AnnuAl RepoRt 2010 - Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board

It is my pleasure to present theDirector’s Annual Report whichprovides exciting information aboutthe operation and activities ofthe Huron-Perth Catholic DistrictSchool Board in 2010. The reportcelebrates our success in faithdevelopment, student achievementand the effective use of ourfinancial resources.In 2009, Huron-Perth Catholic undertook a review ofour strategic direction. Through a series of surveys, focusgroups and feedback, people throughout our communityshared their experiences, hopes and beliefs for the gift ofCatholic education in Huron-Perth.We remain steadfast in our focus on student achievement.Our direction, “Realizing our Capacity” 2010-2013supports the academic work in schools, the teachings ofChrist and the gospel values that inspire us to see eachchild as a precious gift -- and a sacred responsibility.This publication demonstrates our Mission through system“voices” and highlights people in some of the initiatives,interactions, and accomplishments.You will see the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectationscome to life as you read of experiences that reflect ourgoals. Each story or quote represents the passion andcommitment to Catholic education and a true celebrationof “faith and learning”.There are so many people who contribute to the dailysuccess of our School Board. Our staffs do an outstandingjob every day and with the support of volunteers, parents,parish priests and community partners, they make adifference in the lives of the children in our schools.In closing, I wish to extend my thanks to the Board ofTrustees for their support of Catholic education in theHuron-Perth regions.We are truly a Catholic community committed toproviding the best possible education for our studentswithin an atmosphere where faith is central to ourpresence and celebrated each day.God Bless,Ontario CatholicGraduate ExpectationsCatholic education views human life as an integration of body,mind, and spirit. Rooted in this vision, Catholic educationfosters the search for knowledge as a lifelong spiritual andacademic quest. The expectations of Catholic graduates,therefore, are described not only in terms of knowledge andskills, but in terms of values, attitudes and actions.A discerning believer is formed in the Catholic Faithcommunity and celebrates the signs and sacredmystery of God’s presence through word, sacrament,prayer, forgiveness, reflection, and moral living.An effective communicator speaks, writes, and listenshonestly and sensitively, responding criticallyin light of gospel values.A reflective, creative, and holistic thinker solves problemsand makes responsible decisions with an informedmoral conscience for the common good.A self-directed, responsible, lifelong learner developsand demonstrates their God-given potential.A caring family member attends to family, school, parish,and the wider community.A responsible citizen gives witness to Catholic socialteachings by promoting peace, justice, and sacrednessof human life.A collaborative contributor finds meaning, dignity, andvocation in work which respects the rights of all andcontributes to the common good.Martha DutrizacDirector of Education2Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board — Annual Report 2010

A Caring FamilyMember…Over the past two years, students, staffmembers and adult volunteers fromthe St. Michael Catholic SecondarySchool community in Stratford havedemonstrated their willingness to becaring family members with a sharedcommitment to build homes in New Orleans.Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, many studentsand staff expressed a desire to travel to New Orleansand contribute to the re-building of homes that weredestroyed.For two consecutive years, dedicated schoolcommunity members have travelled to New Orleansto lend their hands, hearts and prayers to this beautifulcommunity.For the students and adults who have participated in theseexcursions, the experience has been life-changing. Our actions, ourwords and our attitudes are enriched when we reach out to others as caringfamily members – loving as God loves, and sharing life in communion with others.Catholic School Advisory CouncilsThe 2009-2010 Regional ParentInvolvement Committee organizedseveral gatherings of Catholic SchoolAdvisory Councils from across our system.Home-parish-school relationships, Equityand Inclusive Education in ourCatholic Schools, and 21st CenturyLearning Environments were justsome of the topics explored atthese gatherings.Catholic School Councilmembers joined systemleaders, trustees, priests anddeacons of the Huron-PerthDeanery at our annual DeaneryDinner.A Responsible Citizen…The Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board supportsOntario EcoSchools. This is an environmental educationprogram aimed at helping students in Grades 1 through12 to develop ecological literacy, while engaging inenvironmentally responsible practices.EcoSchools emphasizes the importance of studentsplaying an active role in our collective ecological health.Their involvement in the decision-making process is anopportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills andvalues needed to become responsible membersof a democratic society.As Jack in grade 3 at Precious Blood School inExeter states, “being good to the earth meansnot littering, composting, turning off the lights,using less gas by biking or walking and weshould enjoy the sun and the land.” Kristy andLauren in grade 7 adds, ”If we don’t protectour environment, then there won’t be aplace to live because there is no other placeSt. Anne’s Catholic Secondary Schoolintroduces Green Energy High SkillsMajorWe are proud to take a leadership role ineducating our youth in the possibilitiesof future energy production – from greenenergy, to energy conservation, to moreefficient processes for energy productionin Ontario. St. Anne’s Catholic SecondarySchool has been approved by the Ministryof Education to deliver another specializedprogram: the Energy Specialist High SkillsMajor (SHSM). The school is pleasedto have the support and endorsementof community partners such as CapitalPower, Penner Energy Services, Geo-Tech,Bruce Power Workers Union, Centre forApplied Renewable Energy, FanshaweCollege, Conestoga College and theTechnical Training Group in this excitingnew program.continued on page 6Faith and Learning...Celebrating the Journey5

