Celebrating 40 years PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD REPORT TO ... report... · The Peel board’s award-winning Take One Step wellness website features ... ext. 2012. Investing in our

Celebrating 40 years | PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY 2009

It’s easy being green | Positive spaces inspire inclusiveness | EQAO scores increase

When I groW up

ConneCting Cultures to literaCy

If I had a bIllIon dollars

For more information about anything in this report and for additional statistics about the Peel District School Board, go to our online annual report www.peelschools.org/annualreport.htm or contact the Communications department, 905-890-1010 (or 1-800-668-1146) ext. 2809.

stay connected

Join the Peel District School Board group on Facebook Follow PeelSchools on Twitter

www. peelschools. org

contents

8 2 Peel board trustees – a legacy of caring 3 1969–2009: 40 years of smiling together 6 Caring in action 10 Earth-conscious custodian + teamwork =

safe, clean school 12 New Canadian helps newcomers understand

education system 14 Making My Way 16 EQAO scores increase 17 Positive spaces inspire inclusiveness 18 When I grow up 19 Inspiring smiles with character education 20 By the numbers

readiness centre Learn what one school is doing to connect cultures to literacy

peel board trusteesa Valerie Arnold-Judge Caledon 905-838-2125

b Beryl Ford Brampton Wards 7/8 905-793-0800

c David Green Brampton Wards 1/3 905-495-4579

d Steve Kavanagh Brampton Wards 4/5/6 905-457-3132

e Brad MacDonald Mississauga Ward 8 905-828-6929

f Janet McDougald Chair Mississauga Wards 1/7 905-278-1402

g Suzanne Nurse Brampton Wards 2/9/10 905-495-3423

h Don Stephens Mississauga Ward 2 905-823-6169

I Ruth Thompson Vice-Chair Mississauga Wards 3/4 905-625-1457

J Allison Van Wagner Mississauga Wards 9/10 905-785-9290

K Jeff White Mississauga Wards 6/11 905-267-0764

l Rick Williams Mississauga Ward 5 905-814-6180

M Bhavan Sandhu Student Trustee Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School

n Sahil Kumar Student Trustee Cawthra Park Secondary School

The board of trustees governs the Peel board, like every public school board in Ontario. They are responsible for determining policies and main-taining stand ards of excellence in education for Peel Region. They are elected by taxpayers during municipal elections and are directly accountable to the community.

Public school trustees are the critical link between communities and school boards. Trustee responsibilities include the following:

• govern and set policy for the Peel board

• govern for the provision of curriculum, facilities, human and financial resources for the board

• advocate for the needs of their communities

• as a constituency representative, to explain the policies and decisions of the board to residents

Trustees are available to help taxpayers, parents and others address any issues they may have about the public school system.

For more information, visit the “Meet your trustee” section at www. peelschools.org.

a legacy of caringPeel board trustees advocate for their communities

NM

IHG

BA C

D FE

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2 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY 2009 www.peelschools.org

40 years of smiling together

1969Making the right moves—student photo from the 1969 Peel County Board annual report

www.peelschools.org REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY 2009 3

2009Bringing out the smile within— Brisdale Public School students together


2009

In 1969, 10 local boards came together as the Peel County Board of Education—a growing, flexible, adaptable, progressive school system committed to the unique learning needs of each student. Today, the Peel District School Board is a sophisticated leader in education—a system focused on student success and bringing out the smile within.

In looking back at the board’s first annual report, we expected to find an amusing relic from another era. Instead, what we discovered is how similar the initiatives within the Peel board were 40 years ago.

Certainly there are differences between the Peel board of today and that of four decades ago. In 1969, the board served a community of a quarter million residents—20 per cent of today’s population. The newly formed Peel County Board had 50,000 students in 114 schools and an operating

budget of $41 million—a fraction of our current budget of $1.3 billion.

As we celebrate our 40th year of service to our Peel community, what excites us is not what’s changed about the board in four decades. Instead, we’re inspired by what has endured and stood the test of time—our relationships. Our relationships with the community, our parents, staff and students.

