THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015
BOARD APPROVES ACCOMMODATION REVIEWS FOR LAKEFIELD DISTRICT SECONDARY SCHOOL/LAKEFIELD INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL AND ARMOUR HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOL/KING GEORGE PUBLIC SCHOOL
At tonight’s meeting of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, Trustees approved the establishment of accommodation reviews to consider the future of Lakefield District Secondary School and Lakefield Intermediate Schools as well as Armour Heights Public School and King George Public School. The Board also approved a revised Pupil Accommodation Review: School Closure/Consolidation policy among other decisions.
In its report to the Board, administration is recommending that Lakefield District Secondary School be closed, and that students attend Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School beginning in September 2016. Current Grade 7 students at Lakefield Intermediate would remain at the school until June 2017.
Administration is recommending that the students at Armour Heights Public School and King George Public School be consolidated within a single facility at the King George site. This new school would be either a refurbished King George PS building with an environmentally friendly addition, or a newly constructed school.
Lakefield District Secondary School – Lakefield Intermediate School
A joint Board/community accommodation review committee will hold a number of public meetings to discuss the student accommodation needs at these schools. Throughout this process, the review committee will share information from the community that will inform the final administrative recommendations on the future of the schools.
Student enrolment continues to decline at Lakefield District Secondary and Intermediate School. Enrolment has declined in the secondary school from 653 students to its projected enrolment of 262 students for the 2015-16 school year. The intermediate school has declined from 227 students to a projected 113 students over a similar period.
Currently, only 41% of the building is being used.
“No decision will be made until after consultation with this community through the Accommodation Review process,” says Cathy Abraham, Chairperson of the Board. “Together with members of the community, we will now take time to discuss the challenges connected to these schools – both in the near term and for future students.”
School Board administration has the responsibility to annually bring to the attention of Board Trustees schools that, for a number of
reasons, may be reviewed for a possible closure. Schools were identified for this review based, in part, on their current and projected enrolment, and the resulting impact on student programming.
“Across our communities, similar to those across our province and country, we are facing difficult questions related to enrolment decline in our schools,” says W.R. (Rusty) Hick, Director of Education. “The reality is that within our secondary schools, fewer students narrow the program and courses available to students.”
A public input meeting schedule for the Accommodation review is being finalized with an initial meeting date set for:
Monday, November 9, 2015 (6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Lakefield DSS)
(Two other meeting dates to be determined)
In addition to these public input meetings, the committee may also hold working group meetings. Although these meetings will be open to the public to attend, they will be for committee work and discussion only.
Trustee Angela Lloyd was appointed as the Trustee representative from another jurisdiction to join Trustees Diane Lloyd and Mary Lynch-Taylor as a member of the School Accommodation Review Committee.
More information related to the Accommodation Review Committee is included in a Question and Answer document below.
Armour Heights Public School and King George Public School
A joint Board/community accommodation review committee has also been struck to consider the future of Armour Heights Public School and King George Public School.
This committee will hold a number of public meetings to discuss the student accommodation needs at these schools. Throughout this process, the review committee will share information from the community that will inform the final administrative recommendations on the future of the schools.
In its report to the Board, administration is recommending that the students be consolidated within a single facility at the King George site. This new school would be either a refurbished King George PS building with an environmentally friendly addition, or a newly constructed school. This consolidation of students would be tentatively scheduled to begin in the 2017-2018 school year.
“Once again, this is very early in the process, and we know that the accommodation review committee will be diligent in ensuring that administration has all possible community perspectives before a final report is presented to the Board,” says Abraham. “These are always very difficult conversations.”
“We have an obligation to our students, and through Board policy, to review schools to ensure that our students have the choice of the best programs and subjects we can provide,” says Hick. “In May, as part of our Long Term Accommodation Plan, we identified Armour Heights Public School and King George PS as a possible opportunity for us to invest and improve the learning environment for both school populations.”
A public input meeting schedule for the Accommodation review is being finalized with an initial meeting date set for:
Thursday, November 12, 2015 (6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Armour Heights PS)
In addition to these public input meetings, the committee may also hold working group meetings. Although these meetings will be open to the public to attend, they will be for committee work and discussion only.
Trustee Sarah Bobka was appointed as the Trustee representative from another jurisdiction to join Trustees Rose Kitney and Wayne Bonner as a member of the School Accommodation Review Committee.
