Near North District School Board

NNDSB MOVING AHEAD WITH 3:2 CONSOLIDATION AND NEW PROGRAMMING

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December 5, 2019 – Near North District School Board (NNDSB) Trustees were provided with an update on the North Secondary School 3:2 Consolidation at a Special Committee of the Whole Meeting on December 3, 2019.   Senior Administration and school staff continue to work on the implementation of the 3:2 school consolidation through the ongoing review of budgets and workplans.    

Trustees discussed options for programming at West Ferris Secondary School and Chippewa Secondary School for the 2020/2021 school year.  In addition to existing programs the NNDSB will be offering a new Near North Sports Program at West Ferris Secondary School.  Senior Administration confirmed their ongoing commitment to ensuring that all specialized programs are equitable and available to all students.   

“The Board of Trustees is committed to making decisions that are in the best interests of our students and communities.  While the decision to close a school is a difficult one, moving forward we will be able to continue providing quality programs and supports for our students.”  Jay Aspin, Chair 

For more information, please contact: 

Mairghread Knought 
Information/Communications Officer 
Near North District School Board 
Tel:  705-472-8170 ext. 5010 
Email: Mairghread.Knought@nearnorthschools.ca 

NNDSB Re-Elect Chair and Vice-Chair

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December 4, 2019 – Last evening at the Annual Organizational Meeting of the Near North District School Board (NNDSB), Trustee Jay Aspin was re-elected as Chair and Trustee John Cochrane was acclaimed as Vice-Chair.   

 Chair Aspin expressed his gratitude to fellow Trustees for the significant  time and effort that has been spent working together over the past year to move forward a number of Board initiatives.   In addition to the decision to proceed with the closure of Widdifield, the Board of Trustees have begun moving forward with a new Multi-Year Plan, a review of the organizational structure, and recruitment of a new Director of Education. 

 Vice-Chair John Cochrane is confident in the commitment of his fellow Trustees and is hopeful  that the Board will be  successful in moving the Parry Sound project forward. 

 “We have turned the corner – We are entering our 2nd year of significant reformation towards regaining the public trust and reputation of the Near North District School Board.  While, there is a significant amount of work to be completed, this Board of Trustees have proven their ability to move forward and make informed decisions based on the best interests of our students and communities. ” Jay Aspin, Chair 

 For more information, please contact: 

Mairghread Knought 
Information/Communication Officer 
Near North District School Board 
(705) 472-8170, extension 5010
Mairghread.Knought@nearnorthschools.ca

Ministry of Education Special Advisors Holding Public Meetings

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NORTH BAY MEETING RESCHEDULED

The Ministry Advisor North Bay Public Meeting has been rescheduled as follows:

North Bay:

Date:                     Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Time:                     7 pm- 9 pm

Location:              Chippewa Secondary School Auditorium,  539 Chippewa St., North Bay, ON.

The Near North District School Board is committed to enhancing its service to students, parents and stakeholders within its jurisdiction.  That commitment led the Board to request special support from the Minister of Education.  The Ministry of Education has agreed to the request and assigned two Special Advisors to work with the Near North District School Board.

The Special Advisors’ mandate is to provide the Minister of Education with advice and recommendations about how the Near North District School Board can improve its governance, human resources practices and financial accountability role to support and improve public confidence in the board and in Ontario’s publicly funded education system.

A Parent/Community Survey was completed during Mid-October and the results have been collated.  The Special Advisors would like to share the results of the survey with the broader public.  They would also like to solicit your best thinking with respect to potential solutions/recommendations for consideration.

With that in mind there will be public meetings as follows:

Parry Sound:

Date:                     Thursday Nov 28, 2019

Time:                     7 pm- 9 pm

Location:              Parry Sound High School Cafeteria, 111 Isabella Street, Parry Sound, ON.

For additional information please contact the Information/Communication Officer Mairghread Knought at: (705) 472-8170 ext. 5010 or  Mairghread.Knought@nearnorthschools.ca

 

Orange Shirt Day

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We will be observing Orange Shirt Day on Friday September 27th this year as September 30th is a PD Day

Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come. As part of the new mandatory curriculum that includes the teaching and learning of Residential Schools, we are encouraging schools to support and participate in this National campaign.

Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake, BC. It grew out of Phyllis’ story of having her new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the Mission, and it has become an opportunity to keep the discussion on all aspects of residential schools happening annually.
For more information: http://www.orangeshirtday.org/

Remember to Verify Bussing Before School Starts

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Over the past several months, NPSSTS staff have been planning student transportation for the 2019-2020 school year on behalf of over 11,000 eligible students in the Nipissing and Parry Sound Districts.  The NPSSTS is planning to release route information tentatively on August 12th 2019 through our website.  Parents and students will then be able to access the transportation details including pick up and drop off times and locations.

To best ensure the safety and security of students, it is mandatory that they appear on the Route Manifest.  Those who do not appear on the manifest will not be permitted onto the bus.

It is imperative that parents verify their child’s bussing details to ensure that they are included on the route manifest on that very special day; the first day of school.

