A back to school letter from Robin Pilkey, the TDSB Chair and the Trustee for Ward 7 was sent home with students today. The first page of the letter is reproduced below. The rest of the letter can be downloaded below.
Dear parents and guardians,
Welcome to the 2016-17 school year. I hope you and your family had a restful and safe summer.
As TDSB Chair and Trustee for Parkdale-High Park, I wanted to begin by apologizing to students and families who have been impacted by the busing issues this fall. We are working to find a solution for each family as soon as possible. We are also working with staff to come up with new processes for the future. Thank you for your patience during this time.
I am pleased to welcome a number of new Superintendents of Education into our ward this year. On the reverse side of this letter you will find your superintendent and their contact information in case you need to contact them directly. As you settle into this school year, we have created a webpage with key information and resources including homework tips and the school year calendar. Learn more at www.tdsb.on.ca/needtoknow.
As a parent/guardian, there are many ways to participate in your child’s education. One way is through the school council which acts as an important forum for student, parent and community voices and advises the principal and the Board on important school issues. To learn more about school councils contact your school or visit www.tdsb.on.ca/schoolcouncil.
I also wanted to share some good news with you about school repairs. In June, we received an additional $257 million in funding for school repairs from the Ministry of Education. The additional money means the TDSB will invest a total of $579 million in schools by the end of August 2017. This is a clear concern here in Ward 7, where the majority of schools were built decades ago. We have posted extensive data on the website about the condition of the TDSB’s schools. This includes repairs listed on a school-by-school basis and is part of our commitment to be more open and transparent with parents, students and community members.
As part of our ongoing Solar Schools projects, three additional schools in Ward 7 will have solar panels installed – Humbercrest Public School, Runnymede Collegiate Institute and Warren Park Junior Public School. The solar panel project has enabled the Board to replace more than 300 roofs across the district, including many in Ward 7.
Finally, to stay informed please join my Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/TDSBWard7Coucil and sign up for my e-newsletter by visiting my webpage at www.tdsb.on.ca/ward7. For system wide news about the TDSB, visit www.tdsb.on.ca/TDSBupdate.
Thank you and I look forward to working in partnership with you this year,
Robin Pilkey, Chair
Trustee for TDSB Ward 7
Parkdale – High Park
