School Council Update #25

March 6, 2020

Thanks to all the families who attended our Speaker Series with Unstoppable Tracy Schmitt. Tracy's key message was Exceed Uncertainty; Embrace Possibility; and Earn Independance.

Join us on March 12th for our next Speaker Series about the connection between technology and mental health. Dr. Michael Cheng, child and family psychiatrist at CHEO, is our keynote speaker. 7:00pm-9:00pm
Location: Henry Larsen Elementary School, 1750 Sunview Dr., Gloucester, On, Learn more .

Important Information
There are no planned walkouts affecting the OCDSB for the week of March 9th to 13th. The unions have announced new sanctions which are more administrative in nature. We will continue to monitor the impact of strike sanctions and provide notice of changes or impacts affecting OCDSB as soon as the information is available. Learn more .
As the COVID-19 situation unfolds, it’s important to think about the steps we can all take to be prepared for possible cases in our community. Dr. Vera Etches shares key points that are important for everyone to see and share in this video from Ottawa Public Health . All OCDSB parents and guardians should have received an email today with information about how we are managing this situation at the OCDSB. We will continue to provide regular updates to the community.
The OCDSB is looking for feedback on our Safe Schools Policy and our School District School Code of Conduct Policy. We are therefore inviting parents and guardians to participate in our consultation and share their experiences.


Consultation Session
Date:  Monday, March 23rd, 2020
Time:  6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location:  Earl of March Secondary School (Cafeteria) - 4 The Parkway, Kanata
**Translation support will be available in Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Urdu, Punjabi, and Hindi.

Visit our  Consultation webpage   for further information.
The proposed calendar for the 2020-2021 school year is now available on our website .

Please note that this is subject to Ministry Approval which is received on or before May 1st.
As part of its Right to Read inquiry, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has launched a survey for students with reading disabilities and their parents and guardians. The survey will help the OHRC understand and report on the experiences of students with reading disabilities.
Public Hearing
The OHRC will be holding a public hearing at 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. on March 10, 2020, at the Nepean Sportsplex - 1701 Woodroffe Avenue, Nepean. Seating capacity is for 250 attendees. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. You may also watch a live stream of this public hearing on the OHRC YouTube channel . Learn more here. ohrc.on.ca
Only 3 weeks left to show your volunteers how much you appreciate their contributions to your school!

The OCDSB Volunteer and Community Member Recognition Awards are a great opportunity to recognize individuals in your school or community who make a difference. It takes only a few minutes to nominate a deserving volunteer.

If you know a community member, parent, volunteer, or business partner who has made a lasting impact please consider nominating them through our formal recognition awards program. Online nomination forms must be completed by 11:00 p.m. on Friday, March 27th, 2020 .
Yesterday we were pleased to have Unstoppable Tracy join us for our Speaker Series. In a very dynamic presentation, Tracy reminded us about the need to set high expectations and to take extraordinary action to achieve success.
Reminders
Join Dr. Michael Cheng, child and family psychiatrist at CHEO, at our free Speaker Series event on Thursday, March 12th , as he discusses what we can do as families, communities and a society, in order to reduce our screen addiction, and reconnect to sleep, nature and one another. Learn more .
Ontario Public Health is undergoing a consultation on the modernization of public health. Their discussion paper can be found on their website , and individuals are asked to provide feedback using the survey at the end of the paper. Deadline to provide feedback is Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 .
Check out the interactive   Continuing Education Newsletter   for February/March 2020, and have a look at what's taking place this Winter.
The OSTA Pitter Patter Grant is a micro-grant of up to $250 available to local schools who wish to implement or support a School Active Transportation initiative. Learn more .
Nominations are open for the 2020 OTIP Teaching Awards. These awards recognize teacher excellence in publicly funded education. Deadline is Tuesday, March 31st, 2020 .  Learn more.
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 . 
School Council Information
Board and Committee of the Whole Meetings
The next public Committee of the Whole meeting will be held on March 24th, 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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