Near North District School Board

West Ferris Secondary School students spread kindness to others

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Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021

A small gesture can make all the difference in someone’s day. Recently, students at West Ferris Secondary School created inspirational bookmarks to be placed in books at the North Bay Public Library, all in an effort to spread kindness.

“We didn’t choose to do this for the recognition; we did this because we wanted to spread kindness. We wanted to bring a little happiness to others,” said a collective student group.

In all, 150 bookmarks written in both English and French were created by students as part of World Kindness Day, which was on Nov. 13. The bookmarks will be hidden in books at the public library to be a warm and pleasant surprise for those who open them.

“We’re thankful to the public library for working with us to get the bookmarks out to the public, and hope that the bookmarks brighten someone’s day,” noted Jessica Feick of WFSS’ Library Services department.

Safe Cycling program rolling with funding partnership

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Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021

Safe Cycling program rolling with funding partnership

A class set of bicycles has been purchased for Near North District School Board (NNDSB) students in Grades 7 and 8 to learn more about walking and wheeling to school. The Safe Cycling with NNDSB project is a partnership between the board, the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, Ride Smart and Ontario Provincial Police. It was funded through a grant from Ontario Active School Travel, a program of Green Communities Canada (GCC), a non-profit organization that promotes active school travel, and the Government of Ontario.

The $30,000 grant enabled the purchase of a fleet of bicycles, safety equipment, a portable trailer to store the bikes, and CanBike Level 4 accreditation for all teachers participating in the program.

The program uses the Ride Smart Cycle Education program to prepare students for safe use of bicycles, including which type of bike is safe for a variety of roadways, emergency braking, hand signals and shoulder checks. In addition to learning how to cycle safely, “students learn how active transportation can reduce their carbon footprint”, says Emily Samuel, principal of safe schools for NNDSB.

Safe Cycling with NNDSB was recently launched at the Humphrey Community Centre, where students displayed their cycling knowledge and skills, and where community partners were acknowledged.

In his opening remarks, NNDSB Chair Jay Aspin noted that supporting students to become confident and capable cyclists was an excellent application of experiential learning that supported the board’s commitment to Excellence in Teaching and Learning, one of the pillars of the board’s multi-year strategic plan.

Superintendent Gay Smylie added that, “Walking and wheeling to school supports healthy brain development, which can lead to improved learning and academic outcomes. Research proves that kids who move more aren’t just healthier, they also tend to do better academically, behave better in class and miss fewer days of school.”

The Government of Ontario is providing $1.5 million through March 2022 to GCC to support new active school travel initiatives across the province that will help prepare students for learning and improve safety in school zones. This follows a previous investment of $3.5 million toward 28 active school travel projects benefiting 52 communities across Ontario between 2017-2020.

“In recent decades we have seen a significant decline in rates of walking to school and a marked increase in traffic volumes in school zones,” said Kate Berry, Ontario

Active School Travel program director with GCG. “This initiative is a great opportunity to reverse these trends by expanding on the previous work in the Near North region to rebuild a culture of active school travel. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with and support our local partners to implement this exciting initiative.”

Walking and cycling to school (while maintaining social distancing) are considered safe and healthy activities by public health authorities. Safe Cycling with NNDSB, GCC and its many partners are working to make active transportation the “new normal.” Benefits to active school travel include improved physical and mental health and well-being, increased cognitive function and social development that improves academic performance, safer school zones through traffic calming and reduced congestion, and improved air quality and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

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For more information, please contact:

Deb Bartlett
Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170, extension 5010
E. Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

Mining workshops set students up for future success

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Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021

Several Near North District School Board (NNDSB) Grade 3-5 elementary school classes are digging into a learning opportunity that teaches them about the rocks and minerals beyond the Earth’s surface.

The Canadian Institute of Mining (CIM) Northern Gateway Branch, in partnership with the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) and Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programming, is offering students a unique virtual-synchronized learning opportunity

“This is the second year that NNDSB has partnered with the Mining Matters team to provide this engaging learning opportunity,” said Roy Desjardins, NNDSB’s OYAP Coordinator. “Currently, there are 15 NNDSB elementary schools, with a total of more than 450 students, participating in a Deeper and Deeper: Discovering Rocks and Minerals workshop. The level of support and enthusiasm held by our educators, coupled with the excitement demonstrated by our young learners, showcases how synchronous experiential learning can be brought into the classroom via a virtual platform.”

