Ontario is strengthening its partnership with Kids Help Phone to ensure bullied children and youth have the support they need to grow and reach their full potential.

Starting this September, all students in grades 7 to 10 will have access to Ontario's free online math tutoring program.

Ontario students continue to prove why they are internationally recognized among the best in the world.

• Backgrounder - Highlights Of 2010-11 EQAO Results

Ontario is building and renovating over 70 schools across the province to ensure that students have better places to learn.

• Backgrounder - New Schools and Additions

For the fifth year in a row, Ontario is expanding the Specialist High Skills Major programs to help students graduate and find their passion in the workforce.

This fall, 126 schools will be turning on more cleaner and renewable sources of power, like solar, wind and geothermal, creating cleaner and more sustainable places to learn for Ontario students.

Ontario is taking the next step in its plan to integrate financial literacy into the curriculum this September.

Parents of about 50,000 four- and five-year-olds across the province are now registering their children for their very first day of school – in full-day kindergarten.

Encouraging children to develop a love of reading at an early age lays the foundation for strong literacy skills, which are crucial for future success.

Ontario's 15-year-old students are among the best readers in the world.

Safe schools teams across Ontario will be recognized for standing up against bullying in their schools.

Ontario has designated the third week of every November as Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week.

In September 2011, students from grades 4 to 12 will learn about saving, spending, investing and managing money.

Nominations are now open for this year's Premier's Awards for Teaching Excellence.

Ontario will welcome international educators from as far away as Australia, Finland, France, Russia, Singapore and the United States for a two-day education summit in Toronto that begins tomorrow.

• Backgrounder - Introducing Full-Day Kindergarten

More Ontario families will be able to send their kids to kindergarten for the full day next year.

• Backgrounder - Phase Two: Full-Day Kindergarten For Four- and Five-Year-Olds

The annual Healthy Schools Recognition Program challenges elementary and secondary schools to do at least one new activity to promote healthier living. Participating schools receive a healthy school pennant and certificate.

Schools that have already participated in this year's program established activities that helped students in a number of ways including promoting healthy eating, physical activity and mental health. There is still time to sign up and be recognized for supporting student health and well-being.

Ontario is helping more high school students get an academic and career edge by expanding its Specialist High Skills Major program to 100 more schools across the province, benefiting 8,000 additional students.

Education Week in Ontario began on a high note today, with students from more than 900 Ontario schools singing the same song at the same time.

All students and educators in Ontario now have free, online access to award-winning Canadian films from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).

Students across Ontario are celebrating Earth Day and putting the lessons they learn in school into action, including planting trees, bringing litter-less lunches and cleaning their school yards.

An Ontario partnership is helping more students learn about the environment and how to reduce their schools' environmental impact.

More Ontario schools will put their technology skills to the test through the expansion of the FIRST Robotics Canada competition across the province.

Ontario's next step in its full-day early learning plan will see an estimated 750 classrooms built or renovated over the next two years.

More Ontario high school students are graduating.

• Backgrounder - Graduation Rates Rise Again

To participate in the program, a school community first pledges to do a healthy activity, and then they go out and do it. The pledge can build on an existing activity, such as expanding an intramural program, or it can be a brand new one, such as establishing a nutrition club that promotes healthy eating.

Every year, success stories from across the province demonstrate the rewards of participating in the Healthy Schools Recognition Program. This year, let's get even more Ontario students and schools to join the fun.

The deadline for submissions is April 8, 2010. Participating schools will receive a certificate and pennant to display in their school.

Ontario has taken an important step toward ensuring that all four- and five-year-olds have access to an engaging and enriching full day of learning.

• Backgrounder - Implementing Full-Day Learning For Four- and Five-Year-Olds

In response to the recent earthquake in Haiti, the government has taken the necessary steps to allow children from Haiti who have been displaced prompt admission to Ontario's publicly funded schools without having to pay fees.

Ontario is the first province in Canada to require all school staff to report serious student incidents — including bullying — to the principal.

February 1 is the final day to nominate an Ontario educator for this year's Premier's Awards for Teaching Excellence.

Ontario students are being challenged to take part in the Healthy Schools Recognition Program and make their schools healthier.

Student achievement is now the top priority for school boards.

Starting in September 2011, Grade 4 to 12 students in Ontario will be learning to make informed choices and effective decisions about the use and management of money.

Deadline is November 10, 2009.

Visit Ontario.ca/SpeakUp for more information.

