Celebrating alumni and French Immersion at New Prospect Public School

Media Release - March 11, 2015

Trustees met at Dryden High School on Tuesday, March 10, 2015, for regular board meeting.

The March “Students Come First” presentation titled ‘Celebrating KPDSB Graduates – Where Are They Now’ was received by Trustees.  The video, presented by Sean Monteith, Director of Education, featured KPDSB graduates from Dryden High School, Red Lake District High School, and Beaver Brae Secondary School in Kenora.  Trustees heard how the students’ experiences in our elementary and secondary schools not only helped to guide and prepare them for their futures, but that many of our programs and staff had lifelong impacts on them.  Many of the alumni wished to give thanks to school staff through the video, a testament to the influence of our schools and staff and the work they do every day for our students.   We are extremely proud of our students and alumni’s achievements and hope to share more of their stories in the future.  To watch the video, please click here or visit our website at www.kpdsb.on.ca.

Brad Bartlett and Jen McMaster, Dryden High School vice-principals, and Bob Kowal and Tracey Benoit, Beaver Brae Secondary School vice-principals, presented the Secondary School Academic Excellence report.  The report detailed the programs and supports offered by our secondary schools and how those programs go hand in hand with the highest of expectations for both our students and staff.  Using a wide variety of learning platforms such as e-Learning, web-based, experiential, outdoor, alternative programming, or traditional classroom structures, each of our secondary schools strives for academic excellence that meets the holistic needs of our students, while ensuring academic achievement is at the forefront. 

Caryl Hron, Superintendent of Education, presented the Dryden Area French Immersion report.  Following a community survey and French Immersion Kindergarten Registration Night on March 3, Hron informed Trustees that as of Tuesday morning, 16 families have registered for a French Immersion Full-Day Early Learning Kindergarten Program (FDELKP) at New Prospect Public School.  Having met our goal for registrations within the first week, we are encouraged as to the future success of the program and Trustees voted to implement the program for September 2015.   The program will expand with the students through their elementary school years and next steps include ensuring the right staff are in place and preparation for a fall start up.  Interested families can still register for the program by contacting New Prospect Public School at 223-4713.  For more information on this new program, or our extremely successful French Immersion program at Valleyview Public School in Kenora, please visit our website.

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OFSAA Gold and Bronze

Media Release - March 12, 2015      

We are extremely excited to announce the Girls’ Curling Team from Queen Elizabeth District High School (QEDHS) has won Gold at OFSAA!  Congratulations to the girls and school from all of us across the KPDSB.

Steve Poling, Principal of QEDHS, said “I just want to say that we are super proud of the girls, the coaches, and the parents who have supported this team.  This is an extremely exciting moment for all of us at QEDHS.  This Gold medal is the first OFSAA Gold for us and we couldn’t be more proud!” 

We would like to also congratulate and celebrate the Girls’ Hockey Team from Dryden High School (DHS) who won Bronze this morning in Kenora.  It is unprecedented that KPDSB schools have won two OFSAA medals on the same day, and we continue to demonstrate ourselves as an athletic power, both regionally and provincially.

Kathy McConnachie, Principal of DHS, stated “We’re all so proud of the girls.  We were behind them right from the start and we are very excited for them.  They played very strong games and deserved to earn a medal today.”

Sean Monteith, Director of Education, added “It has been an amazing and memorable week for several KPDSB secondary schools. With Dryden High School hosting OFSAA Volleyball, Dryden High School and Beaver Brae Secondary School participating in OFSAA Hockey in Kenora, and with Queen Elizabeth District High School competing in OFSAA Curling, this week has been as much about athletics and competition as it has been about celebrating achievements in all of our high schools. Having watched personally as DHS won their Bronze medal this morning, and now hearing of the QEDHS Gold medal championship win, it underscores that no matter who you are or where you come from, our students can persevere and accomplish their dreams. Cassidy, Ashlyn, Kacie, Jenna, Taylor and Coaches Glen Poirier and Angela Edmond: many dream of competing at the provincial level, a very few qualify, and only the best can call themselves “Provincial Champions”. We are all very proud of you, you have made QEDHS and the KPDSB very proud today!”  

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February Board Meeting Highlights

Media Release - February 11, 2015

Trustees met at Dryden High School on Tuesday, February 10, 2015, for regular board meeting.

The February “Students Come First” presentation titled ‘Sioux Mountain Junior FIRST Lego League – Learning Science and Technology through Building’ was received by Trustees.  Sioux Mountain Public School Principal Michael Boos and teacher Kristin Ward, along with four Sioux Mountain Lego League students, shared the work they have been doing with Trustees.  In total, 44 students at the school are participating in the Lego League and the program has been extremely successful with staff at the school noting a large increase in student engagement.  Trustees were very impressed with the presentation, with many stating that the engagement and excitement of the students was evident and that the learning the program was offering was extremely beneficial as students use a variety of important skills including critical thinking, problem solving and team work.

Scott Urquhart, Student Success Leader, presented the Student Success Lead Report.  The Student Success Strategy was first introduced in 2003 as a direct effort to modernize practices in intermediate and secondary schools to better meet the needs of students and improve graduation rates.  The work of the strategy is vast, including supporting students who are at risk, creating unique and meaningful pathways for students, improvement of instruction, building a culture of inclusiveness, and assisting students in transitions both from elementary to secondary, as well as into adult education programming for mature students. 

The work of the student success strategy aims to reach every student.  The Student Success Lead works with in school support teams in elementary schools and student success teams in secondary schools, as well as a dedicated student success teacher in each secondary school, to remove barriers for students while focusing on both their academic and social needs.  From credit recovery, access to night school, and high expectations of students, to specialized programing like the Meno Ya Win classroom in Sioux Lookout or the Four Directions program in Dryden, the student success initiative is supporting our students by providing a vision of a future where anything is possible for them, and leading them down an individual pathway to graduation.  For more information, or to view the entire report, please visit our website atwww.kpdsb.on.ca.

Sean Monteith, Director of Education, and Sheena Valley, Communications Officer, presented the 2014 Director’s Annual Report.  The report celebrates the accomplishments of our staff and students over the past year, and 2014 was a year of what we believe is unprecedented change for the KPDSB.  This year’s report is a combination of videos and written reports that can be viewed on our website by clicking here.  From the expansion of our Transitions North programs, to visits from high ranking Ministry of Education staff including The Honourable Liz Sandals, Minister of Education, to our new $30 million high school in Sioux Lookout, our staff and students have plenty to celebrate and look forward to in the coming years. 

Trustees approved the 2015-2016 school year calendar.  The calendar will now be sent to the Ministry of Education for final approval.  The 2015-2016 draft calendar was created by the School Year Calendar committee, comprised of representatives from school boards across the region, following consultations with staff, families and communities.

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