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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Council Update 2019/1/18 - # 18 School Council Update #18 - January 18th, 2019 This is the time of year for preparations and planning. Secondary students are prepping for exams and considering post-secondary choices. Some elementary students are deciding what high school to attend. Other students are still working towards homework routines. Kids Help Phone has a range of articles and resources that address these issues and offer some helpful tips. I encourage you to take a look.  Study tips for exams,  Improve study habits,  High School 101 - how to prep for big changes,  Homework help - how to get support,  Finishing High School - what to do after graduation. Important Information Kindergarten Registration 2019 If your child will be 4 years old before December 31st, 2019, then they are ready to start kindergarten in September 2019. Call or stop by your child’s new school to pick up a registration package or register online. To find your local school, try our helpful School Locator. The OCDSB Kindergarten Registration Week is from January 21st to 28th and is a week where parents can get plenty of information about the program. Take a look at our Welcome To Kindergarten video and see some of the many new experiences your child will enjoy. If you know someone with a child who is ready to start kindergarten, encourage them to take a look. Registration in advance helps us to better plan for September. However, we welcome parents for registration at any time in one of our schools or online. Have questions about Kindergarten? Visit our Kindergarten Information Nights page for dates and times by school. Building Brighter Futures Together @OCDSB The OCDSB strategic planning process is well underway, and the District has now entered the Strategies & Actions stage which includes two evenings of focus group discussions. At the focus group sessions, participants will be provided with feedback from the idea exchange and will work in groups to explore and discuss the results from the online consultation, and help define specific strategies and actions for achieving identified goals. Space is limited so all participants must pre-register. Please click on the Register Now hyperlink below for the date you’d like to attend. The focus group meetings will be held on: Wednesday, January 23rd, 2019 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sir Robert Borden High School 131 Greenbank Road Register Now Thursday, January 31st, 2019 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Cairine Wilson High School 975 Orléans Blvd Register Now Agenda 6:00 p.m. Light Refreshments and Meet and Greet 6:30 p.m. Thoughtexchange Consultation Overview 7:00 p.m. Focus Group Sessions 8:30 p.m. Wrap-up, Final Thoughts To learn more about our strategic planning process visit our website. Black History Month 2019 - Workshop As part of Black History Month activities next month, Parents for Diversity will be putting on a workshop entitled "Addressing Anti-Black Racism in Schools". It will be held on February 16th, 2019, at 2:00 P.M. This workshop will provide parents with tools to advocate for their children in the school system when they face racism and bias. It will explore different actors in children's education, forms of anti-black racism and bias, human rights aspects of discrimination, as well as practical ways to address discrimination when it arises. This is also a great time to network with other parents going through similar experiences. While the workshop is free, they will be accepting donations at the door to cover costs of maintaining their website and helping Parents for Diversity to do more workshops and other activities. Visit the registration website for further details. NEWS From OSTA and OSSTF Negotiations OSTA Management has been in negotiations with OSSTF Educational Support Professional Bargaining Unit #25 for the past few months. The term of their collective agreement ended on August 31st, 2018. Despite recent news reports of a "strike vote" and "work-to-rule", is a step in the bargaining process. A strike is not imminent and we remain committed to negotiating a fair and affordable collective agreement. OSTA Management is confident that an agreement can be reached with its unionized staff through the bargaining process. OSTA prides itself on providing safe, efficient and effective transportation services. Regardless of negotiation outcomes, transportation service will be provided. Plans are in place to manage safety and security issues on an ongoing basis Bus and Van Operators will continue to be first point of contact for schools and parents on daily operational issues. We will continue to provide information to schools, operators and parents as the process unfolds. Continuing Education - Winter Newsletter Check out the Continuing Education Newsletter for January/February 2019, and have a look at what is coming up this Winter. Reminders OCDSB Speaker Series - Free Information Session UNSTOPPABLE YOU with Unstoppable Tracy Schmitt February 28th, 2019 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Earl of March Secondary School, 4 The Parkway, Kanata No matter where you are in life, sometimes