HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Council Update 2017/03/31 - #26School Council Newsletter
March 31, 2017
WHAT'S NEW...
This Sunday, April 2nd is World Autism Day- a day designed to
bring to light the struggles and triumphs of people on the autism spectrum and help us to build
stronger and more inclusive communities. Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that
affects one in 68 children. It affects the way people interact and communicate with those around
them. Each child and adult with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is unique and has their own
strengths, gifts and support needs.
At the OCDSB and in schools across the province, we will be celebrating Autism Awareness
on Monday, April 3, 2017. Students and staff are encouraged to wear something blue as a sign
of support.
Ottawa Regional PIC Symposium - April 22, 2017
The Ministry of Education is hosting a regional Parent Involvement Committee symposium
on Saturday, April 22nd at the Hilton Garden Inn, Ottawa Airport. The OCDSB has up to five
spots available for school council members (must be parents). The symposium will provide an
opportunity for parents to network and collaborate, to discuss barriers to parent involvement
and create local solutions to enhance parent engagement in your community and support
student achievement and well-being. If you are a parent on a school council and are
interested in attending this session with members of the OCDSB Parent Involvement
Committee, you can put your name forward for one of the five spots. Please send an email to
Nicole Guthrie at Nicole.guthrie@ocdsb.ca. by noon on April 12th with your name, school, and
position on school council. If we have more names than spaces, we will draw draw the names
and notify those whose names are selected by end of day April 13th.
Speaker Series - Eva Olsson - Speaking Out Against Racism and
Intolerance
Wednesday, April 12, 2017, Woodroffe High School, Auditorium, 2410 Georgina Drive,
Ottawa 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.
Dr. Eva Olsson is a Holocaust survivor, author and widely acclaimed public speaker. For over a decade,
she has spoken to over one million people across North America concerning bullying and the importance
of not being a bystander to injustice. You are invited to hear Dr. Olsson, who will be sharing her gripping
personal stories, about the Holocaust and being a prisoner in the Auschwitz death camp, to illustrate the
power of hate and the importance of standing up against forces of discrimination and intolerance. She is
an inspiration to many who have heard her speak.
Community Member Recognition Awards
There are so many people who make an incredible difference in our school communities. The
district has several awards to recognize the work of parent and community volunteers.
Nominations can be made by individual parents or by a school council. All nominations must
be submitted by 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, 2017.
Community Award
Distinguished School Council Service Award
Volunteer of the Year Award
Community Partnership Award
Excellence in Equity Community Award
Learn more about these award categories here.
Nomination forms can be found here. For more information, please see our Procedure
For more information, please contact susan.baker@ocdsb.ca
Continuing Education Newsletter - March/April 2017
Check out the Continuing Education Newsletter for March/April 2017. We invite you to take a
look at what is coming up in our department for 2017! Again, it is totally interactive, so please
click anywhere to be linked to our website for more information on all of our programs. This
Newsletter is also available at the following link:
http://www.ocdsb.ca/programs/continuweb/CE%20Documents/CENewsletter.pdf
Alternative Elementary Program with Core French
Did you know that the OCDSB offers an Alternative English Program with Core French? With
strong community support and parent involvement, the Alternative Elementary Program is
based on a concept of student-centered learning and this philosophy translates into all aspects
of a student's experience at school. The program provides students opportunities to meet
Ministry expectations with flexibility to allow greater concentration in areas of thei r own interest
and aptitudes. Read more about the Alternative Philosophy or take a look at our Fact Sheet.
REMINDERS
Speakers' Speech Writing Contest
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the Speakers of the Senate and the
House of Commons have launched a speech writing competition for Canadians aged 12 to 17.
This national contest asks, "What does Parliament mean to you?" Young Canadians are
invited to participate by submitting a written speech via the contest webpage. The contest
closes April 21, 2017. Visit the contest webpage here or 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
CANImmunize has also launched an action comic, Immunity Warriors: Invasion of the Alien
Zombies, to educate elementary school students about the immune system and the role of
immunization in defending against illness.
Math Facts
Did you know that the Ministry of Education is responsible for the development of curriculum.
School boards and schools are responsible for the implementation of curriculum. To develop
the curriculum, the Ministry of Education established a curriculum review cycle to ensure
that the curriculum remains current, relevant, and developmentally-appropriate from
Kindergarten to Grade 12. Curriculum policy documents identify what students must know
and be able to do at the end of every grade or course in every subject in Ontario publ icly
funded schools. In March 2007, a group of knowledgeable and committed community
leaders was brought together to advise the minister of education. They provide high level
strategic advice on issues related to elementary and secondary school curriculum. For more
information, visit the Curriculum Council website.
For more information on the Math Curriculum visit the Ministry website here.
Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grants 2017-2018 - Deadline May
25th
Great news, the Ministry has announced the 2017-2018 Parents Reaching Out (PRO) grants
program. This year, special consideration will be given to proposals that promote increased
access and awareness of math strategies and resources for parents to support their ch ildren's
learning at home and at school. Special consideration will be given to eligible projects from
school councils that promote increased access to and awareness of math strategies and
resources for parents to support their children's learning at home and at school, or support the
engagement of parents from Indigenous or racialized communities, or encourage parent
engagement in promoting the value of arts, in support of student success. The deadline for the
2017-2018 PRO grant submissions is May 25, 2017. Applications must b e submitted online.
For more information, please visit the Ministry website.
