“We, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members, one of another.” – Romans 12:5
Each year, the Catholic community of Ontario engages in a week-long celebration of the unique identity and distinctive contributions of Catholic education during Catholic Education Week.
This year’s celebration is entitled "Catholic Education: We are Many, We are One" and will be celebrated during the week of April 30 – May 5, 2023.
With the complexities of our world and our communities today, we can stray from the peace that comes when we are in communion with each other. In our unity, we celebrate our diversity, all uniquely created by God. We read in Corinthians that if one member suffers, we all suffer. Unity brings us to peace and understanding. The theme for Catholic Education Week 2023 was inspired by the following considerations:
- The Church worldwide has embarked on a synodal process, “a synod on synodality,” which centres on intentional listening: listening to each other and listening to the Holy Spirit. We have each been asked to actively reach out and listen to the voices and experiences of people where they are at and consider what steps the Holy Spirit is inviting us to take as we walk together. As the Catholic Bishops of Ontario highlighted in Renewing the Promise, “It is about taking the time to walk alongside one another, to listen and to teach, and in doing so, to transform.”
- Ongoing recognition of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission and the importance of Indigenous culture and spirituality as we move forward together.
- The Ministry of Education’s focus on Inclusion and Equity resonates with all educators and administrators as we desire to serve all of God’s children and Pope Francis’ encyclical entitled, Fratelli Tutti, will guide us in this good work.
- The challenges to personal and spiritual well-being posed by the uncertainty of the current global crisis makes the timing and the concerns of Mental Health Week, which takes place during the same week as Catholic Education Week, all the more relevant
Parish Connections
Our schools are reconnecting with their community parishes in meaningful ways: clergy have been invited to visit schools and attend school open houses; students have participated in field trips to parish churches curated by the Catholic Women's League (CWL) or Knights of Columbus (KoC) representatives; schools have held commissioning services and are celebrating the Eucharist at school Masses!
Faith Day 2022
On October 24, 2022, all Superior North Catholic District School Board staff gathered for our annual Faith Development Day. It was an opportunity for our team to reflect on and grow our practice as a community of educators and a chance to develop a plan to support and celebrate the Catholic faith, culture and education within our school communities.
The day was co-facilitated by Paul Tsekouras, Superintendent of Education and Ben Jewiss, Vice Principal of St. Hilary Catholic School and Catholicity and Special Projects Lead. Trustees, Senior Administration, Principals, System Support Team, Teachers, Early Childhood Educators, Educational Assistants, Administrative Assistants, Custodians, Cleaners and Catholic Education Centre Staff united at their sister schools to participate in liturgical celebration and professional reflection. The day was an opportunity to identify the strengths and successes of our Catholic Education program and system as well as the support needed to continue to support it.
During her opening remarks, Director of Education Maria Vasanelli, spoke to Pope Francis’ new instruction for Catholic Schools, focusing on the identity of Catholic schools and current challenges. Pope Francis says, "to educate is always an act of hope." Ms. Vasanelli asked staff to reflect on the role of Catholic education as an action of Jesus’ mission on earth. What does this mean, and how does it look in our Superior North Catholic schools?
Ms.Vasanelli thanked all Superior North Catholic District School Board staff for their contributions and day-to-day efforts to ensure authentic Catholic education for all and make a difference in the lives of our students.
Trustee Wawia, Chair of the Board, remarked that our schools are welcoming places for all. Catholicity is visible in our schools in all we do and is carried out in a spirit of cooperation between various parties – students, parents, teachers, non-teaching personnel and the school management – who form the educational community.
The day was indeed a day of learning and strengthening our commitment to Catholic education.
This year’s Terry Fox School Run was scheduled for Friday, September 23, 2022. All eight Superior North Catholic District School Board schools participated in the annual Terry Fox Run to raise money for cancer research. Either before or after their walk, each #SNCDSB school honoured Terry Fox, those who have suffered from cancer and those who work toward a cure with a short moment of prayer.
A selection of prayers for the Terry Fox Run, for those who suffer from cancer and to St. Peregrine (patron saint of cancer patients) was used.
