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News and Announcements

Women in welding event sparks passion in Northern Secondary students

June 20, 2025 By Brett

Friday, June 20, 2025

Women in welding event sparks passion in Northern Secondary students

Northern Secondary School technology teacher Kevin Baker has been trying to organize an experiential learning activity for female students interested in the trades for years. Specifically, Baker was looking for an “activity or event with a welding focus where a woman in the trade would share their knowledge and experience with students.”

Just such an opportunity presented itself during an impromptu visit to Motion Industries Canada, a community partner in North Bay, where he met welder-fitter Caitlin Hickey.

“I asked Caitlin if she would be interested in coming into our school and working with our students. Not only did she say yes, but she was quite excited about the idea. The project just took off from there,” says Baker. “Motion Canada was also excited by the idea, as they like to help students grow through co-op placements and other activities. They granted Caitlin the time off with full pay for the day to come join us.”

Hickey herself didn’t discover welding until after secondary school, where she predominantly focused on arts classes. After studying aircraft structures in college, she discovered her love for working with metals while helping build the Bombardier CL-415 water bombers, where she was the first and only woman to work on the floor. She then decided to expand her love of metalwork and go back to college for the welder-fitter program.

Now working with Motion Industries, Hickey says that “they have continuously encouraged growth through equal opportunity and training” and would “love to see more workplaces like this, the men and management here, so encouraging to all the women entering into the trades.”

Hickey says she was excited to visit Northern because of her “love of welding and love of encouraging youth, especially women, towards working in the trades.”

Hickey spent the day working with the exclusively female class, helping them improve their welding and layout skills as well as talking about her experiences as a woman in the trades.

“We have our own challenges working in the trades, as women represent only about three per cent of the workforce,” says Hickey. “We’ve actually come a long way, and I think it’s really great seeing their enthusiasm. Women do well at welding with our attention to detail and patience.”

With Hickey’s guidance, students built pet food bowl holders out of steel.

“Caitlin shared her knowledge of welding techniques and ran the women through the process of developing such a product. The students made drawings, fit and prepped materials, then welded the units up utilizing the skills they had developed,” says Baker. “All of the students involved were able to keep the project and take it home when completed,” he adds.

Northern student Hailey says she is very interested in pursuing a career in welding and was inspired by Hickey’s story.

“I know it’s going to be hard and people say it’s a ‘man’s job’ but I want to defeat that. I think it should be regular for women to work in the trades,” says Hailey.

Hickey’s example makes Hailey “feel like [she] has a shot and working in the trades.” She would encourage any girl or young woman to “give the trades a shot.”

Hickey impressed upon the students that “it’s your work that pays off, if you’re passionate about what you do, your work will prove itself.”

“I don’t hide that I am a very feminine woman, but I still do this work as well. So, you don’t have to hide who you really are just because you’re in the trades. You can still do the job just as well or better than men”, says Hickey.

Baker thanks Caitlin Hickey for her essential contribution to his students’ learning and Motion Industries Canada for facilitating the event. He also acknowledges Northern Secondary School’s community welding partners, OCW Metal Works Inc. and A to Z Welding for sharing their knowledge, services and support for co-op students through the years.

“These opportunities are priceless for students. It’s not every day that they can work alongside licensed tradespeople and ask questions,” says Baker. “Having a female tradesperson work with them in a comfortable setting makes the learning experience that much more valuable.”

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

Near North math team members honoured

June 19, 2025 By Brett

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Near North math team members honoured

Two educators from the Near North District School Board have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to math education. Gail Dégagné and Laurie Clayton won the Ontario Mathematics Coordinators Association (OMCA) Award for Excellence and Innovation in Mathematics Education.

Collectively, Dégagné and Clayton have contributed immensely to the development of central key resources, which play an instrumental role in unifying how teachers approach mathematics planning and teaching across the board.

NNDSB Assistant Superintendent Kim Pauli says she is very proud of Dégagné and Clayton for their outstanding contributions to math education across the province.

“The resources, professional learning opportunities, and experiences they have provided both in and out of the classroom have had a huge impact on student achievement and mindset in mathematics,” says Pauli.

Pauli goes on to say that in her role as special education math lead, “Gail has been a huge advocate for students with barriers to learning math. She has supported educators to find ways all students can learn grade-level material in a way that is accessible and meaningful.”

Dégagné says the math team has re-examined special education processes, particularly as they relate to mathematics.

