KPDSB welcomes new Mental Health Co-Lead

Media Release - September 24, 2018

It is with great pleasure that the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board (KPDSB) welcomes Larae Harbour as the new Mental Health Co-Lead. Harbour will join current Mental Health Lead, Candice Kerkermeier.

Harbour joins the KPDSB from Jack.org, Canada’s only national mental health organization that trains and empowers young people to promote mental health and well-being for their peers and each other. Harbour brings a wealth of knowledge in inclusive mental health practice, resource development and stakeholder engagement to the new role.

As the KPDSB enters year eight of the provincial Mental Health Initiative, the Mental Health Co-Leads will focus on implementation of the key priorities within the KPDSB Mental Health Strategy. This includes providing resources to build staff and administrator capacity to support student well-being, partnering with key stakeholders to promote a seamless transition to services and treatment and fostering an environment to lead mentally healthy schools.

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“I am thrilled to be joining Keewatin-Patricia District School Board team and Candice Kerkermeier as her Mental Health Co-Lead. The KPDSB has been a leader in mental health and wellness promotion for the past seven years. The KPDSB is championing the voices of students, caregivers, staff and community members to respond to vulnerable students’ needs for care. It’s truly an honor to be a part of this work and to further build pathways to support positive mental health for all students.” – Larae Harbour, Mental Health Co-Lead

“In consideration of the growing needs of our students within the KPDSB, the addition of a Co-Mental Health Lead will allow us to expand the mental health literacy capacity for all staff and students. It is a pleasure to have Larae join our KPDSB team.” - Joan Kantola, Superintendent of Human Resources and Special Education.

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EQAO results released - KPDSB schools achieve historic results

Media Release - September 21, 2018

On September 19, 2018, the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) released the 2017-2018 results for primary and junior assessments in reading, writing and mathematics.

The EQAO results aid us in exploring different aspects of our students learning and understanding some of the factors that contribute to their overall success.  They are another tool staff can use to identify where students are excelling and what areas students may need additional support. 

EQAO Results for the KPDSB

Primary and Junior Assessments - Students at or Above Provincial Standard (Levels 3 & 4)

* The results above are from the Participating Students results.  EQAO releases All Students results, which are results for all students in the grade, and Participating Students results, which are results for only those students who took part in the assessment. 

Highlights of KPDSB 2017-2018 EQAO Results:

• Students at Red Lake-Madsen Public School achieved historic results, with their highest results on record in Grade 3 Reading, Writing and Mathematics for students achieving level 3 or 4 on the assessments.  2017-2018 results for Red Lake-Madsen were above the provincial average in all Grade 3 assessments, with 94% of students in achieving level 3 or 4 in Reading, Writing and Math (compared to 77%, 74% and 62% for the provincial averages respectively).
• Students at Sioux Mountain Public School in Sioux Lookout also achieved their highest results on record in Grade 3 Reading and Writing, and Grade 6 Reading.  The school’s 2017-2018 results were above the provincial average in Grade 3 Reading (78% of students achieving level 3 or 4, compared to provincial average of 77%) and Grade 3 Writing (76% of students reaching level 3 or 4, compared to the province at 74%). 
• Evergreen Public School in Kenora had 76% of their students in Grade 3 Writing achieve level 3 or 4, above the provincial average of 74%.  Grade 6 Writing assessments just missed the provincial average, with 80% of students achieving level 3 or 4, compared to 82% at the provincial level.
• Open Roads Public School in Dryden achieved above the provincial average in all Grade 3 assessments, and Grade 6 Reading and Writing assessments.  88% of students in Grade 3 Reading (provincial average is 77%), 96% in Grade 3 Writing (provincial average is 74%) and 85% in Grade 3 Mathematics (provincial average is 62%) achieved the provincial standard. 

**The results referenced above are from the Participating Students results.  EQAO releases All Students results, which are results for all students in the grade, and Participating Students results, which are results for only those students who took part in the assessment. 

The 2017-2018 school year brought with it a focus on a handful of schools to support teachers and students, resulting in historic achievements for some schools, including Red Lake-Madsen and Sioux Mountain. By using the 2016-2017 EQAO results and other assessment data, additional human resources and professional development opportunities were provided to identified focus schools.  Increased regular school visits by central support staff and networking between staff to share best practices can also be attributed to gains made in the provincial assessments.  Following these successes, the number of focus schools for the 2018-2019 school year has been expanded. 

Sean Monteith, Director of Education, stated “Overall we are very pleased with our results and improvements in most areas.  Of particular note are some of the historic increases in achievement on these provincial assessments amidst some of our most challenging circumstances.  The credit to these improvements must be given to the leadership in schools and most particularly our classroom teachers everywhere, who exhaustively give day in and day out of themselves.  We recognize there continues to be more to do, particularly in math, but in the meantime, we will celebrate these gains, and assess what we have changed and why it is working.”

***Please note that EQAO results for some schools with smaller class sizes are not released to protect the personal information of students in those classes.  Either all or some of the assessments for the following schools will not be publicly released: Ear Falls Public School, Crolancia Public School (Pickle Lake), Ignace Public School, Keewatin Public School, Lillian Berg Public School (Vermilion Bay), Savant Lake Public School, Sioux Narrows Public School and Upsala Public School.

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Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, visits KPDSB’s Four Directions

Media Release - October 3, 2018

Staff and students of Dryden High School (DHS) were honoured to welcome Federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, to Dryden High School today.

