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March Letter to Families

March 7, 2025 By Brett

Friday, March 7, 2025

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The 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) and is distributed on the first Friday of the month.

*

EQAO is offering a free live webinar in which EQAO staff will discuss math questions that Ontario students encounter when they participate in Ontario’s large-scale assessments. These assessments are taken by all Ontario students in Grades 3, 6 and 9.

During the webinar, EQAO staff will show how these math questions help assess the skills students are learning in their math classes. Staff will also share valuable insights from the past three years of assessment results, which can help parents and guardians support their children’s math learning.

This webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, March 26 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. You can register here.

*

The Ontario Coalition for Children and Youth Mental Health is seeking parents and caregivers to be part of a focus group.

Last spring, the group asked for ideas for resources to help parents and caregivers support their children’s mental health. Based on feedback, several resources were created, which are available at the Family Care Centre and By Your Side.

The coalition is seeking parents and caregivers who have used two or more of the resources. Sessions are being held Monday, March 10 from 4 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, March 11 from noon to 1 p.m. or 4 to 5 p.m., Monday, March 17 from 4 to 5 p.m. in French, and Tuesday, March 18 from noon to 1 p.m.

Email coalitionsurvey@opsba.org if you are interested in participating.

*

Many NNDSB secondary schools are planning open houses for prospective students and their families.

Below is a list of upcoming open houses:

West Ferris Secondary School (WFSS) will be holding a Grade 7 information night on Thursday, May 1 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Chippewa Secondary School (CSS) is planning its Grade 7 information night for May 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. More information will be available closer to the event.

*

We hope everyone has a wonderful March Break. The break begins today, and we will welcome everyone back to school on Monday, March 17.

*

The next meeting of the Board will be held Tuesday, March 18 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public, and you are welcome to attend in person or join via Zoom. The link and log in information can be found at the top of the Board and committee meetings page.

*

In addition to staying informed via the board’s website, families can find NNDSB on Facebook and Instagram.

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board

Filed Under: Letter to Families, Media Releases, NNDSB Featured, NNDSB Shared News

Board Highlights February 14, 2025

February 14, 2025 By Brett

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.

Filed Under: Media Releases, News and Announcements, NNDSB Featured, NNDSB Shared News

February Letter to Families

February 7, 2025 By Brett

Friday, Feb. 7, 2025

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The 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) and is distributed on the first Friday of the month.

*

We are excited to announce that kindergarten registration is now open at all of our schools for the upcoming academic year. Families can choose from our engaging English programming or our exceptional French Immersion programming, designed to provide young learners with a strong foundation for their educational journey.

Parents and guardians can register their child for kindergarten by calling their local school directly or by completing the online registration form available at this link.

Early registration ensures families have access to essential information about kindergarten readiness and programming options. NNDSB is committed to creating inclusive and supportive learning environments where every child can thrive.

We look forward to welcoming your child to one of our schools and beginning this exciting journey of learning together.

*

The NNDSB math team is hosting a math night for parents/caregivers of Grade 7-12 students. The event will include information about TVO Mathify (a free online tutoring support), an overview of secondary math courses and pathways, sharing of virtual resources and tools for students and information about the Grade 9 EQAO math assessment.

The event will be held over Microsoft Teams on Wednesday, Feb. 19 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Here is the registration link.

*

School Mental Health Ontario (SMHO) launched a new parent/caregiver learning hub called By Your Side, designed to meet the needs of Ontario’s families.

The resource was created by Ontario parents/caregivers and school mental health professionals and includes information and supports in many formats, including web content, PDFs and videos to make sure families can easily access information and strategies that promote mental health and well-being at home.

Key topics include understanding mental health, promoting mental health at home, supporting mental health at school, stress and anxiety management, substance use prevention, navigating digital technology use and reaching out for help.

*

Nominations are now open for the 2025 OTIP Teaching Awards. Presented by the Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan (OTIP) and the Ontario Teacher’s Federation (OTF), the awards recognize the excellence of teachers in publicly funded education.

There are three categories of awards: elementary teacher, secondary teacher and beginning teacher (in the first five years of teaching). Teachers may be nominated by professional colleagues, students, parents or the public.

The deadline for nominations is March 31, 2025.

*

Many NNDSB secondary schools are planning open houses for prospective students and their families.

