By Deb
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
At the regular meeting of Near North District School Board last night, Zone 3 Trustee Jeanie Fuscaldo announced her resignation, effective June 11.
At May’s meeting of the Board of Trustees, Zone 1 Trustee Chantal Phillips announced her resignation, effective at the end of June.
Chair St. Pierre thanked Trustees Fuscaldo and Phillips for their contributions to public education.
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By Deb
Friday, May 16, 2025
The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting of Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
Resignation of Trustee Chantal Phillips announced
Board Chair Ashley St. Pierre announced the resignation of Zone 1 Trustee Chantal Phillip, effective June 30, 2025.
Trustee Phillips noted that she has appreciated the work, but is moving out of the region.
Trustees vote to divide funds among schools
Trustees voted to support a notice of motion put forward by Trustee Jeanie Fuscaldo and Vice-Chair Howard Wesley to divide the funds in the Trustee Initiative Fund equally between all NNDSB schools.
Discussion took place about whether the funds would be divided on a per capita basis or by school. It was decided that since rural schools don’t have as large a student population, which affects funding, funds would be split equally between all schools.
Incoming Student Trustee introduced
In his written report to the Board, Director of Education Craig Myles welcomed incoming Student Trustee Dev Bassi, who attended the Board meeting. Dev will be sworn in at the September Board meeting. The report also noted that Indigenous Student Trustee Riley Trudeau is serving a two-year term, and the Director looks forward to her continued hard work, contributions and successes.
Other items in the Director’s report included an ALS-inspired ice bucket challenge at Chippewa Secondary School to raise awareness, break the stigma and support mental health education. The staff encouraged their colleagues at West Ferris to participate.
West Ferris Secondary School students in the personal life management program were recognized by The Gathering Place during Volunteer Appreciation Week. Every Tuesday, student volunteers assist with folding laundry, rolling cutlery and packaging snacks.
Parry Sound High School students had great success at the Skills Ontario Competition 2025 in Toronto. Rachel Nobel placed second and Miya Rochon placed third in the restaurant service competition, and Makayla Strydom and Ashlyn Belanger finished first in TV and Film Production. They will be travelling to the Skills Canada National Competition in Regina on May 29-30.
The report also notes that school boards will receive funding to support students in summer 2025, to provide consistent and reliable mental health services. This will ensure continuity of services over the summer months.
Indigenous Student Trustee’s report
Indigenous Student Trustee Riley Trudeau reported that the Indigenous Youth Circle (IYC) has been busy with Red Dress Day, the Moose Hide Campaign and powwows. IYC has been raising awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) while fundraising to support the Ojibwe Women’s Lodge in Nipissing First Nation.
IYC members attended a visit by Ted Nolan, who spoke about being a member of the Garden River First Nation community and his journey into the National Hockey League as a player and coach.
Teachings and powwows have started at schools, including events at which feeder school students attend secondary school events as a transition activity. Indigenous perspectives are connected to classroom topics such as art, literacy, social studies and history. IYC is grateful for the Niigan Gdizhaami (NG) fund, which supports events in collaboration with Dokis First Nation.
Schools are preparing for their powwows, including the first teaching and learning powwow at Almaguin Highlands Secondary School.
Student Trustee’s report
Student Trustee Nanak Sidhu reported that student life across the district has been busy, with cultural celebrations, athletic excellence, artistic flair and community-minded service.
At Chippewa, students participated in the Special Olympics North Bay Fun Run, and delivered 150 pounds of non-perishable food to the North Bay Food Bank. A group of West Ferris Trojans completed the North Bay Fire and Emergency Services Firefighter-in-Training camp, gaining first-hand experience in emergency response teamwork.
At the Kiwanis Music Festival, Chippewa’s Grade 7/8 band earned silver, the secondary concert band earned silver and gold, the Jazz Ravens struck gold, and the guitar ensemble earned silver.
West Ferris hosted the regional DramaFest North, at which Almaguin’s Tartan Theatre advanced to the provincial showcase with Failure and Fortitude: The Female Edison.
Jiya Savsani of West Ferris attended the Renfrew Regional Science Fair, winning gold in Engineering and Computer Science. She won the OACETT/OPG Award and the grand award, earning a spot at the Canada-wide Science Fair in Fredericton.
Newly elected Student Senators were provided with foundational information about meetings. The upcoming meeting will focus on strategic planning.
Later this month, Student Trustee Sidhu will represent NNDSB at the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association annual general meeting in Toronto. This will be his final conference as president.
Trustees seek meeting with Education Minister
Trustees voted to request a meeting with Education Minister Paul Calandra, at which they would like to discuss the new JK-12 Parry Sound school and the Board’s decision to keep McDougall Public School open for one more year.
