2019-2020 Mid-Year Action Plan Report

Submitted to the Board of Trustees on March 3, 2020

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2019-2020

Mid-Year Action Plan Report

About DSB1’s Strategic Plan

In 2018, District School Board Ontario North East (DSB1) consulted staff, families, students and our

communities in the creation of a new Strategic Plan. We asked stakeholders to share things that

were going well in our schools and communities and where we could improve to fulfill our vision of

empowering all learners to achieve personal excellence. More than 2,000 voices informed the

content of the plan, which will guide the work of the Board from 2019 to 2021.

The plan is anchored in our three priorities of Innovation, Culture and Equity.

The plan includes nine commitments, each with three sub-commitments. Each year of

implementation, the Board will work closely on three focus commitments.

In 2019-2020, DSB1 is focusing on the following commitments:

• We put the needs of learners first

• We commit to excellence

• We utilize the leadership skills of the entire community

About this Report

The purpose of this report is to provide a mid-year update to the Board of Trustees on the progress of

the implementation of the 2019-2020 Strategic Plan Action Plan. This report supports the

presentation to the Board of Trustees by Administrative Council on February 18, 2020.


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Table of Contents

FOCUS COMMITMENT 1: WE PUT THE NEEDS OF LEARNERS FIRST ........................................................................... 3

Goal: All DSB1 students with a learning disability will have a cognitive profile .............................................................. 3 Cognitive Profiles ........................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Action: Dedicating supports for students with special needs .......................................................................................... 5 Student Integration ........................................................................................................................................................................ 6

Action: Allocating specific supports for students who identify as Indigenous, Kindergarten to Grade 12 ...................... 9 Credit Accumulation Data - November 2019 ................................................................................................................................. 9 Strategies and Interventions ........................................................................................................................................................ 11

Action: Providing resources and professional learning to support daily outdoor learning in Kindergarten .................. 11

FOCUS COMMITMENT 2: WE COMMIT TO EXCELLENCE .............................................................................................. 11

goal: Improving in the Capacity to Deliver dimension of the efficacy assessment from amber red to amber green ... 12 Action: Continuing to build self and collective efficacy in all students and staff ........................................................... 12

Student Success Teachers and Teams ....................................................................................................................................... 12 Action: Developing supports to increase staff efficiency ............................................................................................... 14

Transforming our budgeting process ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Action: Engaging staff and federations in the development of professional learning ................................................... 15

FOCUS COMMITMENT 3: WE UTILIZE THE LEADERSHIP SKILLS OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY ............................ 16

Goal: Increasing the number of students involved in leadership opportunities and their impact ................................. 16 Student Senate ............................................................................................................................................................................ 16 Englehart High School ................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Englehart Public School............................................................................................................................................................... 18 Golden Avenue Public School ..................................................................................................................................................... 18 Hearst High School ...................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Kapuskasing District High School ................................................................................................................................................ 19 Kerns Public School..................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Iroquois Falls Secondary School ................................................................................................................................................. 23 Pinecrest Public School ............................................................................................................................................................... 24 R. Ross Beattie Public School ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 Timmins Centennial Public School .............................................................................................................................................. 25

Action: Offering leadership opportunities to our students ............................................................................................. 25 Jack Chapters .............................................................................................................................................................................. 25 KINDNESS and CaLM Clubs....................................................................................................................................................... 25

Action: Fostering strong partnerships with our families and communities .................................................................... 25 Early Years Partnerships ............................................................................................................................................................. 25

Action: Supporting staff wellness .................................................................................................................................. 27 Staff Wellness Committee ........................................................................................................................................................... 27


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FOCUS COMMITMENT 1: WE PUT THE

NEEDS OF LEARNERS FIRST

DSB1 is on track in meeting the goal of all students who have a learning disability will have a

cognitive profile. Currently, 95% of students have a cognitive profile.

For students who identify as Indigenous, 57% are on track to achieve all of the credits they were

attempting this semester. 57% are also on track to graduate in 5 years.

