Building Brighter Futures Together
at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
School Council Update #20 - January 31, 2020
Tomorrow is the first day of February and is Black History Month. Further down in this newsletter and on the OCDSB website you will find lots of information about events and resources related to Black History Month. We are fortunate in to have Black History Ottawa offering a wealth of programming, including an Exhibit at the Aberdeen Pavillion from February 2-4th, 2020 that you might want to check out.

On another note - the Elementary Teacher's Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has been back at the bargaining table this week. We remain hopeful that an agreeement will be reached. ETFO has two planned strike days in Ottawa next week (Wednesday and Thursday; more details below). Please watch your email for updates.
Important Information
The OCDSB is actively involved monitoring information on the Coronavirus and is engaged in ongoing communication with Ottawa Public Health and with the Office of the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health. We take guidance on health matters from our federal, provincial and local health authorities, including our partner Ottawa Public Health (OPH). OPH has advised that currently, there are no confirmed or presumptive positive cases in Ottawa.

Latest information

The OCDSB will keep district and school websites up to date with the most current information relevant to our schools.Learn more here .
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) announced a full walkout at school boards, including the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), on two separate days next week – Wednesday, February 5 th  and Thursday, February 6.

Unfortunately, this means that if no agreement is reached, all OCDSB elementary schools will be closed to students in grades K-8 on Wednesday, February 5 th  and Thursday, February 6. This includes students in grade 7 and 8 attending Bell, Earl of March, Longfields-Davidson Heights, Merivale and Sir Robert Borden High Schools. All secondary schools will be open on both days and students in grades 9-12 are expected to attend school.

This strike action will also affect students at the CHEO Treatment Centre and M.F. McHugh Education Centre. Parents of these students will be notified separately with further details. Parents should have contingency plans in place for childcare on both February 5 th  and February 6 th . Learn more here .
February is recognized as  Black History Month   in Canada. It’s a time to celebrate Black culture and history, and to applaud the achievements and significant contributions Black Canadians have made to build Canada and to make this country the diverse, welcoming and the strong nation it is today.

Visit our website for further information including Black History Month events taking place in Ottawa.
OTIP Teaching Awards
Nominations are now open for the 2020 OTIP Teaching Awards. These awards recognize teacher excellence in publicly funded education. Anyone can submit a nomination. Nomination close March 31, 2020. To learn more and nominate a teacher, visit  teachingawards.ca.
OCDSB Free Speaker Series Event - Vaping - What is it and How to Parent It
Thursday, February 6th, 2020
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 
Sir Robert Borden High School
131 Greenbank Road, Nepean

E-cigarette use (vaping) among Ottawa’s youth has surpassed tobacco use. This session, presented by Krista Oswald from Ottawa Public Health, will provide parents with facts on vaping, vape products, health effects and what we are seeing every day in schools.

Visit our website  for additional details.
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 .
Registration for the Winter 2020 Night School Session is now open until Friday, February 14th, 2020 .

Classes will run from February 20th to May 26th, 2020.
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.
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.
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 Council Tip Sheet Encouraging Brainstorming

Looking to bring some new ideas to school council discussions? Brainstorming is an excellent way to encourage creative thinking. A brainstorming session brings a group of people together to participate in a free-flowing, but well managed, discussion about problems and solutions. It promotes group decision-making and helps to build consensus among group members.

Brainstorming is a powerful tool for generating new ideas and will help your School Council develop effective goals, objectives and action plans. Start on a positive note Every brainstorming session should have a facilitator - this could be someone on the council, a parent or community member or an external third party. The facilitator’s role is to draw suggestions from the group and to keep the discussion on track. Have a large sheet of poster paper, flip chart or black/white board and markers available. Write down all of the suggestions or ideas in large print, so everyone can see them. Gather ideas
  • Make sure everyone understands the topic and purpose of the discussion.
  • Encourage all Council members to participate actively in the brainstorming
  • Your initial goal is to gather as many suggestions as possible. One idea may spark off another, so keep the discussion fast-paced and fun.
  • Accept all suggestions, even the far-fetched ones. Don’t reject or criticize any ideas – at this point, you should be open to all possibilities.
  • Break into small groups to brainstorm your ideas. Give each group a time limit to make a list of suggestions. Then ask the small groups to report back to the larger group, so the ideas can be shared. When the flow of ideas slows down, it’s time to start reviewing the list of suggestions. 
  • Discuss options and strategies, plan for next steps.
  • Report back to your community!

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 February 4th, 2020 , in the boardroom at 133 Greenbank Road at 7:30 p.m.

 Watch the meeting  live here .

Upcoming Committee Meetings: 

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