Matias de Dovitiis TDSB trustee Ward 4 - Back to school

School starts Tuesday, September 3rd for the TDSB this year, and with that come all the nervous preparations that families need to make to get ready. With that in mind I wanted to share a few things that may help along with the long-term success for students in our local Emery schools.

For students, having an adult that is actively involved in their school life is important. It can help identify issues, but it can also be a rewarding experience for the parents. It is crucial to make sure that as a parent you develop a relationship with your child’s teacher. This is particularly important for younger children, who spend much more time in a single classroom. Meeting with your child’s teacher as often as it is reasonable to do can help set better learning goals and expectations.

Attending the parent-teacher nights are key, but you can always be present at other times. This allows you as a parent to understand what type of work they are doing, how they are developing socially and what needs more work from them. It also helps that your child understands that you are present and will be there with them in their school life. For those that can make the time, being more active in the school community can also give your family greater success. It is my experience that active parents in the parent council almost always give their own students better life opportunities, even as they are helping the wider school community.

As children get older, they start to have to make decisions about the direction they will take in life. Many of these decisions happen well before they graduate from high school. School boards are doing away with grade 9 streaming, but there are still many important decisions to make before your child graduates. Streaming was the process where the school had several paths available for children in school, but only some of these allow them later to take all educational pathways. For example, the path to medicine school is different than the path of an electrician, but both require taking advance math in grade 12. Without advance math some pathways are closed, but there are many other examples.

The question then becomes to think ahead about what your student may want to study later when they graduate. That is why as students get older, it is important for parents to help their children develop and understand their goals. There are literally hundreds of choices, but some years in school more important than others, with the entrance into grade 1 and grade 9 being the most important.

The TDSB has been making investments into new programs in the area to ensure that your students can find good programs in local schools. Be sure to look at the deadlines to make sure you apply on time:

French Immersion

There is now a new French Immersion school program in the area. Last year, Gracedale PS added the program and will continue to take students.

Sciences and Math

Emery CI has an enhanced program in mathematics, science and technology. If a child is interested in the sciences or engineering, they can take courses in math, robotics science, etc. to help them get prepared as part of this program.

Arts

If a student is interested in the arts, Westview now has a specialized program that starts this September. The program comes after a new one million dollar investment in the school to upgrade facilities.

schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/westview/Student-Interest-Programs/ArtSpeaks-Secondary-Arts-Program

The Trades

The TDSB has a program called Specialist High Skills Major where students can take specialized courses in schools that are accredited in programs as construction, sports, health and wellness and more. Both Emery CI and Westview Centennial have construction and mechanic trade programs.