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One of the Ministry priorities outlined in the “Plan to Catch Up” is to provide expanded student supports by investing in evidence-based programs to support student achievement in Literacy, so the Superior North Catholic District School Board purchased the Lexia Core5 Reading program for all students in Kindergarten to Grade 5 and the Lexia PowerUp Literacy program for all students in Grades 6 to 8.
Lexia Core 5 and Lexia PowerUp provides a personalized literacy learning experience for Kindergarten to Grade 8 and provides students with explicit instruction needed to accelerate mastery of reading skills. Goal setting and planning the intentional implementation of Lexia’s Blended Learning model is key to student success
On the first Professional Development Day (September 1st) all educators, principals, educational assistants, and early childhood educators received training on how to use the program and its functions to create a personalized learning path for each student. Following the session, each school created a Lexia Implementation Plan.
The Superior North Catholic District School Board has also purchased a new comprehensive online Math program, Math Up, for all our schools and grades that aligns with the new Math curriculum. This will help our teachers with the planning and delivering of Math instructions in all strands. It will also support teachers in the teaching of the new curriculum changes such as financial literacy, social-emotional learning and coding and modelling.
Ministry of Ontario's Plan to Catch Up
The COVID‑19 pandemic has been hard on kids, parents and guardians, as students learned from home to help slow the spread of the virus.
After two years of disruptions, the Ministry of Education has a plan for students to catch up, including:
- getting kids back in class in September, on time, with a full school experience that includes extracurriculars like clubs, band and field trips
- expanding tutoring supports to fill gaps in learning
- teaching students the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow
- more money to build schools and improve education
- helping students with their mental health with expanded supports
After-School Skills Development Programs
Ontario School Boards continue to receive additional funding to offer After School Skills Development Programs. These programs are intended to support the physical, social and emotional development of children with special needs alongside their typically developing peers. In September, the St. Martin School Afterschool Program was successfully started, engaging approximately 15 students daily (Monday-Thursday).
In October, Our Lady of Lourdes School will also restart their After School Program. The remaining six schools will also continue to explore the opportunity of After School Skills Development Programs during the 2022-2023 school year.
Healthy Schools
This year’s Northern Fruits and Vegetable Program deliveries are set to begin at each school across the system beginning in mid-November. The program coordinator has already begun sharing the annual registration survey with schools to collect all important information for the program (enrollment numbers, allergen info, produce info etc.)
Why is mental health and well-being promotion important in schools?
Mental Health and Well-being is important because we know that in order to reach our fullest potential, we need to feel safe and secure within our environments. Schools should be happy and fun places for kids to learn, explore, and thrive on positive opportunities to express themselves academically, emotionally, and spiritually. Creating safe and inclusive spaces that promote optimal achievement will promote the mental health and well-being of our students.
Building, maintaining, and reinforcing our relationships with our students and amongst our staff and families is critical. The SNCDSB has made reconnecting and reestablishing relationships a priority across our system because we know the best strategy to support someone can be the relationship we create with them. Ensuring we create a space to reconnect and foster our relationships is an important aspect of mental health promotion at school.
What types of resources are SNCDSB schools using?
Superior North Catholic uses social-emotional learning programs that focus on stress management and coping, identification and management of emotions, positive motivation and perseverance, healthy relationships, self-awareness and sense of identity, and critical and creative thinking.
A popular program and resource used heavily throughout our system is called the Zones of Regulation. This curriculum teaches students to effectively self-regulate using a colour system.
For example, green represents being ready to learn and being regulated whereas if a child is in the red zone, they are experiencing a strong emotion like anger or frustration and might need to do something to help them get back to the green zone. This is one way we are helping our students label and copes with their varying emotions throughout their day.
Other resources we use are the Second Step Program, Roots of Empathy and so much more.
Ask your child or their teacher if you want to learn more about the things happening in their classroom to promote mental health and well-being!
Additional Mental Health and Well-being Resources for Students, Staff, Caregivers, and Families:
School Messenger
The Superior North Catholic District School Board recognizes the importance of keeping connected with your child’s school.
