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Dear NNDSB Family,

With the holidays upon us and 2020 drawing to a close, we are immensely proud of the work that is being done to improve the opportunities for all students in 17�Թ���. As you well know, this has been an unprecedented year. We learned social distancing, developed home/work routines, implemented Zoom and Team meetings. We are repeatedly washing our hands, and we wear masks to protect family members, peers, and strangers.

But through this collective experience, we’re all discovering a new strength. Community values are shining through in meaningful ways. We are responsible for making sure almost 10,000 students get to school, are safe and nurtured during school hours, and make it back to their families. The bright and passionate people that make up the NNDSB community are what make this possible.

On behalf of our Board, we acknowledge the strength in our team, who are constantly innovating because we know we are entrusted with the most valuable of human resources: the future.

As the Chair of the Board and the Director of Education, together we extend our very best wishes for the holiday season and a sincere appreciation to our staff and school community. Please continue to stay safe and healthy while you enjoy time with family and friends.

The following tips are from Children’s Mental Health Ontario.

We know that many parents are going to be working overtime this year to find new ways to recreate the holidays to not lose the magic of the season. We know you want to keep the sparkle in your kids’ eyes, to keep them engaged and connected.��With the support of our network of child and youth mental health experts, we have rounded up some tips and ideas to help your family support your child’s mental health and manage the holidays in a pandemic.

Prioritize mental health in the holidays

Even in a typical year, the holidays can be an especially challenging time of year for many families. Expectations of the holidays can be hard on children– and, let’s face it, it’s not ‘the happiest time’ for all of us. When you prioritize your or your child’s mental wellness, you can focus on what works for your family. As a parent, consider the things that feel realistic for you to do and then offer those choices to kids/youth to pick from. So many of us struggle with saying��no over the holidays – perhaps this year, you will feel confident about not over-committing your schedule and slowing things down; and that’s ok! Also, keep in mind that having time to connect with each other is important, but so, too, is having space for everyone to have their own personal time.

Plan Early

Routines and predictability are often beneficial (within reason) for children and youth with mental health challenges. It’s a good time to start having conversations with children about what the holidays may look like so that they understand things will be different this year and they know what to expect. This also allows them to be a part of the new planning process. What is important to them? Is there something new they would like to try? Planning early also gives us time to let other relatives or friends know in advance to manage their expectations, too. Also, consider connecting with the parents of your children’s friend to arrange days before or after the holidays for playdates, either virtually or in-person/outdoors, depending on local public health advice. This can include coming up with a list of outdoor winter activities.

Focus on What’s in Your Control

While we are all doing our part to manage the pandemic, so much of what is happening in the province – and the world – is out of our control right now. This is a good time to focus on the things that are in your control. When it comes to traditions of the holiday season, consider how you can incorporate the traditions, or at least parts of those traditions, that are most important to your family. What are some of the things your family can do to bring a little holiday magic into your home? It could be a simple thing like baking cookies, preparing a special family recipe, or planning for a holiday nature walk as a way to get outdoors and move. If seeing family is important to you, consider the ways you can do that, for example, setting up Zoom while your different households have a special meal.��It won’t be the same, but that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it.

Managing Disappointment

For a lot of us, we are going to need to accept that the holidays just won’t be what they usually are. That will be disappointing for a lot of children (and parents!) It’s important to acknowledge that disappointment, especially for children. Give kids a safe space to share their feelings and be heard; let them know this is hard for you, too. Reminding your kids – and yourself – that this is a temporary measure in a very unusual time may make it all feel a little less daunting

 

Supporting children through grief.

The holidays can be especially hard for families who are grieving. Remembering your loved one, telling stories, and laughing about good times together are all ok to do, and can provide comfort to your child. You might work together to come up with ideas for memorializing your loved one over the holiday. Remember that it’s okay for your child/youth to feel upset as there have been a lot of different types of loss this year.

 

Take Care of You

The holidays can be a stressful and anxious time for parents, too. Make sure that you are eating, sleeping and enjoying the holidays as well. Maintain healthy boundaries. Take time when you need it, don’t feel guilty saying no when you need to. Do what is best for you and your family. Consider planning��a day where the family could play a game or watch a movie together. But don’t forget to have some scheduled time where kids can play games and parents can take some time out as well.

 

Don’t Underestimate Your Family’s Resilience

Resilience is about bouncing back from challenges, rather than not having any challenges at all. Look back on your year. What are some of the things you and your family have done to get through this? What is working? What doesn’t work? How have you changed as a parent? Your kids are watching you model behaviour and your resilience is teaching them. Notice what works for your family –�� and remember that this will look different for each family.

Dear Near North Families,������

We would like to��acknowledge��the��dedication our��staff, students, and families��have��demonstrated��to��ensure a safe and successful return to school this fall.��Your��commitment��to learning��has been��visible –��both virtually, at home and in the classroom.����

While our region has experienced��relatively low��levels of COVID-19 transmission, we acknowledge that conditions are evolving��across the province��and we need to be prepared for all scenarios – including��the possibility of individual classes, schools or the system moving to remote learning for��a period of time.������

While we anticipate a return to “in-class” learning on January 4th, we are taking actions to minimize any potential disruption to learning in the��New Year.����As a reminder, we��have��encouraged��students and staff to take home any materials that they may��require��for remote learning��before they leave school for the holiday.��Our��district��has��gathered information��to��identify��student access to technology for learning at home.��We��will continue to respond to��families’��needs and support access to at-home learning tools and resources��in the event of��any remote learning period.��

Thank you,
17�Թ���

17�Թ��� (NNDSB) is thrilled to share this news story by CTV’s Eric Taschner about an NNDSB teacher, Brent Yacoback, leading the way in making coding fun for students, preparing them for future careers, and helping other educators.

Plus, Yacoback and fellow teacher Ryan Culhane were nominated for the Prime Minister’s Teaching Excellence in STEAM team award.

To watch and read CTV’s story, click .

 

This is a reminder of the upcoming Grade 9 field testing for EQAO. As previously announced, EQAO, for this year, is field testing a new online and adaptive assessment for Grade 9 academic and applied mathematics courses.

The purpose of this field test is to allow students and educators to become familiar with the new model, and to support the validation and continued development of the new platform.

For more information, please follow this link to the EQAO page on NNDSB’s website.

**An updated post can be found here.**

November 30, 2020 marked the launch of the Ministry of Education’s Support for Learners Program.

This program is available to parents if their child is attending a publicly funded, private, First Nation operated or federally operated school (either in-person or online), is homeschooled, is enrolled in child care, or is at home.

Support for Learners funding is intended to assist parents with costs incurred during the second wave of COVID-19 for the 2020-2021 school year. Eligible parents or guardians will receive a one-time payment of:

• $200 for each child up to age 12
• $250 for each child or youth up to age 21 years with special needs

This investment is in addition to the initial $378 million investment the government provided in Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID‑19, released in March 2020, which assisted parents while Ontario schools and childcare centres were closed during the first wave of the COVID‑19 pandemic.

Parents or guardians, who are residents of Ontario, with eligible children will need to submit a new application for each child. To find out more information or to apply parents will visit .

The application process closes on January 15, 2021.