you just need to be inspired. Join us and “Unstoppable Tracy” as she shares how you can use humour and motivation to crush your obstacles and soar to the top! High School Information Nights Making decisions about high school? Come to an OCDSB information night to help you make an informed decision. OCDSB schools host information nights for parents and grade 8 students. Learn everything you need to know about our incredible variety of schools, programs and courses. Upcoming sessions:  A.Y Jackson Secondary School - January 22nd  Canterbury High School - January 31st  Bell High School - February 7th  Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School - February 7th  Ottawa Technical Secondary School - February 7th  South Carleton High School - February 7th  West Carleton Secondary School - February 7th Visit our website for a complete list of Information Nights by school. Ottawa Public Health (OPH) Immunization All children attending school between ages 4 to 17 need to be immunized according to Ontario's Immunization Schedule. Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act, students attending school in Ontario are required to be vaccinated against nine (9) diseases or have a valid exemption. Parents are required to report all immunizations done at the doctor's office to OPH. Under this Act, OPH has the authority to suspend from attending school students for whom OPH does not have a record of immunization. Parents/guardians of these intermediate and secondary students received written notice from OPH in the mail by November 21st. Suspension orders are scheduled to be mailed to households on January 25th, 2019 (Grades 7 - 12) and scheduled to be enforced on February 20th, 2019. Parents seeking more information can contact OPH by phoning 613-580-6744 or visit parentinginottawa.ca/immunization. Learn more here. School Council Information 2018-2019 Pro Grants Announced - OCDSB Schools Receive $84,475 Ontario Parent Reaching Out (PRO) Grants are designed to support parents in identifying barriers to parent engagement in their own community, and to find local solutions to involve more parents in support of student achievement and well-being. This year 87 OCDSB school councils will receive up to $1,000 each. School councils are required to submit a report back for the completed project by July 15th, 2019. The report is to be completed online here. Information on how your school can apply for PRO Grants for next year is available on the Ministry of Education website. For inquiries, please contact OCDSB Policy Analyst at engy.abdel.masieh@ocdsb.ca. Important Information for School Councils School Council Resource Guide School Council Funds Management Guide School Council Insurance School News 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! Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School's Food for Thought - January 31st, 2019 On January 31st, 2019, Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School is hosting Food for Thought, a Gala dinner to celebrate the Culinary Arts Program. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with music provided by the LDHSS Sr. Jazz Band, under the direction of Ms. Carey Godfrey. Dinner will be starting promptly at 6:00 p.m. This event is designed to bring members of the Chef community together with students in the Culinary Arts Program (grades 9-12). It is also an opportunity to raise funds to support the Parkdale Food Centre, a local organization that helps feed people in need, and educate them about good food practices. As well, the event will be supporting Cultivating Cooks, an Ottawa enterprise that seeks to educate primary school students about food, where it comes, and our food system. Students from grades 9-12 will be the primary cooks and servers for the evening, helping the participating Chefs in advance preparation of their course, as well as plating the course during the event. To reserve your ticket, or table, contact Jane Lovsin at 613-843-7722 ext. 2005. Tickets are $60 per person. Payment may be made in advance, or at the event by Debit/Credit (via Square), a cheque payable to LDHSS, or cash. 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. Dates to Remember Semester 1 Secondary Exams - January 25th - 31st, 2019 Exams are scheduled for students in grades 9-12 from Friday, January 25th to Thursday, January 31st, 2019. Semester 2 begins Monday, February 4th, 2018. Looking for homework help? Check our website here for helpful resources. Elementary PA Day - January 25th, 2019 Reminder that there is a PA Day for all Elementary schools on January 25th. School Year Calendars The 2018-2019 school year elementary and secondary calendars are available on our website. The highlights include School Holidays, PA Days, and District-wide Secondary Testing. Board and Committee of the Whole Meetings The next public Board meeting will be on January 29th, 2019. Read the full agenda here. Watch the meeting live here. Upcoming Committee Meetings: 01/21/2019 7:00 PM Audit Committee 01/24/2019 6:00 PM Advisory Committee on Equity 01/28/2019 7:00 PM Alternative School Advisory Committee 01/29/2019 7:30 PM Board, Public 01/30/2019 7:00 PM Advisory Committee on Extended Day and Child Care Programs Read our Boardroom Highlights here.