Greetings fromGreetings fromGreetings from

Board Chair, Pinky McRae Board Chair, Pinky McRae Board Chair, Pinky McRae

As Chair of Superior Greenstone District School Board, I'm humbled to have been given the opportunity to once again work with such a great group of trustees and senior administration; thank you for your trust and continued support. This term started out with several new trustees however I am proud of the dedication and perseverance from everyone throughout this difficult year. We have dedicated staff members who foster excellence in both our elementary and secondary schools and this is quite evident in the many successes our students have shared with us throughout the year. I hope you enjoy the many more examples in this report. I am especially excited to share one of the initiatives we worked very hard on with our NEAC committee, the release of our "Aboriginal Peoples in the Superior-Greenstone Region: An Information Handbook for Staff and Parents" come to fruition. This handbook has made a significant difference in building and strengthening our relationships with the Aboriginal population within Superior-Greenstone DSB. Our focus remains student achievement and well being and I am confident we will continue to meet our goals set out in our strategic plan as well as maintaining a balanced budget. We will continue to work collaboratively and further strengthen the foundation we have built over the past year. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, thank you to our staff for their ongoing efforts to continue to ensure "our small schools make a difference". Thank you to all our parents and community members who volunteer on our many committees; your time and dedication is fundamental in helping us reach our goals of student achievement and well being. Thank you to our Director of Education, David Tamblyn for your unrelenting commitment to the

students, staff and stakeholders of Superior Greenstone DSB. Your dedication and enthusiasm is

what makes Superior Greenstone District School Board what it is!

It is an honour to serve as Director of the Superior-Greenstone District School Board, and I am deeply proud to share with you, through this report, some of the ways our wonderful teachers, support staff, school and district leaders, trustees, school councils, families and partners are working together to support the achievement and well-being of our students - inside classrooms, and out in our communities.

Although the landscape of public education in Ontario has seen many complex challenges over the last few years, through the leadership, collaboration, and focused work of many, Superior-Greenstone has made enormous gains in the core purpose of our work, improving the achievement and enhancing the well

being of our students. All of this work is guided by the three priorities of the Board's Strategic Plan 2012-2017 : Student Achievement and Well-being; Building Relationships; and Responsible Stewardship of Resources.

Teachers, support staff and administrators in every school have worked diligently to support these priorities, and to develop critical thinking skills in our students while nurturing a culture of caring and global citizenship. At Superior-Greenstone District School Board everything we do is designed to help all students achieve to the best of their abilities. It is our commitment to ensure our collective daily efforts make a positive difference in the lives of our students, their families and the world. Guided by our mission, vision and values we build positive places for learning and working together. I believe we all have a role to play in preparing our students for success, and through ongoing and enhanced partnerships and community input and involvement, we are working together to provide an outstanding range of valuable learning opportunities for every student in service of this mission. I thank you all for your dedication to helping meet the needs of the students and schools we serve.

I hope you enjoy this window into how we are “inspiring our students to succeed and make a difference”.

Welcome to SuperiorWelcome to SuperiorWelcome to Superior---Greenstone DSBGreenstone DSBGreenstone DSB

School Profile School Profile School Profile Students:

(as of October 31, 2015)

Elementary students ............... 792

Secondary students ................. 800

Total Students ....................... 1592

Schools:

Elementary schools ................. 11

Secondary schools ..................... 5

Full Day

Kindergarten schools ............... 11

Staff (full time equivalents):

Elementary teachers ............... 52

Secondary teachers ................. 59

Principals & Vice Principals ..... 16

Administration & Support Staff 125

Superior-Greenstone DSB has its

head office in Marathon, Ontario.

Its boundaries extend east to

Manitouwadge, west to

Dorion/Hurkett and north to Nakina.

The Board serves the communities

of Beardmore, Geraldton, Longlac,

Nakina, Dorion, Hurkett, Nipigon,

Red Rock, Schreiber, Terrace Bay,

Marathon and Manitouwadge. The

Board has tuition agreement with

eight First Nations communities

whose student attend Superior-

Greenstone DSB schools.

