It's Time to Register for the KPDSB's Hockey Canada Skills Academies for the 2017-18 School Year!
It's time to register for the our popular Hockey Canada Skills Academies in Dryden/Vermilion Bay, Kenora/Sioux Narrows, Sioux Lookout, Red Lake/Ear Falls and Ignace!
Please click on the links below for registration information by area:
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Ontario Special Needs Strategy Update for Families - Rehabilitation Services
Please click here to download a pdf version of the update and letter to families.
Dear Families,
As a family whose child may be receiving or waiting for rehabilitation services (speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy), we are writing to provide you with an update on upcoming improvements to the delivery of children’s rehabilitation services in your community.
As you may know, in 2014 the government launched the Special Needs Strategy in response to feedback received from families to improve the timeliness, effectiveness and coordination of the services that children and youth with special needs require to fully participate at home, at school, in the community and to achieve goals for adulthood.
A key initiative of the Special Needs Strategy is the integrated delivery of rehabilitation services, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology, for children and youth from birth to school exit.
Over the past year, service providers – including community-based Preschool Speech and Language providers, District School Boards, Community Care Access Centres and Children’s Treatment Centres – in communities across the province have worked to develop locally integrated, family-centred ways to deliver children’s rehabilitation services to improve family service experiences and outcomes for children and youth with special needs. In doing so, service providers have engaged with families and youth in our communities to seek their input.
What is Changing?
Once the improvements are implemented, children and youth with rehabilitation service needs and their families will have:
A seamless service experience from birth to school exit, with no gaps in service as children transition to school or between service providers;
- Child, youth and family centred service as parents and children/youth work together with service providers and educators to set goals based on their individual needs and strengths;
- Access to a broad range of high quality interventions (classroom, parent training, educator consultation) in settings that are most appropriate to their needs, and as convenient as possible to families; and
- Continuous and consistent services throughout the calendar year regardless of who delivers them in the community.
Following the ministries’ review of initial local proposals, service providers are now beginning to refine their proposals based on consultation with stakeholders. Based on feedback gathered, they will then begin to develop local plans for implementation of their new local models for the integrated delivery of rehabilitation services in each community.
When Will These Changes Take Place?
These changes will be phased in so that they will not disrupt any services your child may currently be receiving in the community or school. Families currently waiting for services will maintain their place on the waitlist. There will be no reduction in service capacity as a result of this change. Implementation of new service delivery models is expected to begin as early as Fall 2018.
We will continue to work together across service providers in the community to ensure that there will be no gaps in services for your child and that any changes will be seamless for you and your family.
How Can I Get More Information?
We will continue to keep you informed as the new model is developed in your community.
You can also visit the Ministry of Children & Youth Services website at www.children.gov.on.ca for more information about the special needs strategy in Ontario.
For more information or if you have any questions, please contact: Sean Monteith, Keewatin Patricia DSB, 807 468 5571 ext 236
Sincerely,
Joan Kantola
Superintendent of Education
Keewatin Patricia District School Board
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KPDSB students participating in provincial Skills Ontario Competition in Toronto
Media Release - May 2, 2017
14 students from the KPDSB traveled to Thunder Bay in early April to compete in the Skills Ontario Qualifying Competitions at Confederation College in Thunder Bay. Students from Beaver Brae, Dryden High and Queen Elizabeth represented the KPDSB and their schools by demonstrating their skills in culinary, small engines, carpentry, video production, and welding. It was the largest group of students to date to attend a Skills Ontario qualifier from the KPDSB.
All of our students, while up against tough competition from students across the region, placed in every area of the Skilled Trades qualifier. They each earned themselves a bid to the provincial competition currently underway in Toronto (May 1-3, 2017), where they are facing off against top competitors from across the province. Our students’ participation in Toronto also marks the largest group of qualifying students to ever attend a provincial competition for the KPDSB.
Richard Hodgkinson, Alternative Learning Lead for the KPDSB, said “Good luck to all of our students currently competing in the Skills Ontario Provincial Competition. Your dedication and passion has lead you to where you are today and we are very proud of your accomplishments.”
