Hello Students/Parents/Guardians/Community Members
I hope everyone is having a fun filled summer and keeping healthy and safe. After more than two years of the pandemic we are preparing to welcome students and staff to a more normal school year this September. While most COVID-19 measures have been lifted by the Government of Ontario, the health and safety of our school communities remains our top priority. The TDSB will continue to monitor the pandemic and follow the guidance and direction from the Ministry of Education and public health officials as needed. In this annual print version of our Ward 13 newsletter you will find important information about the start of the school year. I hope you find this information helpful, and as always I invite you to connect with me at any time if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns.
Yours Truly
James
Click here to view and download the complete newsletter
Students in the 2022 - 23 school year will participate in either in-person or virtual learning as per their selection made in early 2022. All in-person and virtual students will receive their class assignments before the start of school in September 2022. Students and parents/guardians are encouraged to pay close attention to emails sent by the TDSB to their regis-tered and/or TDSB email addresses for detailed information.
New students joining the TDSB should first register at the TDSB Online Registration Portal [https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Find-your/School/Registration] before visiting their local school.
Public Consultation: Alternative Schools
We would like to know your thoughts about our policy decisions by inviting you to our policy consultations. Please click on the policy of your interest to see the current draft. You are welcome to provide your comments, including suggestions on the wording and provisions of the draft policies, questions or recommendations. Currently, the TDSB is looking for com-munity feedback on our Alternative Schools Policy (P062). Please visit the TDSB policy consultation website [https://www.tdsb.on.ca/About-Us/Policies-Procedures-Forms/Policy-Consultations] or email James.Li@tdsb.on.ca to participate.
Important Information on French Immersion
Early French Immersion (Junior Kindergarten Start) and the Middle French Immersion (Grade 4 Start) are the two system-wide “Intensive” French programs. In both these pro-grams, students develop their proficiency in French by studying French language as well as other subjects taught in French. Both of these programs are designed for families who do not speak French at home.
All Early French Immersion class activities are conducted in French until the end of Grade 3 although some specialist subjects (like Health and Physical Education) may be taught in English. Formal English instruction is introduced in Grade 4. The program continues with 50% instruction in French and 50% in English for Grades 4-8. Students starting Junior Kindergarten in Sept 2023 who are interested in Early French Immersion MUST register between Oct 31, 2022 and Nov 25, 2022
Middle French Immersion begins in Grade 4. All class activities in Grades 4 and 5 are conducted in French although some specialist subjects (like Health and Physical Education) may be taught in English. In Grades 6 to 8, all subjects will be taught in French with the exception of English Language and Science. The students in the Grade 4 Middle French Im-mersion program blend with the students from the Early French Immersion in Grade 9.
Candidates Needed: Parent Involvement and Advisory Committee Representative
Education is a partnership involving students, teachers, principals, staff, trustees, school boards, government and the community. The Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC) is committed to strengthening this partnership and is committed to assisting parents/guardians and school councils. The mandate of PIAC is to support, encourage and enhance parent engagement at the board level in order to improve student achievement and wellbeing.
PIAC Ward Representative and Alternatives are advocates who provide information and advice on parent engagement to the TDSB; Communicate with and support school councils of schools; and Undertake activities to help parents/guardians of pupils of the board support their children’s learning at home and at school.
PIAC Representatives are elected by community members within a TDSB Ward. If you are interested in becoming a TDSB Ward 13 PIAC Representative, please send an email with a brief description of yourself to James.Li@tdsb.on.ca with the subject “Ward 13 PIAC Rep”. An election will be held in the coming school year and your information will be dis-tributed to the parents/guardians ahead of time. Please note that eligible candidates must either be a resident of Ward 13 or have a child who attends a school within Ward 13.