The Superior-Greenstone District School Board’s Mission, Vision

and Values were developed in collaboration with stakeholders

both inside our organization, and within the broader community.

Our mission, vision, and values shape all our actions and

decisions across the school Board.

The 2012-2017 Multi-Year Strategic Plan is a blue print for

achieving our vision, while staying true to our mission and values.

It describes our collective vision for the future, sets direction and

describes the future the school board wants to achieve and in so

doing, defines success. The Strategic Plan becomes reality

through operational plans such as our Board Learning Plan for

Student Achievement and Well-Being which is outlined further on

in this Annual Report.

The complete version of the Strategic Priorities and

Commitments of the Board is on the board website at

www.sgdsb.on.ca. However, the highlights of this comprehensive

document which is our guide through to 2017 follow here.

Under each Strategic Priority the goals to which all staff aspire to

and are vigilant toward attaining have been listed for reference.

Student Achievement

and Well Being

Responsible Stewardship

of Resources

Building Relationships

Student Achievement and Well Being

Quality Instruction

Student Engagement

Authentic/Relevant and Meaningful Learning Experiences

Equity and Inclusive Education

Student Voice

Raising Parental Expectations

Character Education

Global Citizenship

Student Supports Responsible Stewardship of Resources

Maximizing Investment in Academic Resources Utilization of

Space, Facilities and Services

Consolidating Resources

Optimizing Human Resources

Environmental Stewardship

Technology Opportunities for All

Aligning Resources with our Priorities Building Relationships

Creating a Culture of Trust

Fostering a Climate of Respect and Transparency

Celebrating Successes

Modeling a Joy of Learning

Strengthening Our Understanding of all the

Communities We Serve

Strengthening Partnerships (parents, community,

agencies)

Developing Leaders

The goal of shifting to a culture of learning whereby the importance of establishing an environment of continuous inquiry, growth, improvement and permanent learning is recognized by all continues to

be a focus for our work. We describe this type of environment as “learner centered”, and articulate this goal using the following theory of action:

“If we foster learner centered environments and pedagogy, then learners will possess an increased sense of belonging and be motivated to learn.”

Learner centered environments and pedagogy are:

Responsive, Promotes the academic, behavioural, cognitive and psychological engagement of all learners, and,

Inclusive, Reflects learners’ strengths, needs, learning preferences and cultural perspectives.

The past year has provided us with the opportunity to foster a deeper understanding of the learner centered environment and pedagogy;

specifically focusing on learner mindsets, assessment for and as learning, and the Conditions for Learning that must be in place to maximize

learning. As co-constructed by our team, these include:

Collaboration (vs. Cooperation): I know I am collaborating if I work interdependently, engage others, actively listen, constructively

contribute, respectfully challenge ideas, and share knowledge to build on others’ thinking to arrive at a

desired goal.

Responsive Instruction: I know I am providing responsive instruction if I am collecting a continuum of data (to show progression),

towards an identified goal and my responses are reflective of the learner’s strengths/needs.

Relationship Building: I know I am building relationships if I engage in communication (active listening and responding) to build

trust and respect and provide others with the opportunity to share and reflect.

Risk Taking: I know I am taking risks when I engage in tasks with the desire/intention to further my learning, seeing

errors as opportunities and taking initiative to investigate new topics and ideas.

As we move to an increasingly learner centered environment, we

have worked at replacing the terms “student learning” and “staff

learning” with the notion of “learner” as everyone, from the

students to the members of senior administration, is working at

putting their understanding of learning into practice within their sphere of influence, and are thus, a learner.

This level of engagement in learning occurs when the components of the Assessment for Learning culture are in place; when

learners are actively involved in their own learning processes, when effective feedback is provided, when we adapt our

instruction to meet the needs of the learners as evidenced on assessment results, when we engage in self-assessment, and

when we recognize that true learning results in motivation. This culture is the foundation for the Board Learning Plan and the

structures for learning that are contained within the document.

