Near North District School Board

Letter to Families – reopening details

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Friday, Jan. 14, 2022

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Further to our letter of Wednesday, Jan. 12, this letter to families provides more information about the return to in-person learning on Monday. Near North District School Board (NNDSB) will continue to share details about the return to school as they become available.

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Many workplaces are expecting to be short-staffed due to the transmissibility of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, and the new requirements around self-isolating. NNDSB is anticipating staff shortages, too.

If schools are not able to safely operate with the number of available staff, NNDSB will close schools. The announcement may be made the night before, the morning of the closure, or possibly even during the day in certain circumstances.

We understand the lack of notice will be problematic for many families. Unfortunately, it is a reality we face, and we want to give families advance notice so they may make contingency plans if their child’s school is closed.

NNDSB will work within the parameters outlined by the Ministry of Education, and situations will vary from school to school. If a school is closed, it will be communicated to affected families by the school through SchoolMessenger. Information will also be shared on NNDSB’s Facebook and Twitter accounts as soon as possible.

While schools may be closed, learning will continue online. Teachers will reach out to families about remote learning opportunities in the event of a school closure.

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Effective Monday, Jan. 17, 2022, it will be mandatory that all JK/SK students wear masks.

High-quality, three-ply masks will be made available for all students at all schools. Schools also stock medical-grade masks for all students if needed.

Non-fit-tested N95 masks will be available for all staff.

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The Ministry of Education announced it will be providing families with rapid antigen tests to assist in keeping schools safe for students and staff. The kits, like those sent home with students before the winter break, will be distributed next week.

NNDSB will be distributing all tests it has received. Schools and board offices do not have a stock of tests. More tests will be distributed once NNDSB receives more. Next. week, students will be given two tests each.

Instructions will be included with the tests. If the instruction sheet is misplaced, you may find the instructions for the tests here. There is also an instruction video. Rapid antigen tests are only to be used if a student is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.

All staff and students will be required to confirm they have successfully self-screened every day before coming to school.

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If your family borrowed a device(s) from NNDSB for the return to online learning, please return all devices, charging blocks and cables to school next week.

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On the advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and the local health unit, indoor high contact and high-intensity activities (such as wrestling, basketball, multi-cohort choirs and wind instrument ensembles, for example) have been paused. For the week of Jan. 17, all extra-curricular activities and practices will be paused. All interschool sports will be paused until Jan. 31, pending review by the health unit and co-terminus school boards.

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As always, any important news will be shared with stakeholder groups, including families, by letter. The board’s website is also updated, with pandemic news located on the COVID-19 alerts page. News is also posted to the board’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

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NNDSB follows the direction of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the public health unit when devising COVID-19 plans. The health and safety of students and staff remains our top priority.

Thank you,

Near North District School Board

Board Highlights for January meeting

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Friday, Jan. 14, 2022

Board Highlights for January meeting

The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting of Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022.

Public Education Symposium moves online

The pandemic has led to Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) to move its annual Public Education Symposium online. The symposium is the association’s premier professional development for school boards.

This year’s event will be held Friday, Jan. 28.

Because boards will pay a flat fee based on student enrolment, all trustees plus five additional board staff will be able to participate in the symposium.

Anti-sex trafficking protocols introduced

A report was presented to the Board that outlined NNDSB’s administrative guideline for anti-sex trafficking protocols. The protocols are in response to a Ministry of Education requirement that all school boards in Ontario must have a protocol for the response to suspected sex trafficking occurrences.

The guideline creates community-centred anti-sex trafficking protocols, and outlines education for students, families and staff about sex trafficking, healthy relationships, safe and responsible use of technology, addressing high-risk behaviour and knowing when and how to seek help.

Accomplishments honoured in year-end review

The Board took time to honour the work achieved by staff last year. A year-end review was included in the agenda package, and Director of Education Craig Myles spoke to the work at the meeting.