Nominations are now open for this year's Premier's Awards for Teaching Excellence.

Elementary students started the school year with more than one million new books in school libraries, and there are more on the way.

Thousands of students in Toronto's priority urban neighbourhoods are spending their time learning, working and engaging in sport clinics, art classes and leadership training in schools this summer.

Education announcements will continue to be distributed through RSS to subscribers. However, the Ontario government is no longer using CNW to distribute news. New technology allows us to manage news release distribution more efficiently in-house, while improving our service to you.

So please visit the Newsroom to sign up for News on Demand as soon as possible. The process is very simple and only takes a couple of minutes:

1. Go to www.ontario.ca/getnews
2. Click "Public"
3. Choose Option 1 (all news) or Option 2 (customized news) and enter your e-mail address.
4. You will receive a confirmation e-mail. Click on the link in the e-mail to start receiving news.

School boards are modernizing their admission processes to French-language schools to better reflect Ontario's changing Francophone population.

Ontario is adding two new sectors to its successful Specialist High Skills Major program to help even more students reach their full potential.

Hosting the Olympic Games in Canada will give us an opportunity to showcase our achievements, creativity and cultural diversity. The Olympic Games also offer a wonderful learning opportunity for students.

Here are some of the ways to get involved.

• Bring the Olympics into the classroom. There are many ways teachers can link the Olympic Games to the Ontario Curriculum.
• Hold a school Olympics event - and celebrate your achievements by participating in the Healthy Schools Recognition Program.
• Get involved with the Olympic Torch relay. The relay will pass through Ontario between December 11, 2009 and January 5, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com/torchrelays to find out more.
• Visit the Vancouver 2010 Education website at www.vancouver2010.com/edu to find opportunities for teachers and students to learn, share and participate in activities geared towards the Olympic and Paralympic Games. You can also sign up for updates to the /EDU website by visiting the About/EDU section on the website.

Ontario is the first province in Canada to require school staff to report serious student incidents to the principal and require principals to contact the parents of victims.

Sixty students from across the province had their first opportunity to provide advice to the Minister of Education on a variety of topics regarding the publicly funded education system.

The McGuinty government is proposing amendments to the Education Act that would make student achievement the number one priority for all school boards.

• Backgrounder - School Board Governance In Ontario and Support For School Board Governance Legislation

Twenty educators and school support staff will receive a provincial award for their contributions to student learning and achievement.

Ontario is helping more students reach their full potential. A new Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy launched today, will help improve and close the gap in student achievement.

Every Ontario student has the right to feel safe and be safe when they go to school.

More students are graduating high school than ever before.

Ontario is making the environment a part of every subject in every grade.

The Ontario government and First Nation, Métis and Inuit organizations are working together to achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal students at all levels of learning.

The Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) and the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) put elementary students first by agreeing to four more years of peace and progress.

Grocery shopping, taking transit or walking in your neighbourhood are all regular family activities that can also be learning experiences.

Cynthia Mulligan, education reporter with Toronto's Citytv, will chair the selection panel for the Premier's Awards for Teaching Excellence. The nomination deadline is January 31.

A new report about school safety will help guide and strengthen requirements for staff to report serious incidents.

Ontario students are being challenged to do one more thing to make their school healthier as part of the Healthy Schools Recognition Program.

Nominations are open for the Premier's Awards for Teaching Excellence. Starting today, parents, students, educators and community members can nominate an outstanding educator or support staff member for an award.

Goodbye burgers and chips, hello couscous and grilled chicken. Students at four Ontario high schools will don chef hats and prepare healthy meals this fall. The students will use fresh, locally grown ingredients in meals based on celebrity chef David Rocco's recipes.

• Backgrounder - Making Ontario Schools Healthier

It's every student's dream — finding a career that matches their interests. Now, more Ontario high school students will get that opportunity.

Ontario's elementary students continue to improve their reading, writing and math skills, according to provincial test scores released today.

This summer more than 4,000 young people have had access to free summer camps, art classes and leadership clinics at area schools.

An additional 3,000 students who are struggling or at risk of dropping out will now have access to adult role models in their schools.

Ontario is strengthening French-language education and culture by giving autonomy to TFO, the province's French-language educational broadcaster.

The province is establishing a Declining Enrolment Working Group to provide advice and recommendations to the Minister of Education on strategies to advance the province's priority goals for student achievement while addressing the impact of declining enrolment.

