Thursday, April 14, 2022

Board Highlights for April meeting

The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting of Tuesday, April 12, 2022.

Trustees review use of resources for campaigning

Trustees discussed and approved a procedure that outlines how and when Board resources may be used during the campaign period. Rules and procedures must be established before May 1, in accordance with The Municipal Elections Modernization Act, 2016.

The procedures apply to all trustees, registered trustee candidates and staff, and is intended to supplement the Trustee Code of Conduct.

The procedure covers the use of school board resources during the municipal and school board election campaign period, which for the upcoming campaign will be from May 1 to Oct. 24 (election day). The resources covered by the procedure included staff time, computer, fax, telephone, cell phone, laptop, tablet, website, newsletter, email, board or school social media accounts.

While trustees are expected to continue to use their board-issued resources to fulfil their duties as a member of the Board, they are not to use them for campaign-related purposes.

School trip guidelines modified after consultation

Following a public consultation period, the administrative guideline that deals with school trips has been modified.

The school trip guideline will include a standardized form for use by all schools, an approach that evaluates an activity on its level of risk and the requirement of a criminal reference check for all school volunteers, regardless of level of supervision.

The modified version was reviewed and approved by executive council on April 5, 2022.

Community use of schools resumes

In his report, Director of Education Craig Myles noted that the Community Use of Schools program has resumed. Organizations that require the use of school facilities are invited to submit applications.

More information and applications may be found on this page.

MYSP survey closes tomorrow

The Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) committee is seeking stakeholder input to measure progress since the five-year plan has been operationalized. More information about the survey can be found in this media release.

The survey is open until Friday, April 15 and the survey link can be found here.

Report highlights Indigenous education initiatives

A report from the First Nations Advisory Committee highlighted the scope of Indigenous education in the board and introduced three new initiatives.

The report announced a new Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) arts and culture program with an Indigenous studies focus that will be implemented at Parry Sound High School in September 2022, an initiative that will see all Grade 11 students take NBE3 – English: understanding contemporary First Nations, Métis and Inuit voices and an alternative secondary school program that will be delivered in partnership with the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre. More will be announced about this in the coming weeks.

Board Chair Jay Aspin says, “Our board is committed to ensure Indigenous students have every opportunity for success. This board action plan is part of a complex structure of supports prioritizing equitable outcomes to move forward towards the success and well-being of these students through much needed systemic change.”

The full report is available in the Board package, and a media release has been issued.

Student Trustee advises of Senate elections

Student Trustee Cecilia Darling told the Board that secondary school elections to NNDSB’s Student Senate will take place soon. The election timeline will see newly elected Senators from each school attend the Senate meetings by May.

She also noted that election and information will be send to students to be shared with their school communities.

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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.

For more information, please contact:
Deb Bartlett (she/her)
Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170 ext. 5010
E. Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

 

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Multi-layered approach supports Indigenous education

The First Nations Advisory Committee (FNAC) report presented at last night’s Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting outlined the scope of Indigenous education in schools and introduced several new initiatives.

In addition to outlining the status of Indigenous education across the board, the report announced:

• a new Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) arts and culture program with an Indigenous studies focus that will be implemented at Parry Sound High School in September 2022
• an initiative that will see all Grade 11 students take NBE3 – English: understanding contemporary First Nations, Métis and Inuit voices
• an alternative secondary school program that will be delivered in partnership with the North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre. More will be announced about this in the coming weeks.

One of the board’s key priorities is working towards equitable outcomes for Indigenous students. This is accomplished by supporting Indigenous student well-being, transitions and pathways, parent and community engagement and by maximizing system and educator capacity.

The board action plan for Indigenous education focuses on supporting student success and well-being for Indigenous learners, families and communities, as well as  increasing the knowledge, understanding and awareness of Indigenous culture, worldview, historical and contemporary issues and perspectives for all members of school communities throughout the board.

Board Chair Jay Aspin says, “Our board is committed to ensure Indigenous students have every opportunity for success. This board action plan is part of a complex structure of supports prioritizing equitable outcomes to move forward towards the success and well-being of these students through much needed systemic change.”

