Renewing the Promise – A Pastoral Letter
Our Catholic schools offer an extraordinary contribution to the social and environmental fabric of our society and world. In partnership with parents, who bear the primary responsibility for the education of their children, all those who work in Catholic education are called upon to reflect, in a faithful and discerning fashion, God’s presence in this world.
Click here to download: Renewing The Promise – A Pastoral Letter
St. David CSS – 15th Annual Acoustic Charity Concert
This was St. David’s 15th annual Acoustic Charity Concert, and in that time the kids have raised over $15,000 for various charities (this time it was Haven House, a shelter in Cambridge for women and children escaping abusive situations).
WCDSB Board Meeting Bulletin — April, 2018
Meetings
Committee of the Whole Board: Monday, April 9, 2018 – Meeting Agenda Package
Public Board Meeting: Monday, April 23, 2018 — Meeting Agenda Package
Highlights
Resignation of Trustee Amy Fee
On Monday, April 23, 2018, the Board of Trustees received the immediate resignation of Trustee Amy Fee (Kitchener-Wilmot).
Under the Education Act (Section 221), when a trustee vacancy occurs, the Board of Trustees must appoint a qualified person to serve the remainder of the current term of office. Further information will be provided once the process for replacement has been established.
French Immersion Review Update
French Immersion is an inclusive opt-in program that was first offered in the 2015-16 school year at St. Anne CES, Kitchener and Sir Edgar Bauer CES, Waterloo. In 2016-17, the program expanded to Cambridge and opened at Our Lady of Fatima CES.
As noted in previous reports to the Board of Trustees, the WCDSB has formed a committee, “…to examine the successes of the program pilot and determine next steps.”
The following recommendations were approved by the WCDSB’s Executive Council and presented to the Board of Trustees as information on April 9, 2018:
General Recommendations
That the Board update its French Immersion Plan by 2023, including a plan related to secondary school French Immersion.
That the entry point for French Immersion remain as Grade 1.
That the Board prioritizes offering French Immersion at the same school for Grades 1 to 8.
Accommodation
That, to address enrolment pressure, portables, boundary changes, and opening new French Immersion sites are contemplated before any other accommodation solution.
That the following criteria be prioritized when selecting schools for French Immersion:
- Empty/underutilized space
- Traffic impacts on school
- Easily accessible location (close to highways/major road)
That the following new sites be considered for French Immersion:
- Holy Rosary ‐ 2019
- St. Luke ‐ 2019
- Huron Brigadoon ‐ 2020
- St. Peter ‐ 2020
- New southeast Galt school ‐ TBD
That French Immersion boundaries are modified to reflect the addition of new schools.
Registration
That the registration process remains the same until additional sites make prioritizing in‐boundary students more practical.
Transportation
That the Board continues to allow students to attend the French Immersion program from outside of the school’s English boundary, subject to parents/guardians providing their own transportation. (No bussing will be provided for French Immersion)
That the Board work with municipalities and the school community to identify alternate drop‐off/pick‐up points to alleviate traffic congestion and safety issues immediately adjacent to the school.
Staffing
That a two‐teacher model be used wherever possible for straight grade French Immersion classes and a one ‐ teacher model be used wherever possible for split grade classes.
That the postings for French Immersion be included in the first round of postings in the teacher transfer process.
That French assessments for teaching staff continue to be done centrally and kept on file so no repeat assessment is necessary, and that DELF B1 level certification (Diplôme D’études de Langue Française) be accepted in lieu of the French assessment.
The full report is provided on pages 8-81 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
Information Technology Strategic Plan
In 2017, the WCDSB’s Information Technology Multi-Year Strategic Plan was revamped and updated to reflect current conditions concerning hardware refresh requirements, software upgrades and various other initiatives to support student learning. The information in that plan has been used to guide budget preparations for the 2018-19 school year.
IT resources are aligned with the academic and administrative objectives of the WCDSB, which are outlined in the Board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan. For these Board objectives and priorities to be met, it is important that an inclusive decision-making model be employed to best inform Information Technology Services staff on priority areas of focus.
The IT Governance structure ensures that the needs of stakeholders across the system are considered, and, as appropriate, guides the development of IT system priorities for technology and IT budgets. It is also important that this structure supports accountability to ensure that critical standards, privacy and security requirements are met. The IT Multi-Year Strategic Plan will be refreshed on an annual basis to match the speed of change within the sector and will be brought to the Board of Trustees in the spring of each year.