There have been several letters written between Board Chair Ashley St. Pierre and the Minister of Education about the decision. The Board wants a meeting in which they wish to discuss past decisions, including minutes of past meetings.
The Board seeks a meeting with Minister Calandra, Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Graydon Smith, and delegates of NNDSB (including Chair St. Pierre, other trustees and board staff).
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Note: the full agenda package is posted on the website prior to meetings, and official minutes are posted after they are approved at the next Board meeting.
By Deb
Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024
Near North District School Board (NNDSB) Laurentian Learning Centre (LLC) graduate Allie Travale credits the alternative school with “saving my life in many ways,” and has thought about giving back to the school ever since graduating in 2015. It wasn’t until four years later that an opportunity to do just that presented itself.
Travale, who had excelled academically throughout school, struggled with severe anxiety and depression, which began to harm her education.
“My attendance counsellor, Erin Fitzgerald, played a pivotal role in getting me into the LLC. At the LLC, I was provided with an environment that was flexible, caring, non-judgmental and supportive. The teachers were (and are still) all amazing people. My peers were just youth like me, struggling for a wide variety of reasons, trying to get through school and life,” Travale said. “It creates a feeling of safety being around people who understand struggling in their own ways. The smaller class sizes also helped a lot with my anxiety.
“I grew so much in my time attending the LLC. I was able to work through a lot of the anxiety and depression slowly but surely, and part of that growth came from the LLC environment, the available supports, and the consistent encouragement,” Travale said. “I began to see that maybe I could still graduate and live a life worth living after graduation.”
Soon after graduation, Travale dreamed of giving back to the school and assisting future students as she was assisted. “I wanted to be a part of that helpful environment for other young people in situations, or mental places, that I could relate to. It became a dream goal of mine,” Travale said.
An opportunity to realize that dream presented itself in 2019 when Travale and project partner Chelsea Reid learned of the Laidlaw Foundation’s Youth Action Fund, a grant stream focused on youth with “lived experience” in either the education, child and family services or justice system. The grantors specifically wanted youth to lead the project, helping other youth underserved by one or more of those systems.
Travale and Reid then formed C-ACE (Creative Arts-Based Civic Engagement), which aimed to integrate art into the school, funding everything needed for the classes and facilitating the art classes alongside a teacher.
“We hoped to increase attendance, raise student confidence as well as access to self-expression, increase food budget support, incorporate cultural components, and increase credit achievement levels, thereby increasing overall graduation rates,” Travale said. “We also hoped that the results and new art supplies at the school would lead to regular arts credits being offered at the school when our grant ended.”
With assistance from local non-profit N2M2L (Near North Mobile Media Lab), the team’s grant application was accepted in early 2020.
Inspired by their success, Travale began thinking of the next project to take on.
“A second grant project idea came to me in the Summer of 2021. Our grant was set to end at the end of 2021/beginning of 2022, and I was thinking ahead with hopes to apply again,” Travale said. “I was looking for a way to expand what we had done into something even more impactful and beneficial for the students and the school. I knew that we could go even deeper into aiding the wellness impact for students.”
From this desire to do more came the Ways to Wellness Project (WTWP), which supports holistic wellness endeavours by helping to facilitate physical education, general health, and mental wellness opportunities at LLC.
“Through WTWP, media and visual arts are being woven into the school offerings, along with civic engagement opportunities and activities supporting the crucial multi-faceted aspects of well-being,” Travale said. “This includes Indigenous cultural components, such as the creation of the Nishnaabemwin/Anishinaabemowin Language Deck (ALD), which is a key component of the project. The language deck is a bilingual educational flashcard deck designed to encourage and enable people everywhere to understand and speak Anishinaabemowin.”
“The ALD has been an incredible part of this project that LLC students participated in, aiding in language revitalization and cultural pride,” Travale said. “The language deck was reviewed by Nipissing First Nation’s Language Committee, with distribution being supported by Anishinabek Nation to connect with First Nation communities across the province. Other spaces with a variety of culturally relevant programming have received decks as well. We had close to 20 artists onboard for the deck artworks, whose Anishinaabe heritage spans a large geographic region along the North Shore of the Great Lakes. The Seven Sacred Teachings cards artworks were created digitally by LLC and Nbisiing Secondary School students alongside elders/cultural facilitators who spoke about the teachings with the students, which was beautiful.”
The WTWP has also provided physical education equipment, supported cooking classes and food access for students, continued support for art classes, supported the school garden, purchased books and a variety of other supplies, and provided opportunities for field trips and guest speakers/workshop facilitators.
LLC Vice-Principal Lisa Spencer said Travale understands that students need a bit of extra time, extra encouragement and extra support to reach their goals.
