Director's Annual Report 2022
The Director's Annual Report for 2022 covers the 2021-2022 school year and provides a view into the many amazing things happening in our schools and our school board.
A sampling of stories is highlighted here in the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board Director's Report.
Messages from the Director of Education and the Chairperson of the Board
“Serving as Director of Education with the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board is a sincere privilege for which I remain truly grateful. The caring and dedication of our staff, the energy and joy our students bring to learning, makes me smile every day.
With our Annual Report for 2022, we once again take pride in sharing our journey over the past year, and celebrating all that makes KPR such a special place.
Our staff continue to lead our way forward, and with the help of the families, countless volunteers, and partners we serve, we are heartened by their tireless care and compassion for our students.
To all our staff, we thank you once again for building places of learning that are rich and engaging for our students, that are clean, safe and make students feel like they belong."
Rita Russo, Director of Education
"It is with sincere pleasure and great pride that, on behalf of my Trustee colleagues on the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, we share a sampling of the incredible accomplishments of our students and staff over the past year.
Although 2022 began with a continuation of the COVID protocols from the last couple of years, the situation gradually shifted. Last spring and this fall have brought our students and staff together to share, once again, the many experiences inside and outside the classroom that build lifelong memories for everyone.
While each year will bring its own amount of challenge, we truly believe that our students' educational experiences are improved immeasurably by being with their friends and peers at school. This year has marked a long-awaited return to those days.
As always, we extend our sincere thanks to our passionate and dedicated staff who lead learning for our students, and foster their success. We are also grateful to the many community volunteers, bus drivers and crossing guards who support our students and enrich our schools each day."
Steve Russell, Chairperson of the Board
Supporting Student Wellness and Success through Relationship and Connection #WeAreKPR
Using a collaborative, trauma-informed approach to mental health, Sharon Skutovich supports the psychological, emotional and social well-being of students, families and staff at Norwood District Intermediate and High School (NDIHS), Norwood District Public School and Havelock- Belmont Public School. Sharon’s practical, professional approach is appreciated by everyone she works with.
Bringing Indigenous Education and Learning to the Forefront
Kindergarten teachers Heather Searle and Jennifer Dunham are exploring new and meaningful ways to promote Indigenous Education with the students, staff and community at Charles Bowman Public School.
“At a time when Indigenous voices are getting louder, we felt compelled to do more beyond our own classrooms and make the Passport to Reconciliation a school-wide initiative and bring the monthly focus to the forefront this year.”
Early Literacy = Early Success
For our youngest learners, learning to read and write requires thoughtful and intentional instruction. Students in Sue Girard’s Grade 1 class at North Shore Public School last school year focused on building a strong foundation in literacy and increasing their confidence as learners.
“We start off with letters and sounds. How do we match that sound to the letter. How do we print the letter? Then, we move into blending and segmenting, and two- and three-letter words,” says Ms. Girard.
Small Group Learning Supports Special Education Students
Last April, KPR began offering Primary Communications Classes to support students in learning, socializing and communicating effectively, while continuing to have opportunities for inclusion with their peers and in schoolwide activities.
The Primary Communications Class is a small-class placement for students in Grades 1 to 3, who are experiencing significant challenges with communication and who are not achieving significant progress in the regular classroom setting.
Coding in Science and Math
We are committed to providing engaging learning for all students that builds the skills we know will help them succeed now and into the future. These 21st-century competencies include collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking and innovation.
An exciting area that students and staff are exploring together is the world of computer coding as part of new learning approaches in science and math.
Reducing Barriers to Learning with Chromebooks and De-streaming
Through KPR’s one-to-one initiative, secondary school students receive a Chromebook laptop for use in all subject areas for their entire secondary school career. Through a phased-in approach, this school year all secondary students in Grades 9, 10 and 11 have a Chromebook to support their learning. Students keep the Chromebooks until graduation, with a new group of Grade 9 students receiving Chromebooks each year. For the 2023–24 school year and into the future, all secondary students will have one.
Keeping Connections Strong in our Virtual School Community
While we continue to promote in-person learning as the
ideal model for students, KPR once again offered virtual
learning during the 2022–23 school year as an option for
families who prefer to have their children or teens learn
entirely online from home.
“The Virtual Elementary School (VES) has allowed
students, who otherwise would be unable to access the
regular school environment, the ability to experience success in a safe and vibrant learning atmosphere,” says Stephen Fisher, principal of VES.
Colborne PS Students Bringing Tech and STEM to the School Yard
Building on the success of KPR’s Take TECH! event in the fall of 2021, many of our schools were thrilled to participate in the Part 2 Take TECH! Intermediate Design Challenge this spring.
With over 37 classes across the board taking part, this special “Spring Edition” challenge invited students to explore innovative solutions to address a need or opportunity identified in their very own school. After identifying a need, students designed and built a prototype of a product that would support that need using the toolkit and materials provided to each participating class.
Gaining Skills to Succeed in a Digital World
As digital technology integrates into more and more aspects
of our daily lives, skills in computer science, coding and
STEM are becoming increasingly important for our students.
This year, all female-identifying students in Grades 6
to 9 were invited to participate in an after-school coding
program, offered in partnership by Hackergal and KPR’s
Virtual Coding Club. Students from 64 KPR schools took
part in this exciting opportunity.
The club was held virtually every Thursday afternoon
and was hosted by Heidi McFadden and Autumn Hanak,
two Grade 9 students from Thomas A. Stewart Secondary
School who share a passion for text-based coding.
