Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board

Board Meeting Summary, April 22, 2024

Posted on 04/22/2024

This is a summary of the public meeting of the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, held April 22, 2024. Official minutes will be approved at the next regular meeting.

 

Acknowledgement of Traditional Lands

Ernie Parsons, Trustee, Sidney and Frankford, offered the Land Acknowledgement.

Presentation: Indigenous Education

This presentation, "Moving Beyond Days of Significance to Culturally Relevant Approaches" featured guests from Queen Victoria School and the Education Centre about Indigenous Education at Queen Victoria School in Belleville. The team shared the effects of collaboration through co-planning, co-teaching, land connections, resources, inquiry and cross-curricular planning related to Indigenous Education.

Thank you to presenters (back L to R): Troy Maracle Indigenous Education Coordinator; and Stefan Dymczna, Indigenous Education Coordinator (K-8); (front L to R): from Queen Victoria School: Sara Foster, Teacher; Cassandra Bellwood, Principal; and Erin Tandy, Teacher.

Rise and report from Committee of the Whole

At this closed meeting, Board members discussed a legal matter.

Report from external organizations

Ontario Public School Board Association (OPSBA)

• Trustees Binder and Maracle attended the Eastern Regional Council meeting at Kingston Secondary School on April 6, hosted by the Limestone District School Board. This meeting welcomed approximately one dozen representatives to the school, which was a 2020 amalgamation between Kingston Collegiate & Vocational Institute and Queen Elizabeth Collegiate & Vocational Institute. The group toured specialized classrooms and heard a presentation from the Granite Ridge Education Centre Student Success lead Haley Rose about their chicken flock program, which encompasses wellness and curriculum.
• Eastern Ontario Warden’s Caucus Chair Peter Emon spoke to the trustee group about the 7 in 7 plus regional community housing project which will be supporting 7,000 new and affordable rental units over the next seven years. Emon spoke about the impact on school boards and discussion ensued on the need for increased communication between municipalities and school boards, a topic trustees are already well aware of. Emon also spoke about the threat of the reduction of public health units from 34 to 10, as proposed by the Ministry of Health through voluntary mergers. Emon stated this would likely lead to a decrease in services for smaller communities in the long run. 
• Following individual Board updates, the trustee group was provided with more information regarding the selection criteria for the new Healthy Democracy Student Leadership Award. Trustee Binder sought representation from Board members on this selection committee, as well as an OPSBA awards committee. Trustee Parsons has volunteered to represent HPEDSB on the Healthy Democracy Student Leadership Award Committee and Trustee Binder has offered to assist with the additional OPSBA Awards.
• This coming weekend OPBSA will host the 2024 Education Labour Relations and Human Resources Symposium, with Trustee Binder attending. Following that, OPSBA will be hosting a Board of Directors meeting, which Vice-chair Robertson and Chair Binder will attend. 

Standing Committee reports

Governance and Policy Committee: April  15, 2024

Highlights from this update included the following:

• Board members approved a recommendation to establish an Ad Hoc Director’s Performance Appraisal Committee for 2024-2025 as per Regulation 83/24 and also approved a related Governance Directive/Terms of Reference. The following Board members will be part of the committee: Shannon Binder, Kandis Hambly, Stacey Lewis, Rachael Prinzen and Amanda Robertson.
  
  Find out more starting on page 23 of the April 22, 2024 agenda.

• Board members approved Policy 18: The
  Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation. This revised policy will be posted to the HPEschools.ca website.
  
  Find out more starting on page 40 of the April 22, 2024 agenda.
  

Student Learning, Well-being and Equity Committee, April 2, 2024

Highlights from this report included the following:

• subsidies for extra-curricular activities;
• upcoming school climate surveys; and
• student use of social media and connections to working groups for artificial

Physical Planning, Finance and Building Committee, April 8, 2024

Highlights from this report included the following:

• draft enrolment review;

• Long-term Capital and Accommodation Plan updates;

• meeting dates for 2024-2025;

• trustee expenses for the current school year;

• update on the extension of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale for the (former) Queen Elizabeth School property in Picton.