“Allie is a creative soul who sees the best in everyone, accepts individuals for who they are and seeks to meet them where they are. Allie contributes an artist’s touch and a big heart to each project she contributes to,” Spencer said. “She comes to LLC as often as she can to work with staff and students to build a community of collaboration and comfort for everyone to learn and experiment. She adds value to the aspects of LLC that students love the most: art, experiences, mentorship, hobbies, community and, of course, learning. Allie is a strong mentor for the students at LLC, and everyone benefits from her gentle presence and determined direction.”
“Access to alternative schooling is incredibly important for youth with lived experience and youth who are struggling. Often, these youth are the ones who fall through the cracks, possibly ending up on a less than favourable path, or worse,” Travale said.
“When these students can learn and grow in a smaller school where alternative approaches, wellness focuses, uplifting teachers, and flexibility are all prioritized, it creates a critical bridge to a brighter future for them,” she added. “Hope and vision can change the entire way that we live our lives, and sometimes we need help getting into that type of mindset.
“We can’t eliminate all of the struggles or unique reasons that youth may need a school like the LLC, but we can do our part to support spaces that help pave better paths forward for those in need. In doing so, we are ensuring that these spaces can continue fostering deeply meaningful transformations for youth, creating lifelong impacts, and ultimately shaping a brighter future for both the youth and our society as a whole,” said Travale.
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By Deb
Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024
Dear Parents and Guardians,
This is a reminder to NNDSB families about what happens during inclement weather.
Transportation services for NNDSB students is provided by Nipissing Parry Sound Student Transportation Services (NPSSTS). This is a third-party provider – NNDSB does not provide the transportation services to our schools.
If NPSSTS believes weather makes it unsafe to transport students, bus cancellations will be announced. Sometimes the cancellations are for all areas and sometimes they are for “corridors”, or some areas of the board. NPSSTS’s home page has a search option to find out what corridor your student is in; you must know your student’s bus route number to use this search option.
Alerts for delays and cancellations can be found on NPSSTS’s website. Delays and cancellations will also be posted on NNDSB’s Facebook page as early as possible (usually by 6 or 6:15 a.m.), and local radio stations broadcast this information.
Families are encouraged to create an account with NPSSTS so they can access information via the parent portal.
When buses are cancelled, schools usually remain open for students who are able to walk to school, or who have alternate transportation. Transportation is cancelled for the whole day, so students who are dropped off in the morning must also be picked up at school at the regular dismissal time.
In some circumstances, NNDSB may decide to close a school. This decision could be due to the severity of the weather, loss of power or water. If schools are closed for the day, parents will be notified through their school, board, and local media communications. Our primary concern is always the safety of our students.
If buses to your school are either cancelled for the day and/or schools closed, instruction and related student activities will be provided for your child to complete at home. These activities may include online or offline activities that every child can access. We understand that because each school and community is unique, plans will vary across the board in response to local contexts. However, we plan to ensure that the learning continues for students, despite the weather outdoors.
Sincerely,
Near North District School Board
By Deb
Friday, Aug. 30, 2024
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The monthly Letter to Families is intended to keep you apprised of news that affects all students and families of Near North District School Board (NNDSB). It is typically distributed on the first Friday of the month, but is sent the Friday before school begins in September as a welcome to the new school year.
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Director of Education Craig Myles hopes everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer, and offers NNDSB students a heartfelt welcome to the 2024-2025 school year!
Some staff at NNDSB have been working through July and August to prepare our facilities for another school year brimming with lessons and adventure. Our educators are looking forward to providing students with a great year of learning and fun.
To our youngest learners and new families, welcome to NNDSB! This monthly letter is just one way we endeavour to keep our families informed of what’s going on in the board.
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Math fact fluency, or the ability for students to recall basic math facts quickly, accurately, and effortlessly, is an essential component of students’ math knowledge. Lack of fact fluency can slow down students’ processing of more complex math problems and situations.
Recent research shows the importance of fact fluency as a foundation for more difficult math, and even as a predictor of future math success. For these reasons, fact fluency is one important component of math programming across our district as we begin the new school year. Please check out our updated NNDSB Math For Families page for strategies and resources to help your child build fact fluency at home.
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If you’re receiving this letter by email, you’ve filled out the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) form and provided express consent to receive material from NNDSB and your child’s school. If you are reading this online or via social media and would like to receive board news, please be sure to fill out and return the CASL form that will be coming home with students in the first few days of the school year. Alternatively, the form can be accessed here, and returned to your child’s school.
If you do not return the CASL form, you will not receive any communication from either the board or schools.
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Families should have received letters from their child’s school regarding the Ministry of Education’s updated policy guidance about codes of conduct, which includes restrictions on the use of personal mobile devices while at school or school events effective Sept. 1, 2024.
