�㽶ֱ�� Featured – Page 34 – Near North District School Board

January Letter to Families

January 7, 2022 By Deb

Friday, Jan. 7, 2022

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This monthly Letter to Families is intended to keep you apprised of news that affects all students and families of Near North District School Board (�㽶ֱ��). The Letter to Families is distributed on the first Friday of the month.

In May 2021, we shared the decision that �㽶ֱ�� was continuing with the octomester model for the 2021-2022 school year based on direction from the Ministry of Education and local public health units. After consultation with students, families and staff, we are pleased to share with you that �㽶ֱ�� is planning for a transition to the quadmester model on Jan. 31, 2022.

Recently the board retained Nanos Research to conduct a survey and gather feedback from stakeholders in �㽶ֱ�� on their experiences with the secondary octomester timetabling format should �㽶ֱ�� not be able to return to a traditional semester timetable. The results of the surveys are available for viewing here: parent and student. According to feedback from students and families, most would prefer a quadmester model for the second half of the school year.

Since we are unable to return to the semester model due to the current instability of COVID-19, we will move to quadmesters. The quadmester model will see students take two courses a day – one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. This decision was made in consultation with public health and our own research.

�㽶ֱ�� appreciates the time that students and families gave to respond to the survey. The feedback is important to the board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan pillars of excellence in communication and excellence in relationships.

Students and families can expect further communication from their school on timetables and school-specific details.

�㽶ֱ�� continues to place a high priority on supporting our students’ mental health during this latest period of remote learning.��The board’s mental health team is reaching out to the students/parents that they are currently supporting to provide check-ins and make arrangements for continuity of services.

Our educators also have several mental health resources at their disposal and will be sensitive to the mental health needs of their students during on-line learning.��The mental health team continues to accept new referrals for students who are seeking support during remote learning.��Please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher or principal/vice-principal if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s mental health.

There are many other resources and tools for parents and caregivers which can be accessed on the SMHO website��.

Kids Help Phone offers 24/7 counselling and referral services across the province. Students can call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.

Secondary schools are holding their information nights virtually, and families are invited to attend to learn more about �㽶ֱ�� schools and their programs.

More information about the six secondary schools, with links to their open house meetings, can be found here.

Every year, the four local school boards collaborate to establish a school-year calendar which aims to promote student learning, success and well-being, and to minimize the impact on the schedule of their families, staff and members of the school community, all while respecting Ministry of Education standards.

The school-year calendar must consist of 194 compulsory teaching days, a maximum of seven (7) professional development days (pedagogical days) and a maximum of ten (10) exam days for secondary schools.

The coterminous board teams have carefully selected professional development opportunities for staff which align with Ministry of Education priorities, the proposed 2022-2023 school year calendar will include seven (7) professional activity days.

Although the number of school days available between Sept. 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023 are limited, we can offer our school communities a few options. We will invite you to indicate your preferences in the school-year calendar survey that will be open from the middle of January for 10 days. You will be sent the link via school messenger, and it will also be available on the board website.

Preferences and comments received will be taken into consideration in developing the final version of the 2022-2023 school-year calendar.��Trustees from every school board will adopt the recommended 2022-2023 school year calendar prior to submitting it to the Ministry of Education for approval by March 1, 2022.

We look forward to your participation and collaboration in the upcoming school-year calendar survey.

�㽶ֱ�� follows the direction of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the public health unit when devising COVID-19 plans.

Thank you,

Near North District School Board

Letter to Families – preparing for the move to virtual education

January 5, 2022 By Deb

Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Monday’s letter advised families of the move to online learning, effective tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 6. This letter is to keep you up-to-date about Near North District School Board (�㽶ֱ��) plans and procedures as we ready staff and students for the move to virtual learning.

In addition to the monthly Letter to Families that will be sent out Friday, Jan. 7, �㽶ֱ�� will continue to send COVID-19- and remote learning-related update letters to families as new information arrives.

Students in special education classrooms as identified through the Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) process will be able to resume in-person programming in their schools on Monday, Jan. 10. Staff will be contacting families whose students will be able to attend in-person. Transportation will be arranged. If your child qualifies for in-person programming and you have questions, contact your child’s school.

Childcare and school-aged Early Years programs are permitted to provide emergency childcare for children of healthcare and other eligible front-line workers during the period of virtual learning. Early ON Child and Family Centre programs will not be operating in schools during this time.

