Friday, June 7, 2024
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The monthly letter to families, distributed on the first Friday of the month, is intended to keep you apprised of news that affects all students and families of Near North District School Board (NNDSB).
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We are nearing the completion of another school year. Director of Education Craig Myles wishes to thank students, their families and staff for their efforts and dedication during the 2023-2024 school year. Congratulations to students who are graduating this year – the Director is proud of your efforts, and wishes you well on the next stages of your journey.
The monthly letter to families will take a break over the summer. The next monthly letter will be distributed on Friday, Aug. 30, in advance of the 2024-2025 school year.
NNDSB wishes all students, staff and their families a safe and happy summer break.
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Did you know that NNDSB is working with the Lung Health Foundation to promote Quash, a judgement-free app that helps youth quit or reduce their vaping?
Teachers and principals are participating in a learning webinar on June 10, and family members will have the opportunity to participate in a stakeholder webinar on Wednesday, June 12 from 7-8 p.m.
The webinar, called Halt the Summer Haze, will boost knowledge about vaping and its dangers while preparing you to start a judgment-free dialogue with a teen you care about. The webinar will touch on the role of stress in your teen’s decision to vape.
Here is the link to the webinar.
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Health units in Ontario are required to assess the vaccine records of all children who attend school, and summer is a great time for families to ensure students are up to date on their immunizations.
The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has provided this information to families, so they know what requirements are for students.
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Student exchange companies MLI Homestay and YES Canada, in partnership with NNDSB, are seeking families in the district including North Bay, Parry Sound and surrounding areas to host international students from a wide range of countries and cultural backgrounds.
For these secondary school students, host families provide a home away from home in a safe and nurturing environment, three meals per day and the opportunity to become a family member. During their stay, students will live with a local family and experience daily life in Canada while developing their English language skills through this immersion experience.
A monthly stipend is provided to host families to offset the cost of hosting. Local coordinators and staff provide ongoing support for host families prior to and during a student’s stay.
Hosting opportunities are available throughout the 2024-2025 school year for possible durations of two, three, five, 10 and 12 months.
If you are interested in hosting an international secondary school student or would like to learn more about YES Canada’s homestay program, contact local coordinator Caitlin Hill, at caitlin.hill@youthedservices.ca or call 705-773-8638.
To learn more about MLI Homestay and their program, contact Kayla, the local coordinator in North Bay at 587-222-7172 or kknight@mlihomestay.com.
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The NNDSB math team is excited to share a number of ideas that will support your child’s math learning over the summer and build the skills to support them as they transition back into school in September.
Everyday summer activities like gardening, shopping, and camping easily become math learning opportunities. Check out our Mathematics for Families webpage for a variety of resources that will help build fluency and understanding. In addition to digital tools and online activities, we’ve included a number of games that are easy and fun to play as a family.
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Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA), to which NNDSB belongs, is working in partnership with Ontario Coalition for Children and Youth Mental Health to conduct a survey.
The survey will help coalition members understand what families need and want when it comes to resources to support them, improve their awareness and support mental health and well-being in children and youth. The results will be used to develop new resources, designed to meet the identified needs.
The deadline for the survey is June 17. Click this link to access the survey.
In addition to the survey, there is also the opportunity for some parents/caregivers and students to participate in a focus group intended to explore this topic in greater detail. The plan is to host up to six focus groups – four for parents/caregivers and two for students.
Focus groups will be held virtually in late June. Participants will receive a gift card for their time. Anyone interested to know more or who wants to confirm their participation can connect with the Coalition at CoalitionSurvey@opsba.org.
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Families that have elementary students from JK to Grade 7 who are not already in Virtual School and who are looking to register for Virtual School for the 2024-25 school year need to reach out to robert.roy@nearnorthschools.ca by June 16.
Elementary Virtual School will operate through the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and registration is happening at specific NNDSB locations the week of June 17. Parents and guardians will need to travel to one of those NNDSB locations with original documents (as requested) at a specific time. Those that miss this deadline may be able to register by booking an in-person appointment in the TDSB area.
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The Ontario government is modernizing the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) requirements for the first time in 25 years. The following information is drawn directly from the Ministry news release.
Ontario will begin consultations this fall with parents and experts on what practical life skills students should learn in school to build a strong foundation that sets them up for success. This can include the mandatory inclusion of life skills like nutritious cooking, changing a tire, sewing a button, using first aid, personal responsibility, and basic economics, all of which can prove valuable throughout a student’s lifespan. This places an emphasis on personal development, decision-making and intrapersonal skills, all of which are in demand by employers across the economy.
Ontario will be introducing a new financial literacy assessment as a graduation requirement to ensure students have the skills and knowledge to create and manage a household budget, save for a home, learn to invest wisely, and protect themselves from financial fraud. Starting in 2025, students will be required to score 70 per cent or higher to meet the financial literacy graduation requirement in their Grade 10 math course. Furthermore, the province will standardize making EQAO Grade 9 Math scores 10 per cent or more of a student’s final mark, a practice already used by the majority of teachers.
The province is also investing in modernized career education programming in their schools with more exposure to the skilled trades and priority economic sectors. The government is investing up to $14 million in 2024-25 for career coaching for Grade 9 and 10 students in the publicly funded education system. In partnership with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, this funding will also provide resources and tools to help at-risk youth, individuals in youth justice facilities, and students in other publicly funded educational settings outside of regular classrooms. Through shared agreements with school boards and other existing structures, this career coaching will help young people succeed and become positive members of their communities.
Click here to read more from the ministry memo quoted in the information above.
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The Near North District School Board has implemented early reading screening tools to help educators identify students who are experiencing difficulties with reading so they can receive the support they need to improve their reading proficiency and give them the best opportunity for success.
The Ministry of Education continues to work with federation partners, vendors and school districts to support the universal implementation of early reading screening tools. Individual student results for students in senior kindergarten to Grade 2 will be communicated as part of the 2024-25 elementary Term 1 Report Card. Should you have any questions or concerns about your child’s reading abilities, please contact your child’s teacher.
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The Ministry of Education has announced a plan to reduce distractions in classrooms and improve the safety of children with a standardized and strengthened plan to counter the rise of vaping and the negative impact of mobile devices and social media.
Vaping will be banned in all schools. Students caught using or carrying vapes or cigarettes will have to hand them in, and families will be notified. The government will be installing vape detectors and other security upgrades in schools.
Students in grades K-6 will have to keep their phones on silent and out of sight all day, unless explicitly permitted by an educator. For students in Grades 7-12, cell phones will not be permitted in class unless explicitly permitted by an educator. Social media websites will be removed from school networks and devices and report cards will include comment on students’ distraction levels in class.
In tandem with these changes, the Ministry of Education will be investing $17.5 million in wrap-around supports for student mental health and parent engagement.
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The next meeting of the Board will be Tuesday, June 11 at 6 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and you are welcome to attend in person or join via Zoom. Here is the link to the meeting. The meeting ID is 899 1167 8742; the passcode is 859936 and the number for dial in is 1-855-703-8985.
If attending in person, please confirm attendance by contacting Maureen Egan at 705-472-8170 ext. 5028 or maureen.egan@nearnorthschools.ca.
Information about the Board, committees and their meetings can be found here.
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In addition to staying informed via the board’s website, families can find NNDSB on Facebook and Instagram.
Sincerely,
Near North District School Board
