On Monday, November 7, 2022 the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) Trustee election will resume for Catholic School Board supporters in the City of Cambridge.

Due to a ballot error, all votes cast in the City of Cambridge on October 24 for WCDSB Trustees candidates were voided.

To ensure transparency and uphold the integrity of the voting process, a new vote was ordered by the City Clerk.

Starting at 8:30 a.m. on November 7 until 8 p.m on Friday, November 18, 2022, voters who support the WCDSB will be able to cast their ballot here:

VOTE

CANDIDATE INFORMATION

WCDSB voters will receive a new voter letter providing instructions on how to vote in this election.

Those who have not received their voter letter are encouraged to bring an acceptable piece of Government ID to one of the following locations.

City staff will be available in-person to assist with voter information and completing online voting.

• November 7 to 17: Cambridge City Hall during regular 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. business hours
• November 18: Cambridge City Hall 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday, November 12: Cambridge Centre Mall – from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Voters without access to the internet may contact the City of Cambridge at 519-740-4680 ext. 4079 to learn more about how to qualify for at-home voting.

Dear St. Louis Saturday Students, Parents and Guardians and Community Partners:

All St. Louis Saturday classes WILL BE RUNNING, on Saturday, November 5, 2022 — in-person as per our usual schedule for currently registered students.

This includes:

• Saturday Skills Builder at St. Mary’s High School and St. Benedict CSS
• International and Indigenous Language Programs – Elementary at St. Louis – Kitchener Main and St. Francis Campuses, Resurrection CSS, St. John CES, and Holy Spirit CES
• International Languages – Secondary Credit (Chinese) at Resurrection CSS

No new registrations to St. Louis Saturday programs will be accepted until further notice.

For updates regarding the status of ANY St. Louis classes in the coming week, including Monday evening International and Indigenous Language Elementary and Secondary Language Credit classes, please check the St. Louis website DAILY https://stlouis.wcdsb.ca for the most up-to-date information. Or follow StLouisALC on Facebook / @StLouisWCDSB on Twitter.

For information about the status of Waterloo Catholic District School Board elementary and secondary school operations, please visit: https://wcdsb.ca/about-us/labour-updates/ 

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The next meetings of the Board of Trustees are scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Monday, November 7, 2022, at the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre.

6:00 p.m. Special Board Meeting – Committee of the Whole to follow

Agendas:

2022-11-07_Special_Board-of-Trustee Agenda

2022-11-07_COW_Agenda

Location: 1st floor Board Room, Catholic Education Centre, 35 Weber Street, Kitchener

(Note: Agenda files can be large. If you are experiencing issues downloading a file, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As…”.)

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board invites local associations or organizations of parents that operate locally within the jurisdiction of the Board to apply to serve on its Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) for the period of December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2026.

The Committee will include up to 12 representatives selected from the nominations.

Eligibility

The local associations/organizations must be affiliated with associations or organizations that:

• are incorporated;
• operate throughout Ontario;
• further the interests and well-being of one or more groups of exceptional children or adults; and,
• do not represent professional educators.

Organizations with an interest in special education that do not fully meet the above criteria may apply as a Member at Large.

Meetings

SEAC meets approximately 10 times during the school year, usually on the first Wednesday of each month from 6 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Catholic Education Centre, Kitchener, ON.

How to apply

Application Form

Organizations/associations are asked to submit their applications as follows:

• Submit on letterhead the name of the individual nominated by the organization/association providing information regarding how that individual represents the interests and well-being of exceptional children and/or adults.
• Confirm they are Canadian citizens of 18 years of age, and residents of Waterloo Region.
• Similarly, provide the name of an alternative representative that may attend meetings when the representative is unable to attend.
• If your organization is applying as a Member at Large, clearly indicate that in your letter.

Applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. November 30, 2022.

Please submit by e-mail to the attention of Gerald Foran, Superintendent of Learning; Email: Gerald.Foran@wcdsb.ca

Dear Parents & Guardians:

As reported in several media outlets, CUPE has indicated that they will be withdrawing services to school boards in Ontario on Friday, November 4, 2022.

CUPE represents education workers at the Waterloo Catholic District School Board that include school administrative assistants, educational assistants, early childhood educators, library technicians, child and youth care workers, lunch hour supervisors and some central office staff. There are approximately 1200 full/part-time CUPE workers in our schools.

Our education workers provide support for safety through supervision duties and safe arrival protocols. Many CUPE members have specialized training to make sure our schools are safe and fully accessible to students with exceptional needs.

In the event of a full withdrawal of services by CUPE, our schools will migrate to remote learning. Devices are being deployed today and tomorrow so students can access learning on Friday.

