Upper Canada District School Board Elects New 1st Vice Chair
(Brockville) – On Wednesday night the Upper Canada District School Board elected a new 1st Vice Chair to replace Trustee William MacPherson, who resigned from the position last week citing personal reasons.
Trustee Jeff McMillan was elected by private ballot by the Board of Trustees. Trustee McMillan represents Ward 5 which encompasses the area of Augusta Township and the city of Brockville. “I am so proud to represent the board in this capacity. I look forward to the challenge ahead of me and will represent my fellow trustees with integrity,” stated McMillan.
In other business at tonight’s Board meeting, trustees received a report from Trustee John McAllister regarding the Children’s Mental Health Ontario Annual Conference held in November. Highlights of the report included:
· Minister of Children and Youth Services, Dr. Eric Hoskins, commented on the
coordination which is occurring at all the provincial government ministries affecting children. The working goal is that the “silos” will be taken down to maximize the level of service.
· Catherine Fife, President of the Ontario Public School Boards Association, signaled the need to incorporate mental health into all boards’ strategic plans. Boards do have a legislated responsibility for wellness but the education sector cannot do it alone and needs all the community partners to effect change.
· The Thunder Bay Youth Suicide Prevention Taskforce outlined its progress including a memorandum agreement outlining “who does what and where and when. Their commitment to this rapid response to youth services was to parachute staff into the locale for three days within the hour.
· The conference also featured a workshop by Ian Manion of the Mental Health Literacy Program – Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health. Manion outlined that everyone can benefit from increased mental health literacy and this extends to the entire continuum. Challenges include: making the link between health and well-being, aligning with other initiatives, awareness and creating environments that promote mental health. He told the delegates that 63% of youth will not reach out due to fear, anxiety or embarrassment. Twelve per cent, if they had a problem, know where to go.
“There is a very obvious and purposeful meeting of the minds on the issue of child and youth mental health, now better known as well-being and resiliency,” outlined Trustee John McAllister. “One example, quite independently of the Board’s Mental Health workgroup, many schools are raising awareness successfully around the issue of anxiety, depression, conduct disorder, ADHD, eating disorders, schizophrenia and bi-polar diseases. In our schools throughout Upper Canada today, we find evidence of speakers, newsletters, student-driven cyber bullying campaigns, suicide awareness programs, on-line support groups, theatrical presentations and other assemblies. It is my hope that we can coordinate efforts with our friends in the co-terminus Board to maximize our resources for the benefit of all our children because the issues of mental health do not respect boundaries of any sort.”
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For more information please call:
Greg Pietersma
Chair
Upper Canada District School Board
613-290-0698
Posted December 22, 2011