Toronto District School Board
Berner Trail Newsletter April 6, 2020FIND THE BERNER TRAIL NEW WEBSITE FOR STUDENT LEARNING DURING THE CLOSURE AT : Parents, Guardians and Students,It is my distinct pleasure to return to the role of Interim Principal for Berner Trail in Mr. Bennett’s absence. I found this school to be welcoming and energetic during my stay here earlier in the year. I am very grateful to Ms. J. Simmons who also acted as Interim Principal at Berner Trail. However, we are in a very different situation now as we battle the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 virus. I have only been in the school building once to pick up some files that I will need to support students, staff and community. I will tell you that it was a sad, hollow feeling entering a building that usually thrives with student and staff activities and now is empty and quiet.As you are aware the building is closed along with all other schools in the province. The Minister of Education recently announced that the closures will continue until at least May 4, 2020. Although the building is closed, Berner Trail P.S. continues to function with a focus on student success and well-being. I have had video conferences with the full staff and I am glad to tell you that all are safe and continuing in their roles. Ms. Falco, our SNA in the Diagnostic Kindergarten has been unable to return to Canada yet but continues to participate in our on line meetings.All staff members miss their students and are working hard to find ways to communicate with them, support their continued learning and promote their well-being. During the week of April 6 you will be able to see the learning that the whole staff has participated in creating for our students. I will stress that this style of learning is not meant to replace in school classes and teacher to student personal interactions. In his recent letter to parents, TDSB Director John Malloy explained: “Every educator approaches their classroom in a way that is thoughtful and unique to their own students’ learning needs, abilities and experiences. Learning will take on a variety of forms and may include online learning, phone connections, assignments submitted by email, online classrooms, off-line tasks and more.”I would like to stress that to meet student needs there are no set times that students have to access the online learning. We understand that there are challenges surrounding the use of the technology in the homes. Many students have to share devices with parents working from home and siblings also trying to connect with their classroom work. We encourage students and families to check our website daily. There will be updates, new materials added and messages from our staff to our students. Some teachers may attempt to hold class meetings and lessons through platforms such as Google Meet, Brite Space, Google Classroom, etc. You will find links to these activities on our main website.FIND THE BERNER TRAIL NEW WEBSITE FOR STUDENT LEARNING DURING THE CLOSURE AT : boards have been provided with guidelines in terms of the suggested hours our work per student per week, including areas of curriculum focus.Grade Range Hours of Work and Curriculum Focus Kindergarten to Grade 3 5 hours per student per week Focus: Literacy and Math Grades 4 to 6 5 hours per student per week Focus: Literacy, Math, Science and Social Studies Grades 7 and 8 10 hours per student per week Focus: Core Math, Literacy, Science and Social Studies Grades 9 to 12 Semestered students: 3 hours per course per week Non-semestered students: 1.5 hours per course per week Focus: Achieving credits/completion/graduation During these times, teachers may want to communicate directly with students through emails and phone calls. If you see blocked calls come up on your phones, please pick up as it may be your child’s teacher or other staff members trying to communicate. Also the Board and the school send out newsletters and updates via email. If you have not registered an email address with the school, please consider doing so. You can send them to me at jerry.chadwick@tdsb.on.ca. Please be sure to include your child(ren)’s name(s) and classroom teacher(s).We would ask that you do not leave voicemail messages on the school phones at this time. We are not allowed to come into the building to check the messages regularly. As more information comes down regarding the school closures and the responses to them, we will make every effort to share it with you.Sincerely,Jerry Chadwick, Interim PrincipalA MESSAGE FROM THE TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF AT BERNER TRAILDear Berner Trail Families,Hello to your homes from ours! As the Ministry of Education has announced, we are going to be beginning our ‘learning from home’ this week. As directed, our goal is to provide our students with 5 hours of learning each week focused on the language and math strands. To do this, we have used a website format. The website address is: the home page, you will see your child’s grade at the top. Clicking on their grade will display language activities for your child to engage in this week. Activities center around independent reading skills, listening and responding skills, and writing skills. As well, under each grade we have a Math Tab with a directed learning focus as well as different fun activities for your child to try. There is also a Physical Education, Music and Dance and At Home Library link as well.Each week we will be posting new tasks and assignments for your child. We are aware, however, that self-directed learning is very difficult with the age of our students. Please do not feel any pressure to complete all or any of these tasks. You will make the right decisions for your family. Although we all realize this is not an ideal situation for our students, our goal is to try to continue reviewing concepts already learned in class this year to help consolidate this learning as well as introduce some new concepts that have not been covered yet.We hope you find this website easy to navigate and useful.Stay safe and healthy, we miss you all very much!Sincerely,The Staff at Berner TrailASSESMENT, EVALUATION AND REPORT CARDSFor elementary students, teachers will use approaches to gather evidence of student learning and will provide meaningful feedback to students on their progress. Evidence of significant improvement in learning, during the closure period, may be taken into consideration by the teacher when assigning a final grade in a subject area. Otherwise, students, in Grades 1 to 8, will be assigned the grades earned based on their learning of the expectations in the curriculum up until schools closed on March 13, 2020. All students, Kindergarten to Grade 8, will receive a June report card.FIND THE BERNER TRAIL NEW WEBSITE FOR STUDENT LEARNING DURING THE CLOSURE AT : STEPS IN PLANNING FOR AT-HOME LEARNINGMinistry Learn at HomeThe Ministry of