Highlights from this week
- Celebrating Our 2025 Spotlight Award Winners!
- Complete Your Mandatory Policy Attestations
- Upcoming Events that May Impact Transit and Traffic
- Happy Lunar New Year
- Black Contributions & Excellence: Black History Month
- Reminder: Complete the Global Workforce Survey
- Free Workplace Violence e-Learning Course
- Complete Our Footwear Policy Poll
- Caring for Someone Living with Dementia
- Financial Wellness Webinars: February 2026
- More Heart Health Resources
- Healthy Eating and Self-Care
- Perkopolis Overview: Benefit Program
- Unjudge Someone: The Human Library Experience
- Understanding and Using “I” Language
Celebrating Our 2025 Spotlight Award Winners!
We’re proud to announce the winners of our 2025 Spotlight Awards – Alicia, Cecilia, and Maria, who embody the very best of Circle of Care. Our Spotlight Awards recognize individuals who exemplify our values and showcase their extraordinary dedication and care.
Eileen Morgan Award for Customer Service
Alicia C., Operations Supervisor
Yvonne Greaves Award for PSW Leadership
Cecilia K., Program Assistant, Adult Day Program
Circle of Care Award for Home Care Excellence
Maria C., Personal Support Worker
We are proud to celebrate their achievements and grateful for the example they set for all of us. Please tap the button to read the full article on our website.
Reminders & Announcements
Reminder: Complete Your Mandatory Policy Attestations
Please complete your annual policy attestations in Dayforce as soon as possible. Attestations are mandatory — they must be reviewed and accepted by all employees every year.
This is a mandatory and paid training opportunity. You will be paid 15 minutes for completing the module successfully by the due date of March 31, 2026 (pay will be issued in April).
If you are having any difficulty with accessing Dayforce, please call IT at 647-943-1332.
Upcoming Events that May Impact Transit and Traffic
Closures:
DVP to Richmond Street
- When: Until Spring 2026
- Details: The southbound off-ramp of the DVP to Richmond Street remains closed until Spring 2026.
St. Patrick’s Day Race – Annual 5K and 10K Race
- When: Sunday, March 15
- Details: St Patrick’s Day Race – Annual 5 and 10K fundraising race will take place.
Full road closures along stretches of Bayview Ave and Rosedale Valley Rd starting around 9 a.m. as the course runs through those neighbourhood streets.
Access for vehicles will be limited during the event — alternate transport like TTC or avoiding the area earlier in the day is recommended
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
- When: Sunday, March 15
- Details: Key downtown streets (e.g. Yonge St. and surrounding areas) are affected during mid-day.
Happy Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar and is celebrated by many communities around the world.
In 2026, Lunar New Year falls on Tuesday, February 17, and ushers in the Year of the Horse. In the Chinese zodiac, the Horse is associated with energy, movement, independence, and confidence. It’s often seen as a symbol of progress, motivation, and forward momentum.
Lunar New Year celebrations traditionally last up to 16 days, beginning with the Spring Festival and concluding with the Lantern Festival in early March. Families and communities celebrate with food, gatherings, cultural traditions, and wishes for health, prosperity, and good fortune in the year ahead.
Wishing everyone who celebrates a joyful, healthy, and meaningful Lunar New Year!
Black Contributions & Excellence: Black History Month
During Black History Month, we highlight and honour Black leaders, innovators, and changemakers, recognizing their impact, brilliance, and resilience – including Dr. Charles Drew and Dr. Mae Jemison.
Dr. Charles Drew (1904–1950)
Dr. Charles Drew is often referred to as the “Father of Blood Banking.” Dr. Drew developed groundbreaking techniques for long-term blood plasma preservation and helped establish large-scale blood banks, saving countless lives and transforming modern medicine.
Dr. Mae Jemison
Dr. Mae Jemison is an engineer and physician. Dr. Jemison made history as the first African-American woman in space, showing the power of curiosity, perseverance, and interdisciplinary excellence.
Reminder: Complete the Global Workforce Survey
Please take a few minutes to complete the Global Workforce Survey. This is your chance to share your thoughts about your workplace. Your feedback helps us learn what’s going well and what we can make even better for you.
Note that the survey is anonymous (your name will not be shared). Thank you in advance for your participation!
