Near North District School Board

NNDSB introduces The Skills Catalyst Project

By

October 1, 2020

Near North District School Board (NNDSB) is proud to announce the upcoming introduction of The Skills Catalyst Project, an interactive, online learning platform for secondary students.  The Skills Catalyst Project is funded by the Government of Ontario.  The Government awarded NNDSB a $96,220 grant to develop this platform in collaboration with community partners.  The Skills Catalyst Project is the first of its kind in NNDSB community.  After completing a rigorous application process that began in January, NNDSB is excited to reveal the platform and engage in the experiential aspects with students.

The Skills Catalyst Project 

Orange Shirt Day

By

On September 30, the same time of year children were taken to residential schools, we remember and acknowledge this legacy. We wear orange to symbolize the journey towards healing, truth and reconciliation, in honour of the children who survived residential schools and those who did not.

In Education, we are called to actively engage in responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action # 62 and 63:

62. (i)  Make age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties, and Indigenous peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education requirement for Kindergarten to Grade 12 students
63. (i) Developing and implementing Kindergarten to Grade 12 curriculum and learning resources on Indigenous peoples in Canadian history, and the history and legacy of residential schools. And, building intercultural understanding, empathy and mutual respect

Here are some supportive educational resource links:

Orange Shirt Day – Phyllis’s Story 

This Is Us data revealed

By

September 21, 2020

At the Near North District School Board, we are committed to creating safe and positive spaces that respect and celebrate diversity for all our students.

The Near North District School Board conducted its first a Student Census survey “This is Me” in the 2018/2019 school year for all students kindergarten to grade 12. The survey was conducted during the month of May 2019. Parents/Guardians of students in kindergarten to grade 6 were asked to complete the survey on their child’s behalf. Students in grade 7-12 were asked to complete the survey online while at school.

This is us: 2018/2019 Census survey results

NNDSB releases anti-racism statement

By

September 16, 2020

The Near North District School Board is committed to equity and inclusion and the
elimination of discrimination and racism in education.

We acknowledge that systemic racism, bias and discrimination exists in Ontario and is
experienced by students, families and staff in Black, Indigenous and racialized
communities. We are committed to working with our communities to listen for
understanding about their lived experiences and the harm caused by racism. We will
work hard to identify and eliminate barriers created by bias and systemic racism.

NNDSB anti-racism statement

A Message from the Director of Education and Chair of the Board

By

Dear Near North District School Board Family,

We look forward to welcoming our students back to school.

During these unprecedented times and the significant shifts away from our normal routines, many people have expressed concerns about the impact on students’ academic journeys. We want to encourage parents, educators, and students in the Near North District School Board family to remember the big picture. This is a time to focus on and be grateful for our family’s safety, health, and well-being and a time for us at the NNDSB to do the best we can to support your children in returning to a safe and welcoming environment. We will embark upon this journey together.

Director chair message to parents 

Information for School start up

By

Dear NNDSB Families,

We would like to acknowledge and thank you for your patience, flexibility and understanding as we have planned for school re-opening in a year like no other.  We are confident in the status of our preparations and look forward to school startup and engaging with students and  facilitating their learning once again.  With this in mind, we would like to highlight a few critical areas for our students and their families.

COVID-19 School reopening 

Updates to Return to School

By

Parents and Guardians,

As previously stated, when we released the return to school plan, we continue to review and update our school re-opening models in partnership and with guidance, from the Ministry of Education and local and provincial health authorities from the lens of enhancing the safety of our students, staff, and school communities.

 Change to In School Learning

Keeping student and staff safety in mind, the ministry has suggested further reduction of in contacts at school. As a result, we have revised the model to the recommended Octomester Model for secondary schools.

The Octomester Model is most significantly characterized by the fact that students will take one course at a time for approximately 20 days of full-day instruction. For example, the first octomester would run from September 9th – October 9th for a total of 24 days.

There are many positives for our students with this model, including and most prominently, the increased safety for our students as they remain with one cohort of students each day, for the duration of the course.  This change has been made to allow us to support our students, in NNDSB secondary schools, in adhering to the directive of a maximum of 100 student daily contacts. For questions related to this, or any other questions regarding the start of the school year, please contact your school principal.

At-Home Learning  

​If you have already registered your child(ren) for At-Home Learning, additional information will be shared with you in the coming days.  At this time, a waitlist has been created for additional registrations for At-Home Learning and placement will depend on staffing and programming considerations.

The safety of staff and students is of the utmost importance. We remain vigilant in planning with this in mind.

