HomeMy WebLinkAboutKeeping you Connected February 2019
Keeping you Connected
February 2019
Black History Month 2019
February is Black History Month , a time to
celebrate Black culture and history, and to reflect
on the significant contributions Black Canadians
have made to building Canada. Every February,
Canadians are invited to participate in learning opportunities,festivities and
events that honour the legacy of Black Canadians, past and present.
Last year, the OCDSB adopted a motion to endorse the United Nations
Declaration for the Decade for People of African Descent. This was an
important commitment to recognizing our history and taking action to effect
change. Last weekend, at the Ottawa Black History Month launch event, " Our
Canadian Story: Nothing About Us, Without Us " the OCDSB was recognized
for this work.
Take a look at our website to learn more about the work we are doing to
implement the motion and some of the events happening in our schools this
month. There are also many community events noted on the calendar of Black
History Ottawa .
Building Brighter Futures Together @
OCDSB
During the period of November 21 and December
17, 2018, we invited our communities to share
thoughts about what we're doing well, where we can
improve, and what our priorities should be for the next 4 years.
Our goal was to get a sense of shared values and priorities from our students,
staff, parents and community members.
We're excited to report that we had 6441 individuals respond. Together, they
shared 10,296 Thoughts and assigned 178,131 stars to help identify top
priorities. One area where we made important gains in terms of participation
was with students. Here is a breakdown of respondents:
Parents – 4129 (3035 elementary; 1094 secondary)
Students – 1020 students
Staff – 1151
Community – 289
The feedback from the Idea Exchange is reported by theme. Thoughts with an
average star score of 3.6 or higher are grouped by theme to show areas of high
agreement. Six Top Themes emerged including Curriculum, School
Environment, Teaching and Learning, Student Supports, HR & District Level,
and Extra-Curricular and Physical Activity. Each theme has multiple sub-
themes. You can explore the specific results and themes by question in the
information below.
Understanding the Results
Top thoughts are thoughts with a high average star score, as determined by
participant starring.
Top themes are themes with a large number of thoughts.
You can explore the results in full on our website here .
Your feedback has been very helpful in our work. Over the next two months, the
Board will be developing a draft Strategic Plan. We expect this to be shared with
the community for feedback in May 2019. Thank you for taking the time to
contribute to this process.
OCDSB Speaker Series:
Free Information Session
UNSTOPPABLE YOU with Unstoppable
Tracy Schmitt
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!
When: February 28th, 2019 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Earl of March Secondary School, 4 The Parkway, Kanata
Visit our website for further information.
Report Cards
Term 1 Report Cards went home this week. Check
out our Parent Guides to Assessment Evaluation
and Reporting for Elementary and Secondary .
Middle French Immersion - Grade 4 -
Registration
If your child has completed the grade 3
English/Core French Program, you can choose to
enter the Middle French Immersion Program. All
subjects are generally taught in French in grades 4, 5, and 6, except for English
Language Arts and Math. After successful completion through to the end of
secondary school, your child will be able to participate easily in conversation,
take post-secondary courses in French, and live and work in a French-speaking
community.
The registration period is from Monday, February 11th to Tuesday, February
19th, 2019
Learn more here .
Cross Boundary Transfer Period
At the OCDSB, all students attend a designated
school based on geographic and programming
considerations. In order to attend a school other
than your child's designated school, an application
must be made during the student transfer application period which is Monday,
February 4th to Tuesday, February 19th, 2019.
Learn more about the transfer process on our website or in our Student
Transfer Parent Guide .
Toonie Tuesday - February 26th, 2019
For a child who lives in poverty in our city, $2 is the
difference between nothing and something. It’s
food on a plate or a notebook on a desk. It’s half the
cost of a field trip to the museum; a price that
seems low to most of us, but a barrier for so many in our community.
On the last Tuesday in February, students at participating schools are asked to
bring $2 to help other kids just like them. All the funds raised from this day go
directly to the Students in Crisis Emergency Fund . In 2018, we raised over
$60,000. Learn more about the Education Foundation
and Toonie Tuesday here .
Pink Shirt Day - February 27th, 2019
Bullying is a major problem in our workplaces,
schools, homes, and online. Over the month of
February, and throughout the year, CKNW Kids'
Fund's Pink Shirt Day aims to raise awareness of
these issues, as well as raise funds to support programs that foster children’s
healthy self-esteem.
On February 27th we encourage everyone to practice kindness and wear pink to
symbolize that you do not tolerate bullying. Recognition at our schools will
include assemblies, in-class learning experiences, lunchtime activities, and anti-
bullying video presentations.
Visit the Pink Shirt Day website for further information.
Dates to Remember
View our Elementary and Secondary School Year
Calendars on our website.
Family Day - February 18th
February 18th, 2019, is Family Day. All OCDSB schools will be closed.
Boardroom Highlights
Facilities Renewal and School Condition
Improvement
Trustees approved the Facilities Renewal budget of
$99,366,836. Some examples of investments include LED lighting
improvements throughout schools; auditorium upgrades; conversion from
steam plants to hydraulic plants; and noise control improvements.
Extended Day Program Fee
The Extended Day Program will see no fee increases in the 2019-2020 school
year. The fee will remain unchanged at $22.50 per day for students who attend
the program full-time.
New Fernbank Elementary School
Trustees approved the New Fernbank Elementary School Study Consultation
Plan and Timeline. This is designed to establish the opening grade structure,
program offering, and attendance boundary for the future school.
Additional Expenditures 2018-2019
Trustees approved additional expenditures including:
$500,000 for classroom furniture
$500,000 for additional emergency educational assistant
$4,000,000 to accelerate improvements to the WiFi infrastructure and
$1,600,000 to increase the Districts’ fleet of Chromebooks
These increases were due to higher than expected growth in
student enrollment. The additional funding for furniture will support schools
updating learning spaces within their facilities.
Visit our website for additional information.
Stay Connected
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133 Greenbank Road
Ottawa, Ontario, K2H 6L3
613-721-1820
communications@ocdsb.ca
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