At Woodland Public School, Sir-Lynx-a-Lot visits classrooms with fun activities, kindness cubes, and calming breathing exercises to promote well-being and school spirit.
During a recent visit to our Grade 6 class, students enthusiastically researched lynx facts, created a PowerPoint, and added to our travelling gratitude chain, soon to be on display! Woodland Public is buzzing with unstoppable school spirit!
Friday, Jan. 30, 2026
You may have received an email this afternoon, in French, appearing to be from a staff member of Near North District School Board. If the subject line contains vous a envoyé le document « Ferris Glen & Sunset Park dossier et pièces justificatives, DO NOT CLICK THE LINK IN THE EMAIL!
The link contains an embedded virus that can infect your computer.
Delete the email.
The board will provide more information when we can.
Students at Sundridge Centennial Public School had a visit from Justin Hawn, Near North District School Board’s technology-enabled learning and teaching coordinator, on Thursday, Jan. 15.
Hawn ran coding workshops with the Grade 4/5, Grade 5/6 and Grade 6/7 classes. Students had the opportunity to engage in a hands-on, technology-based learning experience using programmable Spheros robots, while developing their mathematics, coding and problem-solving skills.
This is another example of excellence in innovation and excellence in teaching and learning, as NNDSB focuses on student achievement and well-being.
Students from Silver Birches Elementary School in North Bay participated in the University of Waterloo’s Beaver Computing Challenge with some outstanding results.
Grade 4/5 teacher Mr. Arbiter writes that the Beaver Computing Challenge is a national contest that introduces students to computational thinking and problem-solving. The challenge is designed to spark interest in computer science by presenting engaging, logic-based challenges that required creativity and analytical skills.
Several Silver Birches students achieved Distinction, placing in the top 25 per cent of all participants across Canada.
The hard work and dedication of Silver Birches students have paid off, says Mr. Arbiter, noting that students demonstrated exceptional and growing problem-solving abilities. Congratulations to these students! We celebrate your achievement and look forward to seeing continued success in future STEM opportunities, including next year’s contest.
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026
Dear NNDSB Families, Staff, Students, and Community Members,
Today, Paul Calandra, Minister of Education, in his capacity having control and charge over the administration of the affairs of the Near North District School Board (“NNDSB”) has directed the termination of the NNDSB’s contract with the general contractor for the new Parry Sound JK–12 School and Child Care Facility.
This decision followed an extensive period of review and engagement, including formal notices of default and opportunity for the contractor to resolve the outstanding concerns of NNDSB.
The notice of termination delivered earlier this morning referenced concerns with respect to:
After careful consideration, NNDSB has determined that continuing under the existing arrangement would place the project’s successful completion and timeline at risk.
As of today, NNDSB has regained full control of the project and is taking the necessary steps to ensure it is completed to the standard our community expects and deserves. This action was taken as a last resort and reflects the board’s responsibility to intervene when a major capital project is no longer on a reliable path forward.
NNDSB remains fully committed to delivering this state-of-the-art school safely and on target for opening in September 2026. We will secure a new general contractor and maintain close oversight of the project to support a smooth transition and minimize disruption.
Our focus is firmly on students and families, and on ensuring public resources are managed responsibly and in the best interests of the community.
Next Steps:
Thank you for your patience and continued support. Our priority remains delivering a safe, modern learning environment where Parry Sound students can learn and thrive.
Monday, Dec. 1, 2025
This letter from Education Minister Paul Calandra was sent to families via SchoolMessenger.
It was announced at last night’s (Sept. 9) meeting of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) that the Town of Parry Sound has granted occupancy of Parry Sound High School to NNDSB.
Since then, the administration has been working with its partners to implement a plan for getting staff and students into classrooms.
We are pleased to share that the school will be ready to welcome students back to in-person learning on Monday, Sept. 15.
The transportation consortium has up-to-date busing information for all PSHS students on their BusPlanner Web Parent Portal. Details on how to access the portal can be found here. Please note that limited student parking is available in the student lot on Joseph Street.
Thank you for your patience as we worked through a number of challenges to ensure students can return safely to school. The administration and staff are very excited to welcome everyone back to the PSHS building on Monday.
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Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025
After thoughtful consideration, Near North District School Board (NNDSB) has decided to move Parry Sound High School (PSHS) to remote learning. Though the list of unresolved items at PSHS is small, administration made the decision in order to give staff, students and families time to prepare for a remote start to the school year.
This move to remote learning affects secondary students (Grades 9-12) at PSHS only. Students in Grades JK-6 will attend school at McDougall Public School, and students in Grades 7-8 who would have attended the new JK-12 school will attend school at Nobel Public School.
NNDSB will post an updated contingency plan and revise the JK-12 Parry Sound school page on Aug. 27 to reflect this information.
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Monday, Aug. 25, 2025
The Near North District School Board (NNDSB) Board of Trustees wishes to address recent events concerning the unfair treatment of NNDSB administration.
As trustees, our foremost responsibility is to serve students, families and our communities with integrity and respect. In this instance, our actions created uncertainty and concern among staff and the public. We recognize that the way in which this matter was handled did not reflect the standards of fairness, professionalism and collaboration that our communities expect of us.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we extend a sincere apology to our NNDSB administration, to all employees of NNDSB and to the public. We deeply regret the impact this has had on trust and confidence in the important work of our school system.
Moving forward, the Board is committed to strengthening our governance practices. Our collective focus remains on providing safe, supportive and high-quality learning environments for all students.
We thank our staff, students, families and communities for their continued dedication and support.
Ashley St. Pierre
Chair of NNDSB
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)