The name of our Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and Well-Being has been changed to Board Learning Plan

for Student Achievement and Well-Being to reflect this belief.

There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the fundamental importance of student well-being to overall

student success. Students cannot achieve academically if they do not have a strong sense of belonging. In a

SGDSB student survey conducted by Tell Them From Me results indicate that 85% of the students at the Grade 4

level feel a strong sense of belonging. By the time students reach Grade 8 this figure drops to 57% and by Grade

12 it has fallen to 50%. There are a number of possible explanations for the decrease in the percentage of

students who have a strong sense of belonging but what is certain is the impact it has on student achievement.

Dr. Doug Willms is the lead researcher for the Tell Them for Me school climate survey. Dr. Willms has published

over two hundred research articles pertaining to youth literacy, children’s mental health, the accountability of

schooling systems, and the assessment of national reforms. Dr.

Willms recently shared some Canada wide trends in education,

with some encouraging findings, and also areas where we need

to improve. For example there are higher rates of anxiety

among female students than among male students and while

the levels drop off among the female students by Grade 12, it is something for us to be aware of particularly for female students

in Grades 10 and 11. Further data indicates that 75% of Canadian students graduate from secondary schools, while the

completion rate, on average, for First Nation youth is only 32%.

Discussing how schools can improve outcomes, Dr. Willms identified

three main drivers: quality instruction; inclusive classrooms; and safe

and caring schools. Creating a safe, caring and inclusive learning

environment not only ensures student success but also supports our

students’ mental health and well-being. Transitioning into a new school is difficult for students. There is a lot of anxiety

around questions they may have about who their teacher will be, will their friends be in their class and will they be able

to handle the workload. The transition to a new school is particularly hard for our First Nation students who share all

the anxieties of their non-aboriginal classmates but also may be faced with cultural barriers. In figures released late this

summer The Kids Help Phone reported almost 40% of all school-related counselling sessions for the month of August

were about transitions like starting a new school. As educators and as caring adults we can support our students by

providing them with a safe welcoming environment where they feel a sense of belonging. It is through caring

relationships and positive role models that children come to feel safe, supported, respected and hopeful.

The chart to the right outlines the key areas of focus from the 2014-2015

Board Learning Plan for Student Achievement and Well-Being. Our ultimate

goal is to ensure that our pedagogy and our environments are completely

learner centered – at all levels of our organization. This means that we are

naturally responsive to our learners, ensure that they are fully included and

engaged, and that their strengths, learning preferences, needs and cultural

perspectives are attended to. When we pay particular attention to our

SGDSB Conditions for Learning when structuring learning, we are well on

our way to creating this learner centered environment.

This year, many schools focused on deepening our understanding of one

particular Condition for Learning. Growth Mindset, or the belief that

intelligence can be grown with hard work and determination, and what it

means to have a growth mindset both for the adults and the students in

our organization, is an area that many educators are keenly interested in.

We know that we need to fully understand our own mindsets, as learners;

thus we need to engage in our own personal self-reflections against

indicators of a growth mindset. For our student learners, there is a need to

explicitly teach what it means to have a growth mindset, and to foster this

type of thinking in our schools. Consequently, we have focused our Board

Learning Plan SMART goal on growth mindset. We believe that the

achievement of this SMART goal is a critical factor in impacting our

ultimate target of creating a learner centered environment and pedagogy.

By June 2015, each group of learners (K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-12, adults) in SGDSB will see an increase of one or more Mindset Assessment Profile Group(s) thus demonstrating growth in their efficacy towards learning (growth mindset - which is foundational to our Conditions for Learning). Formative data regarding growth mindset attitudes and behaviours will be obtained

throughout the school year from Professional Learning Exit Cards, District Support Visit

Student Voice and the Tell Them From Me Survey.