The following is a list of school sites where programs will be operating:

North Bay and area: YMCA of Northeastern Ontario is operating childcare at Woodland and will begin their school-aged program (in the school) on Monday, Jan. 10. Hours will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; West Ferris Day Nursery will operate their childcares (they are currently not operating any of their school aged programs) from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at West Ferris, Silver Birches and Ferris Glen; West Nipissing Childcare will operate a school-aged program at 131 Michaud St. in Sturgeon Falls, serving students from White Woods; St. Theresa’s in Callander will open, with a program operated by the North Bay YMCA.

Almaguin area: Mapleridge and Sundridge Centennial, operated by the District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board, will open sites to accommodate 15 students per location from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Parry Sound area: YMCA of Simcoe Muskoka will operate a school-aged program at Parry Sound Public School from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Parry Sound YMCA will run a school-aged program as well.

Supporting a smooth transition to remote learning:

To ensure a smooth transition to remote learning, we ask Near North families to review and consider��the following��information:

Families that need the use of board-provided technology to access remote learning are asked to complete the��to communicate technology needs. Families that have devices for their students are not required to complete the survey.
Inform the school if there have been changes to your email, phone number or other contact information. This information is critical to support ongoing school/family communication during times of remote learning.��Reach out to your child’s school if communication is not being received.
Visit the��Near North Passport to Learning webpage��to access a variety of resources and helpful links to support remote learning including technical support, information about virtual learning platforms, and instructional resources.
Review the��Tips for Remote Learning��document to learn about best practices for remote learning.
Contact the family help desk number if you are unable to login to your �㽶ֱ�� parent or student account: 705-472-5169 (North Bay), 705-773-7975 (Parry Sound).
In addition to using the online��Microsoft��Office products available to students through Office 365, all �㽶ֱ�� students are provided with five licenses to download the most recent Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote).��Click here��to learn how to install these applications.
��and��are ministry-partnered sites that��provide supports for students learning remotely by accessing additional educational resources developed by Ontario-certified teachers.

Minimum requirements for engaging students during remote learning:

During remote learning periods, students and parents will be provided with a daily schedule or timetable that includes 300 minutes of learning opportunities, with a combination of synchronous (all students and teacher learning remotely but together in real time) and asynchronous (learning on one’s own schedule) learning activities. Programming will be based on the full Ontario curriculum and include opportunities for guided instruction, large and small-group learning, synchronous check-ins, and asynchronous independent work.

Teachers will��be available to students at all times��during the teachers’ assigned teaching timetables, as they would be if they were face-to-face in a classroom setting.��Educators will continue to use their professional judgement to provide flexibility to students on an individual basis��when students are unable to participate in synchronous learning.

Process for Exemption from “Synchronous” Learning:

To ensure equitable access to learning,��, requires school boards to allow students to be exempted from the minimum requirements for��synchronous learning��–��for example, this may be because of poor internet connectivity or family scheduling, etc.��In accordance with PPM 164, Near North District School Board has created an online��to facilitate synchronous learning exemption requests.

Please note, students who have completed a synchronous learning exemption form will be provided with ‘asynchronous’ learning opportunities in accordance with the 300-minute instructional day.��Furthermore, daily attendance is still required��(daily contact with their educator).��Assessment, evaluation and reporting continues to apply to all students who have been exempted��from the minimum requirements of synchronous (live, interactive) learning. Students will be expected to complete and submit assignments and will receive feedback from educators.

Please continue to visit the��Near North District School Board website��to access��the��most up-to-date��information.��Additional remote learning links and information can also��be found��here.

The board’s website has a COVID-19 alerts page where families will find �㽶ֱ��’s operational guidelines, the updated and links to Ministry of Health and the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit information.

�㽶ֱ�� follows the direction of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the public health unit when devising COVID-19 plans.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board

Letter to Families – move to virtual education

January 3, 2022 By Deb

Monday, Jan. 3, 2022

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The team at Near North District School Board (�㽶ֱ��) hopes you and your families had an enjoyable, and restful winter break. It is vital that we all take the time to rest and recharge.

This morning, Premier Doug Ford announced that students in Ontario will return from the winter break virtually, rather than in-person for at least two weeks. In order to accommodate this, �㽶ֱ�� staff will be working Wednesday, Jan. 5 as a turnaround day to prepare students and families for a remote return to class on Thursday, Jan. 6. Students will not have class or assignments to do on Wednesday.

Students in special education classrooms as identified through the IPRC process and who are currently placed in alternative programs in system classrooms will be able to resume to access face-to-face programming in their schools next week. Educators will reach out to the families of these students on Wednesday to discuss the next steps for learning and to make the necessary arrangements.

Families that need the use of board-provided technology to access remote learning are asked to complete the��to communicate technology needs. Families that have devices for their students are not required to complete the survey.

