News Clippings
May 21-27, 2013
Produced by the
Communications & Community Relations Department
New provincial report reveals troubling trend in special education classes
Page 1 of 3
Your Toronto / Schools
New provincial report reveals troubling trend in
special education classes
Boards need to look at the inequity and why it is happening, including racism, says Jeff Kugler,
who heads the Centre for Urban Schooling at OISE at University of Toronto.
TARA WALTON / TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO
Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education, is calling on school boards to collect data on race,
income and programming — as the Toronto District School Board does — to identify problems, act on them and
monitor progress. (June 2, 2010)
By:Kristin RushowyEducation Reporter, Published on Mon May 27 2013
Ontario children who attend schools in low-income areas are significantly more likely to be
labelled as having special needs than those in affluent areas, says a new provincial report that
shows a troubling trend for students who come from the province’s poorest families.
The People for Education report, provided to the Star in advance of its Monday release, comes on
the heels of research out of the Toronto public school board showing a disproportionate number of
black students are in special education classes — and left out of gifted programs.
There’s a “serious problem of disproportionality in special education programs based on both race
and income” that staff in schools see, said Jeff Kugler, who heads the Centre for Urban Schooling
at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.
“All one has to do is visit various special education programs around the city to see for yourself
that this is true.”
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2013/05/27/new_provincial_report_reveals...
5/27/2013
New provincial report reveals troubling trend in special education classes
Page 2 of 3
People for Education’s research, based on surveys of 1,122 schools across the province, found
“significant gaps” and differences in schools based on family income, from special education to
access to gifted programming and even academic high school credits.
One-quarter of students in less affluent schools have been identified as special needs, compared
with just 13 per cent in higher incomes areas, it found. Highly sought after French Immersion
programs are few and far between in low-income schools.
Research out of the Toronto District School Board broke down the discrepancies even further,
finding that blacks and South Asians are overrepresented in special education and underrepresented in gifted programs. White students are “significantly overrepresented” in gifted
programs, as are East Asians. White are also overrepresented in certain special needs groups,
including those with autism.
“There was no immediate explanation for the different distributions of race and exceptionality,”
says the special education overview. “This is a critical area where more investigation is required.”
Kugler said the percentage of students in special education programs should be similar to their
numbers in the entire student population.
“There is something not working right when black students are so disproportionately
overrepresented in behaviour and mild intellectual disability programs, and so disproportionately
under-represented in gifted programs,” said Kugler, a former Toronto principal. “The same would
be true for other groups that are over- and under-represented in different programs.”
Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education, is calling on boards to collect data on
race, income and programming — as the Toronto District School Board does — to identify
problems, act on them and monitor progress.
Boards need to look at the inequity and why it is happening, including racism, added Kugler.
“Whether intentional or nonintentional, (racism) needs to be looked at closely if we are truly to
deal with the issue.”
“Part of it could have to do with assumptions that are made about students based on their socioeconomic background, but I can only say ‘could be,’ because we don’t know for sure,” Kidder also
said.
Well-off parents have “social capital” — meaning not just financial wherewithal “but also social
wherewithal to navigate the system, and may be a little bit pushy, and know how the system
works . . . it’s easier to be an advocate because it’s a comfortable place,” she said.
At the Toronto board, special education officials say rather than focusing on one area of concern,
they are focusing their efforts “on looking at all the students with special needs that we serve” and
working with teachers.
Cindy Burley and Sandy Spyropoulos said the board is training teachers to better identify
giftedness among students in neighbourhoods where the numbers are low.
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2013/05/27/new_provincial_report_reveals...
5/27/2013
New provincial report reveals troubling trend in special education classes
Page 3 of 3
Burley said when students enter the school system, there is “great diversity as to how prepared
they are” and the opportunities they had at home.
“It’s not a level playing field to begin with, but the board is trying to address it,” she said.
Uneven gifts
A study of special education by the Toronto District School Board found:
• Whites make up 32 per cent of the student population, but 52 per cent of all gifted students.
• East Asian students make up 18 per cent of the student population, but 27 per cent of gifted
students.
• Black students represent 13 per cent of students, but just 3 per cent of gifted.
• South Asian students make up 20 per cent of the population, but just 9 per cent of gifted.
• Ten per cent of students in gifted programs come from the three lowest income groups, while 58
per cent come from the three highest income groups.
• Blacks make up 22 per cent of the special education population, whites 43 per cent. (These figures
do not include gifted programs.)
• Students in gifted programs are most likely to come from two parents homes.
• Students from two-parent homes are less likely to be labelled as special needs.
• Black students are overrepresented among students labelled with behavioural issues, mild
intellectual disability and developmental disability.
• White students are overrepresented when it comes to autism, learning disabilities and physical
disabilities.
• Eighty per cent of students with multiple special needs are male.
Source: Toronto District School Board, Special Education: Structural Overview and
Student Demographics December 2010
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2013/05/27/new_provincial_report_reveals...
5/27/2013
People for Education calls for special education ombudsman
Page 1 of 2
Your Toronto / Schools
People for Education calls for special education
ombudsman
Given all the difficulties parents have with special education for their children, the province needs
to set up an independent ombudsman, says People for Education.
By:Kristin RushowyEducation Reporter, Published on Mon May 27 2013
The Ontario government needs to conduct a review of special education and hire an ombudsman
to help parents who run into difficulties in the system, says advocacy group People for Education
in releasing a survey that found concerns with staffing, services and wait lists for vulnerable
students.
Annie Kidder of People for Education said special education is the one issue her research and
advocacy group receives the most calls about, and the system “is particularly difficult for parents
to navigate — it can be intimidating.”
She said having an ombudsman specifically for special education “is not to set up an adversarial
process,” but a place for parents to go for help.
“Parents have been asking for this for years — an office to help solve problems, and an office not
directly linked to schools or school boards,” she told a press conference held at an elementary
school in downtown Toronto Monday morning, where the group released its latest survey of
Ontario schools.