In addition to the work that takes place across the board, there are school and community initiatives that support system work. FNAC is grateful to the team of Indigenous language teachers, First Nations, Métis and Inuit studies teachers, graduation coaches, transitions support and education counsellors, as well as allies who help create dynamic learning environments.

Director of Education Craig Myles acknowledges that cooperation and communication between NNDSB and Indigenous partners are vital to success in this area. “We, as a board, are committed to ensuring equitable outcomes for Indigenous students. NNDSB’s work at all levels in support of Indigenous student well-being, transitions and pathways, parent and community engagement, as well as system and educator capacity are rooted in the Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP).”

Among the initiatives at NNDSB that support Indigenous students are youth circles (from which the Indigenous Student Trustee is appointed), graduation coaches at four secondary schools who support Indigenous students with culturally responsive approaches to learning and an outreach worker who supports Indigenous families moving to the area.

To support educators, the board has invested in cultural competency training for all staff and has contracted cultural advisors who support learning and increase the understanding of Anishinaabe history, culture, knowledge, teachings and perspectives.

The full report is available in the Board package.

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For more information, please contact:

Deb Bartlett
Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170, extension 5010
E. Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

 

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Workshop explains how executive skills promote school success

Near North District School Board’s (NNDSB) Parent Involvement Committee is hosting a workshop with Dr. Peg Dawson, who will discuss how executive skills can affect students’ ability to learn and student success.

The online session for families takes place Monday, May 2 at 7 p.m.

Dr. Dawson and her colleague, Dr. Richard Guare, have co-authored the books Smart but Scattered and Smart but Scattered Teens, as well as several books on this topic for educators, mental health professionals and families. She is a school psychologist with expertise in the assessment of learning and attention disorders.

Dr. Dawson’s workshop for educators introduces the 11 executive skills featured in the Smart but Scattered model and provides school-based strategies for strengthening each skill across the grade levels.

The workshop for families describes how these skills develop throughout childhood and suggest strategies that can be used to help children acquire the critical skills they need to be successful students.

The Smart but Scattered website says executive skills “refer to the brain-based cognitive processes that help us to regulate our behaviour, make decisions and set and achieve goals.” They include task initiation and follow through, planning and organization, working memory, performance monitoring, inhibition of impulses and self-regulation. Dr. Dawson believes these skills are “absolutely critical to school success.” Learn more about how Dr. Dawson defines executive skills here.

She is past president of the National Association of School Psychologists, the International School Psychology Association and is a recipient of NASP’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

NNDSB invites members of the community to attend Dr. Dawson’s using this link. People can also attend by phone. Find your local dial-in number here, then use Meeting ID: 833 3486 5926 and Passcode: 020746.

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For more information, please contact:

Deb Bartlett
Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170, extension 5010
E. Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

Monday, April 4, 2022

Program offers free Intro to Trades dual credits at Canadore College

Near North District School Board (NNDSB) is taking registrations for a program that will see re-engaged learners earn up to two credits towards their secondary school diploma and up to two college course credits towards a Trades Fundamentals certificate at Canadore. The program is called Introduction to the Trades.

Alysha Young, NNDSB’s re-engagement lead and a dual-credit teacher, says this course is for adult learners aged 21 and older who have not earned their Ontario Secondary School Diplomas.

Learners will attend the Commerce Court Campus of Canadore College in North Bay from April 25 to June 10 for half days (9 a.m. to approximately 12:30 p.m.). Students can take an introduction to carpentry and/or introduction to plumbing course. There is no cost to attend the program and students will receive financial assistance with equipment and transportation.

The introduction to carpentry course introduces students to a variety of hand and power tools, with an emphasis on identification, selection and safe operating procedures. Skill building will focus on residential construction.

The introduction to plumbing course introduces student to plumbing theory, safety, tools and materials. Students will work through the Ontario Building Code sections that relate to plumbing. Practical experience will be gained working in the program’s shop.

“This program is an excellent opportunity to attend Canadore and explore the trades as a career while earning high school and college credits,” says Patricia Jackson, project leader at Canadore College. “Past students have gone on to complete the certificate at Canadore, and work in the trades.”

Young says the dual-credit program is a collaborative effort between all four co-terminus school boards, Canadore College and the Ministry of Education. They work with partners in the community and tackle labour market shortages, creating programs that give learners a head start to an education that will address labour needs in the community.

