February is Black History Month! As a Catholic learning community, we celebrate and recognize Black Excellence and Black History during the month of February and on an ongoing basis. We invite you to visit our webpage Black Excellence, Celebration, History Lives Here which is part of our commitment to promote and celebrate Black Excellence all year long. 

Durham Catholic District School Board is partnering with Cultural Expressions Art Gallery Inc., who is presenting the 16th Annual Durham Black History Month Celebration on Saturday, February 4, 2023. It is Durham’s longest running and most extensive, free Black History Month event, celebrating the beauty of Black culture and the diversity of the Black experience in Durham Region. The event on Saturday, February 4 will start with community networking at 5:00 p.m., followed by performances by local artists, presentation of the annual Madiba award, and a keynote presentation in the Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School/J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate auditorium.

To learn more and to register please visit durhamblackhistorymonth.com

Families are invited to join us at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School on Monday, March 6, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. as we recognize Black Mental Health Day; a day to raise awareness of the specific mental health needs of Black communities across Ontario.

This year DCDSB proudly presents:

• Dionne Sinclair, Vice President Clinical Operations & Chief Nursing Executive at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)   
• Maryanne Oketch, Winner of Survivor, Season 42

Registration information will be shared with families shortly.

Listening With the Ear of the Heart - St. Bernadette Catholic School

Staff and students at St. Bernadette Catholic School share their mural of the 2022-2023 Spiritual Theme, ‘Listening With the Ear of the Heart’.

Accepting Nominations for the Distinguished Catholic Alumni Award

The Distinguished Catholic Alumni Award recognizes former students of the Durham Catholic District School Board who have achieved significant success in their chosen pathway. Through their pursuit of personal excellence, they have made a positive contribution to their communities and represent the image of the Catholic learner as outlined in the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations. To be eligible for this award, the nominee must meet the following criteria:

• The nominee is a former student of the Durham Catholic District School Board
• The nominee has distinguished themselves through service or accomplishments or career

To learn more, or to submit a nomination, please visit our website. Nominations are open until Friday, March 31, 2023, at 4:30 p.m

Student Indigenous Education Circle Visits Indigenous Ingenuity and Regalia Exhibit at Ontario Science Centre

On January 18, 2023, the DCDSB’s Student Indigenous Education Circle, families and community partners visited the Indigenous Ingenuity and Regalia exhibits at the Ontario Science Centre. The exhibit is interactive and informative for all ages. One student reported that this exhibit would be a great learning experience for all students.

Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School Visits The Robert McLaughlin Gallery Indigenous Art Exhibit

Students from Ms. Collins's Grade 12 course: Contemporary Indigenous Issues and Perspectives in a Global Context, from Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School visited The Robert McLaughlin Gallery to view the Indigenous Art Exhibit and the mural created by Scugog's Jon Colwell. The same class also visited Kent Monkman's exhibit 'Being Legendary' at the Royal Ontario Museum and later participated in a virtual tour of the exhibit hosted by an educator curator.  

Students have engaged in land learning with Beedahbin Peltier throughout the semester. Students have participated in learning about what the land provides to us in Durham Region and connected this learning to the global landscape. 

You are invited to register your child for Kindergarten at one of our Durham Catholic District School Board schools. Students eligible to attend Kindergarten in September 2023 must be turning four years of age by December 31, 2023.

For more information and to register online visit dcdsb.ca/Kindergarten.

Durham Region Health Department has asked that we share information on the Immunization Program's upcoming Secondary School Immunization Clinics.

To learn more, please visit our website.

Inclement Weather



As the weather begins to change, parents and guardians are reminded to subscribe to Durham Student Transportations Services website to receive updates on inclement weather zones and to track your child's bus. Visit dsts.on.ca for more information.

Reverend John Markle Home-School Communications Award

Nominate a school for outstanding communications

Nominations are being accepted for the Reverend John Markle Home-School Communications Award.

Is your school delivering outstanding communications?

Our Durham Catholic schools are committed to engaging with our communities by delivering timely, effective, and open communication with the most appropriate tools and technology available. A selection committee is accepting nominations from parents, guardians and students who believe their school has done an outstanding job in communicating with students and families over the 2022-2023 school year. One elementary and one secondary school will be selected to receive the award at the May 23, 2023, Board Meeting.

