Near North District School Board

Near North Students Challenge the DELF

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Once again students from across the Near North District School Board challenged the DELF (Diplôme d’étude de langue française), a French as a Second Language proficiency test. Students from 4 High Schools presented themselves to be tested and receive a world recognized accreditation of their abilities in speaking French.

The DELF is a formal testing tool for second language learners. Assessors must be trained beyond the Ontario curriculum, to assess students at an international level. The DELF test was created in France and accessed by students all over the world. Students who attain a level of proficiency can use that designation and certificate for post-secondary education applications (in French first and second language courses) as well as for employment.

In order to receive the DELF credentials, students must successfully complete an interview, listening, reading, and writing exercises with a minimum proficiency of 50%. NNDSB students were successful in attaining the level they challenged. This is the NNDSB’s second year in the pilot project with an increase in the number of students participating.  Congratulations to all participating students for their hard work.

For more information, please contact:

Greg Deschamps
Program Coordinator/Conseiller pédagogique, K-12
Near North District School Board
P: 705.472.8170 x 5039
E: Greg.Deschamps@nearnorthschools.ca

3:2 Consolidation Frequently Asked Questions

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The Near North District School Board understands that our students, parents and stakeholders have questions with respect to the 3:2 Consolidation and the upcoming school year.   The Frequently Asked Questions have been developed as a way for you to obtain accurate and current information.  As new information and questions come forward this section will be updated.

Close up of lockers

Feedback and Information

The Near North District School Board views parent, student, staff, and stakeholder input as an integral part of this process. As we move forward opportunities for comments, feedback and input will be provided and all stakeholders will be notified.  Communications will be provided though a variety of methods including, but not limited to, media releases, updates to the websites, and public meetings when appropriate.  All information will be made available in accessible formats upon request. Accessibility Guidelines for Customer Service

 

The costs and logistics associated with the 3:2 Consolidation are still being determined.  Until the final determinations are made this information will remain confidential.  It is important that any information released by the Board with respect to this project is accurate and confirmed. 

School Zone and Required Attendance

Due to enrollment numbers and the need to accommodate existing program requirements, students and parents cannot opt out of the 3:2 Consolidation process.  Requests for out of zone attendance will be considered in accordance with the Board’s policy for addressing such requests.  Administrative Guideline Out of Zone Attendance

No, students will be required to attend the intermediate and secondary school for which they are zoned. 

The Board has identified several situations where students will be permitted to remain at their existing school due to enrollment and program needs.  They are as follows: 

  • Extended French/Sunset French Immersion Students Grade 9, 10 and 11 students will be permitted to remain at Chippewa Secondary School to finish their careers in Grades 10,11 and 12. 
  • Extended French/Sunset French Immersion Students Grade 12 students will be permitted to remain at Chippewa Secondary School for their “Victory Lap” only if, there is room to accommodate the students and their first-choice credits. 
  • Students enrolled in pre-IB (Grades 9 and 10) who intend to enroll in IB in Grade 11. 

No. The eligibility and application process for all specialized programs will remain the same. Students who apply and are accepted into the programs will be able to attend regardless of their designated zone. 

Re-Branding and School Identity

The priority for the upcoming school year is ensuring safe and effective transitions for the students.  Once students are settled in the Board will be developing and implementing a plan designed to obtain feedback and information from students first and foremost, parents, staff and stakeholders with respect to the best ways to honor alumni, the distribution of memorabilia, and communication of this process. Rebranding will be driven by student voice. 

Both uniforms and no uniforms will be permitted during the 2018-2019 school year, until the full cohort is in the building in 2019.  At that time the school will review the question of uniforms using our policy and working with the School Advisory Council and parent voices of those in the building. 

 

There will be two schools with two sports teams.  The Board is working with the appropriate agencies and sporting authorities to bring proper attention to our situation ensure that our students are not penalized. 

Transportation and Busing for New Schools

As with all projects and plans of this magnitude the Board is expecting some refinements based on the number of students who remain with their cohorts etc.  We will continue to update this information as numbers become more solidified and report back to all stakeholders. 

Our intention and plan, alongside Ministry funding prospects, is to provide programming opportunities that address student need and teacher requests, keeping in mind responsible planning and curricular expectations for the future.  We will continue to work alongside our staff who provide us with valuable insight and input with respect to this matter. 

Many large scale projects of this nature can be affected by weather, labour, Ministry timelines for funding, etc. We know the importance of having timelines established and ensuring that this information is shared with our stakeholder groups.  Should these timelines need to be adjusted we will communicate this to all affected parties in a responsible and respectful manner. 

