Message from the Chair of the Board and Director of Education |
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March 2, 2022, marks the beginning of Lent, when Catholics are called to a deeper relationship with God. It is a time that strengthens us in our efforts to be more forgiving, loving, and generous to others. During the 40 days of Lent, Catholics are called to prayer and repentance as we prepare for the resurrection of Jesus and the 50 days of celebration that is Easter – our most holy time of year.
As a Community of Faith, our schools, homes, and parishes are committed to following Christ’s teachings through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. This year, may the Lenten season help us to turn away from selfishness and self-absorption and turn to Jesus. May we dedicate ourselves to living out the Gospel by truly loving our neighbours and praying for healing and peace at home and around the world.
We encourage families, students, and staff to join us on our Lenten journey by accessing an online Lenten calendar created by our Faith Formation department. You can also visit the Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee’s website for Lenten crafts and activities that you can complete at home or in the classroom.
May God bless you and your families during this Lenten season and fill you with the opportunity to strengthen your personal connection with Christ.
Yours in Faith,
Morgan Ste. Marie Tracy Barill
Chair of the Board Director of Education
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Stand Up, Be Counted, Be Heard Student Census |
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The Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) is inviting all Grade 4 to 12 students to participate in a voluntary and confidential Stand Up, Be Counted, Be Heard Student Census from April 25 to 29, 2022. The Student Census will involve the collection of demographic data mandated by the Ministry of Education to help us better understand the backgrounds, needs and experiences of our students and local communities.
Parents and guardians of students in Grades 4 to 8, will complete the online census together with their child(ren), while students in Grades 9 to 12 will complete the census during school. More information will be shared in the coming weeks - including an opportunity to preview the census questions in advance. Visit dcdsb.ca/studentcensus for more information.
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International Travel Requirements for Families During March Break |
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As we approach the March break, we wanted to provide updated guidance on international travel requirements for families.
As part of the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the Government of Canada has announced a series of adjustments to the current border measures and requirements for international travel.
As of February 28, 2022, the following protocols will be in place:
- All fully vaccinated travellers will be exempt from federal quarantine and will not be required to wait 14 days before attending school or child care unless randomly selected to do so by a border services officer
- Children under 12 years old, traveling with fully vaccinated adults, will continue to be exempt from quarantine and are no longer required to wait 14 days before attending school or child care.
- All unvaccinated travellers (including unvaccinated children under 12 travelling with unvaccinated adults) will continue to be required to follow federal requirements for testing and quarantining, including not attending school or child care for 14 days.
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Changes have also been made to the pre-entry testing requirements, therefore families are encouraged to visit the federal travel website prior to booking any travel arrangements: COVID-19 vaccinated travellers entering Canada - Travel restrictions in Canada.
Please remember that all students and staff must complete the COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening Tool every day before returning to school or child care. The screening tool has been updated to align with these federal travel requirements.
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Upcoming COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics |
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The Health Department is offering additional opportunities for residents to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine at immunization clinics that will occur at select schools across Durham Region. These clinics are being held after school hours and during March break. The clinics are open to all eligible residents, including children 5 – 11 years old and youth/adults 12 years of age and older for first, second or booster doses. The clinics will be walk-in only and no appointments are required.
- Tuesday, March 8 - St. Jude Catholic School, Ajax 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, March 15 - Da Vinci Public School, Ajax 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (March break)
- Wednesday, March 16 - Sunset Heights Public School, Oshawa 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (March break)
- Thursday, March 17 - St. Monica Catholic School, Pickering 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (March break)
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Durham Catholic Children's Foundation |
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For more information about the foundation, upcoming events and how to donate, follow @dcchildrensfoundation on Instagram. |
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Lent is a time to become closer to God. It’s a time to remove distractions and to sharpen our focus so that we might better know God’s ways and become more loving in the world, in the classroom, on the job, and in our own homes.
These 40 days of Lent, we encourage students, staff and families to participate in our daily activities and prayer.
March 2, 2022 marks the start of Lent with Ash Wednesday. DCDSB's Faith department has created an online Lenten calendar for students and families to follow and complete daily activities. Visit the online DCDSB Lenten Calendar here.
