From the Boardroom - April 19, 2016

From the Boardroom - April 19, 2016
Posted on 04/21/2016
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PRESENTATIONS

St. Thomas Aquinas High School

Principal Paul White along with Teacher Barry Kraynyk and Chaplain Dean Woodbeck provided a presentation on the amazing things happening at St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

Dean Woodbeck began the presentation by sharing information on the school's focus on Opening Doors of Mercy. The school took inspiration from the "Year of Mercy" that was announced by Pope Francis as a time of grace, peace, conversion and joy. The school has stones with the word 'Mercy' written on it as well as a new water fountain. There are pictures in the chapel of students or staff that have shown mercy. Woodbeck shared that the high school continues to be committed to the community through its social justice work with the Rotary Club, Agape Table, We Day participation, the Youth in Philanthropy Program and the Christmas Cheer Program.

Teacher Barry Kraynyk showed a video called 'A Show of Faith' that he and grade 11 student Shawn Ralko recently produced. The video was created to showcase the distinct differences of a Catholic education at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. The video highlighted interviews from staff and students about how Catholic schools are distinct and different and showcased examples of how faith values are infused in all aspects of the daily lives of students from arts, athletics and academics. The video will also be shown by the Northwest Catholic District School Board to promote a Catholic high school in their region. Click here to watch A Show of Faith.

Grade 7/8 Reshaping Learning Spaces

Jamey Robertson, Innovation and Creativity Coordinator along with Nicole Lentz, Grade 7/8 Department Head and a delegation of grade 7 and 8 students provided a presentation on the new demo 'studio' classroom in the grade 7/8 wing. The team unveiled the new demo classroom design at the board meeting and took the trustees on a tour of the new learning environment. The new demo classroom was recently set up with innovative furnishings with a moveable layout and no teacher desk. Staff and students at the high school have been involved with the project from the start. Robertson shared that the project has been a collaboration with David Jakes one of the authors of the Third Teacher written with the premise that the teacher is the 1st teacher, students are the 2nd teacher and the environment is the 3rd teacher. The grade 7/8 classrooms were re-envisioned to be more like 'studios' and less like traditional classrooms. Students are able to reconfigure the space based on their needs and are able to be creative, artistic, relaxed and more comfortable. Teacher Nicole Lentz shared that it all started with the concept of bring the 'home' back into homeroom and grew into something much bigger. To read more about this story click here.

Soccer Skills Development Program

St. Thomas Aquinas High School Teacher Clint Fenelon and Healthy Living Lead Megan Derouard along Mandy a grade 5 student in the program, provided a presentation on the board's new Soccer Skills Development Program. The afterschool program is being offered in partnership with the Kenora Athletic Soccer Club. The program is designed to be a fun, grassroots program for all skill levels that help children get their 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily physical activity per day. Mandy shared that the program is teaching kids soccer skills and teamwork and it's fun. To read more about this story click here.

Financial Services Plan

Alison Smith, Manager of Financial Services provided a presentation on the Financial Services Plan. Smith shared that the increased Ministry of Education reporting requirements due to labor relations has been time consuming for both Human Resources and Financial Services. The department is continuing to focus on interim financial reporting and monthly bank reconciliations to ensure that the board's financial information is timely and accurate. The department is preparing for a potential software migration as well as the continued implementation of the yearlong budget process. The budget process is designed to align with board and school strategic plans.

REPORTS

2016/2017 Grants for Student Needs

Alison Smith provided a report on the 2016/17 Grants for Student Needs. Alison shared that the Ministry of Education has announced a 1.4% increase to the per pupil funding for 2016 - 2017. The government also announced an investment in First Nation, Métis and Inuit education funding. The increased funding will allow school boards to establish a position that is dedicated to supporting the implementation of the Ontario First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education Policy Framework. In addition, the Grants for Student Needs reflects financial support for school boards in the implementation of the central labor agreements.

Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association 2016 Resolutions

Frank Bastone, Board Chair provided the trustees with a copy of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association 2016 Resolutions. All trustees were asked to review the resolutions in preparation for the OCSTA Annual General Meeting taking place April 28 -30th.

Student Trustee Report

Student Trustee Angela Myshkowsky provided a report on the notable accomplishments, humanitarian activities and events happening at St. Thomas Aquinas High School during March. You can watch Angela's full video report here.

Next Board Meeting

The Next Board Meeting of the Kenora Catholic District School Board is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17th at 7:00 p.m. at St. John School in the annex. Video Conferencing is available from the Catholic Education Center in Kenora. Everyone is welcome to attend. For a full listing of Board Meetings please click here.

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