Over those 40 years, our mission, purpose, reason for existing has been to help students learn and succeed. And our understanding of our mission and commitment to it is unwavering.

Those first 3,000 staff of the Peel board 40 years ago began to blaze a trail that remains alive and vital today. Today, we follow in their steps and build on the board’s long-standing legacy of caring and smiling together.

Celebrating our unwavering commitment—over the past 40 years—to student success and smiling together


live well. live now. learn how.www.takeonestep.org

The Peel board’s award-winning Take One Step wellness website features practical tips and ideas to help em-ployees improve their own wellness, initiate wellness programs at their school or worksite and learn more about board programs that encourage and support health and wellness.

Discover how you can make healthy, positive choices every day with:• new weekly health and

wellness tips• updated information on fitness,

nutrition, health and safety, personal balance and wellness

leave no child uninspired6,000 students unite to stamp out global poverty On Oct. 27 and 28, 2009, 6,000 Peel board students started a movement—a movement to eradicate global poverty. Inspired by music and presentations by young activists at the Peel board’s Leadership Now! conference, students returned to their schools believing that they, too, could change the world.

Students were motivated by stories from Jessica Jackley, Craig Kielburger and Bilaal Rajan. Singer/songwriter Liam Titcomb, who raised $50,000 for War Child Canada by busking across the country, was also on hand to let students know that individual passion can lead to great change.

The conference is part of the Peel board’s Student Leadership for Global Development program which is produced with the support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

For more information, go to www.peelschools.org/slgd or call 905-890-1010/1-800-668-1146 ext. 2817.

caring In actIon


$1 330 000 0002009-2010

$41 000 0001969

a real focus on parent engagementWhere are all the parents?

A report commissioned by the Peel board’s Parent Involvement Committee found that parents definitely consider themselves to be involved with their children’s education. The most common kind of involvement is daily follow-up—asking

children about their day at school, reading over agendas, ensuring homework is done, and generally monitoring their children’s progress.

The full report, including re-commendations for encouraging involvement, can be found at www.peelschools.org—go to ‘Parents Boost Learning’ and click on ‘Get Involved’ or email [email protected].

If I had a billion dollars$1.3 billion budget an investment in student success

The Peel board budget is an investment in the future—the future of students. In June 2009, the board approved a balanced budget of $1.33 billion for the 2009-10 school year.

For more information about the board budget or for complete audited financial statements, go to “Financial statements” in the “Get the Facts” section of www.peelschools.org or call 905-890-1010/1-800-668-1146 ext. 2012.

Investing in our future

The Peel board opened two new schools in September 2009—Carberry Public School and Copeland Public School. Palgrave Public School was rebuilt on the same site as the original school building.

caring In actIon

terry gordon Four decades of leadership

1969: grade 6 teacher, Hillcrest Public School, Mississauga

2009: principal, Aloma Crescent Public School, Brampton; staff mentor;teachers’ college instructor favourIte part of the Job:

“I love the classroom—I love to teach. I’ve been an administrator for 15 years, and still, my favourite part of the job is spending time with students and teachers.” Words of WIsdoM:

“Stay balanced. There’s a lot to do, so remind yourself, there’s always tomorrow.”

“The most important thing— the reason we do what we do—is children.”


“ Newcomer students and families come to Peel with exceptional skills and a strong sense of heritage and personal identity,” says principal Rita Manners. “It’s important to acknowledge and celebrate these things, while empowering them with new learning opportunities that help them understand Canada’s rich history.”

caring In actIon

connecting cultures to literacy

Every day, students, staff and visitors who walk through the doors of Floradale Public School are greeted by a 10-foot quilt that features student-stitched messages of peace in different languages. Each square of the quilt is fabric from their families’ homelands.