If we foster learner centered environments and pedagogy, then learners will possess an increased sense of belonging and be motivated to learn. Learner centered environments and pedagogy are:

Responsive,

Inclusive,

Promotes the academic, behavioural, cognitive and psychological engagement of all

learners, and,

Reflects learners’ strengths, needs, learning preferences and cultural perspectives

5 Key A4L Teaching and Learning Strategies (Hattie, Visible Learning 2008)5 Key A4L Teaching and Learning Strategies (Hattie, Visible Learning 2008)5 Key A4L Teaching and Learning Strategies (Hattie, Visible Learning 2008)

1. Clarifying and sharing learning intentions and criteria for success. 2. Engineering effective discussions and other learning tasks

that elicit evidence of learners’ understanding. 3. Providing feedback that moves learning forward. 4. Activating learners as instructional resources for one another. 5. Activating learners as the owners of their own learning

Collaboration (vs. Collaboration (vs. Collaboration (vs.

CooperationCooperationCooperation)))

Responsive InstructionResponsive InstructionResponsive Instruction

Relationship BuildingRelationship BuildingRelationship Building

Risk TakingRisk TakingRisk Taking: : :

The following theories of action/goals/priorities were the guiding factors in our work with various groups of learning this year. Each theory was accompanied by co-constructed or agreed upon criteria for success, which allowed us to measure our impact through the collection of evidence. Leads shared this evidence at our final Learning Fair in June. This evidence will be used to guide the development of the “next work” for each lead.

Positive Behaviour Supports Our theory of action: If we make data-based decisions to inform and evaluate our teaching practices when teaching/analyzing/supporting student behaviour, skill development and self-regulation, we will see a marked improvement in student engagement and academics and will be better able to support learner-centred, inclusive environments in a preventative, proactive way.

Mental Health We are learning to:

Integrate positive mental health strategies into both pedagogical classroom practices and school wide interventions.

Respond effectively to the range of mental health issues that students’ experience.

Build, sustain, and lead mentally healthy schools.

Find, facilitate and enhance pathways to care for those students who need it through formal and informal partnerships with our community.

Numeracy Our overarching goal for all math learning: If we embed our conditions for learning through increasing our pedagogical content knowledge (knowing math for teaching) then our numeracy environments will be more learner centred.

Our SMART GOALS: By June 2015, in our primary divisional Professional Learning Circles (PLC), we will see an increase in student success rate from 53% to 70% of responses demonstrating a shift towards multiplicative thinking (evident in their ability to unitize) through proportional reasoning problems as demonstrated by common tasks developed through inquiry groups (baseline, check in, final task).

By June 2015, in our junior divisional PLC, we will see an increase in student success rate from 35% to 60% of responses demonstrating multiplicative thinking through proportional reasoning problems as demonstrated by common tasks developed through inquiry groups (baseline, check in, final task). By June 2015 our intermediate and senior students will demonstrate procedural fluency by developing their conceptual understanding, strategic reasoning, and problem solving as demonstrated through open response style questions .

Aboriginal Education Our priorities/goals for the year:

Increase the number of FNMI who voluntarily self- identify as FNMI students and analyse and report on data to inform targeted strategies for increasing Aboriginal student achievement and success.

Increase teacher efficacy through PD about Aboriginal learners and how to infuse Aboriginal perspectives within their practice.

Increased collaboration between First Nation communities and SGDSB so that we are working in concert to support our FNMI students. Eg. handbook roll out.

Work at ensuring that our Native Language and Native Studies teachers are supported to ensure effective programming for our students.

Continue to negotiate and implement successful education funding agreements through relationships build on mutual trust and respect.

Leadership Learning Our learning goals for the year: Conditions for Learning and Growth Mindset

I am modelling a growth mindset for my learners.

I understand how the Foundational Principles to be Developed in the Learner and the Environment are essential to the formation of the student centered learning environment.