In spite of being challenged by remote learning and continuing effects of COVID-19, NNDSB staff made strides in all areas of the organization. The Multi-Year Strategic Plan was approved and launched, the board was acknowledged by the Ombudsman of Ontario for implementing recommendations around transparency and governance, two new school builds are in the works in North Bay and Parry Sound, and relationships with stakeholders are being improved through communications and collaboration.

For more information, see this media release.

Indigenous Student Trustee sworn in

Allen Lewis Trodd was sworn in as NNDSB’s Indigenous Student Trustee at Tuesday night’s meeting.

Lewis Trodd is a Grade 11 student at Parry Sound High School who is from Magnetawan First Nation. He is a member of NNDSB’s Indigenous Youth Circle and Student Senate.

In his presentation to the Indigenous Youth Circle, Lewis Trodd said, “I’d love to be the student trustee to be able to talk about, explain, to show them the great ideas we make here…talk about our goals, what we plan to do, what we hope to do.”

For more information, see this media release.

Student Trustee highlights community engagement

In her presentation to the Board, Student Trustee Cecilia Darling spoke about the activities that secondary school students participated in prior to the winter break. Several of the schools participated in collecting items for charities and local food banks. Staff and students also participated in holiday-related events, like writing letters and donating small gifts to seniors in long-term care homes.

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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.

For more information, please contact:
Deb Bartlett (she/her)
Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170 ext. 5010
E. Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

 

Board takes time to honour its accomplishments in 2021

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Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022

Board takes time to honour its accomplishments in 2021

Trustees of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) took a few moments at their Jan. 11 meeting to appreciate the achievements made throughout 2021.

In a year that saw even more challenges presented by the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff of NNDSB forged ahead with plans to achieve the Board’s goals.

Director of Education Craig Myles spoke to the work accomplished in 2021 at the Board meeting. The presentation was accompanied by a document in the agenda package called 2021 A Year in Review. Highlights included the launch of the Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP), acknowledgement by the Ombudsman of Ontario for implementing recommendations around transparency and governance, recognition for successfully implementing a vaccination policy procedure and being asked to support the Government of the Northwest Territories in doing the same, submission of successful grant proposals to enhance services, commencement of the process of building new schools in North Bay and Parry Sound, increased stakeholder communication, formation of the Equity Advisory Circle and Indigenous Youth Circle, launch of a Personal Support Worker program throughout the district and begun a reorganization to better align resources.

“These results are very pleasing,” said Board Chair Jay Aspin. “As Trustees, in 2018 we were given a public mandate to reform and rejuvenate the Near North board. With the strong support of the Board of Trustees and the solid leadership of Director Craig Myles and his senior leadership team, we are accomplishing our goals despite the harsh, disruptive pandemic conditions we’ve faced. Our heartiest congratulations to everyone for working so hard toward the achievement of these goals.”

In the area of human resources (HR), the board has begun recruitment and selection processes to build talent pools of future leaders. Leadership development and succession planning are a focus, with learning modules that staff are able to work on independently.

NNDSB’s finance committee has developed a budget procedures manual that aligned the budget development process with the MYSP goals of student achievement and well-being. A monitoring process ensures trustees are apprised quarterly of financial operating results, accumulated reserves and the trustee development reserve fund.

Staff maximized provincial and federal offers of funding for COVID-19-related support. NNDSB secured funds to purchase laptops, iPads and internet connectivity devices for use by students. Staff aggressively pursued federal government funding that supports energy efficiency and air quality improvement at NNDSB schools.

On the capital planning front, NNDSB is working on two new schools. The JK-12 Parry Sound School will be a space in which students will seamlessly transition from daycare through secondary school in a modern building. In North Bay, the new Fricker build will accommodate students in JK-6 from Carmichael and Norman, as well as extended French students from Fricker.

