Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022

Kindergarten students can be enrolled in French Immersion

A virtual information session is being held for families who want to learn more about enrolling their kindergarten student in French Immersion with Near North District School Board (NNDSB). The session is being held Wednesday, March 23 at 6 p.m.

Families can register for the session here.

Early French Immersion is offered in four of the board’s elementary schools: Alliance and Sunset Park Public Schools in North Bay; Mattawa District Public School and Parry Sound Public School.

Benefits of learning a second language include increased mental flexibility, improved problem-solving skills, a better understanding of aspects of different cultures and expanded career opportunities. More information about the benefits of French as a second language can be found in this framework document.

Information about French Immersion at NNDSB can be found here.

Families can learn more about French as a Second Language in NNDSB schools by downloading this brochure.

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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

Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022

Almaguin Highlands Secondary School students learn about being active citizens

Students across Near North District School Board (NNDSB) are active citizens in their communities every day. As part of a civics and citizenship class at Almaguin Highlands Secondary School (AHSS), students helped sweeten the holidays for local seniors.

Teacher Laurel Gough’s civics and citizenship class ran a Christmas cookie collection for a local initiative, Adopt a Senior for Christmas. The project is run by Meranda Wood, an AHSS graduate who works for the North Bay Police Service.

Gough says this all came together during a discussion about active citizenship within our communities. Students were wondering what kind of difference they could make.

“This provided an opportunity to discuss the various ways we can have a significant impact within our area, including running a holiday charity drive. We discussed the significance of thinking beyond ourselves, developing empathy and understanding the needs of others,” said Gough. “The students created their own promotional material for the Christmas cookie collection, and even wrote and read their own morning announcements. They are a wonderful group of caring individuals who will surely go forward to become excellent active citizens within their communities,” she said.

Though the project was spearheaded and organized by Gough’s class, all AHSS students were invited to donate contributions.

Adopt a Senior for Christmas helps seniors in the community who are alone for Christmas by collecting their wish lists and creating stockings for them, as well as organizing someone in the community to buy them a gift. The gifts are then distributed to the seniors.

“The Grade 10 students in Mrs. Gough’s civics and citizenship class learned the importance of active citizenship. We learned that being an active citizen is the responsibility to help out in your community, in the world and to be a person who volunteers or donates to local organizations” says student Charlie Hall. “We applied this knowledge, spearheading a Christmas goodie collection at Almaguin Highland Secondary School for the Adopt a Senior for Christmas Charity.

“The local charity program’s goal is to ensure that no senior feels alone at Christmas. We hope that our contributions created a feeling of Christmas cheer for the seniors who received some of our special treats,” adds Charlie.

A staggering 81 boxes of goodies were collected at AHSS and distributed to local seniors in the community.

Gough says the treats were delivered by community paramedics who ensured recipients knew their goodies came from students at AHSS.

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Cutline information:

Almaguin Highlands Secondary School students in Laurel Gough’s civics and citizenship class spearheaded a school-wide Christmas cookie collection to brighten the holidays for seniors.

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

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

 

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

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

Friday, Dec. 10, 2021

Board Highlights for December meeting

The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting of Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021.

Chair, Vice-Chair acclaimed at organizational meeting

At the annual organizational meeting of NNDSB, Trustees Jay Aspin and John Cochrane were acclaimed as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Board.

The pair has been at the helm of this Board since its inaugural meeting in 2018, and their experience has helped the board navigate some difficult terrain. With their leadership, the Board has appointed Craig Myles as Director of Education in 2020, guided the Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) process and helped improve transparency through governance and reporting processes.

This is the final year of this Board’s mandate; the municipal election will be held Oct. 24, 2022.

Director recognizes staff

As part of his update to the Board, Myles acknowledged staff for the contribution to NNDSB in seeking excellence in innovation in the areas of student programming and leadership.

Under the leadership of Officer of Corporate Affairs Liana Blaskievich and Acting Principal of Student Success and Specialized Programs Lucio Pavone, the team of Sarah Spence, Alysha Young, Lisa Spencer, Stacie Burnie, Josh Casey, Roy Desjardins and Deb Bartlett have been instrumental in bringing the Personal Support Worker (PSW) program together. It is the intention of NNDSB to train PSWs in living classrooms in Parry Sound, Sturgeon Falls, North Bay and Mattawa.