Below is a list of upcoming open houses:

West Ferris Secondary School (WFSS) is advising students that specialized program applications are open until Feb. 14, 2025. In addition to its full slate of course offerings, WFSS has several specialized programs, including STEAM, Arts Nipissing, Near North Sports, Extended French and French Immersion.

These programs are available to students across North Bay, with busing available. Here are the programs with application information hyperlinked: STEAM; Arts Nipissing; Near North Sports; Extended French/French Immersion.

There will also be a Grade 7 information night being held Thursday, May 1 from 6 to 8 p.m.

F.J. McElligott will be hosting an information night/dinner event for Grade 6 and Grade 8 students and their parents on March 4, 2025, beginning at 6 p.m. (the snow date will be March 5). This information night will be an opportunity to see the school, hear about the programs offered at F.J. McElligott at both the intermediate and secondary levels, and enjoy a dinner that will be prepared by the Grade 6 and Grade 8 students earlier that day, as part of a transition day activity. Families are asked to call the school at 705-472-5720 to RSVP for the dinner.

Chippewa Secondary School (CSS) is planning its Grade 7 information night for May 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. More information will be available closer to the event.

*

A reminder that Monday, Feb. 17 is the Family Day statutory holiday. All schools and the board office will be closed. We hope you enjoy the long weekend, and we will welcome students back to school on Tuesday, Feb. 18.

*

The next meeting of the Board will be held Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public, and you are welcome to attend in person or join via Zoom. The link and login information can be found at the top of the Board and committee meetings page.

*

In addition to staying informed via the board’s website, families can find NNDSB on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board

Filed Under: Letter to Families, Media Releases, News and Announcements, NNDSB Featured, NNDSB Shared News

Board passes motion for education/consolidation study re: betterment – student success and well-being

January 15, 2025 By Brett

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025

Board passes motion for education/consolidation study re: betterment – student success and well-being

The Near North District School Board (NNDSB) passed a motion to ask the Ministry of Education to initiate a study of the existing four-school board system.

At its latest monthly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, NNDSB trustees passed the motion entitled Ontario School Board Efficiencies. NNDSB’s Board of Trustees agreed that they want the government to look at how to bring more resources to students, staff and schools.

“We are committed to the priorities of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) which promotes and advances high-quality, equitable, and inclusive learning environments to support student success and wellbeing,” said Board Chair Ashley St. Pierre.

The motion was brought forward by Trustee Bill Steer. Trustee Steer has served as an NNDSB trustee for seven years and is the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) Board of Directors representative for NNDSB. He is also the Chair of the Northern Region of OPSBA school boards and sits on the OPSBA executive.

The motion states: That in the interests of applying more resources to student success and well-being, the NNDSB Board of Trustees send a letter to the Minister of Education asking the Ministry to initiate, study and begin consultations regarding efficiencies within the four-school board system model. And that the NNDSB also sends a letter to OPSBA asking it to advocate the same with the Ministry of Education on its member boards’ behalf and that the letters be shared with all OPSBA member boards.

Steer said, “We are not saying how many boards there should be, we are asking the government for a comprehensive consultative study to look for opportunities that will not only identify cost savings but also create efficiencies. Regardless of background, all students can benefit from a new educational delivery system recognizing and including all existing Charter/Constitutional rights.”

“In this day of such societal diversity, awareness and acceptance of a new way of delivering public education will allow for more resources for student success and well-being for all students – incorporating culture, religion and language.

“Our health care system underwent an overhaul as mandated by the province,” he said. “So could the delivery of education. Everything in the public sector has become more expensive to deliver as an essential service.”

In 2021-22, there were approximately 2.0 million children enrolled in Ontario’s public schools across the four commonly recognized school systems. The English public school system is the largest, with 31 school boards and 1.3 million students enrolled in 2021-22, followed by the English

Catholic system, with 29 school boards and 554,739 students, the French Catholic system, with eight school boards and 76,501 students, and the French public system, with four school boards and 34,588 students. (Ontario School Boards: Enrolment, Finances and Student Outcomes, Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, 2024. https://fao-on.org/en/report/fa2207schoolboards/ )

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For more information:

Email: Chair@nearnorthschools.ca

Phone: 705-472-5398

Filed Under: Media Releases, News and Announcements, NNDSB Featured, NNDSB Shared News

NNDSB library team named Library Professional of the Year

January 15, 2025 By Brett

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025

NNDSB library team named Library Professional of the Year

Every year, the Ontario Library Association (OLA) honours one exceptional individual with the Ontario School Library Professional of the Year award in recognition of leadership in the facilitation and management of a school library collection.

