WELCOME TO TERM 2!
Thought of the Week: Who am I as a Leader?
“One percent of the work is stating the mission and 99 percent is living it.”
If a community member was asked to describe you as a leader, what would they say? Would their response align with your beliefs as a leader? How are you sharing those beliefs with your staff, students, parents, community?
“An effective leadership team understands the organization’s mission and then spends every moment trying to close gaps that exist between what we say we expect to be and with who we actually are.”
Updates/Reminders
Health and Safety Reminders: Workplace Harassment
Harassment is a complex matter. Generally speaking, it is any improper conduct directed at someone, that the person finds to be offensive.
By legal definition, workplace harassment means “engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known as unwelcome”.
Harassment can be:
- • Any objectionable act that is demeaning or belittling
- • An act of humiliation or embarrassment
- • An act of intimidation or a threat.
Harassment can also be related to:
- Race, national or ethnic origin
- Colour, religion or age
- Gender or sexual orientation
- Marital or family status
- Disability
- A pardoned conviction.
Workplace harassment can come from a:
- Supervisor or other superior
- Co-worker or colleague
- Employee or subordinate
- Client, patient or other members of the public.
Examples of workplace harassment include:
- Sexual harassment, such as unwelcomed invitations with sexual overtones or flirting
- Repeated, rude teasing, or degrading or offensive remarks about a person’s physical characteristics or appearance
- Insults
- Threats
- Intimidation or retaliation.
All employees are expected to refrain from engaging in any behaviour that constitutes harassment or discrimination.
(obtained from the Workplace Violence and Harassment WellNet course, Link2elearning, SGDSB)
Information/Updates
Sharing of Space: Meetings completed this week. Please update your goal on the document as this will signal that your meetings has been completed. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cv-ctkDFFnT9esoZFqa8fzhd8lEI_mVlOqmjwptwUJc/edit?usp=sharing
Police Protocol – Stay Tuned for much more on this – https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/protocol/locprote.pdf
Transition to Kindergarten – First Nation Partners – Just a recap of our conversation on Friday – As part of your Transition to Kindergarten Season plans, we would like to have our schools reach out to their local First Nations partners and arrange to have a visit to discuss Kindergarten with families. These visits would allow for an informal conversation around the early years, and what our schools have to offer to children and families. We would ask that you customize your visits. You may get a chance to visit with children and families during pre-established programs – connecting with Nicole Richmond and the Education Directors would be the first step in this. However, during the visit, you might consider:
- Share our SGDSB video and discuss our vision of “belonging”
- Share our SGDSB Let’s Get Started pamphlet
- Share school specific information – Perhaps the Kindergarten educators attend with you if possible – around the Transition to Kindergarten Season activities
- You might even consider doing an activity with the children while the parents meet with the principal/educators.
- We might even engage in the Welcome to Kindergarten activities instead of having the parents/caregivers come to the school to do this work.
Please let me know what you need from me to make these visits a success!
Carried Over from Last Week
P/VP Handbook – The next one is scheduled for Wednesday, February 3, from 3:30-4:00. Same teleconference number as TMT.
Board Policy Review – Principal Update Meeting – Policy Review is on February 2. We will have to wait to meet until Wednesday, February 17, at 2:00. Same teleconference number as TMT.
School Learning Plans – Please have these posted to your school VLE/Google site by February 1, 2016. If you are using a Google Drive, please send me the link to the folder. Thanks everyone!
Nicki’s Schedule
Mon – am – Leads’ Meeting pm – Efficacy Review
Tues – am Efficacy Review, pm Police Protocol Meeting with Suzanne and Erica, Jean Clinton Teleconference, Board Policy Review Committee Meeting in evening
Wed – am School Visit to RRPS (8-11), pm School Visit to DPS (12-3) for PLC, 3:30 P/VP Handbook Teleconference
Thurs – am – Meeting with Melissa for BMS, pm 3:30 BAPS Google hangout meeting
Fri – am/pm Efficacy Review – 4:00 Senior Admin meeting
Upcoming Dates
Monday, February 1 – Sharing of Space Meetings completed and template updated
Monday, February 1 – Emergency Plans Reviewed with Staff
Monday, February 1 – Leads’ Meeting in morning
Monday, February 1 – Efficacy Review 1:00-4:00
Monday, February 1 – EQAO Predictions (see template) are due to NMC
February 2-3 – Workplace Violence and Harassment Survey will be distributed to all staff.
February 5 – Report Cards due to Principal
February 8 and 9 – BMS Training
February 12 – Report Cards Sent Home
February 19 – EQAO Session at GOPS 10:00-2:30
February 19 – Director’s Newsletter Submissions due to Dave please
February 21 – World Down Syndrome Day
February 24 – Pink Shirt Day (Bully Prevention)
February 26 – Student Led Conferences Completed
February 26 – New Teacher Orientation
February 26 – Transition to Kindergarten Plans due
March 4 – Annual Learning Plan Update and Review Meetings completed
March 8, – Teacher in Charge Training Session – GOPS
March 9 – LLI (Elementary) via Videoconference
March 8 and 9 – LLI Grade 7-10 (See Carole)
March 11 – IEPs Updated and sent home
Learning Fair Dates – The Elementary Learning Fair will take place on Friday, May 27, 2016 at GOPS.
Modelling the Conditions for Learning 