wcdsbadmin, Author at Waterloo Catholic District School Board

End of Year Message from the Director of Education

I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well.

Psalm 139:14

Once again we have arrived at the end of another school year. As always I am filled with awe and wonder for all that has transpired between the bookends of September and June. One only need pause for but a moment and think back on the year that was, to be filled with a sense of gratitude and accomplishment. I am also conscious that it has not been a year without loss, some quite profound, as we have lost valued staff, students and Waterloo Catholic community members who we know have left voids in our lives. Our remarkable faith gives us strength however, as we contemplate that they walk beside us in different ways now, but hopefully still giving us the strength and soul-nourishment we require.

I do spend the latter part of this month attending a number of graduations and you cannot help but feel a sense of pride as you observe the students being acknowledged and you listen to the various valedictorians speak to their diverse experiences, those that make them laugh, those that make them cringe and those that they will carry for the remainder of their lives. While we most certainly value the learning and they do remark on those memorable classroom experiences, it tends to be the encounters of faith, their relationships, and their extra-curricular experiences which emerge as the most compelling of those memories.

In these final months I have had the good fortune to bring updates of our accomplishments at the Bishop’s Banquet, at our Community Leaders’ Breakfast and within our Strategic Plan Report Card to Board, to name a few. In each case it was possible to point to a breadth of accomplishment where our pastoral plan theme of #CalledToBelong is authentically realized, where our desire for an integrated Well Being Plan is prioritized and where student achievement is thriving.

It has not been an easy year in every respect and the government announcements that informed our budget process have been challenging. I am proud of the work of the senior team and grateful to them for their dedication throughout that difficult process. Our system will continue to serve our students and serve them well, with love, with hope and with faith. Our system is growing and confidence in our community that provides faith-based, quality, inclusive education remains strong. For those that are transitioning to new roles or retiring altogether – gratitude for all you have contributed and best of happiness and fortune in your next chapter.

Thank you for all you have done, regardless of your role in our system, to ensure that our students have enjoyed the very best education possible. Our board is so multi-faceted and that diversity is truly beautiful. Just as the students we serve are all so different, all our staff bring unique talents and gifts, that when realized in the service of our students, make Waterloo Catholic truly a place that is Heart of the Community, where there is Success for Each and A Place for All. As the pace slows, take the time to fully embrace the gentler days and those for whom you care. Know that you are valued as a member of our Waterloo Catholic family. May God hold you in the palm of His hand until we meet again.

Sincerely,

Loretta Notten – Director of Education

June 27th, 2019|

Catholic Education Centres – Summer Hours

Canada Day and Civic Holiday

The Canada Day holiday will be observed on Monday, July 1, 2019. The Civic Holiday is Monday, August 5, 2019. The CEC will be closed on these days.

Summer Office Hours (open to the public)

The following schedule reflects the times the CEC will be open beginning Monday, July 8, 2019:

Monday to Thursday – 8:30am to 4:30pm
Friday – closed

The regular schedule will resume on Monday, August 26, 2019.

CEC Summer Shutdown

While the CEC will remain open during the entire summer period, there will be significantly reduced business activity from July 22 to August 9, 2019 with a high level of vacation.

June 26th, 2019|

enCOMPASS Portals

The enCOMPASS Parent Portal and enCOMPASS Student Portal have been shut down for regular summer maintenance and will be available again to users on September 16^th, 2019.

June 26th, 2019|

Fourteen WCDSB Schools Earn “Healthy Schools” Certifications

Waterloo Region, ON – Fourteen Waterloo Catholic District School Board schools have been awarded “Healthy Schools” certifications by the Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (OPHEA) – including all five WCDSB secondary schools.

Nine WCDSB schools received Healthy Schools certifications in 2017-18.

Quick Facts

Participating schools across Ontario completed the 6-Step Healthy Schools Process, which aligns with the Ministry of Education’s Foundations for a Healthy School resource document. This process guides a school community through planning and implementation of a range of activities for a selected priority health topic. The process is annual, repeating each school year, and flexible for all communities across Ontario to sustain year over year. School teams focus on one of the following six health topics:
- Physical Activity
- Healthy Eating
- Personal Safety and Injury Prevention
- Growth and Development
- Mental Health
- Substance Use, Addictions and Related Behaviours

While a healthy school community aims to promote health in all six of the interconnected health topics, selecting a priority health topic based on each school community’s needs and assets helps focus the work of the school team. By focusing on one health topic comprehensively across as many of the five Foundations for a Healthy School areas as possible, schools are better positioned to have a deeper impact on their broader school communities.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 48 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.

