy. Learn more, and share your voice, at www.tdsbengage.ca
Specialized Schools and Programs Policy - Draft New Policy - Objective: Video: Improving Access for all Students: Overview of the Secondary Program Review - To affirm the Board’s commitment to providing focused specialized programming in both local schools and in district-wide specialized schools or programs, and to improving access for all students to these programs. Learn more: https://www.tdsb.on.ca/High-School/Secondary-Program-Review and Email: secondaryreview@tdsb.on.ca
Podcast: TDSB Human Library
Conversations around Equitable, Anti-Racist, and Anti-Oppressive Practice
Episode 1: NATASHA HENRY - African Canadian Experiences and the Curriculum
Episode 2: GEN LING CHANG - Understanding and Addressing Anti-Asian Racism
Episode 3: TANITIÃ MUNROE - Centering Black LGBTQ+ Students in the Classroom