There are four workshop options for teachers to select from – minerals, rocks, mining, and what on Earth is in your stuff? No matter what workshop is selected, students receive a workshop kit to assist their hands-on learning.

Taking a look at the rocks workshop, students explore the rock cycle, gain an understanding of how each of the three rock groups are formed through a series of demonstrations, discover some of the clues to look for to help determine which of the rock group a rock is from and then use those clues to identify a mystery rock.

Going deep underground to the mining workshop is where we find students exploring the mining cycle, comparing surface and underground mines, discussing the costs and benefits of mining and learning about responsibilities to the environment and communities.

What on Earth is in your stuff is the next workshop stop. Students use maps to examine and locate where rocks, minerals, and metals are found in Canada. Additionally, they learn about everything in our world that isn’t grown or made by using non-renewable resources extracted from the Earth.

In the minerals workshop, students learn the difference between rocks and minerals, conduct tests geologists use to examine the physical characteristics of minerals, use their observations to identify mystery minerals and gain an understanding of how minerals are used in daily life.

Recently, this workshop was presented to a Grade 4-5 class at E.T Carmichael Public School in North Bay.

“It was very fun and we got to explore rocks and minerals,” said Kyler Sargeant. “We also got a book on mining that was fun to learn about. It made a difference in my day, to meet interesting people doing interesting work.”

An excited Nevaeh Einarson said she had fun with the learning and shared some of the things she learned.

“I learned a lot about rocks and minerals. What they are, what they do, how they smell, are they magnetic, and how they feel,” she said.

“It was fun because I was able to do hands-on learning. We got to do tests on the rocks and we learned about rocks and minerals. It was fun to ask questions and we learned that rocks could carry electricity and have magnetic fields,” said classmate Jake Charbonneau.

Teacher Mike Landoni noted the students really enjoyed the experiential learning opportunity.

“The most interesting thing for me was the opportunity to provide students with these individualized kits where they get to do hands-on learning and create some of their own personal connections based on that experience,” he said. “I have a Grade 4-5 split class, so for Grade 4, we’re looking directly at the curriculum in science, developing an understanding of rocks and minerals, and how rocks are formed in various rock types. This Mining Matters workshop played really well into the learning that we did leading up to the workshop. Following this workshop, we’ve generated a nice amount of momentum for that type of learning.”

Landoni added, “Students had some prior knowledge and some experience playing with rocks, for example, just being outdoors in the environment around our neighbourhoods and communities. But for others, I could tell this was the first time they’ve actually thought about that scientific approach. Being able to do it with a hands-on primary experience is a good way for students to have an introduction to or a little taste of this world and maybe that’s something that they would seek out in their own learning journey later on this year or later on in their life.”

Classmate Charlie Hicks enjoyed the workshop. “The exercise was fun because we all had different results based on the mineral examples we were given to investigate,” he said.

Principal of E.T. Carmichael, Jamey Byers, touted the opportunities that students are receiving to expand their knowledge and provide hands-on learning. “Our students are fortunate to have the Mining Matters synchronous experiential learning opportunity delivered right to their classroom. We have a lot of mining industry-related learning opportunities as our students enter their secondary school years, with programs such as SHSM and OYAP. Having our elementary students engage and be aware of the mining industry and the underlying science can bring added awareness and spark their interests in the field.”

 

More NNDSB schools and classes will be participating in these workshops until the end of December. Watch for more photos on NNDSB’s social media accounts.

Convenor grateful for colleagues’ support of OFSAA event

By

Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021

Convenor grateful for colleagues’ support of OFSAA event

Many hands make light work, and Craig Nodwell is grateful for all the hands that have helped him put together this year’s Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association (OFSAA) Boys’ AA volleyball championship.

Nodwell is a teacher-coach at Chippewa Secondary School and the convenor of the championship, being held tomorrow through Saturday in North Bay. COVID-19 caused the cancellation of last year’s championship (which was scheduled for North Bay) and the virus continues to affect day-to-day operations. Near North District School Board (NNDSB) and OFSAA have protocols that must be followed that caused modifications to typical OFSAA championships.

