Thank you to students from St. Anne Catholic School for performing O Canada and "Lean on Me" at the Regular Board Meeting on April 22, 2024.

Regional CWL Mary Matthews Public Speaking Contest Winner

Padraig D., a Grade 7 student at St. Christopher Catholic School entered the Regional CWL Mary Matthews Public Speaking Contest and came in first place at the Diocesan level competition.

Padraig read his speech on “The Importance of Physical Activity” at the Regular Board Meeting.

Tracy Barill, Director of Education, submitted a written report for the April 22, 2024, Regular Board Meeting. In addition to her written report (which can be found below), Director Barill extended her congratulations and gratitude to the many outstanding educators and staff who have indicated their intention to retire this year. She especially noted school administrators, Joni MacLean, Lisa-Marie Stewart and Andrew Oliver, thanking them for their dedication and leadership.

System Events

• On Tuesday, April 16 I had the pleasure of attending the Rivalry Hockey Tournament between All Saints and Father Leo J. Austin Catholic Secondary Schools at the Tribute Community Centre. It was an honour to drop the puck for the first game and participate in such a fun, community-building day involving our Whitby secondary students, staff, and family members.
• I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to all of our wonderful Durham Catholic staff. This is such a busy time of year, with many concerts, showcases, events, tournaments, and more. We are blessed by the commitment of all our dedicated employees.

Upcoming/Ongoing

2023-2024 Student Demographic Survey

• It is the mission of the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) to be an inclusive Catholic learning community that inspires every student to achieve their full potential through faith and education. In order to effectively support the achievement of every student, resources and supports need to be aligned with student needs. To assist in making evidence-based and informed decisions about supports and resource allocation, the Student Demographic Survey previously discussed is on track to be distributed to students (Grades 9-12) and parents/guardians (Kindergarten – Grade 8) in the coming week, from April 22-26, 2024. Collecting this demographic data will the board to better analyze the trends and patterns in student achievement and student success. Information about the Student Demographic Survey can be located on our webpage, where you can preview the survey questions and access answers to frequently asked questions. Please visit dcdsb.ca/StudentSurvey to learn more.

Exploring the Papal Visit with Niigaan Sinclair

• We are excited to invite staff, families and community members to attend an evening with Niigaan Sinclair. This session will be an opportunity to examine four key moments from the Papal Visit to Canada in 2022 and reflect on our work in Catholic Education as we journey toward Truth and Reconciliation. This event will take place on Tuesday, April 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Pope Francis Centre (652 Rossland Rd W, Oshawa). All are welcome. Please register on our Board website if you would like to attend.

Welcome to Kindergarten Resource Fair

• As we look ahead to the 2024-2025 school year, we are excited to welcome our youngest learners to Kindergarten as they embark on a faith-filled journey with DCDSB. To support the transition to Kindergarten, we are inviting pre-registered families to attend the Welcome to Kindergarten Resource Fair on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at All Saints Catholic Secondary School. This special event is open to families and their children, and will provide general information about the DCDSB Kindergarten program. You will be able to speak to board subject-matter experts and community partners, ask questions about the program, and participate in hands-on activities.

Catholic Education Week and Mental Health Week

• During the first week of May, our Durham Catholic learning community celebrates Catholic Education Week, which recognizes the important contributions of Catholic education to our community, the province and to Canada. This week is also nationally designated as Mental Health Week, which aims to raise awareness and to promote and protect mental health.
• This year’s Catholic Education Week theme is, “We are called to love”, which is based on the scripture passage: “If we love one another, God lives in us.” 1 John 4:12. During the 2023-2024 school year, DCDSB has been embracing our own related spiritual theme, Speaking With the Heart, which serves as an invitation to reflect on what it means to communicate “according to God's style”, welcoming others as “heart speaks to heart.”
• There are many connections between Catholic Education Week and the Mental Health Week theme, Compassion Connects, which was selected by the Canadian Mental Health Association. CMHA states “We all have the capacity to be compassionate, and we know that doing so can make an enormous difference. In a world plagued by suffering, we emphasize that kindness is equally intrinsic to our humanity.”
• Throughout the week, we have many events and learning opportunities, including:

Monday, May 6, 2024:

• System-Wide Mass and Distinguished Catholic Educator and Leader Award Ceremony. This year, recipients of the Distinguished Catholic Educator and Leader Awards will be honoured following the System-Wide Mass at St. Bernadette Parish (21 Bayly St., E., Ajax) beginning at 4:30 p.m. 

