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Friday, Feb. 18, 2022

Board Highlights for February meeting

The following are the highlights of the Near North District School Board (�㽶ֱ��) meeting of Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022.��

Final version of Administrative Guideline presented

Following the public consultation, trustees were presented with the final version of the board’s Supporting Students with Prevalent Medical Conditions Administrative Guideline. This administrative guideline consolidates three others: administration of medication, anaphylaxis and epilepsy seizure disorder management.

The new guideline contains detailed and specific information on anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes and epilepsy. Each condition has its own section that includes information on definitions, terminology, education, training, response and resources, special considerations and a plan of care.

Board supports establishing �㽶ֱ�� Foundation��

The Board received a report following the annual general meeting of the board’s charitable arm, �㽶ֱ�� Charity Works.

An update was shared to note �㽶ֱ�� Charity Works will be exploring the establishment of a foundation to complement the work of the charity in support of �㽶ֱ��’s commitments in Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) to the pillar of Excellence in Relationships.

Currently the charity provides scholarships and bursaries for academic achievement and helped with school supplies and breakfast programs. Board Chair Jay Aspin has requested the investigation of a �㽶ֱ�� Foundation to enhance this work and expand

the Board’s ability to fundraise and expand the ability to support its schools. Several school boards in Ontario have foundations, which receive donations from local business, grants, community organizations and citizens. The funds are used to support a variety of programs and initiatives.

Trustees passed a resolution at the Board meeting to express their support for this approach and Chair Aspin said he was “very excited” about the potential a foundation could bring to �㽶ֱ��.

Chair expresses confidence in COVID-19 management

Trustees were presented with a fulsome report by SO Tim Graves, the board’s COVID-19 lead, that detailed the processes and plans that have assisted the board in managing the pandemic.

The report includes information about new screening tools (one for school and childcare, one for absence reporting), the status of access and distribution to personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff, the supply of rapid antigen tests to daycares, students and staff, the status of athletics and extracurricular activities at schools and the youth vaccine clinics that the health unit is holding.

COVID-19 news, guidance documents, testing instructions, letters to families, health unit information and links can be found on this page of the board’s website.

Director updates on staff absences, PSW program

Current health guidance states that when someone is experiencing two or more COVID-19 symptoms, they are presumed to be positive and they, and all members of the household should self-isolate. Director of Education Craig Myles said that is causing �㽶ֱ�� to experience significant absences that are difficult to fill. The staff absences are not unique to �㽶ֱ��; boards across the province are experiencing similar difficulties.

Director Myles also updated trustees about the personal support worker (PSW) program that the board is launching district wide. He thanked media partners who shared news of the initiative and helped create awareness of the program. There are 18 students in North Bay and 12 in Parry Sound ready to start at the end of the month, with a waitlist for a September class.

Trustee Steer shares report from OPSBA

Trustee Bill Steer, �㽶ֱ��’s delegate to the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA), gave a brief recap of work that the organization is doing in its advocacy of public education.

His report included a suggestion that stronger language be used in reference to reconciliation, and that OPSBA needed to prioritize equity and anti-racism as a whole. He also noted that equity geography; that what works in Toronto does not necessarily fit in the North or other areas with different demographics.

He also shared news of a created by OPSBA and the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association.Later in the Board meeting trustees carried a motion to bring forward a recommendation to OPSBA to continue with virtual meetings as it transitions out of pandemic in an effort to reduce environmental/carbon footprint. During Committee of the Whole, trustees noted how virtual meetings encourage broader participation and create expanded opportunities for input, together with the positive effects on the environment.

MYSP committee update

Some changes to the MYSP committee’s terms of reference were approved at the Board meeting. The changes include expanded membership to include the Officer of Corporate Affairs, and the clarification of additional duties related to the development and monitoring of appropriate metrics.

There was also a report, introduced by Committee Chair Steer, and provided by Director Myles, to update the Board about the MYSP. Committee Chair Steer noted that the work of the committee has evolved from the design and creation of a visionary plan and its corresponding goals to the work of bringing the vision to reality.