I understand how Our Conditions for Learning are in service of /are enabling conditions for achievement of the academic goal(s) of my school/class.

I have an action to take back to my school.

Special Education Our theory of action and goal for the year: Assistive Technology: If we build an understanding of learning disabilities and assistive technology then our educational environments will be more responsive to meeting the needs of all learners. IEP Development: We are learning to ensure IEP’s are working documents; that parents/students have been consulted in the creation of and receive on-going feedback on progress throughout the year.

Descriptive feedback is widely recognized by the educational community as an assessment for learning tool that supports learning and growth. When learners engage in peer and self-assessment, they are providing feedback to each other or to themselves regarding the degree to which they have achieved the criteria for success and hence, the learning intention. Effective feedback includes the identification of the successes, as well as prompts/provocations regarding next steps. As a school district, we have been committed to practicing these formative strategies in all of the work that we do, including District Support Visits. These visits provide an opportunity for our schools to engage in a formal self-assessment of their progress towards achieving the goal(s) that they have collectively identified as a staff, followed by a peer-assessment which occurs when an outside team visits the school. The outside team provides feedback based upon the criteria that was identified by the school and the Board Learning Plan criteria identified by the system. This feedback takes the format of the identification of strengths and celebrations, as well as next steps to consider, which are generally provided in the form of a question, thus allowing the school team to enter into the question in multiple ways. As the School Learning/Improvement/Growth processes are strictly formative in nature, there is no assessment of learning that takes place during these visit. These visits also provide an excellent opportunity for the entire team (both internal and external) to engage in relationship building with students and staff; another extremely important part of our commitment as a school district. "It was clearly evident that the support team's fundamental objective was to function in the capacity of a support unit.

The review was a mechanism that facilitated encouragement, strong support, as well as the promotion of both individual and collective growth. The team radiated a dynamic positive energy. The day was rich with dialogue, collaboration, and clearly exemplified professional cohesiveness." Kevin Fitzgerald, NAPS

Superior-Greenstone District School Board, in collaboration with our partners in Child Care and Best Start, have been working to redefine the connotations of the term “school.” Our goal is to ensure that everyone understands that our schools are a place of learning and support that begins at birth for all children, as opposed to our long standing understanding of “school” beginning at age 3. We envision “hubs” whereby programs and services are provided for children and families from birth onward. With the movement of Best Start Centers under the Ministry of Education umbrella, our focused work in this area has become even more important as we ensure that our organization makes this transition seamless for children and families. Recall that the provincial vision supports an integrated early years/child care system in which school board and early years staff from Family Support Programs work in partnership to provide “seamless, high quality programs” for children throughout the day, as per the vision which is articulated in the Ontario Early Years Policy Framework (OEYPF). As part of this transition, there is an increased emphasis on the need for school principals, early years supervisors/operators and staff to work together to ensure that shared space is available on an ongoing basis to provide consistent and seamless learning and care environments for children and that relationships within the school adhere to the vision of the OEYPF. To guide this work, in September we introduced a Sharing of Space framework (which was developed in conjunction with Brass Bell/Best Start) to all schools where there is an early years program. Throughout the school year, meetings with teams from each building took place to determine where we are at collectively in our movement towards full integration, to set goals for next steps, and to determine what additional supports the teams may require.

education student body and our staff have been educating themselves on instructional strategies to support these learners. SGDSB has moved to an online IEP writing tool that will allow for continuous updating as well as a method to archive student learning over time. This program will ensure consistency as well as continuous improvement to student learning.

