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Numeracy and Beyond

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BY: KATHY MCDONALD

Numeracy and Beyond is the name of the Peel District School Board’s (PDSB) parent conference for 2017. This annual conference is the PDSB outreach to parents and all stakeholders in our community to discover new ideas that will enrich their children’s learning. Although registration is officially closed it is not too late to register online at www.peelschools.org/parents/conference . The conference is free with refreshments, lunch and conference materials provided to all attendees. To readers from other school boards please visit your children’s school board website to access any such conferences or resources that will enhance your ability as a parent or caregiver to better support your children’s learning.

The registration and exhibitors displays begin at 8 am. At 8:30 am, the conference opens with greetings and opening remarks as well as the keynote address. This will be followed by a refreshment break before the first workshop begins. After another break, the second workshop starts. Both workshops are one hour long. During lunch there is a  myriad of vendors and resource booths which are maintained for your convenience. The afternoon sessions begin around 1:15 pm and the conference closes at 2:30pm. Believe me when I say its time well spent. The workshops are designed for various age groups from primary elementary, junior elementary, middle school, secondary school as well as workshops that are of interest to all ages.

This year, keynote speaker Matthew Oldridge, will help parents conquer the important math ideas and equip parents to help their children at home. The “new math” will be demystified as Oldridge seeks to assist parents with understanding the way teachers are teaching math in the classroom today. Oldridge is a certified teacher working at the PDSB who is currently working as a math resource teacher. He strives to make mathematics an engaging and dynamic subject that will fill the students with a sense of wonder. He is a strong proponent for thinking outside the box. Math classrooms should be places of surprise and wonder. He brings to life Pythagoras theorem and relates it to the student’s everyday life. It is engagement magnified. He has given a Ted Talks as well as several other seminars and professional development to teachers. You can follow him on his twitter @MatthewOldridge. In fact, you can also follow me @TrusteeMcdonald.

Mathew, in fact, thinks it would be great if every student could say that math is surprise and wonder and playing with numbers. He is passionate about spreading his love of numbers to all he meets. He believes in a mathematical mindset like Professor Jo Boaler from Stanford. Oldridge believes kids need to be skilled with number concepts and skilled in arithmetic “but we need them exposed to powerful concepts..they need the power of their thinking”. He truly believes that classrooms should be wide open spaces for thinking. In Oldridge’s classroom kids often lead with the power of their thinking. Does pi ever end? Math is more than something that happens in textbooks and needs to be made relevant to kids in today world. Kids need to engage with each other and explore concepts. Math can be that vehicle by which kids can discover that that deal is actually “ a big rip off”. Or as Mike Bell puts it “a Debt Enhancing Act of Lunacy”.

There are about thirty workshops pertaining to numeracy. There are also workshops on literacy, science, special education and various ways to help your child succeed in school. So, if you want to motivate the reluctant reader or help your teen succeed in science this conference is for you. You may simply want to learn to advocate for your child, or help your child with a learning disability succeed in school. Well, come on over to Mississauga Secondary School on April 1st. This is not an April fool’s joke. You can learn how to boost your child’s self-esteem, help your child make successful transitions to middle school, understand the EQAO assessment as well as foster your child’s critical thinking skills. No one is judged or criticized. Just come to learn. You can even develop your own digital literacy skills and learn how to go beyond the Google search. This will equip you to help your teen with online research as well as updating you the parent with the latest trends in education. Need help coping with stress? What about the why’s, what’s and how’s of the IEP? The afternoon sessions will guide parents through the secondary school course selection process and myBlueprint, the French Immersion process or more math tips. Let’s face it, it is a win-win for all.

I vividly remember reciting a childhood gem in school every morning. In fact, it was printed on the back of our exercise books and became part of the mantra of each student: “ Labour for learning before you grow old for learning is better than silver and gold. Silver and gold will vanish away but a good education will never decay”. This song was originally recorded by Jamaica’s ska legend, Desmond Dekker and it still rolls off my tongue today. Save the date, April 1st at 550 Courtney Park Drive West, Mississauga.  Attending this conference will be one of the best decisions you could make this year. Tell them I sent you!  Journey with me as the PDSB seeks to give your children superior tools to equip them for their life’s journey. Walk Good. Belle Marché.

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Youth Development

Understanding the multiple layers involved in navigating education spaces Parents of Black Children launch Navigating the Education System

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BY PAUL JUNOR

The work of the advocacy group Parents of Black Children (PoBC) has made a significant and revolutionary difference by bringing issues to the forefront that help Black families at all levels.

For over two years now, it has organized events, workshops and initiatives that have provided important information to the Black community to bring empowerment, knowledge and deep understanding of the multiple layers of the complex dynamics involved in navigating education spaces.

There are five core principles that underlie PoBC understanding of racism:

  1. Racialization
  2. Racism is about power
  3. Critical racial theory
  4. Our stories matter
  5. Racism is founded on White supremacy

On Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021, they launched the document Navigating the Education System,” which was a very empowering, enriching and inspiring tool for diverse Black families. Kearie Daniels, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author of the document, moderated the launch. Furthermore, Claudette Rutherford, one of the cofounders of PoBC and author gave an extensive presentation of the details of the document, sharing useful insights, practical knowledge and interesting information.

