Information & Updates


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Information & Updates

OCDSB > Parents > School Councils > Information & Updates

This section contains weekly reminders, updates and information for OCDSB school councils, parents and community members. If you are interested in getting information about an upcoming event included in the weekly school council email, please send a short paragraph explaining the details of the event and the poster (if applicable) no later than Thursday by noon to Paula Marble, Policy Analyst at paula.marble@ocdsb.ca.

To print the entire update click on the "expand all" tab, then the "print preview" tab, then print.

Upcoming Events

Free Mental Health Information Evenings for Parents
Presented by Ottawa Public Health in partnership with Center Psychsocial and the Youth Services Bureau. See the poster for dates and locations.

Elmdale’s Spring 3-in-1 Event
Elmdale's 3-in-1 event is being held on May 12th. It will include an Electronics Recycling depot where you can drop off your old TVs, computers and phones. The list of what will be accepted is found at the Recycle Your Electronics website. We are also hosting a great sale of gently used clothing, toys and sports equipment. Finally we are selling plants grown by our Ecoclub to help support their plans. Please come by Elmdale Public School on May 12th from 9am - noon at 49 Iona Street. For more information please check out the poster.

Berrigan Elementary School Community Garage Sale
Every year, we have a garage sale to raise money which in part supports our end of year BBQ. Last year, over 1000 people attended. It’s not just a garage sale - there is face painting, a Scholastic book fair, a bake sale, and much more! May 12th from 7 am to 12 pm at Berrigan Elementary School - Gymnasium, 199 Berrigan Drive in Barrhaven. If you wish to reserve a table for $25 (after April 30th, tables will be sold for $30 ... they are going fast!) please contact Kathy at mccullochkg@yahoo.ca for more information or view the flyer or poster.

Rideau High School - Royal LePage Shelter Foundation Garage Sale
COME OUT AND SUPPORT A REALLY GREAT CAUSE! WE HOPE TO MAKE THIS A YEARLY EVENT. MANY FINDS AND BARGAINS TO BE HAD. BBQ, POPCORN AND DRINKS! CHILDREN'S ACITIVITIES! DONATIONS OF GENTLY USED/NEW ITEMS ACCEPTED!

Who & What: Royal LePage Shelter Foundation Garage Sale hosted by Royal LePage Performance Realty - Orleans Branch
When: Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Where: Rideau High School, 815 St. Laurent Blvd., Ottawa
Why: To raise finds to support local women's shelters and violence prevention programs

New - Viscount Alexander Public School Presents Dr. Maggie Mamen - Raising Confident and Motivated Children
Viscount is hosting a Parent Presentation given by Dr Maggie Mamen on Monday, May 14 @ 7:00. RSVP to 613-239-2213. For more information please click here.

New - Earl of March School Council Presents "Parenting Teens"
The Earl of March School Council is hosting an evening presentation on Parenting Teens on Wednesday, May 16 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Our guest speaker is Richard Voss, a social worker from CHEO, who will be focusing on communication and 'state of the art' parenting strategies for dealing with adolescents. Please plan to attend this very informative evening. Refreshments will be served. For more information please check out the poster.

Forest Valley Elementary School Spring Carnival and Yard Sale Fundraiser
Saturday, 26 May 2012 - Complete with ponies, cotton candy and a live stage show! Find us at 1570 Forest Valley Drive, Orleans. Find out more by visiting the event's facebook page or by checking out the poster.

New - Avalon Public School Medieval Fair
The Avalon Parent Council has been busy planning and organizing a fantastic annual event - The Avalon Public School Medieval Fair at 2080 Portobello Boulevard, Orleans. We hope you'll: Join us for games, races, crafts, castle building, bubbles, a book sale in the library, and much more! Have fun in the giant inflatable obstacle course, or take a turn throwing balls at the dunk tank. Enjoy a variety of entertainment including Magical Marvin, Storytelling by Mrs. Stewart, a musical concert, and a demonstration by Mini Cirque! Take a spin in some new cars! Stay for lunch (a full lunch menu will be for sale by Grill Master) and enjoy some cotton candy ($2). See you all there! For more info please read the school council newsletter.