Tuesday, May 7, 2024:

• Suicide Prevention and Life Promotion Literacy for School Staff training is being offered to all educators. This is a 3-hour workshop developed by School Mental Health Ontario that is intended to develop an understanding of suicide prevention at school and the role that all school staff play in keeping students safe. 

Wednesday, May 8, 2024:

• The Catholic Education Week Provincial Mass will be celebrated by the Most Rev. Gerard Bergie, Bishop of St. Catharines and President of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario. Mass will be live-streamed from the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria beginning at 11:00 a.m. Please use the following link to access the live-stream: https://www.youtube.com/@stcatharinescathedral2914.
• Parents, guardians and caregivers are invited to join us for Prepare, Prevent and Respond, a virtual workshop presented by DCDSB Student Services Staff. This workshop will explore some frequently asked questions that will help you prepare, prevent, and respond if your child or adolescent is experiencing thoughts of suicide.

Thursday, May 9, 2024:

• Student Mental Health Leadership Summit will be held for Grade 9-12 students from all DCDSB secondary schools.
• St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School will be hosting the school’s 25^th Anniversary Celebration at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, May 10, 2024:

• Students and staff are encouraged to wear green to raise awareness for Mental Health Week. 

Visit dcdsb.ca/CatholicEducationWeek to view our Catholic Education Week and Mental Health Week webpage.

National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2-Spirit People

• May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls & 2-Spirit People. Students have been engaging in learning about how systemic barriers failed to prevent and address cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women, children and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. We encourage our community to learn more at Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Diplôme d’études langue française (DELF) Exam

• Grade 12 students who registered for the Diplôme d’études langue française (DELF) Exam, are writing their exams in May. We have 192 students writing the DELF exam, which is an internationally recognized assessment of French proficiency. We want to extend our best wishes to students who are writing the DELF exam, and thank the staff members who have been certified as examinateurs-correcteurs and are administering the exams.

Monique Forster, Chair of the Board, shared the following highlights:

Recognition

• On April 18, the Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee hosted the Distinguished Catholic Volunteer Awards, which took place during National Volunteer Week. Congratulations to all the award recipients who were recognized for their commitment to our Catholic schools. Your passion and time are greatly appreciated by students and staff. I also want to extend my gratitude to the Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee for organizing the event, and for your ongoing efforts to engage with DCDSB families by providing support on a system-wide basis and promoting the Home-School-Parish relationship.
• We have a few upcoming staff appreciation days that I would like to highlight, including:
• Administrative Professionals Day is on April 24, and on behalf of the Senior Administrative Team, I would like to thank our school administrative assistants, executive administrative assistants, and all administrative professionals for their commitment and support for our schools, staff, students and families, each and every day.
• National Principals Day is on May 1, and is an opportunity for us to thank all of our dedicated Principals and Vice-Principals for their commitment to Catholic education. On May 1, and every day, we celebrate your leadership and dedication to supporting students, staff, families and our school communities.
• May is Speech and Hearing Month, and on May 13, Durham Catholic will celebrate our Speech & Language & Hearing Professionals. Thank you to our speech and language and audiology professionals for all they do to support our community in early detection and intervention for communication disorders.
• On May 22, our board will celebrate Child and Youth Care Worker’s Appreciation Day. A special thank you to the important role that our CYC’s have in supporting our students, families and school communities.

Upcoming Events

• During the month of May, DCDSB will celebrate Mary, the mother of God. Many of our schools will learn about recitation of the Rosary during May and will display altars or pictures as a reminder of Mary’s month.
• The Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association is hosting its 94th Annual General Meeting & Conference on May 2 and 3. I look forward to attending along with my fellow Trustees, and to the professional development opportunities that will ensure we continue to support our Durham Catholic learning community.
• As you may know, the Durham Catholic District School Board is in the process of hiring a new Director of Education and Secretary-Treasurer to the Board. Promeus, Inc., an executive search firm, has been hired to assist us with this process. A detailed candidate profile for the role is currently under development. In the interim, please visit dcdsb.ca/Careers to find an ad for the position, and for further details on the application process.
• The 10th Annual Durham Catholic Children’s Foundation Gala will take place on Thursday, May 16 at the Ajax Convention Centre. The gala is in honour of Bishop Vincent Nguyen and our Distinguished Alumni and will feature Saryoya Tinker as keynote speaker. To purchase tickets or to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please visit durhamcatholicfoundation.ca/gala. All proceeds from the gala will go to the Durham Catholic Children’s Foundation.
• In closing, I would like to extend my best wishes to all mothers for a very happy Mother’s Day on May 12. I hope all mothers have a very special day filled with love, laughter, and precious memories.

