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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSchool Council Update 2021/11/23 - # 4School Council Update #4 - Special Edition November 23, 2021 Vaccination for Children Ages 5-11 With the approval of COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 and the announcement about booking appointments beginning on Tuesday, November 23, we have received some questions regarding how school councils can assist in highlighting the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. As important school partners, we wanted to share with you some information to assist in highlighting this effort on your social media channels. School councils should play a role similar to that played by the school district; enhancing awareness and promotion of vaccine information from public health professionals. Share information attributed to official health sources School councils are welcome to forward, share or retweet important information about appointment bookings, events, or pop-up clinics with your school community. When sharing information about the vaccination campaign, it is best practice to share or retweet content from official health sources, such as Ottawa Public Health, CHEO, the Ontario Ministry of Health or Health Canada. The OCDSB follows this practice and councils are encouraged to share or retweet content from the OCDSB social media accounts. Do not engage in debate It is strongly recommended that school councils avoid debate on the topic of vaccination or the legitimacy of vaccines authorized by Health Canada. If confronted with or asked to comment on information that may contradict official health information, you may direct the individual to raise their concerns with Ottawa Public Health or other official health sources, noting that the council is simply forwarding public health information to parents as a school council. Supporting those who may be hesitant or unsure Decisions about vaccines are personal. Respect that people who have received the vaccine themselves may have some hesitancy when it comes to vaccinating their children. That’s okay - everyone has the right to make their own medical decisions. It is important to respond with empathy and understanding and recommend they discuss this matter with Ottawa Public Health, their doctor or family health practitioner. You may also direct them to find more information on the Ottawa Public Health’s vaccination page for children 5-11. Respect the privacy of health information Please remember, respecting privacy is important. We encourage everyone to respect personal choices, protect privacy and avoid speculation and gossip about the personal health information of others. Launching in December: A New Look for the School Council Newsletter and Website We're gearing up to launch a new format for the School Council Newsletter in December. Our redesigned webpage and newsletter will make it easier than ever for councils to access important updates and resources. You will continue to receive regular newsletters with school council information, news, tips, resources and reminders. To complement the newsletter, we will be posting the updates directly on the OCDSB website, which will offer a number of benefits to school councils:  A better user experience – The School Council webpages on the District website will become a one-stop destination for the latest school council information. Each update will be shared in a separate post, making it easy to find information on topics of interest.  Equity and accessibility – Web content can be translated into any language or read aloud using the built-in tools on the OCDSB website.  Engaging families – All interested parents can read information on the website, whether or not they are subscribed to the newsletter.  Up-to-date information – Information will be posted on an ongoing basis, so you can access updates as soon as they are available.  A streamlined newsletter – Like the weekly OCDSB Parent Updates, the newsletter will now include short blurbs linking to the website, so you can see all the latest updates at a glance. We invite school councils to be part of the newsletter by sending us your questions. Common questions will be answered in future newsletters and on the website. This year, many school councils have introduced innovative virtual activities and found creative ways to connect with their school communities. Does your council have an initiative or success story that you'd like to share? Tell us about it at schoolnewslettersinfo@ocdsb.ca for a chance to be featured in the newsletter and on the website! Connect with Us Visit our website 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.