But Education Minister Liz Sandals was not keen on the idea, saying special education already has
“more review capacity and more advisory processes than any other area of education.
“I’m not sure what is needed is to put more effort into another form of review.”
Sandals, who sat on special education advisory committees for years as a school trustee, also said
funding for special education has gone up 55 per cent in the past decade, and that she would like
to see some research on what programs work well.
People for Education released its 16th annual report on Monday, which is based on a survey of
1,122 schools across the province.
It found troubling trends in special education, in particular that more students in low-income
areas are identified as special needs than in higher-income schools — one quarter versus 13 per
cent.
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2013/05/27/people_for_education_calls_for... 5/27/2013
People for Education calls for special education ombudsman
Page 2 of 2
Sandals, however, said “that isn’t necessarily a negative indicator, in the sense that it may also be
taken as an indication that where you’ve got a neighbourhood at risk, that the staff in the school
may be actively seeking to maximize the amount of help available for students.”
Jeff Kugler of the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, said
educators see first-hand the “disproportionality in special education programs based on both race
and income” and that school boards need to address it.
People for Education is calling on boards to start collecting data on race, income and special
education.
Its survey found that students can wait up to three years before being assessed for school support,
and that some students can’t even get on a wait list.
The ratio of special needs students to teachers has also gone up from 2001, from 22:1 to the
current 36:1 in elementary schools. In high schools, the ratio has gone from 48:1 to 66:1.
The ratio of special needs classroom assistants has remained stable at 20:1 in elementary schools
and 47:1 in secondary schools.
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2013/05/27/people_for_education_calls_for... 5/27/2013
Toronto’s Catholic trustees got it right in vote to let students create ‘gay-straight’ clubs: E... Page 1 of 2
Opinion / Editorials
Toronto’s Catholic trustees got it right in vote to let
students create ‘gay-straight’ clubs: Editorial
The majority of Toronto’s Catholic trustees rejected a proposed ban on the name “gay-straight
alliances” for anti-bullying clubs in their schools.
DREAMSTIME
Although two trustees with the Toronto Catholic school board tried to ban the name "gay-straight alliance" for clubs
designed to bring kids together, a majority of trustees voted to reject the ban.
Published on Mon May 27 2013
For most teenagers, high school is a time of challenge and change. But add bullying to the mix,
especially over a sensitive issue such as sexual orientation, and those years can become torture.
Some carry away emotional scars; a desperate few are driven to self-harm.
Given the grim reality of teenage cruelty toward anyone perceived as different, and efforts by
educators to manage the issue, it was disconcerting when two trustees with the Toronto Catholic
District School Board pushed for a ban on the name “gay-straight alliances” for school clubs that
are designed to bring kids together.
Thankfully, a majority of Catholic trustees recognizes the importance of inclusion and in a 7-4 vote
on Thursday they rejected the proposed ban. It was the right decision and one that will help create
a culture of acceptance for all students. Struggling kids will be the better for it.
As the Star’s Louise Brown reports, the vote followed two hours of emotional presentations from
parents, teachers and students who argued on both sides of the issue. This is not unexpected, since
Catholic teaching does not condone homosexual relations.
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2013/05/27/torontos_catholic_trustees_got_it_ri... 5/27/2013
Toronto’s Catholic trustees got it right in vote to let students create ‘gay-straight’ clubs: E... Page 2 of 2
The defeated motion by trustee Garry Tanuan, seconded by John Del Grande, said that gaystraight alliances “promote a positive view of homosexual activity, which undermines Catholic
teaching on chastity and marriage.” Tanuan argued that school anti-bullying clubs should be
called “Respecting Differences” instead.
Certainly, Catholic schools have an obligation to teach their faith, as would a Christian, Jewish,
Muslim or other faith-based school. But unlike other faith-based systems, Catholic schools receive
public funding, they answer to the Ontario Ministry of Education, and they have certain
obligations.
A vote in favour of the ban would have defied Ontario’s year-old Accepting Schools Act that
mandates gay-straight alliance groups. Before it was passed, after much debate, the Liberal
government removed a loophole that would have allowed schools to rename the clubs.
At the time, education minister Laurel Broten said that the change was important because gay
students had been increasingly subjected to bullying. “If we can’t name it, we can’t address it and
we must address it,” Broten said.
She was right. Masking the clubs’ true purpose by labelling them as something else, altering their
mandate or diluting their focus would be self-defeating.
The kids know that. On Thursday, comments from two Catholic students representing new gaystraight alliances illustrated the power of a name. Both argued that their clubs have made a
“positive impact” leading to fewer homophobic slurs.
Progress can be shaped by open and honest language. The Catholic trustees have chosen to stand
with decent kids who are trying to make a difference. sIt looks good on them.
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2013/05/27/torontos_catholic_trustees_got_it_ri... 5/27/2013
Designs on fashion earn student gold
Page 1 of 1
BRAMPTON— Maya Johnson had designs on doing well at the Ontario
Technological Skills Competition, but the Brampton high school student was still
surprised when she won first place and was awarded for being the female
participant with the highest score in any competition category.
The St. Augustine Secondary School student won gold in the fashion design
category of the annual contest. Students from across the province compete in
challenges designed to test their talents in technology and skilled trades such as
3-D character animation, baking, carpentry, hairstyling, graphic design and auto
collision repair.
This year, some 1,900 elementary, secondary and post-secondary students
competed in Waterloo in more than 60 skilled trade categories.
Johnson stood out in the fashion design contest with a performance that won
her gold and The Women in Nuclear Award— a $500 prize that goes to the
female competitor who achieved the highest individual score among secondary
and post-secondary students.
Her performance also earned her a trip to the national competition in Vancouver
this coming June.
This was Johnson’s first time at the provincial competition, a trip she earned
after winning at Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s regional
competition.