Reminders

New - Extra Curricular Creative Arts Program for Children
Continuing Education’s ECCA Program offers a variety of full-year and short introductory arts instruction courses in various OCDSB elementary schools for students in grades 1-8. Classes are held during the school year, at convenient times, outside of school hours. For more information please visit www.artsforkidsatocdsb.com or check out the flyer.

REVISED - Possible Changes to Board and Committee Meetings
Further to the notice sent on Thursday, May 3rd with respect to possible changes to the Board and Committee meeting structure for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, this is just a reminder of the Open House scheduled for Wednesday evening, May 16th at 7:30 p.m. at 133 Greenbank Road (Administration Offices).

Below is some additional information that may help you to better understand the changes which may be made. If you have not had an opportunity to review the related report which was presented to Strategic Planning and Priorities Committee on May 2nd you may access it here.

- Committee Structure Consultation Info Sheet

Please note that the consultation plan was adopted by the Board during its meeting on May 8th. If you are unable to attend the Open House and would like to provide feedback via email please go to governanceconsultation@ocdsb.ca.

Stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback by May 24th to be incorporated into a further report to Strategic Planning and Priorities Committee on June 6th.

Ontario Student, Parent and Educator Survey
Since 2010 the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association (OSTA-AECO) has issued a ten question yes/no survey, in partnership with Student Vote and Scholarships Canada and in 2011 with People for Education, with the option of commenting on each question. In 2010 the survey reached over 2,500 students and in 2011 a total of 7,100 students and 2,400 parents from across the province participated in the survey.

The Ontario Student Trustees' Association (OSTA-AECO) has released the provincial survey for students, parents and educators from April 16th to May 16th, 2012. The 2012 survey has support from the Ontario Teachers’ Federation, the Ontario Principals’ Council, the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association. All students, parents and educators are encouraged to participate in this survey. This survey is one of the association’s most important annual projects, and our support will help to assist them in their ongoing work on behalf of all students.

The survey can be completed online at www.studentsurvey.ca. It is a great way for students to voice their opinions and concerns to improve their quality of education. The results of this survey will be released as a report in the fall of this year.

Ministry of Education Parent Consultations - Effective Communication in Full Day Kindergarten
You are invited to a parent consultation session that is being sponsored by the Ministry of Education about effective communication of learning in Full Day Kindergarten. Parents are an integral part of the Full Day Kindergarten Program and play an important role in supporting their child’s learning. Studies show that children perform better in school if their parents or guardians are involved in their education. The Ministry of Education is looking for guidance from parents regarding effective communication about their child(ren)’s learning, especially from parents who have or have had a child(ren) in Full Day Kindergarten. As a result of these conversations and other consultations with educators, the Ministry of Education will begin to prepare draft policy on assessment, evaluation and reporting in Full Day Kindergarten.

The evening consultation session is scheduled as follows:

Date: Thursday, May 17, 2012
Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location: Confederation Education Centre, Library – Room 121, 1645 Woodroffe Ave., Nepean ON K2G 1W2

The Ministry of Education is accepting registrations from a maximum of 20 parents who have or had children registered in the year one or year two Full Day Kindergarten Program at the OCDSB. Please register by email to Mary Lynn McRury (mary.lynn.mcrury@ocdsb.ca) no later than Friday, May 4, 2012 to confirm your attendance and ask any questions that you may have about this consultation session. When registering, please include your name and school. We look forward to these discussions with you. Thank you.

Hilson Avenue P.S. 1 of 10 finalists in Majesta Trees of Knowledge Outdoor Classroom Competition!
Hilson Avenue Public School is one of ten national finalists in the 2012 "Majesta Trees of Knowledge" Outdoor Classroom Competition. They are the only Ottawa area school in the running to win $20,000.00 from Majesta Canada to implement their outdoor classroom plan as part of their school yard greening project. Now they need votes to win! Here’s how it works: Any person in Canada of legal voting age (18+) can do a quick registration at www.majesta.com, then vote for Hilson every day. The campaign runs from Wednesday, March 28th to Friday, May 11th. One vote for Hilson per day per email registrant is allowed. And … as a qualified voter, you have a chance to win $10,000.00 from Majesta just for placing your votes! Please spread the word and VOTE FOR HILSON every day! Check out our videos on YouTube and follow us on Twitter.

