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Skills Ontario Competition

The Skills Ontario Competition is Canada’s largest skilled trade and technology competition. Skills Ontario is dedicated to the promotion of viable career options in the skilled trades and technologies to youth in Ontario.

Between May 6-8, 2019, Skills Ontario is expecting 35,000 spectators to watch more than 2,400 of the brightest young people in the province compete in one of the 69 skills contests offered.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board would like to congratulate the following students as they embark on their Provincial Skills journey.  We wish them luck and confidence, as they are reminded that they are all capable of amazing things!

The road to the Skills Ontario Competition has provided many experiential-based opportunities for the students within the Waterloo Catholic DSB community – and we congratulate all of the students noted below for their efforts!

In conclusion, we wish to thank all the leads, chairs, mentors, and teachers who supported our students along the way! These opportunities would not be feasible without your support and guidance.

Leonard Bumbacco — Student Achievement Consultant

May 3rd, 2019|

NEW – Pope Francis Award for Ecological Leadership

Earlier this year, the Waterloo Catholic District School Board established the new Pope Francis Award for Ecological Leadership.

This important new piece of our staff recognition program annually recognizes up to three school staff members / volunteers who actively demonstrate a love for creation and care for the planet in all their interactions — people who initiate or lead environmental projects of all kinds.

In his encyclical Laudato Si’ (On Care for our Common Home), Pope Francis reminds us that “Along with the importance of little everyday gestures, social love moves us to devise larger strategies to halt environmental degradation and to encourage a ‘culture of care’ which permeates all of society” (#231).

The Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations ask that all graduates be “responsible citizen[s] who respect the environment and use resources wisely.”

And the WCDSB’s own Multi-Year Strategic Plan asks all staff to “promote stewardship of the earth and its resources” and to “implement the core teachings of Laudato Si’”.

The inaugural recipients of the Pope Francis Award for Ecological Leadership are:

Cynthia Brown: Library Tech — Holy Spirit CES

Kathy Doherty-Masters: Volunteer — St. Bernadette CES

Jennifer Venditti: Teacher — St. Elizabeth CES

May 3rd, 2019|

Catholic Education Week – Living as Joyful Disciples

During the week of May 5 to May 10, 2019, school boards within our Diocese will celebrate the significant contribution that Catholic Education has made to the community, the province and to Canada. The theme for this upcoming week is Living as Joyful Disciples. We invite you to watch Bishop Crosby’s message.

May 3rd, 2019|

WCDSB Board Meeting Bulletin — April, 2019

Meetings

Committee of the Whole Board Meeting

Monday, April 8, 2019 – Meeting Agenda Package

Public Board Meeting

Monday, April 29, 2019 — Meeting Agenda Package

Highlights

Adult Education Update

Based on adult education research reports spanning over the last decade, the social, economic and health and wellness impact of adults earning a high school diploma or participating in ‘second chance’ post-secondary education has proven to be extremely beneficial. Students experience improved opportunities in the labour market, with lower chances of unemployment and higher status jobs. Intrinsic benefits include increased confidence, motivation and improved awareness, overall social well-being and interest in lifelong learning.

For more than 30 years, and most dramatically in the last 10 years, our St. Louis Adult Learning & Continuing Education programs have committed to supporting adults to earn secondary school credits toward an OSSD, develop literacy and basic skills, gain practical employment skills and improve English language proficiency. St. Louis adult programs directly connect with these social wellness and economic impacts, so no one gets left behind – a WCDSB strategic focus for the next 3 years.

The current Provincial Adult Education Strategy aims to find efficiencies and best practices among regional adult education providers. Indirectly, St. Louis has also been a support to children under 18 who have benefitted from additional literacy and numeracy programs, summer school credits, learning languages and early childhood development.

A comprehensive report presented to the Board of Trustees on Monday, April 8, 2019 covered the following key areas:

  • Secondary School Credits (SSC)
  • Core Essentials –Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS)
  • Personal Support Worker (PSW)
  • Hairstyling / Barbering
  • Culinary Arts
  • English Language Programs (LINC & ESL)
  • International Languages –Elementary (IL)
  • Literacy & Numeracy, Continuing Education
  • Childminding (Care for Newcomer Children – CNC) and Licensed Child Care

The full report is available on pages 7-14 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Safe and Accepting Schools

At the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, we believe that every student has a right to learn in a safe, caring and supportive environment. Our learning environments foster positive Christ-centered relationships that are at the heart of all our efforts to promote student achievement and well-being. The WCDSB vision for safe and accepting schools clearly aligns with the publication of Achieving Excellence: A Renewed Vision for Ontario Education, wherein the Ministry of Education made a commitment to every student in the province of Ontario. Regardless of ‘ancestry, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, physical and intellectual ability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic status or other factors’, all students should be able to access the curriculum, feel safe at school, and have a sense of belonging.