This information is being sent at school level. If you have not received a letter, reach out to your child’s school.
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Student exchange organization YES Canada, in partnership with NNDSB, is welcoming international students from a range of destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan and France to study at local secondary schools in North Bay, Parry Sound and surrounding areas this school year. Hosting opportunities are available in the fall and throughout the school year.
YES Canada is seeking families interested in participating in this rewarding experience and hosting an incoming student. Host families provide a home away from home in a safe and nurturing environment, three meals per day and the opportunity for the student to become a family member. A monthly stipend to offset the cost of hosting is provided, as well as on-going guidance and support from the experienced YES Canada team prior to and during a student’s stay.
If you are interested in hosting an international high school student or would like to learn more about YES Canada’s homestay program and the many benefits of becoming a host, we will be excited to connect with you. Hosting opportunities are available for possible durations of two, three, five, 10 and 12 months.
For more information or to become a YES Canada Host Family email homestay@youthedservices.ca, call 416-624-6200 ext. 410 or visit the YES Canada website.
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Last year, the Ministry of Education directed school boards to share a detailed summary of PA Day activities with families in communication, on the website, on social media and in board buildings.
Information about PA day activities will be included in the monthly letter to families, including links to board’s website.
Click here for information about PA Day activities. You will find a list of dates of PA Days; each link will take you to an outline of that day’s activities for staff. Here is a link to the training that took place Aug. 28 and 29.
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A hard copy of the 2024-2025 school year calendar will be sent home with students, but it can also be found online.
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School transportation is provided by Nipissing Parry Sound Student Transportation Services (NPSSTS), not NNDSB. Families can visit www.npssts.ca for information on eligibility, walking distances, processes for making changes, registration for the parent portal and to subscribe to notifications.
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There is a communications protocol in place for families to resolve issues that may arise at school. Communications information can be found on this page of the website. Open the communication protocol accordion for more information, including the purpose of the protocol. The family communication protocol will outline the process to be followed in addressing concerns. Escalating an issue to the board office without first working with the teacher and principal will result in your concern being redirected to the school.
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The next meeting of the Board will be held Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and you are welcome to attend in person or join via Zoom. The link and login information can be found at the top of the Board and committee meetings page.
Information about the Board, committees and their meetings can be found here.
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The next meeting of the special education advisory committee (SEAC) will be held Thursday, Sept 19 at 1 p.m. via Zoom, or in person at the North Bay board office.
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In addition to staying informed via the board’s website, families can find NNDSB on Facebook and Instagram.
Sincerely,
Near North District School Board
By Deb
Friday, June 21, 2024
To our Families and Community Partners,
All Near North District School Board (NNDSB) schools are located on the traditional territories of the Anishinabek. Indigenous Peoples have lived on and honoured Turtle Island for thousands of years. We are grateful to have settled and have made our homes in this beautiful territory.
For generations, many Indigenous communities have celebrated their culture at the summer solstice – the longest day of the year. Today we celebrate, too, during National Indigenous Peoples Day.
We hope that you take the opportunity on this day to reflect on the rich cultures and heritages of Indigenous Peoples not just in this area, but across the country that is known as Canada. First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples have distinct cultures, languages, practices, and spiritual beliefs, but they share a connection to the land that they have stewarded and protected since time immemorial.
The board thanks Indigenous Peoples for their wisdom and guidance. We wish Indigenous students and staff a wonderful day of celebration.
We urge everyone to take time to celebrate and learn more about the First Peoples of this land.
Sincerely,
Craig Myles,
Director of Education
By Deb
Friday, June 7, 2024
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The monthly letter to families, distributed on the first Friday of the month, is intended to keep you apprised of news that affects all students and families of Near North District School Board (NNDSB).
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We are nearing the completion of another school year. Director of Education Craig Myles wishes to thank students, their families and staff for their efforts and dedication during the 2023-2024 school year. Congratulations to students who are graduating this year – the Director is proud of your efforts, and wishes you well on the next stages of your journey.
The monthly letter to families will take a break over the summer. The next monthly letter will be distributed on Friday, Aug. 30, in advance of the 2024-2025 school year.
NNDSB wishes all students, staff and their families a safe and happy summer break.
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Did you know that NNDSB is working with the Lung Health Foundation to promote Quash, a judgement-free app that helps youth quit or reduce their vaping?
Teachers and principals are participating in a learning webinar on June 10, and family members will have the opportunity to participate in a stakeholder webinar on Wednesday, June 12 from 7-8 p.m.
The webinar, called Halt the Summer Haze, will boost knowledge about vaping and its dangers while preparing you to start a judgment-free dialogue with a teen you care about. The webinar will touch on the role of stress in your teen’s decision to vape.
