Near North District School Board

News and Announcements

Treaties Recognition Week November 4 – 10, 2018

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What is Treaties Recognition Week?

First Nations were the original occupants of the land now known as Ontario.  Treaties, which are legally binding agreements that set out the rights, responsibilities, and relationships of First Nations and the federal and provincial governments, were signed with the intent of delivering mutual benefits.   Despite this promise, Indigenous peoples became the target of colonial policies designed to exploit, assimilate, and eradicate them.

Today, the Ontario Government recognizes the wrongs of previous generations and is looking to change the future by building relationships based on trust and respect.  In  2016, Ontario marked its first Treaties Recognition WCover of the book "We are all Treaty People"eek from November 6th to November 12th.  It was introduced to honour the importance of treaties and to help Ontarians learn more about treaty rights and treaty relationships.

What occurs during Treaties Recognition Week?

During Treaties Recognition Week, students, and the broader Ontario public promote awareness with special events, social media campaigns, and special learning activities in school.  In schools, students learn why treaties matter to not just our Indigenous peoples, but to all Ontarians from various Indigenous speakers and planned learning activities including classroom tools, resources, and copies of actual treaties.

Although they were signed more than a century ago, treaty commitments are just as valid today as they were then.  Every Ontarian is a treaty person.

Find out more information and resources at: https://www.ontario.ca/pages/treaties

Directors October Board Report

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The 2018/2019 school year is off to a great start and as in past years, the Near North District School Board (“NNDSB”) continues to meet the priorities and commitments identified in the Multi-Year Plan.  This Report will focus on the ways in which we are achieving the following two priorities:

  • Excellent in the Teaching and Learning Environment; and
  • Excellence in Creating a Culture of Caring.

Excellence in Teaching and in the Learning Environment:

The NNDSB’s Multi-Year Plan identifies the following commitments with respect to the teaching and learning environment:

  • Become a learning and research driven board
  • Continue to develop early years to graduation practices
  • Develop and promote growth mindset in all staff and students early years to graduation
  • Ensuring Equity: Provide access to resources, technology and experiences that meet student’s strengths and needs
  • Set high standards for all students and address gaps as identified for targeted support

Our programming staff have been working diligently to establish programs and resources that will support of staff and students in their leaning needs.  This includes the development of French as a Second Language Resources and Math and Literacy Resources. For the October Board Meeting we have chosen to highlight two programs that demonstrate how we are meeting our commitments.

Transforming FSL Resources:  This project aligns very well with our primary literacy project through the shared themes of authentic meaningful learning opportunities and the use of student work captured through pedagogical documentation to support language acquisition, in this case second language.

Getting to Know our Students as Mathematicians:  The work of this project dips into a fair number of areas on the grid under Numeracy.   These areas include EQAO leads, Math Assessment Resource, Focusing on the Fundamentals of Math – Educator Learning, SWST and Math Facilitator School Support, as well as, Professional Development and Principal Learning Networks.

Focus on our North Bay Intermediate/Secondary Schools

Specialist High Skills Majors (“SHSM”) – Once again the NNDSB has outdone itself in the many offerings of these unique and focused programs designed to offer our Grade 11 and 12 students career path opportunities which match their skills and interests.  Students receive the SHSM seal on their secondary diploma after completing 8-10 courses in the student’s selected field.  Students earn valuable industry certification and may gain important skills on the job with actual employers.  SHSMs offer our students the opportunity to explore, identify and hone in on career goals by making informed choices about their next steps beyond secondary school. We have nearly twice the footprint of the province for our SHSM programs and the graduation rate for SHSM students is an average of 5% higher than those who are not in SHSM!

School Programs
Almaguin Highlands Secondary

 

 ·         Environment

·         Health and wellness

·         Information Communication Technology
Parry Sound High School

 

 ·         Health and Wellness

·         Hospitality and Tourism
Chippewa Secondary School

 

 ·         Business

·         Sports
FJ McElligott

 

 ·         Environment
Northern Secondary School ·         Hospitality and Tourism
West Ferris Secondary

 

 ·         Arts and Culture

·         Business

·         Construction

·         Manufacturing
Widdifield Secondary

 

 ·         Arts and Culture

·         Construction

·         Environment

·         Health and Wellness

 

Excellence in Creating a Culture of Caring

The NNDSB’s Multi-Year Plan identifies the following commitments with respect to the creation of a culture of caring:

  • Create and understand strategies to have students feel more included and understood
  • Promote a culture based on trusting relationship, shared responsibility and thoughtful action
  • Celebrate and recognize the achievement of staff and students

These commitments are often achieved through the establishment of unique programming and learning opportunities in partnership with local organizations. Such opportunities provide our students and staff with the opportunity to engage in thoughtful and introspective learning in unique environments.  For the October Board Meeting we have chosen to highlight two such programs that have allowed for interactive experiences outside the classroom that develop a sense of belonging and awareness in our students.

