Meetings

Committee of the Whole Board Meeting

Monday, November 13, 2017 — Meeting Agenda Package

Public Board Meeting

Monday, November 27, 2017 — Meeting Agenda Package

Highlights

Pastoral Plan Update

The 2017-18 school year marks the third, and final year of the WCDSB’s three-year Pastoral Plan. The plan launched in 2015-16 under the theme People of Love. Last year, we transitioned to the second theme of the plan: People of Hope. At that time, Bishop Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., presided at our transitional liturgy. The liturgy attracted staff, students, parents and clergy from every school in the district – along with members of the Board of Trustees. Of note is the fact that when surveyed last school year, 79% of survey responders answered positively that school communities were engaged in understanding and living our pastoral plan. This has continued this year.

At the board’s October 23, 2017 Spiritual Development Day, we formally launched the third theme of the plan: People of Faith. On that day, we revealed our Year of Faith pilgrimage cross that was created specifically to celebrate the Year of Faith – using the gospel story of the Road to Emmaus to frame the district-wide experience of a witness of faith. We have created a schedule for the pilgrimage of the cross so that it visits each of our district schools over the course of this next liturgical year, including stops at our parish churches on weekends whenever possible. The first stop of the pilgrimage is captured in this VIDEO by our Spiritual Animator, Fr. Toby Collins, C.R. For the full update, please CLICK HERE and see pages 12-13.

Teacher Learning & Leadership Program (TLLP)

The Teacher Learning and Leadership Program (TLLP) is an annual project-based professional learning opportunity for experienced classroom teachers. Through the TLLP, the Ministry of Education has, for the past decade, supported hundreds of teacher-led projects across the province. The program funds proposals from classroom teachers who seek a peer leadership role in curriculum, instructional practice or supporting other teachers. The goal of the program is to provide an opportunity for teachers to engage in advanced professional learning and to share their learning with others. The goals are to:

• Create and support opportunities for teacher professional learning.
• Foster teacher leadership.
• Facilitate the sharing of exemplary practice with others for the broader benefit of Ontario’s students.

Successful applicants are required to participate in Ministry-led training, participate in an on-line forum, reflect upon and analyze their learning, and submit a report at the end of the year. Teacher teams work to share as often and fully as possible, their learning and promising practices with colleagues. The full report is available on pages 7-11 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Autism Support Team

The Autism Support Team is a dedicated group of professionals with a focus on the application of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) in the classroom for students with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ABA uses methods based on scientific principles of learning and behaviour to build useful repertoires of behaviour and reduce problematic ones. The ASD Team consists of two Autism Support Facilitators and one Behaviour Analyst.

How to Access the ASD Team

The school principal/special education teacher will make contact with the Special Education Liaison to discuss the need for Autism Support Services. The Special Education Liaison will gather further information and, if necessary, direct the school to make a referral using IEP Lite. Once the Autism Support Facilitator has received the referral, a decision will be made about the level of support required. Such services may include: implementing effective strategies for students with ASD to ensure student success in an educational setting; assisting principals, teachers and support staff in creating behaviour intervention and safety plans for students with ASD; building capacity by offering professional development and training to WCDSB staff for students with ASD; collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team in regards to students with ASD; assisting in the transition of students with ASD. The full report is available on pages 57-58 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

English as a Second Language Update

The WCDSB continues to strive to meet the varied and increased needs of its English Language Learners (ELLs). Staff engage in an ongoing manner with partners and stakeholders throughout the region to ensure that newcomers to Canada experience a transition to school that is as safe and smooth as possible. Support for ELLs is articulated in the WCDSB’s Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement (BIPSA) as educators are called upon to clearly know the needs of these students and respond to them in a collaborative and effective manner. This response, furthermore, is one that is informed and supported by a wide and impressive range of team members (i.e. family members, cultural community leaders, translators, health practitioners, employers and faith community leaders) who work in a dynamic and collaborative manner.

