KPDSB launches 2017-2020 Learning Technologies Strategic Plan in recognition of Education Week

Media Release - May 10, 2018

Trustees met at the Kenora Board Office on Tuesday, May 8, 2018 for a regular Board meeting.

Superintendent of Education Tania Sterling, presented the newly created Keewatin-Patricia District School Board’s (KPDSB) Learning Technologies Strategic Plan to Trustees. The plan was officially launched in recognition of Education Week (May 7-11, 2018).

Creation of the Learning Technologies Strategic Plan started with a 21C gap analysis and needs assessment across the entire KPDSB.  The assessment was conducted from October 2017 to April 2018 and included creating a survey for all staff and students on a variety of 21C tools and practices, collecting feedback from different stakeholders groups through meetings and conversations, as well as sending a delegation of staff to the BIT2017 conference in Southern Ontario to network with school boards across the province and research effective models for integrating digital tools into teaching, learning and leading.

Priorities in the plan include:

• Creating a shared vision with input from stakeholders
• Continuing to gather student and stakeholder voice
• Building capacity in future leaders
• Ensuring all KPDSB students are aware of appropriate use of digital learning tools and online networks to ensure safety (Digital Citizenship)
• Making virtual learning environments across all curriculum areas available for students
• Making makerspaces available for all students
• Offering Kindergarten to Grade 12 robotics and coding programs in all schools
• Making augmented/virtual reality available for students in grades 4-12

Sterling stated “Gathering student and teacher voice to help shape where our plan can go next helps us ensure we are preparing our students for an ever-changing world while keeping local needs and interests in mind.  We are proud of the exciting opportunities many of our educators are already creating for our students and this formal plan and renewed commitment from our Board of Trustees is going to help us scale up that innovation and provide access to dynamic opportunities across our entire system. We really do feel that technology, when used responsibly and creatively, has the potential to truly make teaching and learning boundless.”

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KPDSB Board of Trustees Approve 2018-2019 Budget

Media Release - June 13, 2018

Trustees met at Savant Lake Public School in Savant Lake on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, for the final board meeting of the 2017-2018 school year. 

The June Kids Come First presentation titled ‘Cultural Learning – Aboriginal Hand Drum Making’ was received by Trustees.  Savant Lake Public School teacher Hope St. Hilaire and students Deja Neecan, Jaylen Fox and Hailey Belmore shared their learning process to create traditional hand drums with Trustees.  With guidance from community elders and volunteers, the students learned about the process for creating their drums, from smudging and finding the perfect stick to make their drum sticks, to securing the hide and preparing an offering.  Trustees appreciated having the cultural practices shared with them by the students and congratulated them on their completed hand drums. 

Sean Monteith, Director of Education, presented the 2018 Employee Recognition Report.  Each June, Monteith publically acknowledges all employees with 25 years of service and retirees for their achievement and contributions to education in the Northwest.  The 2017-2018 school year brought with it the retirement of 31 dedicated employees and another 11 were recognized for reaching the 25 year milestone. 

Richard Findlay, Superintendent of Business, and Kathleen O’Flaherty, Assistant Superintendent of Business, presented the 2018-2019 Budget Report.  Total budget for the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board for the 2018-2019 school year is $96 million which is a slight increase (4%) from the 2017-2018 school year budget.  The 2018-2019 budget is in compliance with all Ministry of Education Guidelines and was passed unanimously by the Board of Trustees.

Monteith reflected on the 2017-2018 school year.  “The year has been an incredibly successful one, with challenges and unavoidable setbacks at certain moments. We end the year, in strong financial shape, a growing reach into the North resulting in positive impacts and outcomes for Northern children and their families, and a burgeoning sense of pride and accomplishment. The success of the Board is nothing, if not without the strength of its people, its students and its communities. I wish all families and staff a wonderful summer.”

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KPDSB welcomes Early Years Open Gym to Valleyview Public School for month of March

Media Release - March 1, 2019

We are excited to announce the Early Years Open Gym in Kenora will continue during the month of March at Valleyview Public School. Families are invited to join us on March 5, 19, and 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Early Years Open Gym is a free event for children ages 0-6.  It provides an excellent opportunity for families to socialize, have fun, and be active with their child(ren).  New for the month of March, thanks to the Salvation Army, Chef Pitre and the Hospitality and Tourism class at Beaver Brae Secondary School, a light dinner will also be provided free of charge for families.

The Early Years Open Gym would not be possible without the strength of community partnerships. We would like to thank all of our partners for working with us to ensure that kids come first.

Marnie Schuster, EarlyON Coordinator, stated “The Early Years Open Gym time was initiated by listening to the needs of our families, but it’s success is in having the support of our community partners who are genuinely invested in providing the best for families.”

Background

The Early Years Open Gym began in January and has been hosted at different schools in Kenora, with the March events taking place at Valleyview Public School.  The Early Years Open Gym is a free community event to encourage physical activity and play during the cold winter months.

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KPDSB awards capital projects in Ear Falls & Sioux Lookout, receives update on Beaver Brae project

March 6, 2019

Trustees met at Dryden High School on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, for a regular Board Meeting.