Students will be able to login to their respective learning management system. Friday, November 4^th will be an asynchronous instruction day and students will be able to access materials by 9:30 AM.

Please feel free to contact your school if you have any questions or concerns.

We ask for your continued prayers for our community.

For information and updates, please visit https://wcdsb.ca/about-us/labour-updates and follow us on social media @WCDSBNewswire.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board is pleased to welcome new Superintendent Paul Mendonca.

Paul replaces former WCDSB Superintendent John Klein, who was recently appointed Director of Education of the Halton Catholic District School Board.

Paul began his educational journey with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board in 1998. He has been a teacher, vice principal and a principal with Waterloo Catholic.  He is currently the principal of Holy Spirit Catholic Elementary School in Cambridge. He also serves as director on the board for the Catholic Community Foundation of Waterloo Region, an organization committed to supporting social justice initiatives and the region’s Catholic schools, parishes, and Catholic organizations.

Paul’s passion for leadership development is reflected in his work as a long-time member of the WCDSB’s leadership steering committee, where he co-facilitates Part 1 of the leadership series, which is designed to provide an opportunity for WCDSB staff to grow their leadership capacity through discussion, reflection, and discernment.

“I am honoured to be a part of the outstanding work that the WCDSB continues to do on behalf of Catholic education in Waterloo Region. I look forward to the challenges and opportunity to serve alongside the staff, students, and families of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board”.

Paul Mendonca, Superintendent of Learning

“We are very excited to have Paul join our Senior Team. His extensive experience as a long-time Administrator, coupled with his expertise in leadership development, will be a major asset as we grow our next generation of WCDSB leaders”.

Tyrone Dowling, Director of Education

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Meetings

Committee of the Whole Board Meeting

Monday, October 3, 2022 – Meeting Agenda Package

Special Public Board Meeting

Monday, October 17, 2022 — Meeting Agenda Package

Regular Public Board Meeting

Monday, October 25, 2022 — Meeting Agenda Package

Highlights

Pastoral Plan Update

Catholic schools exist to support the evangelizing mission of the Church. Catholic parents send their children to Catholic schools with certain expectations. The overriding expectation is that their child will experience education permeated with religious values, religious instruction and be invited to participate in the sacramental life of the church. They also expect that Catholic values will be held, modeled, expressed, and taught within the Catholic educational community.

Our three-year pastoral plan supports and animates the faith life of students and staff in the WCDSB. Additionally, our Multi-Year Strategic Plan indicates that nurturing our Catholic community will be a priority area with opportunities to bear witness to our faith through joyful discipleship and our relationships with and in Christ as an essential strategic direction. To this end, we endeavor to provide opportunities to live out and inform our faith through implementation of our Pastoral Plan, which is informed by the Ontario Bishops’ pastoral letter, Renewing the Promise.

As our three-year pastoral plan, Called to Belong, Gathered to Become and Sent to Build came to a successful conclusion, we embarked upon a deep dive into developing another spirit led, three-year Pastoral Plan to animate our system. With the help of a diverse staff, representing all employee groups, we went to work, meeting, listening, and praying to ascertain where the spirit was moving up. It became clear that the next WCDSB three-year Pastoral Plan needed to provide an encouraging and uplifting message to our staff, students and families that would help usher us from pandemic, and provide healing, and spark.

Thus, we arrived at our Year One theme, AWAKEN, fueled by scripture “It is now the moment for you to wake from sleep” (Romans 13:11), and animated by the charge, “We are the People of God, diverse yet united, awakened to heal in Community! With this in mind, we move forward into our next Three-Year Pastoral Cycle (Awaken, Strengthen, Ignite)!

As we move further into our year of Awakening, we begin with two key initiatives:

• Each school will receive the Pastoral AWAKEN painting, and during that time they will have the opportunity to engage with some hopeful and age-appropriate resources to support the work Pope Francis has asked us to do with respect to Walking Together.
• Each school community will receive a signed PRINT of the painting which will reside at their school – and which will be auctioned off on or around Catholic Education Week, with funds going to support the Diocesan Reconciliation Fund and the Native Women’s Association who has done much work around the issue of Human Trafficking and Indigenous women.

The report is available beginning on page 10 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

IT Summer Update

The Information Technology Services (ITS) department had a very busy Summer preparing for the 2022/23 school year. The focus in the classroom was preparing for a full return to in person learning and having technology updated and ready for this. Security has also been a big focus in educating WCDSB staff and digital citizenship for students.

ITS successfully completed many technology related projects and initiatives that aligned with the Multi-Year Strategic Plan, which will enable staff and students to excel in the coming year in these unique times.

