GUELPH – The Wellington Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) had its second meeting of the school year on Oct. 2.
Student trustees
Student trustees Vivian Huynh and Jack Zamin presented a report outlining some of the activities at WCDSB high schools so far.
Huynh gave examples of how schools celebrate Catholic faith, participate in Terry Fox walks, host open houses, began tryouts and games for a range of sports, and organized other social and cultural events.
Zamin said students and educators from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School (OLOL) served over 100 meals of lasagne, salad, drinks and cookies with Royal City Mission in Guelph.
“The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association and Wellington Catholic District School Board food and hospitality courses coordinate and run three meals a month at the Royal City Mission,” Zamin said.
Environmental science students from OLOL, St. James Catholic High School and Bishop Macdonell Catholic High School (BMCHS) joined the City of Guelph in starting Guelph’s first mini forest, using the innovative Japanese Miyawaki tree planting method.
BMCHS formed a wellness council to focus on social justice, equity, and wellness.
Director’s report
Director Michael Glazier presented an impact report outlining three strategic focus areas: student success, staff success, and a successful system of support.
Glazier discussed initiatives including Terry Fox Runs and Truth and Reconciliation.
The board recognized Truth and Reconciliation week from Sept. 25 to 30. “A number of learning opportunities were made available through our Indigenous education resource teacher, Cathy Doucette,” Glazier’s report states.
“Students and staff across the board wore orange to raise awareness of the individual, family, and community intergenerational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of ‘Every Child Matters,’” the report states.
“The orange shirt, which began as a grassroots campaign, is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations.”
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School hosted its third annual Mr. Mac Run in honour and memory of Sean MacMillan, Glazier said.
The run was a fundraiser for the Focus on Nature program, to reflect MacMillan’s love of outdoor education.
Glazier highlighted the success of the Elementary Cross Country Championships, hosted at the Centre Wellington Sportsplex on Sept. 27 and 28.
“The events brought together over a thousand students from across the Wellington Catholic District School Board to compete in this event,” his report states.
Glazier also outlined educational opportunities for WCDSB staff in September and October.
Educational webinars for WCDSB parents and caregivers are offered in partnership with the Pine River Institute.
The webinars are one hour long and take place at 7pm on the first Friday of the month from October to April, with no webinar in January.
Topics are screen time, anxiety, setting limits, emotional regulation, stress, and peer relationships.
“Those webinars are so relevant,” said trustee Sebastian Dal Bo.
On Oct. 5, the WCDSB will host its 21st annual Bishop’s Dinner for Community Needs, a fundraiser for community organizations that serve families in Guelph and Wellington County: the Guelph-Wellington Children’s Foundation, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Centre Wellington Food Bank and Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington.
Literacy curriculum
Literacy, early learning, and multilingual learner program coordinator Cara McQueen presented a report outlining the board’s implementation of the new languages curriculum that were released in June.
The previous curriculum was released in 2006.
She said significant curriculum changes include:
– format – new curriculum is digital, previous was print;
– report cards will include one mark for literacy instead of four;
– at least 150 minutes of direct language instruction is given every week, in uninterrupted 30 minute chunks.
McQueen outlined new resources used in the board such as Lexia, an interactive program for Grades 1 to 3 that was piloted in the 2022-2023 school year.
She said the program is used in many other school boards and has been a huge success in the WCDSB.
The pilot period is complete and the program has now been implemented across the board.
Trustee Vikki Dupuis praised McQueen for her work, comparing the curriculum implementation process to “building a plane while learning to fly it.”
COVID-19
Trustees shared enthusiasm about the amount of sports, clubs, and activities taking place across the board, particularly in light of how recently they were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dal Bo noted “COVID is on the rise,” and masking requirements have returned to local hospitals, expressing the importance of staying in regular communication with public health.
Glazier assured “we do keep a close eye on that,” and executive superintendent Brian Capovilla meets with public health officials weekly.