Literacy and Numeracy Coaches in KPR – Supporting Student Success
In support of KPR’s Board Action Plan, Literacy and Numeracy Coaches work alongside educator colleagues to provide instruction and assessment that is authentic, culturally relevant and responsive, supporting the development of differentiated intensive support in reading and math.
Coaches collaborate daily with colleagues in classrooms to support student learning and success, and to model, coplan, co-teach and co-debrief student learning and decisions about instruction.
Building Relationships and Cultivating Community through Indigenous Student Engagement
KPR’s Indigenous Education Department had a very successful and purposeful year filled with meaningful learning, partnership, growth and new opportunities for students across all grade levels.
For many years, Indigenous Student Workers (ISW) have played a foundational role in KPR’s ongoing commitment to honour Indigenous knowledge, culture, perspective and history. In 2022, KPR was pleased to expand this important program and increase support for Indigenous students.
Building Connection, Engagement and Community at Adam Scott CVI
As a teaching and learning organization, we continually seek to educate ourselves on the lived experiences, diversities and identities of our students and staff. We know there is much work to do and our focus remains on creating safe, inclusive environments where everyone feels seen and heard.
Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational Institute has taken
thoughtful steps towards building a culture of inclusion
through peer mentorship and connection at their school.
This spring, the school introduced a Student of Colour
Association (SOCA) after staff members came together
looking for a way to improve support for racialized students
and students that identify as visible minorities.
Bringing Mindfulness to Literacy Learning
By bringing mindfulness and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) into the classroom, many of our schools are seeing positive results with students’ literacy skills. The MindUP program is currently being implemented at 22 KPR schools, where Early Intervention Teachers (EITs) are using evidence-based curriculum to help children develop knowledge and tools to manage stress, regulate emotions and face challenges with optimism, resilience and compassion.
EITs have been intentionally integrating opportunities for students to apply SEL skills during small-group reading instruction. Educators are focused on supporting student learning about self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. Read the full story here
EDI in Action at Dale Road Senior Public School
At KPR, we understand that cultivating a safe, caring and inclusive learning environment requires intentional and ongoing efforts. At Dale Road Senior Public School, students and staff are committed to taking action and actively working together to integrate these values into the school community through their Genders & Sexualities Alliances (GSA).
Opening Doors to New Pathways with Continuing Education
Alternative and Continuing Education programs offer a wide range of opportunities for students of all ages to continue their educational journey at KPR.
Whether adult learners are looking to complete or upgrade their high school credits, or current JK–Grade12 students are looking to enrich their school experience, they are supported with their learning needs, goals and aspirations through our alternative and continuing education programming.
A Recipe for Student Success
Students entering Grades 11 and 12 were invited to 
participate in a unique opportunity this summer to earn
a high school credit and a college credit simultaneously
through KPR’s Culinary Dual Credit Program.
As part of the School-College-Work Initiative (SCWI), the
dual credit program is a co-operative effort between school
boards and colleges in Ontario to assist students in making
a seamless transition from secondary school to college or
apprenticeship.
Advancing Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility at KPR
In May 2022, KPR’s Commissioner’s Office of Human Rights, Equity & Accessibility (COHREA) was formed as a resource for all members of the Board community. It provides human rights education, information, assistance and advice in fostering and supporting an inclusive culture, free of discrimination and harassment.
More than 20 school boards in the province now have a human rights office.
Learn more about the important work of COHREA in this short video
Remembrance Day at Lydia Trull PS
Students in the Learning and Life Skills Class at Lydia Trull Public School had a special Remembrance Day experience this year. They learned about being a Canadian Military Reservist from Jordan Bate, who is also an Educational Assistant at the school.
Enriching our Communities through the Arts
Zaria Nelson - Recipient of Arthur
Hiller Award
Congratulations to KPR alumni and former Adam Scott CVI student, Zaria Nelson, who has been named a recipient of the 2022 Arthur Hiller Award for Admission to the Cinema Studies Institute at Innis College at the University of Toronto. This award is given to outstanding racialized and minoritized undergraduate students newly enrolled in the Cinema Studies program.
Welcoming Newcomers and Refugees
Canada has a strong tradition of welcoming refugees and newcomers, and so does KPR. In the last eight years, approximately 500 students have come to our schools as refugees, having fled war, violence, conflict or persecution. We have welcomed these students and thousands more newcomers from around the world, including Ukraine, Russia, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Cuba, Djibouti, Mexico, Eritrea, Chad and many more.
Turning up the Volume on KPR’s Student Voice
In November, KPR’s Student Leadership Group (SLG) attended a retreat and team-building session to connect with each other and dive deeper into their goals and priorities for the 2022–23 school year.
The SLG is a committee of student representatives from
each KPR secondary school that solicit, gather and collate
feedback from their student populations. As a group, the
SLG uses this information and works together to identify
common issues, priorities and concerns that are then
communicated to the Board by the Student Trustees.
Lunch Buddies at Clarington Central SS
The Lunch Buddies Club at Clarington Central Secondary School has been running since the school opened. The program pairs up students in the Learning and Life Skills (LLS) program with other students in the school. Coordinated for many years by teacher Bruce Rutherford before his retirement and now supported by Reagan MacDonald and Sarah Hegarty, this program promotes inclusion and provides opportunities for students to enhance their social skills.