PA Day Activities & Agendas
UCDSB schools have several professional activities (PA) days during the school year. During these days, students stay home but schools remain open as school staff focus on professional development.
The purpose of PA days is to improve student success. Educators have the opportunity to discuss challenges, review research and collaborate to create lessons, activities and assessments for their students.
The Ministry of Education’s regulation states that school boards must designate three Ministry Directed PA days and may designate up to four additional PA days per school year.
Here is a breakdown of what PA Day activities are happening for the 2024-2025 school year.
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Date
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Topic
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Presenters & Description
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September 3, 2024
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Welcome Back -
Mental Health, Bullying, Supporting Students, Technology and Safe Schools
(All Schools)
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Welcome Back - Overview of Director’s Work Plan and Student
Achievement Plan with Eric Hardie, Executive Superintendent
Mental Health with Lisa Livingston, Mental Health Lead
Mental Health with Penny Raabe, Compensation and Wellness Specialist
Bullying and School Safety with Marsha McNair, Superintendent of Safe
Schools
Supporting Children and students with prevalent medical conditions,
Cell Phones, Vaping with Bill Loshaw, Superintendent of Operations
Technology Use and Student Safety with Brian Reid, Principal of Digital Learning
Safe Schools Training Software |
October 25, 2024
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Literacy Professional Development
Mathematics Professional Development
Mandatory All Groups - Health and Safety – Violence Prevention Training
Optional Student Success / Technology & Skilled Trades In-Person Workshops
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Sessions include:
- data interpretation and next steps with Acadience screening.
- an overview of the assessment
tools available to support the Science of Reading in the FSL Class.
- an overview of the importance of using writing success criteria and explore how to co-construct criteria with students.
- training on the new D2L OSSLT
Preparation and Practice platform.
Sessions include:
Getting Started with Knowledgehook: understanding the role of
Knowledgehook in improving formative assessment data.
Becoming and Advanced User of
Knowledgehook: how to use formative assessment as
a tool to analyze student learning.
Building Thinking Classroom: allows teachers to actively
participate in a Thinking style task and learn strategies to promote
student thinking and learning. Led
by Al Overwijk.
All staff are expected to attend this session
Topics to be discussed include:
Online Violent Incident Reporting
Notification of Potential Risk of Injury
Safe Schools Online Reporting
Safety Plans
Violence Aggression Debriefs.
Skills Ontario Competitions – Skilled Trades Carousel – Participants will be
introduced to
Skills Ontario Competitions, in which teachers can have their students can participate in, including Intermediate Construction, Technology, and Green Energy Ontario
Skills Competitions, TV/Video Production & Photography, Secondary VEX Robotics Skills Competitions and CWB Welding Certification Training.
Experiential Learning Related to Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Pathways for
Students: For Guidance Counsellors and Student Success Teachers – Participants will
take a hands-on approach to exploring the skilled trades, apprenticeships, and local
opportunities for students. Hosted by UCDSB and St. Lawrence College.
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November 22, 2024
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Mathematics Focus
Literacy Focus
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- Supporting educators to be able to prepare all students to succeed in core academic skills, focusing on math.
- Effective use of digital tools to support classroom learning.
- Fluency routines.
- Components of an effective mathematics classroom including look-fors based on the UCDSB professional learning plan.
- Supporting educators to be able to prepare all students to succeed in core academic skills, focusing on reading and writing using high impact practices for structured literacy.
- Analysis of screening data to work with teachers to determine next steps in instruction to support all students.
- Supporting planning for next steps in tiered instruction.
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| January 31, 2025 |
Elementary: Assessment and Evaluation
Secondary:
Indigenous Education (All NBE Teachers)
UCDSB Student Ambassador Programs
French as a Second Language
English Language Learners/Multilingual Language Learning
School Improvement Planning |
- ETFO members are able to work from home, after consultation with their Principal and provided they have their teacher devices and the necessary access to internet.
- "Embracing the 4 Rs: Teaching Resilience, Resurgence, Reclamation, and Resistance
Through Indigenous Perspectives"
- Workshop focuses on equipping educators with the tools and understanding necessary to teach the NBE curriculum with a culturally responsive and positive approach. Participants will explore the updated curriculum through the lens of the themes of Resilience, Resurgence, Reclamation, and Resistance as they relate to Indigenous histories, perspectives, and futures through texts and a variety of media
- Educators will consider text selection, curriculum expectations and explore sample lesson plans to ensure students acquire the required literacy strategies and skills needed to succeed.
- Reviewing the resources available to support UCDSB Student Ambassador Programs in Secondary Schools. Program Leaders will also learn about best practices from two lead teachers that have recently developed Student Ambassador Program at their schools.
- Exploring resources for French classes. Idéllo has an extensive bank of videos and activities for students in grades 9-12. The resources are aligned with the CEFR and provide numerous opportunities for students to develop their skills and proficiency in the acquisition of a second language. Teacher Guides are available to support the delivery of either Core or French Immersion programming.
- Drop in sessions will be available to explore high impact strategies in the content areas; differentiation to access the curriculum and the use of a variety of teaching resources, including technology and AI.
- Schools will be allocated time to work on induvial school improvement plans
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April 11, 2025
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TBD |
TBD |
May 30, 2025
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TBD |
TBD |
June 27, 2025
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TBD
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TBD
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