Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022

The healing process continues following vandalism at Parry Sound High School Shapatuan

Following two incidents of vandalism at the Shapatuan (teaching lodge) at Parry Sound High School in the spring, Near North District School Board (NNDSB) First Nations Trustee Nichole King filed a notice of motion seeking Board support for an updated report about the actions taken and next steps. The update is to be presented to the Board in open session and available to the public.

The Shapatuan is a culturally responsive and relevant learning space for youth, who were devastated by the vandalism. Trustee King is monitoring the progress of rebuilding the Shapatuan as well as the continuation of the relationship-building between the board and school and the First Nations communities affected by the racist acts. Her notice of motion is on behalf of First Nations rightsholders so the communities and the Board can be apprised of the next steps in the students’ healing process and the work of NNDSB.

Trustee King, Board Chair Jay Aspin and Director of Education Craig Myles were three of several delegates at a sharing circle hosted by Wasauksing First Nation in August, and this notice of motion is part of the on-going work of relationship-building.

Chair Aspin said, “This relationship with First Nations communities as well as the healing process of our students are extremely important to our board. NNDSB appreciates the guidance of communities, the youth leadership and their families as well as dedicated staff in this situation.”

Director of Education Myles said he is “grateful for the leadership of Trustee King as the board strives for improved relationships with First Nations rightsholders and the Indigenous students who attend NNDSB schools.”

The notice of motion was placed on the agenda of October’s committee-of-the-whole meeting and approved at the Oct. 11 Board meeting.

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Deb Bartlett

Communications Officer

Near North District School Board

(705) 472-8170, extension 5010

Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022

NNDSB teacher earns Canada’s highest teaching honour

The Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes “remarkable achievements in education and a commitment to preparing their students for a digital and innovation-based economy.” Sunset Park Public School teacher Anna Pearson exemplifies these qualities and much more, which is why she is a recipient of this year’s Teaching Excellence award.

A Grade 5/6 French Immersion teacher, in addition to teaching literacy in both official languages, Pearson instructs students in math, physical education, visual arts, science and social studies. One of her favourite subjects is social studies, as it allows her to encourage students to “think critically about past and current events and issues facing their world.”

Sunset Park Principal Amy Wood said, “The staff and students at Sunset Park Public School are so fortunate to have the honour of working alongside and with Anna Pearson. She is a true team player and is dedicated to her students, always modelling her love of learning. Her teaching styles are innovative, she encourages students to develop higher level thinking skills and her learning environment is engaging, allowing students to learn through exploration and hands-on practice.”

Pearson said it is important for her as a teacher to incorporate a variety of stimulating and engaging lessons where students learn through exploration and hands-on activities to keep them active and engaged in the curriculum.

Pearson’s classes have participated in writing tasks that saw students researching and writing biographies of fallen WWII soldiers from North Bay’s Algonquin Regiment and participating in a commemoration ceremony at the Algonquin Regiment War Memorial. During anti-bullying week, Pearson taught her students about real-world “upstanders” like Martin Luther King Jr., Viola Desmond, Anne Frank, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Malala Yousafzai. Students then created biographies on a chosen upstander.

As part of her commitment to anti-bullying and ethical decision making, Pearson’s students met with Holocaust survivor Eva Olsson who spoke to students in Grades 4-6 at the school about her experience and trauma in the Holocaust and the importance of bullying prevention.

“In my commitment to citizenship education and diversity, over the years, it is important to me to engage guest speakers from various backgrounds who tell their own stories, in their own words,” Pearson said. “Guest speakers have included An Nguyen, the child of Vietnamese refugees who taught my students about the historical trauma and forced migration but also about Vietnamese culture such as New Year (Tet), Ms. Erica Kataquapit of Attawapiskat who taught my students about the importance of wampum belts and Dr. Amadou Ba, a Senegalese-Canadian francophone to speak my students about West African Culture, music and dance.”

Pearson also utilizes guest speakers to encourage her students to make real-world connections with emerging technologies, such as when she had a Marvel Studios Special FX manager speak to students about coding and animation.