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For more information, please contact:

John Shewchuk – Chief Managing Officer

(519) 578-3660 | john.shewchuk@wcdsb.ca

June 25th, 2019|

Multi-Year Strategic Plan Report Card

The Education Act requires school boards to develop multi-year plans that are three years or more in scope. The plans provide focus and direction to the board to achieve Ministry of Education goals and, equally as important, articulate the vision of the school board.

In June of 2018 the Board of Trustees accepted the final report card on the 2015-2018 Multi-Year Strategic Plan. Within that work was found stakeholder feedback regarding our previously identified Mission, Vision, Beliefs and three core Strategic Priorities.

There was a high affirmation rate for each, and thus it was identified at that time that those would remain constant and provide a foundational framework for a new strategic plan that was approved in December, 2018.

Informed by the MYSP survey completed in the spring of 2018, the June 2018 MYSP report card, and a number of conversations throughout of the fall of 2018, the Director and Senior Staff worked to identify both new Strategic Directions and corresponding goals for each of the three pre-identified strategic priorities.

There was an eye toward reducing the number of strategic directions and the number of goals. Nine strategic directions were reduced to six and 32 goals were reduced to 17.

Each of the six identified Strategic Directions of the MYSP have two to four goals which provide a focus to assist in the attainment of our Mission and Vision. For each of those goals, there are also a number of finite actions that were identified within the plan, that are seen as integral to the attainment of the articulated goals.

Each of the WCDSB staff departments responsible for the MYSP’s goals has completed a Strategic Direction Action Status Report in which they have reported back on the activities undertaken under the auspices of the strategic direction priority area.

As we navigate the early months of our 2018-2021 Strategic Plan, we find that four of six Strategic Directions and 15 of 17 goals are progressing at an optimal level, having been rated at “Green” or “Effectively Meeting Standard”.

Two of the six Strategic Directions have some combination of “Green” (Effectively Meeting Standard) and “Orange” (Approaching Criteria), with the majority still being “Green”, as only two of 17 goals have been deemed to be “Orange.

There are no goals that have been assessed at “Red” (Not Meeting Criteria).

To review the detailed Report Card, please CLICK HERE and proceed to page 32.

We will be working diligently to ensure the forward momentum currently being experienced is maintained in the coming year. This will require a strong culture of collaboration, collective efficacy, high expectations and innovation.

There are many points of celebration and there is clear direction in terms of the work for the year ahead. We can be most proud that our Vision and Mission – which are firmly rooted in our faith and gospel values – are recognized as our strongest or most clearly affirmed indicator.

June 19th, 2019|

Catholic Trustees Approve $299.9 Million Balanced Budget

Waterloo Region, ON – Trustees of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board have approved the Board’s $299.9 million 2019-20 school year budget.

Government policy changes involving class sizes, reduction in per-pupil funding, and cancellation of the Local Priorities Fund have led to an overall reduction across the school system of approximately $10 million, impacting staff as well as student programming and resources.

The government continues to consult with stakeholders on specific policy changes. As a result, further funding amendments may be introduced in the coming months.

Quick Facts

The overall budget is as follows:
- Total Operating: $278.9 M (+ $5.6 million)
- Total Capital: $20.9 M (+ $2.2 million
- Total Operating & Capital: $299.9 M (+ $7.8 million)

Some of the strategies used to balance the budget include:
- Reduction of support staff and academic staff throughout the system
- Reduction of school budgets
- Reduction of maintenance budgets
- Deferral of equipment purchases including laptops, Chromebooks, vehicles, furniture, and custodial equipment
- Reduction of departmental PD budgets and PD requiring release time

Further, a spending freeze was implemented in 2018-19 to increase surpluses available for 2019-20 and future years, should they be needed.

While the depth and breadth of the proposed reductions may seem daunting, WCDSB Senior Administration believes the school system is resourced in a way that provides students with opportunities, experiences, and instruction that are the envy of most jurisdictions in the world.

The WCDSB continues to be proud of our strong graduation rates and EQAO scores, a diverse and supported student population whose families value faith-based education, and staff committed to student success and wellness. Additionally, enrolment continues to grow at record rates, with a projected 3.3% increase over 2018-19 and a gain in student market share over 2017-18.

GREEN ALERT!!! All 48 WCDSB Schools Officially Certified as Ontario EcoSchools!!

Waterloo Region, ON – The Waterloo Catholic District School Board proudly announces that all 48 WCDSB elementary and secondary schools have been officially certified as Ontario EcoSchools.

The WCDSB is among just a handful of Ontario school boards to have reached the 100% certification milestone.

The board joined the program in 2011, with seven certified EcoSchools, and had set an ambitious target of having all schools certified by the end of the 2018-19 school year.

This year, five schools reached the prestigious Platinum level, 19 schools achieved Gold status, 19 schools achieved Silver status and five schools achieved Bronze status.

