School Council Newsletter
March 24, 2017
WHAT'S NEW...
Happy Spring! Underneath all this snow there must be some fresh green grass waiting to push
through! I hope you had a great March Break and a good first week back.
This week, the Ottawa Police Traffic sections conducted city-wide proactive traffic enforcement
blitzes in school zones. We appreciate this work! In one week the police issued 504
Provincial Offences Notices for offences such as:
 speeding in school zones;
 failing to stop, failing to yield to pedestrians at school crossings;
 failing to obey crossing guards;
 failing to obey school bus signs;
 distracted driving.
This is an important reminder to all of us to pay attention and slow down in school zones. Let's
keep our kids safe!
French Proficiency Testing - Diplome d'Etudes en Langue
Francaise (DELF)
Did you know that the OCDSB is a leader in Grade 12 French proficiency testing? Students
who are currently enrolled in a grade 12 FSL course and who have not previously participated
can take a French proficiency test. The OCDSB offers students a choice of 3 test levels: A2,
B1, or B2. Your choice should be made with help from your FSL teacher. The DELF has 2
components: a written exam and an oral interview. Learn more on our website.
There are a limited number of spaces available. If you are interested in participating, you must
register no later than March 27, 2017 using the Online Form.
URL: https://goo.gl/forms/eu2MZTqli3ZrYNwF3
Speaker Series - Eva Olsson - Speaking Out Against Racism and
Intolerance
Wednesday, April 12, 2017, Woodroffe High School, Auditorium, 2410 Georgina Drive,
Ottawa 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.
Dr. Eva Olsson is a Holocaust survivor, author and widely acclaimed public speaker. For over a decade,
she has spoken to over one million people across North America concerning bullying and the importance
of not being a bystander to injustice. You are invited to hear Dr. Olsson, who will be sharing her gripping
personal stories, about the Holocaust and being a prisoner in the Auschwitz death camp, to illustrate the
power of hate and the importance of standing up against forces of discrimination and intolerance. She is
an inspiration to many who have heard her speak.
Multi-Year Student Learning and Pupil Accommodation Planning
Now that the Board has made final decisions on the Western and Eastern Secondary Area
Accommodation Reviews, transition plans are underway. Just prior to March Break, letters
were sent home to all families in schools involved in the reviews. Those letters detailed the
specific changes for the school and provided some information about the transition planning
process. Affected schools will get regular updates on transition plans from the school.
The Board is going to take some time to reflect on the review process before starting work on
the Alta Vista/Hunt Club review, which was originally scheduled to begin in April of this year.
More details will come this spring, but the review is expected to begin in September 2017. T
Community Member Recognition Awards
There are so many people who make an incredible difference in our school communities. The
district has several awards to recognize the work of parent and community volunteers.
Nominations can be made by individual parents or by a school council. All nominations must
be submitted by 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, 2017.
 Community Award - recognizes the outstanding efforts of a member of the OCDSB
community in developing a community initiative that directly supports the well-being
of our students.
 Distinguished School Council Service Award - recognizes the outstanding efforts of
a school council or school council member for making a significant contribution to
enhancing the learning experience of students at a school and/or system level.
 Volunteer of the Year Award - recognizes the substantial contribution of a parent
volunteer or community volunteer over an extended period of years or through a
single significant initiative that has had a positive impact on students.
 Community Partnership Award - recognizes the outstanding partnership/support
from a community agency or business over an extended period of years or through
a significant initiative that has directly benefited OCDSB students.
 Excellence in Equity Community Award (in tribute to Isis Officer) - recognizes a
substantial contribution of a parent, volunteer, business community member of an
organization to support the alignment and integration of equity and inclusive
educational principles and practices over an extended period of years or through a
significant initiative that has directly benefited OCDSB students.
Nomination forms can be found here. For more information, please see our Procedure
For more information, please contact [email protected]
Continuing Education Newsletter - March/April 2017
Check out the Continuing Education Newsletter for March/April 2017. We invite you to take a
look at what is coming up in our department for 2017! Again, it is totally interactive, so please
click anywhere to be linked to our website for more information on all of our programs. This
Newsletter is also available at the following link:
http://www.ocdsb.ca/programs/continuweb/CE%20Documents/CENewsletter.pdf
Alternative Elementary Program with Core French
Did you know that the OCDSB offers an Alternative English Program with Core French? With
strong community support and parent involvement, the Alternative Elementary Program is
based on a concept of student-centered learning and this philosophy translates into all aspects
of a student's experience at school. The program provides students opportunities to meet
Ministry expectations with flexibility to allow greater concentration in areas of their own interest
and aptitudes. Read more about the Alternative Philosophy or take a look at our Fact Sheet.
REMINDERS
Speakers' Speech Writing Contest
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the Speakers of the Senate and the
House of Commons have launched a speech writing competition for Canadians aged 12 to 17.
