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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Council Update 2017/04/13 - #28School Council Newsletter April 13, 2017 WHAT'S NEW... It was an exciting week at the OCDSB this week as students from several of our schools had the opportunity to meet and/or speak with human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Ms. Yousafzai - our newest and youngest ever Honorary Canadian Citizen, was a surprise guest at Ridgemont High School and joined International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef, and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau in a discussion that explored issues of education, human rights, diversity, and effecting change. It was an amazing opportunity for students to learn first-hand from a leader who embodies these things, and was also a chance to speak directly to Members of Parliament and to discuss these issues in a Canadian context. Students heard a powerful message - "Through our stories and our experiences we can change our culture". In addition, four OCDSB students had the privilege of being in attendance when Ms. Yousafzai addressed members of the House of Commons. Another group of students from Colonel By High School had the opportunity to attend a reception with Ms. Yousafzai. Director of Education Jennifer Adams said "This is a true demonstration of the incredible learning opportunities that are available to OCDSB students. In every school, we are committed to helping our students develop the characteristics and skills they need for success in life. Malala Yousafzai's message is the embodiment of our mission statement - "inspiring learning and building citizenship". A Date with Diversity: Lessons from Canada and Ontario's 150th for the Next Generation Tuesday May 9, 2017 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Confederation Education Centre, Cafetorium 1645 Woodroffe Avenue at Hunt Club Parents/guardians, staff, students, and general public are invited to this special evening. Ask colleagues and community guests representing different aspects or dimensions of diversity any questions you may have about their experiences and insights. Together, let's explore how to foster a more equitable and inclusive culture to support learning, well-being and a sense of belonging for the entire OCDSB community. Join this timely conversation! Free parking. Light refreshments. Register here and visit our website for more information. 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. Last week we invited school councils to submit questions that we could respond to. Here are the first three questions in our series: What happens to the school council in a school that is scheduled to close? A school council is associated with a particular school. When a school is scheduled to close, the school council plays a role in planning for the transition to the new school. Once the school closes, the school council ceases to exist. The council will need to document their decisions about closure related items by way of motion, close off their finances, and consolidate their records. The school council records can be consolidated with the school records and managed in accordance with the district retention schedule. What happens with School Council Funds? Generally speaking, school council funds follow students. For example, if school a is closing and all students are being redirected to school b, the school council funds would go from school a to school b. This becomes more complicated if students are being redirected to more than one school or if only some students are being redirected. In these cases, the school council funds follow the students on a proportionate basis. The Finance Department is working on a new section of the School Council Finance Guide which will bring greater clarity to these issues. Watch for more information about this in the next two weeks. Are there limitations on what school councils can spend money on if the school is closing? Funds are supposed to be used for the purpose for which they were collected. If this is no longer possible because of a pending closure, the council will need to have a school council discussion about how to use the funds and will need to document any decisions made. Decisions about spending or redirecting funds should be made by motion, documented in the minutes, and clearly accounted for in financial records. If you have additional 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. Speaker Series/Annual OCDSB Parent Conference - 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 12 noon 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/CENewsletter.pdf 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. 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 intere st 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 Learning to Count When children are learning to count, they like to touch, point to and move objects as they say the number aloud - so encourage them to!  Have your child count toys, kitchen utensils, items of clothing as they come out of the dryer, collections (such as stickers, buttons or rocks) and any other items your child shows interest in counting.  Mix it up! Have your child count a set of objects but start at different places in the set (for example, start counting in the middle of the set rather than at the beginning). This helps to develop the idea that the counting of objects can begin with any object in a set and the total will still be the same.  Sing counting songs and use counting in meaningful ways in games, s uch as Hide- and-Seek. Counting games, rhymes and songs exist in every culture. Some counting songs and rhymes help children to count forward and backward as well. 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: 4/18/2017 7:00 PM Committee of the Whole, Budget 4/18/2017 9:00 PM Committee of the Whole, Public 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 4/25/2017 7:30 PM Board Meeting Boardroom Highlights can be found here. EVENTS AND REMINDERS Places to Go...Things to Remember New: Used Electronics & Clothing Drive for Sir Wilfrid Laurier - April 22-23 Saturday, April 22 - Sunday, April 23 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Ray Friel Parking Lot, 1585 Tenth Line Road What's in your closet? Bring your old electronics (TVs, video systems, etc.) and your used clothing to the Used Clothing and E-Recycle event. Saturday, April 22- Sunday, April 23 at Ray Friel Recreation Complex Parking Lot. This event is a fundraiser for Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School School Council. All funds received benefit the school. English Public Speaking Competition - Semi-finals Trillium ES - 1515 Varennes Blvd. Wednesday, April 19th - 9:00 a.m. Participating schools: JUNIOR Competitors: Convent Glen, Dunning-Foubert, Emily Carr, Fallingbrook INTERMEDIATE Competitors: Dunning-Foubert, Emily Carr, Fallingbrook, Summerside Fallingbrook CES - 679 Deancourt Crescent Wednesday, April 19th - 9:30 a.m. Participating Schools: JUNIOR Competitors: Henry Larsen, Henry Munro, Terry Fox, Trillium INTERMEDIATE Competitors: Henry Larsen, Henry Munro, Terry Fox, Trillium Kindly note that the semi-final competition at Trillium starts at 9:00 a.m., while the semi-final competition at Fallingbrook starts at 9:30 a.m. Friendly Reminder: The FINAL competition will be held at Convent Glen E.S. on Thursday, April 27th at 6:00pm in the gym. The address is: 1708 Grey Nuns Drive. Social Networking and Online Security Talk with Paul Davis - Wednesday May 2 at 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Adrienne Clarkson Elementary School - 170 Stoneway Drive, Nepean Topics include: Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Smartphones and Digital Trails, Cyberbullying, Texting/Sexting, Online Gaming, Online Security. This information session is brought to you by the ACES Parent Council. Registration: To register and get your FREE ticket please click here: https://acespauldavispresentation.eventbrite.ca Should you need childcare, a limited number of childcare spots will be provided for school aged children free of charge during the event. If you have any questions about the presentation or ticket ordering, please contact acesschoolcouncil@gmail.com Reminders: 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.  Gender Identity and Gender Expression: 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. 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 Centennial Public School 50th Anniversary - Saturday, May 6, 2017 Join the celebration! 376 Gloucester Street 10:00 a.m. Open House 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Welcome address; Refreshments 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). 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.