Dear WCDSB Community,

We hope that this communication finds you well.   After two successive springs in which we could not end our school year as we might wish due to the pandemic, it has been a very joyous May and June in our school communities.  We have had the ability to mark some of our significant milestones in a manner that is more typical, and certainly that allows for a more celebratory atmosphere.  We have been so thrilled to see the return of sacraments being celebrated in our school-parish communities, we were pleased to see Catholic education week activities, we have seen spring athletic competitions and artistic undertakings and of course, perhaps most significant of all – the return of in-person graduations.

While we have certainly learned over the course of this pandemic to never say “never”, we remain very hopeful of a traditional beginning to the new school year.  And while none of us can be faulted for desiring that reality, I do want to take a moment to celebrate all that we accomplished over the course of this school year, despite the challenges of the time.

Our pastoral plan grounded us in the theme “Sent to Build” referencing our desire to build the kingdom of God with everyone in our community that we “called to belong” and who we gathered through the eucharist to become.  Our theme was reflected in the bridge, which was an apt symbol reflecting the power of Christ’s love for all, and also for the tremendous work done under the auspices of equity.

We are proud of our gains and remain open to the further work to be done.  We are thrilled to have the results of our staff census and our first student census to help guide us in this regard and WCDSB stands poised to develop a new strategic plan in the fall.

Thank you for entrusting your children to Waterloo Catholic.  We are proud of the strong school communities we have nurtured and all that we accomplish in those schools each and every day.

This will likely be my last letter as Director of Education.  I have announced my intent to retire and a new Director will be named in mid to late August.  We know that person will lead a vibrant and evolving system, with leadership that is strong and committed.

We wish everyone a safe summer, that provides an opportunity to rest and refresh.

May God continue to bless your journey and may we be worthy of our mission statement, nurturing those students entrusted to us to transform God’s world.

Sincerely,

Loretta Notten

Director of Education

It’s Time to Sign Up for School!!

It’s time to sign up for the 2022-23 school year – and registering to attend one of Waterloo Region’s 43 Catholic elementary schools has never been easier.

• Children born in 2018 are eligible for Year 1 Kindergarten (JK).
• Children born in 2017 are eligible for Year 2 Kindergarten (SK).

Parents can access the Online Pre-Registration form by clicking on the Register for School link on the WCDSB Homepage and then choosing Kindergarten Registration.

To finalize your child’s registration, please contact your local Catholic school directly.

QUICKFacts

~~ When registering your child to attend a Catholic elementary school you must be prepared to provide proof of the child’s date of birth and either the child’s Catholic baptismal certificate or the Catholic baptismal certificate of at least one parent or guardian.

~~ If you are non-Catholic (including a non-Catholic newcomer to Canada), but wish to explore a Catholic education for your child(ren), please review the WCDSB Admissions to Catholic Elementary Schools policy. Our secondary schools are open to students of all faiths.

~~ A complete list of WCDSB schools that will offer the Extended Day Program in 2021-22 will be web-posted before the end of this current (2020-21) school year. Please call your school directly for information about the Extended Day Program. A complete list of WCDSB schools currently providing the program is available via this link: Extended Day Program.

~~ For information about French Immersion programs in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, please click here: French Immersion Registration Information.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 48 schools and five adult education facilities serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 186-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.

Meetings

Special Public Board Meeting

Monday, June 6, 2022 – Meeting Agenda Package

Public Board Meeting

Monday, June 13, 2022 — Meeting Agenda Package

Highlights

2022-23 School Year Budget

On June 6, 2022 the Board of Trustees received the Board’s $333.6 million 2022-23 school year budget, and approved it on June 13, 2022.

Quick Facts

> The overall budget is as follows:

• Total Operating: $301.2 M — ($6.9 M change from 2020-21)
• Total Capital: $21.2 M — ($0.7 M change from 2020-21)
• Total Operating & Capital: $322.4 M — ($7.6 M change from 2020-21)

BUDGET BOOK

> As always, budget decisions have been guided by the key priorities captured in the following plans:

• Multi-Year Strategic Plan
• Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement
• Long Term Accommodation Plan
• Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan
• Information Technology Strategic Plan

> Once again, budget decisions have also been guided by new and emerging considerations related to re-opening schools within the current COVID-19 reality – chief among them, health and safety considerations.

> Key funding areas of the operating budget include:

• Learning Services — $208 M
• Special Education – $39.2 M
• School Operations & Maintenance — $26.6 M
• Student Transportation — $7.6 M
• Adult & Continuing Education — $9.4M
• Board Administration — $10.4M

Middle Years Index and Student Well-Being

The Waterloo Catholic District school board has a Ministry requirement to conduct a School Climate Survey with students, staff and parents at least once every two years, as they all play a key role in contributing to a positive school climate.

