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Home My WebLink AboutSchool Council Update 2016/09/09 - #1School Council Newsletter September 9, 2016 WHAT'S NEW... Welcome Back I hope that you have enjoyed a wonderful summer. It was a warm start to the school year! I hope that your first few days went smoothly and look forward to a great school year. Here are some things you may be interested in. Multi-Year Plan for Student Learning and Accommodation Planning Over the next 5 years the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) will be conducting student learning and pupil accommodation reviews that will cover most geographic areas across Ottawa. This means we are reviewing our schools, programs and student enrolment to ensure we have sustainable and vibrant learning environments. There will be recommendations for change; this may include changes in grade structure at a particular school (eg. K-5 school becomes K-6), changes in program offerings (eg. adding or removing Middle or Early French Immersion), changes in school boundaries, and in some cases school closure. The Ministry of Education funds schools on a per-student basis. And in some areas of Ottawa, our OCDSB schools are operating at less than 60% capacity where others are operating at more than 100% capacity. Therefore to help keep education funds focused on student needs, we must manage the costs associated with empty space in schools. These reviews are the process that school districts must use in order to make decisions about school accommodation planning including school closures. This month, the first two reviews will begin; the Western Area review and the Eastern Secondary review. The Western Area review, includes Bell, Merivale, Sir Robert Borden and Woodroffe Secondary Schools and the 22 elementary schools which feed into those high schools; and the Eastern Secondary Review, which includes Gloucester, Colonel By and Rideau High Schools. These areas were chosen due to the accommodation pressures and school utilization rates and the opportunities to enhance student learning and consolidate excess pupil space by September 2017. This week, staff presented a report on each review area. That report included a recommended plan for change. Parents, students, staff and community members will have an opportunity to learn more about the recommended plan and to provide feedback. There will be an advisory committee made up of school council representatives in each of the review areas and two large public meetings in each review area which anyone can attend. There will be opportunities to provide feedback electronically as well. The Board of Trustees will consider all input and make a final decision in February/March 2017. We recognize that the prospect of any change and especially school closures may create anxiety and uncertainty within our parents, staff and community members. It will be important for all of us to work together in the interest of student learning to make these difficult decisions. You can learn more about our multi-year plan on our website. Next week, we will announce details about how you can share your thoughts about the reviews. School Start Times and School Bus Transportation There have been some changes to school start times and school bus routes. It takes a week or two for everyone to get used to new bus routes and schedules. If you have experienced delays, please be patient. Information about school bus transportation, including stop locations and pick up and drop off times is available from the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA). Please visit their website. School Year Calendar The 2016-2017 school year calendar is available on our website and a hard copy was distributed to students and staff this week. The highlights include School Holidays, PA Days, and District-wide Secondary Testing. School Fees All students are entitled to participate in school activities and access resources regardless of personal financial barriers. As such, school supplies, school fees, and class fees are voluntary. There are some fees for non-essential supplies/services. For additional information please review our procedure. If you require assistance with respect to fees, please contact your principal. Student Accident Insurance Creating a caring and safe environment for our students is our top priority. Unfortunately, despite all reasonable precautions being taken, accidents can still happen. Some injuries may result in medical, dental or other expenses that are not covered by provincial health care or employer group plans. As a parent/guardian, you become responsible for these expenses. After School Literacy and Numeracy Support Program for Students Grades 7 - 12 The Continuing Education Department is conducting after school Literacy & Numeracy Support Programs for students in Grades 7 - 12. The Literacy & Numeracy Programs provide assistance to students who need help in all subjects with a specific focus on English, Math, Science, and the Social Sciences. These programs are staffed by qualified Instructors. Students can drop in when it fits their schedule and the program is free. Students are required to bring their Ontario Education Number (OEN) for each session. OENs can be found at the top of the student's report card. The programs begin the week of Tuesday, September 13th. For information regarding the 10 locations, dates, and times, please visit homeworkhelpinottawa.com. For more information, call Continuing Education at (613) 239-2620. Continuing Education Newsletter Check our the new Continuing Education Newsletter for September/October 2016 here. Have a look at what is coming up this Fall. The newsletter is interactive, so please click anywhere to be linked to our website for more information on all our programs. Credit Programs - 2016 Night School Program Our Fall 2016 Night School Program will be accepting registrations until Friday, September 16, 2016. Classes run Tues/Thurs from Thursday, September 22nd to Thursday, December 15th at Adult HS. For further information, please check NightSchoolinOttawa.com or call us at 613-239-2620. Literacy/Numeracy Support Programs for Schools This program provides students in Grades 7-12 with a supervised opportunity to complete, review, practice and organize for greater success. For the 2016-2017 school year, these programs begin Tuesday, September 13, 2016. If you are interested in offering this program in your school, please check here. International Languages Program through Continuing Education Do you want your children to learn a new language or maintain your home language? Don't miss our registration Saturday, September 10, 2016. Please call 613-239-2703 or check InternationalLanguagesinOttawa.com for more details. Math Facts This fall, TVO is introducing mPower. mPower is a fun, innovative, online game-based resource that engages students in problem-solving and