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09
Sep
20
Feb
February 20, 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As a reminder, both the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) will be taking part in a full strike tomorrow (Friday, February 21, 2020).
As with previous strike days, the TDSB would have no other option but to close all elementary (JK-8) and secondary (9-12) schools to students tomorrow as there would not be sufficient supervision to ensure their safety. Parents/guardians are required make alternate arrangements for their children if necessary.
Child care centres located in elementary schools will be permitted to stay open. TDSB Extended Day Programs will also be open to currently enrolled students for a full day of programs. EarlyON Child and Family Centres will operate during their regular hours.
Should the full strike continue as planned, all International Languages Elementary and African Heritage classes would be cancelled on Friday. However, all adult non-credit programs, such as Adult ESL and Learn4Life, will continue to run.
In addition to all TDSB secondary schools, Adult High Schools and Night Schools offering secondary credits will also be closed to students. Secondary e-Learning classes and any out-of-school activities (e.g. field trips, sports, etc.) will be cancelled.
Should there be any significant updates, we will communicate directly with parents/guardians as quickly as possible. As always, for ongoing labour updates, please visit the TDSB website and follow @tdsb on Twitter.
Robin Pilkey (Chair)
John Malloy (Director)
Labour Update from the TDSB
13
Feb
February 12, 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We wanted to provide you with an update on recently announced job actions to be taken next week by both the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF).
Today, both unions have announced they will be taking part in a full strike on Friday, February 21, 2020 that will impact all TDSB schools.
As with previous strike days, the TDSB would have no other option but to close all schools (elementary and secondary) to students on this day as there would not be sufficient supervision to ensure their safety. Parents/guardians should make alternate arrangements for their children on these dates if necessary.
Child care centres located in elementary schools will be permitted to stay open. Please contact the child care provider directly for more information. TDSB Extended Day Programs will also be open to currently enrolled students for a full day of programs. EarlyON Child and Family Centres will operate during their regular hours.
Should the strike continue as planned, all International Languages Elementary and African Heritage classes would be cancelled on strike days only. However, all adult non-credit programs, such as Adult ESL and Learn4Life, will continue to run.
In addition to all TDSB secondary schools, Adult High Schools and Night Schools offering secondary credits will also be closed to students. Secondary e-Learning classes and any out-of-school activities (e.g. field trips, sports, etc.) will be cancelled.
Should there be any significant updates, we will communicate directly with parents/guardians as quickly as possible. As always, for ongoing labour updates, please visit the TDSB website and follow @tdsb on Twitter.
Sincerely,
Dr. J. Malloy,
Director of Education.
TDSB announcement (for Feb 11 and Feb 12)
10
Feb
February 10, 2020
Dear Elementary Parents and Guardians,
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has indicated that it will continue its strike action this week, with the following dates impacting TDSB elementary schools (JK-8).
- Tuesday, February 11, 2020 – province-wide strike
- Wednesday, February 12, 2020 – rotating strike impacting the TDSB
As with previous strike days, the TDSB would have no other option but to close all elementary schools to students on these days as there would not be sufficient supervision to ensure their safety. Parents/guardians should make alternate arrangements for their children on these dates.
Child care centres located in elementary schools will be permitted to stay open. Please contact the child care provider directly for more information. TDSB Extended Day Programs will also be open to currently enrolled students for a full day of programs. EarlyON Child and Family Centres will operate during their regular hours.
Should the strikes continue as planned, all International Languages Elementary and African Heritage classes would be cancelled. However, all adult non-credit programs, such as Adult ESL and Learn4Life, will continue to run.
As a reminder, please note that Friday, February 14, 2020 is a PA Day for parent-teacher interviews and Monday, February 17, 2020 is a provincial holiday – Family Day.
Should there be any significant updates, we will communicate directly with parents/guardians as quickly as possible. As always, for ongoing labour updates, please visit the TDSB website and follow @tdsb on Twitter.
Thank you.