School Messenger is the tool we use to push out communications to our families. These messages may come in the form of a phone call, email or text message. Many of you have previously registered with school Messenger and we thank you!
If your child is registered in a SNCDSB school, then you are already set up to receive emergency messages by phone or email.
To ensure all families are able to receive texts, we ask that you please text “Yes” to 978338, even if you have previously done this step. This will ensure that you have given permission for us to test you and that our permissions are up to date.
Your account is a free and easy way to keep connected!
Catholic Parent Involvement Committee
The purpose of the Catholic Parent Involvement Committee is to support, encourage and enhance parent engagement at the Board level to improve student achievement and well-being. Ontario Regulation 612/00 requires all Ontario school boards to establish a Parent Involvement Committee and outlines its composition, function and mandate.
Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)
Each Board in the Province of Ontario is required to establish a Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) as defined in Ontario Regulation 464/97 made under the Education Act, Special Education Advisory Committees. SEACs help school boards understand the special needs of exceptional children as well as formulate and implement favourable policies, programs, and services.
Indigenous Education Advisory Committee
Your voice can help shape the delivery of Indigenous educational programs and services. In 2014, through the Ontario First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Education Policy Framework Implementation Plan, the Ministry of Education indicated that all school boards would establish formalized processes, such as establishing IEACs to support local implementation of the framework. IEACs provide guidance to school boards and schools in building stronger relationships with their communities, sharing information, identifying promising practices, and enhancing collaborative work to support First Nation, Métis, and Inuit student achievement and well-being.
Audit Committee
The primary role of the Audit Committee is to provide assurance to the Board of Trustees that the school board has the appropriate culture, personnel, policies, systems and controls in place to safeguard the school board's assets and to accurately report financial information to internal and external users.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind. Orange Shirt Day is also an opportunity for Indigenous Peoples, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.
As a commitment to reconciliation, an Every Child Matters flag was flown at each Superior North Catholic District School Board school on Friday, September 30th.
Staff and students gathered to honour the raising of the flag with drum, smudge, and prayer as the flag was raised.
“I think going into education is a vocation. I went into this vocation to make a difference in students’ lives.” – Rima Mounayer, Superintendent of Education
The Superior North Catholic District School Board consists of 9 public school board trustees, 8 of whom are elected during the Municipal Election and one who is appointed by First Nation Communities. A school board trustee assists the school board in fulfilling its duties required by the Education Act. School board trustees focus on student achievement and student well-being, and they represent the people living in the school communities of the school board. Trustees ensure school boards are taking into consideration student needs when making decisions and hold school boards accountable for the implementation of prior commitments. School board trustees work with the director of education to meet his or her responsibilities concerning the implementation of board policies.
Informed by the Director of Education, the Board of Trustees
- Establish policies;
- Set budgets and allocate resources;
- Formulate plans and set priorities;
- Support and monitor student achievement and well-being; and
- Collaborate with all levels of government.
Congratulations to our acclaimed and new members of the Superior North Catholic District School Board. We look forward to continuing to grow as individuals, as schools and as a system as we create and sustain a school environment in which students grow and deepen their faith, enhance personal well-being, achieve academic excellence, celebrate success and experience a sense of hope and optimism throughout the learning journey.
Our new Trustees will be officially sworn in at our Inaugural meeting on November 16, 2022 at the Catholic Education Centre in Terrace Bay.
- Tara Patterson, Marathon
- Amanda Monks, Terrace Bay
- Lawrence McParland, Schreiber
- Judy Wawia, First Nations Representative
- Bill Harmon, Nipigon
- Shirley Jean, Red Rock
- Lilliana McPherson, Longlac
- Suzanne Lafrance, Geraldton/Nakina
- Vacant, Manitouwadge
There remains one vacant Trustee position. If you are a resident within the jurisdiction of the board and are interested in filling this position, please contact the Catholic Education Centre at 807-825-3209 Ext 1005.
Thank you to all our 2018-2022 Board of Trustees members. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to ensuring authentic Catholic Education for all.
We are blessed with their enthusiasm, encouragement and dedication to our students and staff throughout the Superior North Catholic system.
Credits:
Apple Wagon Films, #SNCDSB Schools