Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024

Chair and Vice acclaimed at annual organizational meeting

The trustees of Near North District School Board (NNDSB) met Tuesday night for their annual organizational meeting.

Indigenous Trustee Ashley St. Pierre and Zone 4 Trustee Howard Wesley were acclaimed as the Board’s Chair and Vice-Chair respectively, positions they held last year. They will serve for the third year of the Board’s four-year term. The 2022-2026 Board of Trustees is composed of these trustees.

Chair St. Pierre was nominated by Trustee Bill Steer, and Vice-Chair Wesley was nominated by Trustee Jeanie Fuscaldo.

Following her acclamation, Chair St. Pierre thanked Trustee Steer for the nomination, and said, “It’s been an honour to learn the work. I look forward to another year of working with everyone.”

Similarly, Vice-Chair Wesley thanked Trustee Fuscaldo for the nomination, and said he looks forward to continuing the work of the Board.

Membership of trustees to the Board’s various committees was also determined and approved at last night’s meeting.

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Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024

Sundridge Centennial Public School to create Halloween community hub with Trunk or Treat event

Halloween in Northern Ontario is often subject to whims of Mother Nature with trick-or-treating sometimes looking more like Christmas caroling.

Last year, cold weather and snow forced some trick-or-treaters to end the Halloween fun early. It was with this in mind that Sundridge Centennial Public School (SCPS) staff and parent council decided to open up the school to the community on Halloween with Sundridge’s first ever Trunk or Treat event.

SCPS Principal Jill Cooper said, “The school should act as the critical part of the community. When identifying needs that best support our community and our students, we should act creating a reasonable solution. We identified the need for a warming station and washroom in this area of town to benefit those out for the evening.”

Principal Cooper and the parent council then leaned into the school’s role as a critical part of the community by expanding the initial idea to include serving hot chocolate and creating a safe space for kids and a Halloween hub for the community.

Parent Council Deputy Chair JP Bressan proposed creating a venue for rural community members to participate and enjoy Halloween by creating a Trunk or Treat in the SCPS parking lot. Rural community members are invited to fill the trunks of their cars with Halloween candy they would ordinarily not have the opportunity to give out and congregate in town at the more centrally-located school. Visitors can now warm up, use the restroom, enjoy hot chocolate, and trick or treat all at one convenient location.

“Many of our rural community members do not get to experience trick-or-treaters. They want to show support and enjoy seeing the young community members dressed up, excitedly enjoying the evening,” Cooper said. “A Trunk or Treat provides an opportunity to connect all community members making a safe and enjoyable evening for all.”

Student volunteers from Almaguin Highlands Secondary School, the OPP, Sundridge Strong Volunteer Fire Fighters, Town Councilor Sharon Smith, Mayor Justine Leveque and the Village of Sundridge recreation committee will be present at this event and are all contributing their time and effort to organizing and managing the event.

“Community members are invited to come and bring Halloween treats. We respectfully request they provide prepackaged and labeled treats that have been manufactured in a nut-free facility to ensure we are following the school’s anaphylaxis guidelines,” Cooper said. “Those participating will park in the school parking lot with their trunks open and treats ready for children to visit and show off their costumes.”

Community members interested in participating can contact Principal Cooper at the school 705-472-5101 ext. 8023 to register before Oct. 25.

The event will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on October 31st.

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Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024

NNDSB system principal Emily Samuel appointed as executive member of Ontario Principals’ Council

Near North District School Board (NNDSB) is proud to recognize the appointment of Principal Emily Samuel as an executive member of the Ontario Principals’ Council (OPC). She was appointed to a member-at-large position and will serve for the 2024-2025 school year.

OPC represents more than 5,400 principals and vice-principals in public education districts across the province. As an executive member, Samuel will support OPC in achieving its mission of developing, supporting and promoting exemplary leadership for student success in our schools. Prior to this year, Samuel served as an elected provincial councillor with OPC.

“Having the opportunity to work as an executive member means so much to me because it provides another opportunity to positively influence public education,” Samuel said. “Changing education from the inside out is my goal and thanks to this opportunity with OPC, I will have a deeper understanding of the systemic issues that exist provincially and how we might develop solutions to address them. I am passionate about developing creative pathways that will allow all students to achieve success in school.”

Samuel works as a system principal with NNDSB and holds responsibility in the safe schools, early years and leadership development portfolios.

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Monday, Sept. 30, 2024

EQAO releases 2023-2024 school- and board-level results

The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) has released the results of the Grades 3 and 6 assessments of reading, writing and mathematics as well as the Grade 9 mathematics and Grade 10 Ontario secondary school literacy test (OSSLT).