Biosphere:  The NNDSB appreciates and thanks the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve for their ongoing support and educational resources including the curriculum-based Lessons in a Backpack.  This program is designed for grades 1-9 with local ecology as the focus for the classroom and school yard.  Classroom visits are available to explore: State of the Bay Ecosystem Health, Integrating Local Climate Knowledge and the Curriculum, Science Journals for Kids, Teaching Teens about Climate Change, and the Fall Green Teacher Webinar Series.

Learning Together:  Learning Together/Apprenons ensemble is an interactive conference for families with young children (ages birth to approx. 8 years).  It has been held annually for the past 13 years with the location rotating among the four school Boards.  Nipissing University and Canadore College alongside the four Boards and many community agencies such as the YMCA, Early On,  the Health Unit, Student Nutrition etc. are proud contributors and sponsors.  This year it was held on Oct. 13 at Chippewa Intermediate Secondary School with more than 300 families and children in attendance.  Together, children and families engaged in literacy and numeracy activities, outdoor nature crafts, moved through dance, yoga and Martial Arts, touched many a truck, observed reptiles, explored space and shared healthy snacks among many other activities. One of our EW families said that the Planetarium from Science North was a big hit. Their young lad loved the mini-triathlon and was very proud of completing it!  This year an educator and student from Widdifield animated children and their families’ hopes and dreams for our community.  This piece of art will be displayed at City Hall.

Finally, please note that West Ferris hosted an evening to meet the trustee candidates October 18, 2018.  Many thanks to our incredible North Bay School Councils for their efforts to offer this important event.  We are very grateful for this important night and for highlighting this opportunity to all of those interested in furthering public education and the efforts of the NNDSB.

Jackie Young

Director of Education

Board of Trustees Election Results

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The following persons have been elected/acclaimed to the Board of Trustees for the Near North District School Board:

Zone 1 (4 Representatives)
Jay Aspin
Donna Breault
Louise Sargent
Bill Steer

Zone 2 (1 Representative)
Greg Barnes

Zone 3 (1 Representative)
Rob Learn

Zone 4 (1 Representative)
John Cochrane

Zone 5 (1 Representative)
Al Bottomley

Nipissing First Nations (1 Representative)
Nichole King

Elected Trustees will officially be sworn in and take office at 5 p.m. on December 4, 2018 during the Inaugural Meeting.  The Inaugural Meeting is a public meeting and will take place at the Board Office located at 963 Airport Road and will be followed by the Annual Organizational Meeting at 6.p in which the Board will confirm, Board Chair, Vice-Chair and Committee appointments.

Provincial Education Reform Consultation – Telephone Town Halls

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Telephone Town Halls for Northeastern Ontario (including the surrounding area of North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie) will be held:

  • October 23: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.,
  • November 20: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.,
  • November 26: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (French),
  • November 29: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Please register at the link below
https://www.ontario.ca/form/register-telephone-town-halls-about-education-ontario

For more information on the government’s consultation:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/for-the-parents

Almaguin Highlands SS to be Featured on Cogeco YourTV Remembrance Day

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The students in the Grade 11/12 Theatre Production Class at Almaguin Highlands Secondary School (“AHSS”) will be featured in a docu-drama created as part of Cogeco’s YourTV Remembrance Day programming.  Marking the 100 years since the Halifax harbour explosion in 1917, AHSS students researched, wrote and performed the play, “Halifax:1917”, last year.

The play was written to commemorate the 1917 disaster that occurred in the Halifax harbour, killing over 1500 people and injuring (and blinding) thousands more.

YourTV’s Jake Forsyth approached AHSS to produce a docu-drama featuring the students of today and their research, and connections to the stories of 100 years ago.  YourTV of North Bay subsequently filmed a docu-drama featuring the students and their teacher Allison Green to be aired November 8th, 2018. Check your local listings for times of airing.

AHSS will hold its’ own screening on November 9th, 2018 at 7 p.m.  The screen will be free and open to the public. Students and staff involved in the play and docu-drama will be on hand to share their experience.

For more information, please contact:

Allison Green
Almaguin Highlands Secondary School
Phone: (705)492-9744
Email: allison.green@nearnorthschools.ca

NNDSB Produces Transforming FSL Resources

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The Near North District School Board, with the support of the Ministry of Education has produced a series of videos to guide French as a Second Language (“FSL”) educators throughout Ontario. These five videos capture the professional learning of some French Immersion Kindergarten Teams in the Near North District School Board. Through sharing classroom footage and teacher reflection, the effective use of pedagogical documentation and strategies to support oral language development we can inform and support further discussions among FSL educators.