Nomination criteria for the award include making a positive impact on students’ and teachers’ use and attitude towards the school library learning commons, a nominee is innovative and actively works on improving student engagement and works to create a rich learning environment which promotes student engagement.

This year, OLA council members were so impressed by the work of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) library services team the rules were modified to allow for the entire team to be nominated and by unanimous decision, the NNDSB library team was awarded Ontario School Library Professional of the Year.

NNDSB library services is comprised of four full-time secondary librarians, two librarians who divide their time between a secondary and elementary school, and seven itinerant elementary librarians who are responsible for a family of schools. In addition to the school libraries, NNDSB is also home to two classroom support centres that are responsible for creating and loaning curriculum-based resources and technology to educators.

Jessica Feick, library services and classroom support centres supervisor, said library services have evolved over the years from simply circulating books to being an integral part of the school community with many responsibilities. School librarians have worked hard to build partnerships with community libraries and work as liaisons to bring exciting new opportunities for NNDSB students. These include but are not limited to author and illustrator visits, working with community libraries on reading celebrations, and bringing in community helpers for read-alouds.

Librarians continue to keep pace with changing times by teaching digital literacy. NNDSB librarians instruct students in essential skills such as effective internet searches, how to spot “fake news”, how to use Gale databases, plagiarism, bibliographies, copyright, and critical thinking skills.

NNDSB library services offer technical support to students and staff with printing, password management, using school-based applications and audio-visual equipment. The team works hard to maintain culturally relevant collections in support of equity, diversity and student well-being.

“NNDSB library services also maintains a current and relevant virtual library with access to reputable resources to support students in their learning journey,” Feick said. “Secondary librarians also circulate technology for student use during the school day, and collaborate with other school departments to circulate textbooks and novel studies for students.”

The team’s accomplishments will be featured in the spring issue of Teaching Librarian and the team will be honoured at an award ceremony in Toronto on Jan. 30.

“Two of our team members, as well as myself, will be in Toronto during this time for a conference and will be able to attend the award ceremony. Karen Upper, who is an exceptional librarian and advocate for library, will accept the award on behalf of the team,” Feick said. “NNDSB is honoured and grateful for being selected as the Ontario School Library Professional of the Year and would like to thank the Ontario School Library Association for this wonderful award.”

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Filed Under: Media Releases, News and Announcements, NNDSB Featured, NNDSB Shared News

Chippewa Secondary School celebrates 10 years of excellence with International Baccalaureate program

January 10, 2025 By Brett

Friday, Jan. 10, 2025               

Chippewa Secondary School celebrates 10 years of excellence with International Baccalaureate program

Chippewa Secondary School is thrilled to announce the successful completion of its recent five-year evaluation, conducted by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), reaffirming its commitment to providing a world-class education. Chippewa Secondary became an IB World School in 2014.

The IB evaluation process is a five-year cycle, culminating in a review of all documents, processes and procedures, and academic and school priorities during a five-year period. This was Chippewa’s second such evaluation. The successful evaluation, conducted over 12 months, underscores the program’s adherence to the high standards set by the International Baccalaureate organization. The IB community – administrators, teaching staff, current students, alumni, and families – are all allowed to participate in the process. This comprehensive review is designed to provide the opportunity to celebrate the successes and to look for ways to continually improve.

Chippewa’s World School Manager, Remy Lemon, stated, “I would like to thank your school community for the thorough and thoughtful presentation of your self-study results. Your commitment has been evident in the review of your school’s documents and engagement throughout the process.”

The evaluation team at the IB World Schools department commended the school for its dedicated faculty, robust support systems, and overall growth and success of its IB students. The conclusions of the evaluation team noted, “Chippewa Secondary School has consistently aligned its mission and vision with the IB educational principles. This commitment is evident. [They showed] a strong focus on equity and inclusion across both curricular and extracurricular activities. The school team fosters relationships between students, teachers and the community, encouraging global perspectives and equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in an evolving world.”

Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the program at Chippewa Secondary School, with its first students entering the diploma program in 2015.

For more information about the IB program at Chippewa Secondary School, please contact Kim Larivee, IB coordinator, and check out Chippewa’s open house event, Welcome to High School, for Grade 8 students on Jan. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m.

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Filed Under: Media Releases, News and Announcements, NNDSB Featured, NNDSB Shared News

NNDSB – Letter to Families – PowerSchool breach – 2025-01-09

January 9, 2025 By Brett

Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We wanted to share an important update about a cyber incident experienced by Near North District School Board (NNDSB) involving PowerSchool – the application used by NNDSB and many school boards across North America to store a range of student information and a limited amount of staff information.

On Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, PowerSchool notified the board and other school boards in Ontario and across North America that they had experienced a data breach between Dec. 22-28, 2024.

Our cybersecurity team promptly activated our response plan, taking immediate steps to ensure that our critical systems remain operational.

Working with PowerSchool, we are conducting a thorough investigation to understand the nature of the incident and what personal information may have been affected. At this point in time, we are still assessing the exact information that may have been accessed or exported from the application. PowerSchool has informed us that it has received confirmation that the data accessed by an unauthorized user has been deleted and that no copies of this data were posted online.

When we determine what personal information has been impacted, we will let you know as soon as possible. In the meantime, we have proactively notified the Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner of this incident.

We know this news may be concerning, but please know that we are doing everything possible to learn more from PowerSchool about what occurred and will share that information with you.

Many of you will have questions as a result of this news, but given the ongoing investigation into what occurred, we do not yet have more information to share at this time.

We will continue to update the community as more information becomes available.

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board

 

Filed Under: Letter to Families, Media Releases, News and Announcements, NNDSB Featured, NNDSB Shared News

Laurentian Learning Centre graduate gives back in a big way

December 19, 2024 By Deb

Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024

Laurentian Learning Centre graduate gives back in a big way

Near North District School Board (NNDSB) Laurentian Learning Centre (LLC) graduate Allie Travale credits the alternative school with “saving my life in many ways,” and has thought about giving back to the school ever since graduating in 2015. It wasn’t until four years later that an opportunity to do just that presented itself.

Travale, who had excelled academically throughout school, struggled with severe anxiety and depression, which began to harm her education.

“My attendance counsellor, Erin Fitzgerald, played a pivotal role in getting me into the LLC. At the LLC, I was provided with an environment that was flexible, caring, non-judgmental and supportive. The teachers were (and are still) all amazing people. My peers were just youth like me, struggling for a wide variety of reasons, trying to get through school and life,” Travale said. “It creates a feeling of safety being around people who understand struggling in their own ways. The smaller class sizes also helped a lot with my anxiety.

“I grew so much in my time attending the LLC. I was able to work through a lot of the anxiety and depression slowly but surely, and part of that growth came from the LLC environment, the available supports, and the consistent encouragement,” Travale said. “I began to see that maybe I could still graduate and live a life worth living after graduation.”

Soon after graduation, Travale dreamed of giving back to the school and assisting future students as she was assisted. “I wanted to be a part of that helpful environment for other young people in situations, or mental places, that I could relate to. It became a dream goal of mine,” Travale said.

An opportunity to realize that dream presented itself in 2019 when Travale and project partner Chelsea Reid learned of the Laidlaw Foundation’s Youth Action Fund, a grant stream focused on youth with “lived experience” in either the education, child and family services or justice system. The grantors specifically wanted youth to lead the project, helping other youth underserved by one or more of those systems.

Travale and Reid then formed C-ACE (Creative Arts-Based Civic Engagement), which aimed to integrate art into the school, funding everything needed for the classes and facilitating the art classes alongside a teacher.

“We hoped to increase attendance, raise student confidence as well as access to self-expression, increase food budget support, incorporate cultural components, and increase credit achievement levels, thereby increasing overall graduation rates,” Travale said. “We also hoped that the results and new art supplies at the school would lead to regular arts credits being offered at the school when our grant ended.”

With assistance from local non-profit N2M2L (Near North Mobile Media Lab), the team’s grant application was accepted in early 2020.

Inspired by their success, Travale began thinking of the next project to take on.