PoBC shared a pdf document subsequent to the launch, which provided additional details in a fifty-three-page package. It contained relevant, contextual and vital resources. PoBC’s Advocacy Team supported the document, which includes Charline Grant and Xavier McLaughin.

In the introduction to the document the mission of PoBC is to “Provide support to parents of Black children across Canada and the United States. We advocate and work towards change and concrete action in our education system and adjacent systems such child welfare and the justice system.”

The launch of this vital document is a culmination of all the advocacy and activist work that PoBC has been extensively involved in. It serves to remind members of the Black community that there are resources, tools and supports available to ensure that Black children are able to thrive academically, excel mentally and flourish intellectually in spaces that may not be welcoming to their presence.

The document states that the navigate guide is “Geared towards families in Ontario, but the information can be applied to any jurisdiction where there are Black children and families.”

The document “Table of Contents” is useful and helpful. There is vital information on:

  • School board terms you need to know
  • Education organization you need to know in Ontario
  • Black families and the Child Welfare System
  • Black families and the education system
  • Black students and Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
  • Black students in High School.
  • Developmental delays in learning exceptionalities
  • Supporting students with learning exceptionalities
  • Selecting a school system
  • System abuse

PoBC presented a webinar on “System Abuse”. The document states,

“The system is not neutral. These systems were designed as part of a colonial framework that must be dismantled.” Furthermore, the document “Serves as a means to demystify the pitfalls within the education system and light a path towards a decolonized education system.”

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Youth Development

Toronto prepares families for COVID-19 vaccination of children

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Photo by Charles Deluvio Library on Unsplash

BY PAUL JUNOR

There have been concerns, fears and anxieties as parents, caregivers and guardians anticipate the possibility of having their children under twelve vaccinated.

The Boston Globe reported on Friday, October 29th, 2021, that the FDA approved the administration of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children between the ages of five to eleven. These children will receive one-third of the dose administered to teens and adults.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention met on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021, in order to finalize details with respect to which children should be vaccinated first. In anticipation of these developments, Team Toronto has initiated a series of outreach and education sessions, as well as town halls in order to inform the Toronto community.

Parents of children between the ages of five to eleven who attend public schools will be receiving an email and an invitation to respond to a survey to “Support vaccine planning.”  This invitation will also be extended to parents whose children attend private independent schools as well. The survey will be administered by Toronto Public Health (TPH) and the City of Toronto VaxTO in order to “Better understand parents’ intent to vaccinate their children, how they would prefer to have their children receive their COVID-19 vaccine, and to obtain critical information on socio-demographic factors such as race and income.”

John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, is optimistic and positive about this development. He states in the press release, “While our work to get 90% of eligible residents vaccinated is continuing, we are also readying for when the vaccine will be available to protect kids five to eleven. We want to hear from parents, so we made sure we designed a vaccination program that works for kids and their families. This is just one more example of the outreach we are doing to prepare for this effort. This work is so important and will help us get kids vaccinated so they have the best protection against COVID-19 and so our schools can be as safe and as open as possible.”

Councillor Joe Cressy, Chair of Toronto’s Board of Health who has been at the forefront of advocating for the vaccination of margnizalied and at-risk communities is supportive of this campaign. He states, “At every stage of our immunization campaign, connecting with people on the ground has been critical to our success. Now, as we prepare for the rollout of vaccines to children aged five to eleven, we’re committed to engaging directly with parents, families, and community leaders to have active conversations about vaccinations for kids.”

In addition, Dr Eileen De Villa, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health is a strong proponent of this campaign. She states,” When vaccines are approved for use and when we have supply we will ensure that we bring every resource to bear on this critical component of the vaccination campaign.”

The survey will be available as of Sunday, November 7th, 2021. It consists of fifteen questions that will be available online at s.tphsurvey.chkmkt.com in multiple languages. Parents and guardians will receive them from their children’s public school boards. In addition, there will be town halls for specified multilingual communities as well as neighbourhood-based telephone halls to ensure that the public has access to timely, necessary and relevant information for informed decision-making.

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Youth Development

Act as if what you do makes a difference. IT DOES

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BY SABRINA S. – 12 YEARS OLD

The school year is coming to an end, I’m sure that this year was hectic for everyone. Last year, we had a pandemic strike in the middle of the year and the world was sent into lockdown.

We didn’t get to go to school for the rest of the year.

Many students got to choose if they wanted to do school in-person or online, I chose online since I didn’t feel safe.

First day of school was very weird, most people don’t turn their cameras on, don’t even get me started on the wifi issues. I would lag out of the google meet many times and miss most of the instructions on the assignment. That is when friends come in handy, though I don’t get to see my friends that often, we still connect with some online games and phone calls through snap chat.

I don’t know where the time went, it just flew by. Last month was September and suddenly, I feel like we skipped eight months. I only have a week of school left! Because it is the last week of school, I have a lot of homework and final assignments to do but I know I’ll get through them and finish the school year.

I haven’t had time to go outside as well, I’ve been too busy with my assignments.

If my school year was this hectic, imagine the teacher’s year. I’m very grateful for everything my teachers have done for me and my classmates this year, they definitely deserve the three-month summer break. I’m sure my teachers doubted teaching online, but everything went okay and I learned lots.

“No matter how hard it is, or how hard it gets. I’m going to make it!”

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