The Ontario government is giving full support to a report calling for improvements to expense policies and practices for trustees at the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

Students in more than 700 Ontario schools will be united by music today.

During Education Week, 23 educators and support staff were recognized with a provincial education award. Education Minister Kathleen Wynne presented the Premier's Awards for Teaching Excellence at a special ceremony held Wednesday.

Ontario will open 34 new Parenting and Family Literacy Centres in schools this September. The $2 million investment will help more young children get a great start on learning.

Ontario's 13-year-old English-language students are achieving excellent results in reading and math, according to a pan-Canadian study released today.

Schools across the province are participating in environmental activities to celebrate Earth Week. Ontario is encouraging students to use what they have learned about the environment and put it into action.

Students in Ontario will be getting healthier because the food and beverages sold in schools will need to be free of trans fat.

Twenty-three educators and support staff will receive provincial education awards for their contributions to student learning and achievement.

Ontario is strengthening French-language education and culture by introducing legislation that would make the province's French-language educational television station permanently independent.

This summer, the Ontario government will help young people in Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa enjoy basketball clinics, art classes and leadership training at area schools.

This summer, the Ontario government will help young people in Hamilton and Ottawa enjoy basketball clinics, art classes and leadership training at area schools.

We received a tremendous response from across the province. People all over Ontario helped spread the word – through emails, newsletters, websites, posters and the media. The number and quality of the nominations are a testament to the high calibre of Ontario's educators and staff. It clearly illustrates that the people of Ontario value and respect those who teach and support our students, and who provide leadership in our schools and boards.

Thank you for helping us recognize Ontario's outstanding educators and support staff.

Stay tuned ... the results will be announced in the spring and recipients will be profiled on www.ontario.ca/teachingawards.

The lights will be turned off in more than 500 Ontario schools for one hour on Friday March 28 to show support for protecting the environment.

This week Ontario is celebrating adult learners who are committed to furthering their education and improving their abilities, skills and knowledge.

QUEEN'S PARK — Seventy-five per cent of students in Ontario graduated with a high school diploma in 2006-07 — a two percentage point increase over 2005-06 and a seven percentage point increase over 2003-04. This represents 10,500 more students graduating each year.

TORONTO — Ontario is working to combat harassment and violence in schools by reengaging a team of safety and education experts.

MISSISSAUGA — Elementary students in Ontario are going to get extra help reading and learning in their school libraries.

TORONTO — Starting this year, more people will find it easier and cheaper to use Ontario's schools after hours.

TORONTO — Ontario is helping parents play a more active role in their children's education by funding more than 1,300 projects across the province.

QUEEN'S PARK — New changes that make Ontario's schools safer by more effectively combining discipline with opportunities for students to keep learning take effect February 1, 2008.

TORONTO — Ontario students are getting more out of their school experience because families, schools and communities are more focused on reading and writing.

Do you know someone who...

• Inspires kids to read and to love reading; to write and to love writing; and to communicate with more than just words
• Teaches students to be good citizens, by encouraging them to think locally and globally and showing them the importance of strong values
• Supports struggling students – helping discouraged kids to get back in the game and motivating them to aim high.

If you do, nominate them for a Premier's Award for Teaching Excellence.

These are just a few of the ways that Ontario's educators make a difference in the lives of students, families and communities across the province. But they aren't the only ways. You might have your own reasons for nominating someone.

Remember that special teacher who made learning come to life? That support staff member who made a difference for students? Or that school or board leader who rallied a community to make a difference in the lives of their kids?

The categories are:

• Teacher of the Year
• New Teacher of the Year
• Excellent Support Staff
• Excellence in Leadership
• Team of the Year
• Lifetime Achievement

This is a wonderful opportunity to recognize and celebrate the outstanding educators and staff in your community. Tell your family, friends and colleagues about the Premier's Awards for Teaching Excellence and encourage them to nominate someone.

Visit www.ontario.ca/teachingawards to learn more and download a nomination form.

Act now! Nominations close January 28, 2008.

QUEEN'S PARK - Akela Peoples, President and CEO of Youth in Motion, will chair the selection panel for the Premier's Awards for Teaching Excellence, Education Minister Kathleen Wynne announced today.

• Premier's Awards for Teaching Excellence

There are many outstanding individuals in your school community. Not all of them will be nominated for a Premier's Award for Teaching Excellence. But they all deserve recognition.

We have developed this simple tool to recognize these special people. Simply click on the image above to send it to anyone you would like to thank.

• Class-Size Tracker