Several modifications were made to Board governance, all of which were initiated to improve efficiency. In September, a proposal was accepted that gave expressed consent from the Board to the senior administration team to proceed to public consultation on the development, creation or update of administrative guidelines, eliminating the delay in requesting consent to seek consultation. Another change was the development of the Extraordinary Circumstances by-law, which allows for the Chair to act on behalf of the Board to temporarily invoke the by-law to deal with an emergency or extraordinary circumstance.

NNDSB began the process of streamlining processes and better aligning role responsibilities. The board is creating role descriptions for all departments and is merging operational roles in finance and human resources. A flow chart is being created that will graphically and clearly illustrate organizational structure. The board is working to fill gaps in areas determined as understaffed, beginning with the hiring of an HR manager in August 2021. A plan for cross-training will ensure smooth business operations in and between departments, and the process of recruiting vice-principals, principals and supervisory officers is being strategically designed.

The board also continues to work to maintain the confidence of its various stakeholder groups. The board has formed an equity advisory circle, an Indigenous education advisory circle and an Indigenous youth circle, all of which increase communication and collaboration in the provision of education to a wide range of students. The board remains focused on reconciliation and building stronger relationships with Indigenous staff, students and communities. A new communications team has improved the quantity and quality of communications with stakeholder groups and strives to keep all groups apprised of news in the board.

A major achievement in 2021 was the creation of a PSW program that will train and certify workers in all areas of NNDSB. Partnerships were formed with healthcare organizations who will provide space in living classrooms, allowing students to learn on-site and use their knowledge immediately in practical application of the skills.

Director Myles said he was inspired by the volume and quality of work that was accomplished last year as staff faced challenges caused by COVID-19. “I know staff are under tremendous pressure during this pandemic, yet time and again, this team is able to deliver. The MYSP has charted the course for this board, and I’m proud to see staff forge ahead in the service of student achievement and well-being.”

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For more information, please contact:

Deb Bartlett
Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170, extension 5010
E. Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

Allen Lewis Trodd sworn in as Indigenous Student Trustee

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Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022

Allen Lewis Trodd sworn in as Indigenous Student Trustee

Near North District School Board (NNDSB) unanimously accepted the recommendation from the Indigenous Youth Circle to appoint Allen Lewis Trodd as the Indigenous Student Trustee. In a first for the board, Lewis Trodd, a Grade 11 student at Parry Sound High School, was sworn in as the Indigenous Student Trustee at tonight’s Board meeting with an honour song by Rodney Stanger.

Lewis Trodd is Anishinaabe and Coast Salish from Magnetawan First Nation, and is a member of NNDSB’s Indigenous Youth Circle and Student Senate.

In his presentation to the Indigenous Youth Circle about his desire to be the Indigenous Student Trustee, Lewis Trodd said speaking to the Board (he addressed the Board at its November meeting) was “cool, but I’d love to be the student trustee to be able to talk about, explain, to show them the great ideas we make here…talk about our goals, what we plan to do, what we hope to do.”

In his Indigenous Youth Circle presentation, he said, “I like to think of myself as a nice, charismatic guy” who welcomes the opportunity to show the Board what matters to Indigenous students. “It means a lot to me…this is important to me,” he said. “If I’m able to become (Indigenous) Student Trustee it will allow me to make something happen or change that I’ll be able to help Indigenous students out.”

NNDSB Board Chair Jay Aspin indicated, “Our board was pleased to have added an Indigenous Student Trustee position to enable Indigenous youth to have a say with regard to their education, so we are delighted with their selection of Allen Lewis Trodd. In today’s world, there is nothing like the power of education to assist in advancing reconciliation.”

Tracy Hendrick, NNDSB’s Indigenous Education Lead, says this year, 11 per cent of NNDSB students self-identified as First Nation, Métis or Inuit. Having an Indigenous Student Trustee is important, she says, because “we need to be centering Indigenous student voice. Indigenous youth programming and resources should not be solely planned by non-Indigenous adults. Indigenous youth bring a unique perspective to the table.”

