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
.
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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.
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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
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Report Cards
Term 1 Report Cards went home this week. Check out our Parent Guides to Assessment Evaluation and Reporting for
Elementary
and
Secondary
.
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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
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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.
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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
.
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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.
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Dates to Remember
Family Day - February 18th
February 18th, 2019, is Family Day. All OCDSB schools will be closed.
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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.
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Contact Us
133 Greenbank Road
Ottawa, Ontario, K2H 6L3
613-721-1820
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