Chippewa Receives $28,000 in Funding from CWB Welding Foundation

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May 22, 2018 – The Near North District School Board is pleased to announce that after a lengthy application process, Chippewa Intermediate and Secondary School has been selected by the CWB Welding Foundation as the recipient of the Secondary School Equipment and Project Support program.

The CWB Secondary School Equipment and Project Support program is dedicated to the development of Canadian secondary school welding programs. Through this program, Chippewa received $28 000 in funding to refurbish and upgrade the school’s welding facilities.

For more information regarding the CWB Foundation, please visit their website: www.cwbweldingfoundation.org/.

To celebrate and express appreciation to CWB Welding Foundation for this significant contribution, Chippewa Intermediate and Secondary School will be hosting a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Friday, May 25th, 2018, at 10:30am. This event will also officially launch Chippewa’s welding program.

There will be equipment demonstrations, light refreshments, and a CWB Welding Foundation representative will be available to answer any questions.  Those interested in attending are asked to contact Chippewa, at (705) 475-2341.

For more information, please contact:

Mairghread Knought
Information/Communication Officer
Near North District School Board
(705) 472-8170, extension 5010
Mairghread.Knought@nearnorthschools.ca

NSS Student Wins Javelin Title at OFSAA

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Northern Secondary School’s Brent Couchie went the distance, winning the 2018 OFSAA Midget Boys Javelin title on June 8, 2018 at the Toronto Track and Field Centre at York University. With a field of over 20 athletes from across the province the 15-year-old from Nipissing First Nation threw his personal best of the year with an impressive 44.94-meter throw.

With strength and finesse from an athletic and artistic background, Couchie picked up the art of Javelin throwing naturally. He spends his winters on the ice playing defense in hockey and is a head grass dancer who travels to pow-wows across the country. He began his throwing career this year and has added almost 10 meters to his throw since the NDA finals in May.

Northern Secondary School is not new to developing high level javelin throwers. Last year, Timothy Hatton won the OFSAA Senior Boys Javelin Throw with a mark of 56.56 meters. Hatton’s mother Catherine is currently the head coach of the track and field team and is a teacher at Northern.

Fore more information please contact:

Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick, B.Sc., OCT, NCCP
Occasional Teacher, P/J/I/S
Trojans Coach
Kaitlyn.Fitzpatrick@Nearnorthschools.ca

Highlanders on Top at OFSAA

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Almaguin Highlands Secondary School Students had a great weekend at OFSAA beating previous personal bests.

Aidan Anger finished 4th in the Senior Boys Pole vault amongst a very tight field of over 20 athletes from across the province.  Anger, from Burks Falls, beat his own personal and school record in the highly technical vault event with a final jump of 4.30 meters. He has come a long way since his OFSAA performance last year where he placed fifth with a result of 3.95 meters.

The charismatic senior student graduates this year and has an exciting athletic and academic career ahead of him. This summer, he will be competing at the Junior/Senior nationals in Ottawa. He will then be attending the University of Guelph in the fall, where he plans to study Business Marketing and Management. He continues to compete in the Pole Vault event as a member of the university’s varsity squad.

Clarista Ardiel, a multi sport athlete who runs multiple distances, was 3rd in the Girls 100-meter Intellectual final on Friday with a time of 14.99 seconds. On Saturday, she dominated in the 800 finished ten seconds ahead of the second-best competitor with a time of 2.55.12 minutes.

Hudson Booth, also a multi sport athlete, was 2nd for the Boys 100-meter Ambulatory Race race with a time of 13.51 seconds. He finished fourth in Saturday’s 800-meter Ambulatory run with a time of 2.29.95 minutes and competed in the Shot-Put event. Hudson is in his final year of high school and will be competing at the Cerebral Palsy World Track and Field Games in Spain this summer.

Long time coach and teacher Bob Hildebrandt, along with other Almaguin coaches, have been very successful this year, sending multiple athletes to OFSAA for Track and Field despite being a small rural school. The coaches also been instrumental in developing Almaguin’s special Olympic athletes who also competed at OFSAA this weekend.

For more information please contact:

Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick, B.Sc., OCT, NCCP
Occasional Teacher, P/J/I/S
Trojans Coach
Kaitlyn.Fitzpatrick@Nearnorthschools.ca

Widdifield Arts Teacher Accepted into Art21 Education Program

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May 23, 2018 – The Near North District School Board is pleased to announce that Widdifield Secondary School Visual Arts Teacher Samara Paleczny has been accepted into the Art21 Educators Program.