Director of Education Craig Myles said the Indigenous Student Trustee will be in a position to bring the ideas and desires of NNDSB’s Indigenous students to the Board table. “Allen has assumed an important responsibility to his Indigenous and non-Indigenous peers, to trustees, and to staff. The board looks forward to working with Student Trustee Lewis Trodd and hearing what Indigenous students believe is important in their school experience.”

Hendrick says Lewis Trodd will be working with Student Trustee Cecilia Darling. “They will be working together; they are not on two separate paths. This sends an important message to all students and the public about what reconciliation actually looks like.”

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For more information, please contact:

Deb Bartlett
Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170, extension 5010
E. Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

January Letter to Families

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Friday, Jan. 7, 2022

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This 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). The Letter to Families is distributed on the first Friday of the month.

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In May 2021, we shared the decision that NNDSB was continuing with the octomester model for the 2021-2022 school year based on direction from the Ministry of Education and local public health units. After consultation with students, families and staff, we are pleased to share with you that NNDSB is planning for a transition to the quadmester model on Jan. 31, 2022.

Recently the board retained Nanos Research to conduct a survey and gather feedback from stakeholders in NNDSB on their experiences with the secondary octomester timetabling format should NNDSB not be able to return to a traditional semester timetable. The results of the surveys are available for viewing here: parent and student. According to feedback from students and families, most would prefer a quadmester model for the second half of the school year.

Since we are unable to return to the semester model due to the current instability of COVID-19, we will move to quadmesters. The quadmester model will see students take two courses a day – one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. This decision was made in consultation with public health and our own research.

NNDSB appreciates the time that students and families gave to respond to the survey. The feedback is important to the board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan pillars of excellence in communication and excellence in relationships.

Students and families can expect further communication from their school on timetables and school-specific details.

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NNDSB continues to place a high priority on supporting our students’ mental health during this latest period of remote learning. The board’s mental health team is reaching out to the students/parents that they are currently supporting to provide check-ins and make arrangements for continuity of services.

Our educators also have several mental health resources at their disposal and will be sensitive to the mental health needs of their students during on-line learning. The mental health team continues to accept new referrals for students who are seeking support during remote learning. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher or principal/vice-principal if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s mental health.

There are many other resources and tools for parents and caregivers which can be accessed on the SMHO website https://smho-smso.ca/parents-and-families/.

Kids Help Phone offers 24/7 counselling and referral services across the province. Students can call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.

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Secondary schools are holding their information nights virtually, and families are invited to attend to learn more about NNDSB schools and their programs.

More information about the six secondary schools, with links to their open house meetings, can be found here.

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Every year, the four local school boards collaborate to establish a school-year calendar which aims to promote student learning, success and well-being, and to minimize the impact on the schedule of their families, staff and members of the school community, all while respecting Ministry of Education standards.

The school-year calendar must consist of 194 compulsory teaching days, a maximum of seven (7) professional development days (pedagogical days) and a maximum of ten (10) exam days for secondary schools.

The coterminous board teams have carefully selected professional development opportunities for staff which align with Ministry of Education priorities, the proposed 2022-2023 school year calendar will include seven (7) professional activity days.

Although the number of school days available between Sept. 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023 are limited, we can offer our school communities a few options. We will invite you to indicate your preferences in the school-year calendar survey that will be open from the middle of January for 10 days. You will be sent the link via school messenger, and it will also be available on the board website.

Preferences and comments received will be taken into consideration in developing the final version of the 2022-2023 school-year calendar. Trustees from every school board will adopt the recommended 2022-2023 school year calendar prior to submitting it to the Ministry of Education for approval by March 1, 2022.

We look forward to your participation and collaboration in the upcoming school-year calendar survey.

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NNDSB follows the direction of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the public health unit when devising COVID-19 plans.

