“Inspiring our Students to Succeed and make a difference”

Manitouwadge Public School Olympic Spirit! The sports world is alive and well at Sochi and MPS!!! Our students have not only been glued to the Olympic events of the week, they’ve been actively living their own Olympics! While Canada was vying for their place in men’s hockey, our students’ countries were vying for their own positions in curling (albeit down the front hallway!!). We’re quite sure that there will be some new events in the next Olympics – such as the Chicken Race, Bean Bag Toss, Snowball Race – all which have had their Olympic beginnings under the roof of Manitouwadge Public School! As in any Olympic beginning, our student countries proudly sported the Olympic flames as they marched to the event behind the Canadian flag! Gold, silver and bronze medals are being proudly worn in our small community of Manitouwadge this weekend!!! Way to go MPS Olympians!

The Complexity of Counting: Early Years Inquiry By Nicole Morden Cormier and Kathleen Schram

Superior-Greenstone DSB – French as a Second Language (FSL) Framework By: Will Goodman – FSL Lead

With the new French curriculum as well as the new French as a Second Language (FSL) Framework, staff at Superior Greenstone District School Board are excited about the plans that will improve the level of French education at all of our local schools. The plan strives for improvement in both elementary and secondary and hopes to provide students the greatest opportunities for when they leave our schools upon graduation. Will Goodman, FSL lead for SGDSB, believes that there is no better time for improvement to French than the present. Educators

Director’s Newsletter February 2014

have adapted their knowledge of the CEFR and the growing success document to marry with our already strong practices using the AIM program. "The new curriculum will benefit our learners as it presents itself as a cross curricular literacy program that will improve oral proficiency”. The three target areas will focus on increasing student confidence, proficiency, and achievement in FSL, increasing the percentage of students studying FSL until graduation, and increasing student, educator, parent, and community engagement. To do this, there will be more training and workshops at the regional and provincial level, students and parents will be surveyed to learn what they like about the program and what they don't like in order to be responsive to the needs of our communities. We have been successful in securing additional provincial funding to conduct research on parent and student voice in our schools. "We want to grow our French programs and work towards the provincial goal of increasing graduation rates where students have confidence and proficiency”.

SGDSB Skilled Trade Activities Update! By: Shawna Grouette, SGDSB

Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program Coordinator

On November 7, 2013, 18 young women from the Superior Greenstone District School Board (SGDSB) participated in the “Skills Work! For Women Networking Dinner” that was held in Thunder Bay and hosted by Skills Canada. This event fostered a positive environment in which young women in grade 9 through 12 had the opportunity to network with tradeswomen from the community. Over the course of the evening, students had a chance to learn about each mentor`s career journey and experiences. This inspirational night provided the students with hands-on activities and gave them insight and knowledge towards making informed decisions about their future career goals and

aspirations. Overall, it was a fun, entertaining and informative night that was enjoyed by all who participated. December 3, 2013, marked the Skills Canada Regional Secondary Cardboard Boat Race Competition held in Thunder Bay. The Cardboard Boat Races provide the opportunity for Ontario students to test their math and technology skills in a fun and competitive environment. Teams of four arrived at this popular, full-day event with a drawing of their cardboard boat design. Skills Canada – Ontario provided the supplies to construct a cardboard boat during the two hour, on-site, construction time. In the afternoon, the competitors put their design to the test in the swimming pool in both a race and weight challenge. This year SGDSB had 20 students/five teams compete in the competition. Of the 23 competitors, teams from Marathon High School finished 6th and 7th, and teams from Lake Superior High School finished 12th, 13th and 17th respectively. Although teams from SGDSB have held the title of regional and provincial champions in the past it seemed like this year the teams struggled with one out of the three elements of the competition which cost them a medal finish. Having said that, one of our teams came in second in both the safety and speed challenges, and another team came in third in weight challenge. Nonetheless, all participants left with a smile on their face.

