March 9, 2021

Fully digital school registration improves accessibility

In a move that removes barriers to registering students in the Near North District School Board, a fully digital registration process has been launched today that eliminates the need for an in-person visit to schools and streamlines the process for administrative staff.

The transition to an online system was initially put in place to eliminate the need for parents to attend schools to register their kindergarten students. In light of NNDSB’s COVID-19 protocols relating to in-person visits, the board wanted a process that kept in-person contact to a minimum.

Superintendent Gay Smylie notes that COVID-19 has created many opportunities for NNDSB to provide innovative solutions to problems that previously did not exist. Since the pandemic began a year ago, parents haven’t been able to register their children in the usual way.

NNDSB’s fully digital system eliminates the need for a visit to the school for registration. Parents and guardians are able to send digital copies of student identification. The new practice, which meets Ministry of Education requirements, and Ontario Student Record guidelines, helps keep people safe, and makes the process more accessible for families that may lack transportation to the school, or the ability to print and scan.

“An online registration format provides inclusive options for parents to register right from the comfort of their own homes as well as submit and sign required documents electronically,” says Smylie.

This is just one way the NNDSB is moving forward in its commitment to excellence in communications and building relationships.

While this new system is being introduced in tandem with the annual kindergarten registration campaign, the new online process is for use by any parent/guardian who has children to register, regardless of age or grade. Students transferring from out of area or from other boards will register using this same process.

Once a parent/guardian confirms student eligibility at a particular school, they can access the new registration forms in one of three ways:

• a fillable PDF or Word document can be downloaded, completed, and emailed to the appropriate secretary right from your computer or phone
• a printer-friendly the Word document can be downloaded, printed off, filled out, and either scanned and emailed, or mailed to the appropriate secretary
• the secretary of the school can mail out or prepare for pickup a registration package to families who would prefer to use paper copies

If submitting the form electronically, the parent/guardian will send it to the appropriate secretary. Secretary names and email addresses can be found on the Find Your School page of the board’s website. The secretary information is helpful for registration purposes and improved communication for families at all schools. The secretary is often the first contact that a family has with its school, so it’s important to start and cultivate the relationship.

This new process streamlines the process by eliminating steps, and is a friendlier way to welcome new families to NNDSB.

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Information about Near North District School Board:

Near North District School Board is an English-language public school board serving the North Bay – Parry Sound – Nipissing area. The Board consists of approximately 10,000 students in 27 elementary schools, seven secondary/senior schools and various alternative learning centres. For more information, please visit nearnorthschools.ca and follow Near North District School Board on social media.

For more information, please contact:

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