Entitled `Les petits en maternelle` the videos feature staff and students from the Early Learning Kindergarten programs at Alliance and Sunset Park and provide an overview of the following:

Interacting with the (play-based) environment
Interacting with their peers and adults
Verbal and non-verbal communication
Pedagogical Documentation (Making the thinking visible)
Reflections on the journey

“We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this project and the opportunity to fulfill a leadership role across the province promoting our French as Second Language community. The videos are exemplary resources for educators that highlight the quality of our educators and programming offered by the NNDSB.” – Melanie Gray, Acting Superintendent of Education

The videos and additional FSL resources can be found at https://transformingfsl.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Greg Deschamps
Program Coordinator
Near North District School Board
Phone: (705) 472-8170 ext. 5010
Email: Greg.deschamps@nearnorthschools.ca

September Director’s Message

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On behalf of the Near North District School Board I am pleased to welcome you to the 2018-2019 school year. I hope that you are settling in and adjusting to the school routine. While it is hard to see the end of summer, here at Near North we are excited to once again begin the process of educating our students to their fullest potential. The highlight of my job has always been getting to meet our students and school communities. Each year I am amazed by our students and staff and I cannot wait to be see once again, what they will accomplish this year.

Whether you are a returning student, new to our schools or just starting your journey in Kindergarten, the NNDSB will continue to provide access to high quality education that meets the needs of all our students.

Throughout the year students and parents can access assistance, information and guidance when needed.  All the Boards guidelines and policies are available for students and parents here Administrative Guidelines.  However, we recognize that every student is unique so please do not hesitate to contact us if you require assistance or need further information.  Public Inquiries Administrative Guideline

Thank you for choosing the NNDSB for the educational needs of your children. We are confident that you will be pleased with the dynamic, relevant and engaging learning environment we have created for students. Please check this site and our Facebook page regularly for updates, news and events.

Jackie Young Signature

 

 

Jackie Young,
Director of Education

NNDSB Students Participate Annual Terry Fox Walk/Run Events

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The annual Terry Fox Runs  is days away, and our students are gearing up to raise money for cancer research and help keep Terry Fox’s dream alive.

Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope might have ended in 1980 but the spark he lit in the hearts and minds of Canadians ignited into a campaign of hope that has lasted more than three decades. Once again this September hundreds of thousands of Terry Fox supporters will participate in their favourite Canadian fall tradition at one of more than 700 Terry Fox Runs from coast to coast to coast to ensure that cancer research continues to forge ahead.

The students and staff at the Near North District School Board appreciate your support with this important initiative.

Terry Fox had a single dream: a world without cancer. Come and join us as we work together in pursuit of this dream. For more information on the Terry Fox Run and Foundation, visit www.terryfox.org

 

Wear Purple on Rowan’s Law Day

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Rowan Stringer loved rugby. A competitive and keen athlete, she was captain of her high school’s team. Tragically, in May 2013, 17-year old Rowan died as the result of head injuries she sustained while playing rugby. In the week before her last game, Rowan was hit twice while playing, likely sustaining a concussion after each blow. Her concussions went unreported, and she continued to play. Rowan suspected something wasn’t right—she texted a friend about her condition and used Google to search for information about concussions. When she was hit again in her final game, Rowan suffered what is known as Second Impact Syndrome—catastrophic swelling caused by a second injury to a brain still healing from previous trauma. Rowan collapsed on the field on May 8, 2013, and died four days later.

What is Rowan’s Law Day?

Rowan’s Law Day was established in 2018, and will be observed across Ontario on the last Wednesday in September each year. The purpose of Rowan’s Law Day is to increase concussion education awareness, especially in schools.

Municipal Election Information for Candidates and Schools

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The municipal election will be held on Monday, Oct. 22, 2018.   The following guidelines are designed to assist school administrators, current trustees and candidates during the months leading up to the municipal elections.

Role of current trustees

Current trustees are still serving out the end of their term of office and continue to fulfill their usual roles. It is appropriate for schools to involve their local trustee in events and activities at the school in a way they would have prior to the beginning of the municipal election campaigns.

For example, if it is the previous practice of a school to have the local trustee hand out student awards at the monthly assembly or attend a regular school council meeting, this practice can continue during the election campaign.

However, schools cannot send out any campaign material on behalf of the current trustee if he or she is also a candidate in the municipal election.

School visit by candidates

Requests by candidates to visit a school are not considered appropriate during an election campaign.  This restriction includes informal visits to classrooms and meetings with the school council or with school administrators. If a candidate contacts you asking to visit your school, explain that the schools are not permitted to allow visits of any kind by candidates for municipal office.   Questions can be directed to Mairghread Knought, Information Officer and Communications Officer at extension 5010.

