Inside the Circle – April 28, 2026

Ready to learn something new? You can join free courses to improve your reading, writing, math, and computer skills, and open new opportunities.

The Essential Skills Upgrading (ESU) program provides free adult classes in Toronto to help you improve your English reading and writing, mathematics, and computer skills. Their free adult classes are available in many locations across Toronto in Etobicoke, Bloor Street, Rexdale, North York and Scarborough, and online.

Is this program right for you?

If you speak English, want to upgrade your skills and are goal-oriented, then the ESU program can help you improve your training and employment opportunities.

What to expect from the program

Classes run from September to June, Monday through Friday, on a full-time or part-time basis, daytime and/or evening classes.

Workshops include:

• Intro to Microsoft Word
• Intro to Microsoft PowerPoint
• Intro to Microsoft Excel
• Workplace Communication Skills (Positive language, “I” statements, professional emails, teamwork and problem solving)
• Smartphones & Employment Skills
• UP Skills for Work (Accountability, collaboration, time management, adaptability, communication)

How to register

• Email them at upgrading@tdsb.on.ca
• Call them:
  • West (500 The East Mall, Etobicoke) – 416-394-3809
  • South/Central (777 Bloor St. West, Toronto) – 416-393-1995
  • East (1641 Pharmacy Ave., Scarborough) – 416-396-6904
• Or register on their website using the button below!

Have you nominated a coworker for Circle of Care’s Champions of Care Awards yet?

Through these annual awards, we recognize the exceptional contributions of our staff. We encourage you to nominate a colleague who you believe has gone above and beyond in their role, and who embodies one or more of our values of community, respect, excellence, and dignity. 

You can nominate as many colleagues as you would like. Please note that we only accept individual nominations, so if you would like to nominate more than one person, you will need to submit separate nominations for each person.

The award winners will be announced in June and celebrated at a Circle of Care event and luncheon with Carey.

To nominate, please fill out the form that is linked below.

The deadline to nominate is Thursday, April 30.

Raptors Playoff Street Events

• When: April to July (depending on the team’s success)
• Details: Roads might have significant blockage or closures around Scotiabank Arena, Union Station, Gardiner ramps, and generally, the downtown core area.

Toronto Marathon

• When: May 3, 2026
• Details: For the shorter run, usually from Mel Lastman Square to Ontario Place. For the longer run, affected roads start near Rosedale Subway to Ontario Place.

Sporting Life 10K Marathon

• When: May 10, 2026
• Details: Closures/affected roads along Yonge St.

Sleep is very important for your health. It affects how you feel today and how healthy you are in the future. Learning how sleep works can help you sleep better and feel more awake and ready for each day. 

Watch the video above to learn about the sleep cycle.

How much sleep do you need?

The recommended amount of sleep for adults is 7 to 9 hours per night.

Not getting enough sleep can affect many parts of your body. Even if you think you feel fine with less than 7 hours of sleep, your body may still need more rest.

It is important to make sleep a priority every night. Getting enough sleep regularly helps your body and mind stay healthy and work better.

What causes sleep problems?

Our bodies have an internal clock called the circadian rhythm. This clock tells us when we should feel awake and when we should feel sleepy.

Sometimes, this clock can get mixed up. Things like too much blue light from screens, working night shifts, jet lag from travel, and stress can make it harder to sleep well. Even though these things can cause sleep problems, there is good news. You can help reset your circadian rhythm.

Over time, you can improve your sleep and build better sleep habits.

Tips for healthy sleep

• Keep regular sleep hours. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.

• Avoid long naps during the day. They can make it harder to fall asleep at night. A short nap is okay if you still sleep well at night.

• Create a bedtime routine. Doing the same calm activities before bed each night helps your body get ready for sleep.

• Take time to relax before bed. You can try stretching, breathing exercises, a warm shower or bath, meditation, or a warm glass of milk. Try not to do stressful or upsetting activities before bedtime.

• Avoid caffeine and some medicines in the evening. These can keep you awake. Ask a doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure about your medication.

• Avoid alcohol before bedtime. It can disturb your sleep and make it lower quality.

• Exercise regularly. Physical activity can help reduce stress and improve sleep. Try not to exercise too close to bedtime if it keeps you awake.

