Highlights from the Regular Board Meeting of April 24, 2023

Anthem

Thank you to the students from St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School for singing O Canada and a song titled Children of the Light at the April 24, 2023 Regular Board Meeting.

Presentations

Archbishop Anthony Meagher Catholic Continuing Education Update  Mr. Wilson, Superintendent of Education, and Mr. Young, Principal at Archbishop Anthony Meagher Catholic Continuing Education Centre, provided an update to the Board of Trustees on programming and initiatives offered through Adult and Continuing Education. Mr. Young shared that Archbishop Anthony Meagher Catholic Continuing Education Centre provides learning opportunities, both credit and non-credit, for students 18 years old or older. They also provide night school, summer school, and Literacy/Numeracy opportunities for school-aged students. Mr. Young then provided an overview of each of the programs offered for adults, secondary students, and elementary students. The following data from the 2021-2022 school year was highlighted: Credit Achievement 3,880 students participated 9,902 credits were earned  212 Ontario Secondary School Diplomas were achieved  Four school locations (Oshawa, Ajax, Port Perry, Rose of Durham) Non-Credit Programs 6,176 students participated 3 Provincial Ministries are worked with through various Adult and Continuing Education programs 8 school locations A total of 10,056 students were supported in the 2021-2022 school year through Archbishop Anthony Meagher Catholic Continuing Education Centre. Mr. Young concluded by sharing upcoming highlights, changes and expansions to the Adult and Continuing Education programming. These include: Expansion of Employment Training Programs – For example, Custodial Services, Child Care Assistant, Personal Support Worker (PSW). Travel for Credit – More course offerings for summer and night school, including travel during March Break. New Correspondence Program – There has been a shift towards e-Learning, rather than from the previously used correspondence books.  Please visit dcdsb.ca for the full report and presentation.

Student Services Updates  Ms. Sorhaitz, Superintendent of Education, Ms. Fisher-Brown, Senior Manager, Mental Health Initiatives/Mental Health Leader, Ms. Killoran, Consultant for Autism Services, Ms. Siqueira, Student Services Numeracy Support Teacher, and Ms. Mosier, Student Services Coordinator, provided a presentation on DCDSB student services, special education and mental health updates. Ms. Sorhaitz shared that as part of the board's ongoing efforts to support students with special education and mental health needs, the Student Services department dispatches a variety of multi-disciplinary teams and offers a variety of services to the system. In addition, the department creates opportunities for specialized after school programming, and provides regular professional development and training opportunities to both educational and clinical staff. Ms. Killoran, Ms. Mosier, Ms. Siqueira, and Ms. Fisher-Brown provided updates on Student Services staff, centralized supports for students with special education needs, specialized programs and services, staff professional development, the new Mental Health Strategy, and the Special Education Review. In addition, staff shared information on the following: Durham Catholic Autism Resource Team (DCART) Durham Catholic Behaviour Resource Team (DCBRT) Assistive Technology Supports Numeracy Support Teacher Role Support for De-streamed Grade 9 Classes Project SEARCH Ms. Sorhaitz concluded the presentation by sharing that through the feedback gained from the Special Education review, the student services department has begun planning for the 2023-2024 school year by developing goals and strategies to promote a collaborative culture aimed at improving outcomes for students with special education and mental health needs. The full presentation and report is available at dcdsb.ca. Witnessing Faith Strategic Goals and Actions

Ms. Stevenson, Superintendent of Education, provided an update to the Board of Trustees on the ways in which the Durham Catholic District School Board 2022-2023 Goals and Actions associated with the Witnessing Faith Strategic Priority have: Increased opportunities to support a culture of teaching and learning which is rooted in the Gospel values and reflects and nurtures the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations across curricula; Increased opportunities to support faith formation for all members of the community that are inviting, engaging, and purposeful; and Fostered a relationship between home, school, and parish through pastoral planning at both the school and system level.  Goals for the 2022-2023 include: To increase opportunities to support a culture of teaching and learning which is rooted in the Gospel values and reflects and nurtures the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations across all curricula To increase opportunities to support faith formation for all members of the community that are inviting, engaging, and purposeful To foster a relationship between home, school, and parish through pastoral planning at both the school and system level Ms. Stevenson concluded by sharing details on Catholic Education Week, which takes place from April 30 - May 5, 2023. The full presentation and report is available at dcdsb.ca.

