Building Brighter Futures Together
at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
School Council Update #18 - January 17, 2020
This week there were a series of new labour announcements, including news of a one day walk-out by elementary teachers on Monday. We remain committed to keeping OCDSB families up to date on labour issues as quickly as possible. Our website, direct emails and social media are a great source of information. We also work to keep the local media informed.

There will be a one day walkout in OCDSB elementary schools on Monday, January 20th. More information is included below and a detailed email was sent to all families today. Based on information provided by the unions, we do not expect any additional walk-outs affecting secondary schools during the exam period.  

As students prepare for exams, parents might want to share this  tip sheet   and encourage students to make a study schedule which includes time for physical activity and regular sleep!

For parents with younger children - next week is our   Kindergarten Registration Week   - if you or someone you know has a child who will be school age for September 2020, please encourage them to attend one of our Kindergarten Information Nights .

Finally, please take a moment this weekend to complete the OCDSB Student Survey - Valuing Voices, Identity Matters. The survey closes on Sunday night.

Have a great weekend - enjoy the snow!
Important Information
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has announced that it intends to hold a one-day walkout on Monday, January 20th, 2020.

All OCDSB elementary schools will be closed to students on  Monday, January 20th, 2020 .  This includes students in grade 7 and 8 attending Bell, Earl of March, Longfields-Davidson Heights, Merivale and Sir Robert Borden High Schools. Parents of elementary students (K-8) should make plans for childcare on January 20th. School bus transportation for elementary students will be cancelled. Parents are asked NOT to bring their children to school on Monday.

All secondary schools are open on Monday, January 20th and students in grades 9-12 are expected to attend school.  School bus transportation will be available for secondary students.

The OCDSB is busy preparing for our 2020-2021 school year and we need your help.

Parents and students are invited to complete a short survey about the next school year
calendar.
Topics include:
  • When should the Winter Break take place?
  • Should we add two Board holidays?

Please note, as Labour Day falls later than usual on September 7th, 2020, the start of the 2020-2021 school year will begin the week before, on Monday, August 31st, 2020.

The survey will remain open until January 26th, 2020 .
Our 2019 Student Survey is going well - over 20,000 students and parents have responded.The surveys take about 20 minutes to complete. Additional information and FAQs can be found   on our website . Deadline to complete the survey is January 19th, 2020 .
Ahead of the building and opening of the new Fernbank Elementary School, a study has been initiated to alleviate enrollment pressures at John Young Elementary School.

A Public Consultation Meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 20th, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Westwind Public School . The purpose of the meeting is to receive input from affected school communities and members of the public regarding the interim accommodation measures under
consideration.

Please join us!
The OCDSB invites eligible candidates to apply for the position of Public School Trustee, to represent Zone 10 (Somerset/Kitchissippi) in the City of Ottawa.



In order to be eligible, candidates must be:
  • at least 18 years of age
  • a Canadian citizen
  • a resident in the city of Ottawa
  • a designated public school (English) elector
  • not disqualified by any legislation from holding the office of trustee

Visit our website for further details and apply here . Signed applications must be received no later than 12 noon on January 31st, 2020 .
If your child will be 4 years old before December 31st, 2020, then they are ready to start kindergarten in September 2020. Give your child the best possible start! Call or stop by your child’s new school to pick up a registration package, or  register online ! Have questions? Come out to our Information Nights .
Reminders
As part of its Right to Read inquiry, the Ontario Human Rights Commission has launched a survey for students with reading disabilities and their parents and guardians.
is looking for caring homestay families to host international students from around the world coming to study in Ottawa for short and long-term stays. Learn more .
Interested in becoming a School Bus Driver? A new   School Bus Driver Preparatory Course   has been developed by th e Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) in response to a schools bus driver shortage in Ottawa.
Check out the interactive Continuing Education Newsletter   for December 2019/January 2020, and have a look at what's taking place this Winter.
To enhance our existing absence-check procedure, we have introduced a new student absence reporting system in select schools called  SchoolMessenger SafeArrival .
All 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 Ottawa Public Health . OPH has the authority to suspend students who have not provided a record of immunization from attending school. Learn more .
School Council Information
School Councils 101 – Taking Minutes

Here are some tips to help in taking minutes of your council meetings:
  • The minutes should have the names of the members who are present, the date and the time of the meeting, decisions taken, and the time the meeting was adjourned.
  • You don’t need to record verbatim every opinion communicated; just record the decisions or actions.
  • Minutes should include any advice provided to the District staff and the reply to such advice.
  • Feel free to interrupt if you need clarification on what was said.
  • Key documents reviewed at the meeting, such as a financial statement, should be summarized in the minutes or attached as an appendix.

After you finish transcribing your minutes, mark it as draft and share it with the Chair for approval and sharing with the rest of the members. Remember, your minutes should be retained on your website for the current school year, plus 5 years.


Additional School Council information can be found on our website .

Resources:
Board and Committee of the Whole Meetings
The next public Committee of the Whole meeting will be held on January 21st, 2020, in the boardroom at 133 Greenbank Road at 7:30 p.m.

 Watch the meeting  live here .

Upcoming Committee Meetings: 
  • Audit Committee - January 22nd, 2020 - 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. - Trustee Committee Room - Trustee Committee Room - 133 Greenbank
  • Advisory Committee on Equity - January 23rd, 2020 - 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Trustees Committee Room - 133 Greenbank
  • Arts Advisory Committee - January 27th, 2020 - 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Fisher Park Public School - 250 Holland Ave

For a summary of our board meetings, read our Boardroom Newsbriefs here .
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