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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Council Update 2016/10/07 - #5School Council Newsletter October 7, 2016 WHAT'S NEW... What a beautiful day in our City! Hopefully students and families were enjoying this remarkably summer like day in October. Across the district, our staff were busy with professional learning opportunities. School staff spent the morning focusing on mathematics and in the afternoon worked on the School Learning and Well-being Plans. Our early learning staff also spent time understanding the learning needs of our youngest students. Our educational support workers also had the opportunities to learn about working collaboratively and about health and safety. Our staff do exceptional work and professional activity days are an important opportunity for all of us to learn and grow. Membership Drive for Parent Involvement Committee Are you a parent of an OCDSB student? Are you interested in public education, student achievement and well-being? Do you want to volunteer your time to make a difference in public education? Apply to be a member of the OCDSB's Parent Involvement Committee. The Committee meets approximately 6 times per year. Persons interested in serving in this volunteer position on the PIC are invited to submit an online application by 23 November 2016 at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PIC_2016_2017 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. OSTA/CAA - New Safety Brochure OSTA, in partnership with CAA, is reaching out to OCDSB schools to help send out an important message to students, and their parents/guardians, about how to get to school safely, no matter which mode of transportation they choose. Transportation safety is everyone's responsibility. You can find the brochure here. 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. Learn more here. 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. For information on college programs, 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. 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. The first phase of the online consultation closes on October 9th. 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. Western Area Review Advisory Committee Meetings will be held at Confederation Education Centre. You will find more information on the reviews here. Email If you have questions or concerns regarding the proposed changes for the reviews, you can email easternsecondaryreview@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 Partnering with Your Teen in Mathematics Teens have many experiences that may impact their attitude and confidence in their mathematical ability. You can help your teen celebrate each success and deal with any challenges. You do not have to do the mathematics your teen brings home. What matters most is your attitude about the work they are doing. Attitudes about mathematics and confidence in abilities in mathematics can have a great influence on success at school. Take a look at this This resource is intended to help you support your teen with learning mathematics in grades 7 to 12. It is guided by the belief that all students can be successful in mathematics and all parents can be successful in supporting their teens in learning mathematics. 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. 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. Ottawa-Carleton Assembly of School Councils (OCASC) OCASC is 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 Alternative School. The next meeting will be October 20th. OCASC also has a meeting for secondary school councils. It meets monthly on the 2nd Thursday at Fisher Park School Library, and the next meeting is on October 13th. The SSC recognizes the needs and challenges at the secondary level are much different from those at the elementary level. Learn more on the newly updated OCASC website. View OCASC's welcome letter here. 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 18th. Please note change in start time. The Public session will begin at 7:00 p.m. For more information about the meeting please read the full agenda. Please note agendas are posted after 4:00 p.m. on Fridays. Note: The reports for the COW for October 18th will be posted to the agenda Tuesday, October 11th. Upcoming Committee Meetings: 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 10/20/2016 7:00 PM Ottawa Carleton Assembly of School Councils 10/20/2016 7:00 PM Western Area Review First Advisory Committee meeting 10/20/2016 7:00 PM Eastern Secondary Area Review First Advisory Committee meeting 10/24/2016 7:00 PM Advisory Committee on the Arts Boardroom Highlights can be found here. EVENTS AND REMINDERS Places to Go...Things to Remember NEW: Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School Council - Bags2School and E-waste fundraisers - October 15th 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. LDHSS School Council will host a DOUBLE fundraising event on October 15th: Bags2School (a used clothes drive); and Ewaste (used electronics drive) Volunteers are needed, and your help is appreciated as the money raised will help supporting some school activities. You can find more information here. REMINDERS: 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. 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 2016/2017 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