Education has launched a new website to help students in Grades K – 12 learn at home. The website ontario.ca/learnathome , provides students with supplementary learning resources to practice math and literacy skills during schoolclosure. The ministry has said that these resources do not replace what students have been learning at school but are intended to help mitigate the loss of learning during theCOVID-19 shutdown period.TDSB Student Learning ResourcesThe TDSB has launched online learning resources to support the Ministry’s Learn at Home initiative.STAFFING FOR 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAREven during difficult times like the present ones, we have to continue to plan for the future. Across the TDSB all staffs of schools are now working on developing the organizations of classes for next year. Last week we received the allocations for teachers and support staffs for Berner Trail. We have a staffing committee that is looking at the allocations and our projections for student enrollments and we must create a plan and submit it to the superintendent by the end of this week. Early this week, Mr. Chadwick will be reaching out to the Chair of the Berner Trail School Council and sharing the information with her. The hope is that she will be able to share it with the Council and give them an opportunity for input to the organizational structure we are developing. In normal times, the Principal would bring this information to a scheduled Council meeting and have the members work through the same process that the staffing committee is now undertaking. Parental involvement is integral to the success of a school.Once the organizational plan has been completed and approved by the Superintendent, the information will be shared with the community. The next step for the Principal will be to assign teachers and support staff members to each role in our plan. That will occur later and will be shared before the end of the school year.SUPPORTS FOR FAMILIESDuring these uncertain times, we know that many families are facing difficult times with uncertainty. Many people have been laid off from their jobs and their income has been severely impacted. All levels of government in Canada are developing plans to support families who have been impacted financially. A number of different levels of support are also being offered to get people through the Covid-19 outbreaks. Below you will see the financial initiatives being rolled out by the federal and provincial governments with links to help access these supports. The staff members of Berner Trail hope that this information will be useful to our families. This information was current as of the end of March 2020. This information was provided to us and we are sharing it to support families. We are not responsible for the content or accuracy.Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan: Support for Families with ChildrenThis is a list of current resources available to families and children through the Federal Government. Summary of measures announced at that will directly affect families. General Economic Support 1) Increases to the Canada Child Benefit ? For families receiving the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), an additional $300 per child will be provided as part of families’ May payment. o There is no need to apply for families who already receive the CCB. o ASK: Do you receive the Canada Child Benefit on the 20th of every month? If not, help families to “Apply for the Canada Child Benefit.” 2) Increases to the Goods and Services Tax Credit ? For families who are eligible for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) credit, an additional benefit will be provided in early May. The average amount will be about $400 for single caregiver families and about $600 for dual caregiver families. o There is no need to apply for families who are already eligible for the GST credit. A family must file their taxes to receive the GST credit. o ASK: Have you filed your most recent tax return? If not, direct families to resources to help them complete their taxes. There are Free Community Tax Clinics but due to COVID-19, some of these clinics may have closed or changed their hours. Check the directory and call the clinic ahead of time. There are online resources that can help families file their taxes. Support for Families Facing Unemployment/Inability to Work ? The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is a taxable benefit of $2,000/month for up to four months. o The CERB benefit will be accessible starting early April through a secure web portal, an automated telephone line, or a toll-free number. o The CERB is available for the following groups: ??Workers who must stop working due to COVID-19 and do not have access to paid leave or other income support. ??Workers who are sick, quarantined, or taking care of someone who is sick with COVID-19. ??Working parents who must stay home without pay to care for children that are sick or need additional care because of school and daycare closures. ??Workers who still have their employment but are not being paid because there is currently not sufficient work and their employer has asked them not to come to work. ??Wage earners and self-employed individuals, including contract workers, who would not otherwise be eligible for Employment Insurance. o If someone qualifies for Employment Insurance benefits, they can apply online. o If someone is sick, quarantined, or has been directed to self-isolate, the requirement to provide a medical certificate to access EI sickness benefits has been waived. o The one-week waiting period for EI sickness benefits will be waived for new claimants who are quarantined so they can be paid for the first week of their claim. o People who cannot complete their claim for EI sickness benefits due to quarantine may apply later and have their EI claim backdated to cover the period of delay. ? The Employment Insurance (EI) benefits program is available to those who have been recently laid off or have reduced hours due to COVID-19. Homeowner Support ? For homeowners experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19, Canada’s large banks are offering deferred mortgage payments to those who are in good standing on their mortgage. COVID-19 related mortgage deferral is available for an indefinite period, and families do not have a deadline for having to seek mortgage payment relief. o Banks are encouraging mortgage holders to visit their websites for the latest information, rather than calling or visiting a branch: BMO, CIBC, National Bank, Scotiabank, RBC, TD. ? The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and other mortgage insurers are also offering tools to help homeowners who are experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19. Student Loan Holder Support ? As of April 1, 2020, a six-month interest-free moratorium is being placed on the