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Visit our Web Site:
www.tcdsb.org/adulted
Adult Education Program
Memorandum To: Adult Education Program Staff From: Hanna Cabaj (Coordinator) and Jaime Puentes
Vol. 2020/2021 No. 291 December 2020
In This Issue
New/Important Information
PD Day 2020-2021 1 Assessment Centre Stat Report 1
Newcomer Mental Health Video 2
Recommended Reading 2
Christmas 2020 ROE’s Dates 2
Upcoming Webinars 3
Shared with Colleagues 3
COVID-19 Posters & Translations 3
Staff Well-Being: Social Connection 4
Retiring OMERS Participants 4
Merry Christmas!
To: Everyone in the Adult Education Program
May this holiday season be filled with happiness, peace, joy and our best wishes for the new year!
New/Important Information
PD Day 2020-2021 Surprise! The annual Adult Education PD day for the 2020/2021 school year will be virtual! We will be offering separate sessions for day, Saturday, and evening staff during regularly scheduled class times. Two half day sessions of 2.5 hours will be scheduled in February and March, 2021. We invite you all to turn on your creativity and make suggestions for workshops and presenters.
Please share your ideas with us by Friday December 18th, 2020 by contacting [email protected] (ESL/LINC) or [email protected] (Nursery).
Language Assessment Centre Statistical Report for November 2020 During the November round of Community Partnership Committee meetings, CLARS Language Assessment Centre shared the statistical report on the language assessments conducted in Toronto in the current year. The full report is archived on the Adult Education website at: https://www.tcdsb.org/FORCOMMUNITY/AdultEducationESL/ForPublic/Pages/Research-and-Demographics.aspx
New/Important Information
Newcomer Mental Health Video Launch We are pleased to announce the launch of the first video on newcomer mental health from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The video is now available on the department’s YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFF112B-_7Y&feature=youtu.be
Titled Your Mental Health and Well-being, the video complements existing resources in the health and settlement sectors and aims to reduce the stigma around discussing mental health. It provides newcomers with an overview of mental health, including some common symptoms of emotional struggles, identifies some activities that can contribute to positive mental health, and encourages newcomers to seek help from a variety of sources, including settlement service providers.
Production of the video began before the pandemic, and COVID-19 is not addressed in the video itself. However, given the impact that the pandemic has had on the mental health of newcomers, it is even more important to highlight these messages now. The YouTube description includes links to helpful resources such as the Kids Help Phone, Crisis Services Canada and the Wellness Together Canada portal, which is a resource that helps people get connected to mental health and substance use support, resources and counselling with a mental health professional.
IRCC is grateful for the input from several service providers with expertise in mental health supports for newcomers, who were involved in the validation of the key messages and approach for the video. We would like to make sure that as many newcomers as possible are aware of this new resource. Please share this video with your clients, your network and on your social media channels. We also encourage you embed the video on your website. The video is currently available in English and French, and there are plans to translate it into additional languages.
Recommended reading While applied linguistics may not be our daily cup of tea, some excellent classroom tips can be drawn from well-written summaries of theoretical approaches that form the basis of what teachers do in their classrooms and explain why they do it. An excellent article in the fall issue of TESL Ontario Magazine, CONTACT, reviews the practice of providing corrective feedback (the self-, peer- and teacher correction). Enjoy! Corrective Feedback in Second Language Writing: From Theory and Research to Practice.
Written by - Mohammad Falhasiri & Fatemeh Hasiri, York University, Canada.
http://contact.teslontario.org/corrective-feedback-in-second-language-writing-from-theory-and-research-to-practice/
Christmas 2020 Record of Employment Submission Dates
ROE's are only submitted to Service Canada electronically. You will not be issued a 16-digit reference code. Please
complete your application without using a reference code. ROE’s will be submitted for the employees in the Adult
Education Program (Day, Evening and Weekend) on the week of January 11, 2021. Check your Service Canada account at
that time. If you have any questions, contact Payroll at 416-222-8282 ext. 2704.
