KPDSB students take 1st and 3rd place in Provincial Skills Competition

New Prospect School (Dryden) intermediate students Olivia McArthur and Emerson Dale placed 1st in the province with their Crane-a-saurus Rex design and model which carried a load of 200g through the load test in 1.89 seconds!

Golden Learning Centre (Balmertown) intermediate students Liam Chantigny, Jacob Ewen, Allie Russell and Sasha Cabile also placed in the provincial championship, taking 3rd!

Background

This year KPDSB had more than 40 teams of students participate in the Regional Round of the Hydraulic Crane Competition. Three KPDSB teams placed in the top 3 in the Far North region and two of those teams placed in the top three in the province-wide championship round this week!

The skills in the Junk Drawer Races competitions are highly correlated with the Engineering and Design Process in the Ontario Science curriculum. Students use an approved materials list and scope to design, build, and adjust their projects to carry out a specific test. For the cranes, the test consisted of a timed load test where they had to lift, turn (both directions), and lower their cranes.

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KPDSB Trustee appointments for 2024-2025 school year

Media Release - November 22, 2024

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board (KPDSB) is pleased to share Board of Trustee appointments for the 2024-2025 school year.

Congratulations to Trustee Roger Griffiths, who was acclaimed as Chair of the Board. Trustee Griffiths has served as Trustee for 11 years, and this is his third term as Chair. Trustee Judi Green was acclaimed as Vice-Chair of the Board for a second term. Trustee Green has been with the Board since February 2023. The following Trustee appointments to KPDSB Board Committees were also announced at the inaugural Board Meeting earlier this month.

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KPDSB Participates in 2025 Pre-Budget Consultations

Media Release - December 11, 2024

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board (KPDSB) participated in the 2025 Pre-Budget Consultations with the Standing Committee on Financial and Economic Affairs during the committee’s stop in Kenora last week.

Trustee Roger Griffiths, Chair of the Board, addressed the committee. Trustee Griffiths shared statistical and demographic information about the KPDSB and detailed some of the challenges and successes of the Board.  With more than 50% of the KPDSB’s student population self-identified as First Nation, Metis or Inuit, the work in schools supporting truth and reconciliation is a pillar in the KPDSB’s new strategic plan and is embedded into all aspects of the organization. 

Trustee Griffiths shared with the committee that challenges for the board include budgeting challenges (KPDSB has experienced a reduction in per pupil funding), mental health, support for small schools in remote communities with limited resources, ability to offer necessary courses/programs due to small student populations, staff recruitment and retention (with one of the biggest barriers being limited, or in some cases, no housing available), and safety on highways and roads in the region (many KPDSB students are transported to and from school by school bus from remote locations).

Trustee Griffiths stated, “We are grateful for the opportunity to present to the committee and share some of our successes and challenges with them.  Living and working in Northwestern Ontario is a lifestyle different from other areas of the province, and as Trustees, we need to ensure government representatives from all areas of the province understand the barriers we face, which is why these opportunities are so important.”

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2018-2019 School Year Calendar Survey

Every year we offer families an opportunity to provide feedback regarding the creation of the upcoming school year calendar. Please take a minute to fill out our survey for the 2018-2019 School Year Calendar by clicking on either of the links below.  

 Click here to take the survey in English                        Click here to take the survey in French

The feedback provided by our families will be taken back to the Regional School Year Calendar Committee (comprised of five area school Boards including the KPDSB) as they work to create the regional school year calendar for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year. 

The survey will be open until the end of the day on Friday, December 1.

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KPDSB Chair and Vice-Chair Acclaimed, Trustee Appointments Announced

Media Release - December 13, 2017

Trustees of the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board met at Dryden High School on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, for the inaugural board meeting.

The Board of Trustees acclaimed Trustee Dave Penney as Chair and Trustee Cecile Marcino as Vice-Chair.

The following Trustee appointments were made:

• Trustee Barb Gauthier was appointed to the Executive Committee for the period of December 12, 2017 to April 13, 2018, and Trustee Dave Wilkinson was appointed to the Executive Committee for the period of April 23, 2018 to November 30, 2018. 

• Trustees Barb Gauthier, Roger Griffiths and George Seaton were appointed to the Audit and Finance Committees for a one year term. 

• Trustees Jennifer Kitowski and Gerald Kleist were appointed to the Indigenous Education Advisory Council (IEAC) for a one year term.  

• Trustees Lesley Barnes and Dave Wilkinson were appointed to the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) for a one year term.  

• Trustees Cecile Marcino and Barb Gauthier were appointed to the Early Years Advisory Committee (EYAC) for a one year term. 

• Trustees Lesley Barnes and Michelle Guitard were appointed to the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) for a one year term. 

• Trustee Michelle Guitard was appointed to the Transportation Policy Committee for a one year term. 

• Trustee Jennifer Kitowski was appointed to the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) Board of Directors.

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