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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Council Update 2017/04/07 - #27School Council Newsletter April 7, 2017 WHAT'S NEW... Managing School Closures, Transitions and Changes Many parents have asked questions related to school closures and transitions as a result of the accommodation review decisions. Transition planning committees comprised of parents and staff have been established and all of the committees have had at least one meeting. As these committees continue to meet over the next few months, regular updates will be provided through school newsletters and at school council meetings. Every transition plan is unique to the school situation, however, there are transition planning guidelines which inform the work of the these committees. We are developing a question and answer document for school councils in order to assist with transition issues. If you have school council transition questions which you would like addressed, please send them to me so that we can capture them all. We will include some questions and answers in the newsletter and posting them to the district website. Questions that are unique to your school should be directed to the school principal. Speaking Out Against Racism and Intolerance Speaker Series with Eva Olsson - April 12th 7:00 p.m. Dr. Eva Olsson is a Holocaust survivor, author and widely acclaimed public speaker. For more ha 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. Join us on Wednesday, April 12, 2017, Woodroffe High School, Auditorium, 2410 Georgina Drive, Ottawa 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Is there something you want to learn more about? We are starting to plan for next year's Speaker Series events and for our annual Parent Conference and School Council Training Day. If there are topics that you would like to learn more about, please send us your ideas. Email pic@ocdsb.ca with your suggestions! Fairy Godmother - Prom Attire - May 13th Graduating high school students who are unable to purchase their own prom attire are eligible to attend Fairy Godmother's Boutique Days. 1 Day Only - Saturday, May 13th 2016 at 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Confederation Education Centre - 1645 Woodroffe Avenue. You must have an appointment to attend a fitting. Book a fitting by calling 613.232.PROM or online at http://fairygodmotherottawa.com/. More information here. Summer Language Programs and Camps - Fun with Languages! Give your child the opportunity to have an enriching and fun language learning experience this summer! The OCDSB offers various International Language classes over the summer. These language classes are free for students currently enrolled in Ontario schools. Classes run from July 24-28th in the mornings (9:30am to 12noon). In addition to various language classes, the OCDSB also offers Summer French Camps ("Les amis") and Spanish Camp ("Los Amigos"). The program is designed for children ages 5 to 13 and delivered by a team of very qualified and energetic camp counsellors. A variety of both indoor and outdoor language learning activities are offered for a fee from July 4 to July 28 at the following locations: Hopewell Avenue PS - 17 Hopewell Ave. Ottawa "Les amis" runs from 9:00 to 4:00. "Los Amigos" runs from 1:00 to 4:00. NEW!! Farley Mowat PS - 75 Waterbridge Dr. Nepean "Les amis" runs from 9:00 to 12noon. Please call 613-239-2703 or check here for details on both of these programs. 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/CEN ewsletter.pdf Ottawa Regional PIC Symposium - April 22, 2017 We are looking for 5 parents who are interested in attending the Ministry of Education regional Parent Involvement Committee symposium on Saturday, April 22nd at the Hilton Garden Inn, Ottawa Airport. The OCDSB has been provided with up to five spots 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 12thwith 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. 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 Canadia ns 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. 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 their own interest and aptitudes. Read more about the Alternative Philosophy or take a look at our Fact Sheet. 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 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 publicly 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 children'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 be 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 Please note time change: The next Committee of the Whole Meeting will be on Tuesday, April 18th at 9:00 p.m. at 133 Greenbank Road in the Boardroom. Read the full agenda here. Prior to the Committee of the Whole meeting COW Budget will be held on Tuesday, April 18th at 7:00 p.m. at 133 Greenbank Road in the Boardroom. Read the full agenda here. Upcoming Meetings: 4/10/2017 6:30 PM Student Senate 4/18/2017 7:00 PM Committee of the Whole, Budget PLEASE NOTE NEW DATE 4/18/2017 9:00 PM Committee of the Whole, Public Please note time 4/19/2017 7:00 PM Special Education Advisory Committee 4/20/2017 7:00 PM OCASC Secondary School Committee 4/20/2017 7:00 PM Ottawa Carleton Assembly of School Councils 4/24/2017 7:00 PM Advisory Committee on the Arts 4/24/2017 7:00 PM Alternative Schools Advisory Committee 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. Lakeview PS Parent Council - E-Waste and Clothing Recycling Event - Friday, April 7th 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. and Saturday April 8th 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. It's Spring Cleaning time! Lakeview PS Parent Council is hosting an Electronic Waste and Used Clothing Event this Friday April 7th between 6:30-8pm and Saturday April 8th between 9am-3pm. This will be held at the Lakeview PS - 35 Corkstown Road. Bring your old/broken/unused electronics and used clothing to be recycled during this wonderful community event. You won't even need to leave your car - volunteers will be on-hand to take the items out of your vehicle! Help us spread the word in the community and hope to see you there! For more information, please visit www.lakeviewschoolcouncil.ca for more information and our community flyer. John McCrae Parent Council - Social Networking Safety - April 10th 6:30 p.m. John McCrae parent school council is very proud to be hosting a Social Networking Safety presentation with speaker Paul Davis. Paul will address the parents at 6:30 p.m. on April 10th at John McCrae in the gym. Paul Davis will address Social Media, Cyberbullying, Sexting, and Digital responsibility to address the concern of today's youth. T his presentation is designed for parents of children in grades 7-12. Please note that pre-registration is not required but seating will be available on a first come first serve basis. More information here. Reminders: Rideau High School's 60th REUNION - May 5th & 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 staf f, 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 surviving 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 f or 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 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. 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). 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