Friday, Nov. 7, 2025
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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As a complement to existing math lessons and practice, TVO Learn Mathify connects students in Grades 4-12 with free 1:1 online math tutoring. All tutors are Ontario Certified Teachers, and available to help the student(s) in your life better understand math concepts and questions, from the simple to the complex.
TVO Learn Mathify is designed to address a student’s individual learning style. It’s safe, secure and free for all Grade 4-12 students enrolled in Ontario’s publicly funded English-language schools. You can learn more about TVO Learn Mathify here.
Grade 1 and 2 NNDSB students have access to DreamBox Math, a high-quality and engaging digital tool that is personalized to their grade-level curriculum and skill level. Students can access this adaptive mathematics learning resource from their home computer or iPad.
Click here for more information about logging in to DreamBox, accessing family dashboards, and other tips and tricks. (Please note some of our NNDSB Grade 3 students also use DreamBox in their classrooms and can access it at home.)
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The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit reminds residents that seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccines are available through primary care providers, participating pharmacies and upcoming community clinics.
For more information on clinics, visit this page of the health unit’s website.
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School Mental Health Ontario has provided webinars for families on a variety of topics, including substance abuse, addictive behaviours and youth mental health.
If you missed the webinars, they are now available on the By Your Side parent hub, which can be accessed here.
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School Mental Health Ontario’s Thrive School Mental Health (Thrive SMH) is recruiting student and parent, and caregiver reference group applicants.
The student group is comprised of passionate students from school boards across the province who help to develop and review resources, share student perspectives and support or lead mental health promotion initiatives.
Students must be in Grades 7 to 10 and attending an English-language, publicly funded school board in Ontario. Applications will be open on the student blog from Nov. 3-30.
The Parent and Caregiver Collaboration Group (PCCG) is a group of parents/caregivers who help to inform the work of SMH-ON by contributing to parent/caregiver mental health literacy through co-development of resources. The group offers perspectives, insights and ongoing input to assist in the advancement of identity-affirming resources and support.
To apply to PCCG, parents/caregivers must have a child in Grades JK-12 registered in an English-language publicly funded school board in Ontario. Applications will be open Nov. 3-30. Application information will be posted on the parent/caregiver blog.
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The Youth-VAST (Vaping, Alcohol, Substance Use, and Technology) Dependence Program is Canada’s first personalized youth addiction program that provides team-based care to address many types of addiction. The program offers free and confidential treatment to youth aged 12 to 21 living in Ontario to help them develop healthy coping strategies, access specialized treatment, and build resilience in managing their addiction, either in-person or virtually. No referral is necessary.
Youth in the program will meet with a care coach who will listen and help them build a way forward to change their behaviours. They will get personalized treatment to manage cravings and triggers, and if needed, they will meet with a physician for medication.
To learn more and to get a youth started, visit WeHearYou.ca.
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The next meeting of the Board will be held Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 6:30 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 Gerrilyn Cicciarelli at 705-472-8170 ext. 5028 or GerriLyn.Cicciarelli@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
