April 28, 2023 • Issue #45

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

Throughout the month of April, Thames Valley was proud to recognize many important days of significance alongside the diverse communities we serve.

Kicking off the month of April were a number of events recognizing Sikh Heritage Month. Thames Valley was proud to attend the Sikh Heritage Month Inauguration ceremony held at the Kiwanis Community Centre on April 1 to learn more about Sikh culture and the significant historic and ongoing contributions of Sikh Canadians. Thames Valley also recognized the month by hosting a Sikh Community Engagement Session on April 19 with Sikh families across the district, as well as a Sikh Heritage Reception on April 24 held at the Thames Valley District School Board Education Centre.

April 2 was World Autism Awareness Day, a day to spread autism awareness, advocate for the rights and equitable treatment of individuals on the autism spectrum and celebrate their contributions throughout history and today.

Members of the Jewish community began observing Passover on April 6, coming together to celebrate with family, food and prayer.

Across Thames Valley, students and staff took this time to recognize the many contributions made by the Jewish community and to reinforce our collective commitment to combatting antisemitism.



Many in Thames Valley celebrated Easter on April 9 by gathering with loved ones for a meal and their favourite family traditions.

Muslim families marked the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan with the observance of Eid al-Fitr on April 21, celebrating with joyous feasts and prayer. Schools across Thames Valley displayed Eid decorations and lanterns made by students, as well as displays and books about the significance of this important holiday.

Thames Valley is looking forward to joining the Hindu community for the Festival of Colours, or Holi, on April 29. Holi symbolizes the onset of spring and signifies unity and diversity in the universe.

Thames Valley is proud to celebrate these and many other days of significance in solidarity with students, staff, families and community leaders across the district.

On March 30, 2023, over 500 TVDSB students came together at Western University’s Althouse College to learn strategies for success and hear from 18 entrepreneurs and industry experts as part of an Ontario Ministry of Education pilot project called Young Entrepreneurs in Action.

The day began with a keynote address by Sam Demma, author of Unpack Your Backpack, who advised participants to let go of limiting beliefs and negative thoughts, and offered actionable ideas to help them reach their goals. Students also heard from Sam during a discussion panel, along with Andrew Gunn of the Young and Free Press and Cheryl Weedmark, Manager of TVDSB’s communications department, as they discussed the importance of social media and branding.

Participants were then invited to take part in numerous breakout sessions, where they could customize their experience and learn about subjects that they are interested in.

• Mike and Jeff Crosby from Greenhouse Academy were present to provide information on their program, encourage students to believe in themselves and offer tips on making their dreams a reality.

• Kelly Haas and Carlos Camelo from Calyco Design Company offered information on how they launched a successful clothing and graphic design company and inspired students to start their own business.

• Jade and Tyra Roy from Sweet Sisters presented to students on the challenges they overcame and the process they went through to launch a successful freeze-dried candy business.



• Grant Schwartz, from the Discovery Channel’s Vegas Rat Rods, told participants an encouraging story about how he achieved his dreams and inspired students who are interested in the skilled trades to pursue their career goals.

“The opportunity to connect students throughout the system who share a passion for entrepreneurship was rewarding for everyone who participated in the day,” said Laura Briscoe, TVDSB’s Learning Coordinator for Experiential Learning and Specialist High Skills Majors programs. “Our SHSM and STEAM team specifically focused on reaching students who are interested in skilled trades to make relevant connections to their ambitions.”

The Young Entrepreneurs in Action event was a huge success, thanks to the participation of many community industry experts and efforts of TVDSB’s Mandy Cleland, Derek Tangredi and Laura Briscoe. Students left feeling inspired and ready to reach for their dreams and create new entrepreneurial opportunities.

Meet Trustee Dave Cripps



My name is Dave Cripps and I am one of the Trustees elected to represent schools in Oxford County.  I grew up in Zorra and South West Oxford townships in Oxford, just outside of Ingersoll. I am a proud graduate of Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute and Ingersoll is also where my family calls home. 

My work path has had diverse opportunities, starting with milking cattle and picking rocks, then retail and industrial work. I am currently a project/change manager and entrepreneur with a large Canadian financial Institution.

Something of great importance to me is giving back to my community. Prior to becoming a Trustee, I volunteered as a member of the Thames Valley Parent Involvement Committee (TVPIC), the board’s Rural Education Task Force, and the Attendance Area Review Committee for Harris Heights Public School/Westfield Public School in 2010-2011. To learn more about my background and community involvement, I invite you to read my bio online.

My goal as a Trustee is to strengthen the school board’s relationship with the communities, students and families we serve. Please feel free to contact me anytime at [email protected] or 519-452-2000 ext. 22411. 

