The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Monday, September 27, 2021 at the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre (35 Weber St. W., Unit A, Kitchener, ON – Boardroom (1st Floor) – Sitting room only due to COVID-19 restrictions).

Agenda:

Public Board Meeting

Other Information:

General Information About WCDSB Board Meetings

Information About the Board of Trustees

(Agenda files can be large. If you are experiencing issues downloading a file, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As…”.)

The WCDSB Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) will be hosting guest speaker Michael Jacques at the upcoming October 6th SEAC meeting.  Michael is a talented, determined and passionate young man living with autism and an intellectual disability.   He lives and works in the Niagara Region where he is a very active member in his community and beyond. Michael has travelled across Canada to share his story to motivate and inspire schools, organizations and our world to critically think about inclusion, diversity and compassion.  He has presented on several occasions at various WCDSB events, sending a passionate and powerful message.  We know you will not be disappointed!

The October 6th SEAC meeting will be divided in two portions.  The first portion, 6:00 pm. to 7:00 p.m. for Michael’s presentation, and the second portion being the official SEAC Meeting.  For those interested in attending Michael’s presentation, please register at the link below.  Space is limited so please register early. Registration deadline is September 30^th 2021.

Please register here: https://forms.office.com/r/AhCMHiggib

For more information about Michael please view this FLYER.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board and District 8 Athletic Association are happy to announce the return of its interschool athletic programming effective September 20, 2021.

Active participation in athletics has known health benefits, including physical fitness and mental wellness.

Athletics provides social interaction which is necessary in a time of uncertainty for our students. It is with this in mind that we have prioritized getting our youth back to play and competition with health and safety as our primary focus.

As the pandemic continues, it is all our responsibilities to take reasonable steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect all individuals who participate in our athletic activities. The WCDSB and District 8 will be implementing every strategy within our ability and as recommended to keep our student-athletes, teacher-coaches, officials and public safe.

In order to offer the safest possible option for a return to sport, all student-athletes (born 2009 and earlier) and teacher-coaches who wish to participate in interschool athletics must show proof of full immunization against COVID-19 (two doses plus 14-day waiting period) OR provide negative rapid antigen test results to their school twice per week.

This protocol will take affect Monday September 20^th when practices and tryouts are able to resume. Competition schedules will be released as soon as they become available. The WCDSB is encouraging schools to organize safe intramural activities at their school, especially for those students born in 2010 or later, so that all ages can enjoy the benefits that physical activity offers.

All officials and volunteer coaches (non-school staff) must be fully immunized against COVID-19 (two doses plus 14-day waiting period). In addition to these very necessary measures, there are additional general protocols to ensure public safety.

These initiatives include but are not limited to; attendance tracking to conduct contact tracing, daily screening prior to participation, sanitization of high touch surfaces, mandatory masking for all individuals not actively involved in play, physical distancing where possible, spectator restrictions and more. Students who wish to learn more about the interschool athletic opportunities at their school should contact their school’s main office and/or athletic director for more information.

International Languages Elementary Program

In September 2021 we plan to host IL classes, using school board approved Google Meet, where students will take part in the remote learning time.  Students will also be assigned on-line and off-line activities with study materials posted to school board approved Google sites.  All activities will focus on real-life, communicative and useful tasks to be completed in the language you have chosen for your child.

In order to participate in the International Languages, learn-at-home program, your child will need to have access to a computer and the internet.

Should we be permitted to return to a physical classroom, each language program will be assigned to a designated location and learning time frame. Parents and Guardians will be contacted regarding the move to a physical classroom.  The priority is to stay safe.

Secondary Language Credits

Registration for IL Secondary for the 2021-2022 school year has been EXTENDED to September 20, 2021 — or until classes are full.

In order to accommodate changing Covid-19 restrictions, IL courses will be offered online at this time. The delivery model could change to blended learning, where students would have the option to attend in school sessions as they complete the work online.

Please check your: email, the St Louis website, and the WCDSB website regularly for updates.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees (Committee of the Whole) is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Monday, September 13, 2021 at the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre (35 Weber St. W., Unit A, Kitchener, ON – Boardroom (1st Floor) – Sitting room only due to COVID-19 restrictions).

Agenda:

Committee of the Whole

Other Information:

General Information About WCDSB Board Meetings

Information About the Board of Trustees

(Agenda files can be large. If you are experiencing issues downloading a file, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As…”.)

Please click HERE to read a special back-to-school message from the Minister of Education.

Trustees of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board have elected Shannon Nash and Hans Roach to fill two vacant seats on the Board of Trustees, representing Kitchener/Wilmot. The election was held during a public meeting on Monday, August 30, 2021 at the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre.

There were 19 registered candidates.