Nodwell says area secondary schools – even those located outside of North Bay – are making some sort of contribution to the championship. The tournament’s home team is Chippewa, but the principal of West Ferris Secondary School offered gyms for games to be held, the principal of F.J. McElligott Secondary School in Mattawa provided two staff members to act as convenors to run two of the gyms, staff at Northern Secondary School in Sturgeon Falls convened the Nipissing District Athletics (NDA) league this year, which provided a direct route to hosting OFSAA and a staff member at Laurentian Learning Centre was released to help with photography and media projects for the championships.

The executive team at NNDSB has been supportive of Nodwell’s efforts, the COVID-19 management team has guided him in the processes to safely run the tournament and some students are getting optional certifications towards their Specialist High Skills Majors.

“There are so many cool, collaborative projects at Near North,” says Nodwell.

Students have missed out on organized sports for almost two years. Nodwell says there are five students on Chippewa’s team who returned for a fifth year at secondary school just to play volleyball and “it meant a lot to finish their athletic careers on the right note (by participating in a provincial tournament).” Despite the challenges caused by COVID-19, as a convenor and coach, Nodwell wants to put on “the best championship we can…I want it to be a show for these student athletes.”

NNDSB’s Director of Education, Craig Myles, says “As a life-long athlete, coach and teacher, I am so encouraged to see the return of sporting competitions. OFSAA is the pinnacle of sports in Ontario secondary schools. My hope is that these opportunities for students will continue to resurface as we navigate through the changing COVID-19 environment.”

The COVID-19 protocols caused the cancellation of the usual banquet, but the committee has created a red-carpet registration night featuring semi-formal attire, swag bags and team photos. Student volunteers are helping out to welcome teams to the city and the school.

The championship will feature team and player introductions, and there will be signage around the facilities to acknowledge the achievement of the visiting teams.

Fans will be absent from the championship because of the protocols of both NNDSB and OFSAA, but games will be streamed. YourTV will broadcast the quarter-final and semi-final games from Chippewa, and Sunday’s championship final at 1 p.m.

Nodwell notes that the stringent protocols are in place to keep everyone safe and following them means that student athletes are able to play and compete.

“The health and safety of our staff and students is paramount,” says Myles, “so I would like to recognize everyone who is going above and beyond to organize these events for students amidst the health and safety considerations, with a special thanks to Craig Nodwell. Best of luck to the athletes!”

Visit OFSAA’s page for more information about the championship, including the schedule.

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For more information, please contact:

Deb Bartlett
Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170, extension 5010
E. Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

Letter to Families: COVID-19-Related Ministry Updates

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Friday, Nov. 19, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Yesterday the Government of Ontario made COVID-19-related announcements that will affect Near North District School Board (NNDSB) students. The two garnering the most attention relate to taking COVID-19 tests over the winter break and the return to regular timetabling in secondary schools in February.

In its efforts to keep schools safe and open for in-person learning, the Ministry of Education will be distributing 11 million rapid antigen screen tests to public school students in advance of the December break. Students will be asked to do five tests over the break in preparation for return to in-person learning. More communication will be sent home closer to the start of the winter break with details of this initiative.

The Ministry also announced that school boards will be permitted to resume regular timetabling of four courses a day beginning in February 2022 because high vaccination rates among youth aged 12-17 have contributed to low COVID-19 cases among secondary school-aged students.

The board just learned of this yesterday, and NNDSB’s executive team is taking the time to understand the entirety of the announcement. We will, as always, work with the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit and the co-terminus boards to determine the best course of action to keep our staff and students safe.

Sincerely,
Near North District School Board

Board Highlights for November Meeting

By

Friday, Nov. 19, 2021

Board Highlights for November Meeting

The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) meeting of Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021.

Board updated on Indigenous Youth Circle

Allen Lewis Trodd, a student at Parry Sound High School, gave Trustees an update on the work of the Indigenous Youth Circle. That group will be meeting to ensure Indigenous student voices are part of the conversation at NNDSB.

Lewis Trodd introduced himself as Anishinaabe and Coast Salish, and said he is involved in the Indigenous Youth Circle because he and his peers “are trying to make school a nice place”.

He said his school provided a safe cultural space, in which students can gather and spend time together, “which makes people happy”. He noted not all schools have space and opportunity for Indigenous students, and the group wants to change that.

