June 26, 2025 • Issue #67

Learning opportunities and initiatives demonstrating commitment to Thames Valley's Multi-Year Strategic Plan.

As we wrap up another successful school year, we would like to congratulate all Thames Valley students, staff and families on the amazing things we accomplished together in 2024-2025! 

This year, students learned new skills both inside and outside the classroom as they expressed their creativity, broadened their horizons and built meaningful relationships in their school community. 

Thank you for another fantastic year, Thames Valley! Enjoy a safe and restful summer.  

We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Wednesday, September 3. 

Girls in Aviation

400 female identifying students in grades 6-8 across the district attended the second “Girls in Aviation Day” on June 3.

Students engaged with interactive stations hosted by industry partners, gaining early exposure to careers in STEM and aviation while benefiting from inspiring female mentorship that encouraged diverse pathways. They also visited the TVDSB Aviation School Hangar, where much of our Aviation School learning takes place.

Thank you to London International Airport, Executive Aviation, Western University, Airshow London and other industry partners for creating this interactive and engaging aviation experience.



Learn more about the TVDSB Aviation School. 

Indigenous History Month and

National Indigenous Peoples Day

June is National Indigenous History Month.

It is an opportunity for us to honour the history, diversity and contributions of Indigenous Peoples and Nations in Canada, and to recognize the strength of present-day Indigenous Communities.



All schools were encouraged to recognize National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 by sharing more about Indigenous histories and heritage through resources curated by the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education Portfolio. 

The Pitch Point

entrepreneurship competition

On June 3, 10 classes from six Thames Valley District School Board high schools competed head-to-head at Fanshawe College in The Pitch Point. In this unique entrepreneurship competition for grade 10 and 11 students, contestants pitched their innovative business ideas to a panel of industry professionals.

The expert judging panel included leaders from local, national and international organizations across a variety of industries, including tech, nonprofit, marketing, apparel, food and beverage, and more. Student teams were evaluated on their presentation skills, professionalism, innovation and ability to meet the needs of their target market.

This year’s finalists were challenged to create a business plan and pitch a product or service that addressed real problems and market gaps. Finalists pitched a wide range of business ideas, from icebreaking shovels and pre-sport snack bars to Indigenous artistry and helpful apps.

Congratulations to all who participated and the competition winners:  

First place: Medway High School (KiddoKick) 

Second place: A.B. Lucas Secondary School (DineSafe) 

Third place: Tie between Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute (Freeze Frame System) and Clarke Road Secondary School (Treat Yourself)  

Stem2Stern regatta launch day

June 4 was launch day for Stem2Stern! Hundreds of elementary and secondary school students from across Thames Valley launched boats they built and decorated themselves into the water at Fanshawe Lake.



The Stem2Stern program allows students to learn hands-on skills, collaborate and explore exciting creative opportunities. 

13 Moons land-based learning

On June 4 and 5, students from the Indigenous Student Leadership Council (SLC) attended 13 Moons Land-based Learning Camp. The SLC is comprised of Indigenous students in TVDSB, from grades 10-12. This year, students from 18 different secondary schools participated in the program. 

13 Moons is based in Oneida Nation of the Thames and is owned and operated by Glen and Dayna McDougall. The students started the day by the fire, with a Smudging ceremony and Thanksgiving Address. Then, they learned about the impact of colonialism on the nutrition and overall health of Indigenous Peoples, and they learned the importance of recognizing and acknowledging their gifts.  

The students accompanied Glen on a Medicine Walk in the bush and learned to identify native plants that can be used for food and medicine. They also learned about gardening and traditional Indigenous vegetables and herbs that have been cultivated for thousands of years.  

After lunch, students learned traditional ways that Oneida people roasted and milled corn kernels to make corn flour. The day ended with student reflections and the Thanksgiving Address. 

Summer Supports

Drop-In Mental Health Clinics 

Throughout July and August, drop-in mental health support clinics will operate across all regions of Thames Valley. There is no appointment needed. Students and caregivers can receive mental health support at these clinics. 

Developmental Screening Clinics 

TVDSB is proud to offer pop-up developmental screening clinics this summer for kindergarten-aged students, hosted at EarlyON centres across all regions of the board.

Summer Partnership Programs 

This summer, TVDSB is proud to partner with incredible local organizations, municipalities and community groups to offer various summer programming opportunities.

Learn more here: www.tvdsb.ca/summersupport  

East Elgin Secondary School students receive $1,500 in community support for multicultural art installation

In the community of Aylmer, more than 30 grade 10 art students at East Elgin Secondary School created an art piece that illustrates Canadian unity and pride while capturing the essence of Canada's multicultural identity. Their public art project, "On Guard for Thee," features Canadian-themed self-portraits that demonstrate how Canada's cultural mosaic extends far beyond major cities into communities across the country.

