HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Council Update 2017/06/23 - #38School Council Newsletter
June 23, 2017
WHAT'S NEW...
It is hard to believe that next week will be the last week of school - a time of farewells,
celebrations and graduations. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child and it
definitely takes a community to raise 70,000 students! We are very fortunate to live in such a
strong and caring community with so many organizations who are partners in our commitment
to student learning and well-being. On behalf of the OCDSB, our thanks to all of our
employees, parent volunteers, community members and community partners who do such
good work for kids.
Access to School and Summer Hours @OCDSB
Our elementary schools close for the summer at the end of day on Friday, June 30th. Most
secondary school offices are open over the summer months - check your school website for
specific dates/availability. The Board office is open all summer long, except for a two week
shut-down which runs from July 31st to August 11th. Our administration offices will re-open on
August 11, 2014. However, there will be staff available for registration throughout the summer -
if you know someone who wants to register a child for September, please have them call our
Admissions Division at 613-596-8730.
NCC Young Entrepreneur Program
The National Capital Commission has launched a pilot program encouraging young people
between the ages of five and 17 to open up their own business. Kiosks will be permitted along
select NCC roadways during three of the Nokia Sunday Bikedays between June 18 and Sept.
3. Locations include the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway, the Sir Georges-Étienne Cartier
Parkway and Colonel By Drive.
The first thing you need to do is register here and ensure you have your parent or
guardian's permission to participate. Next, it is recommended you participate in a short
workshop for young entrepreneurs, delivered by JA Ott awa, at NCC headquarters. Once
you've completed your training, a young entrepreneurs permit will be issued, which entitles you
to operate a kiosk for three Sundays on one of the NCC's parkways.
Dealing with Transitions - Kids Help Phone
Many students will change schools in September. Whether they are going from elementary
school to high school, starting at a new elementary school or are new to our community this
can be an exciting time filled with promise and new beginnings. For some, there can be anxie ty
and thoughts of starting all over again, meeting new friends and teachers. Students may have
many different feelings during the summer before starting a new school. They may be excited
and scared about these new beginnings and may be sad about leaving o ld friends behind. All
of these feelings are completely normal. It's also good to know that there is help and someone
to talk to. If you know someone who needs help let them know the Kids Help Phone is there
and is private and confidential.
End of Year Activities and Last Day of Classes
Reminder - the last day of classes for elementary students is June 29, 2017. Report cards will
be sent home on June 28, 2017.
Graduation Ceremonies
Secondary school graduation ceremonies are next week. Parents are encouraged to check the
school website for details about time, tickets, and number of guests who can attend the
ceremony. It is a good idea to plan to arrive early to ensure your child gets their gown and you
have time for photos and get seated before the celebration begins.
PROM and End of Year Celebrations
There are many proms scheduled in the next week. Over the past three years, our secondary
schools have been working with students and parents to make prom a safe and fun celebration
for everyone in graduating class. Parents should be aware of whether prom is a school
sanctioned or privately organized event so that they can discuss behaviour, expectations, and
supervision with their child. You may also want to read the Ottawa Public Health blog post -
Be #PromSmart #MakeItMemorable!
With the end of year, graduating students sometimes engage in activities that they see as a
rite of passage. Unfortunately, some of these events have risk elements and have sometimes
resulted in vandalism, mischief or damage to property or persons. Students should be
reminded that they are ambassadors of the school within their community and role models for
those students in younger grades.
SAVE THE DATE - OCDSB Participation in Capital Pride Parade
2017 - August 27
Meeting time 12:00 p.m. - Parade runs from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Gladstone Ave. - East of
Bank St. Look for the Yellow School Bus in the pre-parade float line up. The OCDSB is
committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all students & staff and will
again be participating in the Ottawa Capital Pride Parade. Each year over 100 members of the
OCDSB family walk or ride the yellow school bus. Together we demonstrate our commitment
to creating safer and more accepting spaces. Participants are encouraged to wear purple with
rainbow accessories and come prepared for the weather (water, sun protection & walking
shoes).
Registration Over Summer Months
Parents/guardians wanting to register their elementary-aged children over the summer months
can do so at the Board Administration office at 133, Greenbank Road. The Board office will be
open for registration from July 4 to August 24 inclusive. Secondary school offices are open
over the summer months and parents can register their child for secondary school at the
school office.
Ministry of Education Accessibility Consultation
The Ministry of Education is surveying parents, students and educators about how to support
special education needs and accessible education. This survey will help to inform the
implemention of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and its goal of an
accessible Ontario by 2025. This accessibility standard will help us address barriers in
education that prevent children and students from reaching their full potential. Please consider
completing and sharing this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EducationSurveyEN
Summer Activities with your Family
Are you looking for summer activities to do with your family? The Parenting & Family Literacy
Centres have compiled some great ideas! Check them out here.
