Hello,

The OCDSB has undergone an intensive FSL review over the past 12 months. Below are the results of that review as a reminder to parents:

On 18 December 2007, Board approved the continuation of Early French Immersion (Senior Kindergarten entry) and Middle French Immersion (Grade 4 entry) and the phase-out of Late French Immersion (Grade 7 entry) beginning in September 2008. This decision was based on an intensive review of the literature, a summary of practices in other Ontario school boards, data from central OCDSB departments, and responses from stakeholder surveys conducted in the spring of 2007 with elementary principals, vice-principals, teachers, and randomly selected parents of both elementary and secondary students.

In June 2008, Board subsequently approved the initiation of the secondary phase of the FSL review in order to ensure the provision of high quality FSL programs throughout the school district. As a result, further information is being gathered from central departments and from secondary school principals, vice-principals, teachers and randomly selected secondary school students as it pertains to the FSL programs offered in OCDSB secondary schools. An information report is scheduled to be presented to the 9 December 2008 Education Committee.

Should you wish to provide feedback on the FSL programs in the secondary panel and have not had an opportunity to do so during one of the consultation periods, we encourage you to send your comments to FSLReview@ocdsb.ca. More information about this review, along with electronic copies of the reports that have been produced thus far, is available on the OCDSB web site, www.ocdsb.ca. 2. On Wednesday November 5, 2008 Mr. Melville took 8 students to the University of Ottawa to participate in a “No Limits” conference hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Congratulations go out to Mr. Melville who led a team of 2 OCCSB students and 4 from the OCDSB to victory in the Team Trivia contest. Way to go Bell HS! 3. First term ended today (half way through the semester) and teachers will be busy over the next few days calculating and entering marks for students in time for a November 13th distribution of mid-term report cards. Please remember to ask your children to see their academic standing to date in their classes and discuss their progress.

4. A reminder that Friday November 14, 2008 is the OCDSB’s next scheduled professional development day for staff and there are no classes that day.

5. Community service (CS) hours – As you are aware 40 hours of CS are a mandatory graduation requirement for all students. At this point in the year and as we prepare for convocation in June we begin looking at potential graduates still missing any number of these hours. To date, in excess of 30% of our potential graduates are short anywhere from 1 to 40 hours. In any situation it is really, really important that they complete these hours prior to June 15, 2009 at the very latest. Students unsuccessful in meeting this mandatory graduation requirement will not graduate and will therefore not be permitted to participate in convocation ceremonies.

6. Remembrance Day ceremonies are planned for Tuesday November 11, 2008 with two ceremonies beginning at 9:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. respectively. Please feel free to join us to commemorate this important day in memory of fallen soldiers past and present.

attachment: bell-this-week-nov-10.doc

Have an awesome weekend!Â

Sincerely,

Bruce Whitehead