Hodgkinson continued, speaking to the importance of skilled trade opportunities for secondary students in the area “We want to prepare our secondary school’s youth for the highly-skilled economy of tomorrow. We offer multiple programs in all our secondary schools including Specialist High Skills Majors, School College Work Initiative Dual Credits, Cooperative Education, Peer Mentoring, and Ontario Youth Apprenticeship to help students engage, learn and develop their skills. These enable and empower all our youth, including females and Indigenous youth, to consider a career in the skilled trades and technologies. Through the Skills Ontario Competition, programs and our regular technology courses are just another way to help students decide their pathway when they graduate.”
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KPDSB Trustees Approve Name for New High School in Sioux Lookout
Media Release - April 12, 2017
KPDSB Trustees approved a name for our new high school in Sioux Lookout at the April regular board meeting (held April 11, 2017, at Ignace Public School). The new name, ‘Sioux North High School’, received unanimous support from Trustees.
The process to select a name for the new high school began in May 2016. In accordance with KPDSB Policy 805 – Naming of Educational Facilities, the Naming of the New Sioux Lookout High School Committee was created. Members of the committee included area students and staff, as well as community representatives from both Sioux Lookout and Lac Seul First Nation.
Following a number of face to face community consultations in Sioux Lookout and Lac Seul, the public was given an opportunity to submit possible names for the new school through an online survey in June 2016. Submitted names were then voted on by members of the committee and a short list of three options was once again given to the public for input through another online survey in December 2016.
Results of the final survey indicated ‘Sioux Lookout True North High School’ received the majority of votes (approximately 800 of 1300 votes – the other name options were Points North District High School and Lac Seul District High School).
The naming committee held one final meeting, where students on the committee suggested an abbreviated version of the top choice, adjusting the name from ‘Sioux Lookout True North High School’ to ‘Sioux North High School’. The students’ suggestion received full support from the membership of the committee and the name was officially submitted to the Board of Trustees on behalf of the committee.
Sean Monteith, Director of Education, stated “The naming of our new high school in Sioux Lookout, Sioux North High School, not only represents another significant milestone to our end goal of an official opening, it also represents the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board remaining true to its vision statement that we put students first, and with that comes the inherent responsibility to honour their voice.”
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KPDSB & KDSB Receive Funding to Renovate Spaces for Child Care
Media Release - February 15, 2017
The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board (KPDSB) and the Kenora District Services Board (KDSB) are excited to announce we have received more than 3.6 million in funding to renovate and retrofit spaces in five KPDSB schools to create state of the art child care spaces.
The renovations are possible thanks to funding from the Ontario Government and Ministry of Education.
In total, $3,630,024 in funding will go towards renovations at the following schools:
- Open Roads Public School in Dryden ($403,336)
- New Prospect Public School in Dryden ($806,672)
- Sioux Mountain Public School in Sioux Lookout ($1,210,008)
- Evergreen Public School in Kenora ($403,336)
- Keewatin Public School in Keewatin ($403,336)
The renovations will be completed in three phases, with phase one having already begun in Dryden. The remaining two phases (Sioux Lookout and then Kenora) will be completed by the end of the 2019-2020 school year.
Our organizations are pleased to continue working with our child care providers and elementary schools to provide seamless coordination of services for children and their families as they grow through our school communities.
Caryl Hron, Superintendent of Education for the KPDSB, said “As part of our Students Come First vision to support children in the communities of the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board, it has been our goal to provide the best services for our families by providing child care programs and Ontario Early Years Child and Family Centres in our schools. Every child deserves the best start in life, and it is our honour and privilege to work closely with the KDSB and area child care providers to make sure all families are supported so that children can thrive and flourish in a high quality learning environment.”
Henry Wall, Chief Administrative Officer for the KDSB, added “The investments being made in moving standalone child care programs into schools demonstrates the positive partnerships that exist between the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board, Kenora District Services Board and child care operators. It is our collective desire to ensure that children and families in our communities feel supported and that all families in the district have access to safe and affordable child care programs.”
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