It is appropriate for current trustees, who are also candidates, to visit schools to participate in events and activities as they would have prior to the beginning of the municipal election campaigns, however it is not appropriate for those persons to campaign.

All-candidate meetings

In middle and secondary schools, the election may be an ideal time to help students learn more about municipal government. The Near North board allows all-candidates meetings and other learning activities that are part of the classroom program.

Distribution of material by candidates

The Near North Board administrative guideline: "Advertising and Distribution in Schools by Outside Organizations" does not allow any political information to be distributed via schools. For this reason, no campaign material may be distributed to students, parents or staff via schools. It also includes material distributed indirectly on behalf of a candidate—for example; the school council cannot choose to distribute information about a candidate. This restriction includes current trustees who are also candidates in the municipal election. Until the election, the school should not distribute any information by or about trustees who are also candidates.

However, schools do not have control over what happens off school property. If a candidate stands off school property and distributes campaign material to parents and students, there is no action the school can or should take.

On the other hand, it is appropriate to distribute information about the election in general—for example, information from the municipality about the date of the election.

Using Board email by candidates

The use of Board email by candidates (including current trustees) to distribute campaign information is not appropriate, as outlined in the board’s administrative guideline: “Acceptable Use.”  Although it is not explicitly outlined, under Section 2.0: Availability of Access, it states “Access to the Near North District School Board’s electronic communications system, including the internet, shall be made available to employees, trustees, and students for instructional, administrative and professional development purposes.”

Using Board email by a candidate to distribute campaign information by email could be considered a personal advantage given that a member of the public interested in running would not have access to Board email.

Social media—personal accounts

If you follow/friend a candidate on your personal social media accounts (e.g. Twitter and Facebook), you do not need to unfollow him or her. The board is not discouraging staff from following or engaging with candidates on social media during their personal time.

Although it is not an issue for most board or school staff to communicate with and campaign outside of work hours for trustee candidates on social media, it is not recommended that school administrators or other senior staff campaign on behalf of a trustee candidate. School administrators and senior staff may wish to limit retweets, likes and favourites from their personal social media accounts as these can often be perceived as endorsements.

Social media—school accounts

If you follow/friend a candidate on your school’s social media accounts (e.g. Twitter and Facebook), you do not need to unfollow him or her. However, from now until after the election, you should not follow any other candidates unless you have just opened a school account. If you open an account during this time, if you follow one candidate, you should follow them all until after the election.

From now until the election, do not retweet, favourite or like candidates’ social media posts from your school’s accounts. These can be perceived as endorsements and must be avoided.

School councils

School councils are agents of the school and the Near North District School Board and are bound by the same guidelines as the school. It is not appropriate for the school council as a group to endorse a specific trustee candidate or to campaign on behalf of a specific candidate. The council could, however, host an all-candidates meeting to assist parents in learning more about all the candidates.

The council shall not distribute information on behalf of, or about, a specific candidate. If it is the normal practice of the school council to meet regularly with the local trustee(s), those meetings can continue as they usually would. Otherwise, individual candidates are not permitted to meet with the council during the campaign period.

These guidelines apply to the school council as a group.  The individual parent members of a school council, including the chair of the council, are not limited in any way in terms of their ability to campaign for specific candidates. They support a candidate, however, as an individual, not as a representative of the council.

A school council chair or member who is also a candidate for election as trustee may continue in their elected role for the remainder of the 2017-18 school year. However, they must not use their role to promote their campaign while they are serving in the role of school council member. They are not allowed to distribute campaign material on school property or to discuss their campaign during council meetings.

School council meetings are public. Even though candidates for municipal office are not allowed to meet directly with the council, a candidate may choose to attend a council meeting as a member of the public. They may ask a question during public question period, as any other member of the public could, but are not allowed to use this time to deliver campaign messages or to give out campaign material at the meeting.

Requests for information

The Near North District School Board is committed to public accountability and service when responding to any information request. If a candidate contacts the school office for information about your school, provide that information as promptly as possible—as you would if the request came from a parent or other member of your community. There is no need to determine why the information is being requested.

Generally, all information about schools and the Near North board is public, except for confidential student records or personnel issues, and is therefore provided upon request. As you are aware, a list of all the students at your school or in a grade or class is not public information. If you are asked for information that you do not have, refer the request to Mairghread Knought, Information and Communications Officer at extension 5010.

Advice for staff regarding campaigning for candidates

Obviously, it is not appropriate for any Near North board staff member to campaign for or endorse a specific trustee candidate while in the workplace. While it is not an issue for most board or school staff to campaign outside of work hours for trustee candidates, it is not recommended that school administrators or other senior staff campaign on behalf of a trustee candidate.

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