Pearson takes full advantage of the vast learning opportunities that technology presents “to provide unique and innovative opportunities to actively engage in hands-on, inquiry-based learning with a variety of technologies,” she said.

Pearson’s students have travelled virtually through the Canadian Parliament buildings, a Lancaster bomber, Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford and a powerful virtual engagement with Anne Frank’s secret annex.

“I also use technology to bridge cross-curricular subjects and citizenship education. Through virtual experiential learning of the immigrant experience, I encouraged my students to explore specific settler communities related to their heritage and past while interweaving stories of Indigenous ways of knowing and being,” Pearson said.

Pearson models the commitment to life-long learning that she encourages in her students. Pearson is currently studying to achieve her PhD in education while teaching in the education program at Nipissing University. She also is active in the community teaching dance and martial arts.

A notable chapter in Pearson’s life-long learning was a scholarship to attend an educator seminar in Jerusalem, Israel where she learned approaches to teaching the Holocaust to junior students.

“The scholarship program solidified my commitment to teaching my students about social justice and linking my teaching to current events and difficult subjects. Every year we participate in International Holocaust Remembrance Day and discuss difficult topics in an appropriate and yet impactful manner,” Pearson said.

In 2020 Pearson was honoured for her Holocaust education in the classroom as a distinguished educator by the Canadian Society of Yad Vashem.

Superintendent of Education Timothy Graves said, “We are proud to recognize Anna Pearson as one of our outstanding educators and look forward to seeing her students flourish as they move on into their futures. Anna embodies the objectives outlined in the Board’s Multi-year Strategic Plan. She is an active and engaging educator and always connects her lessons to real-world issues while making them thought-provoking and poignant for her students.”

Since 1994, the Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence have honoured more than 1,700 exceptional teachers from across Canada. At an upcoming ceremony, Nipissing- Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota will present Pearson with an official certificate and a letter signed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Sunset Park Public School will also receive an official certificate.

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Brett Hanson

Communications Coordinator

Near North District School Board

(705) 472-8170, extension 5083

Brett.Hanson@nearnorthschools.ca

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022

Dual credit program offers a path to secondary school graduation and beyond

A partnership between Near North District School Board (NNDSB), Canadore College and four other school boards gives an alternative option to secondary students who wish to experience college courses within a chosen course of study. Dual credits are also an effective experiential learning option for adult learners looking to achieve secondary school graduation.

For students who are within reach of graduation and have the potential for success in college or apprenticeship programs, the dual credit program offers the chance to earn secondary school and college credits at the same time.

Canadore College project leader Patricia Jackson said the dual credit program is a provincial initiative jointly funded by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and the Ministry of Education. Eligible students are chosen by their guidance departments and registered by the NNDSB dual credit teacher. Students receive both secondary school and college credits and it allows for a smooth transition to college or apprenticeship, as students build relationships, success and familiarity in the college setting.

Each semester there are two courses offered exclusively to adult learners over the age of 21. This semester, two counselling courses, Mental Health Across the Lifespan and Introduction to Substance Abuse, are being offered. The courses are small, up to 15 students and run from late September to Christmas.

“The college tuition, textbooks, supplies, and transportation are all covered by the program. Students who continue their education at a community college may transfer their credits or lighten their load if they return to Canadore,” Jackson said. “It is a low-risk way of discovering the college experience and trying courses to see if they fit with the student’s skills and experience.”

The adult dual credit program is delivered “in a mature college setting and an exciting way to earn two secondary school credits and two college credits at the same time in only seven weeks,” said Rebecca Ortiz, adult dual credit teacher at Laurentian Learning Centre.

The most popular courses in the program are the counselling course which is offered every fall and the trades fundamental course in the spring, said Ortiz.

“There are still a good number of seats available for the fall counseling course,” Ortiz said. “The trades course is also very exciting. Last year plumbing and carpentry were offered. Students earned two high school credits and one credit each in plumbing and carpentry.”

The Mental Health across the Lifespan course offered this fall introduces basic concepts related to mental health and mental illness. The lifespan approach looks at mental health issues occurring from birth to death. Students are also introduced to concepts around abnormal behaviour, its assessment and classification through appropriate diagnostic tools.