On February 6, 2014, 19 Cooperative Education and technology students from Marathon High School participated in the Ministry of Labour Worker Awareness Certification Program. Students received up-to-date health and safety training that will carry them into their placements/classroom and their current and future jobs. Topics such as the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the duties of the employer, supervisor and worker, worker rights, hazards and protective equipment and devices were studied. When polled, students felt that they received more training in that afternoon session then some of them had in their current jobs. The instructor Doug Brown, from Workplace Safety North thanked the students for their attention and enthusiasm. As the SGDSB’s OYAP Coordinator, I am working to provide this training in all of our high schools. Upcoming Events: Six high school students from SGDSB will be participating in the Skills Canada Regional Qualifying Competition in the areas of Welding and Carpentry. This event will be held at Confederation College in Thunder Bay on Saturday, April 12, 2014. Sixty-five Grades 7 and 8 students will be participating in a pilot project that Skills Canada will be hosting titled “Far North Trades & Tech Career Exploration Day”. This event will be held at Marathon High School on Thursday, April 30, 2014 (tentative date)

Systematic Approaches to Nurturing Resilience among Children, Youth and Families with Complex Needs By: Kathleen Schram, SE Coordinator On January 28 the SGDSB Mental Health Team together with guidance counsellors and administrators were invited to a work shop hosted by Lakehead Public Schools to hear author Dr. Michael Ungar speak on the topic of Systematic Approaches to Nurturing Resilience among Children, Youth and Families with Complex Needs. Michael Ungar is an internationally recognized expert on resilience in at-risk youth and leads the International Resilience Project that includes researchers in eleven countries. His is a professor at the School of Social Work at Dalhousie University and runs a private practice specializing in working with children and adults in mental health and correctional settings. He has lectured extensively on the subject of resilience and is the author of many books (many of which were purchased by us in attendance that day). Some key learnings: That resiliency is a process that advisors and educators can influence positively. While many students experience exceptionally high amounts of stress that can cause anxiety, depression, suicidality, and disengagement, it is possible to nurture the factors associated with resilience when young adults face adversity. He stressed the need for adults and service providers to co-ordinate and adapt the environments around kids (and that co-ordination of services is needed)….that interventions are not enough…that environments (like schools) need to be adapted. He defined psychological resilience as the capacity of individuals to navigate their way to the psychological, social, cultural and physical resources that sustain their well-being, as well as their capacity to negotiate for these resources to be provided in meaningful ways. This notion of navigating and negotiating shifts our understanding of resilience from an individual concept, popular with western-trained researchers and human services providers, to a more culturally embedded understanding of well-being. Understood this way, resilience is a social construct that identifies both processes and outcomes associated with what people themselves term 'well-being'. It makes explicit that resilience is more likely to occur when we provide the services, supports, and health resources that make it more likely for every child to do well in ways that are meaningful to the individual, his or her family, and the community. In this sense, resilience is the result of both successful navigation to resources and negotiation for resources to be provided in meaningful ways.

He also shared seven factors that have been shown to predict resilience across cultures and contexts. Based on both his clinical practice and research, he showed how relationships, a powerful identity, experiences of power and control, social justice, material security, a sense of cohesion and belonging, and cultural adherence can dramatically change a student’s ability to cope when stressors pile up….and how interdependent all the factors are. Using case studies and results from his research, he explored practical ways those working with young adults can help them improve their capacity to cope. He was very interesting to listen to and made clear that we need to be working on creating contexts to build resiliency. If you’d like more information about Michael, here’s how to find him online: Website: www.michaelungar.com