Outdoor learning in DSB1 is happening in all kindergarten classrooms to varying degrees. This

continues to be a focus.

GOAL: ALL DSB1 STUDENTS WITH A LEARNING DISABILITY WILL HAVE A

COGNITIVE PROFILE

COGNITIVE PROFILES

COGNITIVE PROFILES - SCHOOL INFORMATION 2019-2020

As of November 28, 2019

SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH LEARNING

DISABILITY

COGNITIVE PROFILES

DEVELOPED

Bertha Shaw PS 3 3

Golden Avenue PS 17 17

Pinecrest PS 15 15

R. Ross Beattie PS 37 37

Roland Michener SS (ELEM) 21 21


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DISABILITY

COGNITIVE PROFILES

DEVELOPED

Roland Michener SS 48 48

Schumacher PS 9 9

Timmins Centennial PS 8 8

W.E. Miller PS 27 27

Timmins High & VS 61 61

Central PS 6 6

Elk Lake PS 1 1

Englehart HS (ELEM) 19 19

Englehart HS 31 31

Englehart PS 14 12

Federal PS 11 11

Kerns PS 0 0

Kirkland Lake DCS (ELEM) 11 11

Kirkland Lake DCS 50 50

New Liskeard PS 8 8

Temagami PS 0 0


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DISABILITY

COGNITIVE PROFILES

DEVELOPED

Timiskaming District SS (ELEM) 20 18

Timiskaming District SS 92 88

Clayton Brown PS 2 0

Cochrane PS 20 20

Diamond Jubilee PS 5 5

ÉS Cochrane HS 28 28

Hearst HS 5 5

Iroquois Falls SS (7-12) 29 29

Iroquois Falls PS 6 6

J H. Kennedy PS 8 8

Kapuskasing District HS 24 0

Smooth Rock Falls PS 1 1

Total 637 603

ACTION: DEDICATING SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS


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STUDENT INTEGRATION

Integration is:

• individualized based on the strengths/needs of each student and must align with the goals of

the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP);

• encouraged, where appropriate based on child’s exceptionality and level of development in a

variety of areas (academic, emotional, social);

• provided based on student strengths, as well as on relevance to and interests of each student;

• offered in different ways and with a variety of goals in mind.

Integration Example Integration Goal(s)

K1 student with an Autism diagnosis is integrated into a

mainstream K class daily for short periods during the

school day as well as for outdoor education.

• Develop academic and social skills

K2 student with an Autism diagnosis attended a high-

support classroom full-time in K1. Integration began in

K1, and the student is currently attending mainstream

class full-time. The student continues to have support of

high support class as required.

• Complete integration

• Develop social skills

• Provide appropriately levelled

academic experiences

Primary student with a diagnosis of developmental delay

is in a high support class with students of a wide range of

ages. She is integrated into the Primary Autism for

unstructured times like recesses and nutritional breaks.

• Provide opportunities for social

development

Grade 5 student with an Autism diagnosis was previously

in a high support classroom full-time. Currently, he is

regularly integrated into Art and Science classes.

• Engage in a meaningful way with

subject areas based on student’s

areas of interest and skill

• Provide appropriately levelled

academic experiences

• Develop age-appropriate social

skills

Grade 6 student with a diagnosis of Autism was

previously in a high support classroom full-time.

Currently, the student is almost fully integrated into

• Full integration

• Develop social skills

• Promote academic growth


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Integration Example Integration Goal(s)

mainstream Grade 6 class. The student continues to

receive access to the high-support classroom as required.

Secondary student in Senior Integrated High Support

Program is integrated into Art class.

• Promote social and emotional

development

• Encourage growth in an area of

personal interest to the student


Program is integrated into some essential level

mainstream classes.

• Build academic skills

• Gain secondary credits and work

towards attaining an OSSC or

OSSGD

Mainstream secondary students are integrated into a

high-support classroom, receiving instruction from Special

Education Resource Teacher (SERT) in essential level

courses like Workplace Math.

• Promote social and emotional

development


Program is enrolled in GLS course.