In preparation for at-home learning, additional resources can be found via this link.

As always, any important news will be shared with stakeholder groups, including families, by letter. The board’s website is also updated, with pandemic news located on the COVID-19 alerts page. News is also posted to the board’s and accounts.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board

Letter to Families – government announcements

December 31, 2021 By Deb

Friday, Dec. 31, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Yesterday, the province made several COVID-19-related announcements.

�㽶ֱ�� staff are looking into the announcements and making plans for a safe return to school. As always, the board will send out relevant information as it becomes available.

The province’s has been updated; please make sure you are using the most recent version. The tool, and other COVID-19 information is curated on the COVID-19 page of the board’s website.

All are reminded that when returning to school all safety protocols – masking, hand washing, social distancing, etc. – remain in effect.

We hope that you have an enjoyable weekend.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board

Check us out! �㽶ֱ�� secondary schools hosting open houses

December 16, 2021 By Josh

To help families make an informed decision when choosing what secondary school to attend, Near North District School Board (�㽶ֱ��) schools will host open houses and information sessions for parents/guardians and students at its six secondary schools.

Open houses are an opportunity for potential students and parents/guardians to tour the schools, learn about programs, meet staff and ask questions.

If you have questions about a specific school or open house, please contact the school directly for more information.

Mapleridge Public School students create human chain to help local food bank

December 16, 2021 By Josh

Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021

An annual tradition continues at Mapleridge Public School in Powassan. Now in its 18th year, the Jingle All the Way campaign sees the entire school community pull together to garner food and monetary donations for the Powassan and District Food Bank.

Students from JK-8 bring in donations for three weeks leading up to the big donation day. While under strict COVID-19 protocols, the human chain returned on Dec. 10. Students remained in their cohorts all while masked bringing the collected donations down to 250 Clark, which houses the food bank.

More than 250 students formed the human chain, and the annual passing of donations from one person to the next began until the items ended in the hands of a food bank volunteer to place in a box to be brought inside the food bank.

Grade 8 student Jane Piper who has been a part of this event for 10 years, noted she has always had a strong desire to give back to those in the community.

“Giving back has always been something that I've wanted to do,” she said. “Ensuring that everybody has something is important to me. If I just have a house and food, that's all I need, so I could donate a lot of stuff to people or if somebody needs help with something, I can do that.”

Piper noted you don’t need to donate a large sum of money to make a big impact.

As the chain of students passed each non-perishable donation up to volunteers at the food bank, Diane Cole, assistant coordinator for the Powassan and District Food Bank was moved by the act of giving.

“This shows what a giving community we live in and our children are taught early on what it is to help the community. I think acts like this show why we have such giving adults and children,” she said.

Principal of Mapleridge Public School, Alison Clarke, said it’s important to teach students from an early age what it means to be a part of a community.

“We're teaching children about the importance of giving and the human chain is a nice hands-on idea. For some, it can be an abstract concept, if they know they're just bringing food into the school, but then they don't really know what's happening after that,” she said. “Some students, we hear them say, ‘we're going to have a big feast?’ and so it allows for a learning opportunity to say no, it’s going to the food bank for community members to access.”

Clarke noted this allows for a conversation about sharing with those who may not have as much.

Grade 8 student Vienna Driscoll explained that any donation, no matter how big or small is important. “Even if it's just a small donation, it's still helping someone. It's not difficult to give and help other people.”

This campaign comes full circle. Before becoming the Powassan and District Food Bank, 250 Clark was the Powassan Junior Public School, the school where the Jingle All the Way campaign began. Following the merger of the two Powassan schools, the annual tradition continued at Mapleridge Public School.

“When you do something for a number of years, sometimes they lose their momentum, or they get stale, or they lack the support, but this event is still going strong. I anticipate this will continue to go on for many, many more years, which is a testament to how important it is to our school and the larger community of Powassan,” exclaimed Clarke.

More than 700 items and $700 was collected during this year’s campaign, which Cole noted will keep the food bank going well into February.

“We really appreciate all the children doing this and I think it shows such great community support,” said Cole. “We're bringing our children up properly to let them know that there are less fortunate people in the world and they need help and not to look down on them.”

As Piper reflected on her final Jingle All the Way event, she noted how great it has been to see the school community pull together all these years.

“I remember when I was younger, you'd always look forward to being with the big kids, too. You get to see everybody, do something outside of school, and do something for the community,” she noted. “It's nice to have everybody all together as a school doing something nice for the community and working together.”

This event is just one of many events that Mapleridge Public School students participate in for the community.

