report from trustee maria rizzo · report from trustee maria rizzo volume 1• issue 1 winter 2004...

Report fromTrustee Maria RizzoVO L U M E 1 • I S S U E 1 W I N T E R 2 0 0 4

Maria Rizzo was elected schooltrustee in the municipal election held lastyear. Since her election she has been busyimplementing initiatives that benefit stu-dents.

One of her election issues was, andcontinues to be, class sizes and splitgrades, which have become the normrather than the exception. Larger classsizes and split grades hurt the quality ofeducation students receive.

During this past year she has beensuccessful in reducing class sizes and elim-inating split grades in some schools.

Some school buildings are crumbling –new windows and coverings are needed;boilers, old carpets, roofs, toilets, doors andelectrical work should be replaced. Thereare over 3,000 outstanding work ordersand too few dollars to complete the work that must be done. Declining enrolment has hitthe board hard. With fewer students in the system, and fewer grant dollars generated, itbecomes a challenge to educators to provide a quality educational program in schoolbuildings that are safe and healthy for our students.

She is extremely pleased to announce that every elementary school in the ward willget $5,000 and every secondary school will receive $10,000. These funds will be a one-time allocation only. The (CSAC) parent advisory committee, in consultation with the par-ent community, students and principal, will recommend to Trustee Rizzo how the moneyshould be used.

�Trustee Maria Rizzo with her daughterSamantha (13) who attends St. AntoineDaniel Catholic School.

Trustee Maria Rizzo: Improving the Quality of Education for her Family and Yours

May your holiday season be filled with joy. Best wishesto you and your family for a safe and wonderfulChristmas and New Year. Peace, hope and love be

with you today, tomorrow andalways.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Blessed TrinityDebating Team WinsBronze (2003-2004)

Three teams of gifted studentsfrom Blessed Trinity competedin the Junior ProvincialDebating Championship heldin Kitchener. The team ofAlexa Goldson (St. Gabriel)and Kathryn Chan (St. AntoineDaniel) won the bronze.

Trustee Maria Rizzo would like to sendher strong support to the students of HolyRedeemer Catholic School for all theirhard work and show of support to a stu-dent with a life-threatening illness.In an effort to help in any way possible,the students have been makingChristmas cards, which have been pack-aged and sold to the community. Thisproject has raised $1,000 since it wasestablished.As well, Maria Rizzo is proud of the sup-

port that the community has offered to thefamily of this student. The IT departmentof the TCDSB has installed a computer inthe student’s home and a teacher has vol-unteered to be his instructor. In addition,financial support has been donated by theGood Sheppard Parish.Trustee Rizzo would like to thank every-one for their overwhelming compassion,and would like to send her heartfelt wish-es to the family and student. Our thoughtsand prayers are with you.

When Trustee Maria Rizzo was first electedlast November, she made it a priority of hers toimprove the nutrition of children within theTCDSB.As such, she has fought hard against the con-tract with Coca-Cola, which the TCDSBentered into five years ago. When signed, the contract offeredtickets to special events, jobopportunities for our stu-dents, and cases of freepop. Now all that isgone, yet the schoolboard is still stuck pay-ing for the deal. However, beginning nextyear the board will no longerbe paying these costs (whichCoca-Cola took credit for paying),and Trustee Rizzo will ensure that thehealth of your kids comes before anydollar.“At a time when an alarming number ofchildren are overweight, the last thing weneed is to make it easier for kids to buy pop,”says Rizzo. “It is absolutely crazy to haveschools sponsor a habit that undermines stu-dents’ health.”Now, her fight has caught on, with theMcGuinty government agreeing that junk foodhas no place in our schools.“Getting junk food out of elementary schoolvending machines is the next step in our planto make all of Ontario’s schools healthierplaces to learn,” said Gerard Kennedy,Ontario’s Education Minister.Trustee Rizzo is pleased to see that schoolswill be getting healthier, and emphasizes theneed for having better foods in our schools.“If we’re going to teach nutrition, we should beserving nutrition,” concludes Maria Rizzo, who

has been fighting this very issue since herelection to the board.Experts in the health field agree with TrusteeRizzo that nutrition is extremely important to

your child’s learning.“Nutrition is one of the major factorsaffecting a child’s growth and devel-

opment,” commented LaurieCurry, Chair of the Dietitians of

Canada Board of Directors.Trustee Rizzo would like to

congratulate Cardinal Carteron becoming the first

school to have wateronly in beverage

machines.

�Touch of Magic pre-

sented by Mr. De Vuono at

Regina Mundi’s Catholic

School Annual BBQ

�From left to right:

Samantha Iannelli, Trustee

Maria Rizzo, and Kathryn

Chan, the winner of the

bronze award for debating.

�Trustee Maria Rizzo

with parents, CSAC, and

staff of St. Antoine Daniel

Catholic School.

