June Board Meeting Highlights - KPDSB Approves 2019-2024 Strategic Plan

Media Release - June 12, 2019

Trustees met at Red Lake District High School on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, for the last regular Board Meeting of the 2018-2019 school year. 

The June Kids Come First presentation titled ‘The Red Lake DHS Food and Nutrition Initiative’ was received by Trustees.  RLDHS teacher Darren Bausch, and students Connar Oster, Morgan Howell and Logan Ryczek, shared details of the initiative and how it has impacted them personally since it was implemented.  The goal of the initiative is to encourage students to know where their food comes from, as well as to provide healthy food options in the school and to model healthy eating for students. From student athletes who have noticed an improvement in their conditioning, to students and staff composting and growing their own healthy foods right at the school, the benefits to the school community as a whole are being celebrated. 

The 2019-2024 Strategic Plan was presented and approved by the Trustees, and concludes months of consultations and gathering of feedback from stakeholders. The new plan will guide the work of the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board for the next five years.  The plan includes a new vision statement; the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board puts students first by creating a culture of learning.  New goals or areas of focus include:

• Student Achievement – Ensure the necessary resources are provided to all students to increase their individual achievement.
• Safe and Supportive Schools – Ensure all students and staff have safe learning and working environments, where the academic and mental health needs of the child are met.
• Innovative Practice – Demonstrate effective “Change Ready” leadership.
• Reconciliation – Ensure all school and staff are actively engaged in responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

To view the 2019-2024 Strategic Plan in full, please click here.

Director of Education Sean Monteith presented the 2019 Employee Recognition Report.  Each June, The Board publically acknowledges all employees with 25 years of service and retirees for their achievement and contributions to education in the Northwest.  The 2018-2019 school year brought with it the retirement of 17 dedicated employees and another 11 were recognized for reaching the 25-year milestone. Combined, these employees have more than 700 years of service to public education.  The Board of Trustees acknowledge this incredible contribution and expressed gratitude for all they have done for children and youth throughout their careers.

The Sioux Lookout Capital Assets Report was presented to the Board. Trustees voted to direct Board Administration to approach the Ministry of Education to utilize $1 million in existing reserve funds to proceed with the demolition of the prohibitive to repair portion of Queen Elizabeth District High School in Sioux Lookout (students and staff moved into their new school, Sioux North High School, in March 2019).  The remaining portions of the building would be renovated and retrofitted in conjunction with Seven Generations Education Institute to offer post-secondary programming, including paraprofessional worker programs, Indigenous Nursing programs and Adult Education programs to support adults without a high school diploma. 

Under Business Arising from Committee of the Whole, Monteith presented the KPDSB Consolidation Report.  Recent government funding rollbacks amounting to approximately 4% of the overall annual Board operating budget have caused the administration and Trustees to look at all areas of spending for potential savings. The Board’s adopted stance to protect teaching positions and instructional services means that all operations needed review including the way the Board does business between the two offices, one in Dryden and the Head Office Kenora Board Office.  After careful consideration, a motion was put forward and approved unanimously by the Board of Trustees to consolidate the two Board Offices and relocate both offices to Keewatin Public School in Kenora for September 2022.  In total, the cost to operate both offices including lease and overall costs associated is in excess of $200,000 per year. In addition, the merging of the two offices into one location would allow for unprecedented job and portfolio consolidations, and in the process find significant savings at the central level. The end result of consolidating the Board Offices would be a mitigation of reductions in classrooms and school based positions at both elementary and secondary panel.

At present, Keewatin Public School is currently operating at approximately 50% capacity in terms of student occupancy and pupil places.  The elimination of the remaining 160 pupil places on the second floor of Keewatin Public School to accommodate the KPDSB Board Office supports the Board’s efforts to apply and secure funding for its only remaining major capital project priority: a replacement school for Valleyview Public School in Kenora.

Monteith stated “Tonight the Board of Trustees have made the decision to act on their commitment to the vision of the KPDSB, to put kids first. By approving a new Strategic Plan for the next five years and to make progressive decisions on capital and consolidation that protect classrooms, the Trustees of the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board have taken the hard course of action and not shied away from our challenges. In the end our staff, our schools and our students will be the better for it.”