Statutory Committee reports

Audit Committee report

Board members approved the appointment of Wendy Osborne to the Audit Committee for a three-year term
commencing June 5, 2024.

Find out more starting on page 43 of the April 22, 2024 agenda.

Parent Involvement Committee, April 17, 2024

Highlights from this report included the following:

• presentation about the various Specialist High Skills Major programs; 
• funding for STEM carts in Grade 7 and 8 classes;
• Parents Reaching Out grants for schools;
• year-end school council reminders; and
• update from the Director of Education about new superintendents and communications officer.

Special Education Advisory Committee, April 4, 2024

Highlights from this report included the following:

• presentations about EQAO and Math Achievement Action Plan; and
• updates on two SEAC sub-committees.

Supervised Alternative Learning, April 3 & 17, 2024

Highlights from this report included the following:

• between the two meetings, 20 students were approved for SAL.

Advisory Committee reports

Equity and Inclusivity Advisory Committee: March 26 & April 17, 2024

Highlights from this update included the following:

• Black History Month activities at Sophiasburgh Central School;
• a new Equity Action Plan will be developed next year;
• reviewed the committee meeting dates for the upcoming school year; and
• social justice presenter Alice Te and mental health presenter Randell Adjei.

Student Voice

Highlights from this update included the following:

• Student Voice conference is this Friday at the Education Centre; several break-out sessions;
• student trustee elections will take place at the conference; and
• the priority for the conference is to generate student awareness and promotion of what it means to be student leaders, advocates and student trustees.

Director's Performance Appraisal Ad Hoc Committee

Highlights from this update included the following:

• meeting on April 10 with Roger Clark, consultant, who will work with the committee; and
• second meeting with Mr. Clark on April 18 to determine the process, question and people to be interviewed.

Chair's report/trustee sharing

Highlights from this report included the following:

• participation in a tour of Eastside Secondary School and various classrooms;

• attendance at the Secondary School Art Show;

• attendance at the Tweed Elementary School Art Open House;

• participation in a webinar about the Director Performance Appraisal; 

• National School Nutrition Program recently announces;

• visit to The Roc in Picton;

• being a judge at the local Quinte Regional Science and Technology Fair; and

• excitement about the upcoming Beauty and the Beast performance at Central Hastings School this month.

Director's report 

• Appreciation for the Quinte Regional Science and Technology Fair, and congratulations to two students going to the Canada Wide Science Fair.
• 20 students competing in Provincial Skills Competitions for the skilled trades.
• School climate surveys will be conducted with students in May.
• May 21 is the date of the Grade 7 and 8 Minds in Motion Skills Competition at Loyalist College; 13 schools are signed up as of now.
• Parent series called Together to Learn, with four online sessions to empower parents and caregivers.

Staff reports

Board Action Plan on Indigenous Education and Indigenous History Month

In Canada, the month of June is National Indigenous History Month and June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This is a time where Indigenous history and culture will be highlighted and honoured in classrooms and throughout the district. The HPEDSB Indigenous Education Team will continue to provide support for educators for this month and day of significance.

Find out more starting on page 44 of the April 22, 2024 agenda.

Leadership Development update

Leadership development is focused on capacity building among leaders across roles and responsibilities. Overall, the school leadership development strategy includes school superintendent visits/meetings, K-12 leadership meetings, as well as ongoing leadership learning opportunities during the school year spanning topics aligned with the HPEDSB strategic plan.

Find out more starting on page 47 of the April 22, 2024 agenda.

The growth of online learning at HPEDSB

Projections indicate a significant rise in online learning course sections, increasing from 32 in the current academic year to over 55 sections by 2024-2025. This surge is essential to accommodate the needs of Grade 11 and 12 students approaching graduation and fulfilling the online learning course requirements mandated by the Ministry of Education. 

Find out more starting on page 49 of the April 22, 2024 agenda.

Tender for roof restructuring, replacement and HVAC at Eastside Secondary School

Board members awarded a tender to Emmons and Mitchell Construction for roof restructuring and replacement, and HVAC replacement at Eastside Secondary School in the amount of $2,400,000.