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Highlights of the February 2014 board meeting

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release
February 26, 2014

GUELPH, Ontario — The February 2014 meeting of the Upper Grand District School Board was held on Tuesday, February 25. The following are highlights of the meeting.

French as a Second Language Three Year Plan

The French as a Second Language (FSL) three year plan (2013-2017) specifically designed for the board was presented by the FSL planning team. Goals of the plan include:

The Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française (DELF), the official world-wide certification test of competency in the French language outside of France, will be offered as a pilot project this year to grade 12 French Immersion students in four high schools. In subsequent years, the test will be offered depending on the number of staff that can be trained and prepared to administer the test. 

There are shorter and longer term development plans for professional development for teachers and student voice is an important part of the FSL plan. As required, the plan was submitted to the Ministry of Education in December 2013.

I.T. Strategic Planning

The department’s strategic plan was developed to support student learning and staff development through the provision on resources and training to facilitate the effective use of technology in schools. The plan includes:

The move to mobile devices with the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) implementation, currently in a pilot project and phase-in process, means staff will encourage and support BYOD to bridge the gap between formal and informal learning. 

International Baccalaureate

An update on the progress made in the phase-in of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at GCVI was provided. One-hundred-and-twenty (120) students will enter the program in September 2014, with the beginning of the diploma course starting when the students are in grade 11. The students selected for the program show great potential and are motivated to learn. Half of the staff in the school provide support to the program. A four-year plan is being developed to consider the statistics and resources needed to meet IB standards, and the budget is being developed. The board will get further updates as the program implementation progresses. 

Environmental Sustainability Action Plan

The trustees approved the Environmental Sustainability Action Plan as presented at the Business Operations meeting earlier in the month. The plan calls for the following components to be implemented, with revisions and updates as necessary over a 5-year period (2014-2019):

Learning Choices Committee

The Learning Choices Committee, originally established to consider the IB program, will be asked to develop and communicate processes for establishing alternative regional program choices. The board will consider the membership of this committee, which is proposed to have trustees and staff form all regions and both elementary and secondary representatives. The committee membership will be considered at the March board meeting.

Policy Management

The following policies and protocols were approved by the board as recommended by the Policy Management Committee (PMC) and will be posted on the board’s website:

Victory Public School Grade 4 Program

As a result of the Planning Department’s monitoring of the number of students projected to attend Victory PS in September 2014, the grade 4 French Immersion (FI) students will continue to be housed at that school for the coming year. These students were to be transitioned to King George as a result of the King George Boundary Review and due to potential overcrowding at Victory. Since the number of portables on the Victory site is not expected to exceed three (3), grade 4 students can be accommodated at Victory PS in 2014-2015. The decision is still subject to annual monitoring in February of each subsequent year. The families of the current grade 3 FI students will be informed.

Children’s Mental Health Summit

The board approved the attendance of trustees Moziar, Fairbairn, and Busuittil at the Children’s Mental Health Summit in April of this year. This is a day-and-a-half conference in Toronto.

Long Term Financing

The board will enter into an agreement with the Ontario Financing Authority to pay the costs of a loan totaling just over $9 million. This loan will to cover the costs of New Pupil Places and Prohibitive to Repair work completed by August 31, 2013. The loan interest is 4.003% and will run until 2039. The Ministry of Education provides the loan payment to the board each year on a flow-through basis. There is no cost to the board. The loan covers costs involved in constructing Glenbrook ES in Shelburne, and re-building King George PS and John Galt PS.

Date of Next Meeting

The next regular Monthly Meeting of the Board will be held on Tuesday, March 25, 2014, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Guelph Board Office, 500 Victoria Road North. Everyone is welcome to attend.

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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