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KPDSB updates Board Continuous Improvement Plan, Special Education Plan for 2019-2020 school year

Media Release - November 14, 2019

Trustees met on Tuesday, November 12, 2019, for a regular Board Meeting.

The November Kids Come First presentation titled ‘Legacy School Project’ was received by Trustees.  Crolancia Public School Principal Holly Szumowski, along with Crolancia students, shared their experiences to date as a Downie Wenjack Legacy School.  In November 2018, it was announced that Crolancia Public School in Pickle Lake would become the first Downie Wenjack Legacy School in the country (all KPDSB schools have since been registered as Legacy Schools).  The legacy school program is an opportunity for classrooms/schools to lead the movement in awareness of the history and impact of the Residential School System on Indigenous Peoples.  Legacy Schools are provided with a Secret Path Toolkit and educational support resources to engage students, staff and school communities as a catalyst for reconciliation in Canada.  Students and staff have accomplished many of their goals only a year after the announcement, including creating an outdoor learning area for everyone in the school.  Students worked together to build and install benches and a fire pit for the new space.  To learn more about Crolancia’s Downie Wenjack Legacy School journey, please click here to view a video created by the students.

Trustees welcomed Shannon Bailey to the position of Interim Superintendent of Education and Student Success.  Bailey was appointed to the position beginning November 12, 2019, following 21 years with the Board.  During that time, she has worked in both the elementary and secondary panels and has held positions as a special education teacher, intervention teacher, vice-principal and most recently, principal at Evergreen Public School in Kenora.  Areas of focus for Bailey include holding high expectations for students, providing equal opportunities, using strategies of self-regulation and incorporating Reconciliation in schools and classrooms across the Board. 

Bailey stated, “I am looking forward to being a part of the Senior Administration Team to support the incredible staff of the KPDSB who work tirelessly to support the academic and non-academic needs of the students in our schools.”

Caryl Hron, Interim Director of Education, Joan Kantola, Superintendent of Education, Shannon Bailey, Interim Superintendent of Education, and Richard Findlay, Superintendent of Business, presented the 2019-2020 Board Continuous Improvement Plan (BCIP).  The annual BCIP guides the work of the Board and focuses on four priority areas as set out by our 2019-2024 Strategic Plan:

1. Student Achievement: Ensure the necessary resources are provided to all students to increase their individual achievement.

2. Safe and Supportive Schools: Ensure all students have safe learning and working environments, where the academic and mental health needs of the child are met.

3. Innovative Practice: Demonstrate effective change-ready leadership.

4. Reconciliation: Ensure all schools and staff are actively engaged in responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

 Joan Kantola and Terri Forster, Regional Teacher Diagnostician and Special Education Leader, presented the 2019-2020 Special Education Plan.  The plan guides the work of schools and the Board in terms of supporting and enhancing special education services.  Areas of focus include providing programs and services in the student’s home school wherever possible (including appropriate accommodations and modifications), promoting a focus on inclusive practices in schools and respect for differences and diversity, providing a range of placement options for students, and collaboration with curriculum central support staff to ensure support for the development of quality programs and provision of services for all students.  For more information, please click here to view the 2019-2020 Special Education Plan or click here for the Parents’ Guide to Special Education.

Richard Findlay presented the 2019-2020 Enrolment Report.  Overall, enrolment at the KPDSB continues to be stable.  As of October 31, 2019, a total of 2,935 elementary students were enrolled in KPDSB schools, 72 more students than one year ago and 75 students above budget projections for the 2019-2020 school year.  For secondary, a total of 1,893 students were enrolled at a KPDSB secondary school on October 31, 2019, 75 fewer students than October 2018 and 35 students lower than budget projections.

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KPDSB announces resignation of Director of Education

Media Release - July 15, 2019

Trustees of the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board have accepted the resignation of Sean Monteith, Director of Education, effective August 15, 2019.

Monteith, who has been with the Board for 25 years in a variety of roles, including elementary and secondary teacher, vice-principal and principal, Superintendent of Education and for the past six years, as Director of Education, has accepted the position of Director of Education with the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board. 