Chippewa Secondary School teacher Greg Richardson has been chosen as the recipient of the 2021 Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations’ (OFSAA) Leadership Award. He was acknowledged during the OFSAA AA Boys’ Volleyball tournament for his achievements over a 27-year-career.

Director presents annual report

Myles presented the Director’s Annual Report at the Board meeting, highlighting the work done by staff and the Board.

Myles said he was “happy and proud” to release the report, in which was woven references to the board’s MYSP and its four pillars: Excellence in Teaching and Learning; Excellence in Innovation; Excellence in Relationships; and Excellence in Communications.

The report also highlighted the governance improvements made by the Board, including the new governance manual, a new finance manual and the streamlined budget reporting process.

Board Chair Jay Aspin complimented Myles, noting that the document was “a top-notch report” in a difficult year.

The Director’s Annual Report can be found here.

Online meetings reduce Trustee expenditures

Trustee expenditures for the year ending Aug. 31, 2021 were shared in the agenda package.

Because COVID-19 measures caused the cancellation of in-person meetings, travel-related expenses reduced trustees’ annual expenditures. The total for the Board (including honoraria, benefits, professional development, auto reimbursement, cell phone, office and professional fees) was $84,956.41.

Chair Aspin noted that “as a group, we have really saved a lot of money.” He said pre-COVID the total was usually $120,000 or $125,000, referring to the savings as “a silver lining” of the pandemic.

Trustee Louise Sargent added that online meetings also meant that trustees “didn’t have to pick and choose” and had more opportunities to attend more professional development and learning sessions.

Chair outlines six key Board priorities

In his address to the Board, Chair Aspin outlined six challenges for the Board to tackle in this last year of its mandate.

Calling them “broad brush priorities,” Chair Aspin said providing quality education and keeping staff and students safe and healthy in the face of COVID-19 was a focus, as are overseeing the implementation of the MYSP, completing new school builds in North Bay (Fricker) and Parry Sound (JK-12), supporting improvement in human resource allocation, continued expansion of community partnerships and communications and to advance the North Bay facilities study.

Board approves draft audited statements

Trustees approved the draft audited consolidated statements for the year ending Aug. 31, 2021.

Vice-Chair Cochrane, who chairs the audit committee, said the committee had “a nice, clean report” from auditors KPMG and praised the work of Superintendent of Business Seija Van Haesendonck and Manager of Finance Wende Proulx.

Student Trustee reports on school activities

Student Trustee Cecilia Darling’s report covered work taking place through the Ontario Student Trustee Association (OSTA), as well as activities in local schools.

Of note in her report, OSTA’s Environmental Sustainability Working group is working towards developing an environmental sustainability handbook to act as a guide for students and schools across the province. The guide will outline how communities can work towards developing more environmental consciousness. She added that NNDSB’s Senate team is looking at environmental sustainability to ensuring recycling is done safely and efficiently.

Student Trustee Darling noted two NNDSB schools participated in Ontario Federation of Secondary Athletics Association (OFSAA) championships, including Chippewa’s Boys AA Volleyball team (which hosted and won the championship) and Almaguin Highlands’ Girls A Basketball team attended OFSAA in Smithville.

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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

Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021

Positive momentum continues, as shown in annual report

In a year in which people continued to struggle through the second year of a global pandemic, Near North District School Board (NNDSB) staff shone. Director of Education Craig Myles proudly presented the 2020-2021 Director’s Annual Report to trustees at Tuesday night’s Board meeting.

Woven through the report were references to the board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) and its four pillars: Excellence in Teaching and Learning; Excellence in Innovation; Excellence in Relationships; and Excellence in Communications. Although the MYSP wasn’t official until the June 2021 Board meeting, all stakeholders were kept apprised of the progress and the work taking place during the plan’s development. With input from a variety of sources, NNDSB’s MYSP prepares every stakeholder group to focus on the goal of student achievement and well-being.