that can sustain life. We can recycle, clean up, not use a lot of water and use ourremaining resources to the best of our ability.”The Eco-Club at St. Mary’s School in Goderich has been very busy this fallimplementing the plans for our Peace Garden. Involving kids teaches them totransform a wet, barren corner into a peaceful, attractive landscape.Religion and Family Life Coordinator, Lori Lynn Stapleton says that “we are calledto be like St. Francis of Assisi who is honoured by the Catholic Church as the patronsaint of animals and ecology. It is stated in various resources that his respect andappreciation for creation was so profound because it always led him to the Creator.We are truly called to be stewards of creation, rooted in Christ.”A Collaborative Contributor...Equity and inclusive education inHuron-Perth Catholic DSBThe Huron-Perth Catholic District SchoolBoard recognizes that all people arecreated equal, in the image of God, eachwith inimitable characteristics deservingof dignity. (Genesis 1:27)Our school board collaborated with29 other Catholic school boards, theOntario Conference of Catholic Bishops’Education Committee and the OntarioCatholic School Trustees’ Association todevelop their policy containing all of theattributes of the Ontario Human RightsCode, while remaining fully consistentwith the denominational rights of RomanCatholic School Boards as guaranteed inthe Canadian Constitution. Ourpolicy focuses on:• Respecting diversity• Promoting inclusive education• Identifying and eliminatingdiscriminatory biases andsystemic barriersThe committee has determinedshort-term, mid-term and longtermstrategies for a thoroughimplementation of our new policy,including anonymous school climatesurveys planned for Spring 2011.As principal of St. Mary’s School in Goderich, Mrs. Jackie Simpson takes great pridein watching her students shine with His love as they grow in their Catholic faith.“Last year we got serious about developing a number of clubs, and they’re reallymaturing this year,” says Mrs. Simpson.The Social Justice Club, an extension of St. Anne’s recently developed “Me to We”Club, began last year and has continued to develop and expand in recent months.St. Mary’s students attended a “Me to We” day conference alongside their St. Anne’scounterparts at the end of September and launched a “Wheels of Change” projectwhich encourages students to submit UPC codes. For every 100 codes submitted,a bike is purchased for a person in a Third World country. To date, St. Mary’s haspurchased 1½ bikes. Students also took part in a vow of silence to recognize thatthey want to be part of efforts thatchange the world for the better.The St. Mary’s Environmental Clubhas also worked tirelessly through thefall to turn a desolate corner of theschool playground into a welcomingPeace Garden.“My foyer was filled with plants untilmid-October,” grins Mrs. Simpson,reflecting on the development of theproject. “Students did the digging themselves, creatingraised beds and pathways. The community donated soil,mulch, stones and plants, and joined the students onThanksgiving weekend to complete the transformation.”Secondary Mathematics and Literacy Coaching FrameworkTo support our grade 9 and 10 students studying at the applied level, and particularly in response to students inour grade 9 applied math classes, we have instituted a Mathematics Coaching Project and Literacy CoachingProject in our secondary schools. As these projects unfold, the number of teachers trained in high-yieldinstructional strategies (e.g. Differentiated Instruction) will increase to support students at all levels of study.We are committed to ongoing analysis and monitoring of these projects and will re-direct resources wherenecessary to improve student achievement and outcomes.6Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board — Annual Report 2010