Here is the link to the webinar.
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Health units in Ontario are required to assess the vaccine records of all children who attend school, and summer is a great time for families to ensure students are up to date on their immunizations.
The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has provided this information to families, so they know what requirements are for students.
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Student exchange companies MLI Homestay and YES Canada, in partnership with NNDSB, are seeking families in the district including North Bay, Parry Sound and surrounding areas to host international students from a wide range of countries and cultural backgrounds.
For these secondary school students, host families provide a home away from home in a safe and nurturing environment, three meals per day and the opportunity to become a family member. During their stay, students will live with a local family and experience daily life in Canada while developing their English language skills through this immersion experience.
A monthly stipend is provided to host families to offset the cost of hosting. Local coordinators and staff provide ongoing support for host families prior to and during a student’s stay.
Hosting opportunities are available throughout the 2024-2025 school year for possible durations of two, three, five, 10 and 12 months.
If you are interested in hosting an international secondary school student or would like to learn more about YES Canada’s homestay program, contact local coordinator Caitlin Hill, at caitlin.hill@youthedservices.ca or call 705-773-8638.
To learn more about MLI Homestay and their program, contact Kayla, the local coordinator in North Bay at 587-222-7172 or kknight@mlihomestay.com.
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The NNDSB math team is excited to share a number of ideas that will support your child’s math learning over the summer and build the skills to support them as they transition back into school in September.
Everyday summer activities like gardening, shopping, and camping easily become math learning opportunities. Check out our Mathematics for Families webpage for a variety of resources that will help build fluency and understanding. In addition to digital tools and online activities, we’ve included a number of games that are easy and fun to play as a family.
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Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA), to which NNDSB belongs, is working in partnership with Ontario Coalition for Children and Youth Mental Health to conduct a survey.
The survey will help coalition members understand what families need and want when it comes to resources to support them, improve their awareness and support mental health and well-being in children and youth. The results will be used to develop new resources, designed to meet the identified needs.
The deadline for the survey is June 17. Click this link to access the survey.
In addition to the survey, there is also the opportunity for some parents/caregivers and students to participate in a focus group intended to explore this topic in greater detail. The plan is to host up to six focus groups – four for parents/caregivers and two for students.
Focus groups will be held virtually in late June. Participants will receive a gift card for their time. Anyone interested to know more or who wants to confirm their participation can connect with the Coalition at CoalitionSurvey@opsba.org.
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Families that have elementary students from JK to Grade 7 who are not already in Virtual School and who are looking to register for Virtual School for the 2024-25 school year need to reach out to robert.roy@nearnorthschools.ca by June 16.
Elementary Virtual School will operate through the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and registration is happening at specific NNDSB locations the week of June 17. Parents and guardians will need to travel to one of those NNDSB locations with original documents (as requested) at a specific time. Those that miss this deadline may be able to register by booking an in-person appointment in the TDSB area.
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The Ontario government is modernizing the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) requirements for the first time in 25 years. The following information is drawn directly from the Ministry news release.
Ontario will begin consultations this fall with parents and experts on what practical life skills students should learn in school to build a strong foundation that sets them up for success. This can include the mandatory inclusion of life skills like nutritious cooking, changing a tire, sewing a button, using first aid, personal responsibility, and basic economics, all of which can prove valuable throughout a student’s lifespan. This places an emphasis on personal development, decision-making and intrapersonal skills, all of which are in demand by employers across the economy.
Ontario will be introducing a new financial literacy assessment as a graduation requirement to ensure students have the skills and knowledge to create and manage a household budget, save for a home, learn to invest wisely, and protect themselves from financial fraud. Starting in 2025, students will be required to score 70 per cent or higher to meet the financial literacy graduation requirement in their Grade 10 math course. Furthermore, the province will standardize making EQAO Grade 9 Math scores 10 per cent or more of a student’s final mark, a practice already used by the majority of teachers.
The province is also investing in modernized career education programming in their schools with more exposure to the skilled trades and priority economic sectors. The government is investing up to $14 million in 2024-25 for career coaching for Grade 9 and 10 students in the publicly funded education system. In partnership with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, this funding will also provide resources and tools to help at-risk youth, individuals in youth justice facilities, and students in other publicly funded educational settings outside of regular classrooms. Through shared agreements with school boards and other existing structures, this career coaching will help young people succeed and become positive members of their communities.
Click here to read more from the ministry memo quoted in the information above.
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The Near North District School Board has implemented early reading screening tools to help educators identify students who are experiencing difficulties with reading so they can receive the support they need to improve their reading proficiency and give them the best opportunity for success.