Introduction to Substance Use looks at the history of substance use, including its social and economic context. This course examines the most prevalent drugs, the common myths surrounding addiction, and the state of current drug policy in Canada. An overview of substance abuse screening and assessment, treatment settings and approaches, and concurrent disorders is also discussed.

For more information and registration, please contact Elizabeth Gribbon at 705-472-5419 ext.3408 or Elizabeth.Gribbon@nearnorthschools.ca or Rebecca Ortiz at 705-776-1340 or Rebecca.Ortiz@nearnorthschools.ca.

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For more information, please contact:

Brett Hanson

Communications Coordinator

Near North District School Board

(705) 472-8170, extension 5083

Brett.Hanson@nearnorthschools.ca

Monday, September 12, 2022

Childcare pilot program launches at Phelps Public School

Near North District School Board (NNDSB) is pleased to announce that a new Before and After School Childcare Program will be opening at Phelps Public School for the 2022-2023 school year. This pilot project is in partnership with the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario and is set to open Sept. 19, 2022.

The programming at Phelps was made possible this year thanks to data obtained in the annual childcare viability survey, which is supported by the Nipissing and Parry Sound Social Services Administration Boards. Due to an increase in school-aged children in the Phelps catchment area, NNDSB and YMCA of Northeastern Ontario felt that a pilot program was viable.

Board Chair Jay Aspin emphasized that, “This partnership is a clear example of our board proactively engaging with staff, parents and communities to provide a supportive learning environment, furthering our board’s strategic commitment to Excellence in Relationships. Caren Gagne, our trustee representative in this area, has worked effectively to help make this happen for the benefit of the students and parents of Phelps Public School”.

“This is great news for the families of Redbridge and area,” said Gay Smylie, Superintendent of Education responsible for Early Years. “Providing a seamless day for children to enjoy high quality childcare programming before and after the school day limits the transitions and keeps kids within their local community. It’s a win-win for our students and our families which is why we are so thankful to the YMCA for taking on this program.”

Before school care will begin at 7 a.m. and after school care will run until 6 p.m. Monday to Friday. Families looking for more information or to register can contact Shelley Ann Trottier with the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario at 705-752-3277 or email shelleyann.trottier@ymcaneo.ca

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Deb Bartlett

Communications Officer

Near North District School Board

(705) 472-8170, extension 5010

Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022

NNDSB app development co-op program gives students real industry experience in a competitive environment

An intensive month-long summer co-op program has two Near North District School Board (NNDSB) students developing a mobile app of their own creation while working with tech professionals and like-minded students from around the province.

The one- and two-credit virtual co-ops give Ontario students the opportunity to network with each other and learn from mentors from Apple Canada and Canadian skills training company Our Wave Hub. Students work to identify a problem and code a mobile app to solve that problem.

Students work collaboratively across a variety of mobile platforms and are taught about entrepreneurship, working in the tech industry and the finer points of mobile app programming.

At the completion of the co-op, students pitched their mobile app to their fellow students as well as tech professionals from Apple. They provided valuable feedback to students on what helps students be successful in their app ideas and their pitches. The most innovative app was selected to continue to the next round of the development process.

“Co-op is a great opportunity for students to really dive deeper into a potential career, helping them decide where their next move is towards obtaining the skills or education required to enter that career,” summer school principal Jamey Byers said. “In this specific co-op, there’s an added competitive flavour to motivate the students and resemble what it is like working on a project team in the information technology (IT) industry.”

NNDSB students Ty Hall and Patience Gilbank, who participated in the co-op, learned a new coding language called Swift, how to work in a professional setting with experts, and how to present their concept to a group of their peers. Hall created an exercise app that allows users to target specific muscle groups. Gilbank’s productivity app helps high school students make schedules, manage their workload and prevent procrastination.

“Our cohort mentor worked at IBM, and she guided us through the steps and processes of developing anything. She taught us how to focus our ideas into building an app, how to pitch our ideas, and gave feedback on everyone’s project,” Hall said.

Hall said the experience taught him things he can’t learn in school such as how to work in a true professional environment.