Trustees in the Community

At Jeanne Sauvé French Immersion Public School, there are over 30 different languages spoken among the 300 students who attend the school.

Naieb is a Grade 2 student at Jeanne Sauvé. He first discovered dual language books in the library and enjoys bringing them home to read with his family. This helps him build literacy skills and also helps his parents learn English as they read together as a family.

Thanks to Thames Valley's Inclusive Libraries project, schools can expand their collections to include more resources for students like Naieb.

The Ministry of Education has given Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) $3.4 million in additional funding towards the construction of a new elementary school in the Elgin County community of Belmont.

The additional funding will support TVDSB in increasing the size of the future school from 354 to 507 students. The total construction budget for the project is now $12.1 million.

“This is great news for Thames Valley,” said Mark Fisher, Director of Education for TVDSB. “We appreciate the Ministry’s responsiveness to the evolving needs of the school community, and its flexibility with regards to expanding the Belmont elementary school construction project. Our staff has been working hard to upgrade and add to our infrastructure to better serve students, families, and communities. We look forward to working with the Ministry and community partners on next steps for the new Belmont school, as well as other renovation and construction projects throughout the district.”

See the New Belmont School webpage for the full news release, as well as additional details about the project.

There were a lot of exciting things happening at Zorra Highland Park PS this month!

In the makerspace, students were successful in designing code that makes a Lego robot walk from their classroom to the school’s office. This project incorporated the math, science and technology curriculum as they worked to create code, test the process and then debug any issues they encountered along the way.

Students throughout the school are participating in a relationship-building exercise where classes are helping each other paint rocks that reflect each person’s unique identity. After reading the book, Only One You, students were invited to paint a rock in the form of a colourful fish to express themselves and celebrate their individuality.

Please watch the video to hear more about these amazing initiatives.

The Terry Fox Foundation has recognized Northridge Public School as one of the top fundraisers for the 2022 campaign. The school was ranked 14^th out of the top 50 contributors in the Elementary Division and raised over $15,000.

Congratulations to the Northridge school community on this incredible achievement!

TVDSB’s H3-Environmental Leaders’ Project (H3-ELP) was on hand at Earth Fest London on April 22, 2023, to educate the community on important environmental issues and encourage more people to become actively involved with local sustainability efforts.

The Grade 10 students were excited to share their observations about the state of the environment around Westminster Ponds, which is designated as an Environmentally Significant Area (ESA) by the City of London and serves as their outdoor classroom. After setting up displays among the 80 other vendors at London Citi Plaza, H3-ELP students had the opportunity to share their stories and engage with members of the community to inspire others to strive for more environmental accountability.  

“Sharing their observations with community members and industry professionals has been tremendously rewarding for the students,” says Jennifer Trampleasure, a teacher with H3-ELP. “The students conduct research and present from a passionate environmental perspective because they see firsthand the impact that modern consumer-driven lifestyles have on our wetlands. They realize the immediate need for action and are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work.”

The H3-ELP program is a full semester, multi-credit opportunity for Grade 10 students and is open to students from across the district who apply in the fall of their Grade 9 year. Participants in the program take a head, heart and hands (H3) approach to addressing environmental issues and are heavily involved in numerous initiatives each year. Projects often stem from inquiries or requests by community partners.

In addition to creating presentations for Earth Fest London, H3-ELP students having been working on projects such as:

• tracking and logging water quality from seven sites across the ESA with Lake Erie Water Rangers;
• working with Bird Friendly London to have bird-friendly windows installed in TVDSB schools;
• removing invasive species and planting trees with ReForest London; and
• collecting, sorting and distributing seeds with the Thames Talbot Land Trust.

For more information, please visit the H3-Environmental Leaders’ Project website.

Grade 7/8 students at A.J. Baker Public School in Kintore recently engaged in a thoughtful equity initiative that taught them about the culture and cuisines of youth around the world.

After reading a book about a young girl experiencing poverty in Mumbai who learns to cook roti, Virginia Francis’ class cooked roti and other Indian dishes in their own classroom to reflect on the experiences of the main character.

The activity was a great opportunity for students to practice their math skills and learn about the culture and living experiences of children in other parts of the world. One student even had the special opportunity to share her own family’s roti recipe with her classmates, creating a memorable experience for the whole class.

What's cooking at South Ridge PS in Tillsonburg?

Thanks to a partnership with Southwestern Public Health called Let's Get Cookin’, students in Grades 5-8 have an opportunity to try different recipes, learn some important life skills and have a lot of fun along the way!

The Let’s Get Cookin’ program encourages students to use math and literacy while developing cooking and food preparation skills, and enabling them to try new dishes that they might not eat at home.

To learn more about Let’s Get Cookin’ and how to bring the program to your school, please visit the Southwestern Public Health website.