“This collaborative effort led to the development of a more robust, tiered mathematics strategy designed to better meet student needs, boost engagement, and ultimately foster student success,” says Dégagné. She adds that staff worked to understand learners, ensuring that every intervention and support was both relevant and responsive.

Learning strategies included small group interventions both inside and outside the classroom, grounded in sound pedagogy and effective resources.

“Receiving this award is not just a personal honour, it’s a celebration of the collective effort, passion, and commitment of everyone who joined in this mission to create positive change for our students,” says Dégagné. She adds this recognition is the perfect way to close this chapter as she heads into retirement next year.

Pauli says that Clayton, in her role as central math facilitator, “has been instrumental in developing tools and assessments to ensure students are on track with their learning outcomes. Working alongside teacher colleagues, Laurie has shared ‘best practices’ and high impact teaching strategies to support a more responsive and deliberate approach to math instruction.”

Clayton says in working with the NNDSB math team for two years, she knows educators are “committed to meeting the diverse learning needs of their students, and they’re looking for practical, sustainable strategies to do so.”

The team has implemented strategies to support educators. The addition of resources like Knowledgehook and MathUp has “created a common language for instruction, enabled focused professional development, and encouraged collegial dialogue,” she says.

Clayton notes that she’s witnessed a noticeable increase in student engagement, a reduction in behavioural challenges during math lessons and improved student achievement. Equally important, teachers are feeling more confident in their ability to use the tools and strategies to move each learner forward.

“This work matters because every student deserves to feel successful in math,” says Clayton.

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

NNDSB – Letter to Families – message for families and grads

June 19, 2025 By Brett

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Minister of Education Paul Calandra has provided a letter to students and families as the 2024-2025 school year comes to a close. The Minister’s end-of-year video message is available on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.

The Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, has also provided a letter of congratulations to the graduates of 2025 and a message via this video link.

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board

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

Sunset Park’s Mighty Gardeners project grows well-being through community, creativity, and care

June 18, 2025 By Brett

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Sunset Park’s Mighty Gardeners project grows well-being through community, creativity, and care

At Sunset Park Public School, a small classroom initiative has grown into a vibrant, school-wide movement that connects student well-being, environmental stewardship, and community partnership in powerful, lasting ways. This inspiring transformation is embodied in the school’s Mighty Gardeners project, which highlights how creativity and community can nurture both young minds and the environment.

Last year, educators Jessica Blais and Deanna Riching launched a classroom project focused on community partnerships. During this project, Warren Lindsay from C.G.B. North Bay visited and offered a tree donation. In a light-hearted moment, Blais and Riching jokingly suggested a full garden makeover, and to everyone’s surprise, the idea blossomed. That spontaneous moment sparked what would become a school-wide transformation.

The vision expanded further in the fall as Sunset Park engaged in the work of The Third Path, a student well-being framework developed by Dr. David Tranter. Tranter’s eight conditions of well-being, safety, regulation, belonging, positivity, engagement, identity, mastery, and meaning became the foundation for a new school-wide initiative. Blais and Riching created The Mighty Gardeners to bring those eight conditions to life. In this program, each condition is transformed into a “superpower,” embodied by a unique superhero character. These playful, empowering characters help students connect deeply with important concepts like safety, belonging, regulation, and more.

To make these ideas accessible to children of all ages, Blais and Riching use creative storytelling and visual imagery. Each condition has been translated into simple, relatable language and brought to life in ways that engage and inspire students. This imaginative approach has created a common language of well-being throughout the school, sparking joy, excitement, and a strong sense of connection among students and staff alike.

At the heart of the project is the school-wide Peace Snake, a vibrant pathway of student-painted rocks winding through two large garden spaces. Students from Kindergarten through Grade 6 were placed in one of eight cross-grade “superpower” teams. Together, they have painted their rocks in colours representing their team’s well-being theme, cleared and prepared the garden beds, and helped plant all of the new plants and flowers.

The flowers and plants all came from Laporte’s Nursery, Sunset Park’s official nursery partner. Their support and generous donations, which included several beautiful flower baskets, have brought colour, beauty, and life to every corner of the garden.

The project’s success would not have been possible without the dedication and support of community members. Shawn Blais, owner and operator of Blais & Sons Electric, has spent countless hours helping construct the Peace Snake and assisting with planting throughout the garden. His hands-on commitment and generous support have been vital to bringing this vision to life.