The plan is provided on pages 82-124 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
Long Term Accommodation Plan (LTAP) – 2018
The Long Term Accommodation Plan is required to be presented to the Board of Trustees annually to satisfy the provisions Board Policy IV 010 “Facilities/Accommodations” and Board Policy IV 009 “Asset Protection”.
This year, planning and facilities staff have collaborated to prepare a refreshed version of this important planning document. The 2018 LTAP contains the following changes:
- A new refreshed look has been adopted that is more user-friendly and informative.
- The content of the report has been updated to reflect current assumptions and demographic information.
- The LTAP now contains a dedicated page for each school which profiles enrolment projections, upcoming boundary reviews (if any), facility condition indices, and a list of renewal work planned at each site.
- The Multi-Year Capital Renewal Plan has been incorporated into the LTAP and will no longer be presented as a separate planning document.
There are several important items to note:
- Accommodation for French Immersion has now been included in the LTAP.
- The need for a new secondary school in East Kitchener continues to be highlighted in the plan. Enrolment is forecasted to grow significantly in the catchment area of St. Mary’s HS, which is already over-subscribed.
- Enrolment will grow in South West Kitchener necessitating the need for a re-alignment of boundaries in the near future as well as the potential for application for two new elementary schools.
- A rebuild of St. Clement CES is proposed, subject to approval of the Ministry of Education, using the Board’s own resources.
- Significant work to the St. Francis K campus of Con Ed is proposed, consisting of extensive renewal work, a new EarlyON Centre, a new childcare facility, and, subject to the approval of the Ministry of Education, an addition to house up to eight new classrooms.
- Up to nine new schools and two replacement schools are proposed.
- No school closure reviews are planned.
- Several co-building opportunities with the Waterloo Region District School Board have been identified. No discussions have started (with the exception of the Southeast Galt joint campus).
- The first boundary review will likely take place within the 2019 calendar year to revise the Huron-Brigadoon school boundary determined in 2009.
- Staff are actively working on acquiring land for the St. Boniface CES replacement school in Breslau and land for the new East Kitchener Secondary School.
The plan is provided on pages 133-248 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
Safe Schools Update
The WCDSB recognizes that an inclusive, restorative, respectful and Christ-centered environment where all members of the school community feel safe, welcomed and accepted is most conducive to learning. Positive behaviour is promoted through the Catholic Values lens as students are provided many opportunities to correct behaviours, seek reconciliation and be given opportunities to redeem themselves. Progressive discipline is an entire school approach that requires all stakeholders to guide, support and model proper behaviour for the students.
Suspensions and expulsions are part of the progressive discipline continuum with an increased level of supports, interventions and strategies. The measurable goal for Safe Schools at WCDSB is the reduction in the number of suspensions and expulsions issued to students though effective utilization of restorative justice, progressive discipline and careful consideration of mitigating and other factors. From a system level perspective, the analysis of data permits measurement of progress in areas of concern, identification of needs or issues, and assists with monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of board policies, procedures and practices.
On April 9, 2018 the Board of Trustees received a detailed presentation on the efforts noted above. Of particular note is the overall downward trend in the number of suspensions since 2012-13.
The full report is provided on pages 125-132 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
St. Louis Adult Learning & Continuing Education Update
Based on the adult education research reports spanning the last decade, the social, economic and health and wellness impact of adults earning a high school diploma or participating in ‘second chance’ post-secondary education has proven to be extremely beneficial. Students experience improved opportunities in the labour market with lower chances of unemployment and higher status jobs.
For more than 30 years — and most dramatically in the last 10 years — St. Louis has committed to supporting adults to earn secondary school credits toward an OSSD, develop literacy and basic skills, gain practical employment skills training and improve English Language proficiency. St. Louis adult programs directly connect with these social and economic impacts, so no one gets left behind. The recent Provincial Adult Education Strategy aims to find efficiencies and best practices among regional adult education providers. Indirectly, St. Louis has also been a support to children under 18 who have benefitted from additional literacy and numeracy programs, summer school credits, learning languages and early childhood development.