The art installation has already garnered widespread public attention, including being featured on CBC News.

The project has received significant and valued community support from local Royal Canadian Legion branches. Port Burwell branch 524 donated $500 at the project's launch. Representatives from both Port Burwell and Aylmer branch 81 visited the school to view the students' progress. Aylmer's Legion presented an additional $1,000 donation to the Visual Art program, bringing total community investment to $1,500.

The school hopes to display the work in both Ontario's and Canada's capital cities, giving these students' vision of Canadian identity and unity a national platform.



The public is invited to the official unveiling ceremony on Saturday, June 28 at 11 a.m. at the Elgin Innovation Centre/Old Imperial Market in Aylmer.



Read more at CBC News.

Thames Valley Athletes take home 25 medals, including 11 gold, from OFSAA

The Thames Valley District School Board is pleased to announce athletes from local high schools received 25 medals, including 11 gold, at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) track and field finals June 5-7 in Toronto.

More than 50 athletes from 16 secondary schools in TVDSB participated in the 2025 competition, which brought together athletes from over 500 high schools across Ontario.

In addition to winning four gold and three silver medals, Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School took home an additional honour: the provincial boys overall track and field title at OFSAA. It’s the third year in a row the Banting boys’ team has won this title. 

Results 

Total TVDSB medals: 

• 11 Gold 
• 10 Silver 
• 4 Bronze 
• 
  

For full results, visit OFSAA’s website: https://www.ofsaa.on.ca/championship/track-field/schedules-results/results/ 

Clarke Road Secondary School 

Ezekiel Kerr: Gold, Intellectual Male 100-metre dash 

College Avenue Secondary School 

Levi Huinink: Silver, Novice Male Shot Put 

East Elgin Secondary School  

Taylor Kana: Gold, Senior Female Javelin Throw 

Huron Park Secondary School 

Samuel Schreiter:  

• Gold, Visual Male Shot Put 
• Bronze, Visual Male 100-metre dash 

Lord Dorchester Secondary School 

Aisha Medina: Silver, Junior Female Pole Vault 

Medway High School 

Ryan Georgeson: Gold, Senior Male 800-metre run 

Lucy Schiedel: Bronze, Novice Female Pole Vault 

Medway team: Silver, Senior Female 4X400 Metre Relay 

Oakridge Secondary School 

Jenna Tunks: 

• Gold, Junior Female Discus 
• Gold, Junior Female Shot Put 

Madeline Mullin: Silver, Senior Female Discus Throw 

Matthew Prestwich: Bronze, Intellectual Male Shot Put 

Parkside Collegiate Institute 

Mehkai Arnold: Silver, Novice Male Discus Throw 

Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School  

Jackson MacKay: 

• Gold – pole vault 
• Gold – long jump 
• Gold – 100-metre hurdles 

Finne O’Leary: Gold – junior boys shot put 

Olivia Folk: Silver, Novice Female Javelin Throw 

 Linus Gatzen: Silver, Ambulatory Male 800-metre run 

Ali Jasinskas: Silver, Senior Female Pole Bault 

Strathroy District Collegiate Institute 

Breanna Sloetjes: Silver, Senior Female High Jump 

Woodstock Collegiate Institute 

Zoey Shantz 

• Gold, Intellectual Female 100-metre dash 
• Silver, Intellectual Female 800-metre dash 

Serenity Scott 

• Bronze, Intellectual Female 100-Metre Dash 

Athletic skill and friendly competition on display at 2025 Special Olympics

The Thames Valley District School Board would like to congratulate all the athletes, peer coaches, volunteers and community partners who made this year’s Special Olympics a success.

Held June 10-11, 2025, at Western Alumni Stadium, the 2025 Special Olympics brought together more than 1,400 students and 1,300 peer coaches from 74 elementary and 26 secondary schools across TVDSB.

Thank you to our many community partners, who helped make the Special Olympics happen, including: 

• Investing in Children 
• Special Olympics Ontario 
• Western University 
• Thames Valley Children’s Centre (TVCC)

And thank you to the organizing committee, staff members and volunteers for their tremendous efforts in organizing this amazing competition.  Special thanks to the London Police Pipes and Drums, Medway Student Band and Medway Leadership Group who helped make this event extra special. 

Parkside CI teacher 1 of only 5 in Canada to receive prestigious teaching award

A teacher at Parkside Collegiate Institute in St. Thomas has won a prestigious teaching award for supporting students and her school community. 

Amber Wadsworth will receive the Baillie Award for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching from Queen’s University in Kingston at its convocation ceremonies on June 24, 2025.

The Baillie Award recognizes an “exceptional high school educator who has served as a role model and mentor to their students, instilled a love of learning, and inspired academic excellence and the pursuit of higher education.” Nominations come from graduating undergraduate students to honour educators who helped them make it to Queen’s.

