Did you know?
• In 2016 the TDSB celebrated an all-time high graduation rate of 85%!
• This past year the TDSB opened our classrooms to more than 600 newly arrived Syrian children and youth. Children were introduced to the Ontario education system and assisted in socializing with TDSB students.
Closer to home, here in Leaside….
• At Northlea, hundreds of students lined the hallway as an honour guard to cheer school crossing guard Jake Apacible, who retired at the age of 82 after serving students for many many years. This heart-warming tribute is available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/JYAbx0t7HtA. Jake has been steadfast in keeping Northlea students safe. In 2013, he was deservedly named Canada’s Best Crossing Guard!
• Rolph Road students are working with the Stagecoach Theatre Arts Performance Program to produce the 2017 musical production of ALADDIN.
• PISA is an international standardized evaluation of the skills and knowledge of 15-year old students in science, mathematics and reading, and is conducted by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 72 countries.
• According to the results of PISA 2015, Canada remains one of the top-performing countries in science. Overall, students achieved a mean score of 528 overall, 35 points above the OECD average, surpassed by students from only three other countries.
• Canada also achieved a strong performance in mathematics, scoring well above the OECD average and outperformed by only six other countries.
• Canada continues to perform well internationally in reading, scoring well above the OECD average and outperformed by only one other country.
• Bennington Heights parents organized a holiday bazaar where students can purchase gently used donated items for $1 to give as gifts to their families. This year the bazaar made $2,000, with all proceeds to be donated to Lifewater.ca. This is a charity that helps people in Haiti and Africa drill wells and build washrooms, and the wells then are able to provide safe drinking water and sanitation. Grade 6 student Nyna Gray submitted a written proposal to advocate for this charity. These students are learning early on the importance of helping others.
• More than 110 languages are spoken by TDSB students. Over 55% of students speak a language other than English at home.
• Bessborough students entered the First Lego Robotics Competition at Victoria Park Collegiate and will be heading to the provincial level for the second year in a row! This competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology.
• The TDSB is ‘opening up the books’ in an effort to be more transparent and accountable. The public release of the Facility Condition Index and Health and Safety inspection reports are just the beginning. Both reports are available on the TDSB website http://www.tdsb.on.ca.
• Leaside High School student Shams Mehdi is one of two student trustees in the entire city representing the student voice at regular TDSB board meetings. Recently he, along with other outstanding student leaders on the Supercouncil (the umbrella organization of student councils), organized the Student Leadership Conference for over 200 students.
This is just a smattering of the many activities and outstanding students at our schools!
Gerri Gershon is the Trustee, Don Valley West, for the Toronto District School Board.