“A second grant project idea came to me in the Summer of 2021. Our grant was set to end at the end of 2021/beginning of 2022, and I was thinking ahead with hopes to apply again,” Travale said. “I was looking for a way to expand what we had done into something even more impactful and beneficial for the students and the school. I knew that we could go even deeper into aiding the wellness impact for students.”

From this desire to do more came the Ways to Wellness Project (WTWP), which supports holistic wellness endeavours by helping to facilitate physical education, general health, and mental wellness opportunities at LLC.

“Through WTWP, media and visual arts are being woven into the school offerings, along with civic engagement opportunities and activities supporting the crucial multi-faceted aspects of well-being,” Travale said. “This includes Indigenous cultural components, such as the creation of the Nishnaabemwin/Anishinaabemowin Language Deck (ALD), which is a key component of the project. The language deck is a bilingual educational flashcard deck designed to encourage and enable people everywhere to understand and speak Anishinaabemowin.”

“The ALD has been an incredible part of this project that LLC students participated in, aiding in language revitalization and cultural pride,” Travale said. “The language deck was reviewed by Nipissing First Nation’s Language Committee, with distribution being supported by Anishinabek Nation to connect with First Nation communities across the province. Other spaces with a variety of culturally relevant programming have received decks as well. We had close to 20 artists onboard for the deck artworks, whose Anishinaabe heritage spans a large geographic region along the North Shore of the Great Lakes. The Seven Sacred Teachings cards artworks were created digitally by LLC and Nbisiing Secondary School students alongside elders/cultural facilitators who spoke about the teachings with the students, which was beautiful.”

The WTWP has also provided physical education equipment, supported cooking classes and food access for students, continued support for art classes, supported the school garden, purchased books and a variety of other supplies, and provided opportunities for field trips and guest speakers/workshop facilitators.

LLC Vice-Principal Lisa Spencer said Travale understands that students need a bit of extra time, extra encouragement and extra support to reach their goals.

“Allie is a creative soul who sees the best in everyone, accepts individuals for who they are and seeks to meet them where they are. Allie contributes an artist’s touch and a big heart to each project she contributes to,” Spencer said. “She comes to LLC as often as she can to work with staff and students to build a community of collaboration and comfort for everyone to learn and experiment. She adds value to the aspects of LLC that students love the most: art, experiences, mentorship, hobbies, community and, of course, learning. Allie is a strong mentor for the students at LLC, and everyone benefits from her gentle presence and determined direction.”

“Access to alternative schooling is incredibly important for youth with lived experience and youth who are struggling. Often, these youth are the ones who fall through the cracks, possibly ending up on a less than favourable path, or worse,” Travale said.

“When these students can learn and grow in a smaller school where alternative approaches, wellness focuses, uplifting teachers, and flexibility are all prioritized, it creates a critical bridge to a brighter future for them,” she added. “Hope and vision can change the entire way that we live our lives, and sometimes we need help getting into that type of mindset.

“We can’t eliminate all of the struggles or unique reasons that youth may need a school like the LLC, but we can do our part to support spaces that help pave better paths forward for those in need. In doing so, we are ensuring that these spaces can continue fostering deeply meaningful transformations for youth, creating lifelong impacts, and ultimately shaping a brighter future for both the youth and our society as a whole,” said Travale.

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Filed Under: Media Releases, News and Announcements, NNDSB Featured, NNDSB Shared News

Another successful Indigenous Youth Council Gives Back

December 18, 2024 By Brett

Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024

Another successful Indigenous Youth Council Gives Back

After last year’s incredible success with the Necessities Drive, the Indigenous Youth Circle, in partnership with the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre and the Anishinabek Police Service (APS), held a Stuff the Cruiser fundraiser.

The Indigenous Youth Circle is a student organization comprised of Indigenous students from all Near North District School Board (NNDSB) secondary schools. Over the last two months, the Indigenous youth at six secondary schools across the board held various fundraisers to collect money and toys to donate to the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre for their holiday gift-giving.

Indigenous Student Trustee Riley Trudeau and NNDSB’s Indigenous Lead Kelly Nootchtai Huston joined Sgt. Chantal Larocque, Const. Justin McLeod and Const. JP Spence at the Sturgeon Falls Canadian Tire, where they collected toys and monetary donations from customers.  Over the two days, while also handing out popcorn and raffling an APS hoodie, stuffed police dog and maple syrup that was donated by a local business owner, they stuffed an entire APS truck with toys, as well as raising more than $1,282.