The report is available beginning on page 17 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Learning Renewal Plan

While the COVID-19 experience has posed many challenges for students and staff, it has also provided many opportunities for positive change.

The report presented on October 3, 2022 provided details regarding the following key learning renewal priorities:

1. Tutoring Supports Program
2. Integrating Science and Technology with Math and Literacy: Sept. 2, 2022, Cross-Curricular Learning
3. Supporting the Development of Foundational Early Reading Skills Through Evidence-Based Systematic and Explicit Instructional Strategies

The outcome for the Tutoring Supports Program is to support academic achievement and well-being for students at risk who have been impacted by learning disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The short-term outcomes for the program included:

• Achievement of students as measured by the tutoring program
• Improve literacy and math skills in students to promote learning recovery and help address achievement and skills development gaps.
• Increase students’ engagement in learning
• Increase students’ confidence and positive attitudes to learning

Elementary: Tutoring Support Program (April – June 16, 2022)

• 521 students registered to take part in the in-school tutoring program.
• 38 Elementary schools participated
• 5622- 1-hour sessions occurred

Secondary: School Tutoring Drop-In Program (April – June 16, 2022)

• 1246 students utilized the drop in tutoring support
• 5 Secondary schools participated in the in-school tutoring program

The report is available beginning on page 32 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Re-engagement Strategy

The 2020-2021 school year was like no other. Students were impacted by many school closures and the transition to online learning. Across the province many more students than in years past disengaged from their learning — exhibiting an increase in truancy, a drop in achievement and observed changes in their attitude towards school.

Many groups of students were disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Students identifying as Indigenous, Black and racialized, children and youth in care, students from low-income households, those with disabilities, special education needs, mental health needs as well as English language learners were identified as those who would benefit from additional support.

The Ministry of Education provided funding for the 2021-2022 school year to school boards to increase support to families to address gaps in learning, systemic barriers and disconnection with the school community. In budget deliberations during the Spring of 2021 the WCDSB’s senior team made the decision to augment these funds and create a specialized team that would provide concentrated support to families and students by identifying needs and assets, collaborating with all stakeholders and supporting the development and facilitation of an individualized re-engagement plan.

2021-22 WCDSB Re-engagement Team – Grades 7 to 12

The re-engagement team’s goals for the 2021-2022 school year were to:

• Provide support to students experiencing disadvantages as a result of systemic barriers and COVID-19
• Build on existing supports by providing concentrated intervention, collaboration with stakeholders and community resources
• Develop individualized plans for students to reconnect with their school community
• Re-engage students who have languished in their learning and attendance

In total, there were 121 referrals made for re-engagement services. The majority of the referrals were made at the start of the school year and the majority of students referred were in Grade 10 followed closely by Grade 11.

A variety of activities were undertaken to help re-engage students. Using the categories provided by the Ministry of Education, students were supported to feel included and belong at school, engaged in ways that are student centered, connected to caring adults in their learning community, deal with their learning disruption, and connect with supports in the greater community.

Re-engagement Strategy for the 2022-23 School Year

For the 2022-23 school year the Re-engagement Strategy has shifted to include a centrally assigned reengagement teacher dedicated to grade 7 and 8 students, re-engagement sections assigned at each secondary school, and a re-engagement social worker. Based on the collaboration, consultation, and learning that came from the 2021-22 Re-engagement strategy, it became clear that there is a greater need for re-engagement support.

To best meet the needs of the students we examined options and decided that the secondary schools have a variety of supports in place that can assist in continuing the mission of re-engaging students for success.

The report is available beginning on page 42 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Re-Engagement Strategy – Grade 12+

Each year, a concerted effort is made by WCDSB staff to assist students in danger of not graduating to gain sufficient credits to earn their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Key components of that work include:

• Lists are generated (Early Leavers Reports) of Year 5 Cohorts who have not graduated and are currently not on roll. Year 6 and 7 Cohorts lists generated as well.
• Lists are generated from each school of Year 5 cohorts currently on roll at each school.
• Individual Reports are generated for each high school (WCDSB, Non-WCDSB, Early Leavers, and Year 6 and 7 Cohorts).
• Meet with Guidance department at each high school to review potential re-engagement students. A brief history of the former student and a potential Pathway to Graduation.
• Re-Engagement Officer attempts to connect with all potential re-engagement students from Year 5, 6 and 7 Cohort lists.
• Prior to contacting Credit Counseling Summary is consulted to check the needs of the school board leaver. This will identify if the leaver needs compulsory and/or elective credits.
• When contacting a student, options are presented will generally be St Louis for compulsory credits and OSSLT.
• If working and Elective credits are needed, they are directed to an Experiential Learning Coop program. If a credit swap is an option – Re-Engagement Officer connects with the Guidance contact at the home school.
• The co-op teacher also supports students in finding work, resumes, tracking hours completed, and submitting credits with the home school.
• The Re-Engagement Officer follows each individual throughout the program.
• Support is also given with Volunteer opportunities in the community.
• The program is now available to Year 4 and even Year 3 students on roll who are falling behind in credits (in collaboration with school re-engagement and caseload teams). If they are working their Pathway will be blended with in-school programming for compulsory credits and Coop for elective credits.

