School Council Update #5 - October 5th, 2018
Today was a PA Day in all OCDSB schools. Across the District our educators were engaged in learning about the fundamental concepts and skills in mathematics. This was a great opportunity to build knowledge and skills and increase our capacity to integrate learning about math in all subject areas.

The senior staff were also engaged in an important learning activity on equity and achieving equitable outcomes. Today was the first of a three day program; this course focuses on developing tools and expertise to lead our organization towards enhanced equity and inclusion practices.

On this weekend of giving thanks, I am thankful for the opportunity to do some professional learning.These opportunities are essential to ensuring our school district is well equipped to meet the needs of all of our learners and staff.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful weekend. Happy Thanksgiving.
Important Information
OCDSB Appoints New Director of Education – Camille Williams-Taylor

The Board of Trustees has appointed Camille Williams-Taylor as the next Director of Education for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Ms. Williams-Taylor will officially assume the role in the New Year. Camille Williams-Taylor has over 29 years of experience in education including provincial, post-secondary and public education leadership roles, and has most recently been a senior executive with the Durham District School Board since 2011. Learn more here .
Provincial Consultations: Education in Ontario

The province is inviting parents, students, educators and interested individuals or organizations to provide feedback on the education system in Ontario.

About the consultation
Consultations with parents will be held across the province to address concerns and get feedback in several areas of the education system. We encourage all parents to participate either individually, or collectively through your School Council.

Feedback from these consultations will help shape provincial decisions in the following areas:

The consultation closing date is December 15th, 2018. Learn more on how to participate here .
Getting ready for Post Secondary?

Think about attending one of the college or university fairs that are happening in town between October 22nd and October 25th. The  University Information Program (UIP)  allows you to gather information about Ontario’s 21 universities, including programs, campus life and anything else that may help you make a decision about which Ontario university to choose. You will have the opportunity to listen to presentations from various Ontario universities, followed by a roaming period where you can speak with representatives from other Ontario universities. There is no fee or pre-registration required to attend the UIP in your area. 

 
Gloucester - Colonel By SS - October 23rd - 6:15 to 8:30 p.m.
Ottawa - Brookfield HS - October 25th - 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Ottawa - Cairine Wilson SS - October 25th - 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.

For more information please visit the  Ontario Universities Fair website.
 
You might also want to explore eINFO - a comprehensive web resource that provides information about university programs, admission requirements, scholarships, residence and more for all 20 Ontario universities. Similarly,  www.ontariocolleges.ca  is a comprehensive web resource that provides information about college programs, admission requirements and more. 
 Call for Community Representatives: Special Education Advisory Committee

The OCDSB is seeking to appoint up to three community representatives, who have an interest in issues related to exceptional children, to sit on the Board’s Special Education Advisory Committee.  The appointment will be effective from December 1st, 2018 until November 14th, 2022. The Committee meets monthly to consider and make recommendations to the Board regarding special education programs and services to exceptional children. If you are interested in serving on the Committee, please complete the  online application  form. To be eligible for nomination you must be a public school supporter living within the city of Ottawa. Employees of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board are not eligible to apply.
 
Applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. Friday, October 26th, 2018. 
Calling all Young Writers

The Speaker’s Award for Youth Writers  invites Ontario youth in grades 7-12 to submit their short stories and personal essays to this writing contest. Original fiction and nonfiction essay submissions are welcome, and a winner from each of the following three grade categories will be chosen: grades 7-8, grades 9-10, and grades 11-12. Submissions will be accepted through an online application from September 30th to November 8th, 2018.
Reminders
Municipal Elections - October 22nd
The 2018 Municipal and School Board election is Monday, October 22nd. School board trustees are elected for a four year term.Check out these election resources prepared in English and French by the Ontario Education Services Corporation or check our website for more information .
Free Online French Homework Help - Bonnes Nouvelles!
Visit  voilalearning.com , click on ‘My school board is registered' and enter the code: OCDSB0. The Virtual Immersion Campus will be open Monday to Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for homework help and from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for French practice. Learn more about  Homework Help .
 Ottawa Public Health (OPH) Immunization
All children attending school between ages 4 to 17 need to be immunized according to  Ontario's Immunization Schedule . Learn more  here . 
 Continuing Education - Fall Newsletter
Check out the Continuing Education Newsletter for September/October 2018 , and have a look at what is coming up this Fall. 
Revised Health and Physical Education Curriculum, Grades 1-8
You may have heard of some changes to the Health and Physical Education curriculum that were announced by the Minister of Education over the summer. 
Learn more about the changes here .
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!



Annual Fabric Flea Market hosted by Cambridge Street Community Public School - October 13th, 2018

Cambridge Street Community Public School is hosting its annual Fabric Flea Market on Saturday, October 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It will be held at the Glebe Community Centre and will feature fabrics, patterns, needlework supplies, notions, knitting and weaving yarns, and more. Donations of fabric and needlework supplies are welcome at the school - 250 Cambridge St. N - before October 11th. Learn more on our website .

Want to spread the word about your event? Send us an email at: [email protected] . We will help publicize your events on our website.
School Council Information
Annual Report - Due October 30th, 2018
School Councils are required to submit an annual report to the District on its activities, including fundraising. The school council annual report is a requirement included in the "School Opening Documentation" process conducted by the principal.
 
On or before October 30th, 2018, please submit your school council annual report to your school principal and forward a copy to Policy Analyst Engy Abdel Masieh either by e-mail at  [email protected],  or by mail to 133 Greenbank Road, Ottawa, ON K2H 6L3.
Dates to Remember
School Year Calendar
The 2018-2019 school year  elementary   and  secondary   calendars are available on our website, and a hard copy was distributed to students and staff. The highlights include School Holidays, PA Days, and District-wide Secondary Testing. 
Parent Conference & School C ouncil Training Day

The 2018 Parent Conference will be taking place on November 3rd, 2018. It's held in partnership with the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) and the Ottawa-Carleton Assembly of School Councils (OCASC).

We're very excited to announce Dr. Peg Dawson Ed.D, Co-author of  Smart but Scattered , as our Featured Keynote Speaker.

Workshops will cover a variety of themes including Math, Learning, Special Education and School Council Training. Further information will be available shortly.

Childcare will be available, however space is limited.
OCDSB Speaker Series - Cannabis Information Session

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, in conjunction with Ottawa Public Health, is hosting a public information session for parents to learn about cannabis on October 23rd, 2018, at Earl of March Secondary School from 7 to 9 p.m.

The discussion will involve tackling the myths, what is known about the upcoming new laws, how to have that talk with your youth, protecting youth, and available services. Learn more at the Ottawa Public Health website and the Parenting in Ottawa website .

A second information session will take place on November 6th at Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School from 7 to 9 p.m.
Board and Committee of the Whole Meetings
The next Committee of the Whole meeting will be on October 16th, 2018. Read the full agenda here . Watch the meeting live here .

Upcoming Committee Meetings:   
10/16/2018 7:30 PM Committee of the Whole
10/17/2018 6:00 PM  Parent Involvement Committee
10/25/2018 6:00 PM Advisory Committee on Equity
10/30/2018 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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