Near North District School Board

Busing Information Available for 2018-2019 School Year

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The Nipissing Parry Sound Student Transportation Services website has been updated with busing information for the 2018-2019 school year.  To obtain information on student bus routes and times please log on with the students OEN number under the Student Login tab on the Nipissing Parry Sound Student Transportation Services.  The OEN number can be located on the students report card.

NPSSTS Student Login

NNDSB Issues Statement on Health and Physical Education Curriculum

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The Ontario Government and Ministry of Education recently announced the repeal of the Health and Physical Education curriculum introduced in 2015, reinstating the 20-year-old 1998 curriculum in our classrooms.

Many concerns have been raised province-wide about reverting to a curriculum that does not include information on many issues that our children face in our very changed world of 2018.  The ease with which our children can access information on-line makes it enormously challenging for parents and educators and it is critical that we provide guidance to our children so that they remain safe and informed.

The Near North District School Board would like to add to the collective voice of the Boards respectfully asking that the Ontario Government begin its consultation immediately.  We also believe that the 2015 curriculum needs to be the starting point for this consultation and must remain in place until this process is complete.

With the growing number of public statements from many school boards, other concerned organizations, and members of the public, some contradictory messaging has arisen from the Ministry of Education.  Accordingly, Ontario School Boards are now waiting for clarification with respect to the curriculum content that will be available to teaching staff in September.

Recognizing that our students and teachers will be returning the classroom very shortly, the Near North District School Board will remain committed to:

  • teaching that promotes inclusion and diversity;
  • providing the necessary support for the safety and well-being of our LGBTQ+ community and all students and staff;
  • continuing to educate about gender issues, internet safety, healthy relationships, and informed consent.

Since public consultation was the issue prompting this move, it is important that all public, students, parents and staff questions and concerns are heard by our government.  The Near North District School Board encourages you to please contact your local Member of Provincial Parliament and/or the Minister of Education to share your concerns and thoughts.

Sincerely,

David Thompson
Board Chairperson

Thank You! – 2018 Kindergarten Parent Survey

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Thank you to all the parents and caregivers who participated in the 2018 Kindergarten Parent Survey.

The ten winners of a $50 gift card have been contacted.

The information gathered will assist community organizations and school boards to better tailor community programs and services and reduce barriers to access.

A report to the community will be available in late Fall 2018.

Thank you to all parents and caregivers who participated in the 2018 Kindergarten Parent Survey.

REEL Writers East Hosting Film Festival

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The REEL Writers program is an NNDSB 3-week summer film camp that offers students in grades 5 to 8 engaging, creative and collaborative learning experiences through scriptwriting, photography, and cinematography.

REEL Writers East, which is held at Almaguin Highlands Secondary School this July, is hosting a film festival to showcase their learning and their finished films. The festival will take place on Friday, July 20, 2018 at 10:45 a.m. and will be held at the Burk's Falls Theatre in Burk's Falls. Families are invited to attend the screening of these young director's films.

For more information please contact:
Pamela Marshall Gray
Principal, Evergreen Heights Education Centre
Tel: (705) 636-5955
Email: Pamela.MarshallGray@nearnorthschools.ca
 
 

Local Teacher Earns Award

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​Congratulations to local educator, Laurie Clayton, who has earned the 2018 Schulich School of Education Associate Teacher Award.   

Calle Mady, Associate Dean of the Schulich School of Education, with Laurie ClaytonClayton has been teaching with the Near North District School Board since 2000.  This past school year, she taught grades 5/6 at Silver Birches Elementary School. 

She was nominated by the Nipissing Education student she supervised.  She was selected for the award out of 11 nominations by a committee of professors at Nipissing University.

Clayton’s extensive community work, fundraising efforts, coaching, and other extracurricular organizational activities were cited in her letter of nomination, as was her use of technology and hands-on activities to engage her learners in and outside of the classroom. The letter also stated, “this class was without a doubt the busiest class I have been in, but it was certainly the most rewarding.”
 
“I volunteer as an associate teacher to provide a safe environment for Nipissing students to make mistakes and grow while in return learning from their knowledge, personality and experiences,” said Clayton.

For more information, please contact:

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

Board Approves 2018-2019 Budget

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NNDSB Approves 2018-2019 Budget

The Near North District School Board approved the 2018-2019 Budget at the June 26, 2018 Board Meeting.    Board of Trustees and Senior Administration undertook a rigorous budget process in order to develop the compliant in-year budget with a planned deficit of $482,609.  The planned deficit is a direct result of declining enrollment, full implementation of financial reforms which include elimination of top-up funding for "non-enhanced" facilities, increased costs associated with Workers' Compensation legislation, increased costs associated with escalating absenteeism, increased transportation costs and increased costs associated with electricity and snow removal.

As always, the focus continues to be on protecting the classroom as much as possible and the supports that are provided to our students.  During development of the Budget the NNDSB's Multi-Year Plan Priorities were kept at the forefront of all decisions to ensure continued support to:

  • Ensuring equity;
  • Promoting well-being;
  • Ensure safe and healthy learning environments;
  • Aligning resources to where they are needed, or at a minimum, to maintain existing resources where they are needed to support equitable outcomes for all students.

The 2018-2019 Budget will result in no layoffs and in fact the Board has been able to plan for some staffing enhancements as a result of additional funding provided by the Ministry of Education.

Staff have continued to demonstrate their ability to monitor expenses and identify areas of reductions for recovery purposes as well as to effectively "manage" in-year deficits.

2018 NNDSB Budget Overview

For more information, please contact:

Mairghread Knought
Information/Communication Officer
Near North District School Board
705-472-8170 ext. 5010
mairghread.knought@nearnorthschools.ca

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