The Ministry of Education continues to work with federation partners, vendors and school districts to support the universal implementation of early reading screening tools. Individual student results for students in senior kindergarten to Grade 2 will be communicated as part of the 2024-25 elementary Term 1 Report Card. Should you have any questions or concerns about your child’s reading abilities, please contact your child’s teacher.
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The Ministry of Education has announced a plan to reduce distractions in classrooms and improve the safety of children with a standardized and strengthened plan to counter the rise of vaping and the negative impact of mobile devices and social media.
Vaping will be banned in all schools. Students caught using or carrying vapes or cigarettes will have to hand them in, and families will be notified. The government will be installing vape detectors and other security upgrades in schools.
Students in grades K-6 will have to keep their phones on silent and out of sight all day, unless explicitly permitted by an educator. For students in Grades 7-12, cell phones will not be permitted in class unless explicitly permitted by an educator. Social media websites will be removed from school networks and devices and report cards will include comment on students’ distraction levels in class.
In tandem with these changes, the Ministry of Education will be investing $17.5 million in wrap-around supports for student mental health and parent engagement.
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The next meeting of the Board will be Tuesday, June 11 at 6 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and you are welcome to attend in person or join via Zoom. Here is the link to the meeting. The meeting ID is 899 1167 8742; the passcode is 859936 and the number for dial in is 1-855-703-8985.
If attending in person, please confirm attendance by contacting Maureen Egan at 705-472-8170 ext. 5028 or maureen.egan@nearnorthschools.ca.
Information about the Board, committees and their meetings can be found here.
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In addition to staying informed via the board’s website, families can find NNDSB on Facebook and Instagram.
Sincerely,
Near North District School Board
By Deb
Friday, May 17, 2024
The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting of Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
Ashley St. Pierre elected Chair of Board
Indigenous Trustee Ashley St. Pierre was elected as Chair of the Board of Trustees at last night’s meeting. The position was left vacant after the resignation of Erika Lougheed in April. St. Pierre, who was elected as the Vice-Chair in the fall, has been serving as the Interim Chair since the resignation.
Zone 4 Trustee Howard Wesley was elected as the new Vice-Chair.
Chair St. Pierre commented that the election to the Chair’s position was meaningful. She said she is among the first Anishinaabe-kweg (Anishinaabe women) elected as the Chair of a Board of Education in Ontario, and may well be the first Anishinaabe-kwe Chair in the public system in the province.
Later in the meeting, during the Chair’s remarks, Chair St. Pierre shared that the Anishinaabe phrase mino-bimaadiziwin means living in a good way. She said that she would like to see the Board moving forward in a good way, and building trust with each other.
Trustee Caren Gagne sworn in
One of the first items of business at Tuesday’s Board meeting was the swearing in of Zone 2 Trustee Caren Gagne.
Trustee Gagne, who was the runner-up in the 2022 election to Erika Lougheed, agreed to step in after Lougheed’s resignation.
Trustee Gagne has as long history of community service, and has previously served as an NNDSB trustee.
Literacy team acknowledged at Board meeting
Members of NNDSB’s literacy team were acknowledged at Tuesday’s meeting, in recognition of being a recipient of the Dyslexia Canada Educational Excellence Awards.
The awards celebrate exceptional dedication within school communities in supporting students with dyslexia. According to Dyslexia Canada’s website, the award recognizes the contributions of a variety of school staff who showcase, “remarkable commitment and innovation in ensuring equitable education for students with dyslexia.”
Among the initiatives of the literacy team to support their work is the creation and curation of an internal K-12 literacy site (which has been used by almost 600 different NNDSB educators), a literacy lending library to support educators, system professional development sessions, book clubs and engagement in literacy professional development to support work across the district.
Alicia Smith, executive director of Dyslexia Canada, attended the Board meeting to present the award in person. She also brought congratulatory letters from Dyslexia Canada and the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC).
Smith said there were 120 nominations for the excellence awards, and only three were entire school boards. She said NNDSB’s nomination stood out because the literacy team was so proactive; they had started their work before the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Right to Read inquiry report was released.
Trustee Initiative Funds to be shared among schools
Trustees approved a motion that will see the Trustee Initiative Funds shared equally among all schools.
The motion was brought to committee of the whole by Trustee Howard Wesley. His motion acknowledged the staff crisis being experienced by staff, the extra work staff tackle and the fundraising that takes place to support school supplies, events and activities. The motion called for the allocation of the Trustee Initiative Fund equally among all schools to provide financial assistance as deemed appropriate by the principals.
Director welcomes incoming student trustees
In his report to the Board, Director of Education Craig Myles welcomed the incoming student trustees, who attended as observers. The incoming student trustee is Nanak Sidhu of Chippewa Secondary School, and the incoming Indigenous student trustee is Riley Trudeau of Northern Secondary School.
