UPPER CANADA DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

November 20-26 is Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week and students from across the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) are engaging in various anti-bullying and prevention activities to reinforce that kindness matters.

Indigenous Education has been a focus at Montague Public School this month, and they recently completed their week-and-a-half-long Indigenous Celebrations Week with a collaborative singing and dancing workshops.

The provincial government and CUPE have announced today that they have reached a tentative agreement. CUPE has confirmed that its members will not go on strike on Monday, Nov. 21.

At this time, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the provincial government have not reached a deal.

At the inaugural Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) meeting of the 2022-2026 Board of Trustees, Director Ron Ferguson presented the 2021-2022 Director’s Annual Report.

The Upper Canada District School Board’s (UCDSB) Board of Trustees will again be led by John McAllister as Chair, with Corina Parisien as Vice-Chair for 2022-2023, following the Board’s annual organizational meeting on November 16, where trustees were sworn in for the 2022-2026 term.

Since our last update on November 7, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the provincial government have been in ongoing negotiations. Today, CUPE provided us with notice that its members will proceed with a full withdrawal of services (strike) on Monday, Nov. 21 if a deal between CUPE and the provincial government is not reached.

Information for UCDSB families that will help you stay up to date with what’s happening across our school district.

This past weekend, a group of runners, walkers and bikers joined together to complete 105 kilometres to honour veterans, military personnel and first responders.

It’s a provincial championship for Thousand Islands Secondary School’s novice boys’ cross-country team!

School spirit brings people together and gives the feeling of being part of something far bigger than oneself. Sadly, this feeling of unity and belonging was lacking for many due to COVID. This all changed last week when Char-Lan DHS hosted the SD&G Girls Basketball Championship, making the first such gathering since 2019 a truly memorable one.

The provincial government and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have announced today that they will continue to negotiate a contract. CUPE confirmed that members will reinstate services and return to schools, starting tomorrow – Tuesday, Nov. 8.

We understand that the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) plans to continue with the walkout (full withdrawal of services) on Monday, Nov.7, and possibly later into the week.

Students at Rockland Public School and Rockland District High School worked together to organize a food drive for their local food bank and build a bridge between the two schools to symbolize their commitment and support of the community.

The provincial government has passed legislation that provides CUPE members with a contract. At this point, it’s not certain if CUPE employees will continue their walkout on Monday, Nov. 7.

The provincial government and CUPE have not yet reached a deal and CUPE has confirmed that they will be on strike tomorrow Friday, Nov. 4. As such, UCDSB schools will be closed on Friday, Nov. 4.

At this time, no agreement has been made between The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the provincial government. We are still preparing for a strike or political protest on Friday, Nov. 4 by CUPE.

Brockville Collegiate Institute and the Upper Canada District School Board are pleased to accept a generous posthumous donation of $50,000 from local resident and BCI alum Carl Jowett.

A recent generous community donation of personal bags of popcorn to Williamstown Public School (WPS) sparked an initiative to fundraise for the Upper Canada District School Board Champions for Kids Foundation (C4K).

Today, CUPE announced that its members will proceed with a full withdrawal of services or engage in a political protest on Friday, Nov. 4, if an agreement that is suitable to both parties is not reached, even if the provincial government passes legislation.

As you have likely heard in the news and read on social media, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is currently negotiating new collective agreements at the provincial and local levels. As a result of how negotiations are progressing at the provincial level, CUPE provided notice on Sunday, Oct. 30 that if a deal is not reached before Friday, Nov. 4, they will proceed with a full withdrawal of services and go on full strike.

Trustees with the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) met on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. Some of the items discussed in the public session are as follows.

The 2022 municipal election has resulted in a shuffle around the trustee table for the UCDSB. In the new term, starting Nov. 15, the UCDSB will welcome four newly elected trustees, four incumbents and two acclaimed.

It’s Local Government Week and students across the Upper Canada District School Board learn about levels of government – municipal, school trustee, and student senate year-round. Athens District High School has a unique school-wide Student Parliament that organizes school fundraisers, dances, and events all while enacting the Federal legislature.

The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) recognizes the importance of providing students with the tools they need to be successful in the classroom and is doing just that with continued investments in our technology shops.

Trustees with the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) met on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. Some of the items discussed in the public session are as follows.

Golf and students were front and centre last week in Smiths Falls as LGPA pro-golfer Brooke Henderson visited her elementary alma mater and made a surprise donation to the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) Champions For Kids Foundation (C4K).

With October 11 being the International Day of the Girl, the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) wants the community to get to know two strong female student leaders in our board – student trustees Janevra Pier and Olivia Pereira. Meet Olivia Pereira

With October 11 being the International Day of the Girl, the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) wants the community to get to know two strong female student leaders in our board – student trustees Janevra Pier and Olivia Pereira. Meet Janevra Pier

Fire services across the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) are promoting fire safety this week for the annual Fire Prevention week, which runs October 9-15, 2022. This year’s awareness campaign is 'Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape', which aims to educate everyone about simple but important actions to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires.

Two Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) schools are the gracious recipients of a posthumous donation from well-known Rideau community volunteer, Norman G. Lapointe.

As October is Cyber Awareness Month, the UCDSB is sharing some helpful tips and information from Educational Computing Network of Ontario to promote best practices in cyber safety, cyber security, and online privacy in K-12.

Due to the positive response and demand within the community, the TR Leger School of Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education at Kemptville Campus will now be offering its newly launched adult training in heavy machinery in the evenings and on weekends.

On the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and eighth annual Orange Shirt Day, the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) recognizes it has a role to play in truth and reconciliation.

As you may be aware, the Ontario Chief Medical Officers of Health (CMOH) has recently provided updated COVID-19 guidance and has updated the COVID-19 School Screener to include new symptoms and next steps.