Other Decisions
Trustees also:
– approved a revised Pupil Accommodation Policy. In June, the Board posted online draft changes to its Pupil Accommodation Review: School Closure/Consolidation policy for comment and input. This evening the board approved a revised policy that is consistent with new provincial guidelines
– approved annual priorities of the Director of Education
– approved the transfer of six J.E. Montgomery School Transit Ltd. routes under contract for the 2015-2016 school year to Martin’s Bus Service Ltd. effective November 1, 2015, subject to the meeting of regulatory requirements
– received an educational presentation from the Ontario College of Teachers
– approved the establishment of the James Egan Memorial Scholarship to be awarded annually to a graduating student of Port Hope High School
– received a number of reports for information
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For more information, please call:
Cathy Abraham, Chairperson of the Board, at 905-987-1833
Greg Kidd, Manager – Corporate Affairs, at 705-742-9773 or toll-free at 877-741-4577, ext. 2353
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOARD APPROVES $6.6 MILLION IN CAPITAL INVESTMENTS FOR SCHOOLS; HONOURS STUDENT FOR PERFECT SCORE ON WATERLOO UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL MATH CONTEST
At tonight’s meeting of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, Trustees approved over $6.6 million in capital investments for board schools, honoured Spencer Hill, a Grade 8 student at Queen Mary P.S. for his outstanding achievement in the prestigious Gauss mathematics contest at Waterloo University’s Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing, and approved a process for developing a new strategic plan for the board.
School Capital Improvement Projects
As part of the Resource Committee Report, Trustees approved $6,646,000 in building upgrades for board schools. Included within these projects are kindergarten renovations, roof repair, painting, heat pump replacements, washroom upgrades, windows, masonry and asphalt repair.
Including renovations and additions at Cobourg Collegiate Institute in Cobourg, Dr. G.J. MacGillivray PS in Courtice, Charles Bowman PS in Bowmanville and C.R. Gummow PS in Cobourg, board schools are benefitting from almost $27M in capital investments overall this year.
“We believe our schools are stimulating learning environments that offer a wide range of programming options for our students,” says Rose Kitney, Vice-Chairperson. “We’re proud of our facilities, the opportunities they provide for our students, and we are committed, through investment, to ensure they evolve as 21st century learning spaces.”
Accolades Award – Spencer Hill
The Board formally recognized Spencer Hill, Grade 8 student, Queen Mary Public School, as part of its Accolade program honouring outstanding provincial, national and international achievements by students and staff.
In his presenting remarks, Rusty Hick, Director of Education, noted that:
“Last year 78, 963 national and international students registered for the prestigious Gauss mathematics contest, at Waterloo University’s Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing. Over half of these 80,000 Grade 7 and 8 participants were from Ontario, with 20,000 Grade 7 students submitting their tests.
Understandably, only 1.8% of these 20,000 Grade 7 students achieved the perfect score standard on this incredibly challenging test. Spencer Hill, of Queen Mary PS in Peterborough, was one of these very few students, and the only such student in any publicly funded school board in our entire jurisdiction to achieve this result.”
Strategic Planning Process
Board Policy B-3.1, Strategic Planning and Priorities, and the provincial Education Act, establishes, among other duties and obligations, a requirement for school boards to develop a strategic plan for a four-year period.
The Board’s strategic plan guides the organization’s planning and decision making, in particular as it relates to educational programming and resource allocation. The Board also values the opportunity to ensure its ongoing responsiveness to the communities it serves.
Tonight, the Board approved a process outlining how it will consult with all its stakeholders as part of the development of a new four-year strategic plan.
“We believe it’s critical that we are responsive to the communities and people we serve. Through their input our most recently concluded strategic plan, Living, Learning and Leading in a Changing World, served to coordinate growth in a number of areas, including: safe schools, supports for mental health issues, critical thinking and academic improvements,” says Kitney.
Stakeholder consultation on the new strategic plan will be sought through a number of
avenues, including:
· focus group sessions with students, parents, school councils, and school community representatives, which will be held across the geographic areas of the board
· dedicated sessions with staff and other stakeholders, including First Nation community representatives
· online surveying, and other social media/online collaboration or Town Hall tools
A new strategic plan is scheduled for consideration by the board in November, 2015.
Other decisions
Trustees also:
– approved statements as part of an Education Development charge background study
– rescinded motions related to the Newtonville Public school site
– elected Trustee Wayne Bonner as Vice-chairperson of the Committee of the Whole Budget Committee
– appointed Trustee Angela Lloyd as the Trustee representative on the Board’s secondary teachers negotiating teams
– approved revisions to a board policy and received reports for information.
For more information, please call:
Greg Kidd, Manager – Corporate Affairs, at 705-742-9773 or toll-free at 877-741-4577, ext. 2353
EMPLOYER RELEASE – Tuesday Feb 24/2015
Hello everyone,
On behalf of the Director of Education, please find below a link from the front page of our website to a number of resources related to the updated Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum that was released yesterday.
This area includes a number of valuable Parent resources, including guides and Myths and Facts information, to help parents understand this new provincial curriculum. Please share this information as needed.