The quilt, which reflects the school’s diverse community, is only one example of the many school initiatives that interweave Canadian and world cultures.

celebrating faith and culture

Through the Faith Forward program, the Peel board provides resources to help broaden awareness of a wide range of faiths, cultures and religious celebrations. These resources include a Holy Days and Holidays calendar, poster series, resource guide, lesson plans and training.

For more information about Faith Forward contact Varsha Naik, community liaison coordinator, at 905-890-1010/ 1-800-668-1146 ext. 2573.

@peelschoolsfollow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook

You can follow the Peel board on Twitter—search for ‘PeelSchools’ to receive the most up-to-date news.

On YouTube, watch a series of videos featuring Peel board grads talking about how they made their career choices—part of the board’s Making My Way campaign. YouTube also features videos in various languages explaining the services of the new We Welcome the World centres. Search for the Peel District School Board channel on YouTube for a complete list of videos.

On Facebook, join the Peel District School Board group.

Manners invited Métis Elder Joseph Paquette to share his stories and personal experiences with newcomer students. Students worked with their families to write and re-enact the elder’s stories in English and their first language. Families then showcased their work at school in June during National Aboriginal Week.

Manners, who is now collaborating with the Peel Aboriginal Steering Committee, continues to find ways to integrate aboriginal history into literacy programs. This year, Judy Carter, an outreach worker with the Region of Peel, will work with Floradale’s Readiness Centre staff. Judy will introduce aboriginal early learning resources that include culturally appropriate books and music, puppets, craft materials and tactile sensory materials.

TM


alternative programs help students achieve

The Peel board provides a number of successful alternative learning programs for students. With expertise in differentiated instruction, staff work with parents and the community to support student learning.

Through small, flexible, safe, caring environments focused on respect, responsibility, individuality, diversity and creativity, students gain the skills they need to be successful in school and prepare for a successful future.

Opened in August 2009, Roy McMurtry School in Brampton offers secondary school credits for students who are in conflict with the law and working towards a high school diploma. The school offers 100 secondary school courses at a variety of levels, including workplace destination courses such as construction and food services.

board’s strategic plan aligns, focuses work at all levels

Everything we do as a board is guided by the Report Card for Student Success, our board’s strategic plan, the balanced scorecard. It shows us whether our actions are having an impact, because each board goal clearly sets out targets for improvement.

By aligning and focusing the work at all levels of the board, we harness the energy of the whole board to achieve our goals. Visit our new website, www.reportcardforstudentsuccess.org, to find:

• the status of each of our eight goals—are we on-target for each goal?

• trend data showing our progress on achieving each target

• detailed plans for each project• archived information of previous projects• more information about Report Card for Student

Success and the balanced scorecard

caring In actIon


earth-conscIous custodIan + teaMWorK

safe, clean school


Environmental action isn’t more work—it’s good work. That’s what you’ll hear from Dave Scott, head custodian at Brisdale Public School in Brampton. “I have a role to play in our students’ future,” says Scott. “When you’re involved with school life, work is more fun—you make friends, and you’re respected.”

Scott and Brisdale’s EcoTeam have been working together for the past year to conserve resources and reduce waste at the school. And their teamwork has paid off—the school achieved a silver-level EcoSchools certification in their first year of the program.

The group promotes a daily litter-less lunch program, came up with new ways of conserving energy, cares for the school garden and runs an award program to encourage students to keep the school clean. All of these activities have reduced waste and increased pride and morale among students and staff.

“Less waste is good for the environment and my workload—which gives me more time to help out in the garden, work with students on recycling, and be there for colleagues and students who need me,” Scott explains.

Some ways we’re going green

• The cleaning solution that custodians use to clean Peel board schools comes in tablets, not jugs. These tablets contain less packaging and are lighter, so shipping produces fewer emissions.

• All board locations use 100% recycled toilet paper that dispenses from recyclable containers, which are then used to collect empty rolls.

• Peel board spent $15 million to install high efficiency boilers and lighting, auto control heating and cooling systems and new ventilation systems in all secondary schools—saving $2 million per year in energy costs and reducing consumption.

