Update re: U of T lockdown today (13th June, 2016)

To all parents, Beth Mills asked us to get this message out with regards to the University of Toronto lockdown currently in progress:

Safety of our students is a top priority. TDSB is closely monitoring the situation at U of T today. Safe schools staff have been in touch regularly with 52 Division of Toronto Police and there continues to be no direct impact for LL and da Vinci at this time.

Just to add - from my own following of the situation - it's chiefly in the Bloor/Queens Park area that lockdown is in force. Hoping all are safe and well.

It's More Fun in French!

With summer holidays looming, you might be thinking about how to keep up the French during the weeks off. Well, how about signing your child up for some camps in French this summer? Ms. Mills shared this brochure from the Alliance Francaise which might have just what you need!

Also, check out the latest newsletter from FSLAC in which Lord Lansdowne's Franco-Fete was written up!

Don't forget that this website has a French resources page right here!

Reminder - Community Builders workshop on Tuesday!

Hello all - just wanted to remind again about this workshop coming up on Tuesday 7th of June - that's this Tuesday coming. The workshop starts at 5pm with light supper - pizza - before at 5-5.30pm.

We really believe that this will be a helpful resource to to learn how to combat and prevent bullying or anti-social behaviour. It was carefully researched and we think it will be really beneficial.

Drop an email to lordlansdowneschoolcouncil@gmail.com to let us know if you will be there and whether you need pizza and/or childcare (no diapers please!). Looking forward to seeing you there and maybe at the school dance this evening too!

Community Builders - anti-bullying workshop for parents

You may have seen the invitation to this event in the newsletter or on the school run blog but here it is on the council blog now too!

Some parents on the school council who are particularly passionate about relationship and community building within the school formed a sub-committee to research and choose a relationship building program to help stop bullying at Lord Lansdowne. You can read more about the Community Builders here. The workshop, on the 7th of June at 5.45pm (free pizza dinner beforehand, 5pm to 5.30pm) aims to help parents support children in building positive relationships. We think it will be very interesting and worthwhile and hope to see you there! Please RSVP and let us know if you need childcare (no children in diapers, please) and if you will be at dinner - email lordlansdowneschoolcouncil@gmail.com to let us know.

Here is the blurb about the workshop from Community Builders themselves!

BUILDING POSITIVE PARENT RELATIONSHIPS: Raising confident, healthy and resilient children
Community Builders has been helping communities with issues of inclusion for two decades.  This 2.5 hour workshop will not only help parents relate better to each other and to their children, but also give them tools to help their children relate well to their peers.  Whether a parent is building relationships with other parents, their children, or school staff these ideas will be valuable:

• Why it is important for everyone to take pride in their identity and background
• How cultural differences and oppression issues like racism and classism can get in the way of relationship-building
• A mental model called “The Heart of the Child” that can help everyone keep an empathetic perspective towards other
• Effective listening skills for finding out what is really going on below the surface in our everyday dialogues

Quick update - parking petition!

Hi there - if you feel that the schools need a drop off zone, please sign our petition - http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/parking-needed-at-LLPS-da-Vinci/

Also, on May 18th, from 3pm to end of pick up, there will be a representative from Joe Cressy's office and someone from the transportation office to see how things go at pick up at Spadina Crescent. Parents are welcome to come and talk about their concerns.

Many thanks to Cheryl Hooper, a Da Vinci parent, for bringing this forward.

Save Our Vice-Principal! Please help!

Many of you will have heard by now that the staffing allowance for Lord Lansdowne and Da Vinci for next year (16/17) does not include a Vice-Principal. Many of you will also have been shocked and dismayed by this news and wonder how on earth a principal, without a VP as back up, is to manage all the business involved in running two schools.

We strongly feel that a robust letter writing campaign could make our voices heard. Although the superintendent, Louie Papathanasakis, has sent us the information regarding the various cut offs and quotas to allow for a VP, these calculations fail to take into account the extra administration involved in running two schools on one premises, don't take into account the complexities of running the International Languages program and the overall decision can be considered extremely short-sighted in removing a position that (by their own calculations) will likely have to be re-introduced in a year or two when the school grows again.

Please take the time to write a letter/email to show your support and express the need for a vice-principal at Lord Lansdowne and Da Vinci. You can download (and adapt for appropriate amoutn of children etc!) a letter we have composed here and send it, via email to pat.rocco@tdsb.on.ca , also cc in Ausma Malik ( Ausma.Malik@tdsb.on.ca ) and Louie Papathanasakis (Louie.Papathanasakis@tdsb.on.ca ). 

Most of us will have seen, at some point, a situation where the need for both a principal and vice-principal is very clear so let's do our best to SAVE OUR VP!

Parking headaches at Lord Lansdowne

A few parents have raised this over the school year - the fact that there is no official, authorised drop-off parking (or any parking!) for Lord Lansdowne meaning some parents are risking - and sometimes getting - ticketed on a regular basis. I thought I would write a quick post to address this.

Firstly, this is something that has been raised by both Da Vinci and Lord Lansdowne school councils and the city have been involved and consulted with to draw up an appropriate parking zone. Issues that complicate this include the need to provide adequate bus parking in front of the school and possible opposition from Robert Street residents. The city did draw up a plan but had made an error on it which was upsetting to the local residents and, either way, had to be corrected before the plan could be brought to the next level of approval. In short, a re-organisation of the parking is in progress but this could be a slow process.

At a meeting with the superintendent,  Louie Papathanasakis, last week, he mentioned that he was going to call someone with the city in order to reduce the vigilance with which the parking is enforced. However, if a resident complains, the police will still have to respond.

Making your voices heard by contacting Joe Cressy about the issue is probably the most helpful thing to be done at the moment.