Best regards,
Greg
http://www.kprschools.ca/Spotlight/spotlight_0.html#.VOyHbXzF_Tp
Greg Kidd
Manager – Corporate Affairs
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
Greg_Kidd@kprdsb.ca
tele: 1-877-741-4577 ext: 2353
1-705-742-9773 ext: 2353
MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
REMINDER: COMMUNITY FOCUS GROUP MEETING ON LOW ENROLMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS TAKING PLACE THIS WEEK AT PORT HOPE HIGH SCHOOL
The next in a series of focus group meetings with secondary students, parents, teachers and principals from smaller secondary schools and their respective elementary feeder schools is set for Tuesday, January 27, 6:30 p.m. at Port Hope High School.
When:
School Location Date
Port Hope District High School January 27, 2015
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Clarke High School February 9, 2015
Campbellford District High School February 25, 2015
All meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Who:
Along with secondary students, parents, teachers, and principals; board staff, local trustees and municipal representatives will come together to discuss ongoing challenges faced by our smaller secondary schools as a result of declining enrolment.
While the meetings will be working meetings, they will be open for community members to attend and listen to the conversations.
There will also be an opportunity for the general public to ask questions. Minutes from each community focus group, as well as the opportunity to provide additional thoughts, comments and/or ask further questions, will be available through our website: www.kprschools.ca
For more information, please call:
Cathy Abraham, Chairperson of the Board, at 905-987-1833
Greg Kidd, Manager – Corporate Affairs, at 705-742-9773 or toll-free at 877-741-4577, ext. 2353
MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SUPREME COURT OF CANADA JUSTICE, BANK OF CANADA SENIOR DEPUTY GOVERNOR, STRATFORD FESTIVAL LEAD, FRANKLIN EXPEDITION EXPLORER AND WORLD LEADING MEDICAL RESEARCHERS AMONG PROUD KPR GRADUATES HIGHLIGHTED IN ANNUAL REPORT
The tangible ways that board graduates exemplify the quality and excellence of the educational programs at KPR, and are shaping the world we live in, were highlighted in this year’s Director’s Annual Report, which was presented to the Board this evening.
The board also reviewed next year’s school year calendar at tonight’s meeting.
Director’s Annual Report
Trustees reviewed the Director’s Annual Report for 2014, for submission to the Minister of Education. This report covers the 2013-2014 school year and provides a representative review of the Board’s successes of the past year.
“We can see clearly, through the many accomplishments of all of our graduates, how our schools are providing our students with an educational program that is world class,” says Cathy Abraham, Chairperson of the Board. “Through the help of our countless education partners, our students are building their own success stories daily within KPR schools.”
“Across our country, and across the globe, our graduates are leaders in their fields. They are enriching and even transforming their communities and creating a better future for us all,” says W.R. (Rusty) Hick, Director of Education.
“Each year, our students embark upon another year of promise, achievement and shared memories, and all of our educational partners play important roles in making that happen. Through the pages of this year’s Annual Report, Shaping the World, we have illustrated in a very brief way how the experiences of our students set them upon the road for lifelong learning and success.”
Included among this year’s report are testimonials from a number of distinguished alumni on their positive experiences and appreciation for the successful start in life they received within KPR’s public schools.
These notable graduates include:
– Honourable Mr. Justice Michael J. Moldaver, Supreme Court of Canada, who is a proud graduate of Queen Mary Public School
– Carolyn Wilkins, Senior Deputy Governor, Bank of Canada, who is a proud graduate of Lakefield District Secondary School
– Jonathan Goad, who will play Hamlet in the upcoming 2015 Stratford Festival season, and has worked across Canada in theatre, film, television, and radio. Goad is a proud graduate of Bowmanville High School
– Joshua Thienpont, who is an arctic ecosystems researcher, and member of the Victoria Strait Expedition, which recently discovered part of the long-lost Franklin Expedition. Thienpont is a proud graduate of Courtice Secondary School.
– John T.P. Liggins is a Doctor of Medicine candidate at Stanford University in California, a Frederick Banting and Charles Best Graduate Scholarship — CIHR Master’s Award recipient from McGill University, researcher and recipient of numerous other academic awards. He is a proud graduate of Cobourg District Collegiate Institute West
– Ron Waddling is an author, actor, dancer and award winning painter. His professional career incorporates key roles in Tourism, the Arts, Entertainment, Heritage and Culture. A past recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow Rotary International Award and William Peace Award, he is a past Director of the Big Sisters of Toronto. He is also a proud graduate of East Northumberland Secondary School.
– Dr. Jeffrey M. Karp is an Associate Professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and is Principal Faculty at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Affiliate Faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His work has been cited by Popular Mechanics as part of the “Top 20 New Biotech Breakthroughs that will Change Medicine,” and he is a proud graduate of Crestwood Secondary School.