Special education teachers, educational assistants and administrators do a tremendous job, and their work is not to be understated. Special education is a necessary component of education. Schools need to serve all kids, and it is with the help of our whole system that we are able to do so in an inclusive environment. We are constantly learning more about how students learn best and what strategies will support our learners as we program for students based on need. One of the most

“Central to Behaviour Management Systems is a paradigm shift: Children and adolescence act out due to needs brought on by external factors, rather than due to internal wilfulness. If we can better understand those needs, we can plan and revise programs in a manner that is productive and supportive.” Behaviour Management Systems On June 3-5, 2015, thirteen SGDSB educators, a group consisting of high school SERTS, educational assistants and child and youth workers participated in Behaviour Management Systems (BMS) training to become leaders and trainers for our board. Our three days of learning covered rich content that will help us to further promote safe and respectful learning environments for all students and staff. While the BMS program provides us with the knowledge and tools to handle critical incident situations, the program’s primary focus is on preventative measures to understanding the factors which impact behaviour, focusing on early intervention in order to reduce aggressive behaviour in our schools. The program is based on the ecological systems theory which helps us to understand how the environment influences a student’s development and behaviour. It recognizes that children differ biologically and psychologically and that these differences will impact how a student responds to their environment. Having a further understanding of these factors will help us determine which factors we are able to influence.

impactful ways to support student learning in special education is for open communication and consultation with parents and students. SGDSB staff has been creating relationship with families in order to collaborate when creating plans to provide students with programming that is responsive to their needs. Many of our schools have been investing their time and research into supporting students with learning disabilities. These learners account for a large population of our special

Clara Hughes’ Big Ride for Bells’ Let’s Talk Mental Health rode

right on through the Northshore. Students were thrilled to

see this multi-awarded Olympian. Her sponsorship by Bell is

helping to mitigate the stigma of mental health.

The Superior Greenstone Mental Health Strategy initiative is consistent with the strategic priorities of Superior Greenstone District School Board around student achievement and well-being, responsible stewardship of resources, and the building of relationships. Our focus for the next three years in these areas will center on developing and enhancing student mental health support for achievement and well-being. We can do this by

Engaging students in the life of the schools through meaningful participation in positive mental health promotional activities;

Consolidating and aligning existing internal and external resources to focus on board priorities in the area of mental health service delivery and capacity building;

Strengthen our understanding of the diverse communities we serve;

Build and enhance our relationships and partnerships with new and existing child and youth mental health services.

This is the second year of Superior Greenstone District School Board’s mental health strategy. Highlights include:

All principal, guidance, and SERTs were trained on Violence and Risk Threat Assessment by Kevin Cameron of the Canadian Centre for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response

At a principal retreat in December, all principals were introduced to “Introducing Mentally Health Schools” and provided with the training and background on introducing some of these ideas and strategies at their schools to enhance school climate

All teaching staff were trained on SafeTalk, a three-hour training program that prepares helpers to identify persons with thoughts of suicide and connect them to suicide first aid resources.

A revised suicide pre, inter, and postvention guide was produced for inclusion in the staff folder as a guide for administrative and school staff

The mental health lead, along with school principals, and guidance staff participated in the Maamawe Kenjigewin community trauma response with all of the First Nation communities in the district. As a result of these community consultations, Superior Greenstone District School Board has signed an official memorandum of agreement with at least two First Nation communities indicating our support of their communities. More will come as the individual communities craft their formal memoranda. The board has provided letters of commitment to every First Nation community including our support of the use of traditional medicines. We supported the Youth Mental Health Champion Program at Nipigon Red-Rock High School. Four high school students, along with their teacher, had the opportunity to attend the teen ranch in Toronto to learn about mental health promotion and brainstorm around what they could do to enhance mental health in the school. The project was very successful and students engaged in a range of positive activities including art murals, T-shirts, school assemblies, and lunch programs at the school. A professional development day was provided to principals in January focussing on themes of LGBT inclusion and First Nation students’ mental health. Dr. Chris Mushquash presented to the principals on aboriginal mental health, history, and best practice approaches. A facilitator from Egale Canada presented on LGBTQ inclusion in schools.