Lewis Trodd said he was happy to be at the meeting, and said it was important to have Indigenous voices at the (Board) table. He wrapped up his presentation saying that if you listen, you can learn.

The Indigenous Youth Circle is in the process of determining what the role of Indigenous Student Trustee will look like and how they want to select an Indigenous Student Trustee on the Board.

Revised administrative guidelines presented

The Board received a report about updated administrative guidelines, which are operational protocols that ensure a best practice approach to operations. The public has 30 days in which to provide input.

Three administrative guidelines that have been revised following the 30-day public consultation were shared with Trustees.

Revisions to the Student Conduct Management, Emergency Response Plan and Bear Protocol administrative guidelines were presented.

Board in compliance with elementary class size

In her report to the Board, Superintendent of Business Seija Van Haesendonck confirmed NNDSB is in compliance with the government’s limits on class size.

The board is required to maintain 100 per cent of its primary classes below 23 and 90 per cent of the classes below 20. Board must also maintain a maximum board-wide average class of 23.3 for Grades 4-8.

Highlights of Superintendent Van Haesendonck’s report that 91.5 per cent of primary classes have 20 or fewer students, and that 100 per cent of primary classes have 23 and fewer students. The average junior/intermediate class size is 23.29.

District-wide PSW program launched

In his report to the Board, Director of Education Craig Myles spoke of the launch of the personal support worker (PSW) living classroom program, which has now secured partners in Sturgeon Falls, North Bay, Mattawa and Parry Sound.

The program will see participants 18 and older train to become PSWs in a classroom that is located in a healthcare facility. Rather than having to wait for placement modules to practice theoretical learning, students will be able to move between the theoretical and practical application of knowledge regularly.

Participant intake is taking place, with program registration taking place in January. The program will begin in March 2022.

In addition to becoming a fully-trained PSW, students who have not yet completed their Grade 12 can earn up to six credits towards their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).

Chair Jay Aspin, who also sits on the Board of Directors of Ontario Health, noted the need for PSWs in the province, and called the program “a real winner. I can see nothing but growth and goodwill.”

This collaborative program exemplifies the dedication of the board to align all decisions with the pillars of the Multi-Year Strategic Plan. The PSW program can be situated within the board’s commitment to Excellence in Innovation and Excellence in Relationships.

Environmental working group will be established

Director Myles, via his report to the board, shared that NNDSB’s program department will be establishing an environmental education/environmental stewardship working group during the 2021-2022 school year. The group will be comprised of educators from both elementary and secondary panels, administrators and system leaders.

Staff and students are already participating in several environmental initiatives, including the walking school bus (planned to start soon with Nipissing Parry Sound Student Transportation Services), a whole-school focus on electronic communications as an environmental strategy and recognition for Take Me Outside Day.

NNDSB has also been communicating with Forestry Ontario about a tree-planting initiative in the spring of 2022, in which students in the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Environment programs will mentor students in feeder schools about the benefits of planting trees to improve the environment.

COVID-19 management updates

Superintendent Tim Graves provided Trustees with an update on board management of COVID-19. He acknowledged the work of NNDSB and its collaborative work with the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit (NBPSDHU) and the co-terminus boards, noting no schools in the district have been in an outbreak.

Chair Jay Aspin congratulated Superintendent Graves and his team on the work being done since the return to in-person learning. Despite pressure on the board to allow spectators to attend sports events, Chair Aspin noted NNDSB and the co-terminus boards stuck to their guns about protocols. Chair Aspin said the work done by NNDSB is “putting our students and staff first.”

Director Myles also thanked staff, the senior team, union partners and Trustees for their support of the COVID-19 management strategy. He said NNDSB has seen low numbers of COVID-19 cases “because of our strict adherence to protocols.”

Those protocols also include not permitting community use of schools to ensure to reduce the risk of transmission by reducing the number of people in buildings.

Effective Nov. 10, the Ministry of Education is requiring individuals who are subject to rapid antigen testing requirements must now provide negative test results three times a week (it had been twice weekly). Staff to whom the policy applies have been given a testing schedule and access to additional test kits.

Although new testing approaches were made available to public health units, the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has opted not to implement them, citing low case counts and strong testing measures already in place.

NNDSB is working with Nipissing District Athletics (NDA) to allow spectators at school hockey games. The facilities’ COVID-19 policies and practices will be enforced.

