School Council Update #40 - June 28th, 2019
Summer is here!!! Congratulations to all of our students, staff and families on the completion of the school year.

It has been an exciting year for the OCDSB. As we reflect on the school year, there is lots to be proud of. We welcomed our new Director of Education, Camille Williams-Taylor and new Board of Trustees, we transitioned to a new provincial government, and we developed a new strategic plan. Looking forward, we are excited about the implementation of our new strategic priorities - we are committed to building a culture of innovation, caring and social responsibility.

But first, summer - a chance for everyone to pause, reflect, enjoy time exploring, reading, visiting with friends and family, and finding some balance. Wherever your summer takes you, be sure to make some time for yourself, for learning and for reflection - you've earned it!

This will be the last newsletter for this school year. We will start up again in September. Thanks so much for all of your support and interest.
Have a wonderful summer.
Important Information
Approved Strategic Plan 2019-2023
With your help, we've been able to build a new strategic plan.  Recognizing that learning, well-being and equity are the core of our work, our strategic plan is focused on building a culture that supports and engages students, staff, parents and community members.
Read the full plan here or visit our website for the HTML version, which can be translated. Our thanks to the 6000+ who provided input into the development of the plan and the 300+ who provided feedback. You had a powerful impact on our work. 

2019-2020 Approved Budget
The OCDSB approved an operating budget for the 2019-2020 school year. For a full overview please  visit our website .  


Pride Month 2019
Our OCDSB community has a rich culture and history of celebrating diversity and our 2SLGBTQ+ community every day. Join us at the Capital Pride Parade  on Sunday, August 25th, 2019.

Summer Shutdown
Over the summer, our elementary school offices are closed but secondary school offices are open. Offices at the Administration Building are open all summer except for a two week period from July 29th to August 9th.

Summer School Programs Registration
Registration is open for Summer School Programs. Visit our website to learn more and to register. 


Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) School Bus and Pedestrian Safety Day -
August 25, 2019
Want to be a part of this fun interactive day? Come and join OSTA for information on school bus and pedestrian safety. Take part in Pedestrian Safety with the Ottawa Safety Council. Get on the bus with your children for a bus ride. Learn about the walking school bus. Enjoy videos, colouring, and more fun activities for all ages. Learn more here .

 Ottawa Public Health (OPH) Immunization

All children attending school between ages 4 to 17 need to be immunized according to  Ontario's Immunization Schedule .  Parents can contact OPH by phoning 613-580-6744 or visit their website .

Tales & Tunes Family Fun Day at the Library - July 6th
Tales and Tunes is a free, family-oriented celebration of storytelling and literacies of many kinds. Enjoy Indigenous, French and English storytellers, drumming workshops, ukulele jams, a strolling musician, a magic show, dance workshops, crafts and musical performances by Twin Flames, Ariko, Juno award winning Splash N’ Boots, and Monkey Rocks. The event is taking place at noon at Place Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe.
School Council Information
 School Council Annual Report - Due 30 October 2019
School councils are required to submit to the District an annual report on their activities for the past year. The report has to include information on 2018-2019 activities and may include information on the goals and composition of the council, and a note from the Chair or Co-Chairs. On or before October 30, 2019, please ensure to submit your school council annual report to the school principal and forward a copy to Engy Masieh, 133 Greenbank Road, Ottawa, ON K2H 6L3 or by email at  [email protected] .

Elections of 2019-2020 School Council Members
The election of school council members must be held within 30 days of the start of the school year. The details about the election process are outlined in the School Council policy  and in the  school council elections procedure . The election of officers (Chair, Co-chair, Secretary, and Treasurer) happens after the members of council have been duly elected. Don't forget to review your school council constitution for specific provisions with respect to your school. Please send us an updated list of school council contact information after your elections.

School Council Records and End of School Year Tasks
As the school year closes, many school councils are asking about how to manage their records. Records that contain financial information, such as those that pertain to School Generated Funds, are kept for the current year, plus 6 years. As such, financial records from the 2012/2013 school year can be destroyed. School Council meeting minutes are required to be maintained for the current school year, plus 5 years. Thus, the 2012/2013 minutes can be destroyed. When destroying records, please be sure to shred anything which contains personal or sensitive information.  If you have records for destruction, you can bring them to the school boxed and clearly marked school council records for shredding.

Corporate Records welcomes questions with regard to document maintenance
and can be reached through email at  [email protected] .

School Council Year-End Financial Reporting
All school councils must prepare and submit to the Board an annual report on their activities (including fundraising activities). To make the exercise easier the Finance Department has produced a template that school councils can fill in. A memo with this information was sent to school principals this week.

Please note that individual school councils will not be identified in the District's financial statements as the amounts are consolidated with those from all other school councils for financial reporting purposes. The amounts reported will not affect the budget allocated to the school as the school's budget is based on school enrollment.

The outline below assumes that your school council's financial reporting year will end on 31 July. If your school council has a June or August year-end please provide the information based on your year-end and amend the dates shown in the table. Please ensure your opening balance for this year matches your closing balance from the previous year's report. Your opening balance plus your funds raised less your funds spent should equal your closing balance.

School Name
School Council Chair

Opening balance of all reconciled bank accounts,                          $
investments and cash on hand on August 1, 2018
The amount raised by school council during the year
August 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019                                                   $
The amount spent by school council during the year
August 1, 2018 and July 31, 2019                                                   $
Closing balance of all reconciled bank accounts,
investments and cash on hand on July 31, 2019                            $
Portion of above amount raised which was collected $
through the school’s School Cash Online program

Please send the information by email to  [email protected]  by 20 September 2019. In cases where your school council's banking arrangements are administered by the school, the school council is not required to provide this.

Other School Council Resources:

Board and Committee of the Whole Meetings
The final Board meeting of the school year was held on June 24th, 2019, in the boardroom at 133 Greenbank Road at 7:30 p.m.

Read the full newsbrief here . Watch the meetings here .
Stay Connected
OCDSB staff, students and community members can view the District's  website. Keep in touch by following us on  Twitter , and downloading our new app, visiting our  Facebook  and  LinkedIn  pages, and watching our videos on  YouTube .

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