Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ

Dear Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Families,Ìý

I hope each of you had the opportunity to rest, spend time with loved ones, and enjoy the beautiful fall colours this past long weekend.Ìý

We continue to be deeply saddened by the violent, tragic events in the Middle East. This week has been very difficult, and our thoughts continue to be with all those mourning the loss of loved ones in the deadly attacks by Hamas on Israel over the weekend, and the devastating impacts of ongoing violence for all those living in the region. We recognize, for the Jewish, Israeli and Palestinian communities, the impacts are profound and deeply personal. Many Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵDSB students, staff, and families are directly affected by these horrific acts through family, community, identity, and history.

We are deeply committed to providing support and care for students, staff and families.

To help guide challenging conversations or questions, families may wish to review thisÌýresource to Support Youth Following a Traumatic Event, from Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ’s Mental Health services.

As we look ahead to next week, school communities will have the opportunity to learn more about the important role of school board trustees during Local Government Week. Students and staff are invited to visit ourÌýBoard websiteÌýfor information about Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ’s Trustees or follow the hashtag #LocalGovWeek on social media to learn about local government.

Next week is also Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Appreciation Day, on October 17. This day recognizes the significant commitment, hard work and dedication of ECEs and all staff who work with young children. Thank you for everything you do to support students along their educational journey.

Lastly, we share a special thank you to bus drivers and transportation staff as we recognize School Bus Driver Appreciation Day on October 18. Our schools rely on the dedicated service of bus and transportation drivers each day – and we extend our sincere thanks to everyone who plays a part in school transportation!

Wishing everyone a good weekend.

Rita Russo,
Director of Education

Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ NEWS

Immunization Notices

Families with students who are not up-to-date on required immunizations may have already received, or can expect to receive, an immunization reminder letter from their local public health unit.

Children who receive a letter areÌýoverdue for immunizations required for school under the Immunization of School Pupils Act.ÌýStudents who do not have the required immunizations could be suspended from school if they do not provide a record of vaccination to local public health departments.

Families can visit their local public health unit’s website for more details on how to update their records or where to access upcoming immunization clinics.

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Parent Conference - What My Child’s Behaviour is Telling Me

Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ’s annual Parent Conference is Saturday, October 21, from 9:30am – 11:30am. Join us for thisÌýFREEÌývirtual event, featuring keynote speaker Dr. Jean Clinton!

Through the context of building resilience and healthy relationships, Dr. Clinton will provide parents and caregivers the opportunity to learn about self-regulation strategies, how to overcome and manage challenging behaviours and tips for supporting healthy, positive, social behaviours.

For more information about this event, and to register, please visit ourÌýwebsite.