“It taught me the ways to focus my ideas and really get my point across using professional vocabulary and speaking with confidence. It’s like an actual work environment, it teaches you useful things about the world of business.” Hall said.

Hall said the collaborative environment of the co-op helped to quickly move projects from the idea stage to a fully realized app. The hardest part was presenting his project to the group.

“I have never been so nervous and excited to present my idea because I really believed in it,” he said. “Although I did not win and go to the final round, I still think that in the future I can use the information that I have gained with this co-op and put my best foot forward.”

For Gilbank, the exposure to new people, new ideas and new programs was a highlight of the co-op.

“It was nice to see and hear the ideas of other students. Working with a completely new integrated development environment and programming language allowed me to step out of my comfort zone by doing something different,” Gilbank said.

Gilbank said the co-op has unlocked her creativity and made her confident in her career choices.

“I learned much more about design thinking during the co-op. I also learned first-hand about what a future career for me might look like, such as being given certain tasks to finish that day and having to join a video call daily. I would like to be a video game developer, so enjoying working with code and user interfaces has solidified my future career choice,” she said.

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For more information, please contact:

Brett Hanson

Communications Coordinator

Near North District School Board

1. (705) 472-8170, extension 5083
2. Brett.Hanson@nearnorthschools.ca

Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022

NNDSB summer learning programs boost skills in a fun and supportive environment

NNDSB summer learning camps offer students a wide range of learning opportunities to help them improve their literacy and numeracy skills to support their future success.

Elementary program coordinator Stephanie Underwood said Power Learning Camps are offered to current students in Grades 1 to 4 who may benefit from joyful, focused literacy and numeracy instruction.

The REEL Writers Summer Camp gives students in Grades 5 to 8 the opportunity to explore their own ideas and bring them to life through an authentic filmmaking process. Students learn how to work as part of a team and learn new skills for success in school and life.

The summer learning programs facilitate small group learning experiences that promote resilience, well-being, and social interaction, while growing literacy and numeracy skills through fun and engaging activities. A team of camp instructors lead by an experienced certified teacher run each program.

Underwood said small group settings allow educators to focus on students’ specific skills and needs. Teachers can assess the students’ needs and provide additional instruction in a fun and nurturing environment.

On an average day, Power Learning students engage in small group and one-on-one instruction in reading and math with games and activities based on the students’ areas of need.

The Power Learning Camp also worked with Science North which provided virtual visits, coding lessons and Ask a Scientist sessions. Underwood said students had three one-hour sessions with a presenter where they participated in age-appropriate activities about the environment and landscape of Northern Ontario.

Other unique opportunities included in-person visits with local representatives from the community Friendship Centre to learn about Indigenous teachings and traditions, and Nipissing University’s Books for Brook program.

Books for Brook is a literacy initiative established in memory of Brook Doseger, a 2016 graduate of Nipissing University’s Bachelor of Education program. The program gives away donated age-appropriate books to readers of all ages. The initiative collects books through on campus book drives and distributes thousands of books at literacy camp, events and school visits.

This year the summer learning camps saw a total of 121 students take part at various locations across the school board district.

“Students love coming to summer learning camps. Although the program is only three weeks long, we see student improvement in literacy, mathematics, and overall well-being,” Underwood said.

Power Learning student Emily Whittington said, “I wish this camp wasn’t only three weeks, I wish it was forever because it is so much fun. Thank you, summer learning camp staff!”

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For more information, please contact:

Brett Hanson

Communications Coordinator

Near North District School Board

(705) 472-8170, extension 5083

Brett.Hanson@nearnorthschools.ca

Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022

NNDSB drop-in wellness hubs use fun to build stress management skills

Near North District School Board (NNDSB) is running drop-in wellness hubs for students in North Bay, Parry Sound and Burk’s Falls again this summer. These drop-in hubs run until Aug. 18 and are places where students can connect in person, engage in fun activities and learn tips to cope with stress.

At the wellness hubs, NNDSB child development counsellors and educational assistants take a complete approach to well-being, providing support and tools for physical, mental, emotional and social well-being.

