Strategic Priorities in Action

March 9, 2023 • Issue #43

Learning opportunities and initiatives demonstrating commitment to Thames Valley's Strategic Priorities and Operational Goals

Throughout February, Thames Valley asked students, staff and communities to answer the question, “What does Black excellence mean to you?”

We were honoured to receive incredible answers from school communities across the district. From personal essays and poetry to inspiring displays and performances, you shared meaningful reflections on Black excellence that affirm Black identities and the continued importance of Black history.

Black History Month may be over, but Black history continues to be made every day. Schools across Thames Valley will continue to learn about and celebrate the important achievements of Black Canadians and individuals all year long.

Watch the video above to see how Thames Valley celebrated Black History Month this year!

For the first time since 2018, Thames Valley students with visual impairments took to the ice in Thompson Arena at Western University for a day of fun and learning.

With assistance from a charitable organization called Canadian Blind Hockey, over 25 students aged 8 to 18 were invited to learn how to skate and play blind and low vision hockey with the Western Mustangs Women’s Hockey Team.

I was thrilled to receive an invitation to attend the event and enjoyed the opportunity to talk some of the students. Thank you to Learning Support Teacher Catharine Sullivan for making this event possible and your commitment for ensuring that hockey is an accessible game for everyone.

For this month’s Chair’s Corner, I want to congratulate everyone who made the Student Trustee Debates and Elections a success.

Thank you to the special guests, students, community members, staff and fellow Trustees who participated in the process.

During both election nights I was inspired when students shared their thoughts about how they would engage with their school communities and bring their unique perspectives to the Board. I was delighted to see how many candidates, observers and voting delegates stepped forward and how many leaders we have in the student community.

On behalf of the Board, I want to welcome:

H.B. Beal Secondary School student Fred Nicholas, who was elected to be the next Indigenous Student Trustee
Sir Wilfred Laurier Secondary School student Jana Anan, who was elected to be the next Student Trustee for the City of London,

And Woodstock Collegiate Institute student, Savrup Saran, who was re-elected as Student Trustee for the counties.

Thank you for taking on the important responsibility of representing the student voice in the boardroom. I know I speak for the entire Board of Trustees when I say we look forward to working with all of our new Student Trustees

And of course, thank you to our current Indigenous Student Trustee Lyzee Ninham, City of London Student Trustee Ayesha Hassan and County Student Trustee Savrup Saran, as they continue their great work this term.

As always, please feel free to email me at boardchair@tvdsb.ca if you have any questions!

Lori-Ann Pizzolato

Chair

Toonie Tuesday is a beloved annual fundraiser that supports the Caring Fund, a Thames Valley Education Foundation (TVEF) program created to help students in emergency financial need.

Students need the Caring Fund’s help now more than ever: over the past three years, requests to the Caring Fund have doubled. Every day, students attend school hungry, without adequate clothing, school supplies or basic necessities. Many students are dealing with challenging circumstances at home that tragically impact their learning.

This year, our fundraising goal of $50,000 will make a real difference in the lives of students across Thames Valley.

100% of funds raised through Toonie Tuesday will help students facing issues related to poverty.

Toonie Tuesday is off to a great start with an unprecedented 96 schools and 114 Champions registered to participate! Many schools have already hosted amazing fundraising events throughout the district, like this one from Davenport Public School.

We look forward to sharing the results of all your fundraising efforts in March. On behalf of the TVEF, thank you for working together to help Thames Valley students!

Want to donate or learn more about Toonie Tuesday? Visit our website to help us reach our fundraising goal! #TVEFToonieTues

Since 2014, students at Springfield Public School have been learning about the importance of helping their community and making a difference in the world by donating beds they made out of used milk bags.

It all started with the kindergarten teaching team of Ms. Esler and Ms. McCormick, who wanted to show their students that even small actions can have a big impact. They found that milk bag weaving was a great way for students to learn about patterns, develop their fine motor skills and do something good for the environment at the same time.

Now, students in grades 3-6 volunteer to weave mats during recess using milk bags donated by the community. They use a special loom built by community members to create patterns in the mats, which turn into washable and comfortable beds when they're finished. The whole school community supports the project by donating materials and helping, guiding the students in their work and maintaining the weaving looms.

Thanks to the hard work of the students and community volunteers, the school has been able to donate more than 20 sleeping mats to international and local organizations so far this year. It's a collaborative effort that makes a big difference in the lives of people who need it most.