Under the Education Act, when a trustee vacancy occurs, the Board of Trustees must undertake a process to identify a qualified person to serve the remainder of the former Trustee’s current term of office. The Board of Trustees has traditionally used a candidate application / interview process to fill vacant seats.

The students, staff and Trustees congratulate new Trustees Nash and Roach, and thank all those who applied to serve our Catholic schools.

As we get ready to head back to school, we are truly looking forward to a year that allows us to embrace a renewed love of learning, within our faith-based communities.

We remain very grateful for your continued support as we navigate life in the COVID-19 era, and remain ready and willing to assist you as we transition back to what will undoubtedly be a #WCDSBAwesome year!

Please review our full Operational Guidelines to ensure you understand how we are ensuring a safe and happy return to school.

In addition, please be aware of the ongoing expectation that all students, staff and visitors are expected to each day complete the required provincial government COVID-19 Daily Screener online, or download and print a hard copy for daily reference.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees (Committee of the Whole) is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Monday, August 30, 2021 at the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre (35 Weber St. W., Unit A, Kitchener, ON – Boardroom (1st Floor) – Sitting room only due to COVID-19 restrictions).

The purpose of the meeting is to hear presentations by candidates registered to fill two vacant seats on the Board of Trustees, representing Kitchener/Wilmot.

The meeting will be immediately followed by a special meeting of the Board of Trustees, at which the Board will elect the two new Trustees.

The candidates for the vacant Trustee seats are listed in alphabetical order, below.

Dear WCDSB Community,

The last days of summer are winding down and we know that everyone’s thoughts have turned to the return to school. We cannot wait to welcome all our staff and students back! We hope you have had a safe, restful and enjoyable summer. This letter brings a few important updates about our return and provides a link to a much more detailed overview of our Operational Guidelines.

Return to In Person Learning
All schools will be open this September and St Isidore (our virtual school, for those who enrolled last June) will operate dedicated classes at the elementary level. We will use a hybrid model in secondary for those students who have selected online learning for this year. For our elementary students, their classroom is their main cohort, but students will be able to access specialized supports where needed. In secondary – it will be a 2 period day. Each class will be 150 minutes, with a 40 minute lunch in between.

Vaccination
On August 17th the Government of Ontario announced that they (and we by extension) will implement an immunization disclosure policy for all publicly funded school board employees and licensed child cares. For those staff who cannot attest that they are fully vaccinated, they will be completing regular testing before reporting to their school or workplace. The Chief Medical Officer of Health and Waterloo Region Public Health also strongly endorse all students ages 12 and older to access vaccination.

Masking
Students from K to 12 will continue to wear masks. An exemption form is required for any student in grades 1 to 12 who is unable to wear a mask. We will be strongly supporting this precaution, as Public Health and provincial guidance suggests that outside of vaccination, it is our best strategy to promote a healthy and safe environment for all. We ask you to work with us to support students in understanding why we wear a mask and how to do so safely. Those requesting an accommodation under the Human Rights Code should submit their exemption request to their school Principal.

Hand Hygiene and Distancing
We are pleased to share that there will be more access to resources and learning materials. We will take a cautious approach but students will be sharing more objects within their classroom and have access to our learning commons spaces (libraries), so hand hygiene and distancing will remain important practices. School staff will work with students to reinforce the strong habits that ensure a robust and safe learning environment for all.

Daily Screening
All staff and students are still required to complete daily screening, using the Ontario School Screener. The tool is being updated to reflect the new protocols and we will share it and post it in our Operational Guidelines as soon as it is available. This request is extremely important. Any individual who is symptomatic should not come to school, even if they believe it is not COVID-19.

Lockers, Lunches and Recess

• The use of lockers and cubbies will be permitted this year. Once again hand hygiene will be critical, students must be masked at all times in these areas and there is a 5 minute time limit at a locker and students should avoid congregating.
• In secondary there will be some limited use of the cafeteria for selected classes; other students will have the option to eat in their classroom or leave the school building for the lunch period. There will be no food service in the secondary cafeterias.
• Students in K-8 benefit from their breaks, activity and social time at recess. Masks do not have to be worn outside for recess, but it is always an option to do so.

Learning Kits for next year
Finally, just a short word to say that as shared last spring, we will be providing students and families from grades JK – 12 with WCDSB Learning Kits. It is a small way to ensure heath and safety, while saying to you that you matter to us! We value your faith in WCDSB and we cannot wait to welcome you back!

Please review our full Operational Guidelines to ensure you understand how we are ensuring a safe and happy return to school.

We are truly looking forward to a year that allows us to embrace a renewed love of learning, within our faith-based communities. We remain every grateful for your continued support and remain ready and willing to assist you as we transition back to what will undoubtedly be a #WCDSBAwesome year!

Sincerely

Loretta Notten
Director of Education