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Highlights of the April 2014 board meeting

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release
April 23, 2014

GUELPH, Ontario – The April meeting of the Upper Grand District School Board was held on Tuesday, April 22, 2014. The following provides highlights from the meeting. 

New Schools Named

The board approved the recommendations of five school naming committees.

Principal/Vice-principal Elementary Eligibility Lists

Congratulations to the following:

Elementary Principal eligibility list: Jane Bibby, Randy Dewey, Chad Guyitt, Paul Huddleston, Nancy Mundle and Natasha Skerritt.

Elementary Vice-Principal eligibility list: Trisha Drohan-Brodeur, Brenda Sherry, Valerie Smith, Barbra Tompkins and Mark Turner. 

Student Trustees Appointed

Two new student trustees were appointed to serve on the board for the 2014-15 school year: Dylan Challinor of Erin DHS, representing rural schools, and Guthrie Woodford of Guelph CVI representing the urban schools. Both young men attended the meeting, had a tour of the board office and were warmly welcomed to the board by the current student and adult trustees.

Preliminary Teacher Staffing September 2014

Based on projected full time equivalent (FTE) students the following are the preliminary numbers of teachers that the board will require in September 2014:

Elementary: 1360.9 FTE teachers

Secondary: 748.27 FTE teachers

Custodial and Maintenance Appreciation Day April 24

Thursday April 24th will mark the board’s first Custodial and Maintenance Appreciation Day in schools and administrative facilities. This day provides an opportunity for everyone to thank the custodians and trades who work to keep our schools and board office clean, safe and in good repair. Special thanks were given by Board Chair Mark Bailey to these men and women who keep our schools well maintained. 

National Day of Mourning April 28

Trustees, board staff and members of the board’s Joint Health and Safety Committee pay tribute to all the workers killed or injured on the job on the National Day of Mourning on April 28. There is a commitment among all board all staff to prevent worker injuries or deaths so that all workers can return home from work safe and sound every day. 

Wellington North Accommodation Review

Trustee David Gohn was appointed as the non-local trustee to the Wellington North Elementary Accommodation Review Committee. He joins local trustee Bruce Schieck.

Extended Day Program

Beginning in September 2104 Full Day Kindergarten (FDK) will be available in all board elementary schools. According to Ministry direction a survey was done to gauge the level of interest of families in and Extended Day program for JK/SK students.

Operators who currently have a relationship with the board and operators who would like to provide this service were contacted to determine if they wanted to enter into a contract with the board. As result of the survey and interest from operators there will be 32 programs at elementary schools in the district in September 2014.

Two operators notified the board that their current programs at Westwood and Ottawa Crescent public schools in Guelph would not be offered again next year due to lack of viability (student numbers and cost). James McQueen and JD Hogarth (Fergus), the new Spencer Avenue (formerly Settlers Creek, Orangeville) and Ecole Arbour Vista (formerly Zaduk Place, East Guelph) will provide Extended Day programs. Operators will contact interested families. A full list of programs will be offered on the board’s website in the coming days and a further news release will be issued. 

Development Area School Assignments 

Each year the board reviews the areas of the board which are not part of a school attendance area. These are geographically distinct areas (primarily new residential developments) called Development Areas (DAs). Students living in these areas are assigned temporarily to a holding school where there is space. This is done until a new school is built in the area or the area is incorporated into a current school’s attendance area. All the development areas and maps are on the board’s website (Planning – Other Items of Interest or Maps).

Families who purchase homes in the DAs are alerted to the area’s status in a clause in their Purchase and Sale agreement and a statement on a subdivision sign in the new residential development. 

At this meeting the board eliminated the following areas: North Paisley and Elmira Road DA, Northern Heights DA, Northview Victoria DA, Victoria Road DA (all in Guelph) and Montgomery Village DA and Settlers Creek DA (in Orangeville).

The following DAs were altered: Arkell Road DA, North Eastview DA, Starwood East DA and Watson Road East DA (Guelph). The FI holding school and grade assignments will be altered for Guelph DAs in September 2014 to reflect decisions made in the King George and South Guelph boundary reviews. 

In Centre Wellington, FI holding school grade assignments have been modified to reflect decisions from the James McQueen Boundary Review.

The North Hansen and Northwest Orangeville DAs have also been altered due to ongoing residential construction and land with development potential that is included in these areas.

A new DA has been created in Wellington North called the South Mount Forest DA. It was created to provide additional flexibility due to potential enrolment pressure at Victoria Cross Public School as the DA begins to build out, and the Wellington North Elementary Accommodation Review.

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The next meeting of the Upper Grand District School Board will be held on Tuesday, Mary 27 beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room at the Guelph Board Office, 500 Victoria Road North, 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