Learning Disabilities Association Sunshine Day Camp
Sunshine Day Camp is geared towards children ages 7-12 with Learning Disabilities and/or AD(H)D run by the Learning Disabilities Association of Ottawa. For more information please check out the poster. Additional info and the application can be found on our web site www.ldaottawa.com or call our office at 613 -567-5864.

2012-2013 Ministry PRO Grant Program Announcement - Deadline: Friday, June 8, 2012
The Ministry of Education just announced the launch of its annual Parents Reaching Out (PRO) grant program for the 2012-2013 school year (see attached). The PRO grants are available to school councils for a maximum of $1,000 for
school-based initiatives. A maximum of $30,000 per project will be made available for the PRO regional/provincial grant program. The PRO grants for school councils are intended to support school-based initiatives to reach parents who face barriers to becoming involved in their children’s education. School councils may develop proposals individually, with other school councils in the same board, or with other groups in the school or in the community.

The PRO grants for regional/provincial projects are available to parent organizations, school boards, non-profit organizations and post-secondary institutions working in partnership with parents to support student achievement and well-being. Eligible projects must be in at least one of the following areas: Parents as Partners; Welcoming School Board and School Environment for all Parents; Skill Building Opportunities for Parents; and Enhancing Communication between School and Parents. Please note that the deadline for the 2012-13 PRO grant submissions is Friday 08 June 2012. Applications are required to be submitted electronically.

For more information on the 2012-13 PRO grants, please visit the ministry website. If you have questions, please contact Glenn Court (Lead Policy/Program Co-ordinator) at (416) 325-7802 glenn.court@ontario.ca or Brian Desrosiers-Tam, Senior Policy Advisor at (416) 325-6549 brian.desrosiers-tam@ontario.ca.

Kindergarten Registration
Don't worry if you weren't able to make it during Kindergarten Registration Week (Jan 30 - Feb 3) - Registration is ongoing! Visit your local school for more information. To find out more about the kindergarten program and what you need to register please visit our website.

General Information

Homework Help

The OCDSB, the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Independent Learning Centre are pleased to partner to continue to offer Math Homework Help to students. This free website focuses on providing live one-to-one math help from Ontario-certified math teachers for students taking Grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 math. This free tutoring service is available Sunday through Thursday from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Starting soon, your son or daughter may be registered on the Homework Help website at school.

For more information on Homework Help, please visit http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/elearning/homework.html or visit the site directly at http://HomeworkHelp.ilc.org. If you wish to register your child at home you will need their OEN number which can be found on their report card or timetable. If you would prefer that your son or daughter not register, please contact your school’s Principal.

For additional Kindergarten to grade 12 curricular resources visit the Ontario Educational Resource Bank (OERB): http://resources.elearningontario.ca. Parents are authorized to access the oerb using the student username and password.

Username: ocdsbstudent
Password: oerbs

For further information or if you are having difficulty registering your child, please contact Darrin Hughson, Instructional Coach, Curriculum Services, at darrin.hughson@ocdsb.ca

People for Education Newsletter

Find the newsletter here or by visiting the People for Education website.

Revised Community Involvement Guidelines have been released
Since 1999, one of the graduation requirements for all students in Ontario secondary schools has been to complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities. Beginning July 1, 2011, Grade 8 students will be able to start accumulating community involvement hours in the summer before they enter grade 9. To read more about Community Involvement or to upload the Community Involvement Form, visit the OCDSB website at http://www.ocdsb.ca/stu/cs/Pages/default.aspx.

Healthy Schools 2020 Initiative
The OCDSB is one of nine school boards working in partnership with the Champlain Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Network (CCPN). We are creating healthy school environments, and teaching students about the importance of physical activity and making healthy food choices every day. Healthy Schools 2020 workshops co-hosted by the CCPN, public health units, and school boards focused on three priority areas: healthy lunch programs, healthy fundraising, and healthy classroom rewards. Parents/guardians and educators can find a wealth of information and resources on the Healthy Schools 2020 initiative at www.healthyschools2020.ca.

Check out the latest eBulletin for more information! The e-bulletin is designed to provide you and your school communities with fun, practical ways to keep healthy nutrition top of mind -- in your school lunch programs, fundraising initiatives, and classroom rewards.

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