Trustees awarded Finn Way General Contractor Inc. the Ear Falls Public School Capital Renovation Project at a total cost of $7,780,539, resourced through announced School Condition Improvement funding from the Ontario Ministry of Education.  Details of the renovation include:

• Major renovation work to all program areas throughout the school to replace and reorganize classrooms with new layouts, finishes and systems upgrades including:
  • Fully enclosed classrooms to improve noise control and classroom functionality
  • Heating and ventilation upgrades to improve indoor environmental quality and energy performance
  • ITS infrastructure replacement throughout (cabling, wireless access, projection)
  • New tunable LED lighting in each classroom
  • New millwork storage with classroom sinks and built-in teachers’ desk units
• New exterior roofing, insulation, cladding and windows which will drastically improve the energy performance and internal comfort for students and staff
• Redesigned spaces such as the library, administration, gymnasium, and washrooms to ensure they are fully accessible, as well as staff work areas
• New landscaping including a new parking lot, stormwater management, sidewalks and fencing to provide improved access into and around the school

Renovation work at Ear Falls Public School will begin this month with fully occupied classrooms by September 2019.  Non-classroom and exterior work will continue into the fall of 2019.

Trustees awarded the Sioux Mountain Public School (Sioux Lookout) Roof Replacement Contract Tender to Lakehead Roofing & Metal Cladding Ltd. for a total cost of $1,100,000.  Replacement of the room at Sioux Mountain is funded through School Condition Improvement funding from the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Trustees also received an update on the Beaver Brae Secondary School Capital Project.  Currently out to tender, Phase 1 of the Beaver Brae capital project is expected to reach a total budget of approximately $6 million.  With construction anticipated to begin in late April with completion in March 2020, the scope of work for Phase 1 includes:

• A new dramatic arts room that includes telescopic seating for up to 150 people, as well as a new performance stage and theatre sound and lighting to accommodate the currently fastest growing program at the school
• A large visual arts studio with lots of open space and natural light   
• A new welding/manufacturing shop
• Relocation of Beaver Brae’s popular Bike Shop to improve external access to the program and storage
• Upgraded Food and Nutrition/Hospitality space with new equipment to accommodate high demand for those programs
• Fully upgraded state of the art Communications Technology lab including a video broadcasting studio and green room, photo studio for digital photography and a new computer lab layout
• A new fitness and weight room more than double the size of the current space to support personal fitness among students and staff
• Upgraded cafeteria with new layout including booths and charging stations

Phase 2 of capital project work at Beaver Brae will upgrade the schools parking lot and athletic field and improve accessibility at the school.

Sean Monteith, Director of Education, stated “These three capital projects, including a complete rebuild of Ear Falls Public School and the renewal of the Beaver Brae Secondary School’s Tech Wing, have been identified as major priorities for the Board, and will bring equity of opportunities to the young people of Ear Falls and Kenora.”

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Sioux North High School in Sioux Lookout opens its doors to students and staff!

Media Release - March 19, 2019

On Monday, March 18, 2019, our new school in Sioux Lookout, Sioux North High School, opened its doors to welcome students and staff for the first time.

The new school has 513 pupil places with 23 classrooms.  At a cost of $30 million, features of the building include:

• Many large window and glass features throughout the building allowing for plenty of natural light and open areas.
• A sizeable multi-purpose cafeteria/auditorium (or cafetorium) with full dramatic arts capabilities, including telescopic seating, integrated lighting, elevated stage, and a sophisticated sound system.
• New, state of the art equipment and spaces for shop classes, science labs, communication labs and food and nutrition programs.
• New furniture throughout the building.
• A large and bright library with a wall of windows including a variety of seating options and work stations for students.
• A gym with a hardwood floor and large windows that fill the gym with natural light.
• A new music room with skylights to allow natural light in and all new instruments to support the music program.

The new school also includes spaces for our partners, including Confederation College and FIREFLY.

Wayne Mercer, Sioux North High School Principal, stated “Yesterday was a day that was long awaited.  Watching our students enter their new building and explore the hallways was a moment in time that is hard to put into words.  Our students and staff deserve this building and all of the opportunities the new space offers is exciting.  All of this couldn’t have been possible without the work of so many people, as principal of the school, thank you to my staff and all of the Board employees who have worked tirelessly to get the building ready, and to everyone that assisted us in making yesterday’s transition smooth for our students.  It was a day to remember and we look forward to making this new building home.”

Sean Monteith, Director of Education, added “From start to finish the new high school project in Sioux Lookout, now known as Sioux North High School, has represented more than the construction of a new building. It has always been about bringing equity and access to all students from Sioux Lookout, and all of the North. It has been about a new beginning for our communities, our young people and bringing equity of hope for their futures. It is an incredibly proud day and one that we will remember forever. The young people of Northern Ontario deserve nothing but the best, and it is my hope as Director of Education we have made this possibility a reality.”

Background

In April 2014, the KPDSB announced, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Education, the allocation of $30 million to build a replacement school for Queen Elizabeth District High School in Sioux Lookout.  The architect contract for the new building was appointed to Evans Bertrand Hill Wheeler Architecture Inc. in July 2014, with the construction contract being awarded to Everstrong Construction Limited in August 2016 following two years of planning and consultations.  Official construction of the building, following site preparation, began in the summer of 2017.

A site blessing and groundbreaking ceremony for the new building was held in November 2015. In April 2017, following the work of a naming committee, Trustees approved the new name Sioux North High School for the new school, honouring the suggestion of students on the naming committee to name the school Sioux North.

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