“It’s something we can all do together as a school to give back to our community,” said Driscoll. “It feels good to help and contribute towards that.”

Writing task results in a sweet deal for Sunset Park Public School students

December 14, 2021 By Josh

Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021

During the month of October, Mme. Anna Pearson’s Grade 6 French Immersion students at Sunset Park Public School in North Bay learned about different forms of persuasive writing and advertising techniques.

For their writing task, students created a special doughnut to feature as doughnut of the month. After consulting with local bakery Good Glaze Doughnuts, the company generously agreed to feature the students’ top three choices at their bakery.

“This project was really fun. I didn’t think that my doughnut was going to make it to the store. I was happy and proud of myself when I found it did,” exclaimed Alex Villneff.

Some of the student creations included apple explosion, the bear paw print, and marshmallow explosion.

On Friday, Nov. 5 and Saturday, Nov. 6, three doughnut creations were ‘brought to life’ as the three choices were baked and sold at the Main Street West bakery. The students thoroughly enjoyed seeing their sweet treat available for others to enjoy.

Unsurprisingly, the three featured doughnuts sold out both days and the students were extremely proud of their work.

“I thought it was fun because the whole designing part and thinking about what it would taste like it. The idea of it coming to life was exciting for me,” said Maya Allaire.

Fellow classmate, Anna-Leigh Harrison echoed their enjoyment of the project, “I liked it because of the drawing part. I could show exactly how I wanted it to look and taste! I’m super excited that they’re going to feature it again in January.”

In addition to learning about persuasive writing and advertising techniques, students were able to make connections in the community and the assignment encouraged them to think about how they can build relationships in their local communities, in addition to supporting local businesses.

“This was such an awesome experience for my students. It brought together academics, curriculum and citizenship education where my students participated with and in our local community,” said Mme. Pearson. “I am delighted that the staff at Good Glaze Doughnuts were so supportive of my students and this amazing learning opportunity for them.”

And it wouldn’t be a complete lesson without a sweet treat! The students enjoyed a sweet treat where they enjoyed one of Anna’s Marshmallow Explosion doughnuts. This doughnut was one of three featured by Good Glaze Doughnuts and will be featured again on their menu in January.

Letter to Families from Education Minister Stephen Lecce

December 13, 2021 By Deb

Monday, Dec. 13, 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we get nearer to the start of the winter break, Near North District School Board will be sharing information as it relates to a safe return to school on Jan. 5, 2022.

Please click this link to find a letter to families from Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, regarding the rapid antigen tests that students will be bringing home next week.

This letter, and any other COVID-19 related information, can be found on the COVID-19 Alerts and Resources page of the board’s website.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board

Board Highlights for December meeting

December 10, 2021 By Deb

Friday, Dec. 10, 2021

Board Highlights for December meeting

The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (�㽶ֱ��) meeting of Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021.

Chair, Vice-Chair acclaimed at organizational meeting

At the annual organizational meeting of �㽶ֱ��, Trustees Jay Aspin and John Cochrane were acclaimed as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Board.

The pair has been at the helm of this Board since its inaugural meeting in 2018, and their experience has helped the board navigate some difficult terrain. With their leadership, the Board has appointed Craig Myles as Director of Education in 2020, guided the Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) process and helped improve transparency through governance and reporting processes.

This is the final year of this Board’s mandate; the municipal election will be held Oct. 24, 2022.

Director recognizes staff

As part of his update to the Board, Myles acknowledged staff for the contribution to �㽶ֱ�� in seeking excellence in innovation in the areas of student programming and leadership.

Under the leadership of Officer of Corporate Affairs Liana Blaskievich and Acting Principal of Student Success and Specialized Programs Lucio Pavone, the team of Sarah Spence, Alysha Young, Lisa Spencer, Stacie Burnie, Josh Casey, Roy Desjardins and Deb Bartlett have been instrumental in bringing the Personal Support Worker (PSW) program together. It is the intention of �㽶ֱ�� to train PSWs in living classrooms in Parry Sound, Sturgeon Falls, North Bay and Mattawa.

Chippewa Secondary School teacher Greg Richardson has been chosen as the recipient of the 2021 Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations’ (OFSAA) Leadership Award. He was acknowledged during the OFSAA AA Boys’ Volleyball tournament for his achievements over a 27-year-career.

Director presents annual report

Myles presented the Director’s Annual Report at the Board meeting, highlighting the work done by staff and the Board.

Myles said he was “happy and proud” to release the report, in which was woven references to the board’s MYSP and its four pillars: Excellence in Teaching and Learning; Excellence in Innovation; Excellence in Relationships; and Excellence in Communications.