The results for each school follow below:

QuickFacts

>> In his encyclical, Laudato Si’ (On Care for our Common Home), Pope Francis reminds us that “Along with the importance of little everyday gestures, social love moves us to devise larger strategies to halt environmental degradation and to encourage a ‘culture of care’ which permeates all of society”. The WCDSB supports this call to action via its Environmental Education, Stewardship and Sustainability Committee and a robust Environmental Education, Stewardship and Sustainability Policy which has been in place since 2009. “Promoting stewardship of the Earth and its resources” is a key Strategic Goal of the WCDSB’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan.

>> Ontario EcoSchools is an environmental education program for grades 1-12 that helps students develop ecological literacy while engaging in practices to become environmentally responsible citizens. This is a perfect fit with the philosophy in Waterloo Region’s Catholic Schools that sustainable development means “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The program works with 58 Ontario school boards and more the 1,900 elementary and secondary schools.

>> Platinum certification allows high-achieving schools to deepen their existing program through rich opportunities that engage students in environmental learning and practice. In order to be eligible for Platinum certification schools must have:

- Certified for at least five years with no more than a one-year gap
- Certified at the Gold level for at least three of those five years
- Certified Gold in the year prior to the Platinum application

Administrative Boundary Change – St. Kateri Tekakwitha CES & St. Timothy CES

The purpose of the administrative boundary change between St. Kateri Tekakwitha and St. Timothy is to alleviate growth pressures at St. Kateri Tekakwitha. Currently, St. Kateri Tekakwitha has nine portables on site, and St. Timothy has no portables. Within these two school boundaries, there are approximately 1658-2985 low density residential units planned with the majority of units falling within St. Kateri’s existing school boundary. The long term solution for this area is the new Doon South school, which is subject to Ministry funding and land acquisition.

The table below shows the enrolment projections for both schools:

As a partial interim solution, the school board’s Executive Council approved moving the area outlined in red on the map below from St. Kateri to St. Timothy effective immediately. This boundary generally follows Blair Creek Drive to Stauffer Woods Trail. This area currently falls within St. Kateri’s boundary and contains 660-860 low density residential units, which equates to approximately 66-86 future students. St. Timothy is under capacity, and has the ability to add up to six portables without any modifications to the school site.

June 4th, 2019|

Two WCDSB Students Bring Home Skills Ontario Hardware!

During the week of May 6-8, 2019, a total of 18 WCDSB secondary school students competed at the Provincial Skills Ontario Competition at the Toronto Congress Center – with two students bringing home some hardware! Please congratulate:

Wesley Richardson, Resurrection C.S.S. – SILVER Medalist – Job Interview

Chrislyn De Jong, Resurrection C.S.S. – BRONZE Medalist – Hairstyling

The Skills Ontario Competition is Canada’s largest skilled trades and technology competition. There were approximately 30,000 spectators on hand during the week to watch more than 2,400 of the brightest young people of this province compete in one of the more than 70 contests and challenges for students from Grade 4 to College.

All competitors put in their best efforts and made the WCDSB Community proud! Congratulations to all students who competed and thank you to all the teachers and mentors who supported them along the way!

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May 29th, 2019|

WCDSB Board Meeting Bulletin — May, 2019

Meetings

Committee of the Whole Board Meeting

Monday, May 13, 2019 – Meeting Agenda Package

Public Board Meeting

Monday, May 27, 2019 — Meeting Agenda Package

Highlights

School Travel Planner Update

Managing traffic flow around school sites, ensuring pedestrian safety, demonstrating respect for neighbours and their properties, and a continued interest in the mental and physical health of our students have ‘driven’ the need for centralized resources to support schools and communities.

The School Travel Planner has been in place now for three years and has been a very welcomed addition and support to all participating partners in the Region. The partners are:

Waterloo Catholic District School Board
Waterloo Region District School Board
City of Kitchener
City of Cambridge
City of Waterloo

School Travel Planning and the Active and Safe Routes to School initiative have blossomed across the province as a leading practice that is good for kids and their communities.

