SHOP-MEDICAL INSUR-STUDENT ID

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WELCOME Welcome to the Toronto Catholic District School Board Interna onal Educa on Program. On behalf of our staff, we would like to extend a warm welcome to you.

We are happy that you have chosen to come and study with us. In order to help you adjust to your new life in Canada, we have prepared this Survival Guide for our interna onal students.

In Toronto, you will have the opportunity to achieve your educa onal goals and make new friends in a safe and happy environment. I hope your experience will be a posi ve and rewarding one.

Sincerely yours,

Alex Mazzucco, Senior Program Coordinator

Stefan Barrans, Program Coordinator

Teresa Chung, Resource Teacher

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OUR MISSION In a school community formed by Catholic beliefs and traditions, our Mission is to educate students to their full potential by providing: LEADERSHIP in the shared responsibility for education that exists, among schools, students, families, parishes and the community, A SAFE AND WELCOMING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT that is an example of Christian community, ROLE MODELS of Gospel values and Catholic doctrines, teachings and beliefs, GUIDANCE in what students need to learn, INSTRUCTION in the learning process itself, RELIGIOUS, ACADEMIC, and TECHNOLOGICAL instruction, INTEGRATION of Catholic, Christian beliefs into the total learning experience , and FEEDBACK on students’ proficiency and performance.

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My school is ____________________________________ My school’s address is ____________________________________ My school’s phone number is ____________________________________ My principal is ____________________________________ My vice‐principal is ____________________________________ My guidance counselor is ____________________________________ My ESL teacher is ____________________________________ My bank’s name is ____________________________________ My bank’s address and phone number ____________________________________ The closest drug store is ____________________________________ The closest walk‐in clinic is ____________________________________ The closest grocery store is ____________________________________ The closest shopping mall is ____________________________________

HELPFUL INFO FOR ME

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ARRIVAL

You may communicate with our staff by calling us at 416‐222‐8282 extension 2135 or emailing us at interna onal.educa on@tcdsb.org

We have a homepage:

h p://www.tcdsbie.org You can also follow us on Twi er @studytoronto

You are highly recommended to arrive before August 20th for Term one; and before January 20th for Term Two. Early and well planned arrival can ensure you to have ample me to prepare for having your intake mee ng at our board office, wri ng your Orienta on Centre Assessment tests and mee ng with your school counselors to pick courses for your metable. As soon as you book your plane cket to Toronto, you or your agent must no fy our office to schedule all related appointments.

REGISTRATION + ORIENTATION

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION OFFICE The Orienta on Centre Assessment is a 3.5 hour Math and English tests used to determine the course selec on for the secondary students. If you are a secondary student, you must be accompanied by your English‐speaking custodian and/or English‐speaking agent who will stay for the en re test dura on. More informa on will be given out to you upon your arrival to our school board.

Upon the comple on of the Orienta on Centre Assessment, secondary students will be instructed to contact your school to meet with your guidance counselors.

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LIBRARY + COMPUTER LAB

Student ID Card is a form of iden fica on. It shows your picture and lists your name. You must carry it with you.

All our TCDSB students are provided with textbooks on loan to use during the academic term. All textbooks must be returned to the teachers in good condi on at the end of the academic term or at the me of your withdrawal from the school. There is a replacement cost for any lost or damaged books. Report cards may not be issued un l all books are returned or the replacement cost has been paid in full.

PRINTERS Our schools are well equipped with libraries and computer labs. Many schools have a Wi‐Fi connec on for their students. Students and their custodians/parents must agree the TCDSB Internet Use Policy and sign the policy to have the access.

If you do not have a printer and need to print at school, you can visit and talk to your school librarian. Student ID must be present. There is a minimal cost to print.

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MEDICAL INSURANCE Your medical insurance package has already been provided for you at the Head Office Appointment. You should have health insurance coverage for the en re dura on of your stay in Toronto. Your medical insurance company is VHIP. Your VHIP health insurance usually begins on the first day of your start day at school. It is $500.00 CAD for 12 months of health insurance coverage. For more informa on such as Benefits in your language and the claim form, please visit VHIP website: h p://www.vhip.ca/plans‐for‐tcdsb/

It is important that you visit a doctor within 3 months from

your arrival date and bring your immuniza on record, so that it

can be reported to Health Canada. This will ensure that you

have the required immuniza on. There may be differences in

the requirements between countries. Please note that students

may be suspended from school if they do not have the appro‐

priate immuniza on. Please note that a payment may be re‐

quired , by the doctor, for the immuniza on but it will be reim‐

bursed . Please check which vaccina ons are covered, as not all

vaccina ons may be covered.

You my also visit a vaccina on clinic which is provided by Public

Health and is free. The student must book a least 2 weeks

ahead of me.