“The objective of the dual-credit program,” she says, “is to aid students who have the potential to succeed.” In addition to the college instructor, students will have the support of a secondary school staff member in the student success role. “The students have more support than they would in a regular college class,” says Young.

“The goal is to help students land jobs,” she says. This is an example of NNDSB’s commitment to Excellence in Innovation, and Excellence in Teaching and Learning, two of the pillars of the board’s multi-year strategic plan.

For more information, contact Alysha Young at Alysha.Young@nearnorthschools.ca or 705-472-5419 ext. 4066.

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Cutline information (Trades-1, Trades-2):

Students in the dual-credit Introduction to the Trades course can earn up to four credits; two towards their secondary school diploma, and two college course credits.

For more information, please contact:

Deb Bartlett
Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170, extension 5010
E. Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

Friday, March 25, 2022

The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting of Tuesday, March 22, 2022.

Board recognizes outstanding students 

The Board of Trustees will be acknowledging outstanding students and members of school communities who have gone “above and beyond” and whose achievements exemplify the board’s strategic commitments outlined in the Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP).

Guests will be invited to Board meetings to share how they are illustrating the four pillars of the plan: Excellence in Innovation; Excellence in Teaching and Learning; Excellence in Relationships; and Excellence in Communication.

The first presentation occurred at Tuesday night’s Board meeting, when Madison Moore of Chippewa Secondary School and Fionna Truong of West Ferris Secondary School were recognized. They are the 2022 recipients of the Rotary Club of North Bay’s Service Above Self Award, presented to students who exemplify warmth and caring towards their peers and others. The award program is intended to promote the values of the Rotary Club’s motto Service Above Self, to ensure youth are aware of the benefits of volunteerism.

More information about the presentation can be found in this media release.

Updated guidelines follow public consultation

After approval by executive council of the multi-year French as a Second Language (FSL) plan in December, three Administrative Guidelines (AG) were approved for review.

The Extended French AG, French Immersion AG and Core French AG were posted on the board’s website from Feb. 1 to March 5, 2022. Public feedback was incorporated into the final version of each AG, which were presented for approval at the exec council meeting on March 8, 2022.

Amendments focused on inclusion of the full-day kindergarten document and, revised FSL curriculum and including best practices that allow for flexibility to support school timetables, schedules and staffing strengths.

Director’s update

Director of Education Craig Myles presented a lengthy report to the Board, following the March Break.

He addressed the lifting of many COVID-19 restrictions and noted how the changes have resulted in mixed feelings as we move along in pandemic recovery. Myles expressed gratitude to the staff, students, families and community partners who have provided safe learning environments for students since March 2022.

There was also a mid-year update that detailed progress in the four areas of the MYSP. For each pillar in the plan, the Director’s goals are listed with indicators of achievements to date that show forward momentum in realizing the goals of the plan. Trustees were appreciative of the update, expressing pride and satisfaction in the work being done by staff.

Board Vice-Chair John Cochrane noted that with the launch of the personal support worker program, “we are leaders”. The program in smaller communities provides a service to both students and the partner healthcare facilities. Trustee Bill Steer said it was gratifying to be able to see how far the board has come in implementing the MYSP. Director Myles agreed, calling the amount of work and growth that has taken place throughout a pandemic “amazing”.

The complete mid-year update can be found beginning on Page 36 of the agenda package.

MYSP committee launches survey

Trustee Bill Steer, who chairs the MYSP committee, updated trustees on the committee’s on-going work. Following approval by trustees in June, and implementation beginning in September, the committee’s next step is to assess the plan’s effectiveness with the development of metrics.

To measure that, the committee launched a survey and is seeking responses from a variety of stakeholder groups. The survey opened March 11 and will remain open until April 15. Once the survey closes, the committee will meet to review the data and establish metrics in order to present a report to the Board at its May meeting.

Trustee Steer called the measurement, “the last piece of the puzzle in this long process,” referring to the development and implementation of the MYSP.

