Toronto District School Board

Skip to Main
Toronto District School Board

Communicating With Your School

Categories: Happenings @tdsb News

 

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Supporting the health and well-being of both our students and staff is a priority for us as an organization. Ensuring that our staff have healthy and professional boundaries between work and home is an important part of that commitment and is an investment in positive mental health and the ability to serve and support students. 

As part of a strategy to support and encourage all Ontarians in achieving greater work-life balance, the province passed the Working for Workers Act in December 2021. In line with that, the TDSB has developed the Disconnecting from Work Policy which sets parameters for employees’ availability (e.g., responding to emails) and supports a positive shift in our organizational culture. 

Maintaining open, responsive lines of communication with you is important and connecting with staff during regular work hours connected to the school day, Monday to Friday, is always best. This means that while you can always send emails after hours, staff will respond during their normal work hours and are not required to respond after hours.

There are, of course, certain times in the year that staff will reach out after-hours for parent-teacher meetings, or previously agreed to meetings. However, they are not expected to respond to emails or messages into the evening. It is also critical to note that student safety remains a priority and if there is an emergency after hours, staff will be available as needed.

This policy is one of a number of strategies we are employing to support our employees’ health and wellness. We appreciate your patience and support on this and we know it will make a positive difference in your school community. Should you have any questions, please connect directly with your Principal.

Colleen Russell-Rawlins
Director of Education