To make a reserva on, go to the following link:

h ps://www.tphbookings.ca/Default.aspx?PageID=11180

IMMUNIZATION RECORD

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MEDICAL CLAIMS

A family doctor is also called general prac oner (GP). Family doctors are usually the first doctors to diagnose and treat most medical problems. If you need to see a specialist doctor, usually, you need a family doctor to refer you. Family doctors also order laboratory and other tests. Ask your custodian, homestay host, and a friend or

family friend if their doctor is accep ng new pa ents. You can also ask the se lement workers at your

school. They might have a list of doctors who are accep ng new pa ents or who speak your language. (source: www.se lement.org)

FIND A DOCTOR

All medical claims must be paid in full. For reimbursement, a medical claim must be completed with policy number and health card number each me you submit a claim. A ach all receipt(s) and mail to: Life and Health Claims Department, Special Markets Solu ons 2165 Broadway W, PO Box 5900, Vancouver, BC V6B 5H6 1‐800‐266‐5667 Claims less than $1000 can be scanned and emailed to: claims@ia.ca. Each claim must have a completed medical claim form with a receipt a ached. To print the forms needed to submit medical claims visit the following website: h p://www.vhip.ca/plans‐for‐tcdsb/

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NATIONAL HOLIDAYS AND PA DAYS: Go to https://www.tcdsb.org/school/SchoolYear Calendar

BANKING INFORMATION

The Toronto Transit Commission, or the TTC, provides local public transporta on in the city of Toronto. GO Transit is the regional public transit service for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, with routes extending to communi es across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Simply, TTC gets more people around in shorter distances, while the GO is mainly used for farther distances. TTC student fare is $2.00, while GO Transit’s pricing is determined by how far you go. BOTH need student photo iden fica on (student ID card).

TRANSPORTATION

Want to open a bank account, please contact one of these:

Royal Bank (h p://www.rbc.com/canada/before‐you‐move/foreign‐student.html)

Sco a Bank (h p://www.sco abank.com) Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

h ps://www.cibc.com/ca/advice‐centre/intl‐student‐offers.html)

Bank of Montreal (h p://www.bmo.com) TD Canada Trust (h p://www.tdcanadatrust.com)

To Open a Bank Account

1. Provide your local address in Toronto and be able to verify it. You should be accompanied by your custodian.

2. You will need to bring your passport, a credit card or a student ID, the official le er of Acceptance from TCDSB and your valid Study Permit.

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Name Major Intersec on

Subway

Sta on

Fairview Mall Don Mills Road/Sheppard Ave. Don Mills

Scarborough Town Center McCowan Road/Hwy 401 Scarborough

Centre

Sherway Gardens

The Queensway/The West Mall None

Toronto Eaton Center

Yonge Street/Dundas Street or

Yonge Street/Queen Street West

Dundas Queen

Yorkdale Allen Road/Hwy 401 Yorkdale

Pacific Mall Kennedy/Steeles

Use an SPC card (Student Price Card) that provides students with discounts and deals at thousands of the best stores and

restaurants across Canada. Show this card and save every me with 10%‐15% off.

TIP:

In Ontario, there is a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) of 13%. Usually, HST is added at the cash register so the amount on the price tag may not be the final price. 8% of the HST goes to the provincial government and 5% goes to the federal government. You pay HST on many goods and services but there are a few excep ons, such as basic food products, child care services, and prescrip on drugs.

SHOPPING

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Royal Ontario Museum h p://www.rom.on.ca Ontario Science Centre h p://ontariosciencecentre.ca Art Gallery of Ontario h p://ago.net City of Toronto Fes vals h p://www.toronto.ca/fes vals.nsf Canada's Wonderland (May—Oct) h p://www.canadaswonderland.com Canadian Na onal Exhibi on (August) h p://theex.com Toronto Parks and Recrea on h p:/www.toronto.ca/parks/ Yonge‐Dundas Square h p://www.ydsquare.ca

RECREATION , SOCIAL AND CULTURAL

Enjoy what Toronto has to offer from parks to entertainment.

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EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND OTHER RESOURCES

Guide to Ontario’s Universi es for high school students – www.electronicinfo.ca Guide to Ontario’s Colleges – www.ontariocollegues.ca Pathways and Career Cruising website – www.myBlueprint.ca/tcdsb Toronto Public Library – www.torontopubliclibrary.ca Study in Canada – www.studyincanada.com 4 Informa on for Newcomers – www.se lement.org

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNTIES Volunteer your me to support your community

Volunteer Toronto h p://www.volunteertoronto.ca Charity Village h p://www.charityvillage.com Good Shepard h p://www.goodshepherd.ca/ Daily Food Bank h ps://www.dailybread.ca/

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COUNSELLING

East Metro Youth Services

416‐438‐3697 h p://www.emys.onca

Turning Point Youth Services

416‐925‐9250 h p://www.turningpoint.ca

Youth Link ‐ 416‐967‐1773

h p://www.youthlink.ca

Central Toronto Youth Services 416‐924‐2100 h p://www.ctys.org

Se lement Services.

h ps://se lement.org/ontario/health/

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

If you feel depressed or would like to talk to someone, you may visit your guidance counselor at your school. There are also social workers and psychologists in our school system to support you. In addi on to our school support, you may seek help from the following Hotlines:

Kids Help Phone 1‐800‐668‐6868

Youthdale Crisis Support Team 416‐363‐9990

Distress Centres of Toronto 416‐408‐HELP (4357)

Scarborough Hospital Mobile Crisis Program 416‐495‐2891

Toronto Police Non‐Emergency 416‐808‐2222

Toronto Police Emergency 911

Chinese Family Services of Ontario h p://www.chinesefamilyso.com/en/index.asp 416‐979‐8299