Meetings
Committee of the Whole Board Meeting
Monday, January 11, 2021 – Meeting Agenda Package
Public Board Meeting
Monday, January 25, 2021 — Meeting Agenda Package
Highlights
Healthy Active Living Report
Healthy Active Living in the WCDSB is integrated across multiple areas of the Multi-year Strategic Plan and plays a key role in fulfilling mental health and well being goals.
The 2019-2020 school year saw evidence of much success within the Healthy Active Living portfolio. The five priorities addressed during the past school year were:
- New Health & Physical Education Curriculum
- Don’t Walk in the Hallway – Physical Literacy Programing
- Foundations of a Healthy School
- Rowan’s Law
- Learn at Home – COVID 19 Program Support
Moving ahead through the remainder of 2020-21, and on into 2021-22, the primary focus in the Healthy Active Living portfolio will lie in supporting schools through a full return to school plan in the Health & Physical Education world.
- New protocols will affect regular routines, including physical activity patterns from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Students are limited in the equipment that they use, the sanitization protocols necessary, and the physical distancing required to keep all students and staff safe.
- At a time in which Physical Education needs to be one of the pillars of mental health and well-being, it will take great creativity and communication to ensure our system of teachers feel fully supported. This will be achieved through weekly emails to the Primary Planning Time Team and the use of the Weekly Announcements platform. Administrators will have the opportunity to have the Healthy Active Living Consultant virtually attend staff meetings so support can be provided directly to educators.
- It will be crucial that plans continue to be flexible as the year progresses, and efforts will be made to communicate with our Public Health office and other school boards across the province to ensure best practices are being observed.
The report is available beginning on page 10 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
Math Strategy Update
As well as providing an update with respect to the following listed math priorities, the report presented on January 11th illustrated how we are responding to the changing landscape of education. Specifically, the report detailed how we are leveraging technology to enhance each student’s learning experience and how we continue to strive to know our learners to respond to their needs & learning achievements — thus moving each student forward along their learning and life journey.
- 2020 Math Curriculum, Grades 1-8 – Addendum to Growing Success & Update on Evaluation of SELs
- Math Coaching Support (Elementary) – Revised, Cycle 1, Nov. 23 – Dec. 18
- October 9 Numeracy PD Day: Elementary & Secondary
- Math Professional Learning Opportunities: Reaching Educators Virtually & Digitally
- Resource Update: Usership Data for Knowledgehook, Mathology.ca & NEW Digital Manipulative Supports
- Secondary Update – Grade 9 Student Feedback, EQAO Field Test, 2021 De-streamed Grade 9 Math Course
Next Steps for Math Professional Learning: Elementary & Secondary
A) Continuation of:
○ Virtual professional learning, via webinars, to respond to teacher & student needs in real time
○ Math coaching support for board-identified schools; support for periphery schools ongoing by consultants; explicit support for St. Isidore staff ongoing by both math coaches and consultants
○ Pre-planned math webinars for all divisions of educators and administrators to support the new elementary curriculum, and the educational landscape serving all learners, as it evolves
○ Keeping educators informed of ministry math resources updates and abreast of all support(s) being offered via the weekly math news updates
B) Purposefully collaborating across Program Services to provide highly-accessible services that are aligned to assist our educators in ‘knowing their learners’ and responding effectively. Prioritizing ‘just-in-time’ support, for all educators, students, and administrators continues to be our collective goal.
The report is available beginning on page 14 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
Extended Day Programs
All school boards in Ontario are required in every elementary school, to ensure the operation of an Extended Day program or third-party operation for children from JK to Grade 6, where sufficient demand exists.
The Extended Day program is an integral part of the Early Learning Kindergarten program at WCDSB and is led by registered Early Childhood Educators (RECE). The program is funded by parent fees and set on a cost-recovery basis.
In 2020, the Board of Trustees approved an Equal Billing Fee for Extended Day Programs not to exceed $26.25 per day, including PD days, Christmas, and March Break.
On January 25, 2021 — to cover rising costs to run the program – the Board of Trustees increased the daily fee to $27.00 per day. Fees are prorated based on school bell times and can be found on the board’s website, along with a list of schools currently offering the program.