Book Study - Neurodiversity in the Classroom: Strength Based Strategies to Help Students with Special Needs Succeed in School and Life On Jan 29th a number of staff including SERTs, school administration and system leads met via teleconference to discuss a book study on Neurodiversity. The focus was on the first chapter and specifically around the author’s idea of ‘positive niche construction’; the fact that the neurodiversity-inspired educator will have a deep respect for each child’s unique brain and seek to create the best differentiated learning environment within which it can thrive. Different case studies were looked at showing the effects of the poor niche construction vs the positive niche construction. Interestingly, underlying all of this, the author outlines seven components of positive niche construction; which run some very close parallels to Dr. Ungar’s seven factors related to resilience. It led to some great discussion around the importance of relationships and the need to feel ‘connected’ as the concept of viewing the ‘whole school’ (and even the surrounding community) as an important environment. “Just as animals in the wild work methodically to build an environment that best suits them, educators should work diligently to construct a positive niche that fits the unique needs of each individual child with special needs” Over the next chapters in the book, the author explores the use of positive niche construction for several disabilities. Chapter 2 is titled “The Multiple Talents Students with Learning Disabilities” and will be the focus of our next book study chat on Wednesday, January 19. The book study addresses the concerns raised in the Tell Them From Me survey where our students indicted a strong sense of not belonging which was well above the Canadian norm. More information, on the book can be found at: http://www.ascd.org/Publications/Books/Overview/Neurodiversity-in-the-Classroom.aspx To take part in the book study contact Kathleen Schram at kschram@sgdsb.on.ca

Marathon Summer Literacy Program is a partnership between the Marathon Public Library and the Superior Greenstone District

School Board. The library hosts and supports this program. The project addresses a gap in the community. The library

encourages all children at all literacy and socio-economic levels to engage in reading and be a part of the community. The

program has been a huge draw for children in this small community. It is free, and with the support of other community

partnerships the children have been involved in a variety of activities that further promote reading.

Michael Chan, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sport Presents Angus Mowat Award of Excellence to Tara Needham, Marathon Public Library

2013 Public Library Service Awards Winners – Angus Mowat Award of Excellence

Celebrating and Supporting our Students – Marathon High School On February 12, Pic Mobert First Nation hosted a dinner to celebrate high school students from the community. Pic Mobert's Chief, several counselors, parents, caregivers, teachers and EAs from Pic Mobert elementary school as well as teachers and EAs from Marathon High School joined in supporting these young people during a special evening comprised of speeches and a delicious feast. Nicole Simpson, student success coordinator for Pic Mobert First Nation, organized the event, and addressed the students, "We all want the same thing for you: to keep you in school." Marathon High School Vice Principal Debbie McDougall told the students, "Look around the room. Each person in this room is here to support you in your schooling." It was a great sharing and learning opportunity for everyone involved!

The Research Behind the Tell Them From Me Survey By George Drazenovich, Mental Health Lead

On January 27, 2014 I attended a presentation by Dr. Willms, the lead researcher for the Tell Them for Me Survey. Dr. Willms has published over two hundred research articles and monographs pertaining to youth literacy, children’s health, the accountability of schooling systems, and the assessment of national reforms. Dr. Willms played a lead role in developing the questionnaires for Canada’s National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) and the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Dr. Doug Willms is the lead researcher who developed the Tell Them from Me school climate survey which is used across Canada including our board. Dr. Willms shared some Canada wide trends in education, some encouraging findings, and also areas where we need to improve. While 75% of Canadian students graduate from secondary schools, the average completion rate for First Nation youth is only 32%. Discussing how schools can improve outcomes, he identified three main drivers: quality instruction; inclusive classrooms; and safe and caring schools. Learning is a function of four main areas: context; quality instruction; learning time; and engagement. From a mental health perspective, impulse control, and self-regulation are key to positive outcomes. There are higher rates of anxiety among female students than among male students and while the levels drop off among female by Grade 12, it is something for us to be aware of particularly for females in Grades 10 and 11. To enhance education outcomes, they have found that literacy improves dramatically if a caregiver reads 30 minutes a day consistently to a child from infancy onwards. His research also found that a skill based rather than deficit based approach is preferred. Additionally, direct instruction has been shown to have a significant impact and can be done by teachers or assistants to activate prior learning. He also found that among vulnerable youth from lower socio-economic background, the largest gap between their

achievement and their more middle class peers occurs during the summer months. Vulnerable youth have progressively more difficult time keeping up as they advance grade as there may be less stimulation. Having activities during summer to activate and encourage learning among vulnerable youth is something to consider. The Tell Them from me survey, is broken up according to the domains that are associated with drivers of education and can provide valuable data for schools and boards to make quality improvements and direct mental health and educational interventions

