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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Council Update 2016/09/30 - #4School Council Newsletter September 30, 2016 WHAT'S NEW... Today is Orange Shirt Day - a day to remember what happened to First Nations students at residential schools across Canada. Orange Shirt Day grew out of Phyllis' Story - a young student at the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) residential school who had her shiny new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the Mission. The date was chosen because it is the time of year in which children were taken from their homes to residential schools, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the coming school year. It also creates an important learning opportunity about our history and ensures that we are passing the story and our learning onto the next generations. World Teacher's Day October 5, 2016, is designated as World Teachers' Day, a day that recognizes the important role of teachers in the lives of children around the world. Teachers do amazing things in our classrooms every day and their ability to influence a life is incredible. Take a moment to reflect on a teacher that influenced your life. PA Day - October 7th Just a reminder that both Elementary and Secondary students have a PA Day October 7th. The Extended Day Programs operated by the district will not be operating on that day to allow for professional development opportunities for those employees. Supporting Student Learning There are so many things that parents can do at home to support their child's learning. Take a look at these helpful hints from the Ministry of Education abc 1,2,3 or read our booklet, Your Child's Education - Be a Part of It! Did you know it is available in many languages? This is a great resource for parents and guardians whose first language is not English. Getting ready for Post Secondary? Parents of grade 12 students - it is time to start exploring pathways beyond secondary school. There are some great resources available to help you and your child research future pathways. Think about attending one of the college or university fairs that are happening in town between October 24 and October 27. Check out the schedule for the Ottawa Region Ontario Universities Fair or visit the website. You might also want to explore eINFO - a comprehensive web resource that provides information about university programs, admission requirements, scholarships, residence and more for all 20 Ontario universities at www.electronicinfo.ca . Similarly, www.ontariocolleges.ca is a comprehensive web resource that provides information about college programs, admission requirements and more. Secondary Parents - Scholarship/Bursaries Did you know that there are many free resources available to assist you in your search for scholarships, bursaries and awards? Check out our website for more information or talk to your child's guidance counsellor for more information. Several deadlines are coming up. A few are listed below: The Horatio Alger Scholarship Program ($5000.00) is accepting applications until October 25th. TD Scholarship for Community Leadership. Apply by November 28th. The Loran Scholarship is accepting applications until October 22nd. Fire Prevention Week - October 9 through the 15th Fire Prevention Week in Canada takes place from October 9 to October 15. It is a great time to review your fire safety plan at home. Multi-Year Plan for Student Learning and Accommodation Planning Online Community Engagement and Discussion Our online consultation on the Eastern Secondary and Western Area student learning and pupil accommodation reviews are still active and we would love your input. Interested parents/guardians who want to participate can share their thoughts on the proposed plans for change - what are your concerns, what do you like about the proposals, what implementation issues should be considered? Some questions have been raised about how to share thoughts on alternate recommendations - you can do this in your response to question 1 about concerns. You can also use one of the other feedback mechanisms for this purpose - see below for information about public meetings, advisory committee meetings and email submissions. Click on one of the links below, input your email address and the feedback form will be sent to you directly. Bell High School Family of Schools - Public Consultation Forum Merivale High School Family of Schools - Public Consultation Forum Sir Robert Borden High School Family of Schools - Public consultation Forum Woodroffe High School Family of Schools - Public Consultation Forum Eastern Secondary Review (Gloucester, Rideau, Colonel By) - Public Consultation Forum Reminders: Public Meetings There are two public meetings in each of the review areas. You may want to note the dates of the first meetings on your calendar if you plan to attend. Western Area Public Meeting - October 27, 2016 - 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Sir Robert Borden Eastern Secondary Review Public Meeting - November 1, 2016 - 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Rideau Advisory Committee Meeting Dates for Both Eastern Secondary and Western Area Reviews The Advisory Committees for both review areas will meet on the following dates from 7-9 p.m. October 20, 2016 November 9, 2016 December 6, 2016 Eastern Secondary Review Advisory Committee Meetings will be held at Ottawa Technical Secondary School and the Western Area Review Advisory Committee Meetings will be held at Confederation Education Centre Email If you have questions or concerns regarding the proposed changes for the reviews, you can emaileasternsecondaryreview@ocdsb.ca or westernareareview@ocdsb.ca 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. Math Facts The Ontario Mathematics curriculum on... A Balanced Approach The Ontario Curriculum: Mathematics has been designed so that students build their understanding of mathematics as they progress from K to Grade 12. In designing lessons to help students achieve the curriculum expectations, teachers employ a balanced variety of instructional strategies including problem solving, direct instruction, investigation, assessment, and practice. An important goal of the curriculum is that students be able to apply the mathematics that they have learned in real-world situations. Find out more about the Ontario Mathematics curriculum here. You will find a variety of games, learning tools, activities, and additional supports that have been specifically designed to help students to achieve the expectations in The Ontario Curriculum: Mathematics. There is also a Parents page that will provide more information on how you can help your child to succeed in the mathematics classroom. 