February 28, 2025
Coming Up
Staff Update - Finance
We are pleased to announce that Denise Grenade will be joining our Finance Department as a Finance Assistant, starting Monday, March 3. In her new role, Denise will be responsible for handling payroll processing and purchasing, as well as supporting the accounts payable and accounts receivable functions.
Denise's desk will be located at the entrance of the Finance team's office. We’d like to welcome back Justin Williams, who has returned to the office after a leave. Sherly Geronimo, the Accounting Supervisor, will be sitting next to Justin.
If you find yourself on the third floor next week, please take a moment to visit the Finance team and extend a warm welcome to Denise, and a welcome back to Justin!
Important Calendar Updates
There are two important calendar updates staff should be aware of:
1) The Fire Drill scheduled for next Wednesday has been cancelled in anticipation of the bad weather currently forecast and OFSAA Volleyball. The next Fire Drill will be on Friday, April 11.
2) The Captain’s assembly that was scheduled for Thursday, March 27 will instead be held on Thursday, April 3.
Operational PD Feedback
Thank you for all your feedback on operational professional development ‒ we heard you loud and clear and we’re kicking things off with Tech Tools to Make Your Work Life Easier!
We will go through four different free, powerful yet simple digital tools in a hands-on session that will:
✅ Save you time ⏳
✅ Help you collaborate more smoothly 🤝
✅ Cut through the clutter and keep your inbox under control 📩
✅ Give you immediate wins that make your day-to-day easier 💡
Whether you're looking to boost efficiency, stay organized, or just reclaim a little civility in your workflows, we have you covered.
Laptops are optional, but it will be helpful to have yours.
More details will be shared by Google Calendar.
Relationship Mapping Project Staff Update
We continue to be appreciative of the work that has gone into this project. By way of an update, the Relationship Mapping Project working group members (Social Work, Sean Hayto and Victoria Milucci) have met to review data and discuss next steps in addressing students identified as having no connections to adults in the building. This week you may have received an email by a member of the working group identifying a specific student on your class list with connection gaps.
We welcome you to reach out to social.work.staff@utschools.ca with any questions, or if you are interested in joining the working group. Thank you for your continued support towards fostering belonging and connection among our school community.
Steph, Joelle and Avi
Ramadan: Prayer Room, Accommodations and Considerations
Many Muslim communities in Toronto will mark Saturday, March 1 as the beginning of Ramadan, a month of fasting. Ramadan ends with sighting of the new moon, anticipated to be Sunday, March 30. Muslims are members of diverse communities, and these dates can vary by a day or so for different communities. Below is some information that could be helpful in your support of Muslim students and co-workers during Ramadan.
LUNCH TIME PRAYER SPACE (Room 321) Starting March 3
To accommodate Dhuhr prayer during Ramadan, room 321 will be repurposed from being a lunch time student/staff conferencing room to a prayer room from:
Monday, March 3 to Friday March 7; and Monday March 24th to Friday March 28th during lunch
Rebecca Courtney has generously provided her personal office space in the library for people to use for student/staff conferencing during lunch. An email in advance is appreciated (rebecca.courtney@utschools.ca).
ACCOMMODATIONS
Students are entitled to request accommodation based on creed/religion. If you do receive a request from a student related to their observance of the fast and would like to discuss how to address the accommodation request, don't hesitate to connect with Nasreen Khan (nasreen.khan@utschools.ca). Staff are entitled to accommodation and should reach out to Human Resources.
CLASSROOM AND CO-CURRICULAR CONSIDERATIONS
Ramadan is a time for reflection, introspection and a focus on doing good for your community. With no eating and drinking from sunrise to sundown, many Muslims see this time as a way to reflect on and take steps to address food insecurity. Some Muslims do not fast, whether they choose not to or cannot for medical reasons, they might still be reflective on other aspects of the month.
To show compassion and support to those who are observing the fast, a list of suggested approaches to classroom and co-curriculars are found below:
Minimize or avoid food-centric activities. Consider other rewards beside food rewards. Find other activities that build connections like sharing music rather than sharing food. If hosting evening events, consider building in time for the breaking of the fast.
Offer flexibility on assignments and deadlines. This recognizes that a student's ability to focus and concentrate could be impacted by fasting. For example, offering time to write a test before school recognizing student energy and focus might wane by last period.
Modify physical activity. Again, recognizing that a student's energy can be impacted, allow students to opt out of straining and/or sustained physical activity like sporting events or some activities in Health and Physical Education.
Check in privately on what students' need. Although not everyone might be fasting, asking whether they have particular needs in relation to a planned class assignment, activity or co-curricular expectation is welcomed.
Consider celebrating and acknowledging Ramadan, Islamic traditions and/or Muslim life in Canada. Some resources that could support this:
Wishing people Ramadan Mubarak (blessed) or Ramadan Kareem (generous/giving) and Eid Mubarak at the end of the fasting period is an important and valued way to acknowledge and celebrate this cultural event.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to nasreen.khan@utschools.ca.
Measles Reminder
Traveling for March Break? Measles is still spreading around the world and in Canada!
Get vaccinated before you go to protect you and your loved ones. If you return from travel with a rash and fever, speak to your health care provider before you seek out care about testing. To learn more about measles and how to protect yourself/others, click here.
If you have questions, contact Toronto Public Health at publichealth@toronto.ca or 416-338-7600, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for more information. Service is available in multiple languages.
Thank You, Staff Donors!
Thank you to all UTS staff who donated to UTS this year! Your support makes a huge and positive impact in the lives of our students. For those who gave through payroll, your thank you letters are in your mail slots in the Main Office and your donation receipt can be found on your T4 slip.
For those who have not yet donated this year, please donate online or through payroll using this form on the staff portal.