Included in the report was a graphic depicting the steps in the evolution of culture change at �㽶ֱ��. The steps include empowering employees and stakeholders to lead and embrace change, and the MYSP incorporating new and better changes. Director Myles noted how organizational change experts caution that large-scale culture change could take five to10 years. Director Myles acknowledged that many people may be experiencing discomfort in the change, and change agents will have to honour where people are to help bridge the space between where the board is and where it wants to be.

Next steps for the committee include establishing metrics that will focus on the measurement of MYSP success. This involves establishing baseline data, determining the time and learning required for the change (the work) and how to evaluate progress against the baseline data, which is the measurement of achieving the MYSP priorities. The next MYSP committee meeting will tackle the development of qualitative and quantitative base metrics.

March Board meeting date changed

Because the regularly scheduled March 2022 Board meeting fell in the March Break, the Board approved moving the March meeting to Tuesday, March 22, 2022.

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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

Monday, Feb. 7, 2022

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Near North District School Board (�㽶ֱ��) is supports school vaccine clinics for students aged 5 to 11, who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

Please use this link to a letter from the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit which invites families to participate in a survey to help then in planning future youth vaccination clinics in the district.

The letter advises families to keep scheduled appointments and provides information on how to book an appointment.

Thank you,

Near North District School Board

Friday, Feb. 4, 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.

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In recent weeks there have been several weather-related bus cancellations, as well as delays due to driver shortages. We understand that cancellations and delays, especially ones that are announced later in the morning, may cause upheaval to some families’ plans.

�㽶ֱ�� is a member board of a consortium that provides transportation services to schools. (NPSSTS or the consortium) provides the service, not the board. The they have in place provide details of cancellations will occur. Cancellations are made to maintain the safety of �㽶ֱ�� students and bus drivers.

When �㽶ֱ�� receives notification that the consortium has cancelled a route or corridor, we post on the board’s social media accounts (see links at the end of this letter). Full details can be found on NPSSTS’s .

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As students have returned to school, they continue to be expected to complete the daily COVID-19 self-screening tool. Occasionally, students may be required to self-isolate, as a precautionary measure. Considering these circumstances, �㽶ֱ�� has developed a plan to support ‘short-term’ remote learning.

Central staff will work in collaboration with classroom educators to support students who may be required to access remote learning for short periods of time. Short-term (Kindergarten to Grade 8) remote learning resources include technology enabled synchronous learning experiences (or live events), facilitated by program coordinators, librarians and Indigenous cultural advisors.

Furthermore, after-school virtual/synchronous tutoring is now available to all (Kindergarten to Grade 12) students to support them in continuing their learning during short-term absences. To learn more about these short-term learning supports, please contact your child’s educator.

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It is that time of year again when we look to welcome our newest and youngest learners into the �㽶ֱ�� family! If you have a child who was born on or before Dec 31, 2018, they are eligible to begin school this September. Registration has never been easier: simply follow this��link��to our Kindergarten Registration page and complete the form. We strongly recommend that families register as soon as possible.

The Early Years Team is also offering parents three opportunities to learn about kindergarten programs in Near North. These virtual events will occur on Feb 10, 16, and 22, 2022, all starting at 6 p.m. Parents can register using the QR code found on our��Kindergarten webpage.

These sessions will provide parents with an overview of the Ontario kindergarten curriculum, what kindergarten in �㽶ֱ�� looks like and answer any questions parents may have. Your child’s school will also be conducting parent sessions this spring: stay tuned for more information or call your local school to find out more!

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Tuesday, Feb 8 is Safer Internet Day. To support the safety and well-being of �㽶ֱ�� students, we encourage all parents to attend the presentation ONLINE DANGERS: Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Cyberbullying. This is an online panel presented by Public Safety Canada, that will tackle some of the most difficult topics that youth, parents, and caregivers face today – cyberbullying to online child sexual exploitation. A panel of experts from the��,����and the��, will define the issues, tell parents and caregivers what to look out for, and discuss how they can talk to their kids.

Though this panel is tailored towards parents and caregivers, much of the information will be valuable for educators to learn more about these issues and how to better support families.

The English and French panels will be live at the same time on Feb. 8, from 6-7 p.m. Participants are encouraged to for a session based on their language preference. Registration will close��an hour before the event.