Only five awards are distributed each year to Canadian teachers. Recipients also receive $10,000 and are recognized at convocation. Learn more about the Baillie Award: https://www.queensu.ca/studentaffairs/funding-awards/baillie-award. 

An educator and guidance counsellor at Parkside, Amber is known as an extremely caring and involved educator who promotes student success every day. She’s involved with: 

• Undergrad award ceremony 
• Commencement ceremony 
• Grade 8 open house 
• Sound and lighting for school productions and assemblies 
• Teacher in Charge 
• School Council teacher representative 
• Swim team coach 
• Rugby team coach 
• Scholarship committee member 

Congratulations to Amber on receiving this prestigious award, and for all she does every day for students and the community. 

Hands-on science learning at

Lambeth Public School

When it came time to teach the Structures and Mechanisms unit to his grade 7 science class, Jeff Almond decided to do something different: his students would design and build their own to-scale model houses.

From January to May 2025, 50 grade 7 students from Lambeth Public School worked in groups of two to four to produce more than a dozen scale model houses.

“We needed a new way of learning, rather than just sitting down and reading a textbook,” Jeff said.

Each class began with instruction time, and afterward students would put what they learned into action. Students drafted plans for their houses and used tools like mitre saws to carefully construct floors, struts and roofs for their houses out of jinx wood and sandpaper. Students used a 1 cm = 1 foot scale for their houses.

Jeff was very impressed with his students.

“The outcome of the project has been fantastic. It’s definitely surpassed what I expected,” he said, noting the project sparked an interest in tech for many students.

The houses were on display at the TVDSB Education Centre from June 16-20.

  

Please enjoy the above video to hear from Jeff Almond, as well as some of the students from his class, about this innovative project.

Caine's arcade: creativity, community and career pathways in action

This spring, students from kindergarten to Grade 12 across Thames Valley District School Board took part in Caine’s Arcade, a system-wide initiative that challenged learners to design and build arcade games using cardboard and sustainable materials. Inspired by the original Caine’s Arcade movement, this project celebrated innovation, problem-solving, and hands-on design thinking in classrooms throughout the board.

In many schools, these imaginative arcade builds went beyond the classroom walls. Students opened their arcades to peers, staff, and families, transforming gyms, hallways and libraries into vibrant game zones. Several schools even turned the experience into a charitable opportunity, charging a small fee to play games and donating the proceeds to local causes, showcasing student empathy and community leadership.

The initiative was developed to support TVDSB’s commitment to STEM education, skilled trades exploration and K–12 pathway development. It encouraged cross-panel collaboration, creative risk-taking, and sustainability-minded construction, skills that align with both curriculum goals and real-world learning outcomes.

A panel of staff helped select a number of standout arcade builds, and a full gallery of submissions can be viewed here: TVDSB Caine’s Arcade Padlet Page



This joyful, student-driven initiative is a shining example of how curiosity and collaboration can lead to powerful learning experiences, ones that connect creativity to careers, and classrooms to communities.

Girls at Bat All Star Series at Labatt Park

Dunwich-Dutton Public School is in the third year of the Jays Care Affiliate School Program. This year, they successfully received a $2,500 grant from Jays Care to host an “All Star Series” event where all TVDSB schools running the Girls at Bat program could come together for a day of athletics and fun.   

Girls at Bat is a Jays Care Foundation initiative and is an introductory level baseball program designed to reduce some of the biggest barriers female identifying individuals may face when accessing or participating in sport. Girls At Bat works to remove these barriers by creating spaces that empower and centre the leadership and voices of girls and provide opportunities for them to learn and play sport amongst a resilient and inclusive community. The program is implemented by schools and community organizations with the goal of increasing participation and retention in sport and play. 

21 schools across Thames Valley participated in the All Star Series event at Labatt Park on June 13, with almost 500 students in attendance.  

The event featured two one-hour sessions during the day. In the first, students rotated through baseball skills, drills and games. In the second session, students explored the infield Carnival area, which included a variety of activities including a yoga station, juggling, community colouring, the London Public Library, dancing, a photo booth, as well as lawn games and face painting.  

Each student received a swag bag as well as a medal at the end of the day. The London Majors also gifted one free ticket to each student to be used at any regular season home game this summer. 

Check out the positive feedback on the day from a few of the school coaches: 



“The girls had so much fun, the whole day was simply perfect! Thank you for the vision and the implementation of such an extraordinary event! We were honoured to be part of it. It really united our girls and gave our Grade 8's a positive end of program experience as they go off to high school.” 

“They absolutely loved it and were over the moon. They loved showing off their medals and telling everyone about their day when we got back. Definitely a highlight of their time in elementary school that I’m sure they will remember forever.” 

“It was an amazing day and opportunity for all of our girls in the Girls at Bat program. To be hosted at such an iconic park with such beautiful weather, it couldn't have been scripted any better.”