This national contest asks, "What does Parliament mean to you?" Young Canadians are
invited to participate by submitting a written speech via the contest webpage. The contest
closes April 21, 2017. Visit the contest webpage here or here.
Updating your child's immunization record
Any time your child gets a vaccination or booster shot you need to update their record with
Ottawa Public Health by:
 Completing the Online Immunization Reporting to Ottawa Public Health
 Fax: 613-580-9660
 Mail: Immunization Program, 100 Constellation Dr., Ottawa, ON, K2G 6J8, 7th floor,
mail code 26-44
 Phone 613-580-6744 Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm
 ImmunizeCA App: appottawa.immunize.ca
CANImmunize has also launched an action comic, Immunity Warriors: Invasion of the Alien
Zombies, to educate elementary school students about the immune system and the role of
immunization in defending against illness.
Math Facts
Partnering with Your Teen in Mathematics - Grades 7-12
Teens have many experiences that may impact their attitude and confidence in their
mathematical ability. You can help your teen celebrate each success and deal with any
challenges. You do not have to do the mathematics your teen brings home. What matters most
is your attitude about the work they are doing. Attitudes about mathematics and confidence in
abilities in mathematics can have a great influence on success at school.
This resource is intended to help you support your teen with learning mathematics in grades 7
to 12. It is guided by the belief that all students can be successful in mathematics and all
parents can be successful in supporting their teens in learning mathematics.
School Council Business
Did you know that at www.ocdsb.ca you can find a wealth of resources and information to
support the work of your school council. Take a few minutes to check out these resources on
school council tips, financial management, parent engagement and more. If you have ideas
about resources or information that would help you, please let us know.
School Council Tips - We have a range of tips sheets on our website.
Financial Management - Read our School Council Funds
Management Guide
School Council Training Day - Review the presentations shared
Resources for Parent Engagement - Check out this list of resources
Your Child's Education, Be a Part of It! - Read our booklet for ideas about
getting involved; find it inother languages here.
Strategies for Developing a School Council Succession Plans
This is a good time of year for school councils to begin thinking about succession
planning. There are several things you can do in this regard.
1. Acknowledge the contributions of council members and volunteers. This is the time
of year where you might start thinking about spring appreciation events and
messages in newsletters. Nominations for our Community Recognition Awards are
also a good way to show appreciation.
2. Invite new parents to School Council meetings. You may want to pay particular
attention to kindergarten parents or parents who are joining for MFI programs,
etcetera. This is the time of year to hold information nights or encourage people to
come to school council to understand the role of members.
3. Keep good records - know where your constitution is and ensure it is up to date;
keep your agendas and minutes posted on your website; ensure your newsletters
are filled with timely information; keep records of council events and activities for
future planning.
4. Share the workload. You want to make sure you avoid volunteer "burn out". One
way to do that is to welcome new ideas and invite the "idea sources" to play a
leadership role in implementing their suggestion.
BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Meetings that Matter....
Board and Committee of the Whole Meetings
The next Board Meeting will be on Tuesday, March 28th at 7:30 p.m. at 133 Greenbank Road
in the Boardroom. Read the full agenda here.
Upcoming Meetings:
/27/2017 7:00 Advisory Committee on the Arts
PM
3/29/2017
7:00 PM
Special Education Advisory Committee
3/29/2017
7:00 PM
Advisory Committee on Extended Day and Child Care Programs
Boardroom Highlights can be found here.
EVENTS AND REMINDERS
Places to Go...Things to Remember
New:
Learning Styles Workshop - Le Phare Elementary School - MARCH
28th 6:30 p.m.
Curious about how your child learns? Ever wonder if your learning style matches your child's?
Do you sometimes find it hard to guide your child with their homework? Are you simply curious
about how different learning styles impact how we go about accomplishing tasks? If you
answered yes to any of these...perhaps this is the workshop for you!
This free workshop is a hands on workshop for parents AND their children - grades 35. Students come with their parents to discover what kind of learner they are. There will be
four different stations to discover how best to learn a particular topic (example - multiplication
tables) using the student's preferred learning style - visual learner, auditory learner, or
kinesthetic learner.
Please RSVP at [email protected]
Briargreen PS Council Chair present Dr. Phil Ritchie - 'Calm Down'
and other stuff that doesn't work with anxious children and
(hopefully) some stuff that does - April 5th 7:00 p.m.
Where: Briargreen Public School, Gymnasium, 19 Parkfield Crescent
Please join us as Dr. Phil Ritchie presents ways to help our children deal with anxiety and
become more resilient. Complimentary refreshments will be served. Free babysitting is
available upon request. Please RSVP to: [email protected].
Rideau High School's 60th REUNION - May 5th and 6th at 7:00
p.m.
Rideau High School's 60th Reunion Committee (RHS60RC) would like to invite everyone to
celebrate this milestone by having a celebration to reunite the former members of Rideau High
School's community.
On May 5th, we will be hosting a Pub and Memorabilia Night at Rideau High School to
remember the good times that were shared within the Rideau High School community and
have an opportunity for former students, teachers, support staff, and community members to
remember and reconnect with one another.
