IN THIS ISSUE
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Creating Digital Leaders by Building Healthy Relationships with Technology
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A Creative Approach to Addressing AntiAsian Racism
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STEAM: Preparing Students for Work, a Spotlight on Silver Stream P.S.
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How to Become a PEAC Member
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Year-End School Council Tasks
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School Event Ideas from YRDSB School Council Chairs
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Policies for Review
Empowering Youth
In this edition of Engagement Matters, the YRDSB PEAC newsletter written for school councils, families, staff and administrators, we focus on the many ways that we can work together to empower today’s youth for tomorrow’s future.
We begin with three feature articles. The first is a recap about the important role adults play in fostering good digital leaders for tomorrow with a summary from the PEAC Regional Symposium keynote speaker, Jessica Casa-Todd. Next, we discuss the powerful and creative approach to addressing Anti-Asian racism as shared by the Honorary Lt-Colonel of the Canadian Military Police Academy, Nancy Siew. Then, we highlight the success of Silver Stream Public School’s family engagement and fundraising night with a focus on STEAM to help prepare students for work.
Lastly, we share useful information to help you end the school year strong and prepare for the coming year.
Creating Healthy Relationships with Technology in Today’s Digital World
Jennifer Casa-Todd, who is a teacher-librarian, author and consultant, highlighted useful tips for creating healthy relationships with technology during her keynote presentation at this year’s PEAC Regional Symposium. “Kids will graduate in a tech rich world,” she reminded guests near the start of the presentation. The key to them becoming good digital leaders is having “caring adult mentors who will support them” with their digital journey. Below are some of her suggestions to help guide you in the process.
Setting a foundation for healthy digital relationships...
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Set age-appropriate use limits for screen time.
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Name the technology and claim it!
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Acknowledge that homework time is separate from social time, then set clearly defined limits. Try saying this...”Now that you’ve done your homework, you may have one hour to connect with friends.”
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Recognize the difference between “watching” versus “working” with technology.
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Be aware of age limits on apps, and let them guide you when deciding which programs your child can or cannot use.
How to help keep your child safe in the digital world...
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Google “16 apps parents should know” and learn about them. Chances are your child and/or their friends are using them.
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Do not allow children to use apps with anonymous accounts because it fosters online disinhibition which can be unhealthy and unsafe.
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Make sure your child knows the laws about sharing intimate images, and assure them that anonymous reporting tools are anonymous and investigated.
Strategies for raising wise digital leaders...
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Set clear expectations with your child about the use of technology.
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Create device-free times and zones, such as the car or dinnertime, to allow for personal conversations free from distractions and technology.
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Brains need sleep! Do not allow devices in the bedroom.
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Use the “Do Not Disturb” feature, and make the school day a DND time.
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Be the role model that children need by practicing these good habits yourself!
A Creative Approach to Addressing Anti-Asian Racism
In recent years, stemming from the Coronavirus pandemic, Anti-Asian racism has significantly risen and been discussed in the media and educational institutions as an issue to address. A report on Anti-Asian Racism in the York Region District School Board (PDF) was published in May of 2023, outlining the results of research that was conducted with Asian members of York Region to capture their concerns.
Deeds against our Asian students, neighbours, colleagues and communities have a lasting impact. However, these are not new phenomena. Although Asian communities have been present in Canada since the 18th century, they have often been subjected to discrimination, including in terms of voting rights, exclusionary immigration policies and ongoing hate crimes.
In an effort to address this and to generate a greater understanding of and appreciation for the Asian community, Silver Stream Public School held an event to raise awareness of early Chinese immigrants’ contributions in Canada, during historical events such as World War II and in more recent times.
The school held multiple sessions for approximately 340 students in grades 5 to 8 to hear from Nancy Siew, a former Citizenship Judge who shared stories of the early Chinese immigrants, including details of their hard work and contributions to making Canada a vibrant and effective society- including their involvement in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. She explained that, despite playing such a significant role, they faced long and harsh barriers to integrating into Canadian society.
For most students and faculty, the sessions were eye-opening as they heard stories about the Chinese Head Tax, which required Chinese immigrants to pay fees to immigrate to Canada between 1885 and 1923 in an effort to stop or slow Chinese migration to Canada. Worse still, Chinese immigration was illegal between 1923 and 1947. Additionally, the community was not able to vote, practice medicine or law, become politicians or live their daily lives without discrimination for decades.
These stories gave students and staff an appreciation for the unjust treatment of members of our community and an increased appreciation for what they have done for our country and local communities. They also sparked conversations amongst students and their parents, opening the doors to increased teachings about Chinese culture and a better understanding of and appreciation for other cultures. These conversations need to happen across all cultures to gain an understanding of the experiences of others and to generate empathy, and kindness.
The Silver Stream School Council plans to run additional events of this nature, featuring speakers from diverse backgrounds to keep the much-needed conversations and learning going, in co-ordination with school administration to ensure that the school’s goals and perspectives are incorporated into the planning of the sessions
Nancy M. Siew was appointed by the Governor-General to the role of Honorary Lt-Colonel of the Canadian Military Police Academy in 2018 and devotes her time to give back to the community - particularly in areas of diversity, mental health, veterans and seniors. Having been a volunteer for over thirty years, Nancy was conferred the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for serving the community. In 2020, she was awarded a Commendation by the Minister of Veterans Affairs Canada for her dedication to Canadian veterans.