Trends in the number of newcomer students being assessed at the Newcomer Reception Centre indicate that there has been a significant increase in the number of students registering at the WCDSB (JK-Grade 12) from various countries all over the world. The vast majority of these have English as an Additional Language learning needs. The full report is available on pages 59-61 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Environmental Education

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board continues to promote the principles and practices essential to environmental education in various contexts and opportunities. It does so in order to not only meet the goals and targets identified in its Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan but, as well, to fulfill the vision of environmentally aware and responsive graduates described in Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow: A Policy Framework for Environmental Education in Ontario Schools (2009) and Achieving Excellence: A Renewed Vision for Education in Ontario (2014).

On November 27, 2017 the Board of Trustees received a comprehensive report highlighting four key initiatives currently promoted by the WCDSB, to address the vision described above:

• Ontario EcoSchools Program
• Focus on Nature
• Environmental Teacher Training (CODE Project)
• Energize: Sustainable City Challenge

The full report is available on pages 62-68 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Student Trustees Report

Student Trustees Kate Jamieson and Meghan Nemeth presented their monthly report on activities in WCDSB’s secondary schools. Key events this month included Bullying Awareness Week activities and the last meeting of the Student Senate for 2017. Their full report is available on pages 69-70 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Upcoming Board Meetings

Annual Board Inaugural Meeting

Monday, December 4, 2017

Regular Public Board Meeting

Monday, December 11, 2017

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 52 schools and four adult education facilities serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 181-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

On Sunday November 26th, we celebrated the Feast of Christ the King which not only marks the end of our Liturgical year, but reminds all of us to walk more closely in faith with our Lord.  We are very excited to be showcasing our school during our special feast day so all can see that we know that Christ is our King. Jesus is our teacher and we are instruments of His peace where we are called to care, love, and serve one another.

At Christ the King School, we are inspired by the example of Jesus and we believe that together, through “Courage, Teamwork, and Kindness”, we can live and experience our faith in action.  In order to have deeper encounters with our faith, students are actively involved in our school and are leaders in planning, creating, and reflecting on how they can exemplify the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations each and every day.  Throughout the months of October and November, our students have demonstrated what it means to truly believe in forgiveness and the importance of peace in our schools, our community, and our world, as emphasized in our video and the songs we selected.

At Christ the King, we know that it is through Courage, Teamwork and Kindness that we CAN live our lives like Jesus and truly make a difference.

“Pray as if everything depended on God and work as if everything depended on you.”
(In the words of Saint Augustine)

In alignment with the WCDSB Pastoral Plan, St. Augustine Catholic Elementary school community is proud to embrace People of Faith. Our Catholic School community is comprised of 19 classrooms with a committed staff that devotes themselves to developing each and every child in mind, body, and spirit. St. Augustine CES proudly displays “Faith in Action” throughout our school community in a variety of ways.

The Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations (OCSGE) are a focal point for staff and students in our school each and every day. A variety of classes collaboratively lead an assembly to teach their peers about one of the OCSGE that is being highlighted. In this assembly, students are also recognized by their teachers in front of their peers for applying the principles of the OCSGE. These expectations include; I am a Believer, I have a Voice, I have Ideas, I have Responsibilities, I am a Team Player, I Care and I am a Learner for Life. Our classroom Prayer Centre’s proudly display the OCSGE that is the focus for that particular month. At the end of the year, a boy and girl from each classroom who embody all of the OCSGE in their daily interactions, will be recognized and receive The Student Catholic Leadership Award in front of the school community and their families at St. Gregory’s Parish.

We live the gospel values while dedicating much time to our faith journey through daily Religious and Family Life Education, Christian Meditation, sacramental preparations, school-wide liturgical celebrations, and a myriad of social justice initiatives. We feel blessed to work in close partnership with St. Gregory Parish under the spiritual guidance of Father Malcolm Katzenberger. We are thankful to have the support and involvement of a generous parent community, enthusiastic volunteers, and an active Catholic School Council.  We are united in a common purpose, ensuring the student experience is one of a discerning believer formed in our Catholic Faith Community.

We welcomed the Pilgrimage Cross into the St. Augustine CES community by gathering in prayer at a school-wide Liturgy of the Word. We listened to the Gospel Story of The Road to Emmaus and reflected together as a school community before engaging in a whole school Christian Meditation. While the Pilgrimage Cross was present in our school community, all classes engaged in a variety of prayerful activities to deepen our faith; including Christian Meditation, quiet reflection, and a symbolic Pilgrimage Walk together. We believe that the presence of the Pilgrimage Cross in our school community inspired our staff and students to live like Saint Augustine and walk closely with one another and with Jesus.