Confederation Bound Early Acceptance Program It is our pleasure to present to you, the launch of our Confederation Bound Early Acceptance program! Each high school throughout northwestern Ontario is encouraged to select five of their grade 11 Confederation-bound students for this program. Confederation has no selection criteria for the program; however, the students are required to meet all admission requirements to the program of their choice. All that we require at this time are the students’ names and their programs of choice. Included in this package is a Program Exclusion List for the 2015-2016 academic year. We are requesting that you select your five students by February 28th, 2014. If you are unable to meet this deadline, please give us a call and we will try to accommodate you by extending this deadline to the end of March, 2014. As mentioned in previous communications, the students chosen for this program will be reimbursed the $95 Ontario Colleges Application Services (OCAS) fee. Once they have accepted their Offers of Admissions, the college will apply a credit in the amount of $95 to the student’s college account. They will also receive an entrance bursary of $1,000 – no application necessary. We received questions in regards to transferability and whether or not a student’s seat in the program may be given to another student should they decide not to attend Confederation College. We have confirmed that this is not an option. Students should not feel the need or pressure to attend Confederation if they have been selected for the program; however, their seat may not be given to another student. Another question that has arisen is whether or not a student initially chooses one program but then decides they are interested in a different program. We are pleased to advise that this is acceptable; however, we must be notified of this program change by June (the end of the student’s grade 11 year) and they must still meet all admission requirements. The Exclusion List still applies for program changes. Remember this is a pilot project with the intent to improve partnership between Confederation College and the northwestern Ontario high schools. Any suggestions that would improve the implementation of the program are welcome and would be greatly appreciated. If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us! (807)475-6110 or info@confederationc.on.ca

Fix the Formula-High Needs Special Education Funding At the regular board meeting on February 24th SGDSB Trustees endorsed a campaign launched by the Peel District School Board to “Fix the Formula” for High Needs Special Education Funding. While recognizing accessibility to special education services in the north is a challenge that warrants a higher per pupil amount for northern school boards, the Peel DSB is calling on the Ministry of Education to

address the inequities that exists within the same regions. Of the 72 school boards in Ontario Peel DSB receives the least per pupil amount of $339.58. The provincial average is $522.14 The inequities exist within our own region as well. SGDSB for example receives a per pupil amount for high needs students of $766.72 while Superior North Catholic District School Board receives $1,541.37 A difference of $774.65. In terms of funding this puts SGDSB students at distinct disadvantage over their counterparts in the coterminous board. SGDSB would gain an additional $529,574 if it were funded at the same rate as Superior North Catholic District School Board. Our students deserve to have the same opportunities as other students within our own region and across the province. What trustees are asking for is a funding formula that is fair and equitable. For more on Peel’s the “Fix the Formula” Campaign follow the link below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TGZ06-nSuw#t=30

Teacher Learning and Leadership Practice Projects Approved I am pleased to announce we have had two projects approved for the Teacher Learning and Leadership Practice. Jenni Scott-Marciski, Kim Mannila, Erin Langevin, Colleen Rose -NRHS –21st Century Learning and Leading: Using Technology to Reach Every Child and Family- $17,347.16 Laura Mason - Feedback and Peer Assessment Opportunities Using Technology in the Secondary English Classroom- $9774.00 Congratulations to the applicants and good luck with your projects!

Congratulations! Ted Lalonde has been appointed as .5 Vice-Principal of Manitouwadge High School for the remainder of the school year. Aaron MacGregor has been appointed Trustee representing the Manitouwadge Ward. Aaron is a former student trustee and replaces Darlene Keenan for the duration of the term of office.

Up Coming Events Monday, February 24 Board Meeting Thursday, February 27 School Effectiveness Problem of Practice Friday, March 7 Professional Activity Day – no classes March 10 -15 March Break Thursday, April 24 “We Stand Up” – Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

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