Near North District School Board

NNDSB EXPANDS SECONDARY PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES

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The Near North District School Board has expanded program pathway opportunities for our students at Chippewa and West Ferris for September 2020.   In addition to existing magnet and specialized programming, the NNDSB intends to offer an expanded number of compulsory courses to support program pathways at both Chippewa and West Ferris.  We are committed to providing all students with equitable access to high quality and inclusive education including:

  • Magnet and specialized programs
  • Early and Extended French Immersion
  • Indigenous Programming
  • Specialized High School Majors
  • Special Education Programs and Pathways

In addition to existing programs for September 2020 the following new Courses are being offered:

Chippewa Secondary School

  • Hair Styling and Aesthetics
  • Writers Craft
  • Computer Science
  • Auto
  • Recreational Leadership Courses
  • Outdoor Education Courses
  • Hospitality
  • Medical Science
  • Health Care
  • Digital Environment
  • Peer Tutoring-French
  • Drama
  • Economics

West Ferris Secondary School

  • Hair Styling and Aesthetics
  • Writers Craft
  • Computer Science
  • Recreational Leadership Courses
  • Outdoor Education Courses
  • Hospitality & Culinary Arts
  • Medical Science
  • Health Care
  • Digital Environment
  • Peer Tutoring-French
  • Film & Video
  • Economics
  • Vocal Music
  • Photography

Click here for more information on West Ferris programs and Registration

Click here for more information on Chippewa programs and Registration

2018-2019 UPDATES TO SCHOOL DRINKING WATER DATA

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December 20, 2019 – Today the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks will refresh the Data Catalogue to include 2018-2019 drinking water data for facilities regulated under Ontario Regulation 243/07: Schools, Private Schools and Child Care Centres.

Data included in this release of information identifies the following schools within the Near North District School Board as having a flushed lead test result that had exceeded Ontario’s drinking water quality standard for lead (10 micrograms per litre) “at one point in time” during the period of April 2018-March 2019:
· Alliance
· Chippewa; and
· Parry Sound High School

When any exceedances are identified, facilities must take immediate action to correct. Given immediate corrective action is always taken by staff, we are pleased to report that the Near North District School Board is 100% in compliance with legislation and does not have any schools and facilities exceeding any limits at this point in time.

With the new legislation that was introduced July 1, 2017- Boards are required to test every drinking water fixture that provides water to children in school and childcares over a three-year period for elementary schools and a four-year period to secondary schools. All such drinking water fixtures for elementary have been 100% tested. Given secondary schools have a four-year time frame for such testing there only remains three faucets to be tested at the secondary panel.

Please see the attached as additional information:
Drinking Water and Lead Fact Sheet – English
Drinking Water and Lead Fact Sheet – French
FAQ – English
FAQ – French

Ministry of Education Special Advisors Holding Public Meetings

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NORTH BAY MEETING RESCHEDULED

The Ministry Advisor North Bay Public Meeting has been rescheduled as follows:

North Bay:

Date:                     Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Time:                     7 pm- 9 pm

Location:              Chippewa Secondary School Auditorium,  539 Chippewa St., North Bay, ON.

The Near North District School Board is committed to enhancing its service to students, parents and stakeholders within its jurisdiction.  That commitment led the Board to request special support from the Minister of Education.  The Ministry of Education has agreed to the request and assigned two Special Advisors to work with the Near North District School Board.

The Special Advisors’ mandate is to provide the Minister of Education with advice and recommendations about how the Near North District School Board can improve its governance, human resources practices and financial accountability role to support and improve public confidence in the board and in Ontario’s publicly funded education system.

A Parent/Community Survey was completed during Mid-October and the results have been collated.  The Special Advisors would like to share the results of the survey with the broader public.  They would also like to solicit your best thinking with respect to potential solutions/recommendations for consideration.

With that in mind there will be public meetings as follows:

Parry Sound:

Date:                     Thursday Nov 28, 2019

Time:                     7 pm- 9 pm

Location:              Parry Sound High School Cafeteria, 111 Isabella Street, Parry Sound, ON.

For additional information please contact the Information/Communication Officer Mairghread Knought at: (705) 472-8170 ext. 5010 or  Mairghread.Knought@nearnorthschools.ca

 

Orange Shirt Day

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We will be observing Orange Shirt Day on Friday September 27th this year as September 30th is a PD Day

Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come. As part of the new mandatory curriculum that includes the teaching and learning of Residential Schools, we are encouraging schools to support and participate in this National campaign.

Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake, BC. It grew out of Phyllis’ story of having her new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the Mission, and it has become an opportunity to keep the discussion on all aspects of residential schools happening annually.
For more information: http://www.orangeshirtday.org/

Board Seeking Feedback on Final Staff Report Before Re-Vote on Consolidation

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The Near North District School Board has begun implementing the recommendations contained in the Ombudsman’s Final Report.  In addition to a number of recommendations for improved process and governance, the following recommendation was identified with respect to the Secondary School Consolidation:  

“The Near North District School Board should prepare a new final staff report that explains the additional information received in the summer of 2017 and that was discussed in private in September 2017. It should present the report to trustees as part of a public meeting, afford community members an opportunity to comment on it, and then take a new vote on the secondary school consolidation.”  

The new final staff report and attached documentation was presented to the Board of Trustees at a Special Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, August 19, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.  The report along with the Initial and Final Staff Report regarding the Secondary School Consolidation can be accessed below:

Updated Final Staff Report – August 13, 2019
Initial Staff Report North Bay Planning Area Accommodation Review – December 13, 2016
Final Staff Report North Bay Planning Area Accommodation Review – May 23, 2017

Members of the public are invited to submit comments to info@nearnorthschools.ca.  Any received comments will be compiled and presented to the Board of Trustees at the September 10, 2019 Committee of the Whole beginning at 6:00 p.m. 

Parties who wish to speak to the secondary school consolidation will need to register with the Board Office by 12:00 p.m. on Friday, September 6, 2019.  

The Board of Trustees will re-vote on the secondary school consolidation at the September 24, 2019 Regular Board Meeting beginning at 6:00 p.m.  

For more information, please contact:    

Mairghread Knought  
Information/Communication Officer  
Near North District School Board  
(705) 472-8170, extension 5010 
Mairghread.Knought@nearnorthschools.ca  

Remember to Verify Bussing Before School Starts

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Over the past several months, NPSSTS staff have been planning student transportation for the 2019-2020 school year on behalf of over 11,000 eligible students in the Nipissing and Parry Sound Districts.  The NPSSTS is planning to release route information tentatively on August 12th 2019 through our website.  Parents and students will then be able to access the transportation details including pick up and drop off times and locations.

To best ensure the safety and security of students, it is mandatory that they appear on the Route Manifest.  Those who do not appear on the manifest will not be permitted onto the bus.

It is imperative that parents verify their child’s bussing details to ensure that they are included on the route manifest on that very special day; the first day of school.

Parents are reminded to go to www.npssts.ca beginning August 12th 2019 to ensure that their child’s transportation details are accurate and contact their respective School Board Office or the NPSSTS should there be any issues.

NNDSB “REEL” Writers Film Camp

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We are pleased to share that the Near North School Board will once again be offering an exciting summer learning opportunity to grade 5, 6, 7, and 8 students – The ‘Reel’ Writers Film Camp!

The program is intended to serve students who may benefit from engaging, creative and collaborative learning experiences – developing the skills and literacies to support their future success! A team of camp instructors, lead by an experienced Ontario Certified Teacher will teach each program. Activities will enable students to explore ideas of interest as they develop new communication skills through reading, writing and media arts. A fun camp-like environment will help to foster a community of learners, increase levels of student engagement, and improve student efficacy.

Through the lens of ‘film maker’, students will develop literacy skills – generating, organizing and communicating their ideas for an intended purpose and audience.

  • Activities are social and collaborative, developing skills to support future academic and life success.
  • Participants will generate their own ideas and themes for learning.
  • Students will bring their ideas to life through writing, fine art, photography and video.
  • Camp activities run from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. each day from July 2nd – 19th.

Registration is now open to Grade 5-8 Students in the North, East and West regions.

Please follow the below to obtain more information and register:

https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/reel-writers/

NNDSB Power Learning Camps

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Summer Learning Program

The Near North District School Board is pleased to offer a FREE, 3-week, engaging POWER LEARNING CAMP – July 2nd to July 19th 2019, hosted in all three regions of our district. This camp is being offered to current grades 1-3 students who may benefit from joyful, focused literacy and mathematics instruction.

This Power Learning Camp will focus on the development of reading, writing and math skills, in small group settings, through engaging experiences of the children’s interests. A team of camp instructors lead by an experienced Ontario Certified Teacher will teach each program. A minimum of 15 students is required to run the program. The involvement of parents is critical to the success of the program.

