A message from Carlo Zen

Each year, The Upper Grand District School Board provides new and exciting opportunities for students through Student Success K-12. As we work to engage and re-engage students, creative and thoughtful techniques, courses, and programs have emerged.

We continue to see the impact of our School to Career Work Programs on the success of our students. Our Co-Operative Learning, Ontario Youth Apprenticeship and Dual Credit Programs have strong participation and meet the diverse needs of students. Specialist High Skills Major programs continue to soar as we have continued to grow our SHSM programs during the previous school year in a variety of sectors. Our SAL and Co-op recall programs, under the leadership of dedicated and determined educators across the system, are growing and graduating more and more students across the district.

Our Student Success Committees (Literacy, Numeracy, Pathways, Interventions, and Instruction) continued their hard work to improve student achievement, and to specifically address the needs of all students within our system. Moving forward, the composition and direction of our Student Success Committees will be changing as we, along with the province, move towards a K-12 model. We look forward to the implementation of a number of cross-panel initiatives throughout the District, as teachers from both panels will work side-by-side to address both student learning and professional learning.

Like all boards in the province, we will be engaging all stakeholders in developing what is being termed the ‘Applied Strategy’ in an effort to close the gap between achievement in Academic and Applied courses. We are in the midst of implementing the 2013 release of the ‘Creating Pathways to Success’ document that sets out the new career development policy for the province of Ontario. It offers a new and exciting perspective on how we can, as a community, assist students in their journey through school and into the world of work.

Skills Canada, ‘Speak Up’ projects and the many more Student Success programs continue to involve large numbers. This school year brings new and exciting opportunities as we continue to challenge ourselves as a system to improve the learning of our students. All this has been possible because of the fine work of the Student Success committees, the Student Success Leads in our schools, and the leadership provided by school administrators. The dedication of educators across the system is the heart of what drives our district.

As we continue to work to increase graduation rates, we are grateful to all of our partners in education, especially our parents, as we work together to meet the needs of our students.

Yours in Student Success,

Carlo Zen
Student Success Lead