Superior-Greenstone District School once again accessed funding from the partnership between the Council of Ontario Directors of Education and the 21st Century Innovation Research Initiative. Our multi-year strategic plan, has allowed us to purchase mobile learning centres for classrooms in the both the elementary and secondary classrooms. 1:1 Technology As a result of the funding provided by the ongoing CODE project, Beardmore Public School, Red Rock Public School and Nakina Public School offer 1:1 opportunities in terms of technology to students. Mobile Learning Centres For the 2014-2015 school year, mobile learning centres were provided to all grade 8 classrooms as well as Geraldton Composite High School. These mobile learning centres allow teachers to embed technology enabled teaching and learning throughout their lessons. Currently all grade 8 students are enrolled in a blended learning environment, which means they participate in a combination of traditional face to face and online learning. The online content is provided by both the Ministry of Education and the classroom teacher in a safe, secure online classroom.

By becoming familiar with the online environment, students will have a smoother transition to the secondary level where blended learning is commonly utilized to support student learning. As well, we have provided grade 10 teachers of civics and career studies as well as teachers who are curious and actively engaging in embedding technology in their classroom to enhance student learning with mobile learning centres. Grade 7 & 8 Students at George O’Neill Public School are accessing their laptops 21st Century Learning Furthermore, by providing access to technology and safe access to the online learning environment, students are learning Ontario curriculum as well as 21st century competencies which will allow them to participate as responsible digital citizens in an ever increasing digital world. The focus of the TELTC plan is to provide opportunities for increased student engagement and achievement, opportunities for personalized learning and greater student voice and increased collaboration for staff and students. The 21st century competencies are as seen on the diagram to the right.

Technology Champions To support the learning needed to embed technology throughout Superior-Greenstone District School Board, the Ministry funded Technology Enabled Learning and Teaching Contact (TELTC) provides ongoing support. As well, the Board is providing individualized support for each school within the Board with the development of a technology champion within each school. Working and learning in partnership with the TELTC, the technology champions will support all learners in their own schools as we shift our teaching strategies to promote 21st century thinking into our school cultures. Superior-Greenstone Technology Enabled Learning and Teaching Highlights for 2015-2016:

Continued partnership with the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE) and the 21st Century Innovation Research Initiative,

1:1 laptop learning at Beardmore Public School, Red Rock Public School and Nakina Public School,

All grade 8 teachers equipped with mobile learning centres and accessing the provincial virtual learning environment,

All grade 10 teachers of civics and careers equipped with mobile learning centres and accessing the provincial virtual learning environment,

Technology Champions established for each school in the district to support technology embedded professional practice,

All schools have created social media accounts to provide frequent and immediate feedback to the school community that informs parents about important school information as well showcase the learning and joy in our schools,

6 e-Learning courses provided to students in SGDSB as well as the Northern e-Learning Consortium (NeLC): SPH 4U, EWC 4UE, HZT4U, ASM3O, MCV4U, CHY 4U,

Students in SGDSB continue to access virtual learning to accommodate their interests and pathway needs via the free course offerings provided by NeLC,

District wide participation in the Hour of CODE-a global event that introduces tens of millions students throughout the world to world of computer science,

On-going TELT support to provide professional development in the areas of Google Apps for Education, the Ministry provided virtual learning environment and Ministry provided digital resources,

All Board initiative resources, discussions and participants are housed in the provincial virtual learning environment. The initiative forums allows for the curation of resources, asynchronous professional development and visible learning that we want our educators to model.

The Information Technology Services Department has implemented significant changes during the 2014-2015 school year to help ensure

technology is accessible for the needs of our students.

The internet connections to each school were examined and replaced with 100 Mb Fiber Optic connections wherever possible. Where that

technology was not available, upgrades to the best connection possible were complete. This key improvement opened the door for

implementing a Wi-Fi network for students to use with their personal devices. Continued expansion is planned.

Over 500 laptop computers were added to the system in the form of carts which can be wheeled to wherever they are needed in the school. We

have also standardized on SMART board technology with a number of installations and plans for further growth and development in that area.