Full Day Kindergarten ProgramFour kindergarten teacher-Designated EarlyChildhood Educator teams are collaboratingto deliver the first year of Full Day Learning atSt. Ambrose School (Stratford) and St. Joseph’sSchool (Clinton). The 93 junior and seniorkindergarten students in these four classroomsattend school all day, every day. The teamsare working within an emergent curriculumapproach that supports a balance of play-basedlearning and academic preparation which valuesindividual child development. The educationalteams, which include the schools’ principals,are building partnerships with families and theircommunities to strengthen their programs andto better meet the needs of their young students.Infinite Horizons Gifted ProgramHuron-Perth Catholic DSB’s Infinite HorizonProgram provides enrichment opportunities forour identified gifted students from grade 4 tosecondary school. For the spring of 2010, acommittee of teachers developed a numberof unique and interesting activities for thesestudents at different venues with guest speakers.A session on perception and optical illusionsgave students an opportunity to experiencehow the human brain interprets what itsees. Students also explored equine nutrition,physiology and reproduction; the sciencebehind clay making; creating music throughlearning the foundations of music theoryand history and learning to play a musicalinstrument; culinary arts and fine dining; andthe world of DNA.Rachel R., a grade 8 student at St. BonifaceSchool in Zurich took part in the “School ofRock” while in grade 7.“I like how it was something I was passionateabout. I learned some valuable social skills, howto play guitar (it inspired my passion for theukulele) and it taught me some self-confidenceskills. I also have some valuable memories andmade some friends.”Celebrating Student AchievementSuperintendents Dan Parr and JoAnnMacGregor regularly visit schools to supportprincipals and teachers as part of our effortto provide specific and targeted help forthose students achieving below the level 3provincial standard. Continuous assessmentand monitoring of students allows educatorsto focus intently on those who are just belowthe provincial standard, i.e., ‘marker’ students.Teachers use one or more focused strategies ata time to support the marker students which,in turn, has benefitted other students’ learning,too. Ongoing professional learning for teachersis timely and differentiated based on theirstudent learning needs. After-school tutoring forstudents in grades 3 and 6 in the spring of 2010,allowed low achieving students to develophigher order thinking and communication skillsin small group settings. Summer literacy campsfor primary and junior low achieving studentsprovided a means to minimize regression ofnewly-acquired reading and writing skills overthe summer break.Celebrating Health and SafetyThe P.E.E.R. Pals Program (Peers Establishing EffectiveRelationships) delivers social skills training within classroomenvironments at six elementary schools (St. James, St. Mary’s[Goderich], Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Boniface, JeanneSauvé and Holy Name of Mary), as well as the training of twohundred older peers who run structured games at recess. Theprimary role of these PEER pals is to connect same-aged peers, while focusing on the strengths that each individualbrings to the group. Leadership teams at these schools, consisting of principals, teachers, educational assistants andparents, are instrumental in overseeing the program.Faith and Learning...Celebrating the Journey7

100%90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%0Grade 6 - Writing2004-05 2005-06 2006-072007-082008-09 2009-10Source: Data is sourced from the Education Quality andAccountability Office (EQAO) and is based on suppressed data,Method 1 (All Students).* Percentages are represented as a percent of all students(Method 1) within the context as per EQAO with suppressionrules applied.This report may not be published or used in any way that couldlead to the identification of an individual. This report may notbe used for any purposes other than stated in the originalrequest.100%90%80%70%60%Grade 6 - MathHighestHuron-Perth CDSBProvincial AverageLowest50%40%30%20%100%Grade 10 OSSLT (First-Time Eligible)10%02004-052005-062006-072007-082008-09 2009-1090%100%90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%0100%90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%Grade 9 - Academic Math2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08Grade 9 - Applied Math2008-09 2009-1080%70%60%50%2003-042004-052005-062006-072007-082008-09 2009-10Highest, Lowest and Provincial AverageEnglish-Language Board Level Resultsbased on percentage of studentsthat successfully passed the OntarioSecondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT),2003-04 to 2009-10Source: Data is sourced from theEducation Quality and AccountabilityOffice (EQAO) and is based onsuppressed data, Method 2 (AllParticipating Students).* Percentages are represented as a percentof all participating students (Method 2)within the context as per EQAO withsuppression rules applied.Mathematics Differentiated InstructionNetworkThe staff at Huron-Perth Catholic DistrictSchool Board continues to focus ontrying to meet the learning needs of allstudents in our inclusive classrooms. Themathematics curriculum in particularcan be a challenge for many students. Anetwork of teachers has come togetherto build teacher capacity by focusingon effective instructional strategies topromote mathematics engagementand learning for all students. Thisgroup meets on a regular basis to plandifferentiated math lessons to be testedin their classrooms and shared withother teachers across the system. JessicaLangan, a grade 6/7 teacher at OurLady of Mount Carmel School is seeingresults and says, “Students with a varietyof abilities can now feel good abouta subject that many have traditionallystruggled with. I am now thinking aboutmath in a new and exciting way…thestudents see this and they are loving it!”02004-052005-062006-072007-082008-09 2009-10Faith and Learning...Celebrating the Journey9

