The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) has announced that all of its members will be engaging in a one-day strike on Friday, February 21, 2020. This decision affects all Catholic district school boards in Ontario.

As a result of this strike, all Waterloo Catholic District School Board elementary and secondary schools will be closed on February 21.

All programs offered at the WCDSB’s St. Louis Adult Learning & Continuing Education Centres will be cancelled on February 21 —  with the exception of Personal Support Worker programs, which will run on their normal schedules.

All WCDSB extended day programs will be open for the day as usual (7 a.m. to 6 p.m.) for students currently registered in the program.

Community use of schools activities will continue as scheduled.

OECTA’s previously announced job actions will remain in effect before and after February 21.

As before, we remain hopeful the two sides will return to the bargaining table quickly and will come to a fair and respectful agreement that serves the best interests of our students.

All Waterloo Catholic District School Board schools are open and running on their normal schedules during the week of February 10, 2020.

However, as part of the ongoing central bargaining process involving the Ontario government and education workers across the province, the association representing our teachers – the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) – has indicated that in the absence of a negotiated collective agreement, they are expanding their previously announced list of activities no longer being performed by teachers. The new list takes effect on February 11, 2020.

Below you will find the full list.

In practical terms, this means that because schools will not be able to assign teachers any additional supervision or “on-call duties” where they backfill for another teacher, any activity that typically requires a supply teacher or backfill in the local school will be cancelled. This is a necessary step to help maximize the number of supply teachers available to cover classes board wide.

One of the impacts of implementing this contingency plan is that sports events and field trips may need to be cancelled. Some events will proceed as planned if they do not generate the need for a supply teacher.

If there are fees associated with a cancelled field trip or event, they will be reimbursed.

We thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through challenging times, and we continue to remain hopeful the two sides will return to the bargaining table quickly and will come to a fair and respectful agreement that serves the best interests of our students.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees (Committee of the Whole) is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Monday, February 10, 2020 — at the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre.

January 30, 2020

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) has announced that all of its members will be engaging in a one-day strike on Tuesday, February 4. This decision affects all Catholic district school boards in Ontario.

As a result of this strike, all Waterloo Catholic District School Board elementary and secondary schools will be closed on February 4.

All WCDSB extended day programs will be open for the day as usual (7 a.m. to 6 p.m.) for students currently registered in the program.

Community use of schools activities will continue as scheduled.

ADDITIONALLY – As a result of pending strike action announced today by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF), all of the WCDSB’s St. Louis Adult Learning & Continuing Education Centres campuses will also be closed on February 4 — except for all PSW (Personal Support Worker) programs that will be running as per the normal schedules and locations.

As before, we remain hopeful the government, OECTA and OSSTF will return to the bargaining table quickly and will come to a fair and respectful agreement that serves the best interests of our students.

January 30, 2020

At the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, we are grateful for the quality, inclusive, faith-based education provided to our students.

We are proud and thankful to all stakeholders for their contribution to the education provided in our Catholic schools across Waterloo Region and Ontario.

As elected representatives for the WCDSB our primary focus is and always has been on student achievement, well-being and the preservation of Catholic education. Student success is achieved when all board staff, including, but not limited to, teachers, administrators, senior administration and support staff work collaboratively with one another, families, students and the broader community. As a system, we are dedicated to creating a safe and welcoming place for all learners, where all are called to belong and for this, we are thankful.

This is certainly a challenging time for education in Ontario, which is why we will continue to advocate on behalf of students, families and staff to receive the funding and support needed for success. As a Board of Trustees, we believe education must be seen as an investment and a priority.

We hope that there is a return to the bargaining process and that all work collaboratively to reach a resolution that puts our students’ success and well-being first, while continuing to improve upon our world-class education in a responsible, respectful and equitable manner.

Bill Conway, Chair — Waterloo Catholic District School Board

(On Behalf of the WCDSB Board of Trustees)

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) has announced that all of its members will be engaging in a one-day strike on Tuesday, February 4. This decision affects all Catholic district school boards in Ontario.

As a result of this strike, all Waterloo Catholic District School Board elementary and secondary schools will be closed on February 4.

All WCDSB extended day programs will be open for the day as usual (7 a.m. to 6 p.m.) for students currently registered in the program.

Secondary school credit courses, hair styling courses and culinary arts courses offered at the WCDSB’s St. Louis Adult Learning & Continuing Education Centres campuses will be cancelled on February 4. St. Louis guidance and correspondence services will also be unavailable on February 4. All other St. Louis programs will be open and running on their normal schedules.

Community use of schools activities will continue as scheduled.

OECTA’s previously announced administrative job actions will remain in effect before and after February 4.

As before, we remain hopeful the two sides will return to the bargaining table quickly and will come to a fair and respectful agreement that serves the best interests of our students.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Monday, January 27, 2020 — at the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre.

There are more than 40,000 students and staff learning and working in Waterloo Region’s Catholic schools – and each one has their own unique story to tell.

So…we’re very proud to be launching a new website feature called – 40,000 JOURNEYS.

Here’s our introductory VIDEO.

Be sure to bookmark the page and check 40,000 Journeys frequently. You’ll see why learning and working in Waterloo Region’s Catholic schools really is the journey of a lifetime!

Tweet using the hashtag #WCDSB40000Journeys