• Gain credit

• Continue to receive academic

support outside the high-support

classroom


Program is enrolled in Co-op course.

• Gain credit

• Obtain authentic practical/work

experience in the community

• Build skills to prepare student for

workplace


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ACTION: ALLOCATING SPECIFIC SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS WHO IDENTIFY AS INDIGENOUS,

KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 12

CREDIT ACCUMULATION DATA – FEBRUARY 2020

School Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Total

On Track

Semester

On Track

Graduate

On Track

Semester

On Track

Graduate

On Track

Semester

On Track

Graduate

On Track

Semester

On Track

Graduate

On Track

Semester

On Track

Graduate

Hearst HS 0/0 (0%) 0 1/1 (100%) 1/1 2/2 (100%) 0/2 1/1 (100%) 1/1 4/4 (100%) 2/4 (50%)

Kapuskasing

District HS

2/2 (100%) 2/2 4/7 (57%) 5/7 7/12 (58%) 3/12 1/5 (20%) 3/5 14/26 (54%) 13/26 (50%)

ÉS Cochrane

HS

10/14

(71%)

10/14 17/21

(80%)

19/21 13/17

(76%)

14/17 14/17

(82%)

13/17 54/69 (78%) 58/88 (66%)

Iroquois Falls

SS

2/5 (40%) 2/5 2/2 (100%) 2/2 1/4 (25%) 1/4 3/7 (43%) 1/7 8/18 (44%) 6/18 (33%)

Roland

Michener SS

9/9 (100%) 9/9 5/9

(55%)

3/9 4/5

(80%)

3/5 8/11

(66%)

2/11 26/34

(76%)

17/34

(50%)

Timmins High

& VS 25/34

(74%)

25/34 16/29

(55%)

11/29 16/22

(73%)

16/22 13/14

(93%)

18 70/99

(71%)

70/99

(71%)


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School Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 Total

On Track

Semester

On Track

Graduate

On Track

Semester

On Track

Graduate

On Track

Semester

On Track

Graduate

On Track

Semester

On Track

Graduate

On Track

Semester

On Track

Graduate

Kirkland Lake

District CS 5/6

(83%)

5/6 8/10

(29%)

5/10 9/17

(53%)

8/17 13/14

(93%)

11/14 35/47

(74%)

29/47

(61%)

Englehart HS 1/1

(100%)

1/1 2/2

(100%)

3/2 3/3

(100%)

3/3 1/1

(100%)

1 7/7 (100%) 7/7(100%)

Timiskaming

District SS 13/15

(87%)

13/15 13/14

(93%)

8/14 10/11

(91%)

10/11 15/19

(794%)

17/19 51/59

(86%)

48/59

(81%)


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STRATEGIES AND INTERVENTIONS

Indigenous Student Advisors (ISAs) support students who identify as Indigenous in our schools. ISAs

are present for students in the following secondary schools in our Board:

• École Secondaire Cochrane High School

• Iroquois Falls Secondary School

• Timmins High & Vocational School

• Roland Michener Secondary School

• Kirkland Lake District Composite School

Below are strategies and interventions used in two of our secondary schools to support students:

• Learning on the land activities

• Whole school approach to awareness and understanding

• Specific focus in the School Improvement Plan

• Bi-weekly check-ins with Administration, Indigenous Student Advisors and Indigenous Lead

• Focus on student conferencing (Grades 11 and 12) using up-to-date data

ACTION: PROVIDING RESOURCES AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TO

SUPPORT DAILY OUTDOOR LEARNING IN KINDERGARTEN

• Three K-6 instructional coaches; one is taking the lead on Kindergarten & outdoor learning

• DSB1 Outdoor Learning Guide

• Sample lessons, newsletters, educator blogs

• Learning and Teaching Team will be launching a website with their resources

• Professional learning session to build on learning from 2018-2019 school year

FOCUS COMMITMENT 2: WE COMMIT TO

EXCELLENCE

The goal of moving from amber red to amber green in the Efficacy Assessment will be measured in

spring 2020. Labour action is having a significant impact on addressing six actions.

