Universal Screening Process for Grade 3 Students


Effective September 2016, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) will be introducing a universal screening process for all grade 3 students across the TDSB. The purpose of this universal screening test is to:

• Provide information to classroom teachers about the strengths and learning needs of each student in order to better support teachers in programming for students;
• Help teachers to know when to bring a student forward to In School Team (IST) or School Support Team (SST) for programming suggestions;
• Improve equity of access for all students to differentiated programming including the potential identification of students with a gifted exceptionality.

Grade 3 parents are asked to complete and return the permission form sent home this week.

Student Safety

As you can imagine, our students are very excited about the long-anticipated summer break that is now just around the corner. One of the best parts about living in our community is the variety of activities that we can enjoy in our parks and public spaces all year round. With these activities, and with warmer weather and longer daylight hours upon us, students may be spending more time outside. This presents a good opportunity to remind everyone to take extra care in enjoying all the outdoors can offer.

We are fortunate to have a number of initiatives, programs, and policies that contribute to a caring and safe school. Our staff periodically speak to students about how to stay safe.  I know that you too will want to help ensure children are safe. Here are some tips that you may find helpful when discussing safety with your child:

·         always walk with a buddy to and from school

·         always tell your parents where you are

·         never accept gifts from strangers and never approach or enter a stranger’s car

·         if a car is following you, change directions and run

·         when help is needed, go to the nearest store or school, the home of a friend or run towards a group of people or a parent with children

·         know your name, address and phone number

·         know that police officers are friends and can help you

·         tell your parents or teacher whenever someone treats you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe; trust your instincts.

Our staff also review traffic safety with students. Please reinforce these messages with your child.  Below is a list of tips that might be helpful to review:

• stop, look, and listen for traffic
• only cross at corners and crosswalks and only if clear
• obey crossing signals
• make eye contact with drivers when crossing
• walk on sidewalks; where there are no sidewalks, walk as far away from traffic as possible facing traffic.

For those who drive, please take extra care on the roads, especially in areas where children might be present.

It’s been a good year and we want to ensure that the summer is equally enjoyable. Let’s continue to work together to make our communities as safe as possible for everyone.

Instrumental Concert

A big CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU to the grades 6, 7 and 8 students for putting on a fantastic show for us this evening under the leadership of Mr. Goldberg and Mr. Quintyne.  We are very proud of all your accomplishments this year in the instrumental program and we are looking forward to the growth and success you are sure to enjoy next year.  Continue to demonstrate ZEST, GRIT and OPTIMISM! 

Safety

The safety of your child is an important priority. Remember to keep us up to date with your current address, phone number, childcare arrangements, to whom your child may be released, etc. We also need you to let us know about any changes of routine and to sign your child in if they are arriving late or leaving early for any reason. 

The Toronto Police streetproofing program encourages you to teach your child:

1. his/her name, address, phone number 
2. to Dial 9-1-1 in an emergency 
3. to communicate with you when they feel unsafe or afraid 
4. to keep you informed as to his/her whereabouts at all times 
5. never to admit to being alone in the home when answering the telephone 
6. never to invite strangers into the house or answer the door when alone 
7. never to approach or enter a stranger's car or hitchhike 
8. never to travel or play alone -- always be with friends to trust their feelings and say "NO" to an adult if that adult wants them to do something that is wrong 
9. not to accept gifts from strangers 
10. to tell you if someone has asked them to keep a secret from you 
11. that no one has the right to touch any part of his/ her body that a bathing suit would cover 
12. that if he/she is being followed, or approached too closely, to run home or go to the nearest public place and yell for help 
13. to report to your school authorities or a police officer, anyone who act suspiciously towards him/her 
14. never to play in deserted buildings or isolated areas 
15. never to enter anyone's home without your permission 
16. to avoid taking shortcuts through parks and fields 
17. never to show his/her money and if attacked to give it up rather than risk injury. 
18. that a police officer is a friend who can always be relied upon when he/she is lost or needs assistance. 

Construction

Construction

Bell Canada will  be working around the south end of the school parking lot Thursday and Friday.  Please take extra care when entering and exiting the parking lot and while driving around the school.  Access may be limited along the street as well as getting into the parking lot.  

Inquiry-Based Learning

　

As professionals, we are actively engaging in professional learning around Inquiry-Based Learning.  I along with Ms. Kim, Ms. Younger, Ms. Olson, Ms. Souter, Mme. Pagnotta and Mme. Freitas attended a professional learning session on Tuesday morning with 60 other teachers from our Family of Schools to learn more about how to implement this teaching and learning strategy in the classroom.  Ms. Kim and I were both able to lead a part of this professional learning and would like to share a bit about this pedagogy.

Inquiry-based learning is an approach to teaching and learning that places students’ questions, ideas and observations at the centre of the learning experience. Educators play an active role throughout the process by establishing a culture where ideas are respectfully challenged, tested, redefined and viewed as improvable, moving children from a position of wondering to a position of enacted understanding and further questioning. 

For students, the process often involves open-ended investigations into a question or a problem, requiring them to engage in evidence-based reasoning and creative problem-solving, as well as "problem finding." For educators, the process is about being responsive to the students’ learning needs, and most importantly, knowing when and how to introduce students to ideas that will move them forward in their inquiry. Together, educators and students co-author the learning experience, accepting mutual responsibility for planning, assessment for learning and the advancement of individual as well as class-wide understanding of personally meaningful content and ideas.

Inquiry-based learning concerns itself with the creative approach of combining the best approaches to instruction, including explicit instruction and small-group and guided learning, in an attempt to build on students’ interests and ideas, ultimately moving students forward in their paths of intellectual curiosity and understanding.

International Day of Pink

MESSAGE SENT ON BEHALF OF DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION JOHN MALLOY:

International Day of Pink is Wednesday, April 13, 2016 – Remember to Wear Pink!

The International Day of Pink is a day of action, born when a youth in a high school in Cambridge, Nova Scotia was bullied because he wore a pink shirt to school. His fellow students decided to stand up to bullying; and hundreds of students came to school wearing pink to show support for diversity and stopping discrimination, gender-based bullying, homophobia and transphobia.

We encourage staff and students to not only wear pink in support of diversity, but to also hold events and activities that will engage their community and challenge gender stereotypes.

Around the world discrimination continues to be the leading source of conflict. Discrimination includes ableism, ageism, classism, heterosexism, homophobia, racism, sexism, transphobia, among many other forms. Stereotypes (ideas) may lead to prejudices (attitudes/feelings) which may lead to discrimination (actions) and affect how we work, study and treat one another; they create barriers, bullying, harassment, hate and violence.

The International Day of Pink is more than just a symbol of a shared belief in celebrating diversity – it's also a commitment to being open-minded, understanding of differences and to learning to respect each other.

Please remember to wear Pink.