The Mighty Gardeners initiative has also been entered into the national Communities in Bloom competition and will serve as an official site for the City of North Bay’s Centennial celebrations.

This initiative is already opening doors to rich cross-curricular learning in science, literacy, art, environmental studies, and social-emotional development. As a living classroom, the garden will provide meaningful, hands-on experiences that foster connection, responsibility, and creativity in students for years to come.

An official opening ceremony will take place on Monday, June 23 at 3:30 p.m. at Sunset Park Public School. The school looks forward to welcoming Mayor Peter Chirico, community partners who made the project possible, and all members of the public who would like to come celebrate and explore this inspiring new space.

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

NNDSB Board Highlights – June 10, 2025

June 13, 2025 By Brett

Friday, June 13, 2025

The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting of Tuesday, June 10, 2025.

Guideline regarding volunteers being updated

The Board agenda included a report that addresses revising the administrative guideline that addresses volunteers at NNDSB. The current guideline needed review to mitigate potential risks and ensure information is current and accurate.

Proposed changes include an annual offence declaration process for volunteers, streamlined data collection processes, a fulsome screening process, consistent practices and revised training procedures.

The draft revised guideline will now undergo a 30-day consultation process.

Director thanks staff for student success

In his written report to the Board, Director of Education Craig Myles noted that as the school year comes to a close, the focus is on student success, graduations, staff retirements, 25-year employee milestone recognition and summer learning. Myles thanked staff who continue to go above and beyond to contribute to student success and school experiences.

Myles also thanked NNDSB students for their hard work all year and wished them all a safe and happy summer break.

The Director’s report acknowledged Indigenous Peoples Day on Saturday, June 21. The day will be honoured in schools on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 with resources provided by the Indigenous Education Team.

Schools and staff were also mentioned in the report. Chippewa Secondary School teachers Jamie Carruthers and Craig Nodwell were acknowledged; Carruthers spearheaded a fundraising concert for stage/theatre equipment for the school, and Nodwell was recognized by Village Media with a BayToday Community Builder Award for Education. The West Ferris Parade for Cancer took place May 27, with $51,000 raised for the North Bay Regional Health Centre. Vincent Massey Public School was gifted with nine trees by Clean, Green, Beautiful North Bay for the lower school yard. Alliance French Immersion Public School achieved gold Healthy Schools Certification for the 2024-2025 school year, for participating in a range of impactful initiatives that promoted well-being, leadership and inclusivity. 

Indigenous Student Trustee’s report

Indigenous Student Trustee Riley Trudeau reported that last month, students participated in a land-based learning workshop at Nbisiing Secondary School, which included teachings, powwow dancing, trapping, maple syrup making and hide scraping.

NNDSB students have been hosting their school powwows – celebrations of laughter, dance, language and culture.

The Indigenous Youth Circle (IYC) held its retreat at Nipissing University on June 5 and 6. The retreat provides a space for students to participate in cultural activities, and gives students from different schools the chance to connect after a year of hard work.

Trudeau said IYC has been the highlight of many students’ secondary school experiences, and expressed how proud she is of these students who continue to inspire. She also thanked NNDSB’s Indigenous Education Team for their support of the students and IYC.

Student Trustee’s report

Student Trustee Nanak Sidhu reported that several spirit weeks, community events, advocacy and fundraising activities and competitions have been held across the district.

He noted the West Ferris Secondary School event that raised $51,000 to support cancer research and patient programs at North Bay Regional Health Centre.

In sports, three Almaguin athletes advance to OFSAA in track and field, and Chippewa’s mixed doubles tennis pair earned NOSSA gold.

West Ferris student Jiya Savsani earned a bronze medal at the Canada-Wide Science Fair.

Sidhu reported that the Student Senate held its last meeting of the year, at which they brainstormed advocacy priorities and improvement ideas. He and the incoming student trustee will collaborate on a plan to ensure an impactful term.

The final Ontario Student Trustees’ Association (OSTA) leadership team meeting is scheduled for July. The session will focus on the incoming team for success, including sharing knowledge, advocacy tools and strategies to keep OSTA strong.

As this was Sidhu’s last Board meeting, he thanked staff and the Board for his experience as a student trustee for NNDSB.

Board approves updated Special Education Plan

Trustees approved the updated Special Education Plan 2025-2026 as presented to the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC).

Changes noted in the plan include those related to roles and responsibilities, revised language/definitions from the Ministry of Education and revised descriptions of special education placement options.

Also added to the plan was additional, focused professional development for several categories of staff.

