Highlights of the April 2013 Board Meeting
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
April 24, 2013
Guelph, Ontario: The regular monthly meeting of the Upper Grand District School Board was held on Tuesday, April 23, 2013. The following provides highlights from the meeting.
Elementary Principal and Vice-Principal Transfers and Appointments
Congratulations to the staff members (see Appendix A PDF) who have been transferred or appointed to Elementary Principal/Vice-Principal positions effective September 1, 2013 (except where noted). Mike Anderson will be placed at Princess Elizabeth Public School as Acting Vice-Principal for the balance of this school year, and Sean Singh will serve as the school’s Temporary Principal. Coverage will be provided for the Vice-Principal’s position at the yet-to-be-named school on Laurine Avenue from September 1 to December 31.
Appointments to the Elementary/Secondary Principal/Vice-Principal Eligibility Lists
Elementary Principals: Kim Kowch
Elementary Vice-Principals: Heather Davis, Wendy Clark, Sean Cameron, Chris Popofski
Secondary Vice-Principals: Wendy McIntosh-Clodd, Hayley Warren, Steve Wynen
2013-2014 School Year Calendars
The Board approved the school year calendars (elementary and secondary) for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year. The calendars will be forwarded to the Ministry of Education for approval and the drafts posted on the board’s website. PDF versions of the calendars: Elementary Secondary
East Garafraxa Pubic School FDK Project Renovation Changes
As a result of the board’s decision to build a new elementary school in the Settlers Creek area of Orangeville, changes were made to the proposed plan for the renovation to accommodate Full Day Kindergarten (FDK) at East Garafraxa Public School. Instead of needing an addition, the school will undergo an internal renovation of three existing classrooms into two purpose-built Kindergarten rooms. The project is estimated to cost $300,000 and will be completed by September 2014.
Settlers Creek Boundary Review
The second report on the proposed boundary for the new JK-Grade 8 Regular Track elementary school to be built in Settlers Creek was received by the board. The new school is being built to alleviate overcrowding at East Garafraxa and Montgomery Village schools. Grandparenting options are included in the report, and the community will be surveyed to determine the choice of options before Report #3 is produced. Currently all Settlers Creek students in JK to grade 6 attend East Garafraxa, and grade 7 and 8 students (and some younger siblings) attend Montgomery Village. The new school will also be home to the Dufferin County Gifted Instruction. Report #2 is posted on the board’s website. The board will make final decision on the boundary in June, 2013. Report #2 is posted on the board’s website at www.ugdsb.ca/scbr.
Sir Isaac Brock Public School Grades 7 and 8 Feasibility Study
The board will conduct a study to assess the feasibility of adding grades 7 and 8 to Sir Isaac Brock PS. Students from this school attend Rickson Ridge PS for grades 7 and 8. Staff will meet with the Sir Isaac Brock and Rickson Ridge communities on Tuesday May 2 at Rickson Ridge school beginning at 7:00 p.m. to discuss the proposal. The study, which will culminate in a staff report with recommendations, will be presented to trustees on June 11, with a final decision to be made at the June 25 board meeting. The report will assess the following factors: the size of current Rickson Ridge grade 7 and 8 classes; the size of grade 7 and 8 classes if started at Sir Isaac Brock; the size of the remaining classes at Rickson Ridge; implications of any move on the enrolment and utilization at both schools; the suitability of Sir Isaac Brock to house a grade 7 and 8 program (gym, lockers, tech space, etc.); and the input received from both school communities. The initial Feasibility Study report is posted on the board’s website: www.ugdsb.ca/sibfs.
2013-2014 Development Area Assignments
A Development Area (DA) is a geographically distinct area designated by the board which is not part of a school attendance area. Students from these areas are temporarily assigned to holding schools where there is space until a new school is built in the community, or all or part of the DA is incorporated into an existing school’s attendance area. Trustees approved the following DA changes for 2013-2014: The North East Shelburne and the Westminster Woods North East DAs will be deleted; The Starwood West DA will be altered; a boundary change will be implemented for the South Paisley DA with the east section dissolved; and a new DA will be created in the Town of Grand Valley (East Grand Valley DA). All development area maps are posted on the board’s website: www.ugdsb.ca under the “Planning” tab on the left hand side of the home page.
Preliminary Staffing
The board was presented with preliminary teacher staffing numbers to meet the system’s needs for the 2013-14 school year: Elementary FTE of 1245.4 and secondary FTE of 738.77. These numbers may be altered in the staffing process.
Policy Management Policy Approved
The board approved revised Policy #100 Policy Management which sets out the process for policy development and policy revisions. The revised policy will be posted on the board’s website.
Extended Day Programs
FDK was first introduced in September 2010. Year 4 begins in September 2013 and will be in place in 42 of the board’s elementary schools. Schools adding the program beginning in September are: Alma, Credit Meadows, Edward Johnson, Elora, Island Lake, Ken Danby, Mitchell Woods, Rickson Ridge, Salem, Westwood, Lee Street (holding at King George) and Glenbrook. Operators of existing before and after school day cares in these schools accepted the board’s offer of contracts to provide Extended Day programs and include, Credit Meadows, Island Lake, Mitchell Woods, Rickson Ridge and Westwood. For the remaining schools a Request for Proposal (RFP) was prepared and circulated to all known operators in Wellington and Dufferin counties. The submissions received were reviewed and evaluated and contracts were awarded to not-for-profit operators for Edward Johnson, Elora, Glenbrook, Ken Danby and Ottawa Crescent public schools. As a result, an Extended Day Program will be offered at a total of 24 board schools. Full information on FDK, Extended Day programs and the operators is available on the board’s website under the Program tab, “Kindergarten”.
The next monthly meeting of the Board will be held on Tuesday, May 28, at the Guelph Board office, 500 Victoria Road North beginning at 7:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome 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