September 28, 2023 • Issue #48
Learning opportunities and initiatives demonstrating commitment to Thames Valley's Strategic Priorities and Operational Goals
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Orange Shirt Day & National Day for Truth and Reconciliation | |
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Saturday, September 30 marks the tenth anniversary of Orange Shirt Day, as well as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Thames Valley is taking important steps on this day and throughout the year to honour residential school survivors and remember those who did not make it home.
The Indigenous Education Portfolio has developed age-appropriate resources and lesson plans to support learning about Orange Shirt Day, as well as professional learning sessions. Many Thames Valley schools have developed programming for students of all ages to learn, reflect and recognize Orange Shirt Day.
On Friday, September 29, all Thames Valley schools will lower their flags to half-mast and change their school signs to reflect a message about Orange Shirt Day. Flags will remain at half-mast for the duration of the weekend.
Learning resources about Orange Shirt Day are available at: tvdsb.ca/EveryChildMatters.
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Wednesday, September 6 was the first day of school for elementary and secondary students across Thames Valley! All 160 Thames Valley schools kicked off the new school year by building relationships and getting to know their school community. | |
Director Mark Fisher had the pleasure of visiting the newly renamed Forest City Public School to see the school’s new branding and enjoy the first day excitement alongside students, families and staff. We wish everyone a wonderful 2023-24 school year! | |
London Pride Parade and Festival | |
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Thames Valley was honoured to have a booth at the London Pride Festival and to participate in the annual London Pride Parade on Sunday, July 23. Students and staff had the opportunity to decorate our school bus float and march in the parade to celebrate Pride and reinforce that 2SLGBTQIA+ identities are welcome in Thames Valley. We were proud to attend this community event in support of the board’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
We look forward to participating again next year!
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Thames Valley District School Board is pleased to share a collection of photos from our 2023 Summer School Programs and Camps. These photos reflect the school board's wide range of summer learning program offerings. In addition to Summer School programs, Thames Valley offered Summer English as a Second Language, a Cooperative Education Program and a variety of non-credit programs such as High School Here I Come!, a Grade 7/8 Literacy and Numeracy Program and a Grade 7/8 ESL Summer Camp. | |
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Thames Valley’s Summer Learning Programs enable students to gain and improve credits, experience new learning opportunities, reduce learning loss through the summer and continue social skills development.
More details about Summer Programs can be found at www.tvdsb.ca/summerprograms.
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Thames Valley Partners with Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry | |
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Thames Valley was thrilled to partner with Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry over the summer to offer a unique opportunity to area high school students.
This immersive, two-week program called The Experiential Learning Academy for Biomedical Sciences (X-LABS), exposed 10 students to every aspect of a potential career in biomedical sciences.
Students participated in lab work and research while observing state-of-the-art demonstrations and establishing relationships with world-renowned faculty and student leaders.
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Thames Valley was thrilled to partner with Airshow London and support the 2023 Sky Drive Experiential Learning Education Day.
For a second year in a row, over 2500 students across the district had a unique opportunity to tour aircrafts, meet crew members including the RCAF Snowbirds, and learn about the exciting world of Aviation.
Our partnership with Airshow London also introduces students to our new Ministry recognized Aviation Specialist High Skills Major program, a collaborative and experiential program exclusively available at Thames Valley which is designed to prepare students for various aviation pathways- apprenticeships, college-level training or university-level programs.
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Where Will Thames Valley Take You? | |
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I’m thrilled to welcome staff, students, and families back for an exciting school year! The school board’s theme for 2023-24, which you may have seen online, at several schools, in bus shelters and on public transit is “Where will Thames Valley take you?”. This year, that message was translated on materials at select locations into Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. Featuring students engaged in a variety of activities, the campaign reflects the diversity of Thames Valley and the many opportunities available to students to achieve their personal and academic goals.
As you will hear in my welcome back video, we believe that success looks different for every student and that there are unique, countless ways to achieve positive results. Thames Valley is here to support students and families in the journey ahead. We can’t wait to find out, together, where your experience at Thames Valley will take you.
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Thames Valley to Develop New Multi-Year Strategic Plan | |
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Thames Valley District School Board is excited to announce the upcoming development of TVDSB's new Multi-Year Strategic Plan – a roadmap that will steer the school board’s collective journey towards a brighter and more successful future.
A strategic plan is like a roadmap because it helps a person or group figure out where they want to go and how to get there. Thames Valley is creating a big-picture plan that will set the direction and goals for the board for the next four years.
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It is imperative that this plan be an inclusive and empowering framework that supports the needs of Thames Valley students, parents and caregivers, and staff.
That’s why Thames Valley is encouraging school communities and staff to actively participate in this exciting journey of co-creation. The perspectives of students, parents and caregivers, and staff will help shape the future of Thames Valley and enrich the educational experience of all students.
To learn more about the plan and how to participate in the process, visit
Strategic Plan - TVDSB
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Greetings to all staff, students, and families! | |
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A warm welcome to all staff, students, and families as we begin another exciting school year! We hope this year brings new opportunities for growth, learning, and success.
Strong relationships and open communication between teachers, parents/caregivers, students, and all staff are vital in creating positive learning spaces. Please share questions, concerns or ideas with your school.
This fall, please consider joining your School Council or Home and School Association. Both organizations actively contribute to Board decision-making processes in different ways. To learn more about the role of School Councils in advising Trustees, please visit the Government of Ontario’s guide for School Council members. To learn about how school associations enrich their school communities, please visit the Thames Valley Council of Home and School Associations website. Please reach out to your school if you’re interested in joining either organization.
We understand that concerns may arise from time to time. To address these concerns, the board has developed a Resolving Public Concerns procedure. This procedure outlines the steps to follow when raising issues or seeking clarification.
Finally, as we develop our new strategic plan, we encourage everyone to participate. You can find out more in the above Strategic Plan section of this newsletter.
Thank you for your continued support as we work together to provide an exceptional educational experience for all students!
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Meet Chair Lori-Ann Pizzolato | | |
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Hello readers! I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to share a bit about myself and the goals that drive my work as Chair of the Board. I was first elected to the Board of Trustees in October 2018 to London Wards 1, 11, 12 and 14. Since that time, I have had the honour of serving as Chair for two and a half years. It has been wonderful to use my experiences as a professional, parent and school board volunteer in the service of Thames Valley. I believe that for students to thrive, they need the support of a strong school community. I also believe in creating a sense of belonging and shared responsibility for the success of all students. I am excited about the opportunities ahead and remain dedicated to making a positive impact on education in our community. Please feel free to learn more about me on my Thames Valley webpage.
Your voice matters to us – Please feel free contact your local Trustee.
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At the start of every school year, Thames Valley Education Foundation (TVEF) collects donations and school supplies to ensure every student is prepared to have their #BestFirstDay! This year's #BestFirstDay was the best -YET! With help from our partners - United Way, The Salvation Army, and our communities - we reached new heights. The Best First Day raised over $20,000!
Over 250 volunteers packed and delivered backpacks to students across the district including students in local Indigenous communities.
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Backpacks and school supplies were delivered to 170 different locations in London, Middlesex, Oxford and Elgin County.
Thank you to everyone who put their time, energy, and resources into the Best First Day. This program is a huge undertaking, and we are inspired by how our community came together to support students. We hope that with your continued support, we can make next year even more impactful, especially as the need for backpacks and school supplies continues to grow.
To learn more about Thames Valley Education Foundation, visit www.tvdsb.ca/tvef
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