Ward 21 Trustee Newsletter 2010

In This Edition

• Message from your Trustee
• Making a difference, one tree at a time
• Award-winning author Eric Walters talks books with Iroquois Public School students
• Co-op students make furniture for TDSB schools at innovative woodworking workshop
• Veterans honoured as performers grace the stage at Asian Heritage Month launch
• New school for Meadowvale-Sheppard in capital plan, Scarborough is 'big winner'

Message from your Trustee

Dear Scarborough–Rouge River Residents,

Summer is before us now that school is out, and what an incredible year it has been. Under the leadership of our new Director of Education, Dr. Chris Spence, the 2009-2010 school year was a time of great change.

Last October, Trustees approved receipt of the Director's plan, A Vision of Hope, with its strong focus on student success for all, improving technology and greening the TDSB; while grappling with aging schools and declining student enrolment.

In June, the Board approved a five-year capital building program to significantly reinvest in our schools. A long-awaited new school for the Meadowvale-Sheppard community was approved as part of the plan. There is an article in this newsletter that reports on this good news story.

This year, the TDSB also launched a number of dynamic programs to further engage students: TDSB Idol Challenge, with the support of Canadian Idol judge Farley Flex; the Hoops 4 Hope basketball program; and the Just Read It campaign to encourage students and staff to share in the joy of reading.

That is not to say there are not challenges before us. The TDSB Achievement Gap Task Force draft report says schools must better support students "marginalized by differences in racial and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economical circumstances and ability/disability" (p. 5).

With a commitment to increase graduation rates to 85%, the TDSB must especially make progress on the success of our most marginalized students. As your Trustee, I look forward to continuing to advocate together for positive change.

Sincerely,

Shaun Chen
Trustee, Ward 21

Making a difference, one tree at a time

On May 3 and 4, hundreds of trees sprung up in the Rouge Valley with the help of students like 9-year-old Ashvin Balahumar.

"It was a very good experience because we learned how to save nature, a very good lesson for us," says the grade four student from Thomas L. Wells Public School.

Fellow classmate Talithna Morgan, 9, says planting trees is fun and enjoyable. Asked to explain why, she responds, "It's so easy, just dig a hole!"

This year, birch, white pine and walnut trees were planted as part of a restoration project to re-establish woody native plants in open areas along the Little Rouge River.

"They planted all morning, and in the afternoon we took them on an educational nature hike," says Rouge Valley Naturalists president, Linda Sarang, who guided the students.

Trustee Shaun Chen worked with Sarang to launch the initiative last year, encouraging social action as an effective way of delivering environmental education.

"When children see and feel nature, the experience gives them a better appreciation and understanding of the environment," says Trustee Chen, who also sits on the TDSB Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee.

Approximately 300 students from Brookside Public School, North Agincourt Junior Public School, Percy Williams Junior Public School, and Thomas L. Wells Public School took part in this year's tree planting.

Spencer Khan, a student in Mme. Savoie's grade three French Immersion class at North Agincourt Junior Public School, wrote to Trustee Chen as part of a classroom exercise following the tree planting.

"We had a blast! It was so fun!" he writes to Trustee Chen in his May 7 thank you letter.

The tree planting initiative fits in well with the Go Green: Climate Change Action Plan, approved in February by Trustees. The Board also agreed to a commitment proposed by Trustee Chen to meet the Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"The Go Green plan builds on the tremendous environmental efforts we've made over the last decade, and takes a significant step forward to bring our schools and departments together to tackle this challenge from a uniquely educational perspective," says Dr. Chris Spence, TDSB Director of Education.

The plan includes clean, green power generation through solar panels on school roofs and geothermal projects, as well as developing school grounds as community energy hubs and food and market gardens.

Richard Christie, TDSB Program Coordinator of Ecological Literacy and Sustainable Development, notes that according to the Copenhagen Accord: "Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time."

Award-winning author Eric Walters talks books with Iroquois Public School students

After reading a series of books written by Eric Walters, students in grades three through six at Iroquois Junior Public School got the chance to meet the celebrated Canadian author in person. "Our students were busy reading his books and getting excited," says Principal Wendy Lowrie of the special visit by Walters, who was named TDSB Writer in Residence earlier this year.

The author of such novels as Caged Eagles and Trapped in Ice visited the school on March 3 to talk about the writing process, including how he incorporates aspects of his personal life into his stories.

One of the best-selling children's authors in the country, his books often deal with themes of equity and social justice. A dedicated humanitarian, Walters is also founder of The Creation of Hope, a program that works to support orphans.

Co-op students make furniture for TDSB schools at innovative woodworking workshop

On April 13, Trustee Shaun Chen visited a unique program that enables co-op students to design and produce various types of furniture for TDSB schools. The woodworking workshop housed at 755 Oakdale Road offers everything from benches and rocking chairs to book stands and easels.

Program lead and instructor Gilbert Drane, who took Trustee Chen on a tour of the premises, says the workshop offers a unique learning opportunity for students who may not have otherwise considered a career in design and construction.

All furniture is made from durable multilayered plywood, which is eventually sanded and finished in a clear lacquer. The products also feature rounded edges as a safety measure to protect students from potential injuries in the classroom.

Veterans honoured as performers grace the stage at Asian Heritage Month launch

To kick-off this year's Asian Heritage Month, various performers took to the stage at First Markham Place amid a large educational display board honouring Canadian soldiers who fought in the Battle of Hong Kong during World War II. Co-chair Bud Mann then gave greetings on behalf of the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association.

The May 1 event, co-hosted by Jacqueline Chan and Trustee Shaun Chen, featured performances by accomplished 12-year-old pianist Jonathan Mak, Ismaili Muslim Youth Choir, Siam No. 1 Thai Boxing Club, and Social Services Network's Bhangra Group.

The Honourable Vivienne Poy, Canada's first Senator of Asian descent and founder of Asian Heritage Month, addressed an audience that included such honourable guests as former Ontario Lieutenant Governor Lincoln M. Alexander, Minister of State Steven John Fletcher, and Markham-Unionville MP John McCallum.

New school for Meadowvale-Sheppard in capital plan, Scarborough is 'big winner'

On June 23, the Board approved a five-year capital building plan including a new school for the Meadowvale-Sheppard community in Ward 21. "The school has been long overdue," asserts Trustee Shaun Chen.

Currently, over 500 elementary students are bused each day to 'holding' schools Highcastle Public School and Chief Dan George Public School, located south of the new subdivision.

At Board, Trustee Chen noted the carbon footprint caused by busing Meadowvale-Sheppard students, a practice he describes as "unacceptable and unsustainable."

Trustee Chen says capital funding has been one of his top priorities, especially for Scarborough's growing communities. "Many of our schools are bursting at the seams," he says.

The Board heard the call, approving two new schools including Meadowvale-Sheppard and Bendale-Thomson, both in Scarborough. Chair Bruce Davis describes Scarborough as the "big winner" in the plan.

Funded through school consolidations and surplus property dispositions, the $193 million capital program aims to address declining enrolment, aging infrastructure and changing demographics.