• International LanguagesThe TCDSB and CentroScuola e Cultura Italiana willbe offering a full semester ofcredit courses in Rosetodegli Abruzzi, Italy beginingin February for threemonths. Students who arecurrently in Grades 10 and11 will be able to earnOntario credits whileimmersed in the daily life,culture and traditions ofItaly. The cost has beenreduced to $4,999 from$10,000 and includes air-fare, accommodation, mealsand excursions throughoutItaly. For more informationvisit the web site atwww.centroscuola.ca

• Secondary SchoolLibraries to be Staffed FullTimeThe board recently approvedfunding for additional staffingat all secondary schools andis awaiting a report on how toincrease the staffing oflibraries in elementaryschools.

• Free Skating for StudentsThe TCDSB is proud toannounce that students willbe skating in city operatedarenas for free, effectiveimmediately. The City ofToronto, in partnership withthe TCDSB, worked out anarrangement to provide freeskating in arenas inexchange for use of schoolsfor summer recreational pro-grams. The only locationsthat this would not apply arein some parts of the formerCity of Toronto.

• New Addition at DanteAlighieri The CSAC, staff and stu-dents worked hard to get a

new arts wing. CouncillorHoward Moscoe donated$1,500 for a mural to theaddition. The new stage floorwas recently installed andthe soccer field will be con-structed by next year.

• Loretto Abbey needsRenovationsThe CSAC, staff and studentsof Loretto Abby have beenorganizing a campaign to getmuch needed improvementsdone to the school. A presen-tation was made to the boardand a report with recommen-dations will be brought for-ward in the New Year.

• New Windows for St.MargaretThe parent community haslobbied for this improvement,which has been approved bythe board. The replacementswill occur this school year.

• New Playground andField to be BuiltThe City of Toronto has pur-chased land at the St. Cyril’sSchool property and willbegin construction of a newservice road in the spring,which should be completedby December 2005. As partof the plan, the creation of anew playground and grassplaying field will occur, whichwill be made available to allcommunity members. Thanksto Councillor John Filion andthe CSAC at St. Cyril’s.

• Bullyproofing Web SiteUpdatedPlease visit the site atwww.tcdsb.org

• Christmas Break SchoolImprovementsThe board approved $533,000

worth of school maintenanceprojects that will take placeover the Christmas break,mainly painting and carpetreplacement. The gymnasium,hallways and auditorium willbe painted at St. CharlesCatholic School. More fundswill be allocated for the Marchand summer breaks for otherschools in our ward.

• Trustee Maria RizzoBrings Parent LeadersTogetherTrustee Maria Rizzo will beholding a Ward 5 Councilmeeting on January 27, 2005,to bring all school parent advi-sory groups (CSAC) togetherto network and share informa-tion.

• Increased TransportationFundingThe board would receive atransportation fundingincrease of more than $6 mil-lion under Ontario’s proposedTransportation Funding Model.The board has sent theMinister a letter of support forthis new formula.

• Spending $750,000 forCampaign a Waste of Timeand MoneyThe board recently approveda plan to spend three quartersof a million dollars in a mar-keting campaign in the down-town area of Toronto. MariaRizzo opposed this actionbecause she does not believethat education dollars shouldbe spent on subway ads, tele-marketing and direct mail.There is only one solution toeducation woes: The provin-cial funding formula mustchange to address the educa-tional needs of all the stu-dents.

Board, School and Community News

Fighting the Cola Wars in Schools

Community Shows Support for Family

Comments:______________________________

________________________________________

Your name:______________________________

Address:__________________________________

__________________________________________

Postal Code:____________________________

Telephone:_____________________________

E-mail address:_________________________

Trustee Maria Rizzo would like to know youropinion on the following:

• At the present time, the board collectsEducation Development Charges from non-profit housing. This money can only be usedto purchase land. Do you think the boardshould continue collecting these charges?

Yes No Do not know

Do you think that the board should be reduc-ing the number of standardized tests inschools?

Yes No Do not know

Please return this questionnaire to Trustee Maria Rizzo at:80 Sheppard Ave E., Toronto, Ontario, M2N 6E8

�Mayor David Miller

addresses the board on the

very important issues facing

our community today. Jobs

for youth, safe schools,

exemption of education

development charges from

social housing, community

use of schools, and a new

partnership with cities.

On April 21, 2004, Louise Russo, a TSDSB community member, was the vic-tim of a shooting which has left her in a wheelchair. Russo had worked tire-lessly for the community as an advocate for all students with special needs.Maria Rizzo and all of the TCDSB community would like to recognizeLouise’s endless hours of work, which she pursued with passion and dedi-cation.Her faith and heart are something to be admired by all, and we can all thankher for benefiting a great many lives.

If you would like to send a message to Louise and her family, you may do soat: [email protected]. If you would like to make a donation, pleasemake the cheque payable to the TCDSB Louise Russo and Family Fund, andsend it to: TCDSB – Russo Family Fund C/O the CommunicationDepartment, 80 Sheppard Ave. East, Toronto, Ontario, M2N 6E8

ATTENTION

Recently, the boardentered into anotherridiculous contract witha company to provideflavoured and caf-feinated drinks underthe guise of a milk pro-gram. These productswill be available in sev-eral schools for a trialperiod. Thankfully, theschools in our areahave decided not toparticipate. We need tomake sure that we sayNO to unhealthy prod-ucts in our schools.

Louise Russo

ALL PARENTS

Have Your Say!