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Board meeting highlights from September 30, 2014

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release
October 1, 2014

GUELPH, Ontario – The September 2014 meeting of the Upper Grand District School Board was held on Tuesday, September 30. The following are highlights from the meeting.

A Minute of Silence

Trustees, staff and visitors held a minute of silence in honour of Steve Ratz, Vice-principal at Westside Secondary School (formerly of J. F. Ross CVI, Erin DHS and Orangeville DSS) and his wife, MH (Marie-Hélène) Lessard, a long-standing core French teacher from Centennial Hylands ES in Shelburne. Steve and MH were tragically killed on September 28 in a car accident.

World Teachers’ Day

Sunday, October 5 is World Teachers’ Day. Board chair Mark Bailey praised the work of the many OSSTF and ETFO members who work every day in our schools making students’ learning fun. The board has purchased radio announcements on local (Guelph) radio stations to celebrate teachers and there will be a website tribute and tweets for World Teachers’ Day.

Director’s Performance Appraisal

Board chair Mark Bailey announced that trustees had conducted the annual performance appraisal for Director of Education Martha Rogers. He noted that trustees voted unanimously in favour of their confidence in Dr. Rogers. He quoted a number of comments from the report including “She has earned the respect of colleagues locally, provincially and nationally.”’ Congratulations on a job well done.

Policies Approved

The following policies were approved and will be posted on the board’s website:

Protocol P12 Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Postvention (new) was received.

Architect Selection Committee

Blair Capling, Capital and Renewal Projects Manager, outlined the format required to select a pool of architects for upcoming building projects. These could include renovations and additions to existing schools, and the construction of new schools. Expressions of Interest have been posted and firms are responding. Three trustees with experience in the system are required to serve on the committee which meets every four years. Trustees Borden, Waterston and Shieck were selected, with the Chair, Bailey acting in an ex-officio capacity. A final report will be brought to trustees in November.

Interim Financial Reporting for 2013-14

Superintendent of Finance, Janice Wright presented the third and final Interim Financial Report for the 2013-14 school year. She noted that the report represented the board’s financial position as of August 31, 2014, and staff were working now on year-end adjustments. The report compares the 2012-13 year to the 2013-14 year. Spending was over budget in 2012-13 due to purchases made in IT in the summer of 2013 for installation in the schools and board offices in the 2013-2014 school year (8,000 units). The board received the report and thanked the Finance Department for all their work.

Upper Grand Learning Foundation

Trustee Waterston thanked the board members and senior staff for their donations over the past year to the Upper Grand Learning Foundation (UGLF). The toonie/loonie jar circulated at the board table over the past year raised $600 for the UGLF’s Free to Achieve Fund. This fund supports donations to schools such as the recent $4,000 provided to Priory Park PS for their new playground.

The next meeting of the board will be held on Tuesday, October 28 2014 at 7:00 p.m. in the board room at the Guelph office, 500 Victoria Road North. Everyone is invited to attend.

For more information:

Maggie McFadzen, Communications Officer
519-822-4420 ext. 725
[email protected]

Mark Weidmark, Administrative Officer – Communications
519-822-4420 ext. 544
[email protected]

Categories: Media Releases