Student Success Teams in all schools are active this year and are being effective at tracking the

progress of all students and ensuring interventions are in place.


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The new budget process is supporting staff in being more effective and efficient with their time.

During the 2019-2020 school year, there has been extensive consultation with unions regarding

professional learning for staff. While some of these professional learning opportunities have been put

on hold, this is the most engagement we have had with our unions in terms of planning.

GOAL: IMPROVING IN THE CAPACITY TO DELIVER DIMENSION OF THE EFFICACY

ASSESSMENT FROM AMBER RED TO AMBER GREEN

Six of the nine actions identified in the Action Plan are direct recommendations from the Efficacy

Assessment Report in the dimension of Capacity to Deliver:

• Dedicating Supports for students with special needs.

• Providing resources and professional learning to support daily outdoor learning in

Kindergarten.

• Continuing to build self and collective efficacy in all students and staff.

• Developing supports to increase staff efficiency.

• Engaging staff and federations in the development of professional learning.

• Fostering strong partnerships with our families and communities.

ACTION: CONTINUING TO BUILD SELF AND COLLECTIVE EFFICACY IN ALL STUDENTS

AND STAFF

STUDENT SUCCESS TEACHERS AND TEAMS

• Multi-level approach through capacity building, teamwork, collaboration and system strategies.

• Full implementation of Student Success Teacher and Team Manual procedures in all

secondary schools. Below is a section found in the manual:


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• Creating conditions for change by purposefully selecting team members, scheduling Student

Success Team meetings.

• Establish clear roles and responsibilities of Student Success Teachers and Teams and focus

on high expectations for students and staff.

• Improved communication and collaboration through the Student Success Referral process and

Student Success Team meetings.

• Integrated Approach to engaging supports for students who identify as Indigenous and

students with special needs.

• Engaging Student Success Teachers/Teams in analyzing and interpreting individual student

data on a regular basis identifying the impact of actions.

• Through regular data collection and review, Student Success Team members are able to

analyse and interpret data to bring deeper knowledge about individual student needs and

barriers and determining how to maximize supports.


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ACTION: DEVELOPING SUPPORTS TO INCREASE STAFF EFFICIENCY

TRANSFORMING OUR BUDGETING PROCESS

• Administrative Council will provide an overall view of budgets per portfolio.

• The budgets will be tied to the Board’s Strategic Plan and priorities.

• An new online consultation survey will be launched this year to inform the budget process.

• The process will allow us to prioritize resource allocation.

• The new Budget Binder will include an overall budget view per portfolio.

Example of what the new budgeting process could look like:

Special Education Staffing:

• 1 Special Education Administrator and Vice-Principal

• 3 District Special Education Resource Teachers

• 2 Autism Support Officers / Behaviour Consultants

• 125 Educational Assistants

• 11 FTE Transitional Education Assistants


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Mental Health and Wellness Staffing

• 1 Mental Health Lead

• 3 Social Workers

• 14 Child and Youth Workers

• 3 Attendance Counsellors

ACTION: ENGAGING STAFF AND FEDERATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

• Collaborating with teacher federations to solicit feedback on Board Improvement Plan for

Student Achievement and Well-Being (BIPSAW) and input on professional learning plans

• Ongoing collaboration with teacher federations to discuss upcoming professional learning

• Partnering with federation leadership in New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) session

• Planning a joint session on “Supporting Outdoor Learning” with ETFO

• Co-planning and co-facilitating two professional activity days with ETFO Occasional Teachers’

Federation;

• Seeking input from new teachers into NTIP professional learning sessions;

• Experienced teachers identify their individual professional learning needs when working with

learning coaches.

Below is the agenda for the first NTIP session this year:

9:30 – 10:00 Welcome & Introductions / Intro to DSB1 and NTIP

10:00 – 10:30 OCT Standards


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10:30 – 10:45 Break

10:45 – 11:30 Innovation

11:30 – 12:15 Lunch

12:15 – 1:15 Classroom Management

1:15 – 1:30 Break

1:30 – 2:15 DSB1 Procedures

2:15 – 2:30 Wrap-Up

FOCUS COMMITMENT 3: WE UTILIZE THE

LEADERSHIP SKILLS OF THE ENTIRE

COMMUNITY

There are extensive leadership opportunities provided to and by students for other students.