In addition to this, the Ministry of Education also introduced Ontario’s Well-Being Strategy for Education: Discussion Document which has also served to guide our Safe and Caring Schools focus in WCDSB.

There are four key components at the foundation of Ontario’s well-being strategy:

  • Positive Mental Health
  • Safe and Accepting Schools
  • Healthy Schools
  • Equity and Inclusive Education

On Monday, April 8, 2019 the Board of Trustees received a detailed report on the Safe and Accepting Schools portion of the strategy.

One example of ongoing success in this key area is illustrated by the school board’s suspension and expulsion data.

Overall, the WCDSB is trending downwards in terms of the overall number of suspensions over time (1492 suspensions in 2012-2013 school year vs. 945 suspensions in the 2018/2019 school year). The recidivism rate for suspensions also continues to be on the decline in both elementary and secondary schools. And, finally, in secondary schools, we are observing 49% fewer suspensions over time.

In addition to suspension / expulsion data, the report also looked at:

  • Alternative Suspension Program
  • Board use of various data platforms and predictive models
  • Cannabis education
  • Umbrella Project
  • Board partnership with Community Justice Initiatives (CJI)

To read the full report, please see pages 15-24 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Long-Term Accommodation Plan (LTAP)

The purpose of the Long-Term Accommodation Plan (LTAP) is to provide an update on enrolment status, demographic trends as they relate to enrolment, and future accommodation initiatives including boundary changes, school closures, new schools, and additions/renovations.

The LTAP includes recommendations for:

  • Land acquisitions (purchase)
  • Land disposition (sale)
  • Capital projects (additions, new schools, major renewal projects)
  • Accommodation solutions (boundary changes, school closures, portables, partnership agreements)

All recommendations are subject to approval by the WCDSB Board of Trustees as per Board Policy IV010: Facilities/Accommodations – with the exception of specific renewal (major repair) projects.

The full LTAP is available on pages 25-142 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Information Technology Strategic Plan: 2019-2024

The 2019-2024 Information Technology Strategic Plan was presented to the Board of Trustees on April 29, 2019.

The plan is divided into the following key focus areas:

  • Community Engagement
  • Infrastructure
  • Pedagogy
  • Process Optimization
  • School Technology Refresh
  • Staff Development

The following chart offers a glimpse at the ambitious scope of work on tap for the duration of the plan.

The full plan is available on pages 22-73 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Board Chair’s Update

Each month, Board Chair Bill Conway reports on the activities of the Board of Trustees. The report for March 2019 is available on page 77 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Upcoming Board Meetings

Committee of the Whole Board Meeting

Monday, May 13, 2019

St. Mary’s High School, Kitchener

Regular Public Board Meeting

Monday, May 27, 2019

St. Mary’s High School, Kitchener

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 49 schools and four adult education facilities, serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 183-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.

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For more information, please contact:

John Shewchuk – Chief Managing Officer | (519) 578-3660 | john.shewchuk@wcdsb.ca

 

April 30th, 2019|

WCDSB Announces Langs as 2019 Community Partner Award Recipient

Waterloo Region, ON – The students, staff and trustees of Waterloo Region’s Catholic Schools proudly congratulate Langs — 2019 recipient of the WCDSB Community Partner Award.

The award has been presented since 2001 at the WCDSB’s annual Appreciation Night, in recognition of outstanding contributions made to Waterloo Region’s Catholic Schools by an individual or agency serving the students, staff and greater community of Waterloo Region.

QuickFacts

>> Formerly known as Langs Farm Village Association, Langs was established as a community development project in 1978 by a group of citizens and service providers concerned about vandalism and the lack of accessible services in the community. Since then, Langs has grown to become a dynamic, respected multi-service organization that uses a community development approach to provide comprehensive health, social and recreational services that are responsive to the changing needs of the community.

>> The Vision of Langs (“Changed lives, healthy communities”) and the organization’s values (Integrity, Respect, Accountability, Collaboration, Innovation & Excellence) complement and in many ways mirror the WCDSB’s own Vision (“Heart of the Community – Success for Each; A place for All”) as well as the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations.