Art21 is a PBS series featuring contemporary artists which provides successful applicants with a year-long professional learning opportunity resulting in six graduate credits from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. The program is open to teachers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico and involves a lengthy application progress. Samara Paleczny is one of only two Canadians accepted in the program for 2018-2019.

The Art21 Educators Summer Institute will take place from July 6–11, 2018 at the New York Public Library and will focus on the educator as researcher. Teachers will be provided with the opportunity to challenge themselves, take productive risks, and engage with Art21 artists to learn more about utilizing contemporary art to teach about big ideas and the important questions facing us today. Teachers in attendance—both the new cohort and program alumni—will be able to utilize both the librarians’ knowledge and the library’s vast collection to explore critical research questions that will impact their classroom teaching during the 2018–2019 school year.

In order to qualify for the program Samara Paleczny was required to submit unit plans, lesson plans, a video application, and examples of how the Art:21 Program is referenced in her classroom.

“The Near North District School Board is extremely proud of Samara Paleczny and this significant achievement. This achievement showcases the superior quality of our teachers and their continuing dedication to ensuring that our students are provided with the highest quality of education.”
Jackie Young, Director of Education, Near North District School Board.

For more information, please contact:
Mairghread Knought
Information/Communication Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170, extension 5010
E. Mairghread.Knought@nearnorthschools.ca

NNDSB Education Day Forum for Provincial Election Candidates

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May 16, 2018 – The Near North District School Board will be hosting an all candidates forum with a focus on educational matters in recognition of Education Day.  The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association has declared May 23, 2018 as Education Day, in recognition of the important role educational matters will play in the upcoming Provincial Election.

The Near North District School Board Education Day Forum is scheduled for Thursday, May 24, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. at West Ferris Secondary School.

Student, parents, educators and all members of the community are encouraged to attend.  The Education Day Forum is a great opportunity to learn where our local candidates stand on educational issues.   The future growth of the province depends on the continued provision of high quality publicly-funded education.

Education Day Forum Agenda

Education Day Forum 2018 Rules of Procedure

Education Day Forum Questions for Candidates

For more information, please contact:

Mairghread Knought
Information/Communication Officer
Near North District School Board
(705) 472-8170, extension 5010
Mairghread.Knought@nearnorthschools.ca

Chippewa Band Performs at Atlantic Music Fest

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May 14, 2018 - The Chippewa Intermediate Secondary School Band recently traveled to perform at the Atlantic Music Festival in London, Ontario, hosted by Western University.  Band members participated in instrument-specific workshops taught by renowned musicians, had the opportunity to perform, and received a silver star rating.

In addition, the band was able to experience a live jazz performance at Humber College. The show was put on by the College’s band, “The Yellowjacket Project”, which consisted of recent Chippewa graduate, John Kervin, on the piano and band leader Shirantha Beddage, a talented professor at Humber and a Chippewa Alumnist (1997).

Chippewa’s Junior and Senior bands have had a successful year, in which they competed in multiple events such as the Northern Ontario Music festival. Highlights of the years’ achievements include:

  • Obtaining a spot to perform at Music Fest Canada, which Chippewa has been invited to for over 20 years.
  • Receipt of a Gold Rating for both bands at the local Kiwanis Music Festival.
  • The Senior group scored the highest ranking in the Secondary Band category.

The Junior and Senior Band, consisting of over 60 students, will conclude this fantastic year with their Spring Concert on Wednesday, May 30th at 7 pm in the Chippewa Theatre.

For more information, please contact:
Marla Sunstrum, Chippewa Secondary School Music Department
Phone: 705-475-2341 ext. 8532, Email: marla.sunstrum@nearnorthschools.ca

E.W. Norman Exceeds Jump Rope for Heart Goal

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May 14, 2018 - A big congratulations to the students of E. W. Norman Public School who raised over $3000 in pledges for their annual Jump Rope for Heart event.  Students and Teachers  had identified an initial fundraising goal of $600, which they substantially exceed through hard work and the support of our community!

The Jump Rope for Heart Event occurred Friday, May 11, 2018 with all funds going to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

For more information, please contact:

Jodie Nychuk, Principal
E. W. Norman Public School
Phone: 705-472-5534 Ext. 8009
E-Mail: Jodie.Nychuk@nearnorthschools.ca

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)

Connect With Us

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