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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Council Update 2018/9/21 - # 3School Council Update #3 - September 21, 2018 Hope that everyone has gotten back into their school routines, and have settled into the new year. I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you of our first 2018 -2019 Speaker Series event taking place next week. The session will be on Concussion Management, featuring Gordon & Kathleen Stringer, and Dr. Michael Vassilyadi; Pediatric Neurosurgeon, CHEO Founder, CHEO Concussion Clinic - Ottawa Chapter, Director for ThinkFirst/ Parachute. It will be held next Wednesday, September 26, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Sir Robert Borden High School - 131 Greenbank Road. Everyone is welcome to attend. Visit our website to learn more. Important Information Orange Shirt Day Who could have predicted an article of clothing would start a conversation so powerful it would unite schools, communities and government offices? Well, it’s happened. That piece of clothing is an orange shirt. And that shirt spanned Orange Shirt Day - which is held each year on September 30. Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for First Nations and non-First Nations to raise awareness about the legacy of Residential Schools in Canada, and to participate in a visual representation of solidarity and reconciliation. This year, September 30 falls on a Sunday - so OCDSB schools are commemorating Orange Shirt Day throughout the week of September 25th and into the first week of October. Events are taking place at schools in every zone in the District. Contact your school or visit our website for more information. Parent Conference & School Council Training Day We would like to thank everyone who participated in our ThoughtExchange regarding the conference. We will be announcing further details on the event shortly. The conference will be taking place on November 3rd, 2018. It's held in partnership with the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) and the Ottawa- Carleton Assembly of School Councils (OCASC). Visit our website to learn more. Municipal Elections - October 22nd The 2018 Municipal and School Board election is Monday, October 22nd. Schoo l board trustees are elected for a four year term. Trustees provide important oversight to school board and are responsible for setting strategic priorities, policy and budgets. Trustees are also a really important connection to the community and consider the concerns and interests of constituents when making Board decisions. Check out these election resources prepared in English and French by the Ontario Education Services Corporation. These include: 1. ‘Making a Difference for Kids' Guidebook 2. Posters and newspaper ads to promote voter participation in school board elections 3. ‘All Candidates Meeting’ Guide Please see the OCDSB Election Information page for more information. Revised Health and Physical Education Curriculum, Grades 1 -8 You may have heard of some changes to the Health and Physical Education curriculum that were announced by the Minister of Education over the summer. Learn more about the changes here. School Bus Transportation With school back in session, we all need to be extra careful on the roads watching for students walking or cycling to school or waiting at bus stops. Inquiries about busing should be directed to OSTA. Continuing Education - Fall Newsletter Check out the Continuing Education Newsletter for September/October 2018, and have a look at what is coming up this Fall. School News Terry Fox School Runs District Wide September 27-28 Thousands of OCDSB students will be lacing up their running shoes for the annual Terry Fox School Runs. Students raise millions of dollars Canada-wide for cancer research and advocacy. The Terry Fox School Runs are one of the largest, cumulative fundraising events in Canada. By participating OCDSB students help share Terry’s example of courage, strength and hope. Learn more. There are a lot of amazing events going on in our district. Check out our new School News section of the website to learn about the great things happening in our schools! Want to spread the word about your event? Send us an email at: schoolnewslettersinfo@ocdsb.ca. We will help publicize your events on our website. School Council Information School Council Elections The election of school council members must be held within 30 days of the start of the school year. The school community should have 14 days notice of election. Any parent in the school is eligible to sit on school council. The details about the election process are outlined in the School Council Policy and in the School Council Elections Procedure. The election of officers (Chair, Co-chair, Secretary, Treasurer) happens after the members of the new council have been duly elected. Don't forget to review your school council constitution for specific provisions with respect to your school. New School Council - Contact Information Please send us an updated list of school council contact information after your elections. We are looking for names of school council chairs, vice-chairs and/or co-chairs. Send the information to Policy Analyst Engy Abdel Masieh at engy.abdel.masieh@ocdsb.ca. As soon as the new school council members are elected, please e-mail us the following:  Names  Phone numbers  Email addresses This information is shared with trustees and superintendents and is also used to keep you up to date on school council information. Annual Report - Due October 30 2018 School Councils are required to submit an annual report to the District on its activities, including fundraising. The school council annual report is a requirement included in the "School Opening Documentation" process conducted by the principal. On or before October 30, 2018, please submit your school council annual report to your school principal and forward a copy to Policy Analyst Engy Abdel Masieh either by e-mail at engy.abdel.masieh@ocdsb.ca, or by mail to 133 Greenbank Road, Ottawa, ON K2H 6L3. Important Information for School Councils School Council Resource Guide School Council Funds Management Guide School Council Insurance Dates to Remember School Year Calendar The 2018-2019 school year elementary and secondary calendars are available on our website, and a hard copy was distributed to students and staff. The highlights include School Holidays, PA Days, and District-wide Secondary Testing. 2018 Parent Conference & School Council Training Day We're very excited to announce that we will again be hosting the OCDSB Parent Conference. The event is held in partnership with the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) and the Ottawa-Carleton Assembly of School Councils (OCASC). Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 3rd, 2018, and stay tuned for further information. The conference will be held at Gloucester High School. Speaker Series 2018-2019 Enjoy these free information sessions highlighting leading ideas in education that will allow us to work collaboratively to better support student learning. Upcoming session: Concussion Management Wednesday, September 26, 2018 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Sir Robert Borden High School - 131 Greenbank Road Gordon & Kathleen Stringer and Dr. Michael Vassilyadi, Pediatric Neurosurgeon, CHEO Founder, CHEO Concussion Clinic - Ottawa Chapter Director for ThinkFirst/ Parachute Board and Committee of the Whole Meetings The next Board meeting will be on September 25, 2018. Read the full agenda here. Watch the meeting live here. Upcoming Committee Meetings: 9/24/2018 7:00 PM Advisory Committee on the Arts 9/25/2018 7:30 PM Board, Public 9/26/2018 7:00 PM Audit Committee 9/27/2018 6:00 PM Advisory Committee on Equity 9/27/2018 7:00 PM OCASC Secondary School Committee Read our Boardroom Highlights here. 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 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 border). Otherwise, anyone who receives the message can click the opt-out button at the bottom of the newsletter and unsubscribe your name from our distribution list. If you are not on our distribution list feel free to subscribe or email communications@ocdsb.ca.