We have established an extremely strong partnership with our Early Years partners who are very

appreciative of the relationship DSB1 has developed with them.

The continued focus on staff wellness has a positive impact anecdotally for staff.

GOAL: INCREASING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS INVOLVED IN LEADERSHIP

OPPORTUNITIES AND THEIR IMPACT

STUDENT SENATE

Number of Students Involved: 18 (2 students per secondary school)

Impact:

Student Senate is lead by the three Student Trustees. The group meets monthly and is focused on

mental health and well-being for all students this academic year. They share best practices from their

schools and bring ideas back to their school community for implementation.


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ENGLEHART HIGH SCHOOL

Leadership Opportunity: Change Club

Number of Students Involved: 6

Impact:

Encourages positive change and acts of kindness within the school and the community.

Leadership Opportunity: EHS Yoga Class


Impact:

Students lead Englehart Public School students through yoga and meditation activities. This helps

build relationship between the two schools and promotes student health and well-being.

Leadership Opportunity: Student council


Impact:

The School Council has a positive impact on the school culture. Students organize activities to create

a welcoming and fun school community for all.

Leadership Opportunity: Wood / Construction Classes

Number of Students Involved: 15 Senior Students

Students designed prototype docks and pitched their ideas to a local business owner. The owner

chose a prototype and will be selling it.

The business owner will provide students with the building materials and donate a portion of the

proceeds to the school for various school events.

75 students will be involved with the construction and assembly of the docks this Spring.

Impact:

This gave students an opportunity to work with a local businessperson and engage in a real-world

experience.


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ENGLEHART PUBLIC SCHOOL

Leadership Opportunity: Student School Improvement Team

Number of Students Involved: 30 (Grades 3-6)

The students want to improve the data from the School Climate Survey. They are creating teams and

collecting student voice around what can be improved. The group meets on a weekly basis.

Impact:

Students are demonstrating self and collective efficacy in this initiative. They are actively taking steps

to improve the school culture. Further impact will be determined following the upcoming School

Climate Survey in June.

GOLDEN AVENUE PUBLIC SCHOOL

Leadership Opportunity: Cocoa Box

Number of Students Involved: Grade 6 students

Students organize a pop-up hot chocolate stand for the winter during recess. One student is the

leader and chooses a team of students to help. The leader delegates tasks to the students and

ensures that they are all keeping up to their responsibilities. They create promotional materials to

advertise this initiative, and they make all of the hot chocolate themselves.

Impact: This initiative promotes a positive school culture and offers opportunities to have

conversations while working and drinking hot chocolate together. It provides an opportunity for the

students involved in the organization to feel proud of their accomplishments and leadership.

The rest of the school look forward to this and have been asking when it will begin.

HEARST HIGH SCHOOL

Leadership Opportunity: Student Council


Impact:


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Students have been very active in helping to organize a variety of school-wide activities for Hearst

High and Clayton Brown. They have had a great impact on creating an inclusive and caring

environment within the school.

KAPUSKASING DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL

Leadership Opportunity: Social Justice and Equity Class - Passion Projects


Passion Projects are designed and lead by students. Passion Projects include:

• A Kapuskasing District High School (KDHS) and Community of Kapuskasing Clothing Drive to help the KDHS Community Closet (provides clothes and other necessities for students at KDHS and Diamond Jubilee Public School (DJPS)

• A sustainability day that will open the closet for one afternoon in the cafeteria. Students from DJPS and KDHS will be invited to peruse the offerings and help promote sustainability through the use of gently used clothing and avoid the environmental impact created by the manufacturing and disposal of new clothing.

• A website that compiled resources for women in need in Kapuskasing.

