Friday, Jan. 6, 2023
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Near North District School Board (NNDSB) staff hopes everyone had a joyful holiday break. Best wishes to all for a happy and healthy 2023. We look forward to welcoming students and staff back to school on Monday, Jan. 9.
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The following information is shared from the program team:
K-12 Tutoring Supports: Following two years of global learning disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Education introduced Ontario’s Plan to Catch Up, which included funding to support the development of targeted tutoring support programs from September 2022 to March 31, 2023.
NNDSB utilized the project funding to initiate small group tutoring supports for students in Kindergarten to Grade 12. Tutoring programs are now available to students in all regions of the district and prioritize math, literacy and other foundational learning skills. While delivery models vary from school to school, programs have been designed to address student needs and are based on an approach that emphasizes in-person learning yet leverages virtual models when necessary.
Please contact your child’s school to learn more about local tutoring opportunities.
TVO Mathify – FREE 1:1 Grade 4-12 math tutoring with Ontario Certified Teachers. Online math tutoring with Ontario Certified Teachers in a safe and secure environment is available for students in Grades 4-12. Supports include interactive math lessons and activities, personalized learning, an interactive whiteboard and an online portfolio for saved work and tutoring sessions. Mathify tutors are available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday and 3:30 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
To register students, click the link on the Mathify page of the NNDSB site or select Mathify from the LMS (available via the parent portal). A link is also available in Edsby’s Launchpad. Students create a username, and password and select their grade, course and school board. After registration, students can access Mathify from these same locations. The LMS uses students’ NNDSB logins and saves having to remember another username/password.
Learning and Innovation Fund for Teachers (LIFT): The Learning and Innovation Fund for Teachers (LIFT) is a Ministry-funded initiative designed to increase teacher learning and sharing of effective practices about targeted Ministry and board priorities to inspire changes in teacher practices and improve student learning and well-being.
NNDSB launched the 2022-23 LIFT application process in October. The initiative has been aligned with the school improvement planning process and has introduced an opportunity for school teams to determine a ministry/board/school priority to guide teacher inquiry and learning in response to student needs. Teams of interested teachers were invited to apply for funding to support innovative professional learning initiatives.
NNDSB celebrates the approval of 19 LIFT projects for the year 2022-23, the majority of which are focused on foundational math and literacy learning, involving educators from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
EQAO: Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics, Semester 1: The administration window for the Grade 9 assessment of mathematics will open on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. Students enrolled in a Grade 9 de-streamed mathematics course during Semester 1 will complete the assessment before Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. Assessment schedules will vary by school.
The sample test allows students to become familiar with the online assessment and its platform. Students will be able to try out the various tools, including built-in text-to-speech audio, zoom in and zoom out, high contrast and highlighter, in the e-assessment platform.
During the assessment, students complete two sessions with four stages; the sample test consists of one session with two stages, and a total of 27 questions. This sample test also provides students with the opportunity to complete the various types of questions, including drag-and-drop, drop-down menu and single- and multiple-selection questions, that may be included on the assessment.
Click the link to learn more about EQAO assessments.
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NNDSB’s Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) is pleased to present two sessions for families. Save the dates for these events; details, including links, will be available in upcoming monthly letters to families.
An equity and inclusion presentation will be held Wednesday, March 8 from 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom.
The presentation will include a Near North equity update showcasing what NNDSB has been doing to support equity and inclusion in our schools and board. There will be a discussion on identity and anti-oppressive education and the importance of ensuring all students are accepted and have the support in place to succeed.
The second session is a bullying and prevention presentation on Wednesday, Feb. 8 from 6:30-8 p.m. via Zoom.
The Safe Schools team is excited to provide parents and community members with an overview of bullying awareness and prevention initiatives, resources and supports. The presentation will start with an overview of information from the Ministry of Education before highlighting board and school initiatives contained in the NNDBS Safe Schools Framework. The presentation will conclude with resources available to students and parents.
We look forward to discussing bullying awareness and prevention with the parents and families of NNDSB!
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Seventeen Near North schools are participating in the Forest of Reading Program this year. The Forest of Reading is Canada’s largest recreational reading program and helps celebrate Canadian books, publishers, authors and illustrators.
The Forest of Reading Award Programs offers children and young adults the opportunity to vote for their favourite books. Readers choose a program that they would like to be a part of, usually based on their age or grade, and simply begin reading! Students are encouraged to read at least five of the 10 titles to be eligible to vote on their favourite book, but teachers and librarians make it possible for all to participate in the voting process which takes place in April.
This program encourages a lifelong love of reading and supports literacy in NNDSB classrooms and libraries. The books have arrived and will be distributed to participating school libraries in the next week or two.
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In addition to staying informed via the board’s website, families can find NNDSB on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Sincerely,
Near North District School Board
