Ottawa Carleton District School Board

Dear OCDSB Families, This week, I had the pleasure of visiting two of our amazing sites, Hilson Avenue Public School and Ottawa Technical Secondary School, and I was so inspired by the incredible dedication and diligence of our staff as they interacted with our students.

Dear OCDSB Families, I had the pleasure and privilege to visit Half Moon Bay Public School earlier this week and watched a number of students engaged in enriching learning tasks, including the development of sight vocabulary in both English and French in the bilingual kindergarten program. My heartfelt thanks to all staff on site for their efforts and energy in creating such exciting teaching and learning environments in the early years and elsewhere on site.

Dear OCDSB Families, Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend the 2023 OCDSB Family Conference. It was so inspiring to meet and learn with approximately 160 parents, caregivers, students and staff at Brookfield High School. A huge thank you to everyone who attended, and of course to all of our presenters, community partners and the volunteers for taking the time out and making this event possible. I am happy to share that the presentation slides for select workshops are available on our website. For those who attended, please also check your email for a brief post-event survey. Your feedback helps us with our planning for next year!

Dear OCDSB Families, This week, I was fortunate to spend some time with our student leaders at the first Student Senate Meeting of the school year. It was inspiring to hear and see the extraordinary voice and leadership as students envisioned their priorities for the current school year. My gratitude to Student Trustees, Emma Hong and Malaika Kamanzi, for their coordination of this important work.

Dear OCDSB Families, Over the last week, OCDSB educators and administrators have enjoyed many opportunities for professional learning. School principals gathered to review provincial assessment data and to develop strategies to close achievement gaps.

Dear OCDSB Families, Every week, I try to visit at least one school in our District, spending time in a classroom, connecting with students and learning from staff. This week, I visited W. Erskine Johnston Public School - an amazing place.

Dear OCDSB Families, This week, school staff have been vigilant in their effort to ensure that students and staff feel safe, respected and comfortable in their working and learning environments. Continuity in routine and in learning, along with supportive resources is important to student well-being.

As we head into the long weekend, I wanted to share some news about the formal recognition of two of our very own teachers. Yesterday, top educators in Canada were honoured with the Prime Minister’s Awards for teaching excellence in recognition of their unwavering dedication and commitment to students