On April 9, 2018 the Board of Trustees received a report on the highlights from the 2016-17 school year, covering the following areas:
- Secondary School Credits
- Core Essentials – Literacy and Basic Skills
- Personal Support Worker Program
- Hairstyling / Barbering Program
- Culinary Arts Program
- English Language Programs (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada – LINC and English as a Second Language – ESL)
- International Languages – Elementary (IL)
- Literacy & Numeracy, Continuing Education
- Childminding (Care for Newcomer Children – CNC) and Licensed Child Care
The full report is provided on pages 249-255 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 – with special emphasis on the annual Elementary Student Leadership Conference (ESLC), held on Friday, April 13, 2018. The theme of the conference was “Global and Local Leadership.” Their full report is available on pages 23-24 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
Upcoming Board Meetings
Committee of the Whole Board Meeting: Monday, May 7, 2018
Regular Public Board Meeting: Monday, May 28, 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 182-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
French Immersion Expansion Plan
The WCDSB’s French Immersion Program is an inclusive, opt-in program that was first offered in the 2015-16 school year at St. Anne CES, Kitchener and Sir Edgar Bauer CES, Waterloo. In 2016-17, the program expanded to Cambridge and opened at Our Lady of Fatima CES.
The following recommendations were approved by the Board of Trustees on April 9, 2018:
Click HERE for the full report.
General Recommendations
That the Board update its French Immersion Plan by 2023, including a plan related to secondary French Immersion.
That the entry point for French Immersion remain as Grade 1.
That the Board prioritizes offering French Immersion at the same school for Grades 1 to 8.
Accommodation
That to address enrolment pressure, portables, boundary changes, and opening new French Immersion sites are contemplated before any other accommodation solution.
That the following criteria be prioritized when selecting schools for French Immersion:
- Empty/underutilized space
- Traffic impacts on school
- Easily accessible location (close to highways/major road)
That the following new sites be considered for French Immersion:
- Holy Rosary CES ‐2019
- St. Luke CES ‐2019
- New Huron Brigadoon school ‐2020
- St. Peter CES ‐2020
- New southeast Galt school ‐TBD
That French Immersion boundaries are modified to reflect the addition of new schools.
Registration
That the registration process remains the same until additional sites make prioritizing in‐boundary students more practical.
Transportation
That the Board continues to allow students to attend the French Immersion program from outside of the school’s English boundary, subject to parents/guardians providing their own transportation. (No bussing will be provided for French Immersion)
That the Board work with municipalities and the school community to identify alternate drop‐off/pick‐up points to alleviate traffic congestion and safety issues immediately adjacent to the school.
WCDSB Multi-Year Strategic Plan Survey
The WCDSB Multi Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) 2015-2018 was approved by the Board of Trustees in December, 2015.
We are currently in the process of gathering input to assist with an updated evaluation of the current MYSP as well as to help lay the foundation for the creation of our new MYSP. We are inviting all staff, students, parents and community members to complete the MYSP Survey (one per family). Your input is important, valued and appreciated.
Please consider the survey from the perspective from the role that you have identified for yourself in the first question (some questions may not apply to every individual). In some cases, questions may not seem applicable to you based on your role or experience. In those cases, please select “Does not apply/Don’t know”.
You are free to complete the survey another time if you wish to answer from the perspective of another role (for example, you are both a staff member AND a parent of a WCDSB student).
Participation in the survey is completely voluntary and all of your responses are anonymous. None of the responses will be connected to identifying information. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the collection of this information, please contact the Board’s Research Coordinator at Kelly.Roberts@wcdsb.ca
WCDSB Board Meeting Bulletin — March, 2018
Meetings
Committee of the Whole Board: Monday, March 5, 2018 – Meeting Agenda Package
Public Board Meeting: Monday, March 26, 2018 — Meeting Agenda Package
Highlights
21st Century Learning & Engagement
Over the last few years, the WCDSB has focused specific attention on the 21st century learner and how we can best support the adoption of best practices in terms of pedagogy and technology infrastructure and learning environments. It is with intention that we look to the power of the learning task and how technology-enabled instruction can improve student achievement. There is thoughtful planning in system next steps to ensure decisions are evidence-based and focused on the instructional core. In alignment with our MYSP, our goals are to:
- Focus on personalized authentic and culturally relevant inquiry
- Ensure all PD in relation to digital technology is mapped to one of the four pillars of the BIPSA and a specific area of student need
- Provide job-embedded and inquiry-based professional learning to build capacity, inform instructional practice and foster a culture of learning
- Focus on the 21st century competencies of critical thinking and problem solving, creativity and collaboration.
