|
School Council Update #31 - April 27, 2018
|
Happy Spring! It's nice to see the weather change - it's amazing how the climate can affect our mood and our perspective.
The same thing is true in schools - the "school climate" can have a big impact on student learning and well-being. That's one of the reasons why all of our schools are currently undertaking a school climate survey for parents. When parents share their ideas and offer constructive feedback, we better understand the issues and we can develop strategies to prevent bullying and to promote safe and inclusive schools for all students. You should have received an email with information from your child's school about the survey. Please take a few moments to complete the survey. More details are included below in this newsletter.
|
|
|
Open House – Indigenous Education Advisory Council (IEAC) Policy Consultation
The OCDSB will be launching an Indigenous Education Advisory Council (IEAC), to ensure collaborative work with our Indigenous parents and partners, and the delivery of Indigenous education in an inclusive and equitable manner. We have a strong framework for community participation in school board decision-making. The advisory committees to the Board are an important component of this framework. These committees allow community members to bring an important perspective to our work by providing informed advice to the Board.
The IEAC would be comprised of six (6) voting members of the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities and up to four (4) non-voting members including a trustee, Indigenous education lead, superintendent and, where possible, an Indigenous student. Indigenous parents, Traditional Knowledge Keepers, Elders, Senators and partners have been informally consulted regarding the purpose and intent of this policy. These same partners will be an important part of our formal consultation process.
We would like to extend an invitation to all parents/guardians to attend one of our two open house consultations in May in order to solicit input from the broader community. Information on these consultations can be found below.
Monday, May 14
th
at 6:00 p.m.
Confederation Education Centre
Tuesday, May 22
nd
at 6:00 p.m.
Gloucester High School
More information on this policy can be found
here.
|
|
International Baccalaureate Program Implementation Plan - Merivale High School - Online Forum - Open until May 1, 2018
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is planning to introduce a new International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Merivale High School beginning in the Fall of 2019. This would be the second IB program in the district; there is currently an IB program at Colonel By Secondary School.
In order to best serve the community, we would like your thoughts about some of the implementation issues for the new program. Specifically, decisions need to be made about three things:
1.
Attendance boundaries for the two IB programs;
2.
Semestering versus non-semestering at Merivale High School; and
3.
School start time at Merivale High School.
We have prepared some background information on each of these issues, which you can access from the links below. We are collecting feedback though our online discussion forum. We encourage you to learn more and share your thoughts with us. The consultation period runs until May 1, 2018.
|
|
2018 Volunteer Appreciation Reception -
Thursday, May 24, 2018 - 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Please join us as we celebrate the valuable contributions of our community members, parents, and businesses. We are pleased to invite all volunteers to our Community Recognition Awards. Whether you have coached teams, led clubs or activity groups, been members of advisory committees to the Board or some other role - this is our chance to show our appreciation for the contributions you make. There is no cost or fee to participate in this event. Light refreshments will be provided.
Location: Confederation Education Centre
Free parking is available behind Confederation Education Centre and behind Nepean Sportsplex.
|
|
School Climate Survey 2018 for Parent/Guardians - April 23 - May 11, 2018
The OCDSB values parental engagement. When parents share their ideas and offer constructive feedback, the school system is improved and students succeed. We are seeking your input regarding school climate. By completing our School Climate Survey for parents/guardian, your feedback will assist us in developing strategies to prevent bullying and to promote safe and inclusive schools for all students.
The “OurSCHOOL” survey developed by The Learning Bar will be used across the OCDSB. It is anonymous, voluntary, confidential, and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. The parent survey will be open for participation from April 23 to May 11, 2018.
All Ontario school boards are required by the
Ministry
to conduct school climate surveys of students, school staff and parents at least once every two years. More information about the survey is available on the
OCDSB website
.
|
|
Do You Want To Volunteer In An OCDSB School?
Ottawa Volunteers in Education (OVIE) brings volunteers from the community into OCDSB classrooms. OVIE recruits, screens, and trains volunteers to provide much-needed one-to-one support for students. Volunteers provide classroom support in a variety of academic subjects, clubs and activities. Browse through the
volunteer opportunities
and find a placement that best suits your interests and schedule, or simply apply online
here
.
|
|
Ottawa Public Health Parent Information
Sessions - Cannabis
Thursday, May 3, 2018 - 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Sir Robert Borden High School - 131 Greenbank Road
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board in conjunction with Ottawa Public Health is hosting a public information session for parents to learn about cannabis. The presentation will tackle the myths; review information on how the law is changing in relation to cannabis use and; provide insight on how to talk to your child
and outline how schools are educating and supporting students on this issue.
|
|
Fairy Godmother Ottawa - Pop Up Prom Shop - Saturday, May 12th 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Appointments
-
One Day Only!