Behind the scenes, a new helpdesk system has been implemented to help ensure any support issues are captured and processed more

effectively, allowing classroom technical issues to be given the highest priority and others followed up with accordingly. This system also keeps an inventory of all electronic devices, with notes of

issues enabling more effective equipment management.

The school libraries

have received a

major upgrade to

their booking and

management

systems. The new

Enterprise L4U

system allows

resources to be

accessed from

home by any

student and

provides for a

number of modern

options including

loaning of electronic

resources.

As part of our relationship with Microsoft, every student has been given free access to Microsoft Office 365 Professional Suite. This is available at no cost for installation on their home computers

and devices as well as Cloud Storage and web based tools for use everywhere. Further expansion of services offered continues including integration of other web based platforms.

We have implemented a new data management tool for Special Education as well, resulting in better information sharing and communication among educators and specialists.

First Nations, Metis and Inuit (“FNMI”) Student Success and Achievement remains a top priority for SGDSB. We have been rolling out our Aboriginal Self-ID project, which encourages parents to voluntarily identify their children as Aboriginal. When parents and students choose to voluntarily self-identify as Aboriginal, SGDSB receives targeted funding to support initiatives to support these learners. The funding supports initiatives such as Aboriginal studies curriculum development, support to bring in guest speakers, land-based learning and enhanced artistic and cultural learning experiences.

SGDSB is also working to carry out the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Final Report. Among many other important recommendations, the TRC called upon levels of government to work with educators to:

Make age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties, and Aboriginal peoples’ historical and contemporary contributions to Canada a mandatory education requirement for Kindergarten to Grade Twelve students.’

To educate teachers on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms.

Our Aboriginal liaison office is working with teachers, principals, community partners and First Nations specialists to implement these recommendations immediately. The time for action is right now.

SGDSB is also continuing to roll-out its Aboriginal Peoples Handbook, which provides information on a wide variety of topics impacting all of our learners. The Handbook provides historical, political, social and spiritual background on our First Nations learners and community partners. It is a living document. We are encouraging teachers to use the handbook in in their classrooms, and for students to contribute to the narratives about their own communities.

“Together we are better. Reconciliation begins with me.”

The following outlines some of the major accomplishments that were achieved by the Plant Department in the 2014/2015 Budget Year.

Strategic Priority – Effective Use of Resources

Once again, the Plant Department carried out many capital projects in order to fully utilize the available grants and ensure the schools are modern, safe, and comfortable learning environments for students. The needs of the schools for capital work were identified and selected, in consultation with

the School Principals and Senior Administration, through the regular Plant budget review process. Other projects were added to the list as a result of unexpected urgent needs.

Renovation work continued in the shops at all of the high schools with major work taking place at MNHS, MRHS. Finishing work was carried out at Lake Superior, Nipigon-Red Rock and Geraldton Composite High Schools. Work carried out on

the shop equipment included improved guarding, marking of safety zones around equipment, and improving emergency shutdown systems. Safety and efficient use of space were a major considerations in the design and layout of the space.

Welding shops were upgraded to ensure proper fume extraction during the welding process. Out of date equipment that did not meet current safety standards was replaced.

Major roof replacement work was carried out at Lake Superior and Geraldton Composite High Schools, with design work for future tenders being carried out at Schreiber and George O’Neill Public Schools and the Marathon High School. Improvements to roof insulation, will result in ongoing energy savings.

Energy management and conservation continue to be improved through follow-up on building systems to ensure

that they are functioning according to design.

Over the 2014/2015 school year, the value of capital work carried out in the schools totaled $2,875,988.

The 2014-2015 budget complied with the Ministry of Education’s enveloping and accountability requirements. The estimated expenses ($37,207,405) did not exceed the estimated revenues ($37,921.337). The budget provided for the needs of the system while leaving the Board in a sound financial position.

That’s A

Wrap!

Director’s Annual Report

2014-2015