The full report is available on beginning on page 34 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
2021 Property and Major Capital Construction Update
Each year, a detailed report is provided to the Board of Trustees summarizing various property transactions that have occurred in the past year, and that will be carried out in the near future.
In September 2019, the Board submitted the following Capital Priority funding requests for consideration by the Ministry of Education:
- A new 1,400 pupil place grade 7-12 school in east Kitchener
- Funding for an additional 164 pupil places at Huron Brigadoon elementary school in south west Kitchener
- Funding for a capital solution for St. John in Kitchener
- Funding for a 350-pupil place school in South West Cambridge shared with the co-terminus board
- Funding for a 400-pupil place school in south west Kitchener (Rosenberg)
- Funding for an 8-classroom addition plus a new gym and library at St. Agnes school in Waterloo
The Ministry has since approved funding for:
- A new 1,400 pupil place grade 7-12 school in east Kitchener
- A total of 650 pupil places plus an 88-space childcare centre on the Huron Brigadoon site in southwest Kitchener
- A 354-pupil place school in south east Cambridge
- An 8-classroom addition plus a new gym and library at St. Agnes school in Waterloo
The report also provides detailed property disposition and acquisition information, as well as an update on major construction projects.
The full report is available on beginning on page 37 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
Trussler North Administrative Boundary Adjustment
On January 18, 2021, the WCDSB’s Executive Council approved an administrative boundary adjustment between St. Paul CES and Blessed Sacrament CES, effective immediately.
St. Paul CES has a capacity of 303 pupil places, and in 2020/21 has 7 portables on the site. The Long Term Accommodation Plan (2020) identifies that the school is projected to be at 167% capacity by 2022, and 190% by 2024. Further, there are 590 unbuilt low density residential units in known plans of subdivision identified within the St. Paul CES attendance boundary. Most of the forecasted enrolment pressure is generated from the Trussler North area, which is bussed to St. Paul, but located in Kitchener Southwest.
As shown on the maps, board administration has redirected future students in the lower ‘Bussed to St. Paul’ area to Blessed Sacrament. Blessed Sacrament can better handle additional enrolment and will also be part of the Huron Brigadoon Boundary Review Process.
No students are affected by these minor adjustments, and as such, no community consultation is required.
The full report is available on beginning on page 42 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
Huron-Brigadoon Boundary Review
Addressing enrolment pressure in South West Kitchener has been a board priority for many years. A boundary review was first undertaken in this area in 2008/2009 and involved Blessed Sacrament CES, John Sweeney CES, Monsignor Haller CES, Our Lady of Grace CES, St. Kateri Tekakwitha CES, and St. Timothy CES. The phased implementation of that review included the construction of a new school in Huron Brigadoon.
In July 2011, the board received funding approval to construct a new 400 pupil place elementary school in Huron Brigadoon. In the absence of a new Huron Brigadoon school, a report was brought to Trustees in October 2013 to implement various boundary changes in South West Kitchener, and revise the boundaries of the 2008/2009 Phase 1 decision.
In 2015, a further commitment was received to fund the construction of five childcare rooms. Due to development delays, the board was not able to purchase the Huron Brigadoon site as planned.
In August 2019, the board was finally able to purchase the Huron Brigadoon school site.
It is now necessary to establish a boundary for the new Huron Brigadoon school in advance of its opening and redraw the boundaries of existing schools in the area to ensure enrolment relief, where feasible, and sustainability of enrolment.
Consequently, on January 25, 2021 the Board of Trustees approved initiation of the Huron Brigadoon Boundary Review to include Blessed Sacrament CES, John Sweeney CES, Our Lady of Grace CES, and St. Kateri Tekakwitha CES, with the purpose of creating a boundary for the new Huron Brigadoon Catholic Elementary School. The timeline for the boundary review will be finalized in February, 2021.
The full report is available on beginning on page 50 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 Melanie Van Alphen’s report for January 2021 is available on page 75 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
Student Trustees Update
Student Trustees Abby Barbosa and Kate Morrison presented their monthly update – covering activities in WCDSB’s secondary schools. It is available beginning on page 72 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
Upcoming Board Meetings
Committee of the Whole Board Meeting
Monday, February 8, 2021
Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre
Regular Public Board Meeting
Monday, February 22, 2021
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 185-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.
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