>> In 1978, Langs founders envisioned Langs as a place where partners worked together to bring health and social services under one roof. The HUB model evolved over several years beginning in 2011 when Langs moved into the HUB@1145, what is now known provincially as a ‘Community HUB’. Langs’ North Dumfries Community Health Centre Satellite Site is also a Community HUB, known as the HUB@2958.

Quotes

“We are honoured to be the recipient of the Community Partner Award from the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. Our partnership with WCDSB has been instrumental to our success for the past 40 years. By working together, we have made a difference in the lives of thousands of students and families.”

~~ Bill Davidson, Executive Director, Langs

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 49 schools and four adult education facilities, serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 183-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.

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For more information, please contact:

John Shewchuk — Chief Managing Officer

(519) 578-3660

 

April 16th, 2019|

Model United Nations

Approximately 60 student delegates from the five high schools of Waterloo Catholic District School Board descended upon St. Benedict C.S.S. on March 20, 2019, with the goal of solving important global concerns. The St. Benedict Model United Nations club was pleased to host these delegates who debated, conferenced and offered solutions to issues as diverse as nuclear proliferation, gene editing, sexual violence in warzones, and corruption in foreign aid. By the end of the day, a sense of collaboration and collegiality was established as students walked away with a greater sense of the challenges that the world community faces when confronted with global tensions. The day was highlighted with words of wisdom shared by Mr. Paul Heinbecker, former permanent ambassador to the United Nations for Canada, and former graduate of WCDSB; and Gallit Dobner, political counsellor to the Canadian embassy in the Netherlands.

March 29th, 2019|

WCDSB Board Meeting Bulletin — March, 2019

Meetings

Committee of the Whole Board Meeting

Monday, March 4, 2019 – Meeting Agenda Package

Public Board Meeting

Monday, March 25, 2019 — Meeting Agenda Package

Highlights

Innovation, Learning and Engagement Update

Over the last few years the school board has focused specific attention on innovation and how we can best support the adoption of best practices in terms of pedagogy and technology infrastructure and learning environments. It is with intention that we look to the power of the learning task and how technology-enabled instruction can improve student achievement. There is thoughtful planning in system next steps to ensure decisions are evidence-based and focused on the instructional core.

In alignment with our Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP), our goals are as follows:

  • Build capacity for greater experiential learning within and outside the classroom and create more diversified learning opportunities.
  • Ensure classroom pedagogy and pathway opportunities are relevant and provide transferable skills for student success.
  • Increased awareness of and responsible implementation of Digital Citizenship.
  • Continue to seek and support reciprocal partnerships with Community/Educational partners and leverage the mutual learning.
  • Increase in precise student programming and use of New Pedagogies for Deeper Learning resources to foster global competency development in the areas of critical thinking, collaboration, citizenship, communication, creativity, and character through access to professional learning opportunities.
  • Equitable access to learning opportunities and investment in global competency development and leading technologies

The full report is available on pages 9-21 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Assessment and Evaluation Practice in Schools

The system inquiry question that guides the Waterloo Catholic District School Board’s Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement (BIPSA) establishes a clear emphasis on assessment:

“What impact will collaborative teaching and learning, that focuses on the assessment for learning process, have on increasing the number of students approaching, achieving at or beyond the provincial standard K-12?”

The BIPSA stresses the importance of assessment practices; the emphasis of assessment focuses on the process work where learning FOR and AS assessment become crucial to helping students move forward in their learning. This allows for responsive teaching, providing multiple opportunities for skill development and thus success.

Policy and best practice regarding the assessment, evaluation, and reporting of student achievement in Ontario has been, for nearly a decade, articulated and set by the provincial document Growing Success, Assessment, Evaluation, & Reporting in Ontario Schools.

This policy defines for parents, students, and educators seven key principles of assessment, evaluation, & reporting. In order to ensure that these practices ensure validity, student engagement and achievement are the foundation of our work in Assessment and Evaluation:

  • Be fair, transparent, and equitable for all students.
  • Support all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or French), and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit.
  • Be carefully planned, to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles, preferences, needs, and experiences of all students.
  • Be communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the school year or course and at other appropriate points throughout the school year or course.
  • Be ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning.
  • Provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement.
  • Develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.