NNDSB acting mental health lead, Lana St. Louis, said the staff at the drop-ins build stress management skills into fun activities, like journaling and mindfulness. Students learn life skills such as easy and healthy meals and snacks they can make at home to nourish their bodies. Stress management skills are often illustrated through fun activities that we each enjoy doing.

Some of the fun activities happening at the wellness hubs include journaling, creating healthy meals and physical activities to aid with healthy bodies and healthy minds. At the Burk’s Falls hub, students and staff take advantage of the sensory room available at Land of Lakes Public School to promote stress management. The sensory room is outfitted with soft chairs, mats, soft lighting, a large swing and fidget toys.

St. Louis also noted that one of the ways the pandemic has impacted many older children and adolescents’ mental health is through “social malnutrition”. The wellness hubs provide an opportunity for outside of the school year for students to be with peers, make new friends and practice social skills with the support of a trained counsellor.

Even though they drop-in and leave anytime, St. Louis said most students stay for the whole day. All are welcome to drop in at the hubs at any time, however, students under the age of 12 require a signed parental consent form.

“This is the second year the program is running. The students who attended last year enjoyed the program and the staff were able to make connections with students that continued into the school year,” St. Louis said.

In North Bay, the hub is operated at OUTLoud, 123 Delaware Ave. Tuesdays to Thursdays from 11:30 to 3 p.m. for ages 10 to 18. For more information, email brianne.macdowell@nearnorthschools.ca.

The Parry Sound wellness hub is located at The Drop, 80 James St. Tuesdays to Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. for ages 12 to 18. For more information, email penny.moffat@nearnorthschools.ca.

The Burk’s Fall hub is at Land of Lakes Public School, 92 Ontario St. Mondays to Fridays from 11 to 3 p.m. for ages 10 -18. For information, contact Dorothy.haggartdavis@nearnorthschools.ca.

Monday, July 25, 2022

NNDSB students take control of their future and soar to new heights through new summer school program

An innovative new summer learning program teaches coding and other practical 21^st century skills as students take control of robots and drones.

At STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) camp students in Grades 7 to 10 gain skills in modern technology as they improve their literacy and numeracy. Summer Program Principal Jamey Byers says students develop coding skills and engage in hands-on activities that involve a variety of robots including drones, LEGO robotics and programable robots called Spheros which helps students grasp fundamental STEM concepts.

“Students use their experiences to work through challenges designed to promote problem solving. Working with these challenges promotes perseverance and an understanding of the development process in technological areas. This allows students to work towards solutions to real-world problems,” Byers says. “Throughout the program students continue to improve their literacy and math skills.”

STEM Camp teacher Jason Henstridge explains how students are able to turn their imagination into reality using 3D printers and design software.

“Students have created items such as can openers, personalized jewelry and custom video game interfaces. Others have used the design and printing to augment other projects they are working on,” Henstridge says. Depending on the size and complexity of the creation, printing can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 14 hours to complete. “Most of the materials that we are using in the printers are derived from plant-based crops such as corn and it is biodegradable.”

Henstridge says students also do a lot of coding to operate a variety of small robots. Using “block coding,” students assemble code using “blocks” that direct a device to perform specific steps in a larger overall task. Robots are programmed to navigate obstacle courses, read, and respond to colour patterns on a piece of paper, and even play sounds and music.

“Students are exposed to a variety of technologies that they may not have spent time with before, each technology has its own attraction and students seem to be drawn to different types,” Henstridge says.

Students designed customized “armour” for their Spheros robots and then developed ways to remove the armour from other robots. Henstridge says this resulted in great problem-solving strategies as students pitted their robots against one another in battles.

One of the highlights of the camp is drone flying. Students once again use block coding to give the vehicles a set of flight path instructions and head to the school cafeteria with the drones to put their code to the test. For the first flight students had to make the drone take-off, fly in a square path and land. If students forgot a step, they would have to return to the code for adjustments.

Having mastered the basics students move onto to more complex maneuvers such as navigating a three-dimensional obstacle challenge featuring specific flight paths and objects requiring photos to be taken by the drone.