Updates

Tracy Barill, Director of Education began by thanking staff for the evening's presentations. Mental Health As you heard in the earlier presentation, DCDSB is excited to share our new 2023-2026 Mental Health Strategy. You can view this on our website at dcdsb.ca/MentalHealth. The new Mental Health Strategy is titled Together for Mental Health: Everyone, Everyday, and outlines our Mental Health strategic priorities that are in alignment with the DCDSB’s multi-year strategic plan and the School Mental Health Ontario Strategy. Last week we held the first session in a series titled Mental Health and Well-Being Series: For Parents, Guardians and Caregivers. Throughout this virtual series, community partners and Durham Catholic staff will explore various topics related to mental health and well-being. The next session will take place tomorrow evening at 6:00 p.m., and is titled Life Promotion/Suicide Prevention – Prepare, Prevent, Respond, presented by DCDSB Student Services Staff. Thank you to our staff and community partners for their efforts to create awareness, supports and resources on these important topics.   Upcoming Initiatives Grade 12 students who registered for the Diplôme d’études langue française (DELF) Exam, are writing their exams this week. We have 180 students writing the DELF exam, which is an internationally recognized assessment of French proficiency. We want to extend our best wishes to students who are writing the DELF exam, and thank the 25 staff members who have been certified as examinateurs-correcteurs and are administering the exams. An additional virtual public meeting for the Oshawa Program and Boundary Study has been scheduled, to present the final options under consideration and to offer our parents, guardians, and caregivers the opportunity to ask questions and provide input. This is in addition to the previous in-person public meetings that have already taken place. This virtual session will take place via Zoom Webinar on Thursday, May 4 at 7:00 p.m. In addition, we have shared new videos and supporting materials that have been created to summarize the previous public meeting information and to show the potential implications for each school in Oshawa for the boundary and program study. Please visit dcdsb.ca/boundaryreviews to learn more. Catholic Education Week and Mental Health Week April 30 – May 5 is Catholic Education Week which recognizes the important contributions of Catholic education to our community, the province and Canada. The theme of this year’s Catholic Education Week is We Are Many, We Are One. This week is also nationally designated as Mental Health Week, which important as we aim to raise awareness and to promote and protect mental health. This year’s Mental Health Week theme is My Story. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) says “Collectively and individually, we have multiple layers and stories that make us who we are and while each year 1 in 5 Canadians experience a mental illness or mental health issue, 5 in 5 of us – that’s all people – have mental health.” Throughout the week, we have many events and learning opportunities, including: Monday May 1, 2023: System-Wide Mass and Distinguished Catholic Educator and Leader Award Ceremony. This year, recipients of the Distinguished Catholic Educator and Leader Awards will be honoured following the System-Wide Mass at St. Bernadette Parish (21 Bayly St., E., Ajax) beginning at 4:30 p.m.  Tuesday May 2, 2023: Suicide Prevention and Life Promotion Literacy for School Staff training is being offered to educators. This is a 3-hour workshop developed by School Mental Health Ontario that is intended to develop an understanding of suicide prevention at school and the role that all school staff play in keeping students safe. Parent, Guardian and Caregiver Mental Health and Well-Being Virtual Presentation: Understanding Mood and Anxiety Difficulties Presented by Ontario Shores. The presentation will take place from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. Please click here to join the Zoom meeting.   Wednesday May 3, 2023: The student trustee leadership team at the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association is hosting a virtual Ontario Catholic Student Youth Day (OCSYD). His Grace Francis Leo, Archbishop of Toronto, will join thousands of students across the province in the celebration of a special Catholic Education Week Mass that will be live streamed at 1:30 p.m. If you would like to watch the Mass, please visit https://www.stmichaelscathedral.com/live/. Thursday May 4, 2023: School Mental Health Ontario is offering a webinar for secondary educators: Mental health lesson plans to support student learning - MH LIT: Student Mental Health in Action. During this session, educators will review this series of lessons for students in Grades 9-12 on basic mental health knowledge and help-seeking skills, consider how to bring the lessons to their students, hear from those who have begun doing so, and start the planning process in conversation with their peers. Friday May 5, 2023: Students and staff are encouraged to wear green to raise awareness for Mental Health Week. Visit dcdsb.ca to view our Catholic Education Week and Mental Health Week webpage.