Myles shared recognition of school and student achievement with trustees. Chippewa Secondary School has been recognized as one of the top secondary schools in the province for Terry Fox fundraising. West Ferris student and multi-sport competitor Riley Bell has been named the recipient of the Special Olympics Award of Excellence for 2023. Chippewa will be hosting the AA OFSAA boys’ soccer championship June 6-8, with games being held at Nipissing University, the Omischl Sports Complex and Cundari Field.
In promoting excellence in teaching and learning, Myles pointed out the virtual family math night sessions held for primary and junior students and their families, as well as the award presented to the board’s literacy team. More about this award can be found in this media release.
NNDSB staff, working with colleagues at two other boards and the North Bay Society of Architects, supported by Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program engaged in a month of planning to offer the second annual climate change challenge. The goal was for students to create and construct a model of a shelter using only a few provided materials.
Work of NNDSB acknowledged at OPSBA
Trustee Bill Steer, who is the NNDSB delegate at the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA), presented a report to trustees.
Highlights include that the Board’s letter (discussed at April’s meeting) was in the OPSBA agenda package, and was highlighted within the correspondence section. The proposed Living Consciously course (also discussed at the April meeting) was presented, with a resolution that the items be referred to the Education Program Work Group for discussion.
Student Trustee Chen’s report to the Board
Student Trustee Dora Chen’s report highlighted the opportunities available to students to equip them with life skills and insights into future opportunities. At Almaguin Highlands Secondary School, life skills workshops were held where students visited four employers, providing graduating seniors with valuable insights. F.J. McElligott also held a career day with 12 presenters.
Many sports are in full play, with soccer, tennis, baseball and track underway. Badminton teams participated at the NDA championship, which was held at Chippewa and West Ferris Secondary Schools.
Several arts activities are underway, including band performances with the 22 Wing Band, and local representation at drama fest. Chippewa placed first with its performance of Complaints Department and Lemonade.
Student Senate welcomed its new Student Senators at the April meeting, and Student Trustee Chen was able to provide guidance to incoming members on their future roles. Student Trustee Chen also gave a presentation on the expectations of the student trustee.
Within the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association (OSTA), Student Trustee Chen participated and presented at the first ever virtual town hall meeting, with more than 40 student trustees from across Ontario. She presented on the mission statement and priorities of advocacy for Northern Ontario’s Student Trustees. She is excited to be attending the annual general meeting, which will conclude her work as a member of OSTA.
Indigenous Student Trustee Benson report to the Board
Indigenous Student Trustee Albany Benson’s report covered updates from the Indigenous Youth Circle. The primary focus at Parry Sound High School has been preparation for the community powwow in the summer. At West Ferris, an Instagram account has been created to post information about what is happening at the Indigenous Centre, and
students will be attending a staff meeting to talk about what it was like coming from their communities to WFSS. Students at Chippewa have drumming sessions for men and women, prepared a ceremony and acknowledgement of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), and are preparing for the Moose Hide campaign. Members of OKIMAKAN are working on a presentation that explains different dances to support students’ understanding. Northern has finished presentations to students in Grades 7 and 8, and are also organizing something to honour MMIWG. Almaguin continues to plan for the celebration of National Indigenous People’s Day at the school, MMIWG and the Moose Hide campaign. At F.J. McElligott, the student success hub has been creating an Indigenous banner and preparing for National Indigenous People’s Day with four sessions of Indigenous arts and sports.
IYC is holding its end-of-year retreat at Nipissing University, and the four-board powwow (taking place May 30) was discussed.
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Note: the full agenda package is posted on the website prior to meetings, and official minutes are posted after they are approved at the next Board meeting.
By Deb
Friday, Feb. 2, 2024
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The monthly Letter to Families, distributed on the first Friday of the month, is intended to keep you apprised of news that affects all students and families of Near North District School Board (NNDSB).
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Today is a PA Day. Here’s a link that outlines what school-based staff will be doing today.
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The Ministry of Education is shining a light on student mental health and has provided this information sheet supporting the new mental health modules being taught in Grades 7 and 8.
The resource is called Exploring Mental Health Together and outlines what students will be learning, signs of mental health problems, stigma related to mental health, how to manage stress, where to go for help and how to continue the conversation at home.
Although the resource is designed specifically to align with the Grade 7 and 8 health and physical education curriculum, the information may be of interest to all families.
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The Director’s Annual Report, which outlines highlights of the 2022-2023 school year, is now published on the NNDSB website.
The report outlines the progress made in meeting NNDSB’s multi-year strategic plan (MYSP) priorities of excellence in teaching and learning, excellence in communication, excellence and relationships and excellence in innovation.
Among the highlights are:
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Would you like to recognize an amazing teacher?
