Hello parents/guardians and students:
I hope that everyone in our Oakwood family is continuing to be well, safe, and healthy. We have had some really good news this week from our Provincial Government as our city has been approved to move into Stage 2! This is wonderful news. It shows that our collective hard work to keep each other safe and healthy, has paid off and we are now able to experience some of our favourite summer activities like eating on a patio at a local restaurant and swimming at our local City of Toronto pool. Although these activities will not look like previous summers, and we will have to continue our new norms of physical distancing, hand-washing, and mask-wearing, it is nice to have some aspects of a normalcy and social interaction back. Please continue to enjoy the summer weather but be disciplined over the next 2 months, and let’s not have our hard work and sacrifice from March Break onwards go to waste. Let’s all be smart, mindful, careful, and respectful of each OTHER. Let’s be SAFE together!
We have reached the ending of the school year and yes, it has been one for the ages! From labour disruption to a global pandemic that forced the closure of our schools, 2020 has been a challenge on many fronts. We’ve learned new terms including social/physical distancing, remote and synchronous learning, and that we all have much to collectively work on with respect to racism, specifically anti-Indigenous and anti-Black racism in our communities. This work is needed for our children and their future --- and it starts with the recognition that “we all can be better”. Our Oakwood family has been strong and resilient throughout this school year and our CARE for EACH OTHER has been heartwarming. THANK YOU for being the students, parents, staff, and community members that you are --- “we GOT THIS!” and we will be “BETTER BECAUSE OF THIS!”
Operationally, I really only have one last item to share and that is relating to report card distribution. As mentioned last week, final report cards will be distributed to TDSB students and parents/guardians in a digital format using School Messenger, an email communication system currently used by schools. Individual Education Plan (IEP) Summaries will also be provided and distributed in a digital format, if applicable. The TDSB will take the following steps to deliver a report card for each student in a secure manner:
1. You will receive an email with the report card attached as a password-protected PDF file. Secondary report cards will be emailed to both parents/guardians and students’ TDSB email address between July 3 - 8.
2. The password will be unique for each report card.
3. The password format will be communicated in each email, not the password itself.
Every year, we always have changes to our staff and this year is no different. We thank Mr. Jason Thai for filling in seamlessly in the Chemistry and Math department. We say ‘goodbye and hope to see you again’ to Mr. Jose Arato in the office. We wish all the best to Mr. Jason Walters and Ms. Kayla Akler in their new leadership roles at Lawrence Park CI and Marc Garneau CI respectively. And lastly, we bid farewell to our retirees: Ms. Jean Wolin (Ed. Assistant), Mr. Ken Doran, Mr. Randy Book, Mr. Garth Norman, and Mr. Abdelmassih. As Mr. Abdelmassih has so insightfully said, “it’s not retirement, it’s repurposing” --- and so we wish all of our retirees in their ‘repurposing’, well-deserved relaxation, plenty of joy, continued good health, and forever smiles!
Thank you everyone for your impact on our students, staff, and communities.
Have a FUNomenal summer. We’ll see you in September…and Oakwood, remember:
“Take care of yourself --- and each other,
Strive to be the best you can be,
Don’t be afraid to be different --- Be an ‘Original’, Take risks,
Think ‘outside-the-box’,
Think ‘Other’ ----- Think OCI!!!”
Steve.