Indigenous Education Updates: May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls & 2-Spirit People. Students have been engaging in learning about how systemic barriers failed to prevent and address cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women, children and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. We encourage our community to learn more at Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. On May 5, secondary students from St Mary Catholic Secondary School will be attending the Gathering to Honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples hosted by Carea Community Health Centre. Staff will be attending the Gathering and selling sweaters to donate all the proceeds back to the Carea Community Health Centre to support the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples in Canada. On May 11, elementary students from the Indigenous Student Circle will be planting a garden at the Catholic Education Centre. Students have previously met to discuss which plants they would like to include in the garden and will be planting these in May. Many of the students are also involved in the Student Indigenous Circle mural project that the gardens stand adjacent to. Grade 6-12 students are invited to join the Indigenous Student Circle for the 2023-2024 school year. The Indigenous Student Circle (ISC) is an opportunity for DCDSB Indigenous students to share their voices, learn together and connect with each other, Indigenous community partners and local Indigenous organizations. Please contact IndigenousEducation@dcdsb.ca to learn more. Director Barill concluded by saying she wishes to extend her sincere congratulations to all of the Durham Catholic District School Board retirees who were announced this evening. She thanked all retirees for their dedication to Catholic education over their years with the board.

Morgan Ste. Marie, Vice-Chair of the Board read the remarks on behalf of Monique Forster, Chair of the Board. Vice-Chair Ste. Marie began by thanking the evening’s presenters for sharing updates on Archbishop Anthony Meagher Catholic Continuing Education Centre, Student Services and Witnessing Faith Strategic Goals and Actions. Recognition On April 18, the Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee hosted the Distinguished Catholic Volunteer Awards, which took place during National Volunteer Week. Congratulations to all the award recipients who were recognized for their commitment to our Catholic schools. Your passion and time are greatly appreciated by students and staff. I also want to extend my gratitude to the Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee (DCPIC) for organizing the event, and for your ongoing efforts to engage with DCDSB families by providing support on a system-wide basis and promoting the Home-School-Parish relationship. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to recognize two of our secondary schools who placed in the top 25 schools who fundraised for the Terry Fox Foundation run. All Saints Catholic Secondary School fundraised over $78,000 this year and ranked #1 out of all schools in Ontario in the Secondary Division. Father Leo J. Austin Catholic Secondary School fundraised over $8,900 and ranked #23 in the Secondary Division. The funds raised for the Terry Fox Foundation will go towards cancer research, and to transform Terry Fox’s dream to find cures for cancer into reality. Congratulations to all schools who participated. We have a few upcoming staff appreciation days that I would like to highlight, including: Administrative Professionals Day is on April 26, and on behalf of the Senior Administrative Team, I would like to thank our school administrative assistants, executive administrative assistants, and all administrative professionals for their commitment and support for our schools, staff, students and families, each and every day, National Principals Day is on May 1, and is an opportunity for us to thank all of our dedicated Principals and Vice-Principals for their commitment to Catholic education. On May 1, and every day, we celebrate your leadership and dedication to supporting students, staff, families and our school communities. May is Speech and Hearing Month, and on May 5, Durham Catholic will celebrate Speech and Hearing Professionals Day. Thank you to our speech and language and audiology professionals for all they do to support our community in early detection and intervention for communication disorders. On May 19, our board will celebrate Child and Youth Care Worker’s Appreciation Day. A special thank you to the important role that our CYC’s have in supporting our students, families and school communities.

