Monday October 31, 2022
Source: TDSB
https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Home/ctl/Details/mid/42863/itemId/35
Dear Parents/Guardians/Caregivers and Students,
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has announced that their members will not be at work on Friday, November 4, 2022 across the Province of Ontario.
As a result of this announcement, the Board will have no option but to close all schools for in person learning for all students on Friday November 4, 2022.
While we understand that this will be challenging for many families, parents/guardians/caregivers will be required to make alternate arrangements for their children. This is not a decision that we take lightly and we have explored every possible contingency plan to keep schools open. Student supervision and safety are our top priorities and without the important services of these school-based employees, we cannot guarantee that our learning environments will remain safe and clean for all students.
Employees who are members of CUPE provide critical daily services, including (but not limited to):
- building and school ground safety and security;
- lunchroom supervision;
- educational support in full-day kindergarten classrooms;
- supervision and support for students with special needs;
- School-based safety monitors;
- washroom and water fountain cleaning;
- ventilation system operations; and,
- safe arrival programs.
Child Care
When schools are closed to students on Friday November 4, third-party child care operators located in TDSB schools will be permitted to remain open. However, operating hours have been adjusted to 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. It’s important to note that the decision to open or close will be made by individual child care operators. Please contact your child care operator directly to confirm and for more information.
Authorized Recreations Programs
When schools are closed to students on Friday November 4, Authorized Recreation Programs will also be closed.
EarlyON Child and Family Centres
When schools are closed to students on Friday November 4, both TDSB-operated and third-party operated EarlyON Child and Family Centres will also be closed.
TDSB Extended Day Programs
When schools are closed to students on Friday November 4, TDSB-operated Extended Day Programs will also be closed to all families. This child care service is operated by CUPE employees. Parents/guardians/caregivers will be refunded for any closure.
Permits
During the school closure on Friday November 4, all school permits are cancelled. We will provide more information on future permits once more information is available.
Continuing Education
During the full strike action, all in-person continuing education classes are cancelled. This includes Adult ESL, In-Person Saturday International Languages Secondary Credit Program, Community Programs/Learn4Life, and International Languages Elementary/African Heritage. Remote Night School and remote Saturday International Languages Secondary Credit Program will continue to run.
TDSB is not involved in the provincial negotiations. The TDSB Board of Trustees remains hopeful that a resolution will be reached that avoids any impact to classrooms and board operations. We will continue to monitor the situation.
We are committed to providing updates to all parents/guardians/caregivers as they become available. For ongoing updates and the latest information, please continue to check www.tdsb.on.ca/labour and follow @tdsb on Twitter.
Sincerely,
Colleen Russell-Rawlins Alexander Brown
Director of Education Chair