The Director’s Annual Report also shared highlights of the Board, such as the creation of a new governance manual, a finance manual and streamlined budget reporting process.

“I am happy, and proud,” said Myles during his presentation to the Board on Tuesday. He said the annual report is “one of accomplishment and success of staff and students…in the face of (COVID-19) pandemic.”

Myles said credit for the work must be given the “strong team” that comprise the board. “Without these groups, this report would not be possible,” he said.

Board Chair Jay Aspin complimented Myles, noting that the document was “a top-notch report” in a difficult year. “We continue to strongly support our Director’s efforts to reform and rejuvenate this board and the results are apparent.”

The Director’s Annual Report can be found here.

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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

Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021

Board approves audited 2020-2021 financial statements

As recommended by the Audit Committee, Near North District School Board last night approved the draft audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended Aug. 31, 2021. The audit was conducted by KPMG and resulted in a clean audit opinion. No significant control deficiencies were noted, indicating that the finance department continued to work effectively during the disruptions presented by the pandemic.

Highlights of this year’s statements include an increase to operating accumulated surplus of $3.1 million, and additions to capital assets of $8.9 million.

Chair of the Audit Committee, John Cochrane said, “Once again, thanks to a totally impressive team effort led by our Superintendent of Business Seija Van Haesendonck, and Manager of Finance Wende Proulx, our audited financial statements are a shining example of the way your Board wisely spends our taxpayer funds. Congratulations to all involved!”

The Audit Committee also presented a year-end report, which Trustees approved, and will forward to the Ministry of Education for the year ended Aug. 31, 2021.

The statements may be found in the agenda package from last night’s meeting.

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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

Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021

Chair, Vice-Chair acclaimed at organizational meeting

Chair Jay Aspin and Vice-Chair John Cochrane were acclaimed at tonight’s organizational meeting of Near North District School Board (NNDSB), signalling trustees’ continued support of Board leadership.

Director of Education Craig Myles, as secretary of the Board, presided over tonight’s meeting until the Chair was elected.

The two have held these positions with this Board since it was elected in the fall of 2018, through elections and acclamations.

Much has been accomplished under the leadership of Chair Aspin and Vice-Chair Cochrane. Among the highlights are the appointment of a new Director of Education,  consistent efforts to improve transparency and processes, the creation and implementation of a governance manual and the development of a Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) that sets the course for the board through 2026.

After his acclamation, Chair Aspin addressed the Board, thanking trustees for their continued confidence.

Chair Aspin is entering his 21^st year as a school board trustee, and has held elected public office for 43 years, including six terms as a North Bay councillor and a Member of the 41^st Canadian Parliament.

“It is both an honour and a privilege to continue to serve as your Chair. I look forward to continuing to work with Board members, Director Myles and his senior leadership team to support the achievement and well-being of our students and staff,” said Chair Aspin.

After his acclamation, Vice-Chair Cochrane said, “I would like to thank my fellow board members for their on-going support of my work as Vice-Chair, and Chair of the Audit and Finance Committees,”. “My thoughts are focused, of course, on completing our much-needed school in Parry Sound. Our Board remains intent on pupil and staff safety throughout this coming year.”

Director Myles is grateful that Chair Aspin and Vice-Chair Cochrane were willing to let their names stand for another term. “This board has made remarkable progress in so many areas under the leadership of Chair Aspin and Vice-Chair Cochrane. NNDSB is fortunate to have a stellar group of trustees who are passionate about the work they do on behalf of students. I believe that more good things are to come with them guiding the Board for another year.”

This will be the final year of this Board’s mandate; the next municipal election will be held Monday, Oct. 24, 2022.

Chair Aspin said, “As this is our last year of this term as the Board of Trustees, let’s continue to reform and rejuvenate the board with the good work we have achieved together since 2018.”

The Chair said the key challenges the Board will focus on this year include providing quality education while keeping staff and students safe and healthy in the face of COVID-19, full implementation of the MYSP, completion of new school builds at Fricker and the Parry Sound JK-12 build, support improvements in human resource allocation, effective continued expansion of community partnerships and communications and to advance the North Bay facilities study.

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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