The report also highlighted the governance improvements made by the Board, including the new governance manual, a new finance manual and the streamlined budget reporting process.

Board Chair Jay Aspin complimented Myles, noting that the document was “a top-notch report” in a difficult year.

The Director’s Annual Report can be found .

Online meetings reduce Trustee expenditures

Trustee expenditures for the year ending Aug. 31, 2021 were shared in the agenda package.

Because COVID-19 measures caused the cancellation of in-person meetings, travel-related expenses reduced trustees’ annual expenditures. The total for the Board (including honoraria, benefits, professional development, auto reimbursement, cell phone, office and professional fees) was $84,956.41.

Chair Aspin noted that “as a group, we have really saved a lot of money.” He said pre-COVID the total was usually $120,000 or $125,000, referring to the savings as “a silver lining” of the pandemic.

Trustee Louise Sargent added that online meetings also meant that trustees “didn’t have to pick and choose” and had more opportunities to attend more professional development and learning sessions.

Chair outlines six key Board priorities

In his address to the Board, Chair Aspin outlined six challenges for the Board to tackle in this last year of its mandate.

Calling them “broad brush priorities,” Chair Aspin said providing quality education and keeping staff and students safe and healthy in the face of COVID-19 was a focus, as are overseeing the implementation of the MYSP, completing new school builds in North Bay (Fricker) and Parry Sound (JK-12), supporting improvement in human resource allocation, continued expansion of community partnerships and communications and to advance the North Bay facilities study.

Board approves draft audited statements

Trustees approved the draft audited consolidated statements for the year ending Aug. 31, 2021.

Vice-Chair Cochrane, who chairs the audit committee, said the committee had “a nice, clean report” from auditors KPMG and praised the work of Superintendent of Business Seija Van Haesendonck and Manager of Finance Wende Proulx.

Student Trustee reports on school activities

Student Trustee Cecilia Darling’s report covered work taking place through the Ontario Student Trustee Association (OSTA), as well as activities in local schools.

Of note in her report, OSTA’s Environmental Sustainability Working group is working towards developing an environmental sustainability handbook to act as a guide for students and schools across the province. The guide will outline how communities can work towards developing more environmental consciousness. She added that �㽶ֱ��’s Senate team is looking at environmental sustainability to ensuring recycling is done safely and efficiently.

Student Trustee Darling noted two �㽶ֱ�� schools participated in Ontario Federation of Secondary Athletics Association (OFSAA) championships, including Chippewa’s Boys AA Volleyball team (which hosted and won the championship) and Almaguin Highlands’ Girls A Basketball team attended OFSAA in Smithville.

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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

Positive momentum continues, as shown in annual report

December 9, 2021 By Deb

Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021

Positive momentum continues, as shown in annual report

In a year in which people continued to struggle through the second year of a global pandemic, Near North District School Board (�㽶ֱ��) staff shone. Director of Education Craig Myles proudly presented the 2020-2021 Director’s Annual Report to trustees at Tuesday night’s Board meeting.

Woven through the report were references to the board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) and its four pillars: Excellence in Teaching and Learning; Excellence in Innovation; Excellence in Relationships; and Excellence in Communications. Although the MYSP wasn’t official until the June 2021 Board meeting, all stakeholders were kept apprised of the progress and the work taking place during the plan’s development. With input from a variety of sources, �㽶ֱ��’s MYSP prepares every stakeholder group to focus on the goal of student achievement and well-being.

The Director’s Annual Report also shared highlights of the Board, such as the creation of a new governance manual, a finance manual and streamlined budget reporting process.

“I am happy, and proud,” said Myles during his presentation to the Board on Tuesday. He said the annual report is “one of accomplishment and success of staff and students…in the face of (COVID-19) pandemic.”

Myles said credit for the work must be given the “strong team” that comprise the board. “Without these groups, this report would not be possible,” he said.

Board Chair Jay Aspin complimented Myles, noting that the document was “a top-notch report” in a difficult year. “We continue to strongly support our Director’s efforts to reform and rejuvenate this board and the results are apparent.”

The Director’s Annual Report can be found .

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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

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January Letter to Families

Letter to Families – preparing for the move to virtual education

Letter to Families – move to virtual education

Letter to Families – government announcements

Check us out! �㽶ֱ�� secondary schools hosting open houses

Mapleridge Public School students create human chain to help local food bank

Writing task results in a sweet deal for Sunset Park Public School students

Letter to Families from Education Minister Stephen Lecce

Board Highlights for December meeting

Board Highlights for December meeting

Positive momentum continues, as shown in annual report

Positive momentum continues, as shown in annual report

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