June 25 2026 • Issue #77

Celebrating the incredible achievements, inspiring moments

and everyday successes that make our district a wonderful

place for students, families and staff.

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 2025-2026!

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.

Please enjoy this short video from Bill Tucker and incoming CEO Kevin Auckland. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on September 8.

Turtle Island School Opening Ceremony

Turtle Island Public School celebrated the school’s official opening ceremony on May 20, 2026.

Featuring student performances and a video presentation, it was an exciting day for the whole school community!

TVDSB students shine at

Canada-Wide Science Fair

The board is proud to highlight the achievements of several TVDSB students at the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF), including Grade 7 student Siddharth Patel from Clara Brenton Public School, who was celebrated nationally after earning one of the top honours. Below is a list of students, their projects and awards.

Siddharth Patel received the The Actuarial Foundation of Canada Award (Junior), Excellence in Astronomy Award (Junior), Excellence Award – Gold (Junior), Challenge Award – Aerospace (Junior) and Platinum Award – Discovery (Junior) for their project: Automating Asteroid Detection Criteria to Strengthen Citizen Science for Planetary Defense

Apple AK won the Excellence Award – Gold (Junior) for their project: Computer Vision For Bacterial Gram Stain Classification

Musa Salman received the Excellence Award – Bronze (Junior) for their project: DERMAGUARD: Novel Wearable For Cutaneous Monitoring With Bio-printable Solutions

Harsh Patel won the Excellence Award – Bronze (Junior) for their project:

An Efficient AI-Driven Tool for Pediatric Pneumonia Detection

Inaaya Zia won the Excellence Award – Bronze (Junior) for their project:

CellScope: Optimising Papillary Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis

Gaurav Chopra won the Excellence Award – Silver (Intermediate) for their project:

OcuScan: A Novel Deep Learning-Based Ocular Disease Detection System

Tridib Das won the Excellence Award – Silver (Intermediate) for their project: PlaqueGuard: Investigating the Effects of Polyphenols on Dental Plaque Formation

Kavin Rithwik won the Excellence Award – Silver (Senior) for their project: Computational Drug Discovery Targeting a Rare Cystic Fibrosis-linked CFTR Mutant

GROWgirls+ builds confidence and connection across Oxford County

The 6th annual GROWgirls+ event brought together Grade 9 female-identifying, non-binary, and Two-Spirit students from across Oxford County for a powerful, youth-led day focused on mental health, wellbeing, and leadership. Planned by senior student leaders from CASS, Glendale, Huron Park, IDCI, and WCI, the event created a welcoming space for connection and growth.

Students had fun creating vision boards, making bracelets, enjoying smoothies, crafting, participating in outdoors games, connecting with Fanshawe College, exploring a skilled trades truck and more. They also networked with community partners and learned how to access local resources. Keynote speaker Saidat inspired students with a message of confidence and self-worth.

Building community and belonging with the Road Crew at Clarke Road

As part of the Safe and Inclusive Schools initiative in Thames Valley, a new student group has been formed at Clarke Road Secondary School. This team, which is committed to building a strong sense of community and belonging, has been named "The Road Crew."

Focused on ensuring that all students feel safe, supported, and connected within the school community, the group is developing student leadership and mentorship opportunities while planning school wide activities that strengthen relationships and promote a positive, inclusive culture.

Watch this short video to learn more!

Girls in Aviation

Hundreds of female identifying students in grades 6-8 across the district attended the third “Girls in Aviation Day” on June 2.

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.

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.

North Middlesex student first in TVDSB to qualify for Ontario's FAST program

North Middlesex District High School Grade 12 student Larkin MacLean recently became the first student in TVDSB to qualify for Ontario’s Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training (FAST) program.

Through her co-op placement at CSN High Street Auto Body in Strathroy, Larkin gained hands-on experience and was registered as an apprentice while still in high school. She also received the Skilled Trades Bursary and the McTavish Award for her strong performance and resilience.

Larkin’s passion for the automotive trade began early through her grandfather’s autobody business and later inspired her and her late mother, Crystal MacLean, to help launch the school’s Ticket to the Trades event. Read more about Larkin’s story.

A.B. Lucas Secondary School raises $2 million for cancer research

On June 5, A.B. Lucas Secondary School held its annual Relay for Life fundraiser benefitting the Canadian Cancer Society, pushing the school past an incredible milestone: $2 million raised as a school community over the past 19 years.

Over 650 students and staff canvassed and organized fundraising events throughout the spring, collectively raising an outstanding $168,206.79 and exceeding their fundraising goal for the year.

A.B. Lucas is the top school in Canada in Relay for Life fundraising, and the first and only school nationwide to reach $2 million raised. The school has a strong legacy of philanthropy and community outreach, teaching students the value of empathy, leadership and social responsibility.

Students led a variety of fundraising activities to meet their ambitious goal, including dances, bingo and ping pong tournaments.

Grade 12 student leads Brooke, Lexi and Lily were recently interviewed by CBC London about this incredible milestone.

Thames Valley students step up to plate for Girls at Bat All Star Series

Over 700 female identifying students from 19 schools across Thames Valley came together at Labatt Memorial Park on Thursday, June 11 for the second annual Girls at Bat All Star Series, a celebration of confidence, connection and inclusion through sport.

Girls at Bat is an introductory level baseball program supported by the Jays Care Foundation, designed to increase participation and retention of female identifying youth in sport by breaking down barriers. The program creates spaces that center female identifying voices, empower leadership and provide opportunities to learn and play sport with a resilient and inclusive community.

Participation in the Girls at Bat program across TVDSB has more than doubled since last year, with over 1,000 students from 30 schools participating.

Students took part in two sessions throughout the day, rotating through baseball skill-building activities in the outfield and a carnival area with lawn games, activities with the London Public Library and Western Engineering, a DJ, and more.

The event highlights TVDSB’s commitment to creating inclusive, supportive environments where all students can thrive, both on and off the field.

Growing food skills at

Lord Elgin Public School

At Lord Elgin Public School, students are building food skills, confidence, and healthy habits through a hands-on garden program that has become an important part of school life. Supported by a grant from the Plant a Seed & See What Grows Foundation in partnership with Farm to Cafeteria Canada, the program provides students with opportunities to learn where food comes from.

Students plant seeds, care for seedlings, transplant them into raised beds, and harvest fresh produce. For many students, the program is their first experience growing and tasting vegetables they helped produce. Students have tasted sugar snap peas, green beans, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, and arugula. Leftovers are composted and returned to the garden, reinforcing lessons about sustainability. The program also builds leadership skills, with older students mentoring younger peers in planting, watering, and garden care.

TVDSB staff & students raise over

$100,000 for United Way

Thames Valley is incredibly proud to share that staff and students raised over $100,000 in support of United Way during this year's campaign. This remarkable achievement reflects the generosity and spirit of our staff and students, with most funds raised through school-based events and initiatives. United Way directs these funds to local agencies, ensuring support reaches those who need them most.

Summer Supports

Learn more about our Summer Mental Health and Well-being Supports! These include:

Developmental Screening Clinics: Pop-up clinics for children entering Kindergarten, hosted at EarlyON centres across the board.
Drop-In Mental Health Clinics: Available throughout July and August across Thames Valley—no appointment needed.
Summer Programs: Partnerships with local organizations offer a variety of opportunities for children and families.

View summer supports and schedules