repayment of Canada Student Loans. o No payment will be required, and interest will not accrue during this time. o Students do not need to apply for the repayment pause. Support for Indigenous Communities ? Canada is providing $305 million for a new, distinctions-based Indigenous Community Support Fund to address immediate needs in First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. This funding will also provide support to regional, urban and off-reserve Indigenous organizations. o Please see here for breakdown of support. o There is no deadline for communities. The funding will flow as quickly as possible through existing agreements. o The deadline for the call for the proposals for regional, urban and off-reserve Indigenous organizations will be announced soon. Support for Women’s Shelters and Sexual Assault Centres ? Canada is providing $50 million to women’s shelters and sexual assault centres to help with their capacity to manage or prevent an outbreak in their facilities. General Resources Canada Benefits Finder – This Benefits Finder asks questions and then provides a customized listing of federal and provincial benefits for which families may be eligible. Child and Family Benefits Calculator – This calculator allows families to estimate how much their monthly CCB and GST credits will be for the next benefit year based on their net income. Canada Revenue Agency ‘My Account’ Log In/Registration – My Account is a secure portal that lets families view their personal income tax and benefit information and manage their tax affairs online (e.g., setting up direct deposit). Economic Supports Available to Families in Ontario. This is a list of current resources available to families and children in Ontario. It will be updated as new supports are added. Summary of announcements in Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 Direct Support to Families ? A one-time payment of $200 per child up to 12 years of age, and $250 for those with special needs to help families pay for the extra costs associated with school and daycare closures during COVID-19. o Families with children who attend private school are included. o “The province will open an online application portal by April 6, and payments to parents will begin shortly thereafter, a government official said at a background briefing.”1 1 Direct Support for Energy Bills ? The eligibility for the Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) has been expanded to ensure that families’ electricity and natural gas services are not disconnected for nonpayment during COVID-19. o Low-income customers can get up to $500 in emergency assistance for their electricity bills ($600 if their home is heated electrically) and $500 for their natural gas bills. o This assistance is only available if the family is in arrears on their bill and may face having their service disconnected. o In order to qualify, household income has to fall below a certain limit. Please see the LEAP Emergency Financial Assistance income eligibility criteria. If a family qualifies for this program, they must access it through one of the listed intake agencies in Ontario. ? Hydro rates will also be set at the off-peak rate of 10.1 cents per kilowatt-hour 24 hours a day for 45 days to support ratepayers in their increased daytime electricity usage as they respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, addressing concerns about time-of-use metering. o The new rates will be applied to bills immediately. Emergency Assistance for Families ? Ontario is expanding access to existing Emergency Assistance under the current provisions of Ontario Works. This is available to people with limited income, assets or credit who are in a crisis or an emergency situation to help cover individuals' needs such as food, rent, informal childcare, and services. o Those who are already on Ontario Works (OW) or Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), tourists and visitors are not eligible. Individuals can apply for this assistance online or through local Ontario Works offices. o Ontario is suspending the rule that limits emergency assistance provision to only once in a six-month period for individuals and families affected by COVID-19 and allowing people to receive emergency assistance for longer (48 days) without submitting a full Ontario Works application. Support for Current Social Assistance Clients ? Additional resources have been made available to enable Ontario Works administrators to provide discretionary benefits to those who currently receive social assistance. o The funding can be used to meet a broad range of needs, including cleaning supplies, transportation, food or clothing, that families may be experiencing due to COVID-19. o Individuals can access benefits through their Ontario Works caseworker or online. o ODSP recipients are also eligible to receive these benefits and can contact their ODSP caseworker for additional information. o Online resources for social assistance: Online Application for Social Assistance and Ontario Works Offices to contact for more information. Child Care Support for Parents Working on the Front Lines ? Providing emergency childcare options to support parents working on the front lines, such as health care workers, police officers, firefighters and correctional officers. o The centres will not have more than 50 people in a space, and pre-screening will be done for workers. o Once the emergency childcare centres open, a list of locations will be available online. Support for Indigenous Families ? Ontario is providing additional supports of $26 million to Indigenous peoples and communities, including emergency assistance for urban Indigenous people in financial need. o Further information not yet available online. BE SAFEThe staff at Berner Trail is concerned about the safety and well-being of all of our students and their families.We hope that we will be able to return to our regular routines in the near future. In the meantime we encourage all of our families to check the Berner Trail website regularly . Please check the TDSB website frequently for updates. tdsb.on.ca. Please follow these directions from the Toronto public health () experts to remain safe:You must?practise physical distancingYou must stay home if you are infected with COVID-19You must stay home if you have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 15 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizerAvoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed handsAvoid close contact with people who are illStay home when you are illCover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then immediately throw the tissue in the garbage and wash your handsIf you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or armClean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfacesTake care and be safe. ................
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