It’s easy beIng green

The Peel board launched the EcoSchools program during the 2008-09 school year—around the same time it approved its Environmental Policy, which encourages all staff and students to consistently consider the environmental impact of decisions.

17 Peel board schools and sites received EcoSchools certification in June 2009:

goldGlenhaven Senior Public School Great Lakes Public School Roberta Bondar Public School Ruth Thompson Middle School

silverBrisdale Public SchoolChurchill Meadows Public School Darcel Avenue Senior Public School Derry West Village Public School GW Finlayson Field Centre Heart Lake Secondary School Jack Smythe Field CentreQueen Street Public School Ridgewood Public School The Britannia Schoolhouse

bronzeAloma Crescent Public SchoolDunrankin Drive Public School Levi Creek Public School

For more information about EcoSchools, contact Tracy Appleton, EcoSchools program leader, 905-890-1010/1-800-668-1146 ext. 2168 or email [email protected]. Visit www.peelschools.org for the board’s environmental policy.


In 2008, Zhang was hired by the Peel board as a settlement worker to help realize the board’s vision for its new We Welcome the World centres. Created through a partnership with Citizen and Immigration Canada, the centres are changing the way newcomers are welcomed in Peel.

“One of the biggest challenges I faced when I arrived in Canada was understanding the education system,” explains Zhang. “Today, our goal is to connect with newcomer families as soon as they arrive at the airport and invite them to our welcome centres. We want to help parents register their children for school as soon as possible. From my own experience, this is an important priority for newcomers—it creates stability.”

hese questions are all too familiar to Jenia Zhang, a settlement worker for the

Peel board’s We Welcome the World centres.

Before Zhang and her family immigrated to Canada in 2003, she also asked the same questions. Today, she is welcoming newcomer families and helping them find the answers.

“As an immigrant parent from China, my family struggled at first to get settled,” recalls Zhang. “But within six months of being here, we were introduced to a number of settlement services that made the transition much easier—and helped me find my career path.”

neW canadIan helps neWcoMers understand educatIon systeM

Where will we live?Will my children be accepted in school? Who will help me find a job?


Individually we are special—together we are spectacular Peel Region has one the highest rates of population growth in the country, driven primarily by families new to Canada.

From August to December 2009, the Peel board registered more than 4,000 newcomer students—1,800 were registered at We Welcome the World centres, the others at schools.

feels like homeCentres extend warm welcome to newcomer families

The Peel board opened three new centres this year to welcome newcomer families. The We Welcome the World centres provide a range of services to help make the transition to school a smooth one for newcomer students and their families.

All students from kindergarten to grade 12 will receive an orientation interview, which will give schools useful information to help support new students. As well, the centres will offer settlement services and parent institutes in many languages. Parents can also learn about adult education opportunities—all in one place.

the centres are located at:• 25 Kings Cross Road,

Brampton• 3131 Morning Star Drive,

Mississauga (Malton)• 100 Elm Drive West,

Mississauga

For more information, call 905-366-8791 or visit www.peelschools.org.

About 55,000 elementary students in the Peel board and 19,500 secondary students speak a language other than English.

top 10 languages spoKen by peel board faMIlIes:1. Punjabi2. Urdu3. Tamil4. Hindi5. Chinese6. Arabic7. Vietnamese8. Gujarati9. Spanish10. Korean

1969 2009total peel populatIon

172,000 1.2 million

IMMIgrant populatIon In peel

49,000 (29% of total Peel population)

30% of all Canadian immigrants landed in Peel

600,000 (half of total Peel population)

10% are newcomers—arriving between 2001–06

IMMIgrant country of orIgIn

61% – Europe 14% – U.S. 8% – West Indies 5% – China 3.4% – India

58% – Asia and Middle East 16% – Europe 11% – Central and South America and the Caribbean 11% – Africa


tWeet:

does homer simpson make you want to work in a nuclear power plant?