Minister Bennett spent most of her visit with DHS staff and students in the Four Directions space, an innovative approach focused on student success and graduation from secondary school for Indigenous students.  The Four Directions approach has received national attention as graduation rates improve for Indigenous students, with the goal being to closing the graduation gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.  Minister Bennett also met with Board Administration and was welcomed by members of the Board of Trustees.

Four Directions provides intensive support to First Nation, Métis and Inuit students and their families with the goal of seeing each learner through to graduation. Four Directions staff assist with leading and implementing programs, and connecting students and families to support services within the school and the greater community to increase each learners network of support throughout and beyond high school. Dryden High School was the first school within the KPDSB to implement Four Directions, celebrating a 41% increase to 80% of Indigenous students graduating in four years after four years of coaching. Beaver Brae Secondary School in Kenora will celebrate their first graduating Four Directions class this June, followed by Sioux North High School in Sioux Lookout in 2020, and Red Lake District High School in 2021.

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board remains a strong advocate for northern children and their families, with an unwavering focus on reconciliation and supporting the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Minister Bennett stated “Dryden High School’s Four Directions program is an inspiring example of the critical role our schools can play in reconciliation. By increasing the graduation of high school First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students, as well as the retention, and their transition from elementary school to high school, the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is demonstrating how we all can work together to build a stronger future for Indigenous Peoples and Canadians alike.”

Sean Monteith, Director of Education, added “While we have been visited by dignitaries and officials before, we are particularly proud to welcome and host the Federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations to the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board and specifically to our Indigenous Student Graduation Coach program. Having Minister Bennett here to meet with staff and students on the front lines, only validates what many of us have felt for a number of years now and that is that our efforts to close graduation gaps and improve educational opportunities for Indigenous students is reconciliation in action, very much a real effort in the KPDSB. With critical partners such as the Northwestern Health Unit, we welcome all First Nation students and their families to our schools, and we will stop at nothing until that gap is finally closed.”

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KPDSB celebrates staff on World Teachers’ Day

Media Release - October 5, 2018

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is celebrating teachers and educators across the Board area today for World Teachers’ Day.

World Teachers’ Day is day to celebrate and thank our teachers for the work they do with the children, youth and adult learners in our communities.  Our teachers do more than teach academics.  They are an empathetic ear, a guiding light, a shoulder to cry on, a source of inspiration, and so much more.

Sean Monteith, Director of Education, stated “While today is the day of the year that we officially recognize our world class educators, our teachers, it is even more important to recognize their heroic efforts each and every other day of the year. We don’t need just good teachers in the KPDSB, we need the best and that is exactly what we have. As Director of Education, I want to publicly acknowledge our elementary, secondary, special education, and adult education teachers this World Teachers’ Day.”

Thank you to all of our teachers across the KPDSB for always putting our students first.

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Trustees receive update on efficacy in the KPDSB, learn more about new approaches to increase student achievement

Media Releases - October 10, 2018

Trustees met at the Kenora Board Office on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, for a regular board meeting.  Trustees also toured King George VI Public School prior to the meeting.

The October Kids Come First presentation titled ‘How King George VI Public School Creates a Learning Environment that Promotes Student Achievement’ was received by Trustees.  Principals Tim Flynn and Nicole Vingerhoeds were joined by some of their students to share their experiences at King George with the Board of Trustees.  While King George is well known in the Kenora area for its Recreation Program and Special Education services, students shared some of the many other opportunities available to them at their school.  From Hockey Canada Skills Academy, Primary Choir, and You’re the Chef programs, to language programming and Robotics and Lego Club, Trustees heard how the staff at King George go above and beyond to provide as many opportunities to students as possible.  By providing a variety of programs and extracurricular activities for students in addition to academics, staff at the school note their students are happy, engaged and ready to learn. 

Shannon Bailey, Principal of Evergreen Public School in Kenora, and KPDSB Efficacy Working Group Member, presented the KPDSB Efficacy Report.  In 2013, the KPDSB underwent a System Efficacy Review, conducted by internationally recognized efficacy experts with Pearson Learning Services. Since that time, the KPDSB has engaged in a "whole-system" effort of reform and change with all decisions centered around putting students first.  In 2015, to support the work of efficacy in the KPDSB, and the implementation of actions and decisions, a System Efficacy Working Group, comprised of staff from schools and departments across the KPDSB, was implemented to advise the Board on decisions that impact classrooms and students and suggest areas of improvement. The work of efficacy has provided effective ways of identifying the needs of students and staff, as well as determining new and exciting strategies for improving attendance, graduation rates and mental health supports by using staff and student voice as the catalyst for change.  For more information, please see the attached infographics.

Deanna Pacheco, Student Achievement Administrator, and Caryl Hron, Superintendent of Education, presented the Elementary Achievement Report.  In February 2017, the KPDSB introduced a new support model to assist identified schools, called focus schools, in the Board.   In order to support the focus schools, which were selected based on student needs, the System Achievement Administrator was put in place to work one on one with administrators in each school (six in total) with the goal of increasing student achievement.    The supports for each focus school varied, based on student and staff needs, but all included the use of different assessments to drive the work, as well as increased regular school visits by central support staff and networking between staff to share best practices.  Recently released EQAO results for the 2016-2017 school year show historic results for some of the focus schools, including Sioux Mountain Public School and Red Lake-Madsen Public School.  Staff feedback also indicates the new support model is working and following these successes, the number of focus schools for the 2018-2019 school year has been expanded.  

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