Thank you,

Near North District School Board

 

 

 

Letter to Families – preparing for the move to virtual education

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Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Monday’s letter advised families of the move to online learning, effective tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 6. This letter is to keep you up-to-date about Near North District School Board (NNDSB) plans and procedures as we ready staff and students for the move to virtual learning.

In addition to the monthly Letter to Families that will be sent out Friday, Jan. 7, NNDSB will continue to send COVID-19- and remote learning-related update letters to families as new information arrives.

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Students in special education classrooms as identified through the Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) process will be able to resume in-person programming in their schools on Monday, Jan. 10. Staff will be contacting families whose students will be able to attend in-person. Transportation will be arranged. If your child qualifies for in-person programming and you have questions, contact your child’s school.

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Childcare and school-aged Early Years programs are permitted to provide emergency childcare for children of healthcare and other eligible front-line workers during the period of virtual learning. Early ON Child and Family Centre programs will not be operating in schools during this time.

The following is a list of school sites where programs will be operating:

North Bay and area: YMCA of Northeastern Ontario is operating childcare at Woodland and will begin their school-aged program (in the school) on Monday, Jan. 10. Hours will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; West Ferris Day Nursery will operate their childcares (they are currently not operating any of their school aged programs) from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at West Ferris, Silver Birches and Ferris Glen; West Nipissing Childcare will operate a school-aged program at 131 Michaud St. in Sturgeon Falls, serving students from White Woods; St. Theresa’s in Callander will open, with a program operated by the North Bay YMCA.

Almaguin area: Mapleridge and Sundridge Centennial, operated by the District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board, will open sites to accommodate 15 students per location from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Parry Sound area: YMCA of Simcoe Muskoka will operate a school-aged program at Parry Sound Public School from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Parry Sound YMCA will run a school-aged program as well.

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Supporting a smooth transition to remote learning:

To ensure a smooth transition to remote learning, we ask Near North families to review and consider the following information:

  • Families that need the use of board-provided technology to access remote learning are asked to complete the Technology Request Survey to communicate technology needs. Families that have devices for their students are not required to complete the survey.
  • Inform the school if there have been changes to your email, phone number or other contact information. This information is critical to support ongoing school/family communication during times of remote learning. Reach out to your child’s school if communication is not being received.
  • Visit the Near North Passport to Learning webpage to access a variety of resources and helpful links to support remote learning including technical support, information about virtual learning platforms, and instructional resources.
  • Review the Tips for Remote Learning document to learn about best practices for remote learning.
  • Contact the family help desk number if you are unable to login to your NNDSB parent or student account: 705-472-5169 (North Bay), 705-773-7975 (Parry Sound).
  • In addition to using the online Microsoft Office products available to students through Office 365, all NNDSB students are provided with five licenses to download the most recent Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote). Click here to learn how to install these applications.
  • TVO Learn and TFO/IDÉLLO are ministry-partnered sites that provide supports for students learning remotely by accessing additional educational resources developed by Ontario-certified teachers.

Minimum requirements for engaging students during remote learning:

During remote learning periods, students and parents will be provided with a daily schedule or timetable that includes 300 minutes of learning opportunities, with a combination of synchronous (all students and teacher learning remotely but together in real time) and asynchronous (learning on one’s own schedule) learning activities. Programming will be based on the full Ontario curriculum and include opportunities for guided instruction, large and small-group learning, synchronous check-ins, and asynchronous independent work.

Teachers will be available to students at all times during the teachers’ assigned teaching timetables, as they would be if they were face-to-face in a classroom setting. Educators will continue to use their professional judgement to provide flexibility to students on an individual basis when students are unable to participate in synchronous learning.

Process for Exemption from “Synchronous” Learning:

To ensure equitable access to learning, Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) No. 164, requires school boards to allow students to be exempted from the minimum requirements for synchronous learning – for example, this may be because of poor internet connectivity or family scheduling, etc. In accordance with PPM 164, Near North District School Board has created an online exemption form to facilitate synchronous learning exemption requests.

