September

Last month with the start of a new school year, trustees received a couple of interesting reports

5 Days in August -  240 teachers and educational support staff attended 26 workshops facilitated mostly by system teachers and  support staff. Topics included mental health, play based learning, technology in the classroom and teaching mathematics, among others. Trustees expressed interest in attending some themselves next year!

Another report, "How Have Teaching and Learning Changed" was well received. Presented with wonderful enthusiasm, this report told us how today's education is about developing the capacity to problem solve, communicate, collaborate and manage information. It is about ensuring students possess the personal qualities of flexibility, optimism, resilience, and perseverance to compete in today's world. This requires the curriculum to be more responsive to student interests, needs and cultural backgrounds. Teachers and students become co-participants in all aspects of the learning experience. As a district school board, we continue to work to ensure that our classrooms are equipping our students to function in a world which continues to change at a dramatic pace.

Trustees also welcomed our 2014 - 15 student trustees and senators. Reed Bell is again representing OSCVI and Kurt Dutfield-Hughes is representing West Hill. We hope they enjoy their year and their learning.

My next blog will talk about the EQAO results in our last round of testing.

All for now.

Marg