SEAC had presentations on several topics throughout the year, including the student achievement plan, the central behaviour team, math interventions and programming for special education students, RISE by LearnStyle and emotion coaching.

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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

NNDSB accepts the resignations of Trustees Fuscaldo and Phillips

June 11, 2025 By Deb

NNDSB accepts the resignations of Trustees Fuscaldo and Phillips

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

At the regular meeting of Near North District School Board last night, Zone 3 Trustee Jeanie Fuscaldo announced her resignation, effective June 11.

At May’s meeting of the Board of Trustees, Zone 1 Trustee Chantal Phillips announced her resignation, effective at the end of June.

Chair St. Pierre thanked Trustees Fuscaldo and Phillips for their contributions to public education.

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

June Letter to Families

June 6, 2025 By Brett

Friday, June 6, 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.

*

Monday, June 9 is a PA Day. Enjoy the long weekend, and we’ll see students back in class on Tuesday, June 10.

Here is a link to the PA day schedule for educators on Monday.

*

Keep math learning going all summer!

Find engaging summer math ideas, including hands-on practice, easy games, online links, and more on the NNDSB  “Mathematics for Families” webpage. These activities will keep kids engaged and excited about math while exploring some key math concepts and building math fluency in creative ways.

*

The first day of kindergarten is an exciting time, but it can also be a little nerve-wracking for students and families alike.

To help ease families into the transition, the Ministry of Education has prepared some new story and activity books. These are fun, engaging tools to help children get familiar with what to expect and build excitement for the big day.

Heartwarming stories that gently walk children through what to expect at school – making friends, meeting teachers and exploring their classroom. These books are available in PDF and ePub formats.

Additionally, the Ministry has created an interactive activity book, a playful resource filled with colouring, drawing and reflection activities that encourage young learners to talk about their feelings, routines and hopes for kindergarten. This activity book is available in PDF for easy printing. You can find these new resources on this webpage.

*

MLI Homestay is looking for friendly host families to welcome secondary school students from Europe and Asia. Share your culture, create lasting memories, and enjoy a global experience, right from home.

Host families are expected to provide three meals a day, a private bedroom (with a bed, desk, window and door) and a warm and inclusive home environment.

Hosts receive a stipend to help with costs. Families of all types are welcome! For more information, contact Kayla at 587-222-7172 or kknight@Mlihomestay.com.

*

This will be the last monthly letter to families for the 2024-2025 school year. NNDSB wishes you and your family a safe and happy summer, and we will welcome students back to class on Tuesday, Sept. 2 for the 2025-2026 school year.

*

The next meeting of the Board will be held Tuesday, June 10 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

NNDSB Board Highlights – May 16, 2025

May 16, 2025 By Deb

Friday, May 16, 2025

The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting of Tuesday, May 13, 2025.

Resignation of Trustee Chantal Phillips announced

Board Chair Ashley St. Pierre announced the resignation of Zone 1 Trustee Chantal Phillip, effective June 30, 2025.

Trustee Phillips noted that she has appreciated the work, but is moving out of the region.

Trustees vote to divide funds among schools 

Trustees voted to support a notice of motion put forward by Trustee Jeanie Fuscaldo and Vice-Chair Howard Wesley to divide the funds in the Trustee Initiative Fund equally between all NNDSB schools.

Discussion took place about whether the funds would be divided on a per capita basis or by school. It was decided that since rural schools don’t have as large a student population, which affects funding, funds would be split equally between all schools.

Incoming Student Trustee introduced

In his written report to the Board, Director of Education Craig Myles welcomed incoming Student Trustee Dev Bassi, who attended the Board meeting. Dev will be sworn in at the September Board meeting. The report also noted that Indigenous Student Trustee Riley Trudeau is serving a two-year term, and the Director looks forward to her continued hard work, contributions and successes.

Other items in the Director’s report included an ALS-inspired ice bucket challenge at Chippewa Secondary School to raise awareness, break the stigma and support mental health education. The staff encouraged their colleagues at West Ferris to participate.

West Ferris Secondary School students in the personal life management program were recognized by The Gathering Place during Volunteer Appreciation Week. Every Tuesday, student volunteers assist with folding laundry, rolling cutlery and  packaging snacks.

Parry Sound High School students had great success at the Skills Ontario Competition 2025 in Toronto. Rachel Nobel placed second and Miya Rochon placed third in the restaurant service competition, and Makayla Strydom and Ashlyn Belanger finished first in TV and Film Production. They will be travelling to the Skills Canada National Competition in Regina on May 29-30.