The 17-year-old was a little shocked when she was able to earn first-place over
some more seasoned competitors.
Johnson first began expressing her natural artistic talent through drawings in
elementary school. Soon she began drawing clothes on the figures in her artistic
creations and when her mother bought her a sewing machine in Grade 9,
fashion design became her passion.
She recalled using the new sewing machine to make her mother a dress for a
Christmas party.
“It turned out OK,” she remarked.
This past November, she created 22 outfits for a school fashion show.
“Designing is just lots of fun,” she said. “To actually make them (designs) and
bring them to life is more fun,”
Fashion design teacher Mona May Hohendorf described Johnson as an
exceptional and naturally-gifted talent who is determined in everything she does.
She is also one of the most genuinely nice young women you’ll ever meet,
Hohendorf adds.
Next year, the Grade 12 student is planning to attend the fashion design program at Seneca College.
Students at Brampton’s Fletcher’s Meadow Secondary School also struck gold at the provincial competition and earned
tickets to the nationals.
Wally Persaud and Angelo Robelo won gold in the 3-D character animation category and Hamza Ejaz won gold in the IT and
networking support category. Persaud and Robelo also received $500 each in prize money from the Technical Standards and
Safety Authority (TSSA).
The Peel District School Board was awarded the School Board Award of Distinction.
http://www.bramptonguardian.com/news-story/3239143-designs-on-fashion-earn-student-...
5/27/2013
Toronto Catholic school board rejects call for ban on gay-straight alliances
Page 1 of 2
News / GTA
Toronto Catholic school board rejects call for ban on
gay-straight alliances
The Toronto Catholic school board rejects a call from two trustees to ban gay-straight alliances in
schools.
By:Louise Brown GTA, Education Schools, Published on Thu May 23 2013
The Toronto Catholic District School Board has rejected a call from two trustees to ban gaystraight alliances in schools — which Ontario now says schools must allow.
Trustees voted 7 to 4 against a motion Thursday by trustee Garry Tanuan calling on the board to
defy Ontario’s year-old Accepting Schools Act that says boards must let students set up gaystraight alliances (GSAs) if they wish. Tanuan’s motion, seconded by trustee John Del Grande,
said gay-straight alliances “promote a positive view of homosexual activity, which undermines
Catholic teaching on chastity and marriage.”
However, students from two new gay-straight alliances in Catholic high schools argued they are
having a “positive impact” on school climate and leading to fewer homophobic slurs.
“Gay-straight alliances and Catholicism are not mutually exclusive; they go hand in hand … and
provide a safe space for those who need support,” said student Jersey David from the gay-straight
alliance at Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School. “Our discussions are about anti-bullying and
inclusive language,” and does not conflict with Catholic schools’ promotion of chastity, argued
fellow student Erin Edgehill.
Students from the gay-straight alliance club of Francis Liberman Catholic High School — which is
called Bridges — noted they start each club meeting with a prayer and believe the Catholic faith
extends to accepting those of different sexual identities.
However, parent Iola Fortino argued against allowing gay-straight alliances, calling them “an
encouragement of the gay lifestyle. This is about corrupting our youth.”
There were two hours of emotional presentations by parents, teachers and students on both sides
of the issue before trustees began to debate the motion.
Tanuan suggested anti-bullying clubs should follow the guidelines set out last year by Catholic
trustees, parents and bishops that such groups be called “Respecting Differences” clubs and not
include political activism or personal counselling or discussion of gender identity or sexual
attraction.
Tanuan also claimed the Accepting Schools Act steps on Catholic boards’ constitutional right to
provide teaching that follows Catholic values.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/05/23/toronto_catholic_school_board_rejects_call_... 5/24/2013
Toronto Catholic school board rejects call for ban on gay-straight alliances
Page 2 of 2
“Let’s be clear; some will say we’re (recommending) not following the law of the land, but Bill 13 is
not the law of the land. The Constitution is the law of the land and it trumps all provincial laws.”
Trustee Sal Piccininni said Catholic education must change with the times, and that he was always
taught that “Jesus accepts everybody.” He said he was proud of the students who defended GSAs
at the meeting.
Noa Mendelsohn Aviv is the Equality Program Director of the Canadian Civil Liberties
Association. She told trustees “the people who attend Catholic schools in Ontario have a right to
freedom of association, to form clubs and choose a name that they wish, and to be free from
discrimination on the basis of gender activity.
“It is well known the rate of bullying of LGBTQ students is high and the rate of suicide among
LGBTQ students is terribly high.”
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/05/23/toronto_catholic_school_board_rejects_call_... 5/24/2013
Mississauga
Page 1 of 1
Teen volleyball star sets her education
Iain Colpitts
May 24, 2013
MISSISSAUGA — Most teenagers aspiring to
attend an American university can expect to be
paying off student loans for years to come.
But thanks to her hard work on the volleyball
court and in the classroom, Mississauga's
Rebecca Rivera won't have to endure that
process.
The St. Marcellinus Secondary School student
has accepted a full athletic scholarship to the
University at Albany beginning next season.
"It's a big relief and it helps out my parents a
lot," said Rivera, a two-time national champion
setter.
"Once that was offered, it made me feel like
I've accomplished a lot. It made me feel like
my hard work paid off over the long run, so
Rebecca Rivera. Rebecca Rivera sets a ball for her Burlington
that was satisfying. I couldn't stop crying."
squad in action against the against Calgary Dinos at the Canadian
While she's confident in her abilities, Rivera was
U18 Nationals in Edmonton. Photo by Leo Rivera
surprised to receive a scholarship offer she says
came out of the blue. She was considering
attending school in British Columbia before
Albany put an offer on the table.
At 5-foot-7, Rivera is the shortest player on her club team, Defensa 18U out of Burlington.
