I hope you enjoyed some quiet time off over the summer. As this unpredictable school year unfolds, ECNO has your back: we are here to support you with shared services solutions with a growing list of vendor partners, professional development and training resources, security and privacy programs, and networking with your peers. With our upcoming annual meeting and the return of our in-person conference in 2022, we can finally look forward to coming together to learn, share and grow. I am personally looking forward to seeing everyone in person again soon!

All the best this school year.

Wayne Toms, Executive Director

We have plenty on the go this year to support our members, including Vetting of Application Security and Privacy (VASP) for French language applications, expanding shared services software to include Google, and the recently launched member access to Ontario Software Acquisition Program Advisory Committee (OSAPAC) Digital Learning Resources, a library of Ministry of Education licensed teaching solutions.

Save these dates!

Be sure to mark your calendar for two important ECNO events:

Annual General Meeting – our AGM on Thursday, December 2, 2021 will highlight our accomplishments together over the past year and preview ECNO’s strategic directions for the coming year.

We need your help! What are your stories?

In our last newsletter, we shared details of our marketing. One of the pillars of the plan is to share the stories of exceptional work from our members. It’s time to stop being a best kept secret and share those great examples of leadership. Over the past 18-months, we know there have been countless examples of Board IT professionals going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure student, family and teacher safety, security and success.

Again this year, ECNO is pleased to partner with the Government of Ontario to provide information, resources and communications to support K-12 Cyber Awareness Month. This year’s theme will include one focus area per week for four weeks, with practical education presented in accessible animated videos, teaching materials and communication toolkits.

Activities will run from October 4 to 29, 2021.

New this year, a student poster contest will provide a tool for teachers to engage students in a fun, creative exercise to share their thoughts about how they can stay safe online. There will be great prizes, and winning entries will be used to promote cyber awareness in the future.

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