The report is available beginning on page 47 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Presentation of the East Kitchener Boundary Review Report

A Special Public Board Meeting was held on Monday, October 17, 2022, at which the East Kitchener Boundary Review Report was presented.

The report is available via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Well-Being Plan

Early in 2022, The Waterloo Catholic District school board administered the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI) as a School Climate measure requirement by the Ministry of Education. The MDI uses a strengths-based approach to assess areas of development that are strongly linked to wellbeing, health and academic achievement.

Our 2022 data suggests that our students have experienced an overall decline in positive wellbeing since our pre-COVID survey in 2019. The data can be used to understand the overall wellbeing of students and to plan interventions.

Two primary mental health practices and approaches that can be linked to MDI measures such as Social and Emotional Well-being, Connectedness, and School Experiences are Trauma Informed Classroom Practices, and Social Emotional Skill Building. These two practices are complementary and both essential for classrooms in terms of student mental health and wellbeing.

Trauma Informed Practices are ‘Good for All’ Classroom approaches that focus on how we understand how students’ brains are impacted by stress, how we see and relate to them with curiosity and compassion. Social Emotional Learning are skills that we support students in building, ideally in everyday classroom interactions. Years of research have demonstrated that Social Emotional Learning promotes academic learning and achievement in addition to fostering social and emotional competencies (Corcoran et al, 2018).

Embedding both of these practices and approaches in WCDSB classrooms are a primary focus of the work of the Mental Health Lead in 2022-2023. Our annual plan 2022-2023 Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan provides the broader objectives of what we hope to achieve over the course of the year, while remaining flexible and adaptive as the needs of our students and system evolve.

The report presented on October 25, 2022 addressed the following key areas:

• Summary of 2021-2022 Mental Health Supports
• Mental Health Leadership Development for Student Wellbeing
• Tier 1 Mental Health Lead Support
• Tier 2 and 3 Mental Health Supports
• Student AWARE

The report is available beginning on page 20 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Board Improvement and Equity Plan (BIEP) 2022-23 Update

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board’s Board Improvement and Equity Plan (BIEP) sets specific operational direction to ensure that the key components outlined in the WCDSB’s Multi Year Strategic Plan as well as other relevant initiatives and priorities are addressed.

This document is updated annually and is responsive to shifting contexts and needs throughout the year. The BIEP reflects our system’s continued commitment to improved student achievement and responding to planning for equity/diversity and well-being. It assures that the board’s mission, “As disciples of Christ, we educate and nurture hope in all learners to realize their full potential to transform God’s world”, is embedded in all we do and aligned with our Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations (OCSGEs).

Next Steps to 2022-23:

• The 2022-23 WCDSB Board Improvement and Equity Plan (BIEP) reflects current Board and provincial priorities and contexts and helps guide individual school sites as they set targets and priorities reflecting their particular needs. School plans are articulated through each site’s School Improvement and Equity Plan (SIEP).

• SIEPs are to be created collaboratively (School Improvement Team) and are to identify targets within each pillar, with Equity considered throughout.

• SIEPs state student learning needs, identify a learning outcome, and set out a plan to reach these goals.

• The 2022-23 school year will include a focus on working towards eliminating disparities and disproportionalities that impede achievement, well-being, and success. This aligns with the Ministry of Education (MOE) goals.

• The WCDSB BIEP will be shared with the Ministry of Education and will guide ongoing discussions with our partners there throughout the year as we work collaboratively to ensure goals are met.

• SIEPs are developed with the beginning focus on data collection and goal development — which then will move into identifying our learners, basing goals on that, improvement actions, monitoring the program and responding to needs. School SIEPs are shared with superintendents in November and form the basis of year-long conversations regarding and monitoring of student learning.

• SIEPs are shared with each school community via Catholic School Advisory Councils and are posted on school websites

• The WCDSB will support educators through a responsive and renewed professional capacity-building strategy that leverages instructional coaching in a job-embedded format (i.e., PD Days, coaching, staff meetings, etc.) that differentiates according to audience and school/staff need and readiness.