Please note, students who have completed a synchronous learning exemption form will be provided with ‘asynchronous’ learning opportunities in accordance with the 300-minute instructional day. Furthermore, daily attendance is still required (daily contact with their educator). Assessment, evaluation and reporting continues to apply to all students who have been exempted from the minimum requirements of synchronous (live, interactive) learning. Students will be expected to complete and submit assignments and will receive feedback from educators.

Please continue to visit the Near North District School Board website to access the most up-to-date information. Additional remote learning links and information can also be found here.

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The board’s website has a COVID-19 alerts page where families will find NNDSB’s operational guidelines, the updated self-assessment survey and links to Ministry of Health and the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit information.

NNDSB follows the direction of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the public health unit when devising COVID-19 plans.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board

Letter to Families – move to virtual education

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Monday, Jan. 3, 2022

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The team at Near North District School Board (NNDSB) hopes you and your families had an enjoyable, and restful winter break. It is vital that we all take the time to rest and recharge.

This morning, Premier Doug Ford announced that students in Ontario will return from the winter break virtually, rather than in-person for at least two weeks. In order to accommodate this, NNDSB staff will be working Wednesday, Jan. 5 as a turnaround day to prepare students and families for a remote return to class on Thursday, Jan. 6. Students will not have class or assignments to do on Wednesday.

Students in special education classrooms as identified through the IPRC process and who are currently placed in alternative programs in system classrooms will be able to resume to access face-to-face programming in their schools next week. Educators will reach out to the families of these students on Wednesday to discuss the next steps for learning and to make the necessary arrangements.

Families that need the use of board-provided technology to access remote learning are asked to complete the Technology Request Survey to communicate technology needs. Families that have devices for their students are not required to complete the survey.

In preparation for at-home learning, additional resources can be found via this link.

As always, any important news will be shared with stakeholder groups, including families, by letter. The board’s website is also updated, with pandemic news located on the COVID-19 alerts page. News is also posted to the board’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board

Letter to Families – government announcements

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Friday, Dec. 31, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Yesterday, the province made several COVID-19-related announcements.

NNDSB staff are looking into the announcements and making plans for a safe return to school. As always, the board will send out relevant information as it becomes available.

The province’s self-assessment screening tool has been updated; please make sure you are using the most recent version. The tool, and other COVID-19 information is curated on the COVID-19 page of the board’s website.

All are reminded that when returning to school all safety protocols – masking, hand washing, social distancing, etc. – remain in effect.

We hope that you have an enjoyable weekend.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board

Letter to Families from Education Minister Stephen Lecce

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Monday, Dec. 13, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we get nearer to the start of the winter break, Near North District School Board will be sharing information as it relates to a safe return to school on Jan. 5, 2022.

Please click this link to find a letter to families from Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, regarding the rapid antigen tests that students will be bringing home next week.

This letter, and any other COVID-19 related information, can be found on the COVID-19 Alerts and Resources page of the board’s website.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board

JK-12 Program department develops several methods of learning math

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JK-12 Program department develops several methods of learning math

Near North District School Board’s (NNDSB) K-12 program team has been busy brainstorming, developing, and implementing new and engaging ways for students to learn math from JK-12. The team is also working towards de-streaming the Grade 9 math curriculum.

“Math should not be seen as an abstract subject that doesn’t have any daily use,” says Math Facilitator Melissa Peddie. “Once you start seeing mathematics as a way we can interpret the world around us, you realize that it is absolutely everywhere. It’s an ultimate goal of educators to help students mathematize their environment so that they can use those math skills to move them forward in every aspect of their life.”

There are two board-based math facilitators, and nine school-based math facilitators within the board’s target schools, all of whom work alongside Peddie to support the implementation of the provincial math strategy.

What does a math facilitator do?