• Make your bedroom sleep-friendly. Keep it cool, dark, and quiet. You can use earplugs, a fan, or white noise if needed.

• Use a comfortable mattress. If you wake up sore or notice your sleep is worse than before, it may be time to replace it.

If you try these tips and still find that you’re having trouble sleeping, please talk to your doctor.

Helpful sleep resources

Research shows that calm music can help you feel more relaxed. It can also help with sleep. CMHA and Little Symphony worked together to make a Spotify Playlist for you to listen to before bed.

Guided meditation can help you sleep better. It is a way of calming your mind and body before bed. In guided meditation, you listen to a calm voice that tells you to relax, breathe slowly, and let go of worries. Use the Calm App to try for yourself.

Finally, visit Perkopolis to save money on quality mattresses from brands like Sleep Country and Emma Mattress.

Why Connection Feels So Hard Right Now: How to Feel Less Alone with Others

Monday, May 4

10:00 – 11:00 am

Online

It is not always easy to feel close to other people, even when we are not alone. This workshop talks about what can make it hard to connect with others. It also gives simple ideas to help build relationships that feel real, fair, and supportive.

Caring for Others is Heavy: Burnout, Emotional Load, and Helping Without Losing Yourself

Monday, May 4

2:00 – 3:00 pm

Online

This workshop gives you space to talk about feeling tired from caring for others. Through honest discussion and reflection, you will explore simple and realistic ways to stay connected to yourself and other people, without feeling like you have to pretend or push yourself too hard.

When It Feels Easier to Shut Down: How to Stay Open in Conflict

Friday, May 8

10:00 – 11:00 am

Online

When people feel tired, conversations can feel harder and heavier. This workshop invites people to slow down and think about how stress, differences, and life experiences affect how we listen and talk to each other.

This Mental Health Week, CMHA Ontario’s Your Health Space team is inviting health care workers across the province to join Coming Together for Ontario’s Health Care System, a free online training series.

These sessions will share simple, proven ways to support well-being at work, including:

• Building positive relationships with coworkers
• Using clear and respectful communication
• Setting healthy boundaries to take care of your mental health

You can register for any of the following sessions via Zoom:

Creating Connection at Work

• Tuesday, May 5, 2026 (11 am – 12 pm) – Register Here
• Tuesday, May 5, 2026 (8 – 9 pm) – Register Here

Consideration & Collaboration at Work

• Wednesday, May 6, 2026 (11 am – 12 pm) – Register Here
• Wednesday, May 6, 2026 (8 – 9 pm) – Register Here

Boundaries at Work

• Thursday, May 7, 2026 (2 – 3 pm) – Register Here
• Thursday, May 7, 2026 (8 – 9 pm) – Register Here

Families today can look very different. Some people live by themselves, while others live with parents, kids, or other relatives. Every family is special and has its own needs. This can make it a bit tricky to plan how to use and save money.

Together with Sun Life Financial, we will learn how to make a financial plan that works for you.

Register using the button below.

Financial Planning for the Modern Family

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

6:00 pm

Online

Each week, we’re proud to recognize the PSWs who are celebrating their work anniversaries. Every anniversary—no matter the number of years—represents the dedication, compassion, and commitment you bring to supporting our clients and community. Thank you for the important role you play at Circle of Care. This week’s list includes PSWs celebrating work anniversaries between April 26 – May 2.

Congratulations to the following PSWs on their years of service with Circle of Care:

April 26

• 29 Years: Rosie Balaquiao

April 29

• 12 Years: Criselda Jamilla

May 2

• 19 Years: Ruba Sivabalasingam

Individuals celebrating milestone anniversaries (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 years) will receive a one-time cash award to their pay cheque at the end of the quarter. Payment amount will depend on service length.

The following high-fives were survey highlights from November 1 – December 14:

High Fives for PSW Maria Paz Raymundo and PSW Evelyn Agustin

“I am deeply grateful for Maria and Evelyn. They are compassionate, and provided emotional support and respectful care despite my challenging medical condition. Their care has significantly improved my quality of life. I strongly prefer to continue receiving care from Maria and Evelyn.” – Client

High Fives for PSW Ginalyn Martinez and PSW Liza Aquino

“I appreciate Ginalyn and Liza for their long-term support (12+ years) and the strong relationship we have.” – Client

High Five for PSW Jackie Cruz

“Jackie provides consistent communication and exceptional care. I would give 100 points to Jackie!” – Client

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.

