School Council Update #13 - November 30th, 2018
Today is the last day of the current term of office for the Board of Trustees. The new Board of Trustees will be sworn in on Monday, December 3rd at 7 p.m. Our incoming Director of Education, Camille Williams-Taylor will be in attendance. Everyone is welcome to join us as our new trustees take their oath of office.

I wanted extend sincere thanks to all of our trustees for the work they have done over the 2014-2018 term. Being a trustee is an incredible commitment to the community. This Board has been strong advocates for learning, well-being, stewardship, engagement and equity and they have made a tremendous impact. We are grateful to Trustee Olsen-Harper who has taught us much about Indigenous education and Trustee Seward who has been the very dedicated Chair of the Board for the past four years. We extend our thanks and best wishes to Trustees Kavanaugh and Menard who will join City Council on Monday.

We look forward to working with the new Board of Trustees.
Important Information
OCDSB Strategic Planning -
Building Brighter Futures Together @OCDSB


Do you have thoughts about education - what we do well; where we can improve; and what priorities are important to learning and well-being at the OCDSB for the next 4 years? Of course you do, and we'd love to hear from you.  All parents, students in grades 7-12, staff and community partners are encouraged to participate in our community conversation called “Building Brighter Futures Together”. Using  Thoughtexchange , an online learning tool, you have an opportunity to share your thoughts, read the thoughts of others and help us set priorities. Thoughts are shared anonymously - no names are attached to the thoughts shared. The online conversation is moderated to ensure it is respectful to everyone.

Reminder email invitations with the Thoughtexchange link were sent this week. You can also use the link below to participate - pick the conversation that is right for you. If you have kids in elementary and secondary, you can participate in both conversations.
Staff and students - find your link in your OCDSB inbox.

Please take the time to participate between now and December 12th.  Visit our website  for more information on the consultation.
Reminders
Provincial Consultations: Education in Ontario

The Ministry of Education''s consultation on reform is ongoing. We encourage all interested parents and/or school councils to provide input into this consultation. Please complete the Ministr y  online submission form  and/or participate in the telephone town hall meetings. Additional details can be found  here .
High School Information Nights

To help you make an informed decision when choosing a high school, OCDSB schools host information nights for parents and grade 8 students each year between November and February. Learn everything you need to know about our incredible variety of schools, programs and courses.

Upcoming sessions:
  • Canterbury High School - December 5th
  • Glebe Collegiate Institute - December 6th
  • Sir Guy Carleton Secondary School - December 6th
  • John McCrae Secondary School - December 6th
  • Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School - December 11th

Visit our website for a complete list of Information Nights by school.
What is the WITS Program?

The WITS Program is an evidence based bullying prevention program that brings schools, families and communities together to create responsive environments that help elementary school children deal with bullying and peer victimization. This program has been implemented in our OCDSB schools.

The WITS program contains two parts: WITS for Primary students (K-Grade3) and WITS LEADS for Junior students (Grades 4-6). The WITS program is literacy based, provides a common language and builds responsive communities.

Click here to learn more and find resources.
School Ground Greening Workshops 2018-2019
Join us for a free series of inspiring workshops designed to help you plan a successful and sustainable school ground greening project. Workshops are run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Immaculata High School - 140 Main Street.

Upcoming Workshop - Saturday, December 1st, 2018

Getting Started
Discover what Ottawa schools are doing to improve the health of students' outdoor environments. Learn about how to build a greening team and create and sustain a grounds greening project with ongoing school council commitment.

Surveying People and the Grounds
Find out how to gather the information you need about your site and the people who use it and conduct class-by-class brainstorming sessions to design your project. Includes suggestions for involving children.
 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 21 . Suspension orders are scheduled to be mailed to households on  January 25, 2019  (Grades 7 - 12) and scheduled to be enforced on  February 20, 2019 . 

Parents seeking more information can contact OPH by phoning 613-580-6744 or visit  parentinginottawa.ca/immunization . Learn more  here . 
School Council Information
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!

Want to spread the word about your event? Send us an email at:  [email protected] . We will help publicize your events on our website.
Dates to Remember
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 Committee of the Whole meeting will be on December 11th, 2018. Read the full agenda here . Watch the meeting live here .

Upcoming Committee Meetings:   
12/11/2018 7:30 PM Committee of the Whole, Public
12/18/2018 7:30 PM Board, Public

Read our Boardroom Highlights here .
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 .

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