• A website that explored issues related to the Me Too Movement

• A Flyers vs. OPP/Firefighters hockey game that involved KDHS and the entire Kapuskasing community in raising over $3,000 for former student Breanna Plourde as she continues her fight against cancer.

• A pizza lunch and student vs. teachers volleyball game to promote school spirit and involvement and to raise funds for a scholarship in the name of former student Carlee Weidhaas. Activity will involve KDHS, Echo du Nord and DJPS.

Impact:

Students respond to needs in their school and the larger community. They take on the responsibility of the planning, organizing and completing projects and events to fill the identified needs. The Passion Projects create links between the school and the community of Kapuskasing.

Leadership Opportunity: KDHS CARE Club (Social Justice and Equity Club)

Number of students involved: 8

Impact:

Students help to bridge the poverty gap in the school and the larger community. Their efforts include food drives, collecting items and gently used clothing as well as fundraising.


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Leadership Opportunity: Weekday Warriors (STEP & STARS High-Support Programs of KDHS).

Number of students involved: 14

The group is named the Weekday Warriors because they face daily challenges and find ways to

overcome them and move forward. They lead many activities at the school, including:

• Coffee Club

Students independently manage their Carefree Caffeine Business. Students were responsible for

purchasing all equipment and pay back their loan with the profits of their coffee sales. All students

interact with staff in the Kapuskasing Education Centre.

• Rudolph Run

Students in the STEP and STARS classes organized a community event which welcomed 700

elementary students from Kapuskasing. Students planned and organized materials required for

the day. The event was paid for with the help of generous sponsors within the community.

• Warrior Challenge

The STEP and STARS students welcomed close to 1000 students and staff to a day that

promotes physical activity, mental health and celebrate the school year. This event was fully

sponsored with $12,000 from members in the community.

• Drama Club, Yu-Gi-Oh Club

Students organize Yu-gi-oh games during lunch time to welcome other students from KDHS to

participate. This club also allows other students to come in and join other activities during

lunchtime. Many of our students joined the Drama Club this year and participated in two plays

presented to the entire school.

• School Breakfast

Students shopped for the food required for the School Hot Breakfast. Students helped plan what

food would be served. Students cooked all of the food prior to the breakfast. Students prepared,

decorated the cafeteria and served the hot lunch to the 200 students in the school.

• School lunches

Students provide ideas for lunch suggestions to serve the entire school. Once a week, students

prepare a hot lunch for students. Students serve the lunches to others and clean up afterwards.

• Red Cross snacks


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Students prepare snacks to be served to the school three times each week. Students wash, cut

and bag foods for snacks. This provides healthy snacks for all students in the class.

• Koffee Klatch

Students prepare snacks and juice for the school and provide programming for students that come

in two separate groups. Grade nine and ten for one group and Grade eleven and twelve for the

other group.

• House Challenges

Our school has recently divided into teams to create houses. The STEP and STARS students

help plan and prepare activities for the challenges.

• School Calendar

The students prepare the school calendar by changing the date, month, activities and holidays.

• Kolts Stable

Students manage the Clothing store. They complete an inventory, purchase new items and sell

them.

• Breakfast Club

Students shop for and prepare breakfast for students in the school. Students attend the breakfast

club and interact with their peers. They maintain an inventory of the items in the breakfast club.

• Aquaponics

Students are participating in an innovative way to grow food on top of an aquarium. They learned

how fish in an aquarium provides nutrients that the plants use to grow. Students are tasked with

maintaining the aquarium by feeding the fish, washing filters, completing water chemistry tests to

ensure optimum growing conditions. Recently students have needed to brainstorm solutions and

problem-solve to identify and correct some nutrient deficiencies the plants are experiencing.

• Classroom Economy

Students learn about budgeting and managing money by paying for their monthly bills: technology,

lockers, seats, classroom materials. Students must also complete a bank log that shows all their

transactions. They identify budgeting challenges and find ways to prevent/solve them during

simulated activities. In this type of programming, students demonstrate leadership by taking

ownership of their financial literacy skills.