"Based on my height and seeing so many other people with such a high skill set, I didn't think I would go to the
U.S.," Rivera said. "I didn't really think at first I met their standards."
Rivera joins a short list of Canadian volleyball players who will, or are currently riding a full NCAA Division 1
scholarship. Her father, Leo, says there's only 10 such players.
Rivera has come a long way since Grade 6, when she wore basketball shorts — something that's frowned upon
— to her first tryout.
She has since been mentored by prominent Canadian coaches including Kelly Smith, Rick McArthur and Rob
Fernley and has evolved into one of the best setters in Canada.
Last week, she guided Defensa to a national championship in Edmonton and was named a tournament all-star.
Rivera was on Albany's radar after competing at six tournaments in the U.S. with Defensa this season. Next
year, she'll study history with a minor in education in hopes of becoming a teacher.
On the court, she said, she'll work hard to earn her playing time.
"I'm just going to go with it and see what happens," Rivera said. "I'm open to anything."
This article is for personal use only courtesy of Mississauga.com - a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd.
http://www.mississauga.com/print/1621858
5/24/2013
Toronto Catholic trustees reject motion to ban gay-straight alliance clubs - The Globe and... Page 1 of 2
Toronto Catholic trustees reject motion to ban gaystraight alliance clubs
Caroline Alphonso
The Globe and Mail
PublishedThursday, May. 23 2013, 11:26 PM EDT
Last updatedFriday, May. 24 2013, 12:12 AM EDT
Toronto Catholic District School Board trustees rejected a motion Thursday night that would
have banned students from setting up clubs called Gay Straight Alliances in separate schools.
Trustee Garry Tanuan’s motion drew media attention to the school board meeting, with parents
and students making passionate arguments for and against the clubs – even though Ontario law
says they must be permitted.
The motion failed to pass by a vote of 7 (opposed) to 4 (in favor).
Mr. Tanuan argued that the provincial government forced school boards to accept GSA’s
through provincial legislation, but the Constitution protects the rights of Catholics to run their
own schools in ways consistent with their religious doctrines.
Another trustee, Sal Piccininni, who supported GSAs, called the opposition to the clubs
outdated.
The motion would go against Ontario law. Last June, the provincial government passed the
Accepting Schools Act, which stated that students could not be prevented from setting up a GSA
in any Ontario school. The anti-bullying legislation made it clear that sexual assault, genderbased violence and incidents based on homophobia will not be tolerated in the province’s
elementary and secondary schools.
Ontario Education Minister Liz Sandals said in a statement last week that no school board is
exempt from the Act.
“It is our responsibility to ensure all students feel safe and welcomed at school,” she said in a
statement. “I know that Catholic values of tolerance and love make them natural allies in the
fight against bullying. I hope the Board will continue to foster an accepting environment for all
students.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/toronto-catholic-trustees-reject-motion-to-...
5/24/2013
Toronto Catholic trustees reject motion to ban gay-straight alliance clubs - The Globe and... Page 2 of 2
Although the Act came into effect at the beginning of the academic year, it was later revealed
that a provision in Canada’s constitution could be used to circumvent the Act.
Church leaders have argued that Catholics should be free to design their own methods to fight
bullying.
Mr. Tanuan’s motion called for all anti-bullying clubs to adhere to the “Respecting Difference”
report issued by the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association last January. This report
offered guidelines for Catholic schools that included calling groups like GSAs “Respecting
Differences” clubs and avoiding discussions of sexual attraction, political activism and gender
identity.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/toronto-catholic-trustees-reject-motion-to-...
5/24/2013
Toronto Catholic board rejects ban on GSAs
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Toronto Catholic board rejects ban on GSAs
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Friday, 24 May 2013 10:00
TORONTO - An attempt to ban gay-straight
alliances in Toronto Catholic schools has failed.
Trustees with the Toronto Catholic District
School Board voted 7-4 against a call by two
trustees to defy the provincial legislation that
allows students in Catholic schools to set up gay
-straight alliances (GSAs) in their schools.
Trustee Garry Tanuan moved the motion to
ignore the year-old Accepting Schools Act at the
May 23 board meeting. It was seconded by John
Del Grande. The motion said GSAs undermine
Catholic teaching by promoting a positive view of
homosexual behaviour.
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Students from two GSAs in Toronto Catholic
schools were among those who argued against
the motion during two hours of presentations to
the board before trustees debated the motion.
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1,540 people like The Catholic Register.
Tanuan argued the Accepting Schools Act
infringes upon Catholic boards' constitutional
right to provide an education based on Catholic
values. It's the same argument that had been
brought forth by many Catholic stakeholders
before the act passed last year.
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Tanuan said the anti-bullying clubs should follow guidelines set by Respecting Difference, the
document released by the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association in response to government
demands that school boards enact anti-bullying programs.
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Designs on fashion earn student gold - Toronto article - News - MSN CA
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By By ROGER BELGRAVE, www.bramptonguardian.com, Updated: May 23, 2013 6:35 AM
Designs on fashion earn student gold
Maya Johnson had designs on doing well at the Ontario Technological Skills Competition, but the Brampton high school student was still surprised
when she won first place and was awarded for being the...
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Maya Johnson had designs on doing well at the Ontario Technological Skills Competition , but the
Brampton high school student was still surprised when she won first place and was awarded for
being the female participant with the highest score in any competition category.
The St. Augustine Secondary School student won gold in the fashion design category of the annual
contest. Students from across the province compete in challenges designed to test their talents in
technology and skilled trades such as 3-D character animation, baking, carpentry, hairstyling,
graphic design and auto collision repair.
This year, some 1,900 elementary, secondary and post-secondary students competed in Waterloo
in more than 60 skilled trade categories.
Johnson stood out in the fashion design contest with a performance that won her gold and The
Women in Nuclear Award— a $500 prize that goes to the female competitor who achieved the
highest individual score among secondary and post-secondary students.
Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School students Hamza Ejaz won gold in IT networking,
while Wally Persaud and Angelo Robelo who won gold in 3-D animation at the Ontario
Technological Skills Competition.
Her performance also earned her a trip to the national competition in Vancouver this coming June.
This was Johnson’s first time at the provincial competition, a trip she earned after winning at Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board’s regional competition.
The 17-year-old was a little shocked when she was able to earn first-place over some more seasoned competitors.
Johnson first began expressing her natural artistic talent through drawings in elementary school. Soon she began drawing clothes on the figures in her artistic creations and when
her mother bought her a sewing machine in Grade 9, fashion design became her passion.
She recalled using the new sewing machine to make her mother a dress for a Christmas party.
“It turned out OK,” she remarked.
This past November, she created 22 outfits for a school fashion show.
“Designing is just lots of fun,” she said. “To actually make them (designs) and bring them to life is more fun,”
Fashion design teacher Mona May Hohendorf described Johnson as an exceptional and naturally-gifted talent who is determined in everything she does. She is also one of the
most genuinely nice young women you’ll ever meet, Hohendorf adds.
Next year, the Grade 12 student is planning to attend the fashion design program at Seneca College.
Students at Brampton’s Fletcher’s Meadow Secondary School also struck gold at the provincial competition and earned tickets to the nationals.
Wally Persaud and Angelo Robelo won gold in the 3-D character animation category and Hamza Ejaz won gold in the IT and networking support category. Persaud and Robelo
also received $500 each in prize money from the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA).
The Peel District School Board was awarded the School Board Award of Distinction.
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http://news.ca.msn.com/ontario/brampton/designs-on-fashion-earn-student-gold
5/23/2013
BramptonGuardian
Page 1 of 1
Buchanan set to suit up for Canada against USA
May 23, 2013
BRAMPTON-Brampton’s Kadeisha Buchanan has
been named to the roster for Canada’s women’s
soccer team for its rematch with the United
States scheduled for June 2 at BMO Field in
Toronto.
The Canadian side for the match includes 14 of
18 players who won the bronze medal at the
2012 Olympics with 10 of those who were in
the line-up in the controversial Olympic
semifinal won by the USA.
Tickets for the international friendly in Toronto
sold out the first day they went on sale and
Team Canada is hoping for vocal fans to give
them a boost against the Olympic champs.
The team will be opening its doors to the public
KADEISHA BUCHANAN.
for a practice session on Thursday, May 30 at 7
p.m. at BMO Field.
Tickets are on sale for $10 from TicketMaster.
Buchanan, who attends Cardinal Leger
Secondary School, made her debut earlier this year with Canada’s senior women’s team. She was the runner-up
in 2012 as Canada’s under-17 female player of the year.
The Canadian roster also includes Ashley Lawrence of Caledon East who attends Mayfield Secondary School,
Canada’s under-17 player of the year in 2012.
Buchanan and Lawrence will both be attending the University of West Virginia in the fall.
This article is for personal use only courtesy of BramptonGuardian.com - a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd.
http://www.bramptonguardian.com/print/1621132
5/24/2013
Ontario teachers ponder new school safety policy: barricading classrooms, not simple loc...
Page 1 of 3
Your Toronto / Schools
Ontario teachers ponder new school safety policy:
barricading classrooms, not simple lockdowns
In the wake of Sandy Hook, many U.S. schools are taking a "delay, deter and defend" approach to
keeping kids safe.
SHANNON HICKS / AP
A line of children leave Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last December after a massacre in
their school. One of the more controversial aspects of a 'delay, deter and defend' policy being adopted in many
U.S. schools is whether teachers should help kids escape the classroom while an intruder is still on the loose.
By:Kristin RushowyEducation Reporter, Published on Wed May 22 2013
Ontario educators are being asked to consider using desks and tables to barricade doors or to
evacuate students when intruders force their way into schools, following in the footsteps of U.S.
schools where the guidelines are moving toward the three Ds: delay, deter and defend.
The Ontario College of Teachers is holding a symposium Wednesday morning featuring two U.S.
safety experts who say merely locking school doors and hiding under desks or huddling in one
corner of the room during a crisis — measures typically taken in Canadian schools under a
“lockdown” — makes teachers and students sitting ducks.
“There’s a pretty dramatic shift underway in the U.S., from the more traditional ‘hide-out-andhope-for-the best’ sort of approach, which is what is typically associated with lockdowns” where
everyone waits for police to arrive, said Amy Klinger, director of programs for the non-profit
Educator’s School Safety Network, who has worked with police chiefs and U.S. Homeland
Security.
“But if you look at past events — Columbine, Virginia Tech — events in the U.S. and
internationally, a lot of the times they happen so quick that law enforcement can’t get there in
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2013/05/22/ontario_teachers_ponder_new_... 5/23/2013
Ontario teachers ponder new school safety policy: barricading classrooms, not simple loc...
Page 2 of 3
time,” she said, adding that “when schools do something more proactive, a significant number of
lives are saved.”
Wednesday’s symposium coincides with the college’s release of an advisory to teachers about
keeping classrooms and schools safe, urging them to keep up-to-date with legislation and
individual board policies and to be trained to “respond safely” in a variety of situations.
The purpose of bringing the U.S. speakers “is to bring information that we are not aware of into
the conversation in Ontario, for the purpose of those who have the best expertise — school boards,
police — to consider … we felt it was in the public interest to bring it forward,” said Joe Jamieson,
deputy registrar of the Ontario College of Teachers.
“Luckily, we have not had to walk through the tragedies they have south of the border … but
anything that is new information we think it’s good to bring to the table, to talk about.”
The shift in thinking in the U.S. started about four or five years ago, prompted in part by the
Department of Homeland Security as government workers and staff in office buildings were being
trained on how to respond to security threats, said Klinger, who is in Toronto with her daughter
Amanda to give the safety presentation.