The report is available beginning on page 26 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Learning Commons Update

In 2021-22, board staff created Learning Commons project plans for the board’s final ten schools:

• David
• Sir Edgar Bauer
• Luke
• Holy Family
• Our Lady of Fatima
• Agnes
• Elizabeth
• Nicholas
• Brigid
• Vincent

2021-22 was a very full year for library staff across the system, with a particular focus on the Right to Read Recommendations. In response to those recommendations, additional supports were provided to Library Technicians including:

• Ensuring a Library Technician is available in schools every day through a change to the absence/replacement policy.
• Moving away from in person book fairs to ensure library use is maximized and to ensure dignity is maintained for all students
• Implementing controls to ensure library technicians have access to 10% of their school’s budget to maintain their collections
• Ordering bulk supplies and renewing equipment used by library technicians

The report is available beginning on page 32 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Census Recommendation Updates

In spring 2021, the Waterloo Catholic District School Board administered its Workforce Census in response to the Ontario’s Education Equity Action Plan (2017) and the Ontario Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum 165 issued February 2021. Collecting this data was also a priority in the WCDSB’s 3-year pastoral plan.

The goal of this Workforce Census was to assess diversity at the Board, identify gaps in representation, and to develop strategies to ensure this Board is an equitable and healthy environment for all staff regardless of one’s background or status. We hope the outcome of this census collection and the data we collect in the future will help the Board develop programs, priorities, policies, and resources to create an even more equitable, diverse, inclusive, and supportive environment for our staff.

Based on the data from our respondents, the WCDSB’s Executive Council made 10 recommendations. Once the results of the census were disseminated to various constituents, senior staff worked with the research coordinator to develop an action plan to implement each of the recommendations. We created an accountability framework by identifying specific actions that needed to be done, primary responsibility holders, offices or individuals who will support the work, and timetables. Further, for most recommendations, but not all, logic models were created.

The following questions are asked in a logic model:

1. What do we need to do (needs assessment)?
2. What will we do (program/action plan)? How much?
3. How will we do it (program implementation)?
4. Is anyone better off (program evaluation)?

The report is available beginning on page 35 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

East Kitchener Boundary Review Recommendations

On Tuesday, October 25, 2022, WCDSB staff presented a report answering questions posed by Trustees on October 17. The questions centred on:

1. Appeal Process
2. Siblings of Students with Legacy Exceptions
3. Transition Planning

Board staff made the following recommendations.

A) That new Out of Boundary admissions to Canadian Martyrs CES, Saint John Paul II CES, St. Anne(K) CES, and St. Daniel CES be considered by special administrative level committee, prior to the opening of the new St. Patrick CES and East Kitchener 7-12 Catholic School. Admission of Out of Boundary students in unusual and extraordinary circumstances will be considered if:

• A student’s mental, physical, or academic well-being would likely be compromised if they were moved.
• Upon the professional consideration of school and board staff, there is a determination that a student’s unique personal and educational needs are better served at the current school.
• There are unique health and safety considerations pertaining to the student, that are better served at the current school and which are verified by school and board staff.

B) That a Transition Planning Committee, which includes students, be formed in the year prior to the opening of the new St. Patrick CES and East Kitchener 7-12 Catholic School to support all students whose school direction will be affected as a result of the East Kitchener 7-12 Boundary Review and to solicit input from staff who support equity initiatives, as required.

The report is available beginning on page 40 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Student Trustees Update

Student Trustees Chloe Armstrong and Anika Fejerpataky presented their monthly update – covering activities in WCDSB’s secondary schools. It is available beginning on page 49 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 Jeanne Gravelle’s report for October 2022 is available on page 53 via this link: Meeting Agenda Package

Upcoming Board Meetings

Committee of the Whole Board Meeting

Monday, November 7, 2022

Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre

Inaugural Board Meeting

Monday, November 21, 2022

Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre

Regular Public Board Meeting

Monday, November 28, 2022

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 186-year tradition of quality, inclusive, faith-based education. Follow us on Twitter: @WCDSBNewswire – #WCDSBAwesome.

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The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Tuesday, October 25, 2022, at the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre.

Municipal Election Day is Monday, October 24, 2022.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees (Special Public Board Meeting) is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. — Monday, October 17, 2022, at the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre. 

Agenda:

Public Board Meeting

Other Information:

General Information About WCDSB Board Meetings

Information About the Board of Trustees

(Agenda files can be large. If you are experiencing issues downloading a file, right click on the link and choose “Save Target As…”.)