When watching our Faith in Action video, one of the songs you will hear is 10, 000 Reasons. It is being performed by our school choir with staff on instrumentals. Enjoy!

We are #PeopleofFaith and #WCDSBAwesome!

The Waterloo Region Catholic Schools Foundation (WRCSF) was established in 1994 by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) trustees and administration. The purpose of this registered charity is to help offset the cost of programs and supports that were considered essential to the education of all learners in this community but not funded adequately by the Ministry of Education grants. The three main WRCSF goals are:

• To support program enhancements important to our Catholic education community, but no longer viable through government funding
• To support equity and opportunity for all our learners
• To support the Faith component of Catholic education

The WRCSF is a dynamic, proactive foundation, with a community-based board of directors, committed to supporting the mission of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board and to ensuring the potential in all learners is realized in three essential dimensions: mind * body * soul.

The Annual Bishop’s Banquet is a signature event in the annual WRCSF calendar. The 2018 banquet – held in honour of the Most Rev. Bishop Doulas Crosby, O.M.I. – takes place on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre in Kitchener. Tickets are now available by calling 519-578-3660 ext. 2373 – or by emailing Jody Fritz.

St. Brigid Catholic School represents the true definition of a community. A community is a group of people having common ties or interests and living in the same area. At St. Brigid our community begins with our students, expands to our staff, and then continues to build outward to include our families, and the wider community of Ayr and surrounding farmland.

Our history is a strong part of who we currently are. Originally a group of three settlements, Mudge’s Mills, Jedburgh, and Nithale joined together to form the community of Ayr. Historically, Blessed Sacrament and St. Gregory Parish were an integral part of our faith as we began St. Brigid Mission. We are now bringing the best parts of our past with us to the future as we continue our spiritual growth with the Blessed Sacrament community.

This year will be filled with many new and exciting changes, not only in our faith, but in our school facility. We will be extending our roots to a new building in January 2018. We are 21st century learners who will be moving into a 21st century school. We are filled with gratitude toward the many people who have played an integral role in creating this new facility for us. Each day we look out of our school window into the windows of our future. We are excited to continue our traditions from the past and look forward to creating new ones together in our faith based community.
We always take pride in what we do and say, in all our work and when we play, especially when we can do this as members of a tight knit rural community.

The 2017-18 school year marks the third and final year of the Board’s 2016-18 Pastoral Plan. In 2016, the focus in our schools was centred on what it means to be #PeopleOfLove. In 2017, the focus shifted to being #PeopleOfHope. This year, the focus is on being #PeopleOfFaith. Throughout the year, each WCDSB school will be featured here, demonstrating in their own unique ways how People of Love and People of Hope, working together in community, create Faith in Action. Be sure to check back each week – and be sure to follow along on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire

Each year, the Waterloo Catholic District School Board holds a special Commissioning Ceremony to celebrate the many unique gifts brought to our schools by our newly-appointed Administrators and School Council Chairs. This year’s ceremony – including a special Liturgy of the Word, presided over by the Board’s Spiritual Animator, Fr. Toby Collins, C.R. – asked God’s blessings upon the #PeopleOfFaith whose talents continue to make our schools the #HeartOfTheCommunity, where fostering success for each, and finding a place for all, motivates all we do.

The Commissioning Ceremony concluded with this Prayer for Leaders:

God of all creation who walks with us as we go forward on a mission of Love, Hope and Faith, help all the newly Commissioned to be stewards of that mission in the schools they serve.

May you have the grace and wisdom to act kindly, learning to distinguish between what is personal and what is not.

May you be hospitable to criticism.

May you never put yourself at the centre of things.

May you act not from arrogance but out of service.

May you work on yourself, building up and refining the ways of your mind.

May you learn to cultivate the art of presence, in order to engage with those who meet you.

May you have good friends, to mirror your blind spots.

May leadership be for you a true adventure of growth.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen!