Did you miss our Board Meeting on May 12, 2020? Not to worry, here are highlights from the meeting. Watch Full Meeting on YouTube.
Associate Director
The Ottawa Catholic School Board is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Associate Director effective August 1, 2020.
Ms. Mary Donaghy will assume the role of Associate Director of Education and Assistant Secretary. Superintendent Donaghy began her career in education in 1987 in the Toronto area before becoming part of the Ottawa Catholic School Board family, 28 years ago. She has held the role of Teacher, Department Head, Vice-Principal, Principal, and Superintendent of Schools since 2013.
Mrs. Donaghy has led five families of schools (All Saints, Sacred Heart, Lester B. Pearson, St.Francis Xavier, St Patrick’s). She has served the Board as the Superintendent of Special Education and Student Services and, most recently, as the Superintendent of Elementary Student Success.
Mary has effectively chaired many system-level committees, worked collaboratively with partners from within and outside the school system and been an executive member of several professional associations.
Incoming Director of Education, Tom D’Amico, says, “Mary is an integral part of our Senior Administration. Her dedication to students and their families, as well as her inclusive and faith-filled approach to problem-solving, will continue to serve our school communities and Board well.”
In addition to her involvement in various community sports organizations, Mary is an active member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. She and her husband, Greg, are the proud parents of Katie, Michael and Stephen, all graduates of Immaculata High School.
First-ever Virtual Catholic Education Week
The Catholic Education Week Committee, and the Communications Department, went digital this year to celebrate the gift of Catholic Education. The virtual mass, as well as the daily prayers and activities, were well received by our school communities. While providing resources and support for our educators, it also allowed for engagement among our parent community.
The OCSB community embraced this year’s theme for Catholic Education Week of “Igniting Hope,” and this was evident by the massive uptake of our Twitter hashtag #ocsbHope.
The success of our virtual Catholic Education Week is an example of collaboration among staff, students and parents while exemplifying our Board’s strategic commitments of Be Community, Be Well and Be Innovative.
Our celebration of Catholic Education Week included:
- Director of Education Blog: Igniting hope during Catholic Education Week
- Daily prayers and activities: Catholic Education Week at a glance
- VIDEO: What does #ocsbHope mean to you?
- OCSB Virtual Mass with Archbishop Prendergast
- Province-wide Virtual Mass with Cardinal Collins
- Twitter highlights: #ocsbHope Twitter moment
- VIDEO: Who are you #ocsbThankful for?
- OCSB Catholic Education Week Website page
Extended Day Program (EDP) Fees 2020-2021
The Extended Day Program (EDP) fees will not increase for the 2020-2021 school year. The fees will remain the status quo. This is in keeping with the trends across the City of Ottawa.
Fee Structure – 2020-2021
- Morning Only: $ 9.75 per day
- Afternoon Only: $12.75 per day
- Full-Day (PD days and school breaks): $35.00 per day
Preliminary Budget Information
Budget Guidelines
The Ottawa Catholic School Board’s budget is developed each year under specific predetermined budget guidelines. The guidelines include both legislative and regulatory requirements. As well the budget must be balanced before submitting it to the Ministry of Education for approval.
Enrollment Statistics
The budget also incorporates a preliminary projected enrolment increase of 1.9% elementary and enrolment increase of 0.4% secondary. These figures were adjusted for the expected impacts of Covid-19, as known at March 2020.
Debenture Debt
Certain fixed costs and contractual obligations (i.e. debenture repayments, transportation costs, and operating costs related to new construction/additions) are to be provided per contractual agreements.
Update from Ottawa Student Transportation Authority ( OSTA)
OSTA continues to keep in contact with local bus owners as they plan for the return to school. The local transportation authority is also in the midst of preparations for its move to a new building which will be located on Merivale Road in the Emerald Plaza.
Director’s Verbal Update
The Director told Trustees they should expect an announcement regarding the rest of the school year either later this week or early next week. This is week 6 of educator-led learning, and the end of this week will mark two months since schools were closed following the March Break.
How We Are Living – Be Community – During COVID19
- PPE Update: In the fourth week of 3D printing – 1102 headband pieces, 371 mask clips and 92 acetate shield bands have been distributed.
- The Chapel Hill community donated a Pita Pit lunch to Interval House of Ottawa, which is a safe haven for women and their children fleeing violence.
- St. Peter’s Canley Cup’s annual fundraiser went viral this year for the Orleans Cumberland Community Resource Centre. Students and staff refused to let a pandemic stop their charitable efforts for their local food bank and resource centre.
- Students from St. George’s Elementary School sent messages of hope and thanks to staff and volunteers at the Parkdale Food Centre in their community.
- Students at Corpus Christi Elementary School created and sent an #ocsbThankful video to the staff.
- Holy Trinity High School was named the top Secondary school fundraiser in Canada, with honourable mentions to Immaculata HS and St. Pius X HS, placing 11th and 18th provincially
Equity Plan
- Five-hundred and fifty school supply kits were distributed to OCSB Children Support Schools, and material for another 100 kits has been ordered due to demand for the kits. Each school was provided approximately 30 kits.
- Also, as part of our equity plan, Red Cross volunteers will begin family Wellness Checks this Thursday and Friday. Our principals and school staff want our families who we have not been in contact with to know we care, and if they need materials or resources, we are here for them.
Be Well
In partnership with the Ottawa Catholic School Parents’ Association (CSPA), we have launched a series of Lunch and Learn sessions every Thursday in May. These sessions led by OCSB staff are for parents and educators. This Thursday, the topic is Anxiety and Your Child during COVID-19. Dr. Richard Bolduc and Patricia Fiorino from our Special Education and Student Services Department will share practical strategies. Last Thursday the topic was Learning During Difficult Times with Dr. Giuseppe Spezzano and Leanne Stanton.
As well, on Tuesday, May 19, at 7:00 pm, CSPA, in partnership with the Special Education and Student Services Department, will be hosting a session led by Dr. David Tranter – author of the Third Path. We are focused on a relationship-based approach to student well-being and achievement, “From Worried to Well.” Dr. Tranter discusses how disconnection can damage our kids and how deeper relationships can foster well-being, activate achievement and build a better world.
Catholic Education Foundation Ottawa (CEFO)
We have received 942 requests for the year and were able to respond with over $256,000 dollars to those in need. Since schools closed on March 23, we have helped 364 families and provided $101,297 in relief funds. In the past seven weeks, we have received requests from 68 schools spanning the entire Board.
Be Innovative
- Thank you to the Catholic Education Week Committee for being innovative and pivoting to a virtual week of Igniting Hope.
- The ABA Conference scheduled for July 2020 is continuing but in a reinvented format. The event is now a virtual conference. To date, 1500 staff have logged in to these ABA online conference sessions. Tuesday, May 12, was the fourth in the session with 150 people participating during the live session and another 100 people requesting links to the recordings.
- The Leading and Learning Department have three live Equity Webinars planned. Tuesday’s focus was on Equity and Inclusive Education practices. The live stream presentation was facilitated by Mante Molepo and Jodi Ashton while Board staff participated on Twitter using the hashtag #ocsbEquityChat.
- In order to support technological education teachers across the province, the Ministry of Education Curriculum Branch and the Ontario Council of Technology Education (OCTE) will be hosting a webinar series, with a focus on innovative teaching practices in an online environment. The webinars will highlight pedagogical approaches teachers could adapt for use in their online classroom. On May 14, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. three OCSB TechEd Teacher Champions will present with the Ministry of Education staff. They are Jennifer Graham, Immaculata High School, Chad Legault, St. Paul High School and Brandy Kozowy, St.Francis Xavier High School.
News Stats
In the last 90 days alone, OCSB has received 624 traditional media mentions, 319 social news media mentions, and 41 broadcast media mentions.