This Peel board initiative helps students learn about career/life planning. The board is providing students with the tools they need to make informed decisions about what they will do after high school by offering:

• online resources that explain and demonstrate different career paths

• videos on YouTube and Facebook that feature Peel grads in various destinations

• online discussions about career choices

Making My Way aims to build awareness about the value of all post-secondary destinations—apprentice ship, college, university and work. For more information, go to www.makingmyway.ca, join us on Facebook or call 905-890-1010/1-800-668-1146 ext. 2809.

1969 2009nuMber of adult students

4,700 1,387Most popular adult educatIon courses

• dressmaking

• conversational French

• English for new Canadians

• interior decorating

• beauty counselling/hair styling

• oil painting

• English grade 12 college level

• English grade 12 university level

• chemistry grade 12 university level

• English grade 11 college level

• information technology applications – grade 11

• chemistry grade 11 university level

tWeet:

does homer simpson make you want to work in a nuclear power plant?

If you answer yes, great. If you answer no, even better. At least you have an idea about what you like and don’t like. Giving students the opportunity to find out who they are and what interests them is what Making My Way is all about.


• 90% of primary classes at 20 or fewer students• The five-year graduation rate for Peel as of

Aug. 31, 2009 is 82%.• The credit accumulation percentage of students

in their second year of secondary school who have completed 16 credits as of June 30, 2009 – not including students taking 'K' courses, i.e. courses without credits, is 68%. In 2008-09, 633 students completed 'K' courses.

eQao scores increase

specIal educatIon

1969 2 itinerant teachers

1 itinerant teacher for new Canadians

7 speech-language pathologists

2009 1,105 special education teachers

451 teachers of English language learners

56 speech-language pathologists

then & now

math

mathreading

reading

writing writing

PRIMARY (GRADE 3) JUNIOR (GRADE 6)

50%

60%

70%

80%

50%

60%

70%

80%

2008-2009

2007-2008

2006-2007

2005-2006

2004-2005

2003-2004

2008-2009

2007-2008

2006-2007

2005-2006

2004-2005

2003-2004

percentage of students at or above the provincial standard

applied

academic

fullyparticipating

first-time eligible students passing the test

GRADE 9 MATH OSSLT ASSESSMENT

20%

40%

60%

80%

60%

80%

100%

2008-2009

2007-2008

2006-2007

2005-2006

2004-2005

2003-2004

2008-2009

2007-2008

2006-2007

2005-2006

2004-2005

2003-2004

• Scores are up 13 per cent in grade 9 applied math and 11 per cent in academic math.

• Grade 6 students are performing nine per cent higher in writing and five per cent higher in reading.

• Scores for grade 3 students are six per cent higher in writing.

• Grade 9 students with special needs have made significant gains over fives years—up nine per cent in applied math and 18 per cent in academic math.

• Grade 9 English language learners have made gains in both applied and academic math. ELL applied math scores are up nine per cent over five years, and ELL academic math scores are up five per cent.

• Grade 3 students with special needs are performing 12 per cent higher than five years ago in writing, though there has been a decline of 10 per cent for this group in math scores over the same time period. The five-year trend is also down in math for grade 6 special needs students, by six per cent.

• In secondary, 84 per cent of grade 10 students pass the provincial literacy test the first time they write it—three per cent more than five years ago. By the end of grade 12, about 98 per cent of students in Peel schools pass the test, or the literacy course that’s an alter native to the test.

EQAO scores in the Peel board increased significantly for 2008-09. Five-year trends show significant gains in many areas.

The EQAO scores confirm that the hard work of teachers, students and parents on improving literacy and numeracy skills is paying off. But the board’s focus goes far beyond EQAO scores to truly transform the literacy and numeracy attainment of students.

For complete EQAO data, view our online report at www.peelschools.org/annualreport2009.htm


Through heart-to-heart talks with a close friend, Francesca Mendaglio realized she was bisexual and was ready to be open about it. That was grade 9. For Mendaglio, her sexual orientation isn’t something to be ashamed of—it’s a special part of who she is.