School Council Records and End of School Year Tasks
As the school year closes, many school councils are asking about how to manage their
records. Records that contain financial information, such as those that pertain to School
Generated Funds, are kept for the current year, plus 6 years. As such, financial records from
the 2010/2011 school year can be destroyed. When destroying records, please be sure to
shred anything which contains personal or sensitive information. If you have records for
destruction you can bring them to the school boxed and clearly marked school council records
for shredding.
School Council meeting minutes are only required to be maintained for the current school year,
plus 5 years. Thus the 2011/2012 minutes can be destroyed. However, some councils
maintain minutes for longer periods. As School Council minutes are of interest to the
community and are to be posted to the school website.
For schools - Staff meeting agendas and minutes are kept for the current year plus 2 years,
allowing the 2014/2015 records to be destroyed. Audit boxes relating to enrolment are kept for
the current year, plus 3 years. Audit boxes from the 2013/2014 school year may be
destroyed. A schedule that determines the length of time a record should be kept is available
on the OCDSB website (Classification and Retention Schedule). Corporate Records welcomes
questions with regard to document maintenance and can be reached through email
at Corporate.Records@ocdsb.ca
School Council Year-End Financial Reporting
All school councils must prepare and submit an annual report on their activities (including
fundraising activities). To make the exercise easier the Finance Department has produced a
template that school councils can fill in. A memo with this information was sent to school
principals this week.
Please note that individual school councils will not be identified in the District's financial
statements as the amounts are consolidated with those from all other school councils. The
school's budget is based on school enrolment. The table assumes that your school council's
financial reporting year will end on July 31st.
If your school council has a June or August year-end please provide the information based on
your year-end and amend the dates shown in the table. Please ensure your opening balance
for this year matches your closing balance from the previous year's report. Your opening
balance plus your funds raised less your funds spent should equal your closing balance.
School Name
School Council Chair
Opening balance of all reconciled bank accounts, investments
and cash on hand on August 1, 2016
$
The amount raised by school council during the year
August 1, 2016 and July 31, 2017
$
The amount spent by school council during the year
August 1, 2016 and July 31, 2017
$
Closing balance of all reconciled bank accounts, investments
and cash on hand on July 31, 2017
$
Please send the information by email to yearendfinancials@ocdsb.ca by 22 September 2017.
In cases where your school council's banking arrangements are administered by the school,
the school council is not required to provide this information please advise Michelle Klein
at michelle.klein@ocdsb.ca .
School Council Insurance
School Council Insurance covers the school council members in terms of liability. If you are
bringing food providers or vendors on-site you should be asking them to provide you with
confirmation that they have liability insurance. They would be responsible for their own
negligence.
BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Meetings that Matter....
The final Board Meeting of the school year will be on Tuesday, June 23th at 7:30 p.m. at 133
Greenbank Road. Read the full agenda here. Watch the meeting live here.
Board and Committee of the Whole Meetings:
6/26/2017 7:30
PM Board Meeting
Boardroom Highlights can be found here.
EVENTS AND REMINDERS
Places to Go...Things to Remember
Elizabeth Park Public School Closing Ceremony - June 27
Tuesday, June 27 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Elizabeth Park Public School - 15 De Niverville Drive
Current and former parents/guardians, staff, students and community members are invited to
enjoy outdoor games and food.
Leslie Park Public School Closing Ceremony - June 27
Tuesday, June 27 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Leslie Park Pubilc School - 20 Harrison Street
Former students, parents and staff are invited to the school closing ceremony at on Tuesday,
June 27, 2017 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 20 Harrison Street. An Open House with BBQ
and memorabilia displays are planned.
Continuing Education Newsletter - June 2017
Check out the Continuing Education Newsletter for May/June 2017. We invite you to take a
look at what is coming up in our department for 2017! It is totally interactive, so please click
anywhere to be linked to our website for more information on all of our programs.
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 (9:30 a.m. to 12 noon). Please call 613-239-
2703 or check here for details on both of these programs.
Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) Mobile Eye Clinic program for
school children.
The CCB Mobile Eye Clinic program gives school children an opportunity to have a
comprehensive eye examination performed by an optometrist in school, eliminating the need
for parents to take time off work, and ensuring that all children receive appropriate vision care.
The CCB has operated successful clinics in a number of elementary schools in Ottawa,
Cornwall, Pembroke, and surrounding areas of Eastern Ontario. Eventually, it hopes to bring
Mobile Eye Clinics to schools across Canada. Watch the video
at https://youtu.be/d3Zvg2upaOI to better understand how the program works and how it has
helped children and their parents.
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 som e regular users are being dropped from our
distribution list.
Michele Giroux
Executive Officer, Corporate Services
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
613-596-8211 ext. 8607
michele.giroux@ocdsb.ca