Northern school boards identify challenges

In the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) report to the Board, a research project that detailed unique challenges facing Northern boards was shared.

OPSBA’s Northern Region meeting earlier in November saw the release of a report that identified four priority areas that require greater support from the Ministry of Education – Indigenous education, special education, experiential learning and mental health and well-being. The research, conducted by three Master of Applied Politics students, found that funding and staffing were the two greatest challenges facing the research participants.

The report’s final recommendations were: for the Ministry of Education to consult with Northern Boards and Authorities when determining funding packages, to address unique needs of communities in the North; to implement needs assessment for each Board or Authority to ensure equitable access to services for all students, regardless of where they live; implement flexibility in teaching qualifications for specialized staff in Northern regions, to ensure hiring based on relevant skills.

Marc Morin appointed to audit committee

The Board accepted the recommendation of the Audit Selection Committee and approved of the selection of Marc Morin of Mattawa to fill the external member vacancy on the Board’s audit committee, following a public application process.

Morin is a professor in the School of Business at Canadore College and has supported other boards in a similar audit committee capacity.

His three-year term is effective immediately and will end Nov. 16, 2024.

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Note: the full agenda package is posted on the website prior to meetings, and official minutes are posted after they are approved at the next board meeting.

For more information, please contact:
Deb Bartlett (she/her)
Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170 ext. 5010
E. Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

Board provides update on new JK-12 Parry Sound school

By

Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021

Board provides update on new JK-12 Parry Sound school

With siding being installed this past weekend, the demolition at Parry Sound High School is 95 per cent complete.

The architect, the Ventin Group (+VG Architects), has reserved space for a design feature at the front of the building that will reflect Indigenous culture. In consultation with Trustee Nichole King, the First Nation representative on the Board, it was felt that students ought to have input into this space. Parry Sound High School Principal Dawn Buckland will work with students to ensure their thoughts and ideas are considered and incorporated into the build.

In meetings with the architect, NNDSB learned that the Parry Sound build is not immune from global supply chain challenges and significantly rising costs from the impact of COVID-19 resulting in overages. Administration is fully examining these challenges and results will be shared with stakeholders when the design is finalized.

Community members are invited to learn more via the Parry Sound Build Report page on the board’s website. The page is updated when required in order to answer questions from community stakeholders.

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For more information, please contact:

Deb Bartlett
Communications Officer
Near North District School Board
P. (705) 472-8170, extension 5010
E. Deb.Bartlett@nearnorthschools.ca

 

Letter to Families: COVID-19 updates for Nov. 17

By

Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Near North District School Board (NNDSB) updates you with a monthly Letter to Families. This letter is being sent specifically to share three pieces of information related to COVID-19.

  1. The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit (NBPSDHU) has released a letter to families explaining its decision about optional testing for COVID-19 for students. The health unit has decided not to implement either of the testing strategies due to the low number of cases in the area. Please see the attached PDF for details.
  2. NNDSB will be allowing spectators to Nipissing District Athletics (NDA) hockey games. Spectators must follow the processes in place at arenas, including QR codes, contact tracing and confirmation of self-screening.
  3. There are increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in the districts of Sudbury and Algoma, which is affecting NNDSB students.

NBPSDHU has recommended that teams not travel to or from the areas of Sudbury and Algoma. Until further notice, school teams from those districts will not be allowed to participate in tournaments in the NBPSDHU’s catchment area, nor will local students be able to travel to games and events in Sudbury or Algoma.

It will be the decision of Northern Ontario Secondary Schools Association (NOSSA) and Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) whether to hold the events without teams from all areas, whether to move the event, or to cancel it.

At NNDSB, the restriction on travel in and out of areas with very high COVID-19 includes field trips. This decision, like all others made by the board throughout the pandemic, has been made to protect the health and safety of staff and students.

If you have questions or concerns about the content of this letter, please follow up with your school principal.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
Near North District School Board

Biindigen

Mii gwi Anishinabek wewena nkenmaaminak dependajig maa kiing.
"We acknowledge in a good way, the original people of the land here"
We value the cultures, histories and relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (North America)

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Near North District School Board
963 Airport Road, P.O. Box 3110, North Bay, ON P1B 8H1
[P] 705-472-8170   [TF] 1-800-278-4922   [F] 705-472-9927