Highlights of the past year include:

Working with municipalities and townships to increase the availability of crossing guards when weather conditions are not ideal
Working with schools and families to increase active travel to school
Working with administrators, Board planning staff, and municipalities to improve traffic flow and safety at school sites
Designating six new schools at ‘Active Communities’
Training students as ‘Trailblazers’ – leaders in walking to school
Planning and organizing walk to school days – Winter Walk Day, International Walk to School Day, and Walk in their Sneakers Day
Data collection and development of outreach programs

On May 13, 2019 the architect of our local school travel planning, Leslie Maxwell, provided the Board of Trustees additional highlights of the team’s work in our schools over the past year. The full report is available on pages 8-25 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Numeracy Update

The WCDSB’s most recent update on numeracy initiatives across the school system was presented on May 13, 2019. The report provided updated information with respect to the following:

Elementary and Secondary Math Lead Teacher
Professional Learning Opportunities for Mathematics Teaching & Learning
Instructional Coaches’ Collaborative Inquiries
Gap Closing Teacher
Cross-Panel Financial Literacy Initiative

Throughout this school year, various networks in mathematics took place in an equitable manner. Each school in both panels took part in the Math Lead Teacher learning community in order to build system capacity in mathematics K-12. Additionally, numerous after-school professional learning sessions were offered to educator audiences from K-10. Our focus of deepening pedagogical content knowledge continues to drive professional learning as it relates to our Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement (BIPSA) priorities. In moving forward, the board plans to expand financial literacy integration to more educators, continue to support the Ministry focus around fundamentals of math, and capitalize on the distributed leadership already in place.

The full report is available on pages 26-30 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Special Education Plan Update

All school boards are required every two years to prepare and approve a Special Education Plan, reporting on the special education programs and special education services they provide, and to submit it to the Ministry of Education. A key component of this process is the Special Education Staff Development Plan.

The goal of the Special Education Staff Development Plan is to build capacity, skills and knowledge for administrators, teachers (classroom and Special Education teachers), Educational Assistants and professionals to ensure that high quality programs and services are provided for our students. The aim of the review is to ensure that certain standards are maintained across the province in the development and provision of special education programs and services. Where the ministry determines that a board’s plan does not comply with the standards, the ministry will require the board to amend its plan. Amending the plan will include responding to identified omissions. Boards will make the necessary changes and submit the amendments to the ministry the following year.

The WCDSB closely monitors how students on IEP’s are achieving, particularly in the area of numeracy. The Student Services Department, in collaboration with Program Services, strive to provide timely learning opportunities across a wide range of audiences in feedback gathered through surveys, data collection and audits. We utilize technology, expertise, guest speakers and collaboration as a means to foster engagement in the learning process. Success is measured through the use of logic models.

As of January 22, 2019, approximately 13% of students in Elementary (2,352) and 19% of students in Secondary (1,648) are supported with an IEP (Figure 1). Relative to two years previous (2017), we have proportionally fewer students with an IEP, when there were 14% of students in Elementary and 24% of students in Secondary.

The accompanying graphic illustrates the Special Education Staff Training planned for 2019-20.

The full update is available on pages 16-22 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Energy Conservation Plan

Ontario school boards are required to prepare a 5-year energy conservation and demand management plans for the period 2018-19 to 2023-24. School boards must produce a document that outlines their progress against the plan that was completed in the previous reporting period (ending 2017-18). This includes:

the energy management measures that were implemented from fiscal year 2013-14 through fiscal year 2017-18; and
the actual energy conserved against the stated annual and cumulative energy conservation goals.

In addition, each plan must set out the Board’s energy management strategies for next five years. It must include:

the proposed measures to reduce energy consumption;
the annual and cumulative conservation goals; and
the demand management strategies.

Through our Environmental Education, Stewardship and Sustainability policy, the WCDSB is actively addressing long-term sustainability in the following key areas: Energy & Water; Purchasing & Waste; Buildings & Grounds; Food & Drink; Inclusion & Participation; and Local Well-Being. This is in keeping with the guidance of Pope Francis in his historic encyclical, Laudato Si’ – On Care for our Common Home as well as WCDSB’s own mission and vision.

To address climate change and associated negative impacts, in the fall of 2016, the WCDSB established a target to reduce its energy use by 1% (661,755 ekWh) annually from the 2013-14 level by 2023. In addition, as part of the Regional Carbon Initiative, in the fall of 2015 the WCDSB became an observing member of Sustainable Waterloo Region and in December 2016 the Board became a pledging partner to reduce 20% of its GHG emissions from 2014 levels over a 10-year period.

To meet this target, WCDSB has implemented conservation measures through design, construction, as well as operation and maintenance of facilities. Additionally, a renewed focus has been placed on behavioural measures with programs targeted to staff and students across the system. Since the 2013-2014 fiscal year, the board has invested $22,300,000 in diverse energy reduction strategies such as the upgrade of mechanical and HVAC equipment, new rooftop units, new roofs, new windows and doors, environmental programs, workshops and staff training.

To view the full plan please see pages 23-57 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 May 2019 is available on page 62 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 61 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Upcoming Board Meetings

Regular Public Board Meeting

Monday, June 17, 2019

St. Benedict CSS, Cambridge

Special Public Board Meeting

Monday, June 24, 2019

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

May 28th, 2019|

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