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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Council Update 2016/12/09 - #14School Council Newsletter December 9, 2016 WHAT'S NEW... It's the most wonderful time of the year...at least that is what the song says. It's definitely one of the busiest times of the year! As we move closer to the holiday break, schools are full of activity - concerts, artwork, student performances, craft sales, bake sales, and so much more. This is a great time for us to celebrate and to learn about history and the rich and diverse traditions of our students and families as citizens of the world. It is also a time for reflection, to appreciate our good fortune, express gratitude and through simple acts of kindness, and bring joy to others. I hope that you have the opportunity to find joy in the holiday season. A reminder that this year schools are open up to and including December 23rd. The winter holiday break will be from December 26th, 2016 until January 6th, 2017. School will resume on January 9th, 2017. The Administration offices will be closed the week of December 26th and will re-open on January 2, 2017. Importance of Sleep in Children and Adolescents - Speaker series Sleep is so important to learning, well-being, and self- regulation. We have collaborated with the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), the OCDSB is pleased to present a free information session for parents with tips from experts about the importance of sleep and how to develop good sleeping habits in children and youth. Free Admission and Parking. December 12th - 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School Register here. Planning Your Child's Academic Future It's hard to believe but we have already reached that point in the year where parents and students need to start thinking about planning decisions with respect to the next school year: Preschool and Kindergarten Parents If your child will be age four or five by December 31, 2016, they are ready for junior or senior kindergarten starting September 2017. Students already in junior kindergarten do not have to re-register for senior kindergarten. Visit your local school to register. Information on our Kindergarten program can be found here. Parents of Grade 3 Students Registration for Middle French Immersion will take place in the new year. Information about immersion programs will be sent home with students in January. Parents of Grade 8 Students All of our secondary schools host Grade 8 Parent Information Nights. These sessions are an important opportunity for parents and students to learn more about high school and the programs and pathways best suited to your child's needs. Parents of Grade 12 Students It's time to begin applying for college and university for the fall of 2017. College applications must be done online at www.ontariocolleges.ca before February 1st. To complete the application, students need their OEN, a nine digit number that can be found on their report cards. University applications for Ontario universities can be done online at www.ouac.on.ca anytime between now and January 11th. To complete the application, students need a specially generated OUAC P.I.N., which they should have received - contact the guidance office if you do not have one. These application dates are known as the "Deadlines for Equal Consideration". Students applying after these dates may still be offered acceptance, but are applying for spaces that are left over after the initial applicants have been placed. Ottawa Public Health (OPH) Immunization A reminder that parents are required to report all immunizations done at the doctor's office to OPH. Under this Act, OPH has the authority to suspend students from school. Due to the size of our District, OPH is dividing its surveillance campaign into two phases. The first phase of notification letters to parents alerting them of missing documentation was sent out on November 15, 2016 and the second on November 22, 2016. Suspensions for the first group will commence on February 8, 2017 and for the second group on February 22, 2017 so it is very important to ensure your child's immunizations are up to date. Immunization protects children from many serious diseases that are easily spread in schools. Learn more here. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM FRAMEWORK CONSULTATION This is the last week for interested persons to complete our survey on the Elementary School Program Framework (ESPF). The Framework explains that the district's model for elementary school program delivery is the designated community school model. The framework outlines our elementary program offerings, school configuration models, school size, and addresses single and dual track schools. Complete the survey by December 13th or send an e-mail by December 21st. The final staff report, including feedback gathered through consultation will be presented for discussion at the OCDSB Committee of the Whole meeting on January 17, 2017. For more information, visit our website to read the ESPF and/or our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have questions, please email us at ElementaryProgramFrameworkConsultation@ocdsb.ca. Multi-Year Plan for Student Learning and Accommodation Planning Online Community Engagement and Discussion This week, the third and final stage of our online consultation session was launched. You can DISCOVER the results of our Thoughtexchange conversations here. Reminders: Public Meetings January 10, 2017 - Woodroffe High School 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. January 11, 2017 - Gloucester High School 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Please note that there is an Open House from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. on both dates which will include displays and exhibits and staff will be available for questions. The formal part of the meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. Email - If you have questions or concerns regarding the proposed changes for the reviews, you can email easternsecondaryreview@ocdsb.ca or westernareareview@ocdsb.ca. Math Facts  Check out Homework Help for free 1-on-1 online math help with Ontario teachers for students grades 7 - 10. Student and Educator resources available 24/7. Take a look at the interactive tutorials available here. SCHOOL COUNCIL BUSINESS School Council Reminders If you have not already done so, please send your school council contact information to Susan Baker at susan.baker@ocdsb.ca - School name, chair/co-chair name(s), phone number(s), and email address(es). School Councils are also required to submit to the District an annual report on its activities, including fundraising activities 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 Training Missed the Bridging Home and School: Conference for Parents and School Councils? Check out the School Council presentations online on our website: Best Practices for School Councils, PRO Grants - From Application to Reporting, School Council Insurance and Risk Management, School Council Finance. Funding for Play Structures and Playgrounds Funding is available to assist school communities in developing their school grounds and installing or replacing some of their play structures. Please submit your application using Form 700, as soon as possible. Approval will take into account equity, special circumstances and other funding already in place. Project applications that did not receive funding in previous years will be carried over; however, it is important to update the application to reflect the current status. If you have any questions, please contact Dan Fournier at 613-596-8211 ext. 8690 or at daniel.fournier@ocdsb.ca. BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS Meetings that Matter.... Board and Committee of the Whole Meetings The next Committee of the Whole will be December 13th. The Public session will begin at 7:30 p.m. There are several items of interest on this agenda including a report and motion on the Gifted Program Review, fees for Extended Day programs and the approval of boundaries of the new elementary school in Findlay Creek. For more information about the meeting please read the full agenda here. Upcoming Committee Meetings: 12/14/2016 7:00 PM Special Education Advisory Committee 12/15/2016 Ottawa Carleton Assembly of School Councils 7:00 PM 12/20/2016 6:30 PM Board, In Camera 12/20/2016 7:30 PM Board Meeting 12/21/2016 7:00 PM CANCELLED: Audit Committee 1/10/2017 7:00 PM Western Area Review Second Public Meeting Boardroom Highlights can be found here. EVENTS AND REMINDERS Places to Go...Things to Remember Rideau High School Parent Council - Christmas Craft Fair - December 11th 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Location: Rideau High School - 815 St. Laurent Blvd. The craft fair has been organized in an effort to raise funds for the school's concert band to attend the Music Festival in Montreal next year. The event features local craft makers and direct sellers, including exhibits and demonstrations. Come join us! F ree parking. Free Admission. For more information please contact sc-rideauhs@ocdsb.ca Location: Rideau High School - 815 St. Laurent Blvd. REMINDERS: 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 messa ge, 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.