Preparing Students for the Future of Work
The world is changing at a faster pace than ever- between Big Data, AI, automation, digitization, virtual or hybrid work environments and new job titles that didn’t exist even 5 years ago, our children and educators are facing new frontiers and we’re all just trying to stay on top of the latest and greatest developments to set the next generation up for success.
As you’ve no doubt heard, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math) disciplines are at the forefront of discussions about the future of work and organizations are scrambling to find talent to meet the changing needs of clients, customers, and the greater world beyond their own walls. STEAM enables students to learn how to solve complex problems by drawing on a cross-section of disciplines, along with creativity, to innovate and understand the ever-changing problems and questions we face as a society and as consumers. It allows educators to apply project-based learning that brings to life the connections between once-thought-of polar opposite ends of the spectrum- arts and sciences- and show students that the principles across STEAM subjects actually intersect more in real life than they realized.
According to a McKinsey study, 1 in 16 workers may have to change their occupations by 2030. Job growth is expected to be focused on high-skill jobs, particularly in STEM fields. So, how can we stay abreast of these changes and ensure that our students are equipped with the skills they need in order to be successful in their future careers?
Silver Stream Public School recently hosted a STEAM night to engage families in learning about STEAM, while also raising funds to support the school’s Makerspace resources. 210 students purchased tickets and were accompanied by their families to visit various stations that were hosted by teaching staff. These included coding with micro:bits, designing with Tinkercad, circuits, coding robots, straw rockets, wood and nail art, and slime, just to name a few. The school worked with some vendors, including Code Ninjas, the STEAM Project and Engineering for Kids.
Although the World Economic Forum reports that women remain significantly under-represented in STEAM jobs- making up only 29.2% of all STEAM workers vs. 49.3% of total jobs across non-STEAM occupations, we were delighted to see that 58% of students who attended the STEAM night were girls, which is a very encouraging sign. During these formative years, it is critical to expose children to various disciplines and to encourage all genders to see themselves in careers of interest and offer them opportunities to develop and enhance skills in those fields.
Feedback from the event was very positive- students and their families enjoyed the activities and have expressed interest in continued STEAM nights. Last year was the inaugural event, with 16 teachers participating and that number increased to 25 this year, enabling more ticket sales and exposure to a wider variety of activities. The school also applied lessons learned from last year to make this year’s event even more successful- e.g., they pre-measured materials to enable efficiency during the event, and established a committee with task delegation and clear communication on roles and responsibilities to run the event even more effectively. One tip offered was to engage vendors and sponsors sooner to reduce the stress of planning such an event.
Kudos to Silver Stream for putting together such a fun and informative night for students and families! I’m sure it will spark greater interest in and pursuit of STEAM amongst our students who are the leaders of the future.
For more information on this event, please contact Yvonne Sun at Silver Stream P.S.
The application process opens this month!
The PEAC new member application opens on May 16, 2024. Interested candidates are invited to a live, virtual information session on May 29, 2024.
Date: Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Time: 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Login: MS Teams Meeting Link
Topic: Learn more about the role of PEAC members, the guiding principles for members, the application process and timelines, and the most frequently asked questions from applicants.
What is the purpose of PEAC and its members?
PEAC members support, encourage and enhance parent engagement at the Board level in an effort to improve student achievement and well-being. They represent the collective voice of parents who have children attending public schools in York Region.
What are the membership expectations?
Members are expected to attend a minimum of five meetings each year either virtually or in person (to be determined), and are encouraged to participate on PEAC sub-committees.
How to apply?
Interested applicants may submit an application using ONE of the methods listed below. The application period opens on May 16, 2024 and closes on June 12, 2024.
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Submit an Online Application Form
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Email Leadership Development and Engagement to request a copy
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Call Leadership Development and Engagement at 905-727-0022 ext. 3650
Event Ideas and Year-End School Council Tasks
Thanks to our school council chairs who shared ideas about successful events at their school on our Edsby group. Here are some highlights from those posts, plus a few other ideas to help you plan your next event.
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Fall BBQ Board Game Club, with a special Family Night
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Bingo Night
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Family Movie Night
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Family Fitness Night
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Music Festival
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Year of the Dragon Cultural Celebration
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Winter Wonderland Festival
The School Council Handbook highlights suggested monthly action steps for school councils. June’s steps, included below, can help you finish the year strong and prepare for a successful new year.
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Review the work of the council of the year and communicate to the school community
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Review the school improvement plan
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Review slate of officers needed for next year
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Set date for election
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Finalize any outstanding financial reporting items
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Finalize annual school council report and year end report to the community
Supporting Policy Review
A number of policies are under review, including Policy #218.0, Healthy Learning Spaces for Students. Your feedback is important. Share your ideas and suggestions by following this link, Guideline to Policy Review and Feedback.
York District School Board 2023-2024 Learning Calendar
View York Region District School Board 2023 - 2024 School Calendar.