On May 6th, we will be hosting a Last Rideau Reunion Prom Night theme to celebrate and
recognize Rideau High School's graduation from its current stage in its lifecycle and give a
formal celebratory farewell.
Learn more here.
Join our group on Facebook: Rideau High School 60th Anniversary
Reminders:
Beyond ABC's and 123's: Building Learning Skills & Confidence in
Your Child - March 28th 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Free workshop for parents and guardians. Join us to learn how to help our children plan, focus
attention, juggle multiple tasks, and build on the learning skills listed on their report cards.
When:Tuesday, March 28 @ 6:30pm- 8:00 pm
Where: Makerspace, Half Moon Bay P.S.
RSVP: Please register here to let us know that you will be coming!
Child Care: Please indicate this in your RSVP.
We hope to see you there!
Cyber Bullying Parent Night: How to Prevent and Respond - Ottawa
Bullying Prevention Coalition - Thursday, March 30th 6:30 - 9:00
p.m.
On Thursday March 30th starting at 6:30 pm to 9:00pm the Ottawa Bullying Prevention
Coalition in partnership with Ottawa Public Health and Ottawa Police Service will be hosting an
event for parents on cyber bullying. The event will bring together key partners across sectors
including mental health experts, police and research to facilitate a conversion on cyberbullying
and building a more supportive and safe community for all those impacted..
Program Time:
6:00-6:30 pm: Agency Fair Setup
6:30-7:00 pm: Registration / Service Fair Booths
7:00-8:00 pm: Speaker: Dr Hazen Gandy CHEO
8:00-8:30pm: Speaker: OTTAWA POLICE SERVICE, Cst Cindy Cybulski and Cst Geneviève
Hupé
8:30 pm: Question Period /Service Fair Booths
Register here.
CHEO Workshops on MindMasters 2 at Alta Vista P.S. - March
30th and May 11th
MindMasters 2 is a free toolkit, developed by CHEO, for children from JK to Grade 3, to help
children learn mindfulness, relaxation and positive thinking strategies that will help them
manage emotions and cope with stress. Learn about the toolkit (including the free app for
iPad) at a 3-part workshop series at Alta Vista Public School 1349 Randall Avenue in the
th
th
Main Gym 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. on March 30 and May 11 . Attend any or all workshops. Child
minding is available. These tools can be modified for all ages. More information can be found
here.
Speaker Series
Parents, guardians and caregivers are invited to join us for our free Speaker Series
Presentations. The presentations will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Dr. Eva Olsson - Speaking out Against Racism and Intolerance - April 12th
Wednesday, April 12, 2017. Woodroffe High School, Auditorium, 2410 Georgina Drive
Help us welcome Dr. Eva Olsson who is sharing her personal gripping personal stories about
the Holocaust and suviving the Auschwitz death camp. Graphic images illustrate the power of
hate and the importance of standing up against the forces of discrimination and intolerance.
She is an inspiration to over one million people who have heard her speak.
Gender Identity and Gender Expression: May 4th
Thursday, May 4th, 7:00 p.m. - Sir Robert Borden High School auditorium, 131
Greenbank Road
Please join Beck Hood of Family Services Ottawa and Carol Ann Burrow Instructional Coach
with OCDSB's Inclusive Safe and Caring Programs for a conversation about the diversity of
gender identity and gender expression. Find out about community resources supporting
gender diverse children and youth.
Practical Tips and Tools For Supporting Girls - Navigating Life
Online
Support girls facing digital & media issues with A Guide for Trusted Adults, made with
@YWCA_Canada #ProjectShift.
Me-to-We Food Drive and Raffle
Roch Carrier's Me-to-We Club is hosting a food drive students, staff and community members
can donate. At this time of the year items that are in high demand are coffee, soups, crackers,
canned goods including;stews,vegetables and fruits. If you would like to participate you can
drop off the items at the main office.
45th National Student Commonwealth Forum
Families are needed to welcome students into their homes for the 45th National Student
Commonwealth Forum. The Forum is a week-long youth leadership program for Canadian
high school students, the first week of May in Ottawa. Students will discuss Canadian issues
in the Senate Chamber and meet Members of Parliament and Commonwealth High
Commissioners. If you would be interested in supporting this charitable program by billeting
one or more high school students from out of town between April 30, and May 5 - more
information can be found at www.nscf-fnec.ca
Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School - 25 Year Anniversary and
Reunion - May 27th
The reunion is scheduled for May 27, 2017. All current and past student alumni and staff are
welcome to attend. Check out the interactive website at http://www.swl25.com/
Tickets for the event are on sale now.
Stay Connected
OCDSB staff, students and community members can view the District's website. Keep in touch
by following us on Twitter, visiting our Facebook and LinkedIn pages, and watching our videos
on YouTube.
Have a good weekend.
Thanks,
Michele
About this Newsletter
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