The thinking is “the three outs — get out, hide out or fight your way out,” she added. “It started
with the government and offices and adults, and now it is working its way down into schools.”
Klinger, author of In Search of Safer Schools, said she trains teachers to “actively barricade doors
with furniture, anything from fairly sophisticated to improvised on the spot, to delay, deter the
person or defend the person in the room.”
They can also use the barricade to keep an intruder out while kids jump out a window or sneak out
another door, if they deem that safe.
“You’re not trying to keep this individual out for two days — you are trying to keep him out for five
minutes until he gives up and moves on or law enforcement arrives,” she said. “It’s surprisingly
effective.”
Teachers are given a variety of scenarios and options, and it’s really “the idea of choices,” added
Klinger. “Choices and action, and training … these are tools in the toolbox, allowing them to
choose the tool that makes the most sense” in a given dangerous situation.
In Canada, school policies dictate that teachers keep kids safe within their classroom through a
lockdown or a “hold and secure” (in which outer doors are locked because of a police investigation
in the area, but it’s business as usual inside). Those procedures work, given that Canadian schools
don’t see the kind of violence American schools do, said Stu Auty of The Canadian Safe School
Network.
However, he said he’s “a big believer in dialogue and looking at all the options. There’s no one way
that is the best way.”
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2013/05/22/ontario_teachers_ponder_new_... 5/23/2013
Ontario teachers ponder new school safety policy: barricading classrooms, not simple loc...
Page 3 of 3
He’s not opposed to barricading if there’s a way to do it. “I think it could work, though it’s not
something that I’m familiar with.”
But evacuating? “That’s a coin toss, because if you’ve got somebody with a gun out there, they are
open targets. There’s a lot of controversy about that.”
Auty expressed concern about using the public address system to keep everyone informed, as the
Klingers suggest, because it would cause anxiety, as do rumours on social media.
“It could cause panic, that would be my concern. We’re talking about adolescents here, children —
they hear an announcement like that, it’s hard to say what they’d do.”
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2013/05/22/ontario_teachers_ponder_new_... 5/23/2013
Students nurture baby salmon
Page 1 of 1
MISSISSAUGA — Brianna Andrisani and Jayden Melo are excited about
today's release of salmon fry their Grade 2 class at St. Julia Elementary School
hatched from eggs.
Brianna, 7, loves to watch fish while Jayden, 8, is hoping his salmon baby called
Fred ends up on his dinner plate some day — he loves eating fish.
The 60 students have been taking part in the Atlantic Salmon Restoration
Program organized by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.
This spring more than 5,000 students across southern Ontario were provided
with salmon eggs, a tank, and instructions on how to hatch them by the OFAH.
The tank for St. Julia was set up in the school library where teacher-librarian
Nancy Cheong was in charge.
"Out of 100 eggs, 97 hatched," said Cheong. "The eggs came in a plastic
condo, so we actually saw them hatching and moving around. Now they're fry
and about 0.5 to one inch long."
They're hard to see among the stones on the tank bottom where they hide.
Because they're in a growth stage, the salt water tank has to be kept cold and
dark, but Brianna and Jayden's sharp eyes seem to have no problem seeing
them.
When they release their fry into the Credit River at Belfountain Park, there will
be other creatures that will see them even more easily thanks to their birds' eye
view. Predators will take many of the fry released into streams this spring. Only
a very few will make it to adult, but restocking local lakes and streams is a longterm project.
Salmon teemed in Lake Ontario until over-fishing and pollution of their habitat
made them disappear.
The goal is to reintroduce salmon to waters where they flourished more than a
century ago.
"We heard about this program from one of our parent moms," said Cheong. "It
was exciting when we got word we'd be part of the program this year and
because the eggs were incubated in the library the whole school has taken an
interest. Salmon eggs were more popular than our books."
Brianna and Jayden were looking forward to releasing their fry into the Credit
River at Belfountain Conservation Area, and celebrating with a picnic.
jdean@mississauga.net (mailto:jdean@mississauga.net)
http://www.mississauga.com/news-story/3233325-students-nurture-baby-salmon/
5/27/2013
BramptonGuardian
Page 1 of 1
Designs on fashion earn student gold
By ROGER BELGRAVE
May 22, 2013
Maya Johnson had designs on doing well at the
Ontario Technological Skills Competition, but
the Brampton high school student was still
surprised when she won first place and was
awarded for being the female participant with
the highest score in any competition category.
The St. Augustine Secondary School student
won gold in the fashion design category of the
annual contest. Students from across the
province compete in challenges designed to test
their talents in technology and skilled trades
such as 3-D character animation, baking,
carpentry, hairstyling, graphic design and auto
collision repair.
This year, some 1,900 elementary, secondary
Skilled competitor. St. Augustine Secondary School student Maya
and post-secondary students competed in
Johnson won gold in the fashion design category at the Ontario
Waterloo in more than 60 skilled trade
Technology Skills Competition and and The Women in Nuclear
categories.
Award— a $500 prize that goes to the female competitor who
Johnson stood out in the fashion design contest
achieved the highest individual score among secondary and postwith a performance that won her gold and The
secondary students. Photo by Roger Belgrave
Women in Nuclear Award— a $500 prize that
goes to the female competitor who achieved
the highest individual score among secondary
and post-secondary students.
Her performance also earned her a trip to the national competition in Vancouver this coming June.
This was Johnson’s first time at the provincial competition, a trip she earned after winning at Dufferin-Peel
Catholic District School Board’s regional competition.
The 17-year-old was a little shocked when she was able to earn first-place over some more seasoned
competitors.
Johnson first began expressing her natural artistic talent through drawings in elementary school. Soon she
began drawing clothes on the figures in her artistic creations and when her mother bought her a sewing
machine in Grade 9, fashion design became her passion.
She recalled using the new sewing machine to make her mother a dress for a Christmas party.
