KPDSB kicks off 2015-16 with a focus on students, learning and leadership - September Board Meeting

Media Release - September 9, 2015

Trustees met at New Prospect Public School in Dryden on Tuesday, September 8, for the first Board Meeting of the 2015-2016 school year.

The September “Students Come First” presentation titled ‘2015 Kids Come First Video’ was received by Trustees.  Sheena Valley, KPDSB Communications Officer, and Jordan Hinchey, owner of Spot On Creative, spoke to Trustees about the creation of the annual video that is shown to all staff on the first day of school and at all committee meetings.  The video, created to inspire and give a visual representation of our strategic plan and vision statement of ‘Kids Come First’, includes footage from all areas of the board and has become an initiative that staff look forward to each year. Hinchey spoke of the job fondly, indicating that it’s a project he looks forward to and commended our staff for the work he sees in our buildings “You should all be very proud.  None of what I see or record is a show or put on, it’s the real work that is happening in your classrooms.  You have amazing staff doing amazing things and I’m very grateful to be able to help you tell your story.”

Sean Monteith, Director of Education, added “This video is truly a representation of who we are as an organization and underscores our three areas of focus: kids, learning and leading.” 

Scott Urquhart, Student Success Lead, and Kieran McMonagle, Dryden High School (DHS) Graduation Coach, presented the First Nation, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) Grad Coach Report.  The graduation coach model is a new initiative that began in June 2014 under the title of Four Directions Program.  Currently, there are approximately 15 FNMI graduation coaches across Canada, with the only two in Ontario working in KPDSB schools (Dryden High School and Beaver Brae Secondary School in Kenora – new for the 2015-2016 school year).  The work of graduation coaches is vast and includes building meaningful relationships with the students and their families, transition activities for FNMI students preparing to enter high school, participating and being visible at community events, academic and pathways support, and ensuring students know they have a caring adult to talk to throughout the day. 

The goal of the Four Directions Program is to increase credit accumulation and mark distribution for FNMI Grade 9 students.  That goal has been achieved in the first year with nearly 80% of DHS Grade 9 FNMI students achieving eight or more credits (only 3% below non-Aboriginal students in the same cohort) for the 2014-2015 school year, a stark difference from previous school years where approximately 55-60% of Grade 9 FNMI students achieved eight credits.  We also saw significant improvements in mark distribution for those students and are proud to acknowledge that no students were disconnected from the school over the year.  With enthusiastic support from the Student Achievement Division of the Ministry of Education, we will continue to grow these programs in Dryden and Kenora and hope to expand the program to Queen Elizabeth District High School in Sioux Lookout in the future.

Susanne Bastable, School Effectiveness Lead, and Heather Gardner, Aboriginal Family Case Worker, presented the Open Roads Public School Aboriginal Family Case Worker Report.  The position at Open Roads, which began in January 2015, is a new and exciting initiative that works to support FNMI students in many different ways, including creating and fostering strong relationships with students and their families, building a sense of belonging at the school, encouraging and facilitating participation in community events, celebrating student achievement and successes with families, and acting as a liaison between home, school and other community supports.  Gardner spoke of the work she is doing at the school passionately, sharing challenges some of the FNMI students at Open Roads face, and how those needs have to be addressed before children can expect to be able to focus on their learning. From providing nutritional meals for students, to supporting their families in making connections with community supports, the work of Gardner and the school staff is having a positive impact on the lives of FNMI students and their families.

Dean Carrie, Superintendent of Business, presented the Sioux Lookout High School update.  Work continues on plans for the new school to ensure the building will meet the needs of our students and staff once completed.  Trustees heard that soil samples from the future site of the new school have come back and plans for preparation for foundation work are currently being discussed with the Ministry of Education.  We will continue to share updates on the progress of the new school as they become available.

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Welcome Back Note from Director of Education, Sean Monteith

Writing a welcome back message to all of our students, their families, and staff and community partners, including our First Nations partners, comes this year with a feeling of mixed emotions. It seems like it was just a couple of days ago, that many of us were attending high school and public school graduations. “Where did the summer go?!” many will ask themselves, and I include myself in that camp. Regardless of where it went, on behalf of the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board I hope that it brought you and your families the very best that only a  Northwestern Ontario summer truly can provide!

September is here, and with it the change in leaves, cooler nights and sun filled days; September also means school is here and I welcome all of our students, staff and families back to our schools! There is a feeling in the air of excitement, enthusiasm, renewed energy and thoughts of the year ahead with all of the promise and hope that Public Education can bring….education truly is the great leveler of the field. As Mandela said years ago, “It is only through education that a son or daughter of a miner or laborer, can become the leader of a great country.” Mandela is right, regardless of where you live, what you do, what background or culture you represent and are proud of…you can become anything you want to be, and public education is the vehicle that will take you there! Of course, hard work and a commitment to accepting only the best for our students is also helpful, but that is where the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board comes in; we will support each and every student at achieving their best. We have the greatest teachers in this province leading by example, setting the highest of expectations and working in world class facilities and learning environments! We are ready to welcome all students and families back to school!

As I conclude my thoughts as the Director of Education, it would be remiss to not acknowledge that there remain challenges in our sector. There remain uncertainties and potential road bumps ahead; my message to all of you is that whatever the challenge or obstacle, we will overcome it and persevere; it absolutely is a trait of Northerners. With this in mind, I also want to take the opportunity to extend best wishes to all in the region for a successful year ahead, and specifically to the students, families and staff of the Kenora Catholic District School Board, Northwest Catholic District School Board and CSDC des Aurores boréales. May we work together in a spirit of cooperation that supports all students in the name of public education, and as always, put their needs first!