To support this initiative, the Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee (DCPIC) has compiled Lenten activities for families including craft activities that use materials found in your home, printable colouring pages, printable Easter word search and links to resources and activities for families. View the online DCPIC Lenten activities here.
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Student Spotlight - Faith, St. Mary Catholic Secondary School Student |
This Student Spotlight segment features Faith, a Grade 12 Student at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School and one of the core leaders of the St. Mary's Unity/Black History Committee. Faith is an active member of her school community and encourages others to do the same so that the St. Mary student voice continues to be heard for many more years to come. Thank you, Faith, for sharing your team's initiatives to promote Black Excellence in your school community and for sharing your experience at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School! |
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Student Spotlight - Equity Team at St. John Paul II Catholic School
Our Student Spotlight shines a light on the Equity Team at St. John Paul II Catholic School. The Grade 8 students on the team are passionate about ensuring their school, as well as the Durham Catholic District School Board, practice being anti-racist and calling out racial injustices. They continue to implement their ideas and learning each day, inside and outside of school. Thank you to the Equity Team for sharing your initiatives with us!
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Arts Program at Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School |
The Arts program at Monsignor John Pereyma is truly an integral part of our school. It's very innovative and trending with what students are looking to explore.
Within our building you will find the Drama and Theatre Club, fostering the acting drive, as so many of our students want to perform onstage. The Piano and Guitar Club really focuses on learning chord tricks, how to position your hands on the instruments, and students also learn to play Top 100 songs - both past and present! The Anime Club is all about character and setting development for our project-based school 'manga' build. The Visual Art and Design Club is always reimagining the school canvas and bringing our building to life. And finally, my personal favourite is the Gaming Club, a social and collaborative space where students learn new skills, compete in tournaments and develop an understanding of fair gameplay through the Nintendo Switch, Playstation and PC Gaming platforms.
Each week you can expect well over 100 students in Grade 7-12 involved in these clubs, as it is a fundamental part of our community of learners!
- Mr. Oldman, Grade 7/8 Teacher at Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School
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Post-Secondary Pathways Planning |
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Guidance departments at DCDSB Secondary Schools are a great resource for students and families in terms of post-secondary pathways planning. Please be in touch with your Guidance department to learn more about pathways planning, including scholarship opportunities. Many scholarships have upcoming deadlines, which our Guidance departments would be happy to assist with.
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Mental Health and Well-Being |
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Black Mental Health Day - March 7, 2022 |
March 7, 2022 marks the third annual Black Mental Health Day, recognized by communities across Ontario. On Black Mental Health Day, we are called to recognize the ongoing impact on mental health that results from experiences of anti-Black racism. It is also a day to raise awareness of the specific mental health needs of Black communities across Ontario.
This year, DCDSB invites families to attend a Zoom live event on March 7, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. Natalie Haynes, Registered Psychotherapist,
Training Consultant and Speaker will be offering I Think, Therefore I Am.
After registration, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with information
about joining the session.
Natalie Haynes Biography
Natalie began her own search for deeper meaning and understanding
over 20 years ago. Due to the messages she heard growing up, Natalie
had difficulty being in her own skin, resulting in anxiety and a tumultuous
relationship with herself. Natalie became a therapist because she was a
client. With curiosity and courage, she developed a new relationship with
herself and a passion for psychotherapy.
Natalie brings this passion to her work and is committed to being a guide
for others who want clarity, awareness and to know what gets in the way
of accepting who they are. Natalie’s intention is to help people find
permission and the courage to be who they already are.
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Registration for Head Start Program and Reach Ahead Program is Now Available |
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Are you a Grade 8 student starting high school in the fall? If so, you may want to consider the Head Start Program. This program will take place from August 22 - 25, 2022 and is available to all Grade 8 students who will be going into Grade 9 at one of our Durham Catholic District School Board secondary schools. This non-credit program involves a review of literacy and numeracy skills and provides students with a preview of the Grade 9 curriculum for Mathematics and English. Study skills, health and well-being, and digital literacy are also integrated into the program. It's a great way to meet new friends and have fun!
Students who took the program shared what they enjoyed most about the program:
- “I like how well it prepared me for high school.”