Toronto Public Health Update on Coronavirus
10
Feb
Please note the latest information from Toronto Public Health regarding Coronavirus and the direction from the Public Health Agency of Canada for those who have travelled to Hubei Province in the last 14 days.
News Release – Statement from Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health, Toronto Public Health
February 7, 2020
Late yesterday, Canadian health officials provided an update on the situation in Hubei Province regarding the 2019 novel coronavirus. To support global containment efforts and limit the spread of this virus, the Public Health Agency of Canada is now recommending:
If you have travelled to Hubei Province in the last 14 days,
• Limit your contact with others for a total of 14 days from the date that you left Hubei. This means self-isolate and stay at home.
• Contact your local public health department within 24 hours of arriving in Canada.
• For Toronto residents, this means contacting Toronto Public Health at 416-338-7600.
If you have travelled from mainland China in the last 14 days,
• Monitor yourself for respiratory symptoms including fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
• Should these respiratory symptoms develop within 14 days after returning to Canada, seek medical care immediately.
• Inform your healthcare provider or your local public health department about symptoms and travel history before seeking medical care.
However, at this time, the risk to our community remains low and it is important to remember that this is a new virus that was identified only about a month ago. As we learn more about this virus and how it is transmitted, global public health officials are updating their approaches in response to this new virus.
As this is an evolving situation, we continue to remind people of the importance of using credible sources to stay informed. We continue to update our website frequently as new information is confirmed. I encourage you to contact our hotline for any questions you may have. You can reach us at 416-338-7600, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Translation is available in many languages.
For more information, please visit http://www.toronto.ca/coronavirus.
Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit http://www.toronto.ca or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/CityofToronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.
All City of Toronto news releases are also available on the City’s website at www.toronto.ca/home/media-room/news-releases-media-advisories/ .
Dr. Eileen de Villa,
Medical Officer of Health,
Toronto Public Health
Novel Coronavirus Update – Toronto Public Health Update
04
Feb
February 3, 2020
Dear School Community Members:
Re: Novel Coronavirus Update – Risk to Toronto Residents Remains Low
I am writing to provide you with an update on the novel coronavirus. Currently, there are only two confirmed cases of this virus in Toronto. Both of these people are recovering well, and Toronto Public Health staff continue to connect with them directly to monitor their recovery during their period of isolation.
Risk to the Public is Still Low:
The risk of getting this virus in Toronto continues to be low because the virus is not spreading in the general community. The residents who contracted this virus had a history of travel in Wuhan, China. Most cases occurring around the world got the virus from travel in the affected area, were in close contact, or live in the same household as known cases.
Travelers are Being Screened:
People who have travelled to the affected areas and return to Toronto are being screened at the airport. If they develop symptoms such as a cough or fever, they are told to remain home and call public health to avoid exposing others. Symptoms of the virus occur within 14 days after being exposed.
What Can You Do?
You can help protect yourself from respiratory viruses such as the novel coronavirus by washing your hands frequently, covering your cough and sneezes and keeping your child home from school when they are ill. Students who are well can continue to attend school.
Prevent the Spread of Misinformation:
Toronto Public Health continues to provide evidence-based public information on our website so you have the information you need to make informed decisions about your health. Visit Toronto.ca/coronavirus.
Questions?
Call Toronto Public Health at 416-338-7600. Questions can be answered in many languages. For workplace-related questions, school staff should connect directly with their Occupational Health and Safety representatives who are in regular contact with Toronto Public Health for guidance.
Sincerely,
Dr. Eileen de Villa
Medical Officer of Health
Principal’s January Update
03
Feb
Dear Summit Heights Families,
January was an important month for our students and working towards our annual school goals. Through the leadership and work of our Social Justice League, lead and coordinated by Mrs. Mercer and Mr. Chen, we had weekly events and activities to better support our school’s well-being and mindfulness. The weekly events began with stopping what we were doing to participate in a moment of calmness, relaxation and living in the moment. Our school stopped and followed instructions over the PA to center ourselves through controlled breathing exercises and mental imagery.