How to nominate a school

Submit a short paragraph (maximum 150 words) describing how your school demonstrates excellence in the area of school to home communications. Your submission should include examples of how your school demonstrates one or more of the following:

• Communication from the school demonstrating our faith-based values and Catholicity.
• Newsletters providing relevant information in a format that is easy to read.
• School website is updated regularly with informative and meaningful content.
• Social media posts include relevant and interesting information for followers.
• Emails and/or phone calls are used appropriately and effectively to notify parents of important notices.
• Board information is distributed in a timely manner.

Your submission should include pictures of social media posts or emails, copies of newsletters or web links to show samples of outstanding home-school communications.

Submissions can be sent by email indicating Rev. John Markle Home to School Communication Award in the subject line to communications@dcdsb.ca or delivered in a sealed envelope addressed to:

Communications - Rev. John Markle Home to School Communication Award

Durham Catholic District School Board

650 Rossland Rd. West, Oshawa, ON L1J 7C4

The winning schools will be selected by a committee consisting of one Trustee representative and two Student Trustees.

Submissions will be accepted until Friday, March 3, 2023, at 4:30 p.m.

Early Literacy Skills: Episode 3



By encouraging our children to use a variety of writing tools during the early years we are helping to foster emergent writing skills. Listen and ask questions when they tell you stories about what they wrote or drew.

Student Spotlight - Emeka A.

This Student Spotlight video features Emeka, a Grade 12 Student at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School and Father Donald MacLellan Secondary School at the Centre for Success. Emeka shares his experience at Centre for Success and what it means to Listen With the Ear of the Heart.

Archbishop Denis O'Connor Catholic High School CAMH Session

The Focus on Black Students Without Borders from Archbishop Denis O'Connor Catholic High School, would like to thank the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and their staff for their generosity and leadership. Students were provided an opportunity to meet with various professionals, allowing them to expand their knowledge of career opportunities. The students were enlightened, educated, and felt empowered as they were engaged in real conversations that would eventually make a huge difference in the decisions they will make throughout their career.

How to Talk With Your Child About Mental Health



It can be challenging to talk about mental health. Sometimes parents, like others, avoid the conversation because they don’t know how to start or they worry that they might put thoughts into their child’s head that had not been there, and will, therefore, make things worse. Research tells us that this is not the case.

Bringing up worries, concerns, changes in behaviour etc. with your child will open the lines of communication rather than worsen the situation. Here are some tips to help you talk to your child about mental health:

• Find a quiet time when you are unlikely to have interruptions to begin the conversation.
• Reassure your child that they can tell you anything and you will not get angry with them (even if you get scared).
• Start the conversation with describing changes you have noticed in their mood, behaviour, reactions etc.e.g., “I have noticed that you seem to be crying more.” If you have had conversations with your child’s teacher about concerns, include comments from the teacher’s observations.
• Share that you “wonder” about how your child might be feeling, what they might be thinking, what they might be worried about etc. e.g., “I wonder if you’re feeling sad about losing your friendship with Sam.”
• Allow your child time to reflect before they answer.
• Stay calm and don’t abandon the conversation if your child responds with “Nothing is wrong……leave me alone”. If this happens, reassure your child that you are there for them. Give your child some time and then try again.
• If your child tells you anything that makes you worried ( e.g., thoughts of suicide, overwhelming anxiety, self-injurious behaviour like cutting) reassure your child that you are glad they told you and you will help them find the right professional to talk to, and you will be there for them throughout the journey.
• If you are unsure where to turn to for help, please speak to your classroom teacher or administrator who can support you in being connected to services if needed. 

Night school classes will begin February 21, 2023 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School in Ajax.

Course offerings are available on our Night School webpage. Current DCDSB students should see their Guidance Counsellor to register for Night School classes. 

For more information, visit our website at www.con-ed.ca, check out our Program Guide and/or contact us at:

• Ajax – (905) 683-7713 or cont.ed@dcdsb.ca
• Oshawa – (905) 438-0570 or credit.reg@dcdsb.ca

Ontario Tech University - Spring Break & Summer Camps

Spring Break Camps

Ontario Tech University is offering Spring Break Camps that will run weekdays March 13 to March 17, 2023 for two hours per day. These week-long virtual camps are designed to provide fun, hands-on online learning opportunities for your child(ren) to explore their curiosity in a positive, and safe environment. For more information visit ontariotechu.ca/continuouslearning

Summer Break Camps

Ontario Tech University’s 2023 Summer Camps program provides fun, hands-on opportunities for children to learn and explore their curiosity in a positive and safe educational environment. For more information visit ontariotechu.ca/continuouslearning