Friday, Sept. 1, 2023
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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Director of Education Craig Myles hopes everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer, and he offers NNDSB students a heartfelt welcome to the 2023-2024 school year!
Some staff at NNDSB have been working hard through July and August to prepare our facilities for another school year brimming with lessons and adventure. Our educators are looking forward to providing students with a great year of learning and fun.
To our youngest learners and new families, welcome to NNDSB! This monthly letter is just one way we endeavour to keep our families informed on what’s going on in the board.
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If you’re receiving this letter by email, you’ve filled out the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) form and provided express consent to receive material from NNDSB and your child’s school. If you are reading this online or via social media and would like to receive board news, please be sure to fill out and return the CASL form that will be coming home with students in the first few days of the school year. Alternatively, the form can be accessed here, and returned to your child’s school.
If you do not return the CASL form, you will not receive any communication from either the board or schools.
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In July, the Ministry of Education directed school boards to share a detailed summary of PA Day activities with families in communication, on the website, on social media and in board buildings.
A letter was sent to families on Aug. 16, outlining the PA day activities that took place Aug. 30 and 31.
Information about upcoming training will be found on NNDSB’s website by clicking the PA Day Activities button on the home page. The listing of activities will be found on this page.
The next PA Day will be Friday, Sept. 29. Here is the link to the training taking place that day.
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A hard copy of the 2023-2034 school year calendar will be sent home with students, but it can also be found online.
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A technical issue has temporarily closed parental access to Edsby. NNDSB is hoping for a quick resolution to this issue.
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The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has been working with the four local school boards’ mental health leads and other community partners to promote the importance of regular school attendance on school success.
Using the research of Attendance Works, the team is advocating that students should not miss more than seven days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track for graduation. Frequent absences can be a sign the student is losing interest in school, struggling with schoolwork, dealing with a bully or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.
It’s important for open communication with teachers and principals so NNDSB can support our students and their families.
NNDSB will support the attendance initiative by sharing resources and information on its social media channels.
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School transportation is provided by Nipissing Parry Sound Student Transportation Services (NPSSTS), not NNDSB. Families can visit www.npssts.ca for information on eligibility, walking distances, processes for making changes, registration for the parent portal and to subscribe to notifications.
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The next meeting of the Board will be held Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and you are welcome to attend in person or join via Zoom. The link can be found at the top of the agenda.
If attending in person, please confirm attendance by contacting Krista Messenger at 705-472-8170 ext. 5028 or krista.messenger@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, Twitter and Instagram.
Sincerely,
Near North District School Board