“My title is JK to 12 math facilitator. I work with teachers in a classroom-embedded, co-planning, co-teaching professional learning model,” says Peddie. “I support principals as they’re making school improvement plans particularly as they relate to mathematics. I am also responsible for providing central professional development to teachers across the board.”

Chris Walkling is a regional K-12 Student Achievement and Well-Being Principal who works alongside the various teams.

“Working as a student achievement and well-being principal, Laurie Forth, Steve Krause and I work as a team in a JK-12 capacity,” he explains. “With our focus on mathematics, we work closely with Melissa and Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Melanie Gray, in schools as well as at the system-level to support the implementation of curriculum and ultimately, to improve outcomes for students. Our team designs and implements professional learning that enables staff to respond to evolving student needs. “

While mathematics stays the same, the ways students learn and remain engaged, along with how educators teach the material, continues to develop.

“I also am designing and developing different resources to support the work that we’re doing for student success. There’s a lot of collaboration, bringing in teachers with different perspectives to develop math assessment and teaching resources. We’ve had a major focus on developing number sense and supporting teacher understanding of what that means,” notes Peddie. “I’ve developed resources for the Classroom Support Centre to be signed out by educators, to support student learning and provide background information for teachers to develop their own understanding around number sense development.”

The Classroom Support Centre is a specialized NNDSB department that provides services and catalogued resources for educators to support their instructional practices. These include learning resources and kits for students to use in the classroom, educator resources, access to virtual resources such as videos and support with producing materials for classroom use.

Peddie adds that teachers have really embraced the evolution of learning, which includes their own learning.

“In talking with teachers, a lot have said they’ve had some great learning for themselves, to support them in being prepared to meet a variety of learners’ needs in their classrooms. Reflecting on the last couple of years, taking this understanding of what really good pedagogy looks like in math, and then considering the shift to online learning due to COVID-19 protocols, we’ve worked to bring a focus on the important pieces of this good pedagogy that we can still hold on to and leverage with these new constraints,” she says.

The math curriculum has really evolved over the last five years.

“One of the big changes would be teachers understanding how children learn math, and we’ve done a lot of work with learning trajectories. If you could think about a series of skills mapped out over time as being “stepping stones”, generally speaking, there’s an order to how children develop those skills and they get increasingly complex,” explains Walkling. “I think using learning trajectories and developing staff understanding of how those skills build over time, staff have become much more intentional. So, they can name with precision, where students are on that path, and meet them where they are at and support developmentally appropriate next steps, incremental nudges or steps towards success.”

There’s a strong consensus on how mathematics has evolved over a short period of time.

Mathematics hasn’t changed, but how it’s taught has adapted into a more compressive approach, thanks to research and a better understanding of how students learn.

“If you had just said five years, I would have definitely talked about a huge shift in learning for educators in terms of understanding how students develop number sense in particular, and how number sense impacts other areas of learning,” notes Peddie. “It’s the foundation that connects almost every area of mathematics. Once we have a handle on how students develop number sense right from Kindergarten all the way through into secondary school, then we become better math educators.”

One of the crucial changes is de-streaming the Grade 9 math curriculum. Streamed math refers to when students enter Grade 9, they are channelled through either the applied stream or an academic stream that sets them on the path for post-secondary studies. The streamed model has proven to not be as effective as once thought, thus the shift towards de-streaming all secondary school subjects.

“Right now, we’re working with the de-streamed Grade 9 mathematics teachers to support them in navigating the de-streamed programming,” says Peddie. “We’re exploring student learning profiles, new math curriculum expectations, along with resources and pedagogies to support de-streamed math learning environments.”

Gray notes how the hard work that Peddie and the team have put into developing and re-defining the way math is administered has put NNDSB in an excellent position for learning.

“A lot of the work that Melissa, supported by Chris, had done over the years, really put us in a good place to move forward with being able to be creative. A specific example is Melissa worked with so many educators across our system to help them develop an understanding of a pedagogical move called Number Talks and I can’t tell you how many classes I was able to jump into, in terms of their online learning to see those educators doing a version of number talks.”