Ms. Eisen lead Yoga workshops in our gym, providing an opportunity for every class in our school to participate. Thanks to SAC, and parent Julie Hinton’s work and leadership, the Australian-inspired group, “Xmovement” came to our school to lead workshops in our gym where students participated in a variety of movements and activities in addition to talking about their experiences, views and focusing on having a positive outlook about themselves and life. Our school held a parent-student night with Xmovement on January 29th! We had a fantastic number of parents and their students attend the event – thank you!
To cap things off, the Social Justice League organized emotional literacy lessons to be taught in class. They also shared student-work presentations in a Google Slide file for everyone to watch in their classes, to coincide with the Bell Let’s Talk annual initiative.
We had two excursions early in January. The grade 6’s from Mr. Eschle’s and Ms. Irvine’s/Mr. Schonberger’s class went to the TDSB Sheldon Outdoor Education Centre. The classes were able to participate in a number of learning opportunities in the great outdoors, while gaining a greater appreciation of nature during winter. Ms. Brock/Mr. Anton’s Grade 6 class went on an excursion to Earl Haig Secondary School for a student drama-workshop with their high-school “drama-buddies”!
January was a busy month for many SAC committees and events. The winter lunch programs, such as FIMO, LEGO engineering and Video Game design, began last month. The middle-school committee continued with their popular “Surprise of the Month”. Each week we continue to have Pizza Lunch (Monday’s) and Kids’ Kitchen (Fridays). Our Parent Council also held their monthly meeting on January 23rd (and as previously mentioned, an evening with Xmovement). Finally, SAC organized a head-lice screening day for all of our students after the winter holidays. A huge thank you to those involved in SAC for making all of these great opportunities possible!
Earlier in January, our school held tryouts for two school teams, the girls’ volleyball team and the boys’ basketball teams. The teams were selected and practices were held.
As the month progressed, a number of emails were sent from the TDSB to parents, particularly about the ETFO work action, coronavirus and the term 1 report cards/interviews/IEPs. If you haven’t received these emails directly from the TDSB, it likely means we don’t have your email address in our system (this is separate from the mailing list that SAC organizes from our web site). If this is the case (that you aren’t receiving emails from the TDSB), please send Mr. Mah an email (bill.mah@tdsb.on.ca) about this, and indicate who your child(ren) is.
As always, please check the TDSB’s web site (www.tdsb.on.ca) for the most up-to-date and official news about classes being cancelled due to any work stoppage/strike action. We will do our best and Tweet news and update our website, but the most accurate and updated official information is always posted on the TDSB web site.
A reminder, for everyone’s safety:
DO NOT Park in the intersection on Delhi nearest to our school yard gate. Many students cross the street in that intersection and parked cars in the intersection pose a serious danger including potentially striking pedestrians and obstructing lines of sight.
Likewise, DO NOT park in the wrong direction on Delhi, please park along with the flow of traffic. As you know, pedestrians and drivers’ decisions often count on predictability and patterns of other drivers on the road, and a car parked (or stopped) in the wrong direction can disrupt that predictability.
Please be considerate of others, and comply with these asks and road rules.
February Dates
Feb 5 Lunar New Year parade (by Ms. Marchiori and Ms. Kalimbet’s JK/SK class)
Feb 14 PA Day (Interviews, no classes)
Feb 17 Family Day (no classes)
Feb 18 Pizza Lunch
Feb 19 Kindergarten registration
Feb 21 Kids’ Kitchen lunch
Feb 24 Pizza Lunch
Feb 26 Gr 6 Grad and SK Grad photos (note: for Grade 6, the photos are for all Grade 6 students in the gifted program; those in the regular program will only take Grad photos at their parents’ request).
Feb 28 Kids’ Kitchen lunch
Thank you for reading,
Mr. B. Mah,
Principal.