Under Monteith’s leadership, the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board has gone through significant organizational restructuring resulting in a flattened organization, and a succession strategy that has positioned the work of the Board centrally around students. Over the last six years, the Board has established numerous agreements and partnerships with agencies and First Nations, particularly Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and Lac Seul First Nation, established the provincially recognized Four Directions Graduation Coach Program and Rapid Response Northern Support Team, seconded staff to various First Nation schools, and created the province’s first-ever Hockey Canada Skills Academy programs. Indigenous students are now graduating on par with non-Indigenous students in the KPDSB, and the Boards’ vision of “Kids First” has become the standard for all schools and staff. The KPDSB also recently completed its biggest capital project, the construction of Sioux North High School in Sioux Lookout, after six years of work.

Monteith stated, “Many emotions and thoughts are going through my head tonight, with so many years and work behind us; I am grateful to the staff, students, communities and trustees. I am excited to begin a new chapter of hard work and effort in the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, but without question, saying goodbye is very bittersweet. I think the best way to sign off is to say to everyone in the KPDSB…thank you.”

Upon accepting Monteith’s resignation, Chair of the Board, Cecile Marcino stated, “It is with regret that we say goodbye to Sean Monteith as our Director of Education.  He has worked tirelessly to advocate not only for our students and staff, but education in the Northwest as a whole.  Many of the achievements of our Board under his leadership will undoubtedly change lives, and we are proud of the organization we are today.  We wish to thank him for his leadership and dedication to our schools; he will be greatly missed. We wish him all the best in future.”

Trustees will begin their work to replace Monteith this fall.  Current Superintendent of Education, Caryl Hron, will step into the role of interim Director of Education effective August 15, 2019, and will remain in the position until a new Director of Education is officially appointed.  Hron has been with the Board for 30 years and has been Superintendent of Education since 2010.

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KPDSB searches for new Director of Education

Job Posting - Director of Education

An exciting and rewarding opportunity for a collaborative, visionary and empowering servant leader who is an evidence-based, accountable and an inclusive decision-maker, to lead the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board in putting students first by creating a culture of learning.

A progressive and proud public school board serving beautiful Northwestern Ontario, the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board (KPDSB) is guided by its vision as a board: “The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board puts students first by creating a culture of learning.” With the largest geographical area of all the district school boards in Ontario, KPDSB has schools in Kenora, Sioux Narrows, Vermilion Bay, Ear Falls, Red Lake, Dryden, Sioux Lookout, Ignace, Pickle Lake, Savant Lake and Upsala, the Board plays a vital role in serving the educational needs of many neighbouring and Northwestern Indigenous communities.

With a broad geographic base, talented front-line staff and passionate teachers, and a committed senior leadership team, KPDSB is focused on improving the overall well-being of K-12 students, with an emphasis on supporting vulnerable populations and Indigenous communities. With this in mind, the Board is seeking a leader with a proven track record of promoting the success and well-being of Indigenous communities, a committed, inclusive educator who will lead the way to help all students succeed by providing innovative approaches that address inequity in education for their communities.

As the Director of Education, you will meaningfully participate in achieving KPDSB’s four strategic goals, namely:

• Student Achievement: Ensure the necessary resources are provided to all students to increase their individual achievement.
• Safe and Supportive Schools: Ensure all students and staff have safe learning and working environments, where the academic and mental health needs of the child are met.
• Innovative practice: Demonstrate effective “Change Ready” leadership.
• Reconciliation: Ensure all schools and staff are actively engaged in responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

Given the Board’s significant technological investments to become a leader in Northwestern Ontario in virtual learning, and your experience with cutting-edge instructional practice, you will advocate strongly for innovation in education, including the effective, proactive use of new and emerging technologies. You are committed to the continuous improvement of student learning, and can effectively adapt to the changing landscape of education and implement initiatives that will move the Board toward a successful future.

Passionate about public education, community engagement and student success, you are prepared to establish a proactive communication strategy that will build on positive relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders — staff, students and parents, trustees and unions, and all communities. Your clear commitment to addressing the needs of Indigenous peoples as you enhance student success and well-being will be evident. You will demonstrate political acumen in championing and embedding leading governance practices by working with, and supporting, the Board of Trustees in an open, transparent and trusted relationship.

