Friday, Feb. 14, 2025
The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting of Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025.
Director’s report highlights achievements
Director of Education Craig Myles’ report to the Board noted that 100 per cent of NNDSB students in Grades K-2 have been screened for reading difficulties. Secondary exams are complete, marking the beginning of Semester 2. Myles wished everyone a happy Family Day and encouraged people to spend the day outdoors enjoying a winter day in the north.
Myles reported that schools across NNDSB marked Bell Let’s Talk Day on Jan. 22. The day highlights the importance of mental health and removing stigma. The board’s HR department and mental health team were acknowledged for supporting student and staff mental wellness.
Several schools have been showcasing talent by staging artistic productions. F.J. McElligott held a Magical Mystical Night showcasing the talents of magicians and musicians, Parry Sound High School’s senior drama class staged Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Land of Lakes Public School held a Winter Music Showcase.
Arwyn Hicks, a Grade 12 International Baccalaureate and French Immersion student at Chippewa Secondary School, will be in Toronto on Feb. 20-22 to compete as a finalist for the Loran Scholarship, a $100,000 award given to 36 deserving students from across Canada. Offered in partnership with 25 Canadian universities, the Loran is a prestigious award. Arwyn is one of more than 6,000 applicants and one of 90 who have made it to the final interview.
Math Achievement Plan progress report
Assistant Superintendent and Math Lead Kim Pauli submitted a math achievement action plan progress update for review by the Board. The report highlighted that the action plan aligns with three key priority actions that have been identified by the Ministry of Education.
The math team will be holding a virtual math information session for parents and caregivers of students in Grades 7 to 12 on Wednesday, Feb. 19 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. A registration link can be found here.
Indigenous Student Trustee’s report
Indigenous Student Trustee Riley Trudeau reported that the Indigenous Youth Circle (IYC) plans to meet virtually on Feb. 12. IYC has chosen to do school updates in a more organized form via OneNote to ensure students and grad coaches have a place to share updates and ideas. This also enables the team to look back at its goals and what has been done and talked about. This will be helpful to future Indigenous Student Trustees.
Northern IYC had a medicine bag workshop and ribbon skirt and shirt workshops at the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre (NBIFC). Upcoming plans include a rattle-making workshop, beginning and ladies’ drum group, IYC recruitment and activities, pow wow planning, and planning an education piece to present to White Woods students about the upcoming pow wow.
West Ferris IYC have been meeting Wednesdays for their school-based meetings. They continue to have other weekly events, including women’s hand drumming and men’s grandfather drumming. West Ferris IYC has also completed a rattle-making workshop, and plans are being made to host medicine bag and moccasin workshops with NBIFC. They are also making plans for ribbon skirt making.
F.J. McElligott IYC plans to have a winter festival where they plan on teaching Indigenous games and culture, including how to make bannock. They will have an outdoor education class this semester which would include medicine walks.
Members of Chippewa IYC (also known as Okimakan) hosted a potluck in their centre before the winter break and will focus on recruitment in the coming months. Okimakan meets every Thursday at lunch. They plan on having a moccasin and ribbon skirt-making workshop with NBIFC. They also plan on starting a grandfather drumming group. Chippewa students are hopeful about getting their teepee up so they can take learning outdoors.
Parry Sound students attended language camp at Spirit Point with the Georgian Bay Anishinaabek Youth (an Indigenous youth-led initiative). Rattle making, facilitated by Connor Lafortune from School Mental Health Ontario, with Grades 8 and 9 students, was a major success. They plan to have a workshop for butchering wild game at the school in the spring.
During this upcoming month, Almaguin Highlands IYC plans to have a beading workshop and a potluck for their members. They are including an Indigenous station at their winter carnival, where they want to offer a snowshoeing excursion. They plan on teaching one Ojibwe word every day for the month of March as a symbol for Indigenous language day. They also plan on taking part in sap collection on the school property, doing a Red Dress Day event for MMIW and Moose Hide Campaign.
IYC hopes to open new pathways for communication for students, parents and staff. IYC is hoping to create a page that uses newer platforms. We also hope to get our page on the
NNDSB website updated as well as our Edsby page up and running within the next month.
Student Trustee’s report
Student Trustee Nanak Sidhu reported that the past month has been busy, with the semester wrapping up, final projects being completed and students preparing for exams.
Sports teams have been in full swing, with girls’ volleyball wrapping up the regular season and boys’ basketball continuing. Badminton season has kicked off, and Nordic skiing wrapped up with strong participation from students across the board at Nipissing District Athletics (NDA).
Spirit-building activities have been organized, including Anything But a Backpack Day and Pajama Day.
Student Senate has been hard at work. The group has updated its constitution, ensuring it reflects the goals and values. Senate is also preparing for elections. The big focus is finding new ways to inspire students to take leadership roles. Senate is also making progress on planning a board-wide spirit event to bring students together and build a stronger sense of community.
Sidhu reported that he hosted the OSTA-AECO Leadership meeting on Feb. 1, and from Feb. 13-16, he’ll be attending and hosting the Education Action Conference. He says the conferences are a highlight for him because they provide the opportunity to connect with other student trustees, share ideas and develop new strategies for advocacy.
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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.