• Co-op Opportunities


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The STEP and STARS staff work closely with community resources such as NEACL in order to

provide students with Co-op placements they can complete with the necessary support to provide

increased confidence and independence. A student in the program was recently offered to

complete this position paid due to their commitment to their job.

Impact:

The students in the STEP and STARS class have built a community of students that work to break

down barriers, promote self-advocacy, and increase self-confidence and independence in their

abilities. They promote the following values and positive character traits:

• Responsibility

• Leadership

• Decision-makers

• Good listening skills

• Good behaviour

• Positive attitude

• Willing to do anything

• Follow the rules

• Helpful

KERNS PUBLIC SCHOOL



Impact:

Each month, the Student Council organizes activities such as themed dances, themed book reading

days with dressing up. Memorable activities this year include the Dr. Seuss theme in December and

a Pajama Day combined with Literacy Day in January. The group is now exploring an outdoor play

day, and a make your own sundae day.

The students run the activities. They work the canteen, decorate if needed, choose songs for

dances, choose books for read-a-louds, and if they need community support, they make the

connections themselves. They reached out to members of the community to help judge a pumpkin

contest and asked Mr. Parent, our Information Service Technician, to help with creating a playlist for

activities.

Leadership Opportunity: School of Flock


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Number of Students Involved: 14 (all grade 4,5 & 6 students)

Impact:

The students not only study birds as part of their cross-curricular inquiry, but they also contribute to

the larger bird community through the Hilliardton Marsh.

Last year, three students were part of a videoconference with bird clubs from other areas where they

shared their learning around snow-buntings and other topics.

Leadership Opportunity: Pride Ticket System

Number of Students Involved: 27 (all students)

The school implemented a new “pride ticket” system, where students are given tickets to put on a

bulletin board under four areas:

• I like school

• I can support my friends

• I get along with other students

• I can help decided things in my school

When a staff member notices that students have done something that demonstrates one of these

areas, their name and reason for getting the ticket is pinned to the board for the month. These four

areas represent areas for improvement as indicated by the results of the school climate survey.

Impact:

The purpose of the area “I can help decide things in my school” is to explicitly show students that they

have a voice and that voice is heard and can make a difference in our school.

IROQUOIS FALLS SECONDARY SCHOOL


Number of Students Involved: 17 (includes representation from IFFS Elementary)

Students organize and run a wide variety of activities within the school. Examples are fundraising

sales in the canteen and bake sales/meal days, spirit days, dances, graduation, and support for

curricular activities such as preparing exam survival packages for students. Members also promote

and share information on upcoming school events and deliver our morning announcements.

Impact:

Students learn to work collaboratively to foster a positive school culture.


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Leadership Opportunity: IFSS Athletics Society


This group’s mandate is to promote participation in athletics at IFSS. They consist of a spirit

committee, a reporting, social media, and photography committee, and a promotional committee, with

student leaders for each committee and two overseeing the whole initiative. Member activities share

information about upcoming events, results of games/tournaments, and team information with the

school and community. They also plan and run annual events such as the Golden Boot road hockey

tournament and Athletic Banquet.

Impact:

This initiative promotes participation in athletics at the school and therefore supports students’

wellness. Members of the Society learn about skills in organization, promotion evaluation as part of

their work.

PINECREST PUBLIC SCHOOL

Leadership Opportunity: Pinecrest Panthers Leadership Group


The group is largely responsible for developing, organizing, promoting and running various activities

in the school like an art contest, wellness activities, spirit days, winter activity day and others.

Impact:

Students work collaboratively to promote participation and a positive school culture. They learn about

the intricacies of event planning and how to foster the voice of their peers in the school.

R. ROSS BEATTIE PUBLIC SCHOOL



Students were selected by their peers from their homeroom to represent student-voice in the school.

At these meetings, students are bringing up any concerns or suggestions from their classmates.

Impact:

Students are encouraged to foster the voice of their peers and bring suggestions and

recommendations back to the Student Council for consideration. Members learn to work together

and plan events and initiatives that enhance the school’s culture.