“We are pleased to see that the gains made in 2022-23 by first-time eligible students on the Ontario secondary school literacy test and the Grade 6 math assessment remained largely intact. Staff continue to support all students in developing foundational literacy and math skills. Newly implemented diagnostic reading assessments will continue to help to ensure that students with reading difficulties are identified early, and the appropriate interventions are put in place,” said Near North District School Board (NNDSB) Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Melanie Gray.

In the 2023-24 school year, 91 per cent of NNDSB’s kindergarten to Grade 2 students were screened for reading difficulties. “As a system, we continue to deepen our understanding of how to effectively use this student data to inform instruction and programming decisions. We have seen incredible gains in educator capacity to provide targeted reading instruction and interventions,” noted Stephen Krause, principal of student achievement and well-being.

To help more students succeed in reading and writing, the province has modernized the language curriculum with an emphasis on ensuring students at an early age can master basic literacy skills. The new Elementary Language curriculum includes a focus on foundational instruction to support reading and writing, critical thinking and digital media literacy skills.

NNDSB results: reading and writing

Grades 3 and 6: While results vary by school, the overall trends showed stability in Grade 3 reading and writing achievement when compared to 2022-23. Ninety-eight per cent of NNDSB’s Grade 3 students and 97% of Grade 6 students participated in the EQAO assessments.

• Grade 3: 58 per cent of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard in reading; 47 per cent of Grade 3 students met the provincial standard in writing.
• Grade 6: 73 per cent of Grade 6 students met the provincial standard in reading; 69 per cent of Grade 6 students met the provincial standard in writing.
• OSSLT: 90 per cent of first-time eligible students participated in the OSSLT and 77 per cent of first-time eligible students who wrote the assessment were successful.

NNDSB results: mathematics

Key actions implemented across NNDSB have started strengthening students’ mathematics skills and are encouraging positive attitudes toward mathematics in many of our schools. Tailored and innovative professional learning strategies are growing teacher’s math content knowledge and promoting the use of quality, evidence-based instructional and assessment strategies.

• Grades 3: 41 per cent of students met the provincial standard in the Grade 3 EQAO mathematics assessments.
• Grades 6: 33 per cent of students met the provincial standard in the Grade 6 EQAO mathematics assessments.
• Grade 9: 28 per cent of students who wrote the Grade 9 de-streamed math test met the provincial standard in 2023-24.

“We will continue to use EQAO assessment data, alongside a variety of data to identify student strengths and focus our efforts on areas where additional attention and resources are needed,” said Kim Pauli, NNDSB math lead. “Our continued focus on priority actions of the Ministry’s Math Achievement Action Plan will help us determine next steps for improvement at the system and school levels with the goal of removing barriers to success for all mathematics learners,” she said.

Improving student achievement across all divisions will continue to be a system-wide focus as staff work to implement evidence-based systematic and explicit instructional approaches in language classrooms and high impact instructional practices in math.

EQAO results are just one among many assessment tools that both schools and boards use to measure and improve upon the quality of student programming and student success. The new modernized, digital assessments and reporting tools will continue to inform efforts to close gaps in learning and strengthen literacy and math skills.

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Learn More:

• Language, Grades 1 to 8: a guide for parents
• A Parent’s Guide to the 2020 Math Curriculum – Grades 1 to 8
• The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8
• Grade 9 math: a guide for parents
• TVO Mathify offers FREE 1:1 online Grade 4-12 math tutoring

Tuesday, September 17, 2024                                                                                                 

West Ferris Secondary School has been designated an Apple Distinguished School

West Ferris Secondary School is pleased to announce it has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for the 2024–2027 program term. Schools apply and are selected for this distinction based on their commitment to continuous innovation in education and using Apple products to inspire, imagine, and impact teaching and learning.

Apple Distinguished Schools are centres of leadership and educational excellence, with a clear vision for how technology-rich environments support learning goals. In Apple Distinguished Schools, forward-thinking leaders and their communities work to inspire, imagine, and impact teaching and learning, and they have documented results of academic accomplishments.

Schools all over the world are using iPad and Mac to transform learning. As teachers incorporate technology into their lessons, they empower students to lead, learn, and thrive, to discover new opportunities, and to make their world a better place.

The West Ferris Secondary School STEAM Program promotes innovation, creativity, and problem-solving through the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math in hands-on, real-world learning experiences. The program focuses on interdisciplinary collaboration, critical thinking, and the use of cutting-edge technology. Students participate in practical projects such as coding, robotics, and design, while engaging with innovative learning spaces like labs and maker spaces.

The program also provides leadership-building opportunities through school outreach events, where students lead workshops and demonstrate STEAM projects to the broader community. Through these experiences, students not only develop technical skills but also enhance their communication, teamwork, and leadership abilities. Graduates leave the program with a strong foundation in STEAM, well-prepared for post-secondary education or the workforce, equipped with essential skills in problem-solving, digital literacy, creativity, and leadership.

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