HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Council Update 2016/12/16 - #15School Council Newsletter
December 16, 2016
WHAT'S NEW...
It's hard to believe that there is only one week of school until the holiday break! 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.
This will be the last regular newsletter of this calendar year. We will resume the newsletter in
January.
The Importance of Sleep
This week, our Speaker Series was about the importance of sleep. Many people missed the
session due to the inclement weather, so I thought we would share a few highlights. First,
sleep is important - to academic achievement, physical health and mental health. As parents,
establishing good sleep habits is a gift that we can give to our children. It does take some
effort but the rewards are worth it! Tips to creating good sleep habits:
Regular sleep and wake times 7 days a week
Do not vary bedtime and wake time by more than 30 minutes
Ensure morning light exposure
Keep all screens out of the bedrooms
Establish a consistent bedtime routine
Maintain a consistent, dark sleep environment
Make sleep routines a priority!
Presentation by Dr. Hilary Myron
Presentation by Jean-Philippe Chaput
You can view the presentations and the speaking notes prepared b y our CHEO colleagues on
our website. They are worth the read.
Director's Annual Report to the Community
Director of Education, Jennifer Adams presented the 2015-2016 Director's Annual Report at
the Board's Organizational Meeting on Thursday, December 1, 2016. The 2015-2016 school
year marked the launch of the OCDSB's 2015-2019 Strategic Plan. What is unique about this
strategic plan is that it begins with the end in mind. The Board determined that the strategic
plan should be built on our commitment to students and parents: our intent is to have every
student leave our school district with the identified OCDSB Exit Outcomes. Read more here.
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.
Kindergarten Information Nights
If your child will be age four or five by December 31, 2017, 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.
High School Information Nights
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.
Is Your Child Graduating this Year?
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.
Updating your child's immunization record
Any time your child gets a vaccination or booster shot you need to update their record with
Ottawa Public Health by:
Completing the Online Immunization Reporting to Ottawa Public Health
Fax: 613-580-9660
Mail: Immunization Program, 100 Constellation Dr., Ottawa, ON, K2G 6J8, 7th floor,
mail code 26-44
Phone 613-580-6744 Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm
ImmunizeCA App: appottawa.immunize.ca
Multi-Year Plan for Student Learning and Accommodation Planning
Online Community Engagement and Discussion
The third and final stage of our online consultation session was launched. You can DISCOVER the
results of our Thoughtexchange conversations here.
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
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 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 Board will be December 20th. There will be a continuation of the Committee of
Whole meeting prior to the board meeting which will start at 6:30 p.m.
The Public session for the Board Meeting will begin at 9:00 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:
12/20/2016
6:30 PM Committee of the Whole, Continuation Meeting (from 13 December)
PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE
12/20/2016
9:00 PM Board Meeting
PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE
12/21/2016
7:00 PM CANCELLED: Audit Committee
1/10/2017
7:00 PM Western Area Review Second Public Meeting
1/11/2017
7:00 PM Eastern Secondary Area Review Second Public Meeting
1/12/2017
6:30 PM Student Senate
1/12/2017
7:00 PM OCASC Secondary School Committee
1/16/2017
7:00 PM Alternative Schools Advisory Committee
Boardroom Highlights can be found here.
EVENTS AND REMINDERS
Places to Go...Things to Remember
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 click here 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.
Stay warm this weekend, have a wonderful last week of school and a great holiday.
Michele
Michele Giroux
Executive Officer, Corporate Services
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
613-596-8211 ext. 8607
michele.giroux@ocdsb.ca