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is another important recent development to the math curriculum, but as Peddie states, NNDSB was already brainstorming these aspects, which includes maintaining positive motivation and perseverance, thinking creatively, and developing self-awareness skills.

“We were already having these conversations in terms of mathematics. We have a resource developed by Jane Rutledge and me called the First X Days of Mathematics and it’s for classrooms, primary all the way up to intermediate. It sets a foundation for developing positive mindsets about students seeing themselves as mathematicians,” exclaims Peddie. “In the classroom, students are engaged in interesting challenging mathematic tasks that allow them to think creatively reflecting on themselves as mathematicians, and really broadening that idea of what is it to be a mathematician, and we’re all mathematicians.”

Peddie notes helping students develop an understanding of perseverance in mathematics is a big part of social-emotional learning.

Building off social-emotional learning, there are numerous learning platforms that Peddie and the math team have implemented for students to build upon their math skills. One of the platforms is DreamBox Learning.

“DreamBox is specifically for Grades 1-3 students this year and it’s an online resource that’s adaptive to student needs,” says Peddie. “It differentiates what lessons and what games students play to build their math understanding based on individual student starting points. Through these tasks in DreamBox Learning, students engage in productive struggle.”

Once students work their way through the lessons, teachers are able to provide feedback for the learners. Though not new to NNDSB, DreamBox Learning has found its way to becoming a valuable resource for students.

“We ultimately determined that there was a significant value in placing that resource in the primary level, gamified learning beyond school, and a general level of engagement that was very well received and beneficial for students in primary,” notes Walkling. “When we think how that’s different than maybe some other tools that are out there is that the representations of math in DreamBox, are similar and consistent with the tools that kids use in the classroom. If you think about the “rekenrek” or about “number lines”, all of those representations are familiar to students and they’re also present in the game. So, there’s a nice relationship there. But beyond that, the program documents all of the interactions that students have in the online environment and maps those experiences to the Ontario curriculum, allowing staff to monitor and respond to evolving student needs.”

Rekenrek is a tool that translates to an arithmetic rack or calculating frame. The rekenrek is a unique tool that allows children to develop number sense at their own pace.

“This is a really exciting time for us as a school board. With a fresh take on a multi-year strategic plan, new board improvement plans, more cohesiveness across all our departments, we are going to be able to plan as specifically as possible and set those goals,” says Gray. “I love listening to Melissa and Chris talk about math. From the system level, I do believe that we are a strong team and we’re well-positioned with the aforementioned plans.”

The board receives funding from the Ministry of Education to purchase resources that align with the new math curricula, support professional learning opportunities for staff, and hire school and board-based math leads. All of these investments contribute to NNDSB’s efforts to improve student outcomes in mathematics and ensure their success after secondary school.

What are Peddie and Walkling’s favourite parts of the job?

“For me, being in the classrooms with teachers and students, co-teaching, co-planning, listening to student thinking, talking with teachers about what they’re noticing, collaborating at all those components,” says Peddie.

“I would say the moment that students have an ‘aha’, and all of a sudden it clicks! And in that same moment, the educators have the means to see the impact of their actions. To see that their efforts have improved outcomes or enabled understandings for students. These little ‘mastery moments’ allow staff to see that their actions have impact, and they’re making a difference for students,” says Walkling.

With the chances of probability and other math lessons, the learning opportunities and platforms are not a random addition for NNDSB.

“It’s not just happenstance, we spend a long time looking at the quality of the resource and how it connects to what we know already works, the pedagogy that’s in place or pedagogy we want to further develop and how does this resource support educators in making those connections,” says Peddie.

Biindigen

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)

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Near North District School Board
963 Airport Road, P.O. Box 3110, North Bay, ON P1B 8H1
[P] 705-472-8170   [TF] 1-800-278-4922   [F] 705-472-9927