Kids head back to class in Toronto: here's what to know on the first day of school

Thousands of kids are heading back to class across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) today to start a new school year.

Sunshine greeted returning kids at schools across city, along with city officials who were on-hand to help kick off the schoolyear.

Cops kick off safety campaign

“You know how to keep safe, right? Stop and look both ways,” Mayor Chow told a group of arriving students at Tredway Woodsworth School in Scarborough. “If you ride a bike, be careful. We're here to remind them, drivers also to be on the lookout too. Safety first.”

Toronto police were on-hand too to kick off a Back-To-School traffic campaign aimed at ensuring safety.

“Thousands of Toronto students are back to school after the summer break. This also means regular traffic volumes return to our roadways, as well as an increase in pedestrian traffic as kids walk and ride their bicycles to and from school,” police said in a release.

They said that “it is paramount that drivers consider the safety of our most vulnerable road users; school children, pedestrians, and cyclists, when travelling on our roads” and said people should expect to see increased traffic throughout the city as school returns, especially within school and residential zones.

"We hope everyone will slow down, put your phone away, and pay extra attention while driving, especially in or near school zones,” Traffic Services Acting Superintendent Matt Moyer said. “Children's safety is of utmost importance. Road safety is a shared responsibility and we all have a role to play in keeping Toronto roads safe for everyone."

During the campaign, officers will be looking out for drivers who speed, drive aggressively, drive distracted or impaired. They will also be in school zones targeting those who are parked illegally or vehicles potentially putting others at risk.

“I want to urge all road users in Toronto to please slow down, stay alert, stop looking at your phone and stay focused,” Chow said.

Police say they will be conducting their Back-To-School traffic campaign from Sept. 3 – 13.

The city is also pointing parents and students to a school safety guide with lots of tips around getting to and from school safely.

New cellphone rules come into effect

Kids returning to school will also find new rules in effect around the use of cellphones in classrooms.

In April, the province announced that it would standardize cellphone rules across the province for schools.

Students in kindergarten to Grade 6 must keep cellphones on silent and out of sight for the entire school day, while kids in in Grade 7 - 12 cannot use cellphones during class time. Cellphones can be used if directed by teachers for educational purposes or for a medical exemption.

Ontario Education Minister Jill Dunlop was on-hand for the first day of school at a brand new Catholic school in Etobicoke.

“I want teachers to know we have their backs” when it comes to cellphone rules, she told CP24.

“We're going to support them through this process. I also expect that parents are having these conversations with their students at home, that these are the rules that are in place, and there are disciplinary actions that will happen as a consequence of not following the rules.”

She said students who refuse to put cellphones away could be sent to the principal’s office or have their phone confiscated for the day.

“We want to see the distractions taken away from students in the classroom. It's also distracting, as a teacher, to be standing in front of the class when students are looking at their cellphones,” Dunlop said.  “So this is a culture change, but you know, we know it's going to benefit our students.”

Tuesday marked the start of Dunlop’s first school-year as education minister after being appointed to the role last month.

“I just want parents to know that I'm here to find stability. I'm here to work with the teacher unions, all of our educators, and ensuring that we're providing those back to basics and real foundational supports for students in reading, writing, mathematics,” she said.

Meanwhile outgoing Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Director Colleen Russell-Rawlins said teachers will be working with kids to make sure they understand the new rules around cellphones.

“Our staff are going to work with students to educate them about why there's a change to cellphone usage in school, and we think as students become more familiar with why there is a restriction, that there will be more compliance,” Russell-Rawlins said.

She added that “this was a really important thing to do because we are seeing a problem with cellphone use and kids and just the addiction.”

Russell-Rawlins, who is stepping down from the job in November, said today is “bittersweet” for her.

“It's just beautiful to see the kids off on their first day of school. It's always going to be a special day for me,” she said.

However she said she’s feeling “excited” about the future.

“I'm really confident in our staff's ability to continue to meet student needs. I'm excited about the future and someone else who will take the work that we've done and only improve on it,” she said.