Student Senators 2017-2018
“As a student senator for the Avon Maitland District School Board I will truly, faithfully, impartially and to the best of my ability execute the office of student senator by endeavouring tp represent the interests of students in the Avon Maitland District School Board in a forthright and objective fashion, and by participating in discussion and debate on all relevant matters.”Student Senator Oath
A bright new roster of Student Senators for 2017-18 were introduced to the Board and the Student Trustees were sworn in.
This year’s Student Senators are:
CHSS
- Jack Campbell
- Sarah Mitchell
FEMSS
- Sarah Morrow
- Sadie Scott
GDCI
- Kailee Hewitt
- Kyleigh Rosset
LDSS
- Wynter Alexander
- Natalie Moore
MDHS
- Jill Contois
- Jennifer Schouwstra
DCVI
- Nathalie Bettger
- Bevan Bearss
SHDHS
- Jessica Hiemstra
- Madison Strang
SCSS
- Brooke Huffman
- Ethan Elliott
SNSS
- Jesse Russell
- William Mason
Jesse Russell of Stratford Northwestern Secondary School and Natalie Moore of Listowel District Secondary School were the elected Student Trustees.
Good News
International Recognition
AMDSB teachers and students have been recognized as leaders in a global research project called New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (NPDL).
NPDL involves hundreds of schools worldwide and it provides educators with the tools and connections to design engaging teaching and learning experiences that develop global competencies, such as creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.
An important part of NPDL is educators learning from one another and sharing examples of student work across the globe so that best practices and opportunities can be shared and delivered to all students.
World-renowned educator and author, Dr. Michael Fullan, is leading the project and will be featuring some of AMDSB’s teachers and students work in a future book based on this research. One such project focuses on the need to cultivate creativity in engineering.
The following AMDSB educators projects were selected to represent Canada at the global level:
- Creativity in Engineering – Andrew Bradshaw (Stratford Central SS)
- Issues of Global Importance – Carly McLeod (St. Marys DCVI)
- Challenge and Change– Jane Wilkinson (Stratford Central SS)
If you would like to learn more please visit New Pedagogies for Deep Learning.
AMDSB Wins Provincial Inclusive Education Award
Community Living Ontario announced that Avon Maitland won the CACL Inclusive Education Award at their 64th Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, September 13th.
The Inclusive Education Award is provided by the CACL (Canadian Association for Community Living) to an individual or team in each of the 13 provinces and territories who has made a positive contribution towards meaningful inclusion of students who have disabilities in the education system.
The award will officially be presented to Avon Maitland’s Director of Education and Chair of the Board by Community Living Ontario’s CEO Chris Beesley later this year.
Special Education Research Protocol
The following motion was approved at the May 9, 2017 Regular Board meeting:
Resolved that, the Avon Maitland District School Board engage Dr. Sheila Bennett from Brock University to do further research, based on the Board’s motion to SEAC on February 14, 2017, on the Board’s inclusion model with additional stakeholders of parents, students and adult service providers as well as elementary educational assistants who continue to work in the elementary panel and a representative of teachers and administrators as an addendum to the previous research.
The research will begin next month. Please see the Report on Research Protocols.
EQAO 2016/2017 Assessment Results
If you have children or grandchildren at school you have most likely heard of EQAO testing.
The EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office) is an independent agency that creates and administers large-scale assessments to measure Ontario students’ achievement in reading, writing and math at key stages of their education. The tests are written in the following grades:
- Grade 3, Primary Division (reading, writing and math)
- Grade 6, Junior Division (reading, writing and math)
- Grade 9 Math
- Grade 10, Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
Data from EQAO is a key component in helping school board’s see the larger picture, which includes report card data, classroom assessments, along with teacher and student perceptual data. These findings are collectively used to tell us how we’re doing at the Board, school and classroom level.
Last week, the Provincial and local EQAO results for all key assessment stages have been released and Avon Maitland’s staff have begun analyzing the data.
Each year data is reviewed and the resulting analysis informs decisions that drive adjustments to the Board’s improvement plan, and plot the course for professional development through staff meetings, professional learning community meetings, and professional development days. The professional development that teachers participate in is, as a result, directly based upon and responsive to demonstrated student learning needs.
School and system leaders met last Wednesday to analyze and interpret the results of provincial assessments from 2016-2017, and refine strategies for sustaining growth in Literacy and improving achievement in Math.
Data from EQAO is a key component in the larger assessment picture, which includes report card data and classroom assessments, along with teacher and student perceptual data. These are used to inform our learning at the system, school and classroom levels. Staff analyze the data for each school and for individual students and the analysis contributes to adjustments in the Board’s improvement plan. School staff will be taking a closer look at the data on the PD day scheduled for September 29, 2017, in order to further refine their student achievement plans.
Please see the Assessment Results Report.
Future Board Meetings
(at Education Centre unless otherwise noted)
- October 10, 2017 – 6:00 p.m. Committee of the Whole, Open Session, 7:30 p.m. Regular Board Session
- October 24, 2017 – 5:00 p.m. Committee of the Whole, Open Session, 7:30 p.m. Regular Board Session
Future Meetings/Events with Trustee Representation
(at Education Centre unless otherwise noted)
- Joint Health & Safety Committee: Thursday, September 28, 2017 – 1:30 p.m.
- SEAC: Wednesday, October 4, 2017 – 4:00 p.m.
- AODA: Wednesday, October 11, 2017 – 4:00 p.m.
- PIC re School Council Orientation: Wednesday, October 18, 2017 – 6:15 p.m.