Sponsored by the Ontario Teacher Insurance Plan (OTIP) and the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF), the OTIP Teaching Awards recognize teachers in three categories – elementary school teacher, secondary school teacher and beginning teacher in the first five years of teaching.
The awards recognize excellence of teachers in publicly funded education, and a teacher may be nominated by anyone – a colleague, student, families or the public.
The deadline for receipt of nomination is March 31, 2024. More information can be found at this link.
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There is a new Near North student well-being newsletter that will be created and published monthly.
Families can find the newsletter at this link as well as in the Edsby news feed.
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The next meeting of the Board will be Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and you are welcome to attend in person or join via Zoom. Here is the link to the meeting. The Meeting ID is 899 1167 8742; the Passcode is 859936 and the number for Dial in is 1-855-703-8985.
If attending in person, please confirm attendance by contacting Maureen Egan at 705-472-8170 ext. 5028 or maureen.egan@nearnorthschools.ca.
Information about the Board, committees and their meetings can be found here.
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In addition to staying informed via the board’s website, families can find NNDSB on Facebook and Instagram.
Sincerely,
Near North District School Board
By Deb
Friday, Nov. 17, 2023
The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting of Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.
Board Chair re-elected, Vice-Chair acclaimed
At its annual organizational meeting (held prior to the regular Board meeting), Trustee Erika Lougheed was re-elected to the position of Chair of the Board, and Indigenous Trustee Ashley St. Pierre was acclaimed as the Vice-Chair.
For more information, see this media release.
Five-year accessibility plan presented
The board’s five-year accessibility plan was presented to trustees. A report in the agenda package noted the accessibility plan was outdated, and a staff committee was struck to develop an updated plan.
A draft plan was shared with a number of NNDSB stakeholders, including Board committees, Indigenous Youth Circle, Student Senate, school council chairs, the special education team and union partners.
NNDSB has responsibilities under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) that ensure equitable access to its buildings, programs, services, policies and resources for all students, families, employees and members of the public who make up the NNDSB community.
The plan, which covers the years 2023-2028, lists objectives, actions/outcomes and implementation schedules in the areas of employment, customer services, information and communication, physical environment, transportation.
Math achievement action plan presented to trustees
The board shared its 2023-2024 math achievement plan with trustees. The plan is a result of provincial student achievement priories and metrics aimed at helping students improve Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) scores in reading, writing and math.
The report notes that on the Sept. 29 professional development day, school teams met to select school strategies to support each of the three priority actions. School administrators have determined several actions they will take in their schools to support educator content knowledge, assessment and planning. At the system level, the board is implementing key digital resources assessment and planning tools, and professional learning to ensure coherence and alignment of math priorities across all schools.
Plans made for bullying awareness week
Trustees were made aware of the initiatives underway in the board for bullying awareness and prevention week, taking place Nov. 20-24.
A report to trustees outlined that content for the week spotlights aspects of the board’s safe schools framework and incorporates lessons, resources and activities that challenge students to think about how their actions could cultivate safety in their classrooms, schools and communities.
Though activities differ for elementary and secondary students, the focus will be on citizenship and community, conflict resolution, pink shirt day and online safety.
The full report, and links to more initiatives can be found here.
Draft version of Director’s Annual Report presented
A draft version of the Director’s Annual Report was included in the agenda package for trustees.
The document outlines the progress that was made in the second year of the multi-year strategic plan (MYSP). The annual report provides details on progress made in all four areas of the MYSP – excellence in communications, excellence in relationships, excellence in teaching and learning and excellence in innovation.
Relationships highlighted in Director’s update
In his update, Director of Education Craig Myles spoke about the MYSP pillar of excellence in relationships, and highlighted the NNDSB initiative with local First Nations and the North Bay Battalion.
For three years, NNDSB has partnered to coordinate Indigenous Youth Day, for which Indigenous youth are encouraged to be proud of who they are and share this pride with others . This year, the Proud to Be Me! Indigenous Youth Day was held in coordination with Every Child Matters on Oct. 29. Funds were raised to cover the cost of 2,100 tickets and the game was fully sold out.
Tender awarded for fencing around Chippewa
Trustees approved a recommendation that NNDSB award tender 2024-001 for new fencing at Chippewa Secondary School in the amount of $611,000 plus HST.
The fencing is an additional security measure to address health and safety concerns at the school.
Work will be done to minimize disruption to school operations. Non-disruptive work will be considered for completion during the school day and disruptive work will take place after hours or on weekends.
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Note: the full agenda package is posted on the website prior to meetings, and official minutes are posted after they are approved at the next Board meeting.
Mii gwi Anishinabek wewena nkenmaaminak dependajig maa kiing.
"We acknowledge in a good way, the original people of the land here"
We value the cultures, histories and relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (North America)