School Council Business
Did you know that at www.ocdsb.ca you can find a wealth of resources and information to
support the work of your school council. Take a few minutes to check out these resources on
school council tips, financial management, parent engagement and more. If you have ideas
about resources or information that would help you, please let us know.
School Council Tips - We have a range of tips sheets on our website.
Financial Management - Read our School Council Funds Management Guide
School Council Training Day - Review the presentations shared
Resources for Parent Engagement - Check out this list of resources
Your Child's Education, Be a Part of It! - Read our booklet for ideas about getting involved; find
it in other languages here.
BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Meetings that Matter....
Board and Committee of the Whole Meetings
The next Committee of the Whole Meeting will be on Tuesday, April 4th at 7:30 p.m. at 133
Greenbank Road in the Boardroom. Read the full agenda here.
Upcoming Meetings:
4/5/2017
6:00 PM Parent Involvement Committee
4/5/2017
6:30 PM Student Senate
Boardroom Highlights can be found here.
EVENTS AND REMINDERS
Places to Go...Things to Remember
New:
Avalon Public School Presents Social Networking and Online
Safety: An Evening For Parents With Paul Davis - April 7th 6:30pm
Avalon School Council will be welcoming Paul Davis, an expert in social networking safety,
on Friday April 7th, 2017. With a background in Information Technology and security software,
Paul is a much sought after speaker in the area of social networking safety. In addition to
presenting at hundreds of Ontario schools, he has also presented at numerous RCMP, OPP,
National Defense and Crime Prevention conferences. Paul is often a guest on Breakfast
Television programs throughout the country and has produced a TED Talk on the topic of
social networking safety.
Reminders:
Briargreen PS Council Chair present Dr. Phil Ritchie - 'Calm Down'
and other stuff that doesn't work with anxious children and
(hopefully) some stuff that does - April 5th 7:00 p.m.
Where: Briargreen Public School, Gymnasium, 19 Parkfield Crescent
Please join us as Dr. Phil Ritchie presents ways to help our children deal with anxiety and
become more resilient. Complimentary refreshments will be served. Free babysitting is
available upon request. Please RSVP to: bgpscouncil@gmail.com .
Rideau High School's 60th REUNION - May 5th and 6th at 7:00
p.m.
Rideau High School's 60th Reunion Committee (RHS60RC) would like to invite everyone to
celebrate this milestone by having a celebration to reunite the former members of Rideau High
School's community.
On May 5th, we will be hosting a Pub and Memorabilia Night at Rideau High School to
remember the good times that were shared within the Rideau High School community and
have an opportunity for former students, teachers, support staff, and community members to
remember and reconnect with one another.
On May 6th, we will be hosting a Last Rideau Reunion Prom Night theme to celebrate and
recognize Rideau High School's graduation from its current stage in its lifecycle and give a
formal celebratory farewell.
Learn more here.
Join our group on Facebook: Rideau High School 60th Anniversary
CHEO Workshops on MindMasters 2 at Alta Vista P.S. - May 11th
MindMasters 2 is a free toolkit, developed by CHEO, for children from JK to Grade 3, to help
children learn mindfulness, relaxation and positive thinking strategies that will help them
manage emotions and cope with stress. Learn about the toolkit (including the free app for
iPad) at a 3-part workshop series at Alta Vista Public School 1349 Randall Avenue in the Main
Gym 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. on May 11th. Attend any or all workshops. Child minding is available.
These tools can be modified for all ages. More information can be found here.
Speaker Series
Parents, guardians and caregivers are invited to join us for our free Speaker Series
Presentations. The presentations will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Dr. Eva Olsson - Speaking out Against Racism and Intolerance - April 12th
Wednesday, April 12, 2017. Woodroffe High School, Auditorium, 2410 Georgina Drive
Help us welcome Dr. Eva Olsson who is sharing her personal gripping personal stories about
the Holocaust and suviving the Auschwitz death camp. Graphic images illustrate the power of
hate and the importance of standing up against the forces of discrimination and intolerance.
She is an inspiration to over one million people who have heard her speak.
Gender Identity and Gender Expression: May 4th
Thursday, May 4th, 7:00 p.m. - Sir Robert Borden High School auditorium, 131
Greenbank Road
Please join Beck Hood of Family Services Ottawa and Carol Ann Burrow Instructional Coach
with OCDSB's Inclusive Safe and Caring Programs for a conversation about the diversity of
gender identity and gender expression. Find out about community resources supporting
gender diverse children and youth.
Practical Tips and Tools For Supporting Girls - Navigating Life
Online
Support girls facing digital & media issues with A Guide for Trusted Adults, made with
@YWCA_Canada #ProjectShift.
45th National Student Commonwealth Forum
Families are needed to welcome students into their homes for the 45th National Student
Commonwealth Forum. The Forum is a week-long youth leadership program for Canadian
high school students, the first week of May in Ottawa. Students will discuss Canadian issues
in the Senate Chamber and meet Members of Parliament and Commonwealth High
Commissioners. If you would be interested in supporting this charitable program by billeting
one or more high school students from out of town between April 30, and May 5 - more
information can be found at www.nscf-fnec.ca
Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School - 25 Year Anniversary and
Reunion - May 27th
The reunion is scheduled for May 27, 2017. All current and past student alumni and staff are
welcome to attend. Check out the interactive website at http://www.swl25.com/
Tickets for the event are on sale now.
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.
Have a good weekend.
Thanks,
Michele
About this Newsletter
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Michele Giroux
Executive Officer, Corporate Services
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
613-596-8211 ext. 8607
michele.giroux@ocdsb.ca