To read the full report, please see pages 22-25 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Student Success Plan

The Ontario Ministry of Education has developed a wide range of initiatives to facilitate Student Success. The Student Success/Learning to 18 (SS/L18) Strategy is designed to meet five inter-related goals focused on the secondary school system:

  1. Provide students with an effective elementary to secondary school transition
  2. Support a good outcome for all students
  3. Provide students with new and relevant learning opportunities
  4. Build on students’ strengths and interests
  5. Increase graduation rates and decrease dropout rate

On March 25, 2019, the Board of Trustees received a comprehensive report on the WCDSB’s Student Success Plan. Key sections of the report include:

  • Transitions (Grade 8-9)
  • Pathways
  • Student Success Consultants Intermediate (SSCI)
  • Experiential Learning
  • Literacy & Numeracy
  • Graduation Rates
  • Re-engagement Strategy

The full report is available on pages 20-27 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

School Year Calendar

The Board of Trustees approved the annual WCDSB School Year Calendar on March 25, 2019.

In creating their annual calendars, school boards are required to identify a minimum of 194 school days between September 1 and June 30, of which a minimum of four and a maximum of seven days may be identified as PD days. Three of these must be for Ministry of Education priorities. The remaining school days shall be instructional days. Boards may designate up to 10 instructional days as examination days. Each school year calendar must be accompanied by a general outline of the activities to be conducted on PA days. The minimum number of instructional days is 187.

The first day of the 2019-20 school year will be Tuesday, September 3, 2019. The last day of the school year will be June 26, 2020. The last day of school in December (before Christmas) will be December 20, 2019 and the first day of school in the new year is January 6, 2020.

For further details about the 2019-20 School Year Calendar, please see pages 28-31 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Autism Update

In February 2019, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) made an announcement outlining changes to the Ontario Autism Program — to be implemented effective April 1, 2019. As a result of these changes, WCDSB Schools will be transitioning students currently in therapy during the school day into full time school over the coming months and into the 2019-20 school year.

Currently WCDSB has approximately 40 students who will transition to school full time school from therapy, many over the course of the next 4 months. Transitions for some of our students started at the end of February, with the majority of transitions occurring in May of 2019.

Effective transitions for students with autism are critical and at WCDSB we take great pride in ensuring positive transitions in order to set our students up for success. All our staff have been receiving varying levels of training regarding Universal Supports and we will continue to work with our families to ensure the success of all our students as we strive to be heart of the community, promoting success for each and a creating a place for all.

The full report on what is currently known regarding changes to the Ontario Autism Plan is available on pages 32-34 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Information on 2019-20 Education Grants and New Vision for Education

As has been well-documented via media reports, on March 15, 2019, the Government of Ontario announced its New Vision for Education. The announcement contained information on a number of program and budget changes, some of which are interrelated.

It is more than fair to say that there is much change happening simultaneously and that more information has to flow until a full understanding of impacts on WCDSB schools can be had. The government has indicated it is focused on the following five areas:

  • Student Achievement
  • Protect Front Line Staff
  • Fiscal Responsibility
  • Evidence Based Decision Making
  • Diverse Teaching Staff

As a school system, WCDSB will lead forward from a place of hope, collaboration and respect for all stakeholders, keeping students at the core of all our decisions.

For further information on the government announcements – and potential impacts on WCDSB schools, students and staff, please see pages 35-39 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Student Trustees Report

Student Trustees Izabella Tyc and Meghan Nemeth presented their monthly report on activities in WCDSB’s secondary schools. The report is available on page 40 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Board Chair’s Update

Each month, Board Chair Bill Conway reports on the activities of the Board of Trustees. The report for March 2019 is available on page 41 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Upcoming Board Meetings

Committee of the Whole Board Meeting

Monday, April 8, 2019

St. Benedict CSS, Cambridge

Regular Public Board Meeting

Monday, April 29, 2019

St. Benedict CSS, Cambridge

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 49 schools and four adult education facilities, serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 183-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.

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 For more information, please contact:

John Shewchuk – Chief Managing Officer | (519) 578-3660 | john.shewchuk@wcdsb.ca

March 26th, 2019|

Board of Trustees Meeting – Monday, March 25, 2019

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Monday, March 25, 2019 — at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School – 50 Saginaw Parkway, Cambridge.

Meeting Agenda

General Information About WCDSB Board Meetings

Information About the Board of Trustees

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 49 schools and five adult education facilities serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 183-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.

March 22nd, 2019|

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