Boardroom Newsbrief - June 22 and 23, 2020

The Newsbrief is meant to provide the highlights of the decisions made at the Board meeting for the benefit of our community. The notes do not serve as the official record of the meeting. Please refer to Board or Committee minutes.

For full agenda package prepared ahead of this meeting, visit this link.



June 22, 2020

June 23, 2020 - Part 1 and Part 2

Student Trustee Report

Student Trustees Ganaabout Gagne and Prasith Wijeweera presented their final report to the Board.

Briefing from the Chair of the Board

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Community Recognition Awards

Every year, we recognize the valuable contributions of our community members, parents, and businesses through the OCDSB Community Recognition Awards. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to show our appreciation for the significant work volunteers do in our schools for students. 

This year, we were not able to host an in person annual Volunteer Appreciation Reception and Awards Ceremony. However, we are excited to recognize our award recipients today and tomorrow we will be highlighting the recipients on our website and social media.  

There are six different award categories.

Community Partnership Award is granted in recognition of outstanding partnership/support from a community agency or business over an extended period of years or through a significant initiative that has directly benefited OCDSB students.

Congratulations to recipient Jayne Gauthier, Director, Whitehaven Kindergarten School Age Center (D.Roy Kennedy)

Community Award is granted in recognition of outstanding efforts of a member of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board community in developing an initiative that directly supports the well-being of our students.

Congratulations to recipients: Gabrielle Fayant and Dani Lanouette for their work with the Assembly of Seven Generations

Distinguished School Council Service Award is granted in recognition of the outstanding efforts of a school council or school council member for making a significant contribution to enhancing the learning experience of students at a school and/or system level.

Congratulations to recipient Julie Smith, Stittsville Public School.

Excellence in Equity Award recognizes the contribution of a parent, volunteer, business or community member to support the alignment and integration of equity and inclusive educational principles and practice over an extended period of years or through a significant initiative that has directly benefited OCDSB students.

Congratulations to this year’s recipient: June Girvan

Volunteer of the Year Award is granted in recognition of the substantial contribution of a parent volunteer or community volunteer over an extended period of years or through a single significant initiative that has had a positive impact on students.

Congratulations to recipient: Tanvir Minhas, Merivale High School

Chair’s Award: Nominated by the Board of Trustees, the Chair’s Award is presented annually for the substantial contribution of an Ottawa-Carleton District School Board staff member and/or a community member to the achievement of the aims and objectives of the Board over an extended period of years.

Congratulations to this year’s Chair’s Award recipient: Don Gerlitz, Adult High School

End of year thank you message

As we move into the last few days of the school year, I think we can all agree that this year has been a watershed year managing change - in student learning,  staff learning, and board member learning.

This was the first year of our new Strategic Plan, and although it was not the year we expected, our plan to build a culture of innovation, caring and social responsibility was exactly what we needed!    A number of new initiatives were launched in the fall, one of the highlights being “Valuing Voices – Identity Matters!”, on which we receive our first report tonight. The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted some of our initiative and accelerated others, but throughout innovation, caring and social responsibility were big factors in sharing our approach. 

I would like to commend our staff across the District for their response to an unforeseen and unprecedented situation. I would also like to thank students and parents for their patience, support and innovation. Together, we have found new ways of connecting and a new appreciation for how to deliver education and balance personal and community safety.

I would like also to commend our students for rising to the challenge of learning from home.  The disruption of your usual school routines and loss of opportunities to learn and play face-to-face with your friends and classmates has been hard, for some of you hard to manage, and for some of you hard to understand.  Nevertheless, from youngest to oldest, you’ve persevered, with the help of your families, teachers and support staff. As for our graduates, this year has not just been a year in which you completed academic expectations, but also a year in which you’ve repeatedly demonstrated that you’ve met our expectations for outcomes, particularly in the areas of collaboration, resilience, innovation and digital fluency.

Even as the pandemic has kept us apart, it has also brought us together in a common effort to maintain the continuity of learning for all students. The year is not yet over for us, with many students and staff preparing to participate in summer programming, and developing plans for a return to school in September. 

This year has been a year to remember for all of us, and we have grown stronger together.

Briefing from the Director

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Student Recognition Awards

Thank you so much to all of our community and volunteer award recipients.

I now have the pleasure of announcing the Student Recognition Award recipients, chosen by each school’s principals and vice principals. These student leaders have shown incredible initiative to contribute to their school.  I regret not having the opportunity to meet with them in person tonight, but I am delighted to share their names with you.

These student award recipients will receive their awards at their graduation ceremonies in the fall. However, this week the District will  be highlighting these amazing individuals on our website, school websites, through social media and in an advertisement in the Ottawa Citizen.