A detailed breakdown of each individual strategic goal is provided on pages 8-13 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
Assessment & Evaluation Practice in Schools
The system inquiry question that guides the Waterloo Catholic District School Board’s Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement (BIPSA) establishes a clear emphasis on assessment: “What impact will collaborative teaching and learning, that focuses on the assessment for learning process, have on increasing the number of students approaching, achieving at or beyond the provincial standard K-12?” The BIPSA, goes on to stress the importance of assessment practices as levers of student achievement. Through such terms as, “knowing the learner through assessment” and “collaboration and assessment”, the BIPSA guides educators in the WCDSB toward an ambitious yet attainable goal: the “increase in student achievement & well-being through triangulated assessment (observations, conversation & products) for/as learning in all curricula.”
Policy and best practice regarding the assessment, evaluation, and reporting of student achievement in Ontario has been, for nearly a decade, articulated and set by the provincial document Growing Success, Assessment, Evaluation, & Reporting in Ontario Schools (2010). On March 5, 2018, the Board of Trustees received a staff report on the board’s work in meeting the goals of that policy. The report is provided on pages 14-17 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
Student Success Update
The Ontario Ministry of Education has developed a wide range of initiatives to facilitate Student Success. The Student Success/Learning to 18 (SS/L18) Strategy is designed to meet five inter-related goals focused on the secondary school system:
- Provide students with an effective elementary to secondary school transition
- Support a good outcome for all students
- Provide students with new and relevant learning opportunities
- Build on students’ strengths and interests
- Increase graduation rates and decrease dropout rates
Students who are in jeopardy of not graduating or accumulating credits due to in-risk situations are guided by caring adults into learning opportunities that take advantage of the many student success initiatives and programs our Catholic school district offers within the context of the student’s strengths, skills and interests. Our district’s definition of an “in-risk” student can be summarized in this way:
- Elementary students who are performing at level 1, or below grade expectations
- Secondary students who are performing significantly below the provincial standard
- Secondary students earning marks in the 50s and low 60s, and who do not have the foundations to be successful
- Students who are disengaged for a variety of reasons, which tend to be reflected in poor attendance
The Student Success strategy intends to offer support to our most vulnerable students. This is best accomplished with an integrated approach where school and district teams work closely with each other to identify students in need, build personalized plans of support for each student, and utilize effective monitoring processes to evaluate the success of the strategies and programs employed. In our Catholic/Christian tradition, the gospel imperative to seek those that are lost and return them to the embrace of the community is embedded in scripture and in the corporal acts of mercy. Our schools are most effective and our mission is best realized when all students have the opportunity to succeed.
The full report is provided on pages 16-21 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
2018-19 WCDSB School Year Calendar
School Boards are required to identify a minimum of 194 school days between September 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019, of which a minimum of four and a maximum of seven days may be identified as PD days. Three of these must be for Ministry priorities. The remaining school days shall be instructional days. Boards may designate up to ten instructional days as examination days. Each school year calendar must be accompanied by a general outline of the activities to be conducted on PA days. The minimum number of instructional days is 187. The requirements are outlined in Ontario Regulation 304.
The full report – including information on report card distribution dates and secondary school exam schedules – is provided on pages 25-29 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
French Immersion Review Update
French Immersion is an inclusive opt-in program that was first offered in the 2015-16 school year at St. Anne CES, Kitchener and Sir Edgar Bauer CES, Waterloo. In 2016-17, the program expanded to Cambridge and opened at Our Lady of Fatima CES.
As noted in previous reports to the Board of Trustees, the WCDSB has formed a committee, “…to examine the successes of the program pilot and determine next steps.” The French Immersion Review Committee has met five times since November, 2017 — and on March 6, 7 and 8, 2018 hosted public meetings at each of the current French Immersion schools. The public meetings were well-attended, with more than 60 families participating, representing 10 different schools. The priorities identified by the committee centre on four themes:
- Accommodation: students should be offered access to the FI program in the same school from Grades 1-8
- Staffing: recognizing the challenge faced by the WCDSB in hiring FSL staff, the committee is prioritizing program quality over rapid growth (ambitious but achievable growth)
- Transportation: need to reduce traffic congestion at schools
- Entry point: Grade 1 remains the recommended entry point
The committee conducted a SWOT analysis, which examined the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats identified through the discussions from October 2017 through January 2018. This SWOT analysis focused on such issues as:
- The addition of portables
- Changing boundaries to move English students
- Opening a new dual-track school
- Opening a new single-track school
The full report is provided on pages 22-24 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package
2018 Municipal Election: Number & Geographic Distribution of Trustees
On March 26, 2018, the Board of Trustees formally passed motions maintaining the status quo regarding the number and geographic distribution of Trustees. These determinations were made based on local population as per Ontario Regulation 412/00.
