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.

Meetings

Committee of the Whole Board Meeting

Monday, January 14, 2019 – Meeting Agenda Package

Public Board Meeting

Monday, January 28, 2019 — Meeting Agenda Package

Highlights

New Multi-Year Strategic Plan

The Multi-Year Strategic Plan provides the roadmap for the staff of Waterloo Catholic District School Board and proclaims to the broader community our goals and aspirations

The current three-year Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP), approved in December of 2015, concluded at the end of December 2018. In the spring of 2018 a system survey took place to both inform the report card on the current plan and to inform direction for the next iteration of the MYSP.

The new MYSP – presented to the Board of Trustees on January 14, 2019 — continues to be anchored by the role our faith plays in all our experiences in our Catholic schools, our vision for equity and inclusion, the focus areas of graduation rates, numeracy achievement in grade 6 and 9 and secondary literacy achievement, as well as fostering and celebrating our strong culture of innovation.

The new plan is available by clicking here: MYSP

Renewed Math Strategy Update

A comprehensive update was presented to the Board of Trustees on January 14, 2019. The update reported on:

• Elementary and Secondary Math Lead Teacher
• Numeracy PD Day (Nov. 16, 2018)
• Professional learning opportunities for Mathematics Teaching and Learning
• Instructional Coaches’ collaborative inquiries
• Gap Closing Teacher

The full report – with detailed descriptions of the work being undertake in these key areas – is available on pages 11-17 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Professional learning for all educators will continue to be provided in a responsive manner through after school sessions, addressing a variety of concepts. Math Lead Teachers will have further opportunities to engage in distributed leadership as the year unfolds through job-embedded collaboration focused on co-planning, co-teaching and co-debriefing. Collaboration between coaches and educators at schools will benefit from targeted focus on precise coaching moves, capitalizing on relationships that have been built and on refinement of the inquiry process. Gap Closing Teachers, in partnership with classroom teachers, will continue to deepen their understanding of how students learn math and how to best engage students in the applied pathway. Lastly, administrators will receive guidance in supporting educators to comprehend and implement targeted BIPSA goals.

Auditor General’s Report

In the spring of 2018, WCDSB staff were informed by the Ministry of Education that the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario would be conducting an audit of information technology practices employed and supported by the Ministry of Education. As part of the audit, four school boards were selected for field visits by the OAGO:

• Waterloo Catholic District School Board
• Algoma District School Board
• Toronto District School Board
• Peel District School Board

In the months that followed, each board was visited by a team of OAGO staff who sought to learn about boards’ practices in various areas. Overall, WCDSB did well on the audit. Many of the recommendations made by the OAGO were things that WCDSB was already doing. Some of the recommendations rely on the Ministry to take action, and there were good recommendations on ways to increase awareness around cyber-security and privacy. The OAGO’s staff will be following up in the future to ensure the commitments made were completed within the timeframes specified.

For a full list of the recommendations and the proposed WCDSB responses, please see pages 18-22 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Well Being – Healthy Active Living Update

Across the province much research and work has been completed regarding the goal of promoting well-being. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education recognises the importance of well-being and its role as a key factor in overall student success. As a result, the Ministry has created a “Well-Being Strategy for Education”. The four key components of the strategy are:

1) Positive Mental Health

2) Safe and Accepting Schools

3) Healthy Schools

4) Equity and Inclusive Education.

WCDSB’s 2017-18 school year was a banner year from a Healthy Active Living perspective. The Healthy Kids Community Challenge (HKCC) came to a conclusion, our footprint with Healthy Schools programming expanded, two Physical Activity in Secondary School (PASS) Grants worth $15,000 each were awarded, we ran the “Raise the Bar” conference in which 39 of our schools investigated ways to develop Intramural programming and there was a re-investment in the Playground Activity Leaders (P.A.L.S) program.

Next Steps:

Healthy Schools programming and support continues to increase. The St. David Family and Monsignor Doyle Family of schools are the most recent schools to be partnered with the Region of Waterloo Public Health Nurses. The St. Mary’s Family of schools will join the Public Health caseload in late spring/early fall, 2019. OPHEA Healthy Schools Certification will also be a priority within the WCDSB. In 2016-17, WCDSB had four schools certified and nine in 2017-18.