Ongoing communication will inform you about learning experiences and offer extensions of literacy and numeracy learning for you to enjoy with your child at home. Families are responsible for transportation to and from the program site and will be required to commit to regular attendance in order to ensure learning success. More information about the benefits of this Ministry of Education sponsored program will be shared at the start of the camp.

Registration is now open. Please return completed registration forms to your child’s school (office). Please note that registration will be confirmed by June 7th, 2019 (email or phone call) by a NNDSB Power Learning Camp staff member.

DOWNLOAD: NNDSB-POWER LEARNING Invitation and Registration-2019

For more information please contact:

Krista Holmes
Email: krista.holmes@nearnorthschools.ca
Phone: 705-472-8170 Ext. 7003

BOARD LETTER RE: EDUCATION REFORMS

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April 24, 2019

Attention: The Honourable Lisa Thompson, Minister of Education:

On behalf of the Near North District School Board we are writing to express our disappointment with the proposed changes that form part of Ontario’s new vision of “Education that Works for You”.  As provincial education partners, we recognize the government’s commitment to fiscal responsibility. We also know that Ontario’s education system is recognized globally.  We want to work collaboratively to both improve and maintain the high quality of education in this province.

We, as a Board of Trustees, are responsible to our community, students, parents and staff for ensuring the provision of quality education in all of our schools.  As a Northern board with a mix of urban and rural communities the proposed changes present us with challenges in continuing to meet our mandate “To educate learners to their fullest potential in preparation for life-long learning”.

Specifically, we are concerned about the long and short-term impact of the proposed changes to student achievement and well-being.

Increase in Class Size

The proposed increase in class sizes will result in a reduction of teaching positions, thereby limiting the ability of students to have needed one-on-one interactions with teachers.  In addition, as a Northern Board with a number of smaller rural schools, meeting the required class size requirements is challenging as the student population is not always available.

One of the significant concerns for our Board is the ability to offer courses and specialized programming with the reduction in staffing.  With a smaller population base, this combination of increased class size and reduction of staffing positions will significantly limit the number of elective and specialized programming available.  This will effectively put our students at a disadvantage when compared to their Southern Ontario counterparts.  In order to ensure that Northern Ontario remains economically viable our future employees and citizens must have access to quality education.

Reduction in Staffing

The required reduction in full-time teaching positions due to increased class sizes and elimination of program specific grants will significantly impact students and organizational function.  While the loss of teaching positions due to increased class sizes will be eligible for financial assistance through the “Attrition Protection”, there are a significant number of other key positions not protected in this regard, which will also be reduced including school support staff and educational assistants.

These positions are an integral component of our education system and enable the creation of safe and inclusive learning spaces that support our most vulnerable students.  The Near North District School Board is proud of the steps we have taken towards creating such an environment.  However, it will be difficult to continue our work and growth in this area without the knowledge, expertise and commitment of our qualified and trained staff.

As you are aware, recruitment and retention of qualified and talented individuals can be difficult in Northern Ontario due to demographics and population challenges.   We anticipate that the replacement of key positions with the required skills will be extremely difficult.

Mandatory E-Learning

As a Board we strive to ensure that all of our students have equitable access to required programs and resources.  In addition, we recognize that our students are individuals with unique needs and challenges that vary across our district.  Like many of our counterparts, we already offer e-learning courses, but know that in many areas of our school board students are unable to access reliable internet service and/or transportation to an accessible location. The e-learning environment is not appropriate for all students and subject matter.

Funding Cuts

Several funding cuts have been announced including the reduction in the secondary programming amount in the Pupil Foundation Grant, the Cost Adjustment Allocation and the Human Resource Transition Supplement.  Reductions in funding result in the loss of employees who contribute every day to student achievement.

We are pleased to see that the government continues to invite consultation and hope it seriously considers input from school boards. We ask that you focus on students and the needs and concerns outlined and reconsider the changes to class sizes and funding that will impact both the programs we can offer to students and the number of employees in our system.  The proposed staffing and funding changes will require adjustments to programming, portfolios and students’ supports, which will have far-reaching and long-term impact on our students and therefore the economics of our communities.

We look forward to continued dialogue with you regarding this matter.   Thank you for your time and consideration in reviewing our concerns.

Sincerely,

Jay Aspin
Chairperson, Near North District School Board

Cc.      The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario
The Honourable Vic Fedeli, Minister of Finance, MPP Nipissing
Norm Miller, MPP Parry Sound-Muskoka
OPSBA
FONOM

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