– Karine Ewart is Editor-in-Chief at Chatelaine Magazine and has an extensive track record in publishing, both in Canada and the United States. She has previously served as Editor-in-Chief of Today’s Parent, along with other leading industry positions, since beginning her career in publishing at Harper’s Bazaar in New York. She is a proud graduate of Cobourg District Collegiate Institute East.
– Dr. Malcolm J. Moore is the Daniel E. Bergsagel Professor of Medical Oncology, Head – Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, UHN and Mount Sinai Hospitals in Toronto. He is also a proud graduate of Crestwood Secondary School.
School Year Calendar
Also at tonight’s Board meeting, the 2015-2016 School Year Calendar was approved and will now be submitted for approval by the Ministry of Education.
Highlights of the approved calendar include:
1st day of classes – Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Last day of classes – Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Winter Break – Monday, December 21, 2015 through to Monday, January 4, 2016 (first day of classes)
March Break – Week of March 14, 2016 to March 18, 2016
Other decisions
Trustees also:
– approved revisions to a board policy and received reports for information
For or more information, please call:
Cathy Abraham, Chairperson of the Board, at 905-987-1833
Greg Kidd, Manager – Corporate Affairs, at 705-742-9773 or toll-free at 877-741-4577, ext. 2353
The following was released to the media this afternoon.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMMUNITY FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS ON LOW ENROLMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS BEGIN IN LAKEFIELD
The first in a series of focus group meetings with secondary students, parents, teachers and principals from smaller secondary schools and their respective elementary feeder schools begin next Monday, January 12, 6:30 p.m at Lakefield District Secondary School.
When:
School Location Date
Lakefield District Secondary School January 12, 2015
Norwood District High School January 21, 2015
Port Hope District High School January 27, 2015
Clarke High School February 9, 2015
Campbellford District High School February 25, 2015
All meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m.
Who:
Along with board staff, local trustees and municipal representatives; secondary students, parents, teachers, and principals will come together to discuss ongoing challenges faced by our smaller secondary schools as a result of declining enrolment.
While the meetings will be working meetings, they will be open for community members to attend and listen to the conversations.
There will also be an opportunity for the general public to ask specific questions at the end of each meeting. Minutes from each community focus group, as well as the opportunity to provide additional thoughts, comments and/or ask further questions, will be available through our website: www.kprschools.ca
Quotes:
“We want to bring together the members of our school communities to talk about the challenges these schools are experiencing as a result of their low number of students and staff,” says Cathy Abraham, Chairperson of the Board.
“We also want to remind everyone that while these meetings are public and open to all to attend, they are working meetings with table discussions. We will take different breaks throughout the meeting to summarize and share the conversations with those in the audience.”
“There will also be an opportunity to share comments and thoughts on our website at wwww.kprschools.ca.”
For more information, please call:
Cathy Abraham, Chairperson of the Board, at 905-987-1833
Greg Kidd, Manager – Corporate Affairs, at 705-742-9773 or toll-free at 877-741-4577, ext. 2353
TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRINCIPAL, VICE-PRINCIPAL APPOINTMENTS
The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board is very pleased to announce the following new assignments of principals and vice-principals:
|
Appointments |
Location |
Effective |
|
Elementary
|
|
|
|
Melanie Assing Vice-principal |
Vincent Massey Public School |
February 1/15 |
|
Patricia Layng Principal |
Enniskillen Public School
|
February 1/15 |
|
Valerie Ledrew-Williams Vice-principal |
John M. James Public School |
February 1/15 |
|
Nicholas Shea Vice-principal |
Newcastle Public School |
February 1/15 |
|
Sonal Ness Vice-principal |
Harold Longworth Public School |
February 1/15 |
|
Alison Osborne Principal |
Northumberland Hills Public School |
February 1/15 |
|
Lisa White Principal |
C.R. Gummow Public School |
February 1/15 |
|
|
|
|
For information, please call:
Greg Kidd, Manager, Corporate Affairs, at 705-742-9773 or toll-free at 877-741-4577, ext. 2353
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOARD APPROVES COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIPS
At the last Board meeting of 2014, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board Trustees tonight approved committee membership appointments for the new year, among other decisions.
Committee memberships
The Board approved the appointment of:
• trustees to the Board’s standing and advisory committees, several community and staff committees, and the Board’s negotiating teams
• representatives/alternate representatives to the Board’s Special Education Advisory Committee.
For more information, please call:
Cathy Abraham, Chairperson of the Board, at 905-987-1833
Greg Kidd, Manager – Corporate Affairs, at 705-742-9773 or toll-free at 877-741-4577, ext. 2353