February 2023
I hope everyone has had a wonderful start to 2023, and enjoyed their winter break.
One of the most important roles of school board trustees is communicating with the public. I hope to use this newsletter as one way to keep you updated on Board news, to communicate my role as trustee and how I can support you, and to answer some of the questions I am often asked as trustee.
Communicating with the public includes both sharing information and attending events to build relationships with families.
I have been attending as many school and community events as I can, and it has been wonderful to meet students and families and make those connections. Most recently, I have had the pleasure of going to several schools’ holiday concerts, a robotics competition, the Menorah Lighting in East Gwillimbury and Georgina, the opening ceremonies for Tamil Heritage Month, and the Mayor and Council New Year’s Levees for both East Gwillimbury and Georgina. I look forward to continuing to get out to as many of these events as possible.
Communicating with the public also means ensuring I am available to you. One way to ensure this is that I am planning to attend school council meetings, and I encourage you to check the date for your next school council meeting and come out and join me. I look forward to meeting with you. I will continue to look for additional opportunities to engage with families and will communicate those with you.
As a school board, we encourage you to reach out if you have questions or concerns. There are many people available to support you in addressing your concerns. You can contact:
Classroom teacher for questions related to the classroom, including student learning, homework and assignments, classroom rules and consequences.
School principal if you have questions or concerns about the school, for example, student registration, student behaviour, school council and fundraising, report card or classroom concerns, busing.
Your school superintendent if your concern remains unresolved or is about a community-wide issue or Board-level support.
Trustees are available to help you with concerns about your school community, ideas and suggestions for the Board, items on the Board agendas, policies under review, budget, advocacy for student well-being and achievement or if you have questions and are unsure about who to call. We are happy to assist.
Our Board of Trustees is made up of 12 trustees elected during the municipal election process, and one Indigenous trustee appointed through a separate process. Eight of the 12 elected trustees are new this term, and we are all looking forward to connecting with families and fulfilling our roles to support student achievement and well-being.
What do Trustees Do?
In addition to communicating with the public, we are also responsible for:
Establishing a Multi-Year Strategic Plan. This plan sets out our priorities as a school board and guides our direction and decision making as a system.
Setting policy. Policies govern the operation of our schools and organization, including field trips, school transportation, homework, caring and safe schools and much more. You can find out which policies are up for review in our meeting agendas, or which policies are out for comment on the website. Your participation in this process is important to ensuring our policies are serving our communities and align with our priorities.
Setting an annual budget. I look forward to sharing more information about this process with you in the coming months as we engage in budget consultations.
Participating on Board and Advisory Committees. You can find the dates and agendas for these meetings on the Board website. You are welcome to attend and observe any public Board, Advisory and Board Committee meetings.
Hiring the Director of Education. This process is governed by the Director of Education Selection Policy, and we will keep you updated as this process progresses. In the meantime, I am deeply grateful to Interim Director of Education Scott Yake for his commitment and service.
Advocating for quality public education. I became a school board trustee because I believe in public education. I believe in the potential of each and every one of our students and our responsibility to nurture their learning, growth and achievement. Our decisions as a board are centred on our commitment to deliver the best for our students.
What’s Happening in YRDSB?
Kindergarten registration opened January 20 for families with children who will start Kindergarten in September 2023.
French Immersion registration is open from January 20-February 6 for students entering Grade 1 in September 2023.
Student trustee elections are currently underway. All students in Grades 5-12 will have an opportunity to vote for the student trustees who will represent them next school year.
In February, we recognize Black History Month, celebrating the contributions of Black people to the fabric of our society. I encourage you to visit the Board’s Centre for Black Student Excellence webpage and newsletter to learn more about upcoming events during Black History Month and what’s happening in the Board to celebrate Black excellence.
Family Day and the March Break are also approaching and we hope everyone enjoys the break.
There are a number of other events for families coming up and I encourage you to check the Board calendar.
Board policy reviews are ongoing and community input is always welcomed and is essential to ensure that our policies reflect student well being and achievement. Please visit the Board’s website to see the policies currently out for comment.
New and Replacement Schools
One of the other questions we are asked, particularly in growing communities is about new schools or capital projects. We can let you know that in our municipalities the following capital projects have received approval:
In East Gwillimbury:
There are many ways you can stay up-to-date with what’s happening in our school board. Visit the newsroom or website homepage at www.yrdsb.ca. Listen to our podcast. Follow the Board on Twitter, Instagram or YouTube. Read your school newsletters and emails. I look forward to staying connected with you.
Carolyn Butterworth
Trustee, Georgina and East Gwillimbury
Carolyn.butterworth@yrdsb.ca