Stuff the Cruiser event culminated on Dec. 12, when Student Trustee Riley Trudeau and Dokis First Nation student Jacob Restoule hopped in APS cruisers driven by Sgt. Larocque and Const. McLeod. Joining them in the back seats were Indigenous Education Coordinator Amanda Mathias and Indigenous Lead Kelly Nootchtai Huston. They visited five of the six secondary schools to collect their donations and completed their travels at the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre.

Along with a $1,000 donation from Dokis First Nation and the monies procured at Canadian Tire, more than $4000 was raised.

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Filed Under: Media Releases, News and Announcements, NNDSB Featured, NNDSB Shared News

NNDSB – Board Highlights – December 13, 2024

December 13, 2024 By Brett

Friday, Dec. 13, 2024

The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting of Tuesday, December 10, 2024.

Director of Education’s report

Director of Education Craig Myles began his report with a reflection on this season of giving, gratitude and hope and urged everyone to pause and celebrate the efforts being undertaken in school communities. He noted that the staff’s hard work and passion bring the board’s mission to life every day.

The report outlined several activities that took place on the Nov. 15 professional activity day, including a learning symposium for secondary educators, a collaborative session with the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit to address conditions to promote positive school climate, math, English, civic and career workshops and a session that explored science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning through an Indigenous lens.

Myles thanked the staff and trustees who contributed to the Nov. 27 multi-year strategic plan (MYSP) public information session. A recording of the session has been uploaded to the MYSP page. NNDSB is also seeking stakeholder and rightsholder feedback regarding the MYSP. A survey is open until Dec. 31. Access to the Fall 2024 survey can be found here.

Student conduct administrative guideline revision

A report to the Board presented a draft revised administrative guideline about student conduct management. There will now be a 30-day consultation period. The final guideline will aim to incorporate applicable feedback that aligns with the mission, vision, and values of the board and the Ministry of Education.

The draft revised guideline contains three areas of major change, including: how to respond, report and assign consequences for behaviour that is motivated by bias, prejudice or hate; language has been updated to be more inclusive with gender-specific pronouns removed; language has been updated to be more user friendly, and directs readers to other areas of the NNDSB website that contain additional resources, such as the bullying prevention and intervention plan and the Safer Schools Reporting Tool. 

School trip administrative guideline revision

A report to trustees included revisions to the School Trips Administrative Guideline. The guideline was last updated in May 2023. The proposed revisions note that the changes are small but speak to the board’s desire to create a clear guideline that outlines specific parameters that promote student safety with high levels of student participation. This guideline will be posted for 30 days for public consultation.

Proposed changes to the school trip guideline include:

  • incorporation of the new Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (OPHEA) terminology (the guidelines are now called Ontario Physical Activity Safety Standards in Education;
  • clarification of water-related activities that changes the wording to “near water” (instead of when on or in water);
  • acknowledgement that not permitting Grade 9 students to attend Level 3 or Level 4 trips negatively and disproportionately impacted smaller secondary schools, where Grade 9 students are integral parts of sports teams and extra-curricular clubs. The previous restrictions resulted in either having to decline the opportunity or leaving a portion of their group behind;
  • removing the requirement to bring paper copies of medical forms for Level 1 trips. These trips are local and occur during the school day when trip leaders can obtain medical information via phone from the school if required.

Trustees to ask for a meeting with the City

Following a discussion in the committee of the whole meeting, trustees agreed to send a letter to the City of North Bay asking for a meeting to discuss the effects of the low-barrier shelter on the Chippewa Secondary School community and NNDSB.

Indigenous Student Trustee’s report

Indigenous Student Trustee Riley Trudeau noted in her report that members of the Indigenous Youth Circle met in November at F.J. McElligott Secondary School.

Students at Northern Secondary School learned about medicine pouches, supported Treaty Week and Veterans’ Day, and will be working on ribbon skirts and shirts at the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre.

Chippewa students participated in a youth leadership event with graduates and past leaders. In addition to Okimikon, a mino-okimakon was established to support Grade 7 and 8 youth, more than $700 was raised to support the Chanie Wenjack fundraisers, and a candy-gram campaign will support the Stuff the Cruiser event. Students have plans for making moccasins, medicine pouches, ribbon skirts and shirts, mini drums, and beading with the Indigenous Friendship Centre.