“It turned out OK,” she remarked.
This past November, she created 22 outfits for a school fashion show.
“Designing is just lots of fun,” she said. “To actually make them (designs) and bring them to life is more fun,”
Fashion design teacher Mona May Hohendorf described Johnson as an exceptional and naturally-gifted talent
who is determined in everything she does. She is also one of the most genuinely nice young women you’ll ever
meet, Hohendorf adds.
Next year, the Grade 12 student is planning to attend the fashion design program at Seneca College.
Students at Brampton’s Fletcher’s Meadow Secondary School also struck gold at the provincial competition and
earned tickets to the nationals.
Wally Persaud and Angelo Robelo won gold in the 3-D character animation category and Hamza Ejaz won gold in
the IT and networking support category. Persaud and Robelo also received $500 each in prize money from the
Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA).
The Peel District School Board was awarded the School Board Award of Distinction.
This article is for personal use only courtesy of BramptonGuardian.com - a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd.
http://www.bramptonguardian.com/print/1620674
5/23/2013
BramptonGuardian
Page 1 of 2
Brampton athletes shine at Peel track qualifier
May 22, 2013
Once again Brampton athletes burned up the
track as the Region of Peel Secondary School
Athletic Association (ROPSSAA) track and field
championship opened on Friday at St.
Marcellinus Secondary School.
The second and final day of the meet is
scheduled for Friday also at St. Marcellinus. In
the relay events Brampton schools dominated
the proceedings.
St. Marguerite d’Youville won the midget
women’s 4 x 100-metres relay with St. Roch
second, Turner Fenton third and Bramalea
fourth.
The David Suzuki Grizzlies were first in the
junior women’s 4 x 100m with St. Augustine
second. St. Roch was first in the senior women’s
4 x 100m with St. Edmund Campion second and
UP AND OVER. Mike Fuller clears the bar during the senior boys'
Notre Dame third.
high jump at the ROPSSAA track and field meet on Friday. Photo by
In the men’s 4 x 100m midget relay, Campion
George Beshiri
was second behind first-place St. Marcellinus
with Bramalea third and St. Thomas Aquinas
fourth.
Campion took first in the junior boys’ 4 x 100m
with St. Augustine second and David Suzuki third. Campion added the 4 x 100m senior boys title with St. Roch
third and d’Youville fourth.
Individually Kyra Constantine of St. Roch had a pair of gold medals and set a ROPSSAA record in the process.
Her record came in the midget women’s 400m as she was clocked in 54.90, shattering the mark of 59.00
seconds set in 1997. Constantine was nearly six seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
She also won the midget women’s 100m with Jermeka Castella from d’Youville second, Hannah Christophe of
Bramalea third and Tahlia Arneaud of Campion fourth.
St, Augustine’s Mariam Ajiroba won the midget women’s 100m ahead of a trio of runners from David Suzuki
with Antoinette Sebastian second, Shanelle Hunnigham third and Chevenne Wilson fourth.
In the senior women’s 100m, Maya Stephens from St. Roch finished second.
The top four finishers in the midget men’s 100m were from Brampton schools. Jaylen Lewis-Branton from
Fletcher’s Meadow was first, Jevante Stanley of St. Thomas Aquinas second, Tosan Agbeyegbe of St. Augustine
third and Jesse Hamblett from David Suzuki fourth.
Brandon Letts from d’Youville won the junior men’s 100m with Leacroft Thompson from Campion second and
Keysean Powell, also of Campion finishing fourth.
Kristian Benjamin from St. Roch was second in the senior men’s 100m with Norris Spike from St. Augustine
third and Daniel Palmer-Salmon of Campion fourth.
Natasha Mcdonald of David Suzuki claimed gold in the junior women’s 400m, more than four seconds ahead of
the field. Anaijia Senior of Mayfield was second and Roshae Jackson of Bramalea third.
In the men’s ambulatory 100m Eddie Nicks from St. Augustine was first with Jay Mistry from Castlebrooke
second.
Zoey Williams from Mayfield was third in the senior women’s 400m. Hamblett from David Suzuki wound up third
in the midget men’s 400m.
In the junior men’s 400m Kenya Small from Bramalea was second, Alex Recinos of Cardinal Leger third and
James Sullivan from Cardinal Leger fourth.
Sonjoe Nash from Heart Lake captured the men’s senior 400m.
Heart Lake’s Matthew Aholo won gold in the midget men’s 1,500m.
http://www.bramptonguardian.com/print/1620297
5/23/2013
BramptonGuardian
Page 2 of 2
Also on the track, Justin Moakler from Brampton Centennial was first in the senior men’s 1,500m and third in
the 2,000m men’s open steeplechase.
In the women’s midget 1,500m Renee Steenge of David Suzuki was third. Paige Belo from Cardinal Leger was
third in the junior women’s 1,500m.
Coby Phillips from Centennial took fourth in the senior women’s 1,500m.
Leger’s Brain Jaimes was fourth in the junior men’s 1,500m.
In field events Roberta Acquah from d’Youville was first in the women’s midget long jump. Zoe Derkach, also
from d’Youville claimed top spot in the junior women’s triple jump. She was fourth in the long jump with
Vanessa Grant from St. Augustine third,
Mayfield’s Meaghan Hymers claimed the midget women‘s pole vault.
Jevante Stanley from Aquinas captured the midget men’s long jump with Deandre Clifton from Harold
Brathwaite second and Gabriel Sepahi of Turner Fenton fourth.
Campion’s Powell won the junior men’s triple jump with Emmanuel Nketiah from d’Youville second and Andrew
Stewart of St. Augustine fourth.
Sara Villani gave Brampton Christian first in the senior women’s triple jump. Kamoi McWhinney from d’Youvile
finished second.
Mayfield’s Dylan Proulx was first in the midget men’s javelin.