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). Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grants 2016-2017 The 2016-2017 funding to school councils for parent involvement activities and Parents Reaching Out (PRO) grants has been finalized. This year there were more applications and an exciting range of parent involvement activities approved by the Ministry. Congratulations to all school councils who were successful in being approved for a PRO Grant. In addition to the PRO grants, all school councils receive funding in the amount of $500. 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 at susan.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. Principal Profiles All school councils are invited to complete a principal profile for their school and the profile is requested by October 31st each year. The principal profile identifies the qualities, skills, and attributes which are a best fit for the needs of the particular school. The principal profile is a helpful tool for the district when selecting and placing principals at schools. Talk to your principal about how to get involved. School Council Constitutions Most schools will have completed their school council elections by now. As you start the year as a new school council, there are a few resources you should keep handy. Two key resources are the School Council policy and your school constitution. The school council constitution defines who you are as a school council, your membership, your operating rules, the things you value and strategies to deal with conflict. As a council, you should consult your constitution regularly. If your constitution and your practices are not aligned, it may be time for a review and update. Engaging School Councils in School Learning Plans Parent participation in the School Learning Plan (SLP) process is something that we encourage. An important part of the SLP process is reflecting on the needs and the achievement results of the students in the school so that consideration can be given to the strategies and goals which best support those needs. This is a great topic for a school council meeting. Another important way for school councils to engage in the SLP process is to review the SLP in the context of the work of the council. How does the annual workplan of the council relate to the goals in the SLP? For example, if your school SLP has a focus on numeracy, then consider planning council activities with your PRO grant money such as a school community math night or a guest speaker on math. If your council has an annual fundraising plan or provides money for school resources - are those plans connected with the goals of the SLP in any way? Ottawa-Carleton Assembly of School Councils (OCASC) OCASC wants to connect with school councils! School councils should have received a newsletter from OCASC in their school mailbox. Mark your calendar to attend an OCASC meeting. OCASC usually meets monthly on the third Thursday of the month at Fisher Park Summit School. Learn more on the newly updated OCASC website. BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS Meetings that Matter.... Board and Committee of the Whole Meetings The next Committee of the Whole Meeting will be held October 4th. Please note change in start time. The Public session will begin at 8:00 p.m. For more information about the meeting please read the full agenda. Upcoming Committee Meetings: 10/5/2016 7:00 PM Advisory Committee on Extended Day and Childcare Programs 10/12/2016 6:00 PM Parent Involvement Committee 10/13/2016 7:00 PM OCASC Secondary School Committee 10/17/2016 7:00 PM Alternative Schools Advisory Committee 10/17/2016 7:00 PM Special Education Advisory Committee NOTE DATE CHANGE Boardroom Highlights can be found here. EVENTS AND REMINDERS Places to Go...Things to Remember NEW: OCDSB International Certificate Program Information Session - November 16th 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Join us for an information session Wednesday, November 16, 2016 - 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at the Confederation Education Centre in the Cafetorium - 1645 Woodroffe Avenue. Looking for more information? Contact Kathy Scheepers, International Education Coordinator at 613-239- 0592 or kathy.scheepers@ocdsb.ca. REMINDERS: Open Trails Day at MacSkimming Outdoor Education Centre Hike and explore the trails at MacSkimming Outdoor Education Centre on Saturday, October 1st, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Join the Ottawa Field Naturalist Club and Les Mycologues amateurs de l'Outaouais at 10:00 a.m. and meet the beekeeper at 1:00 p.m. at 3685 Wilhaven Drive. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the day. This is a free public event however donation boxes will be set up on behalf of the Education Foundation of Ottawa - a charitable organization that assists less advantaged children in our schools. You will find more information on Open Trails Day here. Parent Conference 2016 and School Council Training Day - Save the Date - November 19th 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 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