At Thames Valley, all students in our schools, regardless of background or ability, have the opportunity to develop the skills, attitudes and knowledge required to live up to their full potential.

Hayden Wintjes is a grade 5 student at Clara Brenton Public School and is just one of the many examples of how staff go above and beyond to ensure that all students’ needs are met.

Students in the Culinary Club at Lambeth Public School have been learning about much more than cooking lately!

Each time the club meets, students are engaged in activities that encourage them to work as a team and further develop measurement skills, including working with fractions and time. The group meets twice a month to prepare snacks, create meals and bake desserts that reflect the cultural backgrounds of each student in the club.

On February 14, the Lambeth Public School Culinary Club walked to Ashwood Manor Retirement Home and met with many of the residents to share individually packaged Valentine’s Day treats that they had stayed late at school the previous day to prepare. While they delivered the baked goods, the group enjoyed visiting with the residents to tell them about their school activities and hear about the seniors’ experiences from when they attended school.

The excursion to Ashwood Manor had a meaningful impact on the students in the Lambeth Public School Culinary Club. It enabled them to brighten the residents’ day with a tasty treat while building connections with the broader Lambeth community.

(Photo Credit: Instagram/stem2stern.ldn)

This spring, students from ten TVDSB schools will be hitting Fanshawe Lake to set sail in boats they have designed and constructed themselves.

Throughout the winter, teams of elementary and secondary students have been planning, collaborating and building boats with the assistance of Stem 2 Stern, a community boat-building organization. The goal for each project is to craft a water-worthy vessel that can be launched on Fanshawe Lake while learning valuable skills that may encourage them to explore the trades as a career or study option.

Students are tasked with carefully planning out the entire boat build process, using industry tools to sand, cut and glue the wood, and completing the project by painting the boat in a unique way.

Recent boat builds include projects with students from White Oaks Public School, Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School and H.B. Beal Secondary School with plans to have boats completed by students from College Ave Secondary School, Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School and Cleardale Public School.

The recent project from Beal is a true collaborative effort; students enrolled in the English as a Second Language program built the boat and Indigenous Arts students will finish off the design by painting it with help from local Indigenous artist Mike Cywink.

In June, each of the ten participating groups will launch their boats on Fanshawe Lake after completing swim tests in a celebration of their hard work and achievement.

This unique experiential learning opportunity is offered thanks to TVDSB’s Experiential Learning and Specialist High Skills Major programs’ collaborative efforts with Stem 2 Stern and other community partners.

This March TVDSB has created a new marketing campaign to promote how adult learners can reach their goals with the support of Adult and Continuing Education programs. The campaign features photographs of learners registered in the program this February and will be visible on buses and billboards.

Every year, Adult, Alternative, and Continuing Education programs support approximately 18, 000 students across the Thames Valley, in various locations throughout London and Middlesex, Oxford, and Elgin counties. Learners have the flexibility to learn in person or virtually. Programs include, but are not limited to:

English as a Second Language (ESL);
Adult Day School, which features specialized courses in transportation and hairstyling in addition to traditional subjects like Math, English and Science;
The Gateway Program, which is funded by the Government of Ontario and enables adults to upgrade their English, math or digital technology skills for free;
The Personal Support Worker Program;
Partnerships with Fanshawe College and Brescia University and more.

For details, please visit www.tvdsb.ca/adulted.

Students from the Saunders Secondary School Grade 11 Construction and Woodworking classes have been mentoring and working in collaboration with Grade 9 Indigenous students to build dog houses for local First Nation communities.

Together with TVDSB’s Experiential Learning Program and an organization called Aboriginal Community and Animal Advocacy Connection, the students recently delivered over 20 dog houses as part of an experiential learning opportunity that has helped build strong relationships between classes and with First Nation communities in the Thames Valley area.

Saunders’ Construction Tech Lead, Stephen Merklinger said, “This is the sixth doghouse build we have done in partnership with the local First Nation communities. For students, this project promoted a sense of community, culture, identity and self.”

The London St. Thomas Association of Realtors recently recognized the Kettle Creek Public School upgrade project with the Don Smith Award for Institutional Renovation. TVDSB worked with Cornerstone Architecture Inc. and Graceview Enterprises Inc. to complete interior and exterior renovations to the school, which was originally built in 1968.

The project included a 353-square-meter library addition, enhancements to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, as well as upgraded lighting, flooring, paint and trim. Important additions such as barrier-free washrooms, ramps, a chair lift, new concrete sidewalk, asphalt bus lay-by and new parking lot improved school accessibility.