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TIMMINS CENTENNIAL PUBLIC SCHOOL

Leadership Opportunity: Extra-Curricular Student Leader

Number of Students Involved: Grade 6 students

These students help run extra-curricular activities for the younger students by becoming a referee or

scorekeeper for various recess clubs like soccer and handball.

Impact:

These student leaders practice their leadership skills by learning the rules of the game and ensuring

that fair play and fun is implemented. Some of their responsibilities may include helping the teams

organize their lines to ensure equal play time, evening out teams if a team is short, observing fair play

of the game rules and managing the time clock and score.

ACTION: OFFERING LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR STUDENTS

JACK CHAPTERS

This year over 44 secondary students are working to identify and dismantle barriers to positive mental

health in their schools. They have participated in meaningful youth mental health advocacy training

with Jack.org Program Coordinators and partnered with Public Health Nurses from the Health Units to

bring meaningful events, activities and opportunities to their peers. To date, these have included

raising awareness of pathways to care and support, events and resources during exam week, and

celebrations for Bell Let’s Talk day.

You can view a video created by students at Timmins Centennial Public School:

https://youtu.be/UrMyZY7YfTI

KINDNESS AND CALM CLUBS

Students at the elementary panel are participating in clubs lead by Child and Youth Workers to learn

how to take care of their mental health and how to take action to create mentally healthy school

environments.

ACTION: FOSTERING STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES

EARLY YEARS PARTNERSHIPS

https://youtu.be/UrMyZY7YfTI


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School

Be

fore

& A

fter

Sc

ho

ol

Ch

ild

Ca

re C

en

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Ea

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ol R

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din

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s

Ea

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ON

Ce

ntr

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Program Provider

District Social

Services

Administration

Board (DSSAB)

Bertha

Shaw PS

X YMCA Timmins Cochrane

Elk Lake PS X X Timiskaming Child Care Timiskaming

Englehart

PS

X X X Englehart & Area Child

Care

Timiskaming

Golden

Avenue PS

X NEOFACS Cochrane

JHK X Iroquois Falls Preschool

Centre

Cochrane

Kerns PS X X Timiskaming Child Care Timiskaming

New

Liskeard PS

X X X Stepping Stones

Daycare Centre

Timiskaming

Schumacher

PS


Smooth

Rock Falls

PS

X NEOFACS Cochrane


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fore

& A

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Ca

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ea

din

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s

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Ce

ntr

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Program Provider

District Social

Services

Administration

Board (DSSAB)

Temagami

PS

X X X Timiskaming Child Care Nipissing

Timmins

Centennial

PS


W. Earle

Miller PS


The three DSSABs and four school boards collaborated on the development of the following

documents:

• Guidelines to Effective Partnerships between School Boards, DSSABs, Early Years and Child

Care within the Districts of Cochrane and Timiskaming.

• Communication Protocol - Guidelines to Effective Partnerships with Early Years and Child

Care in Schools

ACTION: SUPPORTING STAFF WELLNESS

STAFF WELLNESS COMMITTEE

A survey was completed last year, which gauged the interests of staff from every school and worksite

across the board.


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This year, the committee has discussed how to proceed with gathering this information. We decided

we wanted to investigate what was available in the various school communities across the board and

then try to match that up with the expressed areas of interest by the schools.

We are piloting this approach in the Central region. Lessons learned will be applied when this is

implemented in the North and South regions.

We have provided a summary of the top 5 responses made by schools in the central region and

corresponding agencies that we could contact for support/services related to the response.

Topic Community Resources

Healthier Cooking Anti-Hunger Coalition Timmins

Porcupine Health Unit

Healthy Eating to lose weight Anti-Hunger Coalition Timmins

Porcupine Health Unit

Helping family eat healthier Porcupine Health Unit

Stress Management Timmins Family Counselling

CMHA

Onsite Exercise Classes (yoga, walking) Various people in the community

Online support videos

Additionally, we have begun to collect ‘best practices’ currently used by schools to build a sense of team and togetherness that impacts mental well-being.

Documents

2019-2020 Mid-Year Action Plan Report