Staggered Re-Entry

By

Wednesday August 26, 2020

As we approach the new school year, we are working hard with the Ministry of Education and the Local Health Units to adequately prepare for the safe reopening of our schools. Building a safe, effective learning experience with new parameters for our students who come with diverse learning needs and identities is a key priority. Given the complex nature of the planning required and the focus on keeping students safe, we are planning a staggered start for our schools this year.

As health guidelines and information continue to be shared with schools, we are staggering the first day of school for students to give our staff time to familiarize themselves with new policies and ensure proper implementation to avoid making mistakes once students return. This means that different grades will return to school on different days (see chart below). A staggered response is essential for students to have the space and flexibility to practice their new routines and familiarize themselves with how to safely move around the school without every other student doing so simultaneously.
We understand that there are urgent requests for normalcy and a simple return to the old status quo. However, to ensure our community is as prepared and confident as possible, we ask for patience and support during this year’s reopening. We are all eager to see our students back in the classroom and reconnect with their friends and peers, but we must take extra steps to prioritize everyone’s health and well-being.

Staggered Entry Start Schedule

Day K-6-School K-8 School 7-12 School 9-12 School
Tues. Sept. 8 – – – –
Wed. Sept. 9 SK-2 SK-2 7-8 9
Thurs. Sept. 10 3/4 3/4/5 9-10 10
Friday Sept.11 5/6 6/7/8 11/12 11/12
Schools have the option to stagger JK re-entry with all students in attendance by Tues. Sept 15.

Launch of NNDSB Back to School Guideline

By

Dear Parents and Guardians, it is with great anticipation that we look forward to welcoming students back for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. It will be wonderful to see students in our hallways once again.

The purpose of this communication is to share with you the Return to School Guidance Document prepared to guide staff and families as they prepare for Startup. To access (through the NNDSB website) please follow this link: Return to School Guidance Document

The information contained within this Guidance Document falls within the Ministry of Education's current parameters and meets both provincial and local health authorities' regulations.  It is critical to note that information and directives are in a state of frequent change. The material on the website document will be updated once received to reflect the most recent Ministry directives and public health recommendations.

As well, this material covers broad issues that impact all of our schools in the District. Please look for specific information, unique to your school communities, to come from your principals shortly.

Before highlighting a couple of items in the document, we would like to express our appreciation for reaching out with questions and concerns about sending your children back to school this September. This information has informed our research, planning and decisions over the last months.

Here are a few important items for parents and guardians as you prepare your children for the new school year (for the full document, and considerably more information, please access the link above).

  • The NNDSB will use the "Conventional Model" with enhanced public health protocols directed by the Ministry of Education. This model will have students attending school five days a week, in direct or indirect contact with a maximum of 50 (Elementary) or 100 (Secondary) students daily.
  • Parents and Guardians continue to have the option through completion of the NNDSB Survey (link below) to request their child(ren) not attend school physically but participate through At-HOME Distance Learning. (An extended deadline for the closing of pre-registration by completing the survey is Monday, August 24, 2020, at 4 p.m.. Suppose you have already preregistered your child(ren) but have changed your mind regarding your selections. In that case, you may register again, and it will automatically replace the previous information with your most recent entries).  NNDSB Survey
  • Student safety and well-being are the number one priority as we return to our school. Self-screening your children at home prior to them coming to school each day is critical for our school communities to be pro-active in preventing and reducing the spread of Covid-19. The following is a link to the Health Unit's Self-Screening Assessment: covid-19.ontario.ca.  Students in Grades 4-12 will be required to wear a mask indoors.  Students five years and older will also be required to wear a mask to board a school bus and for K-Grade 3 students wearing a mask while in NNDSB school buildings is highly recommended. Hand-washing/sanitizing and physical distancing is required of all individuals entering our buildings, and training will be provided on these and other safety measures to both staff and students. Cleaning protocols of the building and the spaces used by students and staff is significantly enhanced.
  •  A staggered entry for all students to begin school is being considered to support the necessary health and safety processes and protocols required. Once a decision is made it will be immediately shared out with families.

The above items are a small fraction of the information you will find in the full Return to School Guidance Document (link provided above).

Finally, we believe this Guidance Document supports the Board's position that students' and staff's health and well-being is critical at this time, and that in combination with effective teaching and learning, is the correct stance as we welcome students and staff back to school.

Biindigen

Mii gwi Anishinabek wewena nkenmaaminak dependajig maa kiing.
"We acknowledge in a good way, the original people of the land here"
We value the cultures, histories and relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (North America)

Connect With Us

Near North District School Board
963 Airport Road, P.O. Box 3110, North Bay, ON P1B 8H1
[P] 705-472-8170   [TF] 1-800-278-4922   [F] 705-472-9927