Page 2
To: Adult Education Program Staff
From: Hanna Cabaj, Continuing Education Department
New/Important Information
Upcoming Webinars Visit Tutela to register for the webinars below. Webinars below with a star are for TESL Ontario members, who also join the TESL Ontario group on Tutela. December 13 at 7:00 pm: Memory Maps - A task Based Language Learning Activity (Leanna Turner) January 17 at 7:00 pm: How Public Libraries can support you and your learners (Tamsin Cobb, OCELT)
Shared with Colleagues in Adult Education – submitted by Martha Crean We hope you will enjoy an article from the November 14, 2020 issue of the Toronto Star Newspaper “Why I am embracing my Korean name” , that is shared with you by one of our recent retirees, Martha Crean. It describes a dilemma that many of us faced in our TESL careers, and some of us, in our personal lives as well. Thank you Martha. The article can be found at https://www.pressreader.com/canada/toronto-star/20201114/283287460179998
New COVID-19 Public Education Posters & Translations now available As part of its COVID-19 response, the City of Toronto has simplified, redesigned and translated a number of key COVID-19 educational materials. Please feel free to share these posters and translated resources with your community, to help spread the messages about how to stay safe during COVID-19. COVID-19 educational posters and graphics are available for download on the City website at toronto.ca/covid19posters, with the following new items: In the Face Masks & Coverings section of the web page: New "How to Wear a Mask" poster in English as well as in 28 additional languages. New "Dos and Don’ts of Wearing a Mask" poster in English with translations in 28 languages.
In the Protect Yourself & Others section of the web page: Updated "How Does COVID-19 Spread?" Infographic with more than a dozen translations available for download. New "Download the COVID Alert App" poster: in English as well as in 28 additional languages.
In the Screening Posters & Checklists section of the web page: Screening Posters & Checklists: translations are now available for all COVID-19 screening posters and checklists,
including for Staff, Schools, and Child Care Centres.
There are also are a couple of upcoming live & online Toronto Public Health program sessions on COVID-19: Thursday, December 10, 6:30-7:30 pm: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/tpl-covid-19-toronto-public-health Tuesday, December 15, 2020, 1-2 pm: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/tpl-covid-19-toronto-public-health2 These will be delivered only in English. Please share with your staff and learners.
Page 3
To: Adult Education Program Staff
From: Hanna Cabaj, Continuing Education Department
New/Important Information
Staff Well-Being: Social Connection Posted by: Marie-Josee Gendron, Chief of Mental Health Strategy and Staff Well-Being, TCDSB As we approach Christmas, many are feeling apprehensive about how the holiday can be celebrated during a pandemic. To support staff, we want to focus on the importance of Social Connection as the theme for December, in light of physical distancing requirements. Having positive Social Connections can look different for each person. Even though, we need to physically distance from each other, we can and need to connect socially with one another. Many of us are feeling isolated and lonely but there can be solace in knowing that we are ALL collectively going through this pandemic together globally. Although our individual experiences are very different, every one of us is impacted by the pandemic.
We invite you to watch these short videos about Social Connection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAbQSqU3Ofg and the Components of Connectedness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVEtKAY45Rw at your next team meeting and see how you can incorporate Social Connection into your routine. Did You Know? Social Wellness is the best predictor of our happiness! Here are some ideas to socially connect during these times:
Everyday, connect with someone you trust and value and share your day.
Try joining a virtual club or try out a group activity (e.g. book club, knitting etc.)
Reach out to a friend or family member by phone or virtual chat.
Do a random act of kindness for someone.
Ask someone for help when you need it.
Arrange to watch a TV show or movie at the same time with a friend and video chat.
Tell someone how much you appreciate them.
Arrange a video lunch with a colleague.
Employee Related News
Retiring OMERS Participants This is a reminder for staff who are planning to retire and are also OMERS contributing members. They should contact Ms. Keniel Jamieson in the Benefits Department regarding their OMERS pension, at least two months before their last day of work. Keniel can be reached at [email protected] or at 416-222-8282 ext. 2166.
Page 4
To: Adult Education Program Staff
From: Hanna Cabaj, Continuing Education Department