Henstridge points out that the heavy focus on developing and refining coding skills is sometimes challenging for STEM camp students.

“Persevering through the ‘almost there’ moments to get to the desired result is sometimes tough but, students have been great at supporting each other,” Henstridge says. “Relying on knowledge developed in the group and helping each other has been the key to a successful camp. When one person overcomes a challenge, seeing that it is possible is motivating to the rest of the group.”

Byers says students gain more than coding and robotics skills from STEM camp. They hone the necessary 21^st century skills of communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, citizenship and character.

“All of this comes back to the core of what we do, enhancing student achievement and well-being,” Byers says. “These students will be able to use the STEM camp experience to enhance their learning moving into September.”

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For more information, please contact:

Brett Hanson

Communications Coordinator

Near North District School Board

(705) 472-8170, extension 5083

Brett.Hanson@nearnorthschools.ca

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

West Ferris culinary arts program gives students a taste of restaurant work

What began as an idea to recreate a commercially-made breakfast wrap has exploded into a weekly lunch program that serves 250 students and staff at West Ferris Secondary School in North Bay.

The West Ferris lunch program offers hospitality students the opportunity to get the full restaurant experience by working in every position from dishwasher to cook to server while delivering meals they planned and made from scratch.

Hospitality teacher Theresa Parise draws on her wealth of experience as a restaurant owner and operator to guide students through a practical introduction to the food industry.

“We began preparing lunches for the students participating in the lunchtime literacy workshops. The lunches were very popular and helped incentivize students to show up for some extra literacy support while being nourished at the same time,” Parise says. “One of my students suggested making a breakfast wrap. We brainstormed and planned the project.”

With the help of that student, who had restaurant experience, students began efficiently producing the breakfast wraps daily and from there began to explore the possibility of providing lunches to the entire student body. The class began a menu project which included market research using data collected from the entire school on their preferred types of lunch items. Once the data was collected students began to execute their ideas. Once the project took shape students were expected to create a menu consisting of one meal at a fixed price consisting of a main, a side and a dessert. They had to cost each piece of the menu, create a shopping list, and a plan for the creation and service of the meal. At the end of each week the class then decides on which meal to produce for the following week.

The hospitality classroom runs like a well-oiled machine with tasks being checked off each day of the week. The class needs to prepare for both pre-ordered lunches and cash orders at the counter.

“Our lunches are usually offered every Thursday. We build the menu by designating each day of the week to a component of the lunch,” Parise said. “Monday might be a baking day where students in Periods 1 and 2 make dough for buns for a sandwich.

The Period 3 class would shape, proof, and bake the bread. Tuesday and Wednesday would be prepping the rest of the components required. It is extremely busy; we serve an average of 200 students and 40-50 staff each week at $8 per lunch.”

Examples of the meals produced by the program include a chicken club wrap with tomato bisque soup and strawberry parfait, panzerotti with classic Caesar salad and tiramisu cheesecake trifles and nacho taco salad with Mexican rice and butter tart bars. Almost all of the menu items are made entirely from scratch.

Throughout the semester students rotate through all the positions of a commercial kitchen and restaurant. Duties are categorized as either “front of the house” or “back of the house.”

Front of the house positions include servers who prep and bag lunches, set up tables and hand out orders, expediters who run orders, bag food or work the cook line if necessary, and cashiers.

Back of the house jobs are prep cooks, line cooks, a kitchen caller, who places the orders with the cooks, and last but not least, the dishwashers.

Students are expected to participate in all front of house and back of house positions at least once before the end of the semester and they must be present to work their own lunch project if it is chosen.

“The atmosphere is a healthy, tense vibe where everyone knows we have a job to do and a goal to meet,” Parise says. “I raise the bar quite high here as some students don’t realize how rewarded and accomplished they can feel at the end of the day.

“Everyone has a different personality, and some students are just going to be more suited to these kinds of quick, high-performance jobs than others. This a good place for students to learn that about themselves,” Parise says.

The West Ferris lunch program is open to all students and Parise says many have found employment in the food service industry as a direct result of their experience there. Others have gone on to post-secondary education in culinary arts and hospitality.