Friday, May 6, 2022
Dear Parents and Guardians,
This monthly Letter to Families is intended to keep you apprised of news that affects all students and families of Near North District School Board (NNDSB). The Letter to Families is distributed on the first Friday of the month.
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Across Ontario, boards and schools celebrate Education Week the first week of May. NNDSB is proud of the work done by staff in all areas who work towards the goal of student achievement and well-being.
Board Chair Jay Aspin, in sharing his appreciation for the work of staff in education, calls education a “community endeavour” and says it’s vital to reflect on the work that has been done over the past few years and the obstacles that were overcome.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, he commends staff for their display of dedication, patience, resilience, cooperation and collaboration, and remind them that they are not taking the journey alone.
Everyone working in NNDSB is working towards the multi-year strategic plan’s four pillars of excellence in teaching and learning, excellence in innovation, excellence in relationships and excellence in communication.
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On Monday, May 2, the board’s Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) hosted a presentation with Dr. Peg Dawson on executive functioning skills and how they may be used to strengthen children to their full potential
A PDF of Dr. Dawson’s presentation and the hour-long webinar may be found here.
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Twenty-two NNDSB schools have been participating in The Forest of Reading, Canada’s largest recreational reading program.
Participating NNDSB schools offer this reading program to encourage a love of reading for all students. The Forest helps celebrate Canadian books, publishers, authors and illustrators. More than 270,000 readers participate annually from their school and/or public library.
The Forest of Reading Award Programs are where children and young adults pick the winner! Readers choose a program that they would like to be a part of, usually based on their age or grade, and simply begin reading. They can read all 10 of the titles, or pick and choose to read only the ones they are interested in. Participants are encouraged to read at least five of the 10 titles to be eligible to vote in April.
This program aims to encourage a genuine and life-long love of reading among readers of all ages. NNDSB students have been participating in virtual Author visits and may have opportunities to be involved in virtual celebrations in the coming weeks once the winning authors are announced.
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NNDSB’s information technology (IT) team is sharing guidance from the Ministry of Education to help families avoid phishing and smishing scams.
The information may be found here and includes activities for children, to help them become aware of the dangers of cyber criminals.
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NNDSB students are eligible to enter the Ontario Public School Board’s (OPSBA) I ❤️ Public Education video contest.
OPSBA is asking that short clips (three to five seconds) be submitted that show people holding a small sign with the phrase or image I ❤️ Public Education. Participants can write this in their first language, or any language typically spoken at home.
Submissions will be used to create a two- to three-minute video showing the full range of diversity of ages, faces, voices and places that make up provincial public schools and their love of learning and the shared values of public education.
Contest winners will be selected from student submissions. The contest is open to any student from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 in Ontario, so long as they are enrolled in a school that is part of a public district school board or school authority that is a member of the OPSBA.
All students who submit a clip will be automatically entered into a prize draw for one of five $50 Indigo e-gift cards.
The deadline for this contest is May 31, 2022, at 5 p.m.
The final video will be posted on OPSBA’s social media channels by mid-June.
Recording and Uploading Instructions:
The video can be recorded wherever you would like using a smartphone or any video device in standard video formats (.mp4, .avi, .mov, .m4v). You are encouraged to film at school, or any other location that is special to you and/or emblematic of your local community.
All video files must be submitted through OPSBA’s contest Dropbox portal. Students must also submit their name, school, and school board with their video clips. The video clip’s file name must include this information in order for OPSBA to be able to contact the winners. (i.e., John Doe_SmithPS_NNDSB)
Additional contest details can be found on the OPSBA website.
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The Ministry of Education has provided NNDSB with funding to provide $1,000 bursaries to 15 Grade 11 or 12 students who are pursuing post-secondary education in the skilled trades.
Application details are still being finalized; families can watch for details on the board’s social media accounts, or students may visit their school’s student success office for more information.
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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