Upcoming Events During the month of May, DCDSB will celebrate Mary, the mother of God. Many of our schools will learn about recitation of the Rosary during May and will display altars or pictures as a reminder of Mary’s month. During May, may we all be reminded to strive to imitate our Blessed Mother’s virtue in our own lives.  The Durham Catholic Children’s Foundation, in partnership with the Durham Catholic District School Board, is pleased to announce the “in-person” return of its signature gala event. The 9th Annual Durham Catholic Children’s Foundation Gala will take place on Thursday, May 11 at the Ajax Convention Centre. The gala is in honour of Bishop Vincent Nguyen and our Distinguished Alumni, and will feature 2022 Distinguished Catholic Alumni Award Winner, Aubrey Noronha, as the guest speaker. To purchase tickets or to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please visit durhamcatholicfoundation.ca/gala. All proceeds from the gala will go to the Durham Catholic Children’s Foundation. I would like to share a note of congratulations to Director Barill who, at the Ontario Catholic Supervisory Officers’ Association (OCSOA) Annual General Meeting last week, was elected as President of the Ontario Catholic Supervisory Officers’ Association for the 2023-2024 school year. In closing, on behalf of Chair Forster, Vice-Chair Ste. Marie extended best wishes to all mothers for a very happy Mother’s Day on May 14, saying that he hopes all mothers have a very special day filled with love, laughter, and precious memories.

Motions

THAT the Durham Catholic District School Board approve the Revised Schedule of Board and Committee Meetings for the 2022-2023 school year.

Announcements

Morgan Ste. Marie, Vice-Chair of the Board, made the following announcements: Retirements, effective June 30, 2023: Andree Perreault, St. Andre Bessette Catholic School Brigitte Langan, St. Isaac Jogues Catholic School Catherine Maugeri-Schuck, Msgr. Paul Dwyer Catholic High School Catherine Tynan, St. Joseph Catholic School Cheryl Olesky, St. John Bosco Catholic School Gerald Huxter, St. Joseph Catholic School Han Yu (Holly) Cheng, Msgr. Philip Coffey Catholic School James Doyle, Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Janice M. Sauter, St. John XXIII Catholic School Lianne Marie Lamers, St. Bernard Catholic School Lise Groen, Father Leo J. Austin Catholic Secondary School Maria Clunis, St. John the Evangelist Catholic School Maria Brown, St. Joseph Catholic School (Uxbridge) Mark Daranjo, Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Mary Lynne Calvert, All Saints Catholic Secondary School Melissa Baker, St. Andre Bessette Catholic School Michael Canning, All Saints Catholic Secondary School Patrick O'Prey, All Saints Catholic Secondary School Peter Hanlon, Centre for Success Richard MacInnis, St. James Catholic School Samantha Anderson, St. John Paul II Catholic School Teresa Dearness, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School Tracy-Lynn Zanth-Xidos, St. Theresa Catholic School Veronica Boyden-Boodoosingh, St. Theresa Catholic School Retirements, effective September 1, 2023: Catherine Kudla, St. Wilfrid Catholic School

2022-2023 Board of Trustees: Monique Forster (Chair) - Ajax Morgan Ste. Marie (Vice-Chair) - Oshawa Kim Beatty - Oshawa Richard Damianopoulos - Scugog, Uxbridge and Brock Robert De Souza - Whitby Janelle Emanuel - Whitby Marisa Hall - Ajax Jim McCafferty - Pickering Sophie Nwaoha - Student Trustee Moyin Esan - Student Trustee

Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting of April 24, 2023 will be posted on the board website as part of the agenda for the Regular Board Meeting of Monday, May 23, 2023.