The report also notes that school boards will receive funding to support students in summer 2025, to provide consistent and reliable mental health services. This will ensure continuity of services over the summer months.

Indigenous Student Trustee’s report

Indigenous Student Trustee Riley Trudeau reported that the Indigenous Youth Circle (IYC) has been busy with Red Dress Day, the Moose Hide Campaign and powwows. IYC has been raising awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) while fundraising to support the Ojibwe Women’s Lodge in Nipissing First Nation.

IYC members attended a visit by Ted Nolan, who spoke about being a member of the Garden River First Nation community and his journey into the National Hockey League as a player and coach.

Teachings and powwows have started at schools, including events at which feeder school students attend secondary school events as a transition activity. Indigenous perspectives are connected to classroom topics such as art, literacy, social studies and history. IYC is grateful for the Niigan Gdizhaami (NG) fund, which supports events in collaboration with Dokis First Nation.

Schools are preparing for their powwows, including the first teaching and learning powwow at Almaguin Highlands Secondary School.

Student Trustee’s report

Student Trustee Nanak Sidhu reported that student life across the district has been busy, with cultural celebrations, athletic excellence, artistic flair and community-minded service.

At Chippewa, students participated in the Special Olympics North Bay Fun Run, and delivered 150 pounds of non-perishable food to the North Bay Food Bank. A group of West Ferris Trojans completed the North Bay Fire and Emergency Services Firefighter-in-Training camp, gaining first-hand experience in emergency response teamwork.

At the Kiwanis Music Festival, Chippewa’s Grade 7/8 band earned silver, the secondary concert band earned silver and gold, the Jazz Ravens struck gold, and the guitar ensemble earned silver.

West Ferris hosted the regional DramaFest North, at which Almaguin’s Tartan Theatre advanced to the provincial showcase with Failure and Fortitude: The Female Edison.

Jiya Savsani of West Ferris attended the Renfrew Regional Science Fair, winning gold in Engineering and Computer Science. She won the OACETT/OPG Award and the grand award, earning a spot at the Canada-wide Science Fair in Fredericton.

Newly elected Student Senators were provided with foundational information about meetings. The upcoming meeting will focus on strategic planning.

Later this month, Student Trustee Sidhu will represent NNDSB at the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association annual general meeting in Toronto. This will be his final conference as president.

Trustees seek meeting with Education Minister

Trustees voted to request a meeting with Education Minister Paul Calandra, at which they would like to discuss the new JK-12 Parry Sound school and the Board’s decision to keep McDougall Public School open for one more year.

There have been several letters written between Board Chair Ashley St. Pierre and the Minister of Education about the decision. The Board wants a meeting in which they wish to discuss past decisions, including minutes of past meetings.

The Board seeks a meeting with Minister Calandra, Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Graydon Smith, and delegates of NNDSB (including Chair St. Pierre, other trustees and board staff).

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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

Hockey great Ted Nolan shares message of perseverance and respect with NNDSB students

May 12, 2025 By Brett

Monday, May 12, 2025

Hockey great Ted Nolan shares message of perseverance and respect with NNDSB students

Hockey legend Ted Nolan visited a large group of NNDSB students at West Ferris Secondary School auditorium to share stories from his book Life in Two Worlds: A Coach’s Journey from the Reserve to the NHL and Back and his message of hard work, perseverance, and respect.

Nolan was the third youngest of 12 children in Garden River First Nation near Sault Ste. Marie and lived in a house without plumbing or electricity. From those humble beginnings, he went on to play in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings. After a back injury ended his playing career at the age of 26, he coached the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders and Latvian national team. He also established the Ted Nolan Foundation, which provides scholarships to First Nation women across Canada and the 3NOLANS First Nation Hockey School with his sons Brandon and Jordan.

NNDSB students in the Grade 11 English Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices classes (NBE) studied Nolan’s book as part of the curriculum, and his visit was made possible as part of a collaboration between NNDSB, the Kinoomaadziwin Education Body (KEB) and Dokis First Nation.

Students from across the board attended the presentation both in person and virtually which included the Indigenous Youth Circle, NDE students from all Near North secondary schools, Nbisiing Secondary School students, Oshki Shkode students from Parry Sound High School, 7 Stones Learning Centre students and staff as well as Near North Sports students from West Ferris.