Please complete the survey below:
Health & Safety
Free Workplace Violence e-Learning Course
Enrol in a free Workplace Violence and Harassment Awareness e-course to boost your skills. It’s online, self-paced, and zero cost. Build confidence in handling tough situations and get a certificate upon completion. Tap the button below to register and learn more.
Complete Our Footwear Policy Poll
Your safety at work is important to us. Please take a few minutes to complete this short poll about our footwear policy below:
Caring for Someone Living with Dementia
Whether you’re supporting a client with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, this guide from the Alzheimer Society of Canada offers practical tips to help with daily care from personal hygiene to routines, safety, and more. It also includes self-care reminders and support resources.
Wellness at Work
Financial Wellness Webinars: February 2026
More Heart Health Resources
Your heart works hard all the time and everyday habits, like how you move, sleep, eat, and manage stress, can affect your heart over time. Not everything that affects heart health is in our control, but small daily habits can still make a difference.
If you would like to do a quick check-in, here are a few simple tools and resources you can explore:
Heart & Stroke Risk Screen Tool
My Life Check (Life’s Essential 8)
Life’s Essential 8 for Women
Heart Care at Every Age
Healthy Eating and Self-Care
Taking care of your body is one of the easiest and strongest ways to practice self-care. The food you eat affects your energy, your mood, and your overall health. Think of healthy eating as a way to care for yourself. When you feel good, you can take better care of yourself and support other people too.
Looking for healthy meal ideas? Take a look at these helpful resources:
Perkopolis Overview: Benefit Program
Perkopolis is Canada’s leading perks program, offering over 5,000 deals or discounts on retail, travel, attractions and more. As an employee at Circle of Care, you have access to our exclusive offers. These perks cover various categories, including:
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Retail & Shopping: Enjoy discounts on everyday items, luxury goods, and more.
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Attractions & Tickets: Get exclusive savings on tickets for theme parks, museums, concerts, and sporting events.
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Travel: Save on travel-related expenses, including hotels and car rentals.
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Home & Auto Insurance: Access discounted insurance options.
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Shell Fuel Savings: Save on fuel, car washes, and in-store purchases at participating Shell locations.
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…and much more
Get Started
Enjoy your perks in no time by following these simple steps to register for an account:
- Go to perkopolis.com and click “Sign In/Register” at the top-right corner.
- Click “Register” on the right hand screen.
- Enter your personal email address.
- Check your inbox for an email from Perkopolis with a verification link. Click that link to complete the sign-up process.
- Enter your Member ID code, which is “CC” + your employee ID number (for example, CC12345). Use all caps and no spaces when typing the code. Please note that your employee ID is not your voicemail number. Your Employee ID will be outlined on your Circle of Care employee badge.
- Follow any remaining on-screen instructions (such as creating a password). Now you can log in and start browsing 5,000+ perks available to you.
For any questions or troubleshooting, you can contact Perkopolis by phone (416-236-4985) or email (customerservice@perkopolis.com).
Unjudge Someone: The Human Library Experience
The Human Library is a chance to meet real people and hear real stories. Instead of borrowing a book, you borrow a person, “a Human Book“, and have an honest conversation about their life and experiences. It’s a safe and welcoming space to ask questions, listen, and see people in a new way.
Why join?
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Have open conversations that help you understand others better
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Hear powerful stories from people with different life experiences
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Learn something new and walk away seeing things differently
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February 24, 2026 | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
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March 24, 2026 | 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Understanding and Using “I” Language
Have you ever wanted to share your feelings, but you didn’t know how to say them clearly? Or have you ever felt upset when someone criticized you, and you became defensive?
This is where “I language” can help. “I language” is a way of speaking that focuses on your own feelings and experiences, instead of blaming another person. “I language” means starting your sentence with “I” instead of “you.” It helps create better understanding and more respectful communication.
In the video above, you can learn the basics of “I language,” how to use it effectively, and simple tips to improve your communication.
Community Corner
High Fives
Has someone gone above and beyond at work? Give them a High Five!
The High Five program lets you publicly recognize staff members for their outstanding work. High Fives will be posted in your weekly Inside the Circle newsletter.
To give a high five, just click on the button below or use the link in the rotating banner on the Portal home page.
Please note: We do not accept anonymous submissions for this program. High Fives must be submitted by an individual person, whether they are a staff member or member of the community.
Ask Us Anything
Have a question? Submit your questions or feedback anonymously below!
Please note that it may take us longer to provide some answers. If your question hasn’t been answered yet, we will get back to you as soon as we can.