Additionally, the Healthy School goals outlined in the WCDSB Well-Being Strategy have been created in collaboration with the Well-Being Committee and align to form common goals across all four pillars (Safe Schools, Mental Health and Wellness, Healthy Schools, Equity and Inclusion). As a result, Healthy Schools will continue to be a key focus for both staff and students.

The complete update is available on pages 7-10 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

French as a Second Language Update

English-language school boards in Ontario are required to provide students with a minimum of 600 hours of French instructional hours by the end of elementary school. In Secondary, one FSL credit (110 hours) is compulsory for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. A second FSL course can be counted towards the compulsory credits required for the OSSD.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board currently offers four program options for French as a Second Language:

• Core French (offered in grades 4-12 at all sites)
• Intensive French (offered in grade 5 at 4 sites and grade 9-10 at 1 site)
• Advanced Placement (AP) and pre-AP French (offered in grades 9-12 at 2 sites and grades 9-10 at 1 site)
• French Immersion (offered in grades 1-3 at 3 sites and in grade 4 at 2 sites)

A detailed report on these four pillars of the FSL program was presented on January 28, 2018. To view the full report, please see pages 30-35 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Leadership Strategy 2018-19

The Ontario Leadership Strategy (OLS) was developed in 2008-2009 to foster leadership of the highest possible quality in schools and school boards. School and system leaders play a critical role in creating the conditions of success, increasing student achievement, reducing gaps in student achievement and increasing public confidence in publicly funded education. As part of the Ontario Leadership Strategy, each district in the province is provided with funding and support to develop and implement a Board Leadership Development Strategy (BLDS). The overall goal of the program is to develop leadership capacity to support the achievement of goals outlined in the Multi-Year Strategic Plan and the Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement.

Growing from the initial class of 19 aspiring leaders in 2012-2013, the program has now served 527 staff members. A detailed report on the program is available on pages 24-29 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 January 2019 is available on page 36 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Report on Property Matters and Major Construction

An annual report is provided to Trustees as information on the status of vacant properties and those that are being considered for purchase, as well as information on major construction. The status of a number of significant projects is summarized on pages 16-19 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Upcoming Board Meetings

Committee of the Whole Board Meeting

Monday, February 11, 2018

Regular Public Board Meeting

Monday, February 25, 2018

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, January 28, 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.

Winter has finally arrived in Waterloo Region! It’s snow season — and that means it’s time to review the WCDSB’s Inclement Weather Policy.

Winter weather can be very unpredictable. So it’s best to be prepared. Here are some key things to remember – because not every day with snow is a snow day:

~~ Bad weather — such as a snow storm, freezing rain or frigid temperatures — is always a possibility during the winter months. It is very important to dress appropriately for the conditions.

~~ During bad weather, schools and school board administrative sites may still be open, even if school buses are cancelled.

~~ Between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on mornings when inclement weather has been forecast for Waterloo Region, Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region (STSWR) — the arm’s length body that coordinates and operates student transportation for the school boards — assesses the current weather conditions, in consultation with local bus companies, if necessary. If a recommendation to cancel transportation (including potential closure of schools) is to be made, the local school boards are contacted and a joint decision is made between STSWR and the boards.

~~ All reasonable efforts are made to announce any cancellation of buses or school closures by 6:00 a.m. Please note that public announcements will only be made if buses are cancelled and / or schools are closed.

~~ It is recommended that parents, guardians, staff and students tune in a local Waterloo Region radio station and also monitor the following online information sources for information about potential closures or cancellations:

STSWR Website: www.stswr.ca/

STSWR Twitter Feed: @STSWR

WCDSB Website: www.wcdsb.ca/

WCDSB Twitter Feed: @WCDSBNewswire

The WCDSB Summer Boost program is designed to provide an exciting educational program aimed at improving the numeracy and literacy skills of our students during the summer months. Teachers and students experience three fun-filled weeks of learning and growing together.

The school board has not yet received government confirmation of funding for our Summer Learning Programs, including the 2019 Summer Boost Program.

So, at this time we are unable to open Summer Boost registration.

We anticipate that we will have more news regarding funding closer to April 2019.  Any confirmation of programming and /or registration will be posted on the WCDSB website and communicated via Twitter and the board’s Newswire email information service.

Thank you for your interest in Summer Boost – and for your patience as we await word from the Ministry of Education.