Parents are reminded to go to www.npssts.ca beginning August 12th 2019 to ensure that their child’s transportation details are accurate and contact their respective School Board Office or the NPSSTS should there be any issues.

NNDSB to Hold Public Meeting and Re-Vote on Secondary School Consolidation

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August 14, 2019 – The Near North District School Board has begun implementing the recommendations contained in the Ombudsman’s Final Report.  In addition to a number of recommendations for improved process and governance, the following recommendation was identified with respect to the Secondary School Consolidation:  

“The Near North District School Board should prepare a new final staff report that explains the additional information received in the summer of 2017 and that was discussed in private in September 2017. It should present the report to trustees as part of a public meeting, afford community members an opportunity to comment on it, and then take a new vote on the secondary school consolidation.” 

 The new final staff report and attached documentation will be presented to the Board of Trustees at a Special Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, August 19, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.  Following this meeting the report and attached documentation will be posted to the NNDSB website in order to provide the public with an opportunity to review and provide comments.  Any received comments will be compiled and presented to the Board of Trustees at the September 10, 2019 Committee of the Whole beginning at 6:00 p.m.  Parties who wish to speak to the secondary school consolidation will need to register with the Board Office by 12:00 p.m. on Friday, September 6, 2019. 

 The Board of Trustees will re-vote on the secondary school consolidation at the September 24, 2019 Regular Board Meeting beginning at 6:00 p.m. 

 For more information, please contact:  

Mairghread Knought  
Information/Communication Officer  
Near North District School Board  
(705) 472-8170, extension 5010 
 Mairghread.Knought@nearnorthschools.ca  

Northern Secondary School New Logo

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 June 24, 2019 –  The Northern Secondary School  NNDSB ‘Logo’ committee is pleased to share the new school logo of “The Stars”.  “The Stars,” which appears in the middle of our logo represents the idea that we can all be stars, all be shining lights in the night, that we can reach for the stars to achieve our maximum potential. We are stars who will light the paths of others and fuel the imaginations of those who seek inspiration.

Both staff and students are extremely grateful to the members of the committee for their hard work and dedication to this project.   The process of choosing a new name and logo took place over two y

ears, with a consultation process that has included students, staff, and community and alumni partners.  Brandon Harvey, a graduating student, designed what we now call “The Stars” which consists of our school colours of red and silver and the spirit of our new name and school.

Stars are always a welcome sight in the sky, shining bright. That is how we all see our future here at Northern Secondary, bright, inspirational, and welcoming! It’s our time to shine, GO STARS!

For more information, please contact:

Laurent Paquette
Principal
Northern Secondary School
(705)-472-5322
Laurent.Paquette@nearnorthschools.ca

NNDSB “REEL” Writers Film Camp

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We are pleased to share that the Near North School Board will once again be offering an exciting summer learning opportunity to grade 5, 6, 7, and 8 students – The ‘Reel’ Writers Film Camp!

The program is intended to serve students who may benefit from engaging, creative and collaborative learning experiences – developing the skills and literacies to support their future success! A team of camp instructors, lead by an experienced Ontario Certified Teacher will teach each program. Activities will enable students to explore ideas of interest as they develop new communication skills through reading, writing and media arts. A fun camp-like environment will help to foster a community of learners, increase levels of student engagement, and improve student efficacy.

Through the lens of ‘film maker’, students will develop literacy skills – generating, organizing and communicating their ideas for an intended purpose and audience.

  • Activities are social and collaborative, developing skills to support future academic and life success.
  • Participants will generate their own ideas and themes for learning.
  • Students will bring their ideas to life through writing, fine art, photography and video.
  • Camp activities run from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. each day from July 2nd – 19th.

Registration is now open to Grade 5-8 Students in the North, East and West regions.

Please follow the below to obtain more information and register:

https://www.nearnorthschools.ca/reel-writers/

NNDSB Power Learning Camps

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Summer Learning Program

The Near North District School Board is pleased to offer a FREE, 3-week, engaging POWER LEARNING CAMP – July 2nd to July 19th 2019, hosted in all three regions of our district. This camp is being offered to current grades 1-3 students who may benefit from joyful, focused literacy and mathematics instruction.

This Power Learning Camp will focus on the development of reading, writing and math skills, in small group settings, through engaging experiences of the children’s interests. A team of camp instructors lead by an experienced Ontario Certified Teacher will teach each program. A minimum of 15 students is required to run the program. The involvement of parents is critical to the success of the program.

Ongoing communication will inform you about learning experiences and offer extensions of literacy and numeracy learning for you to enjoy with your child at home. Families are responsible for transportation to and from the program site and will be required to commit to regular attendance in order to ensure learning success. More information about the benefits of this Ministry of Education sponsored program will be shared at the start of the camp.

Registration is now open. Please return completed registration forms to your child’s school (office). Please note that registration will be confirmed by June 7th, 2019 (email or phone call) by a NNDSB Power Learning Camp staff member.

DOWNLOAD: NNDSB-POWER LEARNING Invitation and Registration-2019

For more information please contact:

Krista Holmes
Email: krista.holmes@nearnorthschools.ca
Phone: 705-472-8170 Ext. 7003

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)

Connect With Us

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