Mendaglio credits John Fraser Secondary School’s Positive Space, a Gay Straight Alliance, with helping to boost her con fidence. “Students need a safe space so they can learn to be themselves and be comfort-able with who they are,” she says.

“Positive Space provides support, friendships and the opportunity to discuss current events related to our community. It’s helped me grow as a person.”

Now in grade 12, Mendaglio is the student leader of Positive Space and is highly involved in school life beyond the Gay Straight Alliance. In 2008, she joined the regional committee responsible for the Peel board’s first-ever Make Peel Proud con ference, which was held in Feb-ruary 2009. And she’s excited to be hosting the 2010 conference at John Fraser school: “This conference is a big step in the right direction for the Peel board—it makes me proud to be a student here.”

Mendaglio’s goal is to have alliances in all Ontario schools.

“These groups change lives—even save lives—by being that constant, unwavering reminder that we are not alone,” she insists. “There’s still a lot of discrimination and hate in the world, and schools play a role in eliminating it by creating welcoming, safe environments for all students.”

positive spaces inspire inclusiveness

• Gay Straight Alliances are student organizations that provide a safe, supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning youth and allies.

• There are 23 Gay Straight Alliance groups in Peel secondary schools.

For more information about Gay Straight Alliances or the Make Peel Proud conference, contact Mary Samuel, equity officer, at 905-890-1010/1-800-668-1146 ext. 2114.


briarwood public school fifth graders picture the future—and their place in itAsk Abed Hammamieh and Shukan Shah what a director of education looks like, and the extroverted fifth graders laugh, “Old, white hair, thick glasses and a big nose.” That description may be off-putting to some, but it doesn’t deter these 10-year-olds from aspiring to be leaders in education 40 years from now.

“I’ve wanted to be a teacher since grade 2,” Hammamieh insists. “But I don’t want to stop there. I want to be just like our principal Mr. Ballosingh. He’s funny, caring and makes friends with little kids.”

Shah is equally as passionate about becoming a director of education, “Mr. Ballosingh is cool and everything, but I want to be his boss,” says Shah. “When I’m director, I want to control things, like principals and how long recess is. My first rule will be to increase recess from 20 to 40 minutes.”

Hammamieh and Shah understand that they wouldn’t just be the “boss.” They understand the important roles that teachers, parents, other school staff and the entire community play in helping students reach their full potential. “I want to inspire students to believe in themselves and follow their dreams,” says Hammamieh. “Education is important because it teaches you to never give up.” And we know they won’t.

When I grow up


One of the Peel board’s projects is the implementation of six core character attributes. The attributes will be taught in school, but they are also the basis of our working relationships in schools and sites—they help to create a positive climate for learning and working.

To determine the core attributes, the board gained input from thousands of staff, students, parents, faith groups and the wider comm unity through online surveys and focus groups. Six attributes were selected as the core traits. These attributes clearly represent a consensus among all of our stakeholders about what’s most important, and they’re ones the Peel board has always valued:

Caring – showing compassion and kindness toward others

Cooperative – working collaboratively with others for a common purpose

Honest – being truthful, trustworthy and sincere in your speech and actions

Inclusive – treating everyone fairly and equitably

Respectful – treating others, your-self and the environment with high regard and value

Responsible – being accountable and reliable in your actions and commitments

Inspiring smiles with character education

Inclusive

Caring Respectful

Cooperative Responsible

Honest


2009-2010

20,000

1969

4,250

2019-2020

155,500108,500 elementary, 47,000 secondary

2009-2010

150,000106,000 elementary, 44,000 secondary

1969

50,000

2019-2020

261222 elementary, 39 secondary

2009-2010

235199 elementary, 36 secondary

1969

114

Schools

Students

Employees

by the numbers


Documents

Celebrating 40 years PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD REPORT TO ... report... · The Peel board’s award-winning Take One Step wellness website features ... ext. 2012. Investing in our