Setting your own agenda while capitalizing on existing plans, partnerships and strategies, as you transition successfully into this high-impact, highly visible role, you will build trust and credibility with all interested parties and further enhance the KPDSB culture of inclusion. You will also evaluate and optimize the allocation of resources across the Board to maintain fiscal stability in the face of limited government funding realities.

With a track record of success combining Supervising Officer papers with a Master’s degree and system leadership experience working within a school board, with proven acumen in financial accountability in a similarly small to medium system, you are adept at holding yourself and others accountable for actions and deliverables, building a vision and executing a strategic plan for an organization.

You are recognized for your high emotional intelligence, integrity and visibility, and your ability to listen to, engage with, and leverage the diverse perspectives of trustees, educators, support staff, students, parents and community leaders. You are equally known for building staff capacity by providing opportunities and strong mentorship, and for gaining the respect of staff, students, parents/guardians, elders and employee groups through empathetic, consistent leadership.

Informed by research and evidence, you are an assured manager of change, able to strengthen, inspire and motivate the senior management team, and build capacity through focused instructional intervention and family engagement. Having worked successfully in diverse communities and rural settings, with families and community partners to enhance student success and well-being, you are committed to equity and inclusion, and conversant with effective interventions to eliminate barriers to success. Experience in educational leadership in Northwestern communities would be an asset.

To be considered for this career-defining mandate with high visibility, accountability and impact, please send your application, in confidence, specifying the job title in the subject line of your email, by September 19, 2019, to careers@phelpsgroup.ca.

KPDSB is an equal opportunity employer. The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Phelpsgroup – Toronto

401 Bay Street, Suite 1400, Toronto, ON M5H 2Y4

Phone: 416-364-6229

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KPDSB explores experiential learning opportunities in schools

Media Release - October 10, 2019

Trustees met on Tuesday, October 8, 2019, for a regular Board Meeting.

The October Kids Come First presentation titled ‘Teaching from the Land – Land-Based Learning’ was received by Trustees.  Dryden High School (DHS) Principal Richard Hodgkinson, along with teacher Len Gardner and students Baron Crowe and Drea Sinclair, shared their experiences in the new interdisciplinary studies course at the school.  The course was offered in the second semester of the 2018-2019 school year through a partnership with Confederation College, allowing students to earn both a high school credit and a college credit.  Course activities focused on genuine connections to local and regional traditions and use of the land with the intent to develop students’ understanding of the significance of land and nature in both traditional and current activities.  The course culminated with students from DHS joining outdoor education students from Crolancia Public School in Pickle Lake and travelling to the Old Post on Lake St. Joseph.  The Old Post was a traditional meeting place for the Indigenous peoples of the area, was one of the first inland trading posts established by The Hudson’s Bay Company in 1786 and was the location for the signing of Treaty 9 in 1905.  Both students and staff spoke highly of their experiences in the course, indicating it fostered a sense of pride and identity for many of the students.

Lynn McAughey, Principal of Adult and Experiential Learning, and Tracey Bichon, Pathways Coordinator, presented the Experiential Learning report.  Experiential learning is hands-on, real-world learning that allows students to develop a deeper understanding of their learning and its connection to the real world.  Students in experiential learning programs develop transferable skills to prepare them for the transition to future employment while engaging in education and career/life planning through exposure to a variety of careers and pathways.  Experiential learning is a key component of secondary programming in KPDSB schools with the 2018-2019 school year seeing a total of 1,142 participants in programs like outdoor education, Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM), dual credit programs, cooperative education and Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Programs (OYAP).  Core beliefs of experiential learning programs include that all students can be successful, success comes in many forms, and there are many pathways to success.

Deanna Pacheco, Student Achievement Administrator, Michelle Parrish, Student Achievement Secondary Teacher, and Lindsay Young, Student Achievement Elementary Teacher, presented the KPDSB Math Plan.  The KPDSB received a total of $446,000 for the 2019-2020 school year to provide targeted support for focus schools (schools that are identified as requiring additional support based on standardized test scores over a five-year trend).  The funding supports school-based Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and the Student Achievement Team in assisting schools in implementing school and student-specific plans to improve performance based on student needs, as well as monitoring progress and the impact of the supports provided. 

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