The Enactment of a Successor Education Development Charges ByLaw No. 7 (2024) for the Durham Catholic District School Board 

• THAT in accordance with Section 257.63 of the Education Act, the Durham Catholic District School Board resolve that no further public meetings are required in regard to the proposed Education Development Charges By-law No. 7, (2024).
• THAT the Durham Catholic District School Board resolve that the Education Development Charges By-law impose in year one of the five-year term;
• (i) a charge of $2,586.00 per dwelling unit in year one against all new residential development of land in the Region of Durham; and
• (ii) a charge of $0.10 per FT2 in year one against non-residential development of land in the Region of Durham,

such charges to be increased annually without amendment to the EDC By-law as permitted under the governing legislation. Neither charge will apply to the development of land in the Municipality of Clarington.

• THAT the Durham Catholic District School Board enact an Education Development Charges By-law in the form attached to this report as Appendix A, to come into force on May 1, 2024.

Revised 2023-2024 Schedule for Board and Committee Meetings 

• THAT the Durham Catholic District School Board approve the Revised Schedule of Board and Committee Meetings for the 2023-2024 school year.

Director of Education Performance Appraisal  

• WHEREAS Ontario Regulation 83/24 Director of Education Performance Appraisal came into effect on March 4, 2024; and
• WHEREAS the Board’s current policy on Director Performance Appraisal (PO327) Director of Education Performance Appraisal is no longer compliant with legislation; and
• WHEREAS the current Director of Education is retiring effective August 31, 2024, and the Board is currently undertaking an executive search for a new Director of Education;
• BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Durham Catholic District School Board dissolve the Director’s Performance Appraisal Committee previously established in accordance with PO 327 Director’s Performance Appraisal.
• THAT the Durham Catholic District School Board dissolve the Director’s Performance Appraisal Committee previously established in accordance with PO 327 Director’s Performance Appraisal.
• THAT the Durham Catholic District School Board review and revise PO327 Director of Education Performance Appraisal to comply with the new legislation and incorporate any framework or guidance provided by the Ontario Catholic Trustees’ Association specific to the appraisal of Catholic directors of education.
• THAT in compliance with Ontario Regulation 83/24 Director of Education Performance Appraisal the Durham Catholic District School Board establish a committee responsible for conducting a performance appraisal of the director of education for the board composed of not fewer than three and not more than seven board members one of whom shall be elected by the majority of the committee to be the chair.

Richard Damianopoulos, Vice-Chair of the Board, made the following announcements:

Retirements:

• Andrew Oliver, St. Theresa C.S., effective April 30, 2024 
• Brent Gallagher, Monsignor Paul Dwyer C.H.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Christine Colucci, St. Matthew the Evangelist C.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Dennis Kivlahan, Father Leo J. Austin C.S.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Diane Rose, St. Mary C.S.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Edward Arko, All Saints C.S.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Elizabeth Snowden, St. Wilfrid C.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Howard Kempton, Father Fenelon C.S., effective March 31, 2024 
• Iris Warenycia, Elementary panel, effective June 30, 2024 
• Jacqueline Flynn, Father Leo J. Austin C.S.S, effective June 30, 2024 
• Jean Gagnon, Father Leo J. Austin C.S.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Joann Chebry, St. Luke the Evangelist C.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Joni MacLean, St. Jude C.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Julie Forget-Ouellet, St. John XXIII C.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Kate Collins, Monsignor John Pereyma C.S.S., effective June 30, 2024
• Lisa-Marie Stewart, St. Andre Bessette C.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Lori-Ann Fegan, St. Leo C.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Lou-Anne Cutaia, Monsignor Paul Dwyer C.H.S., effective June 28, 2024 
• Mathy-Ann Rudkins, Monsignor John Pereyma C.S.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Michael Pellegrino, St. Mark the Evangelist C.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Patricia Maecker, All Saints C.S.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Rosemaire Booker, Notre Dame C.S.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Stephen J. Smith, St. Patrick C.S., effective June 30, 2024 

Resignations:

• Jessica BouZeid, St. Mark the Evangelist C.S., effective June 30, 2024 
• Tina Nguyen, St. Mark the Evangelist C.S., effective May 30, 2024