Daniel Linardic from Leger was second in the senior men’s high jump, Andrew Samuels for St. Augustine third
and Jeff Greenblatt from Heart Lake fourth.
St. Augustine’s Tosan Agbeyegbe wound up second in the midget men’s shot put. Michael Fuller from Brampton
Centennial was second in the senior men’s javelin.
Roshae Jackson of Bramalea was third in the junior women’s discus with Ilelosa Eguavoen of Brampton Christian
fourth.
Ose Omoregie from Bramalea was fourth in the midget women’s shot put. Naomi McDonald of David Suzuki was
fourth in the midget women’s high jump. Andrew Obembe from Campion was fourth in the junior men’s shot
put. Jaden Lindo of St. Augustine took fourth in the senior men’s discus. Cierra Da Silva from Heart Lake wound
up fourth in the senior women’s high jump.
This article is for personal use only courtesy of BramptonGuardian.com - a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd.
http://www.bramptonguardian.com/print/1620297
5/23/2013
Wynne frowns on call to ban Gay-Straight Alliance clubs | Home | Toronto Sun
Wynne frowns on call to ban Gay-Straight Alliance clubs
Page 1 of 2
BY ANTONELLA ARTUSO,QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF
FIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013 06:23 PM EDT | UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013 06:29 PM EDT
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is hoping a move to ban Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs at publicly-funded Catholic
schools in Toronto will fail.
“We’ve made it very clear in legislation that if students want to form a group and call it a Gay-Straight Alliance, that they
have the right to do that,” Wynne said Tuesday. “And my hope is that the adults in the board will work with the students
and will allow them to form those groups.
“My suspicion is that a majority of the trustees in that board recognize what the law is, they recognize that we went
through a very long debate about the right of young people to take part in creating safe and inclusive and equitable
environments in their schools,” she said.
A motion by Trustee Garry Tanuan, of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), seconded by Trustee John Del
Grande, says provincial legislation which authorizes the creation of GSAs in all publicly-funded schools violates the
Constitutional rights of Catholics.
“Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs promote a positive view of homosexual activity which undermines Catholic teaching on
chastity and marriage,” the motion says.
The right to form GSAs was included in provincial anti-bullying legislation brought in by the Ontario Liberal government.
If the board goes ahead with the ban, Wynne said she’ll “deal” with it.
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http://www.torontosun.com/2013/05/21/wynne-frowns-on-call-to-ban-gay-straight-alliance-clubs
5/22/2013
New Ontario curriculum and teacher training promotes understanding of disabilities
Page 1 of 2
Your Toronto / Schools
New Ontario curriculum and teacher training
promotes understanding of disabilities
Ontario's new standards for accessibility require all teachers to be trained in disability awareness
by end of 2013; two teachers show how it works
CARLOS OSORIO / TORONTO STAR
Teacher Aqilah Goraya reads a book to her Grade 3/4 class at George Webster Elementary School, part of an
awareness curriculum to teach kids to be more open-minded toward people with disabilities.
By:Louise Brown GTA, Education Schools, Published on Tue May 21 2013
There were surprising parallels between the lesson teacher Aqilah Goraya led this week on respect
for people with disabilities, and the ways she meets different learning needs right in her own class.
Hint: spot the students bouncing gently on exercise balls instead of chairs, and the ones wearing
construction earmuffs as they work.
The lesson this Grade 3/4 teacher at Toronto’s George Webster Elementary School gave about
fidgety Eddie with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is part of a new province-wide
move to have schools better promote positive attitudes about people with varied abilities.
“It’s important because some people might not let a kid with ADHD play games with them at
recess,” explained 8-year-old Kris Davis.
Added classmate Vasavi Manohar: “In future we might run into someone like this and we should
know how to be nice. We have a special autism class next door.”
As part of a new Ontario regulation designed to make the province more accessible, every teacher
is expected to take fresh online training about different abilities by the end of 2013.
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2013/05/21/new_ontario_curriculum_and_t... 5/27/2013
New Ontario curriculum and teacher training promotes understanding of disabilities
Page 2 of 2
The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association has helped produce 21 lesson plans from
kindergarten to Grade 12 about being more respectful toward the 1.8 million Ontarians with a
recognized disability. The TeachAble Project launched officially Tuesday, although some 13,000
teachers already have used the website.
Goraya knows students who are fidgety or hyperactive can benefit from sitting on a large exercise
ball; it lets them be active without leaving their desk. She has launched an experiment in this
classroom near St. Clair Ave. and Victoria Park Ave. to see whether children who sit on an exercise
ball instead of a chair leave their desks less often.
“They’ll each track themselves for a week, a few students at a time (she has five exercise balls) but
we know it can help some children focus because they don’t have to leave their desk to exert
energy,” said Goraya. “They can then see for themselves whether they could benefit.”
And the construction earmuffs? “They block out noise for those who are easily distracted,” said
Goraya. “This new curriculum fits in with what we do.”
Parent Ingrid Palmer is legally blind. She visited her son’s Grade 1 class Tuesday as teacher
Georgia Giannakakos read a book about bears who need different tools, from walker to white cane,
hearing aid to feeding tube.
“I really like how it teaches that we’re not all that different, but that some people just need tools to
help them do things,” said Palmer, who uses a white cane. “If they learn this early, it can foster a
more inclusive society when they grow up.”
Ontario Lt.-Gov. David Onleyhas read the same book, Different is Just Different , to students and
called it a “powerful tool” to help overcome a fear of disabilities. The former journalist had polio as
a child and uses a variety of tools including a cane, leg braces and motorized scooter.
“We’re far more accepting and integrated in schools now than when I was the only disabled
student in my school and would get bullied and assaulted,” said Onley, who supported the
development of the new lesson plans.
“I believe it’s still important for schools to teach these things because they may not be taught at
home. Parents just may not be aware.”
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2013/05/21/new_ontario_curriculum_and_t... 5/27/2013