The students, staff and parent community completed the school climate surveys this year between February 22nd and March 22nd.

The Staff and Parents/Guardians completed the survey created by the Ontario Ministry of Education, whereas students from Grades 4 through 12 completed the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI), developed by the Human Early Learning Partnership at the University of British Columbia.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board has used the MDI as our Safe, Caring and Inclusive School (SCIS) survey for students for the past two cycles (i.e., first implementation in 2019, and deferred to 2022 from 2021 due to the COVID-19 pivot to virtual learning). The MDI is a self-report questionnaire that asks children in Grades 4 through 12 about their thoughts, feelings and experiences in school and in the community. The MDI uses a strengths-based approach to assess five areas of development that are strongly linked to well-being, health, and academic achievement:

• Physical Health & Well-Being
• Social & Emotional Development
• Connectedness
• Use of After-School Time
• School Experiences

Social and Emotional Development is a key area of focus for School Mental Health Ontario (SMHO). SMHO has developed a catalogue of classroom ready resources designed to be implemented by teachers in classrooms as part of everyday practices. Our Mental Health Lead has created a resource to guide MDI measures to Specific Faith and Wellness Classroom Practices through SMHO to strengthen each Social Emotional Skill.

The report is available beginning on page 4 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Student Census Update

The Ministry of Education has made a commitment to every student in the province of Ontario that 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 also have a sense of belonging.

The 2021 WCDSB Student Census was an online survey that collected data specifically related to self-identity, demographics, and experiences at school. The census included questions about Indigenous identity, ethnic/cultural background, racial identity, citizenship status, religious / spiritual affiliation, gender at birth/identity, sexual orientation, (dis)abilities, household characteristics, and school experiences.

There are two phases for the public dissemination of the 2021 Student Census data and interpretation:

Phase I: Summary of Student Demographics and Students Experiences across the Board.

Phase II: Summary Student Census data linked with Personal Information already held by the Board in our Student Information System (i.e. student achievement, credit accumulation, graduation rate, suspensions/expulsions, special education services, and academic/extra-curricular program participation) across the Board.

The report presented on June 13, 2022, highlighted Phase I:

1. Student Census (paper version for review only) (10 pages)
2. Summary of Phase I data: Univariate (39 pages)
3. Summary of Phase II data: Disaggregated by Gender (25 pages)
4. Summary of Phase II data: Disaggregated by Race (25 pages)
5. Summary of Phase II data: Disaggregated by Socioeconomic Status (SES) (25 pages)
6. All Summary Data in one document (114 pages)
7. PowerPoint Presentation for Board Presentation (44 slides)

Next Steps

~~ With the comparison of student demographic data with staff demographic data, we will continue to refine our hiring practices to increase the likelihood of having a representative staff.

~~ In alignment with Anti-racism act:

• Further disaggregation/analysis (intersectional analyses) in the census.
• Join student census responses with student outcome measures (e.g., achievement, graduation, credit accumulation, MDI, etc.).Provide the report to administrators.

~~ Provide the report to administrators

~~ Create and report school level dashboards

~~ Use data to inform decision and practices throughout the system.

By conducting the 2021 Student Census, WCDSB will continue to progress in fostering equity through informed measures. The collection and analysis of data on demographic information including race, ethnicity, first language, gender at birth (or assigned sex at birth), gender identity, and (dis)ability, informs the decision-makers about the changing needs of its employees and the students, families, and communities they serve.

The report is available beginning on page 28 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Multi-Year Strategic Plan Report

In June of 2018 the Board of Trustees accepted the final report card on the 2015-2018 Multi-Year Strategic Plan. Within that work was found stakeholder feedback regarding our previously identified Mission, Vision, Beliefs and three core Strategic Priorities. There was a high affirmation rate for each and thus it was identified at that time that those would remain constant and provide a foundational framework for a new strategic plan that was to be approved later in December of 2018. Please find our full MYSP Survey stakeholder feedback at:

Survey Feedback

Informed by the work and MYSP survey of the spring of 2018, the June 2018 report card, and a number of conversations throughout of the fall of 2018, the Director and Senior Staff worked to identify both new Strategic Directions and corresponding goals for each of the three pre-identified strategic priorities. There was a concerted effort to reduce the number of strategic directions and the number of goals. Nine strategic directions were reduced to 6 — and 32 goals were reduced to 17. While the plan was to end in Dec 2021, with the pandemic we have stayed with the current plan one year longer, and a new plan will be launched in December 2022.  This report gives an overview of the outcomes of our current plan.

For each of the goals, specific actions, evidence and timelines were identified in an operational plan.

The Multi-Year Strategic Plan for Waterloo Catholic sets out to prioritize our work in the areas of:

~~ Nurturing Our Catholic Community Student Engagement

~~ Innovation and Achievement

~~ Building Capacity to Lead, Learn and Live Authentically.

While it is hard to quantify a firm result against our total number of goals, it is a fair statement to say that, despite some very significant setbacks and challenges that characterized the year, there was solid progress made in each of the six strategic directions. With that said, it is also fair to say that the greater part of the year occurred under the cloud of some significant challenges related to the pandemic, and that impeded the ability of staff to be fully successful against a good number of their articulated plans and goals. It is also fair to say that some of the challenges connected to last year – in relation to the combination of the pandemic and the reality of changing the Student Information System (SIS) and its impact on our ability to have reliable data, has also continued to be a notable hurdle to our progress as a system.

Regardless of the many challenges, as we navigate toward what should be the closing months of our 2018-2021 (2022) Strategic Plan, we find that progress is being made in all of strategic direction areas, and the majority of goals are reporting positive gains, although most have seen some setbacks as a result of the pandemic.

Significantly, there are no goals where there was an absence of positive movement.

We will be working diligently to ensure the forward momentum that was being experienced is slowly recultivated over the course of the coming year. It will be important to prioritize a solid balance of care for wellbeing with a culture of high expectations. This will require a strong culture of collaboration and collective efficacy, with a diligent eye toward our equity agenda and an investment of energy and resources in our culture of innovation.

The report is available beginning on page 42 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Student Trustees Update

Student Trustees Sarah Simoes and Sarah Wilson presented their monthly update – covering activities in WCDSB’s secondary schools. It is available beginning on page 125 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Board Chair’s Update

Each month, the Chair of the Board reports on the activities of the Board of Trustees. Chair Jeanne Gravelle’s report for June 2022 is available on page 134 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Upcoming Board Meetings

Committee of the Whole Board Meeting

Monday, September 12, 2022

Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre

Regular Public Board Meeting

Monday, September 26, 2022

Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 48 schools and four adult education facilities, serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary, and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 186-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.

– 30 –

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Monday, June 13, 2022, at the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre.

It’s Time to Sign Up for School!!

It’s time to sign up for the 2022-23 school year – and registering to attend one of Waterloo Region’s 43 Catholic elementary schools has never been easier.

• Children born in 2018 are eligible for Year 1 Kindergarten (JK).
• Children born in 2017 are eligible for Year 2 Kindergarten (SK).

Parents can access the Online Pre-Registration form by clicking on the Register for School link on the WCDSB Homepage and then choosing Kindergarten Registration.

To finalize your child’s registration, please contact your local Catholic school directly.

QUICKFacts

~~ When registering your child to attend a Catholic elementary school you must be prepared to provide proof of the child’s date of birth and either the child’s Catholic baptismal certificate or the Catholic baptismal certificate of at least one parent or guardian.

~~ If you are non-Catholic (including a non-Catholic newcomer to Canada), but wish to explore a Catholic education for your child(ren), please review the WCDSB Admissions to Catholic Elementary Schools policy. Our secondary schools are open to students of all faiths.

~~ A complete list of WCDSB schools that will offer the Extended Day Program in 2021-22 will be web-posted before the end of this current (2020-21) school year. Please call your school directly for information about the Extended Day Program. A complete list of WCDSB schools currently providing the program is available via this link: Extended Day Program.

~~ For information about French Immersion programs in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, please click here: French Immersion Registration Information.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 48 schools and five adult education facilities serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 186-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.

Waterloo Region, ON – Trustees of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board have received the Board’s $333.6 million 2022-23 school year budget.

The budget vote is scheduled for 6 p.m., Monday, June 13, 2022.

Quick Facts

> The overall budget is as follows:

• Total Operating: $311.9 M — ($10.8 M change from 2021-22)
• Total Capital: $21.7 M — ($0.5 M change from 2021-22)
• Total Operating & Capital: $333.6 M — ($11.3 M change from 2021-22)

BUDGET BOOK

> As always, budget decisions are guided by the key priorities captured in the following plans:

• Multi-Year Strategic Plan
• Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement
• Long Term Accommodation Plan
• Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan
• Information Technology Strategic Plan

> Key funding areas of the operating budget include:

• Learning Services — $215.9 M
• Special Education – $40.2 M
• School Operations & Maintenance — $27.2 M
• Student Transportation — $7.9 M
• Adult & Continuing Education — $9.5M
• Board Administration — $11.2M

> The 2022-23 budget has the dual aim of both helping schools recover a sense of normalcy following the tumultuous 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, while also seizing on myriad new opportunities for innovation as we move forward in a vastly changed educational landscape.

> As in 2021-22, budget decisions have also been guided by ongoing in-school health and safety considerations, as we enter the post COVID-19 era.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 48 schools and five adult education facilities serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 186-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.