Congratulations to:

Luisa Pardo, Adult High School

Karen Vo, A.Y. Jackson Secondary School

Nicole   Xu, Bell High School

Jorja Tashlin, Brookfield High School

Laura Davies, Cairine Wilson Secondary School

Audrey Thebaud, Canterbury High School

Tip Finless, Colonel By Secondary School

April Bennett, Continuing Education

Amina El Sharif, Earl of March Secondary School

Clifford Lewis, Elizabeth Wyn Wood Secondary Alternate Program

Ava Munro, Frederick Banting Secondary Alternate Program

Phoebe Seely, Glebe Collegiate Institute

Fatimah Karim, Gloucester High School

Cory Dignard-Keras, Hillcrest High School

Eric Huang, John McCrae Secondary School

Mack Bain, Lisgar Collegiate Institute

Siyona Kassel, Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School

Olivia Plouffe, Merivale High School

Rachel Lowenberg, Nepean High School

Isabelle Blad, Norman Johnston Secondary Alternate Program

Breeana Elliott, Osgoode Township High School

Phoenix Judge, Ottawa Technical Secondary School

Allegra Wallace-Harder, Richard Pfaff Alternate

Robiya Abdullayeva, Ridgemont High School

Karen Onukagha, Sir Guy Carleton Secondary School

Damen Tsotroudis, Sir Robert Borden High School

Michaela Yu, Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School

Trinity Lowthian, South Carleton High School

Keefer Lamarche, Urban Aboriginal Alternate High School Program

Hoda Osman, West Carleton Secondary School

Sami El Sayed, Woodroffe High School

Excellence In Equity Student Award Recipients

I am also very pleased to share with you the Excellence in Equity Student Recognition Award recipients.  This award honours a graduating student in a secondary and/or alternative site who demonstrates innovative and creative initiatives to achieve a positive, safe and inclusive school climate. This year we had more nominations than ever before and have 2 recipients:

Abbas Mohamed, Hillcrest High School

Sade Friday, Lisgar Collegiate Institute

Congratulations to Abbas and Sade.

School Reopening Plan

Last week, the Ministry of Education released its reopening plan for schools in the fall.

School boards are being asked to plan for the following three scenarios to be implemented in September, depending on the public health situation at the time:

A normal school day routine with enhanced public health protocols.

A modified school day routine - Based on public health advice, an adapted delivery model would be designed to allow for physical distancing and cohorts of students. Under this model, school boards are asked to maintain a limit of 15 students in a typical classroom at one time and adopt timetabling that would allow for students to remain in contact only with their classmates and a single teacher for as much of the school day as possible. This model would require alternate day or alternate week delivery to a segment of the class at one time.

At home learning - Should the school closure be extended, or some parents choose not to send their child back to school, school boards need to be prepared to offer remote education.

The government is instructing school boards to be prepared with a plan, should it be required, that includes an adapted delivery model, which could include alternate day or alternate week attendance, staggered bell times and recess, and different transportation arrangements, among a variety of other considerations to ensure the safety of students and staff.

The OCDSB has been busy planning for next year and will now align our work with the Ministry direction. We will be sharing more information and asking parents, students and staff for input.

End of year thank you

This school year has been one for the history books. We faced great challenges, and while there were bumps along the way, I’m left at the end of the year with optimism.

Teachers, principals, staff, volunteers, community partners, trustees - you worked incredibly hard to support families and provide students with an opportunity to learn. Thank you.

Students and parents, thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigated through these waters. I remain inspired by your strength, caring and resilience.

We may continue to face difficult times ahead, but my confidence remains buoyed by our wonderful school community.

Let us remember this school year not for the challenges it posed, but how we came together like never before.

Thank you all.

Public Motions

Trustees approved the following:

  • Confirmation of Board Minutes, 26 May 2020 (Board)
  • Receipt of Committee of the Whole Report, 16 June 2020
    • Special Education Plan 2019-2020
  • Receipt of Audit Committee Report, 11 June 2020 284
  • Receipt of Committee of the Whole Budget Report, 26 May 2020
  • Receipt of Committee of the Whole Budget Report, 8 June 2020
    • The report from the committee will be approved at the next Board meeting. The recommendation from the committee regarding administrative and support staffing for 2020-2021 was dealt with at the Board meeting on 22 June 2020.
  • New Stittsville Secondary School
  • Purchase of Replacement Chromebooks
  • Provisions for Calling Extraordinary Board Meetings
  • Minor Revisions to Policy P.137.SCO Concussion Management
  • Notice of Motion, OPSBA Policy Resolution, Trustee Scott
  • Appointment of a Trustee to the Integrity Commissioner Selection Committee
    • Trustee Schwartz was nominated for this position

Meeting ended June 22, 2020 10:45 pm and June 23, 2020 at 7:45pm

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