Distribution and Determination Report approved

A Trustee Determination and Distribution report was presented, along with supplementary information from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). Before every municipal election, school boards are required to review and recommend the number of trustees and the areas they represent, in order to ensure fair and equitable representation of all public school supporters.

Following discussion in Committee of the Whole, a resolution was brought forward to approve that no changes would be made to trustee determination, and that trustee distribution will remain status quo.

NNDSB’s Board of Trustees is comprised of nine trustees; eight elected trustees and one First Nations trustee who is appointed to represent all First Nations who are NNDSB education partners.

Projects receive Trustee Initiative Fund support

Trustees approved supporting two projects through the Trustee Initiative Fund.

The Journey into Learning program of NNDSB will receive $7,520 to purchase 600 copies of the book This is What I’ve Been Told to be included in the Journey into Learning (JIL) kit for kindergarten students. The book was written by a NNDSB teacher and introduces the local Anishinaabemowin language and culture. The funding request noted that the book reflects the peoples, languages and cultures of this area, not other parts of Ontario or Canada, and that its inclusion in the JIL kit indicates the commitment of NNDSB to focus on Indigenous education.

The second request, for $7,500, was approved for the Festival of the Sound’s Music Scores program. The funding will see Music Scores programming in 10 NNDSB schools in the Parry Sound area over a two-week period. This year’s program will

encourage mastery of the creative process and critical thinking through Indigenous and sound-based storytelling. Three artists, led by Samantha Whelan-Kotkas of the National Arts Centre, will help students conceive, compose and present original works.

The two-week virtual residency will culminate in a final performance on April 8 feature music created together with students and the visiting artists.

Facilities Study Committee seeks name change

The North Bay Facilities Study Committee, an ad-hoc committee tasked with reviewing the board’s use of property assets in North Bay, received Board approval to be renamed the North Bay Consolidation Committee. The name change more accurately reflects the scope of the committee’s work.

The committee also presented a draft terms of reference, which was approved by the Board.

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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.

For more information, please contact:
Deb Bartlett (she/her)
Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170 ext. 5010
E. Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

 

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Outstanding NNDSB students recognized at Board meeting

At last night’s meeting of Near North District School Board (NNDSB), trustees heard the first of what will be a series of presentations that recognize students who go “above and beyond”.

The Board will welcome students and members of school communities who embody the board’s strategic commitments established within the Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP). Invited guests will explain how their actions exemplify the MYSP pillars of Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Excellence in Innovation, Excellence in Relationships and Excellence in Communication.

By hearing presentations, the Board of Trustees will be able to recognize students and support the entrenchment of the board’s MYSP priorities within school communities.

Board Chair Jay Aspin said, “It is significant that our Board of Trustees recognize outstanding students and members of the school community that go ‘above and beyond’ to fulfill the commitments set out in our strategic plan.”

The first of the presentations acknowledged the work of students Madison Moore of Chippewa Secondary School and Fionna Truong of West Ferris Secondary School. The pair was recently honoured by the Rotary Club of North Bay as recipients of the 2022 Service Above Self award. The award criteria include how students demonstrate warmth and caring towards peers or others. The Rotary Club’s student awards program is intended to promote the values of the club’s motto, Service Above Self, and ensure students know of the benefits of volunteerism.

Madison Moore was recognized at the Board for embodying Excellence in Relationships. A Grade 12 student, Madison has accumulated almost 400 volunteer hours since 2018. She is an athlete who recognizes the value of dedication and teamwork. Most of her volunteer hours were acquired in the sport of hockey and at tournaments such as the boys’ OFSAA tournament.

Fionna Truong is a Grade 11 student in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) program. She was recognized by the Board for illustrating Excellence in Innovation because of being an integral part of the robotics world in North Bay. She has been a team captain for FIRST Robotics, a build captain for Team 1305 and volunteers as a mentor with FLL (Lego) team at West Ferris. She has also worked with other student on a UV Cube Development Project that addressed the healthcare challenge of sterilizing personal protective equipment. Fionna is a team member working on a business plan to move the project into the production phase.

“These two students are shining examples that permit us to realize that commitment and I am very pleased our Board of Trustees has formally recognized their accomplishments,” said Chair Aspin.

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For more information, please contact:

Deb Bartlett
Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170, extension 5010
E. Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca