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

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board’s Catholic Parent Involvement Committee invites you to join us for a very special, inspiring and motivational evening. Our special guests are Becky Kellar-Duke, four-time Olympian, and Rick Osborne who speaks on his personal story and youth addiction.  The event is free and childcare available.

Tickets are still available for the annual WCDSB Bishop’s Banquet — Tuesday, May 14, 2019 @ Resurrection Catholic Secondary School in Kitchener.

FOR TICKETS & INFORMATION CONTACT MS. JODY FRITZ:

TEL: 519.578.3660 EXT. 2373 OR EMAIL: JODY.FRITZ@WCDSB.CA

A CHARITABLE RECEIPT  WILL BE ISSUED FOR A PORTION  OF THE TICKET PRICE

Dear WCDSB families, students, staff, and interested community members:

We are busy preparing our budget for the next school year!  Each year, as part of our budget development process, we ask stakeholders for input on areas of the budget that have the flexibility to incorporate community feedback into our financial planning.

The budget survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and anyone and everyone with an interest in Catholic education in the Region of Waterloo is welcome to fill it out.

The survey is open now and will close on March 25, 2019.  Results of the survey will be shared as part of the 2019-20 budget presentation which will take place at Resurrection Catholic Secondary School in Kitchener on June 3, 2019.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/wcdsbbudget19-20

Last year’s (2018-19) board budget is available by clicking HERE.

We thank you for your feedback — and for your ongoing support of Waterloo Region’s Catholic schools!

Meetings

Committee of the Whole Board Meeting

Monday, February 11, 2019 – Meeting Agenda Package

Public Board Meeting

Monday, February 25, 2019 — Meeting Agenda Package

Highlights

Annual Report – Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region (STSWR)

Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region (STSWR) has been serving the Waterloo Catholic District School Board since 2007 through the provision of home to school transportation services for our students. This is accomplished by contracting with school bus and taxi operators to service routes built by STSWR transportation technicians. STSWR is owned by the Waterloo Region District School Board and Waterloo Catholic District School Board. Each board pays an equal share of management costs. In addition, each board pays for their direct costs of transportation and a prorated share of overhead (based on ridership).

Many jurisdictions in Ontario are struggling with transportation, be it significant increases in rates charged by operators, driver shortages, or legal issues. STSWR has not been immune to these challenges (driver shortages being one of them), but for the most part costs have been reasonable and service levels have been stable.

Progress was made during 2017-18 in the following areas:

• Significant reduction in incidences of speeding through the use of GPS technology
• Expansion of the School Travel Planning program using provincial grants
• Bus evacuation training (introduction of a new program)
• Installation of alcohol sensors on school vehicles
• Better compensation for bus drivers

The full report is available on pages 11-27 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Kindergarten Program Update

For most Waterloo Catholic District School Board students and their families, the initiation to Catholic education begins in Kindergarten. For decades, the WCDSB has been at the forefront of educational excellence and progress at this key developmental stage. This two-year program, “…is a child-centred, developmentally appropriate, integrated program of learning for four- and five-year-old children. The purpose of the program is to establish a strong foundation for learning in the early years, and to do so in a safe and caring, play-based environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of all children.” (The Kindergarten Program, 2016, p. 8)

Within the WCDSB’s Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement (BIPSA), Kindergarten is addressed in many ways:

• A focus on supporting students in reading, comprehending and producing increasingly complex texts using meaning cues, syntax cues, and visual cues (semantics, syntax, phonology, pragmatics, and morphology).
• A focus on increasing student achievement in Mathematics within the Number Sense and Numeration strand (NSN). Specifically, we are working on developing a deep understanding of quantity and magnitude.
• A prioritization of community partnerships and early interventions to support children and families as they prepare for success in our schools.

To read the full program update, please see pages 28-32 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Parent Engagement Update

Ontario’s Parent Engagement Policy recognizes many different forms of parent engagement, and that each is an important contributor to student and school success. Within the policy, parent engagement includes:

• Providing a positive learning environment at home, actively working with children to support what they are learning in school, and making learning an important part of the day
• Having productive conversations with teachers so that there is clear communication between the school and the home
• Becoming involved in school activities and volunteering to help with school events, trips and other activities
• Participating in School Councils at the school level and Parent Involvement Committees at the board level to provide perspective.

The WCDSB has continually focused on supporting the partnership between home and school to meet the various forms of parent engagement as presented in the Ontario Parent Engagement Policy by promoting and supporting:

• Celebration of our Catholic School Advisory Council Chairpersons through our WCDSB annual commissioning ceremony
• Parent Reaching Out Grant applications, system and regional
• Supporting Schools and Parent Involvement Committees through “Grassroots Sharing Events”

The complete Parent Engagement Update is available on pages 33-37 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Special Education Foundational Math Update

WCDSB builds capacity, skills and knowledge in educators to ensure that high quality programs and services are provided for all our students. The Special Education Liaisons are responsible for building capacity with educators in our WCDSB community.

We are continuing to foster a system of inclusion that nurtures the whole student, ensuring wellness across their development; spiritually, emotionally, socially, physically and academically. During the 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years, Learning Disabilities and Mathematics has been a focus for professional learning for our WCDSB staff. The WCDSB support model is based on the “Learning for All” Ministry Document, which uses a tiered approach for supporting student learning in Mathematics.

Our goal for this 2018-19 school year is to create socially and academically inclusive classrooms through a collaborative model of Resource Teacher Support. By developing the role of the resource teacher through a collaborative model of support in Mathematics, we will endeavor to ensure that Mathematics is accessible for all learners.

The complete update is available on pages 12-17 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 21 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 February 2019 is available on page 22 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Upcoming Board Meetings

Committee of the Whole Board Meeting

No Meeting

Regular Public Board Meeting

Monday, March 25, 2019 — Cafeteria: 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

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Monday, February 25, 2019 — at the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre.

Meeting Agenda

General Information About WCDSB Board Meetings

Information About the Board of Trustees

Directions to the Catholic Education Centre

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.

Immunizations protect children from many serious vaccine-preventable diseases that are easily spread in schools.

The Immunization of Schools Pupils Act (ISPA) requires all elementary and secondary school students to have proof of immunization against:

• Diphtheria
• Tetanus
• Polio
• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella
• Meningococcal Disease
• Pertussis (whooping cough)
• Varicella (chickenpox) – for children born after 2010

Without proof of immunization — or a valid exemption — students may be suspended from school until updated records are provided to Region of Waterloo Public Health.

This year, Public Health will send a letter directly to families whose immunization records are not up to date.

Suspensions for out of date immunizations for elementary students will begin on March 27, 2019.

What do I do if my child is not immunized?

Contact your health care provider and book an appointment to receive any needed immunizations.

Be sure to bring your immunization record with you.

If you do not have a health care provider, call Public Health at 519-575-4400 or make an appointment with the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) Clinic by contacting Public Health at 519-575-4400 ext. 5003.

How do I report my child’s immunizations?

Please submit all immunization records directly to Region of Waterloo Public Health. Do not submit them to your school.

You can submit records online at e-immunization-regionofwaterloo.ca or by calling 519-575-4400 ext. 5001 (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday) or in person at any Public Health location – 99 Regina Street South, Waterloo or 150 Main Street, Cambridge.

Please click HERE for more information about ISPA and the student immunization process.