I celebrated my 5 year anniversary with Circle of Care and I never got any congratulations. I will be celebrating my 10 years anniversary next year 2027, and I might end up invisible again. Make it make sense, you are biased.

We’re sorry to hear that you felt overlooked when you reached your 5-year milestone. Recognizing the contributions of our staff is important to us, and we aim to ensure that everyone feels valued for their years of service.

Each year, milestone anniversaries are celebrated at our annual staff event, where honourees are recognized in a special video. In 2022, due to the pandemic, we were unable to hold this event in person; however, we did create and share a video in our newsletter recognizing all milestone anniversaries from that period:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22W_0Of_CaU.

At that time, employees celebrating 5 years of service were also invited to pick up a commemorative pin from the office when coming in for supplies. In addition, we used our Applause recognition platform to acknowledge milestone anniversaries. While we no longer use that platform, milestone cash awards are now provided via Dayforce directly through employees’ pay.

We appreciate your feedback and will continue working to improve how we recognize and celebrate our team members.

Is there any possibility to change the gowns to polyethylene gowns? We sometimes get wet while assisting clients with showers, so plastic gowns would be great.

Absolutely, our administrative team is able to accommodate your request. When ordering gowns, you simply need to indicate “change to plastic shower gowns” in the comment box when placing your order.

If you are scheduled to work on a statutory holiday but you get sick and don’t go to work, how do you get paid? Does it come from your sick days or from your statutory holidays?

If you’re scheduled to work on a statutory holiday but are unable to work due to illness, you are still supported in how your pay is handled.

If you do not work the holiday, you will receive statutory holiday pay, calculated using your regular wages and vacation pay from the previous four weeks, divided by 20.

If you were scheduled to work and called in sick, you may also qualify for sick pay if you have available sick leave. In that case, both statutory holiday pay and applicable sick pay would apply.

If you have any questions about your pay or eligibility, please reach out to payroll or your supervisor for clarification.

After how many hours of work do we receive overtime?

Overtime is paid for any hours worked beyond 44 hours in a work week.

I have tried changing my availability for a couple of weeks but nothing is changing. I can’t get a hold of my service coordinator, and it’s colliding with my classes. I’m getting overwhelmed. I did the form too.

We understand how stressful schedule conflicts can be, especially when they impact your classes. Please note that all availability changes require approval before schedules can be adjusted.

Since you’ve already submitted the required form, we recommend following up with your CSS or Service Coordinator for an update. Be sure to highlight the urgency of your situation so they can assist you as quickly as possible.

Why are my regular clients are being replaced with temporary clients? I spoke with my coordinator about it. Sometime it gets corrected and sometimes it doesn’t, without explanation.

We understand that situations like this can be frustrating. It’s incredibly important and valuable for PSWs and clients to get to know each other and develop a professional relationship, as this leads to the best outcomes for the client and their care. We do our very best to provide our staff and clients with a regular schedule. There are many reasons why a client may be pulled from your schedule.

Some examples of those reasons include the following:

* The client may have requested a different time for their visit,

* They may no longer need care (e.g. moved into long-term care, another neighbourhood, etc.),

* They are in the hospital and are therefore no longer receiving service from us,

* There may have been changes to the client’s schedule, such as an increase and decrease of hours that requires an adjustment to the existing schedule.

In addition, for our newer PSWs, it will take some time to build a permanent schedule because these staff members are typically first used to fill in for absences (planned and unplanned). As new clients come on board, we schedule them with our newer staff if their availability matches the client’s need.

If you change my schedule within 1-2 hours of the appointment with the client, I’d appreciate a call or text to refresh/check my schedule. Woke up one morning and refreshed my schedule, and went to my first client only to find out they sent me somewhere else.

Thank you for bringing this forward. We understand how upsetting and disruptive this can be, especially when you are already traveling to a client. While we do our best to keep schedules stable, there are times when unforeseen circumstances or last-minute changes (such as client cancellations or urgent care needs) require adjustments. That said, timely communication is important, and we recognize how a lack of notice can impact your time and planning. We encourage you to connect directly with your Service Coordinator and/or CSS to review these concerns so they can look into what’s happening and work with you on improving communication around schedule changes moving forward.

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.