Best Wishes for 2015-2016!

Sean Monteith

Director of Education

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Red Lake Road Run - September 27, 2015

The Red Lake Road Run is a fundraiser for the Red Lake District High School athletics program.  This year, the run will take place on Sunday, September 27th and is the school's fifth annual event!

To register for the event, or for more information, please visit the Red Lake Road Run event site by clicking here.

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New Hockey Canada Skills Academies in Dryden, Kenora and Sioux Lookout!

We are pleased to offer a variety of Hockey Canada accredited Hockey Skills Academies to families in the Northwest. 

The Hockey Canada Skills Academies are a complete program that includes academics, hockey skills, off-ice strength and conditioning, mental training, and personal and team development. They are great programs for those students wanting to enhance their current skill set and also provide an opportunity to introduce the game to students new to hockey who want to play for the first time.

Please click on an area below for more information on the Hockey Canada Skills Academy in your area.

• Dryden/Vermilion Bay
• Kenora
• Sioux Lookout 

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June Board Meeting Highlights

Media Release - June 10, 2015

Trustees met at King George VI Public School on Tuesday, June 9, for the final Board Meeting of the 2014-2015 school year.

The May “Students Come First” presentation titled ‘Parents at Secondary School – Beaver Brae Secondary School’ was received by Trustees.  The Parents at Secondary School (PASS) program is offered at several of our secondary schools, including Beaver Brae in Kenora.  The program allows young parents to work towards their secondary school diploma in a supportive and caring environment where they can complete their credits while caring for their children.  With a focus on life skills as well as academics, students in the program learn about cooking and making healthy choices for them and their children, resources in the community that young families can reach out to for any support they may need outside of the school, and the importance of connecting with other parents who understand the challenges they face.

PASS program students shared their stories with Trustees and often talked about how the program has inspired them to not only complete their high school requirements, but also to look forward to the future and accomplishing the goals they have set for themselves while in the program.  Trustees heard from all of the young parents that they believed they would not be where they are today if it wasn’t for the PASS Program and the support of their teacher, Sherry King, and administration and staff of Beaver Brae Secondary School.  The students all agreed that the program has changed their lives, and that of their children, by helping them to become better moms, and they were extremely grateful for the support we have been able to offer to them.

The Transitions North year-end report was received by Trustees. Principal of Keewatin Public School, Heather Mutch, and Transitions North classroom staff, Mike Dean (teacher) and Nicole Downey (Education Assistant), shared the work that has been happening in their program.  The Transitions North classroom at Keewatin Public School is one of three programs in our Board, with one in Sioux Lookout at Sioux Mountain Public School, and another in Dryden at Open Roads Public School.  The programs are the first in their kind in Ontario schools and were created in partnership with Dr. Gideon Koren of Toronto Sick Kids Hospital and MotherRisk to support students with FASD.

The Transitions North programs have been extremely successful in supporting our students with FASD with staff from all three programs indicating the program is changing lives for many of their students.  With small class sizes, a focus on self-regulation, sensory sensitive classrooms and direct intervention, the students are receiving the support they need from our caring and dedicated staff.  Students in the program learn at their own pace and each student receives unique support that is tailored to their individual needs.  The overall goal of the program is to integrate students back into the regular classroom by providing students with coping skills they can use to ease the transition.

Sean Monteith, Director of Education, presented the Employee Recognition report as per Policy 703 – Recognition of Employees.  As the 2014-2015 school year comes to an end , it’s important to acknowledge the work of all of our employees over the past school year but we are also proud to acknowledge the dedicated service of those who are retiring and celebrating 25 years of employment with us.  This year, we are publically recognizing those staff who all together, have over 1300 years of service to public education and children in the Northwest.  Below is a list of our retirees and 25 year honourees.

Retirements                                                                   25 Year Service

Ariano, Dale                                                                    Carlson, Kim                     

Armstrong, Sandra                                                        Kimberley Douglas

Benson, Lee Ann                                                          Dufault, Karen

Bergman, Lynn                                                              Dufresne, Chona

Bruetsch, Clinton                                                           Dzwonyk, Pazia

Brechtefeld, Lorraine                                                    Farrell, Laura

Comhaire, Angela                                                         Favreau, Jim

Cornish, Diana                                                               Fretz, Keith

Duffield, Marilyn                                                            Hill, Rick

Estabrooks, Gloria                                                         Kovel, Deanna

Frenette, Lindsay                                                           Kuznak, Gwen

Galeotafiore, Louie                                                        Lambert, Theresa

Gramatowski, Barbara                                                   Lampi, Carla

Hager, Janet                                                                   Magel, Betty Ann

Hill, Rick                                                                          Marion, Kathleen

Kummen, Madelon                                                        O’Hearn, Rosemary

Lambrechts, Valerie                                                      Ponton, Randy

Lindsay, Mary                                                                 Prosken, Loretta

MacMillan, Doreen                                                        Snyder, Debi

Murray, Carol                                                                  St. Hilaire, Shelley

O'Grady, Susan                                                              Stemkens, Jennifer

Peloquin, Karen                                                             Urquhart, Michelle

Pronger, Cheryl                                                              Wilcox, Richard

Salo, Pauline                                                                  Zabloski, Sherri

Shedden, Paula

Skora, Johanne

Skrupski, Barb

Skye, Leonard

Wilcox, Richard  

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