critical thinking through math. This free digital resource has been created throughout the design and development process in collaboration with Ontario educators and students. mPower is now ready for all K, 1 & 2 classrooms. mPower for Grade 3 to 6 is in the last stages of design and development. TVO will facilitate a provincial pilot with Grade 3 to 6 teachers and students in October 2016 to gather their perspectives and feedback. SCHOOL COUNCIL BUSINESS School Council Contact Information Each year, school council chairs and co-chairs are asked to provide their contact information (name, phone number, email address). This information is shared with trustees and superintendents and is also used to keep you up to date on school council information. Please send the following information to Susan Baker at susan.baker@ocdsb.ca - School name, chair/co-chair name(s), phone number(s), and email address(es). School Council Annual Report - Due 30 October 2016 School Councils are also required to submit to the District an annual report on its activities, including fundraising activities. The School Council Annual Report is one of many requirements included in the "School Opening Documentation" process conducted by the principal. On or before October 30, 2016, please ensure to submit your school council annual report to school principals and forward a copy to Susan Baker, 133 Greenbank Road, Ottawa, ON K2H 6L3 or by email atsusan.baker@ocdsb.ca School Council Elections The election of school council members must be held within 30 days of the start of the school year. The details about the election process are outlined in the School Council policy and in the school council elections procedure. The election of officers (Chair, Co-chair, Secretary, Treasurer) happens after the members of council have been duly elected. Don't forget to review your school council constitution for specific provisions with respect to your school. Please send us an updated list of school council contact information after your elections. Year-end reporting of School Generated Funds - Due 21 September 2016 The provincial government requires that school council financial activities be included in the school board's year-end financial statements. A letter will be sent to each School Council Chair through the School Principal explaining the reporting process and the form to be completed. Please ensure that the form is completed and returned by email to lynn.mccarville@ocdsb.ca no later than 21 September 2016. In cases where your school council's banking arrangements are administered by the school, the school council is not required to provide this information because the school's annual report would cover these requirements; however, please advise Lynn McCarville atlynn.mccarville@ocdsb.ca if your school council is in this category. Ottawa-Carleton Assembly of School Councils (OCASC) OCASC is s an umbrella organisation for school councils and parents in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) to share information and facilitate communication within the OCDSB communities to enhance the education of all its students. OCASC meets monthly on the third Thursday of the month at Fisher Park Summit School. The first meeting of this school year is September 24th. OCASC also has a meeting for secondary school councils. The Secondary Schools Committee (SSC) is an OCASC standing committee meets monthly on the 2nd Thursday at Fisher Park School Library. The SSC recognizes the needs and challenges at the secondary level are much different from those at the elementary level. BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS Meetings that Matter.... Board and Committee of the Whole Meetings The first regularly scheduled Committee of the Whole meeting of this school year was held on Wednesday, September 7th to discuss the Student Learning and Accommodation Planning Initial Reports for the Western Area and Eastern Secondary Reviews. A Special Board Meeting on the Eastern Secondary and Western Area Reviews will be held on September 13th at 7:30 p.m. in the boardroom at 133 Greenbank Road. The next Committee of the Whole will be held September 20th. The Public session begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information please read the agenda. Upcoming Committee Meetings: 9/12/2016 7:00 PM Special Education Advisory Committee PLEASE NOTE DATE 9/13/2016 7:30 PM Special Board Meeting (Eastern Secondary & Western Area Reviews) 9/14/2016 6:00 PM Parent Involvement Committee 9/15/2016 7:00 PM Ottawa Carleton Assembly of School Councils 9/19/2016 7:00 PM Alternative Schools Advisory Committee EVENTS AND REMINDERS Places to Go...Things to Remember Parent Conference 2016 and School Council Training Day We're very excited to announce that we will again be hosting the OCDSB Parent Conference. This year we will be incorporating the School Council Training Day into the Parent Conference. The conference is held in partnership with the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) and the Ottawa-Carleton Assembly of School Councils (OCASC). Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 19, 2016 from 8:30 am to 12:30 am. There will be workshops on a wide range of topics including school council finances, well-being, learning and more. A full agenda will be released in October. Everyone is welcome and the session is free. We will be asking for all to register in advance to help us with our planning. Speaker Series 2015/2016 We will be holding our Speaker Series again this year. Stay tuned for a list of speakers, dates and times! The presentations begin at 7:00 p.m. Stay Connected OCDSB staff, students and community members can view the District's website. Keep in touch by following us on Twitter, visiting our Facebook and LinkedIn pages, and watching our videos on YouTube. About the Newsletter We get a lot of feedback about the newsletter and we are always happy to hear from you. Anyone can receive the newsletter. If you are not on our distribution list and would like to be please clickhere or email Communications@ocdsb.ca. At this time of year there are many changes on school council, please be sure to notify us about any change of email address. Many people forward the newsletter to others in their community. If you forward this message, please delete all of the text from the "forward e-mail" link at the bottom left of the newsletter (just outside of the purple border). Otherwise, anyone who receives the message can click the opt-out button at the bottom of the newsletter and will actually unsubscribe your name from our distribution list. This may explain why some regular users are being dropped from our distribution list. Have a wonderful weekend. Michele Michele Giroux Executive Officer, Corporate Services Ottawa-Carleton District School Board 613-596-8211 ext. 8607 michele.giroux@ocdsb.ca Public Education Doing it W.E.L.L. STAY CONNECTED