Nolan spoke to the assembled students about his life growing up in Garden River, his sports career and the challenges he faced as an Indigenous person. Afterward, he spent time answering students’ questions, taking photos and have one-on-one conversations.

Woven throughout his talk was a message of hard work and perseverance.

“The only thing we could control growing up was to work with what we had. We didn’t have too much but that didn’t make us give up. I kept that mentality my whole life. I didn’t have the best skates, I didn’t play in the best leagues but that didn’t stop me from being the best I could be,” Nolan said.

When asked why he devotes his time to speaking to and inspiring youth, Nolan said that there weren’t too many people in his community growing up that were giving a message of hope and he resolved to change that from an early age.

“I thought I would share my story with kids coming up behind me. Not how to be a professional athlete, just be a good human being, a good citizen. I recognized that from the beginning,” Nolan said. “I saw a lot of elders in our community who were a little down and out, maybe had a bad hand dealt to them, and things just didn’t work out. I wanted to find out why and how to overcome and get through some of the obstacles. It’s just passing out your knowledge to the next generation, so they become stronger and better.”

Almaguin Highlands Secondary School NBE teacher Courtney Berger said that Nolan’s book was a great tool for her students to connect to the broader themes of the class.

“Ted Nolan’s book was the entry point for this group of students. Ted’s perspective as an athlete written as a memoir, made the teachings accessible. It paired the students love for hockey while addressing some very important issues surrounding racism and discrimination in the world of professional sports, and well beyond,” Berger said. “His honest and authentic writing detailing his journey from the Sault Ste. Marie area to the NHL, and back, helped the students engage with the course in a meaningful way.”

Hayley, one of Berger’s NBE students, said Nolan “showed real emotion when sharing his experiences. I liked his messaging about the importance of hard work. He seems like the kind of coach who really cares about the well-being of his players.”

Northern Secondary teacher Nathan MacLean hopes Nolan’s visit will inspire his students.

“I hope that students will have a chance to recognize that no matter their circumstances, if they are true to themselves, trust those who are willing to help them and support them, that they can achieve success, whatever that may look like for them,” MacLean said.

“Class discussion is a big part of my group and brings about many great ideas and questions, so naturally we will discuss what we were able to learn from Mr. Nolan’s keynote. This will include both new learning, clarifications from his book as well the value of engaging in a live presentation from an author,” Maclean said.

The message that Nolan hopes students receive from his visit is a simple one:

“That we are all special human beings, whether your skin is brown or black or white it doesn’t really matter. It’s the spirit inside, we should all be treated with respect,” Nolan said. “Growing up as a First Nation person on reserve, I didn’t think I was any better than anyone else, but I didn’t think anyone outside the reserve was any better either. I think we are all God’s children, and we all deserve respect.”

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

West Ferris Secondary School revving up for 2nd annual car show

May 12, 2025 By Brett

Monday, May 12, 2025

West Ferris Secondary School revving up for 2nd annual car show

West Ferris Secondary School is excited to announce that it will be hosting the West Ferris Car Show on May 31, 2025.

The primary goal of this fundraising car show is to acquire new tools and equipment for the school’s technology classes while actively engaging students in a hands-on learning experience. This event not only provides financial support but also fosters a sense of community and education among participants.

West Ferris student volunteers will take on the important role of judging the vehicles, utilizing criteria they have developed in class. This process allows them to apply their skills in a real-world setting. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to interact with car owners, enhancing their people skills while learning valuable information about vehicle maintenance and care.

Beyond the car judging, the dedicated student volunteers will oversee various engaging activities, including registration, a BBQ, a penny sale, a thrilling Hot Wheels race, face painting, and even pampering from the esthetics class offering nail painting and hand massages.

This year, there will be three incredible items in the silent auction: a beautifully crafted six-seater picnic table made by West Ferris construction students; and two stunning hand-made car-themed quilts generously donated by Melissa Steward.

The West Ferris Car Show will award 30 unique trophies, crafted by students from both the construction and manufacturing classes, celebrating the outstanding vehicles on display.

The goal of the West Ferris car show is to engage and inspire students while creating a successful community event that brings everyone together. At last year’s event, there was an impressive turnout with 197 registered cars, and optimism is high for an even larger crowd this year.

Attendance is free of charge, but donations to the North Bay Food Bank will be accepted. The rain date for the West Ferris Car Show is Saturday, June 7. Check the West Ferris Secondary School Car Show Facebook page for details.

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

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