At West Ferris Secondary School, students delivered educational Treaty Week announcements and posters and have been fundraising for the toy drive. Students participate in a weekly drumming circle for both hand drums and the grandfather

drum. Students are looking forward to rattle making, medicine teachings, water teachings, pow wow dance and culture teachings, and ribbon skirt and shirt making.

Students at Almaguin Highlands Secondary School supported Treaty Week with activities. They create and share daily announcements for days of recognition like Orange Shirt Day, Louis Riel Day, Rock Your Mocs and Indigenous Veterans’ Day. Students continue to learn about the Seven Grandfather Teachings and how to apply them in everyday life.

F.J. McElligott students have been working on spirit days that highlight Indigenous culture. They’ve been making bannock to support the Stuff the Cruiser fundraiser. Indigenous food is celebrated weekly at the school. Plans are underway to build hand drums, and students are excited to engage in the annual OYAP paddle-building transition activity incorporating Indigenous art forms.

Parry Sound High School representatives could not attend the IYC meeting in person but shared that they had a parent night. The Grade 7 and 8 Indigenous Ezhkiniigijik O’zaswinwaa (Youth Nest) space was officially opened that evening with a dedication by Elder Dave Rice.

Trudeau said the IYC worked with the Student Senate. She presented a slideshow to the Senators explaining what IYC is and what they do. There are plans to grow the relationship with the Student Senate to create a safe place for students to connect and show partnership.

IYC has been working on the Stuff the Cruiser/IYC Gives Back initiative. Each school has been fundraising for the event. Dokis First Nation donated $1,000 to the initiative, and an event at Sturgeon Falls Canadian Tire raised $1,282 and filled the box and cab of an Anishinabek Police Service truck with gifts for children.

Student Trustee’s report

Student Trustee Nanak Sidhu’s report to the Board included updates on academic successes and community-focused initiatives that demonstrate students’ passion, resilience and creativity.

With the holiday season approaching, students have embraced the spirit of giving in many ways. At Chippewa Secondary School, a student-led necessities drive is underway to support the North Bay Crisis Centre. Almaguin Highlands Secondary School is hosting a food drive for the local food banks, and Northern Secondary School is bringing joy to 15 residents at the West Nipissing General Hospital through thoughtful gift-giving.

In athletics, athletes are participating in sports like volleyball, basketball, and football, with students bringing school communities together to cheer for their peers.

The recent Student Senate meeting was productive as the senators made significant progress on our primary initiative to develop foundational resources to empower current and future senators. These resources include a comprehensive

Trustee and Senator Handbook, a database of external contacts, templates for organizing past events, and pre-prepared materials to support new initiatives effectively.

During the meeting, senators heard from Riley Trudeau, who provided an overview of the IYC and its mission. IYC also heard a presentation about the Student Senate. Both groups then had the opportunity to connect over lunch and engage in meaningful discussions. Feedback from the senators was overwhelmingly positive. They found the session informative and greatly valued the chance to engage with the IYC, especially the newer senators. Looking ahead, the Senate is excited about potential opportunities for further collaboration.

Student Trustee Sidhu had the opportunity to represent NNDSB at the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association (OSTA-AECO) Fall General Meeting. Connecting with student trustees from across Ontario, Sidhu gained valuable inspiration for future initiatives and practices from other board senates, which he looks forward to adapting for NNDSB.

Sidhu also attended the OSTA-AECO December Leadership Retreat. This retreat allowed the team to carry out a lot of the planning regarding the OSTA-AECOS Education Action Conference (EAC) as well as receive professional development. One of the highlights of the retreat was an engaging and thought-provoking Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) workshop led by Irfan Toor, the Social Justice and Anti-Oppression Advisor for the Ontario Principals’ Council. This workshop offered profound insights and strategies that deepened the team’s understanding of EDI principles and their practical application in leadership and education.

Sidhu said he is confident that students within NNDSB will continue to thrive in academics, activism, athletics, and the arts. He added that he is eager to see the progress of the Senate’s initiatives and the impact they’ll have on school communities in the new year.

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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.

Filed Under: Media Releases, News and Announcements, NNDSB Featured, NNDSB Shared News

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