Number of Trustees & Trustee Distribution
Kitchener / Wilmot – 4 Trustees
Cambridge / North Dumfries – 3 Trustees
Waterloo / Woolwich / Wellesley – 2 Trustees
Upcoming Board Meetings
Committee of the Whole Board: Monday, April 9, 2018
Public Board Meeting: Monday, April 23, 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 182-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
Have Your Say: 2018 WCDSB Budget Survey Now Open
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board has a firm commitment to consulting with stakeholders during development of the school system’s annual budget. Guiding the process is the Board’s Budget Advisory Committee (BAC), which consists of trustees, elementary and secondary principals, community members and school board management. The BAC reviews the proposed consultation questions and is provided with the results when the consultation process is complete.
The purpose of this brief BUDGET SURVEY is to gain feedback from stakeholders on areas of the budget where flexibility exists. The tabulated survey results will then be incorporated into the budget presentation and will be publicly available on the Board’s website once the budget has been presented. Last year’s (2017-18) board budget is available by clicking HERE.
We thank you for your feedback — and for your ongoing support of Waterloo Region’s Catholic schools!
French Immersion Program Review & Expansion Plan
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board is currently planning to expand its French Immersion program and is developing strategies to deal with future accommodation pressures as a result of the program’s growth.
This plan may impact families currently enrolled in French Immersion, families interested in French Immersion in the future, and families in the English stream.
Join us at one of the following open houses to discuss French Immersion. We’d love to share our plan with you and hear your feedback.
Highlights include:
- Accommodation priorities and potential solutions (how to deal with enrolment pressures)
- Criteria for selecting new French Immersion locations (please note that no new schools have been identified for French Immersion)
- Geographic distribution of French Immersion schools
- Registration priorities
Drop in anytime between 6:00pm and 8:00pm to tell us what you think about our French Immersion Review and Expansion Plan. Staff and members of the Review Committee will be available to answer questions.
If you are unable to attend in person, the display boards/information provided at the open houses will be available online after March 6th at https://wcdsb.ca/programs-and-services/fsl/french-immersion-review/
Questions? Please contact: frenchimmersionreview@wcdsb.ca
St. Dominic Savio CES Receives Dr. Bette M. Stephenson Recognition of Achievement Award
Waterloo Region, ON – St. Dominic Savio Catholic Elementary School in Kitchener has been named a recipient of the 2018 Dr. Bette M. Stephenson Recognition of Achievement Award. The award – named for the former long-time Ontario Education Minister — was established in 2009 to recognize schools across the province for their use of data to enhance and support the progress of their students. The award will be presented in Toronto on February 28, 2018.
Schools honoured with the award have used a wide range of evidence to develop action plans based on their unique circumstances and have seen notable improvements in student achievement, as demonstrated by an increase in EQAO results over time.
This outstanding video shows many of the reasons the St. Dominic students and staff are so deserving of this prestigious award. https://tinyurl.com/yaergkck
QuickFacts
- The Dr. Bette M. Stephenson Recognition of Achievement Award was established by the Education Quality & Accountability Office (EQAO) as a tribute to Dr. Stephenson’s lifelong commitment and contribution to education and public service. Dr. Stephenson is currently a director emeritus on EQAO’s Board of Directors.
- Every year, EQAO visits a number of schools to talk to educators and learn how EQAO data is being used to inform discussions and planning for student achievement. These schools are chosen because they have shown growth over time in their EQAO results, adopted an action plan based on their evidence and actively worked towards improved student outcomes.
Related Links
St. Dominic Savio Catholic Elementary School
Dr. Bette M. Stephenson Recognition of Achievement Award
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, representing more than 96,000 Catholic school supporters, operates 52 schools and five adult education facilities serving more than 40,000 elementary, secondary and continuing education students in Waterloo Region – continuing a 182-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.
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