- “I liked how the teacher shared a lot of information about the school and classes”.
- “The lessons on Study Skills was very useful.”
- “The teachers were really friendly.”
Students who are in Grade 8 and will be attending a DCDSB high school and wish to register for a Grade 9 summer credit can take one online high school credit through the Reach Ahead Program (July 4 – 27, 2022). Courses offered include Introduction to Business (BBI 1O), Exploring Family Studies – Transition to High School (HIF 1O), Expressions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Cultures (NAC 1O), and Ultimate Potential (UP) Math (GLS1O).
One student who took a Reach Ahead credit last summer shared that they “learned a lot about new things, like roadblocks to communication, the 8 different types of smarts, consumerism, conflict styles, and much more. I think the course was well run and was very fun. I would definitely recommend it to other grade 8s next year.”
To view summer school programs offered through Archbishop Anthony Meagher Catholic Continuing Education Centre check out our webpage: Summer School Programs
For questions about the Head Start Program or Reach Ahead Courses, email [email protected]
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March 31 is National Indigenous Languages Day and an opportunity for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada to recognize and celebrate Indigenous languages and work together towards language revitalization and collective understanding
DCDSB's Indigenous Education department has compiled resources for further learning about Indigenous languages. These include:
There are Facebook pages which offer Indigenous language resources and further learning opportunities. These include the following:
There are also many Indigenous language apps available for download. The following list of suggestions have been compiled:
- Michif Lessons
- Michif to Go - Metis language
- Michif Conversation
- Cree FHQTC
- Moose Cree Language App
- Anishinaabemowin Niwasa (Ojibway language)
- Nishnaabemdaa - Ojibway language
- Speak Mohawk
- First Voices Keyboard
- Speak Cayuga
- Speak Seneca
- Speak Oneida
- Speak Tuscarora
- Speak Onondaga
- Uqausiit Pinnguarutiit - Inuktitut language
- Inuktitut M(A)L
For further information or resources, please contact DCDSB Indigenous Education at [email protected].
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Indigenous Student Circle |
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At the February 2022 Indigenous Student Circle (ISC) meeting, students met with Alyssa McLeod from Ontario Tech University and Amanda Banning from Durham College to discuss post-secondary pathways planning. Students engaged in discussions about programs, resources and supports available at the post-secondary level and began planning for a tour of both campuses which will take place in April 2022.
In addition, students began brainstorming and sketching out design ideas for a student-led Indigenous Student Circle sweatshirt design. Once the design process is complete, students will work with local Indigenous designer, Kwe Kreations, to bring their ideas to fruition. We look forward to sharing the final design at the end of the school year.
About the DCDSB Indigenous Student Circle
The DCDSB Indigenous Student Circle is an opportunity for DCDSB Indigenous students to share their voice and culture with students across our board. The Circle meets in February, April, June, September and November where students are invited to discuss what they would like to see happen or initiative implemented in Indigenous Education within our board. Indigenous Student Circle members meet other Indigenous youth in DCDSB and community members as well as have the opportunity to share their own knowledge and extend their learning.
If your student is in Grades 6-12 and would like to join the Indigenous Student Circle please contact us at [email protected].
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Boil Water Advisory Lifted on Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation After 13 Years |
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After 13 years, there is no longer a permanent Boil Water Advisory on the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. On Tuesday, December 14, 2021 the First Nation announced that the permanent advisory, which was in effect since 2008, has been lifted. There’s now a new communal water system that includes a water treatment plant, water tower and distribution system.
To read more, please see the following articles:
If you have any questions, or would like further information please contact the DCDSB Indigenous Education team at [email protected]. |
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March 7-13 - Social Work Week in Ontario
March 8 - Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) Meeting
March 8 – International Women’s Day
March 10 - Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee (DCPIC) Meeting
March 11 – Great Big Crunch
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day
March 22 – World Water Day
March 27 – Earth Hour
March 31 – National Indigenous Languages Day
April 2 - World Autism Day
April 5 - Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) Meeting
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Durham Catholic District School Board
650 Rossland Road West
Oshawa, ON L1J 7C4
(905) 576-6150
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