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�㽶ֱ�� has so much great information to share from the program team! Read on to learn about the launch of innovative science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and coding Initiatives.

Near North Codes: In February, �㽶ֱ�� math facilitators introduced a new teaching and learning resource to support STEM, science, technology, engineering, the arts and math (STEAM) and coding in mathematics classrooms. Near North Codes is a monthly professional learning publication and instructional resource designed to support staff in developing familiarity with coding and confidence integrating coding into classroom learning experiences.

Each month, a new edition of Near North Codes will be released. Resources will be sequenced as a progression of coding tasks, designed to support educators with the implementation of the new math curriculum coding expectations for Grades 1-9.

Teachers will find helpful links to support their own understanding of the expectations, along with a series of highlighted tasks for each division. These tasks can be immediately implemented with students, using Scratch Jr (primary) or Scratch (junior & intermediate).

Live Coding Events: All �㽶ֱ�� Grade 4 classrooms have been invited to embark on an exciting coding adventure with Real-Life Googlers in partnership with the Cobblestone Initiative.

This live coding event will take place from March 29-31. It will include a one-hour live, co-taught virtual lesson on March 29, followed by a 30-minute live lesson on March 31.

Participating educators will have access to a drop-in Q&A session on March 30. No prior coding experience or knowledge is required for staff or students to participate. This innovative model will allow teachers to access classroom-embedded STEM learning while students benefit from interactive coding experiences delivered by coding experts.

Tutoring: Tutoring services have been made available to students and families across the system. After school, small group, in-person tutoring is available in 12 elementary schools focusing on learning recovery for primary students in literacy and numeracy. Virtual, one-on-one after-school tutoring support has been available to secondary students. This support is available each Tuesday to Thursday. Starting January 2022 virtual, one-on-one after school tutoring support has been available to elementary students. Progress monitoring in the primary programs and number of tutoring sessions offered virtually demonstrate improved outcomes and high frequency use of supports.

Intermediate (Grades 7 – 10) Literacy Intervention: Grades K-12 program and special education staff continue to work in partnership to explore and identify resources that support intermediate literacy learning. In the coming weeks, additional reading resources and assessment tools will be shared with intermediate educators and students. New literacy tools will help teachers plan daily classroom instruction and assessment that are systematic, evidence-based and assess foundational reading skills, provide differentiated and personalized instruction, and set appropriate learning goals with their students. Upcoming professional development opportunities will ensure that intermediate educators understand how to access and apply tools and gather the information they need to address students’ reading learning needs.

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In addition to staying informed via the board’s website, families can find �㽶ֱ�� on , and .

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�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

Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022

Community support helps fill tummies at Phelps Central

A group of contributors from the Redbridge area has pooled together financial resources to make a $2,500 donation to the breakfast program at Phelps Central Public School.

In addition to packing the pantry, the donors also bought staff and students pizza lunch before the start of the winter break.

Rhondi Synnott, a Grade 5/6 teacher at the school, says “Not only will students have full tummies to optimize learning, but they can also see first-hand how kindness has positive effects on each other and the community as a whole.”

The donors to the breakfast program include A&L Drywall, John’s Mobile Small Engine Repairs, Platinum Heating and Electrical, Kelly’s Auto Glass, Marc Girard of Century 21, Lafargeholcim and the Trendy Thrifter.

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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

Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022

Dear Parents and Guardians of secondary school students,

Near North District School Board (�㽶ֱ��) had announced that it would move to a normal four-course semester system when approval was given by the Ministry of Education and the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit. As we��had not received such approval, we announced in our Letter to Families on Jan. 7 that we were moving forward with a quadmester model for the second half of this school year.

Since that communication, the Ministry of Education confirmed that all school boards in Ontario��can resume a four-course semester timetable with the approval of the local health unit and that the local health unit was in support of this model.

Plans are being made to transition secondary students from octomester to semester timetables effective��Jan. 31.��Families and students do not need to take action, and course selections will remain unchanged. Questions about the semester timetable should be directed to the school.

We will be maintaining our commitment to student and staff safety and well-being and will continue to follow the directions and advice of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, and the North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Near North District School Board