This year, Fairy Godmother is opening the doors of their POP UP PROM SHOP for 1 DAY ONLY where graduating teens who need a Fairy Godmother can 'shop', for free, for a Cinderella-worthy dress to make their prom night a magical experience - Saturday, May 12th from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. This is a fantastic program intended for girls who are unable to purchase a dress on their own. No financial verification is necessary.
You Must Book an Appointment
|
|
Advisory Committee on the Arts 2017-2018
Recognition Awards - Nominations Open!
The Arts Recognition Awards are presented annually by the Advisory Committee to teachers and community volunteers in recognition of outstanding service to arts education in our schools.You can
nominate
anyone who contributes to art education!
The award winners will be announced Saturday, May 26th. A presentation will be held to recognize award winners on Tuesday, June 19th at 5:00 p.m. in the boardroom at 133 Greenbank Road. Learn more about the Arts Advisory Committee and the annual awards
here.
|
|
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!
Fostering Resilience, Confidence and a Positive Mindset in Teenagers -
Sir Robert Borden High School - May 8th 7:00 p.m.
Join us for this 1.5 hour hands on presentation that will focus on how to foster resilience, confidence and a positive mindset in our teenagers. Facilitator Jennifer Laale will introduce practical practices and tactical tools that families can use and integrate into their families daily routine.
These presentations are all about parent/student/family wellness. By offering parents practical tools to use and practice at home to inspire confidence and a growth and positive mindset with their children. Light snacks and decaf coffee & teas will be provided.
Want to spread the word about your event? Send us an email at:
[email protected].
We will help publicize your events on our website.
|
|
Board and Committee of the Whole Meetings
|
The next Committee of the Whole meeting will be May 1, 2018 in the boardroom at 133 Greenbank Road at 8:00 p.m. Read the full agenda
here
.
|
|
Upcoming Meetings:
April 30, 2018 -
Arts Advisory Committee - 6:00 p.m. Note:
Meeting will be held at the National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street
Read our Boardroom Highlights
here.
|
|
School Council Information
|
|
2018-19 Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grants for School Councils - APPLICATIONS NOW ACCEPTED
We know that good schools become great schools when parents are involved in their children's learning and well-being. Ontario's PRO Grants are designed to support parents in identifying barriers to parent engagement in their own community and developing local solutions to address these barriers in support of student achievement, human rights and equity, and well-being. Your School Council can now submit an application at
http://education.factorial.ca
.
The application deadline is Tuesday, June 5, 2018 11:59 p.m. EST.
For any questions about PRO Grants, please contact the Parent and Community Engagement Office, Ministry of Education at
[email protected]
.
School Council - Insurance Coverage for Bouncy Castles
The District has purchased school council insurance on behalf of all OCDSB school councils. However, if your school council is planning to use a bouncy castle, you must ensure the vendor has liability insurance and that they are Technical Safety Standards Authority (TSSA) certified. The vendor should be the only persons responsible for installing and running the bouncy castle. Principals and school council representatives are cautioned not to sign any agreement accepting all liability. Dunk tanks should not be used.
Important Information for School Councils
|
|
Ottawa-Carleton Assembly of School
Councils (OCASC)
OCASC is an umbrella organization for school councils and parents in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) to share information and facilitate communication within the OCDSB communities to enhance the education of all its students.
Contact Information:
|
|
Math Facts -
Math Thinking Through the Years
Primary: The big idea that a number can be represented by a numeral, or by different objects laid out in different ways is an essential understanding for students as they progress. Give your child a number such as 18 and ask them them to write the numeral and draw that many dots (grade 1), show the number with tally marks (grade 2), with number cubes that add up to the number (grade 3). Explore ways of representing this number together.
Junior: An essential understanding in grades 4-6 in the idea that a fraction can be part of a whole or part of a set. Questions to ask your child: Show what more than half of a dozen eggs could look like. (grade 4), Draw a picture that shows more than 3/4 of a dozen (grade 5 or 6) Asking questions with more than one answer allows room for you to talk and discuss a variety of possibilities.
|
|
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
[email protected]
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|