Achievement Levels for Students with SpecialNeeds (excluding gifted students)Level 3 and above over the past 5 years100806040200100806040200100806040200Grade 37058 5751 48 5260505842 443742271621 19 31 22 20 35 25 37 20 35 27 40 36 27 45 372005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10Reading Writing Mathematics % ProvinceGrade 652 5142 4236 3122 17 21 24 17 21 274939 3742321928 23 29 28 24 342005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-0971Reading Writing Mathematics % ProvinceGrade 947826350 4928 58 28 57 27446463 30 6549462631 242009-102005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10Math AppliedMath Academic%Province333310072QUICK FAQsCount Total FTE TotalElementary Students 3,216 2,911Secondary Students 1,564 1,527Total: 4,780 4,438Elementary Schools: 16Secondary Schools: 2Employees: 530Board Area: 6,000 sq. km.2010-2011 Budget: $53,554,379Percentage of classesin Huron-Perth Catholicthat have 20 students or fewer 93%Percentage of secondarystudents that havecompleted 16 credits as ofJune 30 of theirsecond year in high school 95%Ministry of Education Operational ReviewDuring the year the Board had an operationalreview. The goal of the operational review was toenhance management capacity within School Boardsand identify areas for improvement to support thegovernment priority of student achievement. Thereport indicates that the Board has adopted manyof the leading practices found across the province.The areas of strength included effective workingrelationships between the Board and School BoardAdministration, the budget development process,interim financial reporting and a focus ontimely maintenance of Board’s schoolfacilities. The full report is posted on theBoard’s website.Grade 3 Grade 6 Grade 9 MathReading Writing Math Reading Writing Math Applied AcademicF M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M2005-2006 87 70 82 60 84 76 85 70 86 58 82 77 47 66 80 702006-2007 78 63 74 49 83 78 78 69 79 53 68 71 47 54 70 842007-2008 75 64 80 70 76 79 86 69 83 58 74 66 54 52 81 862008-2009 67 76 78 70 77 81 81 73 81 57 73 67 39 43 78 832009-2010 75 68 82 66 76 76 84 72 86 60 67 58 39 53 84 87F - Female M - Male10Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board — Annual Report 2010

Consolidated Statement of Operationsfor the year ended August 31, 2010ExpensesHuron-Perth Catholic District School BoardConsolidated Statement of Operationsfor the year ended August 31, 2010.RevenueLocal Taxation (10.9%) $ 7,672,385 10.9%Provincial Grants - Student Focused Funding (60.2%) 42,231,066 60.2%Provincial Grants - Capital Debt Support (22.1%) 15,473134 22.1%Other Provincial Grants (3.8%) 2,681,313 3.8%Investment Income & Other Revenue (.3%) 195,504 0.3%School Fundraising (2.7%) 1,915,320 2.7%Total Revenue $ 70,168,722 100.0%Consolidated Statement of Operationsfor the year ended August 31, 2010RevenuesExpensesInstruction (68.4%) $ 37,795,065 68.4%Administration (4.7%) 2,601,388 4.7%Transportation (8.9%) 4,906,499 8.9%School Operations and Maintenance (7.3%) 4,023,321 7.3%Pupil Accommodation (2.7%) 1,474,724 2.7%Other Expenses (.5%) 300,715 0.5%Depreciation (4.1%) 2,263,355 4.1%School Funded Activities (3.4%) 1,860,694 3.4%Total Expenses $ 55,225,761 100.0%Annual Surplus/(Deficit) $ 14,942,961Financial Highlights of the Year• In 2010 the Board implemented Public Sector Accounting BoardRequirements (PSAB) for financial statement presentation and theintroduction of tangible capital assets. These changes are noted in theconsolidated financial statements of the Board. The introduction ofthese tangible capital assets requires the Board to record and amortizethe capital cost over its useful life as a depreciation charge in thefinancial statements. In prior years capital additions were expensed inthe year of acquisition or construction.Ministry of Education Efficiency and EffectivenessReviewThe Board received a report regarding the Ministry ofEducation Efficiency and Effectiveness Review of theHuron-Perth Student Transportation Services. As aresult of the review the Consortium has been rated asa moderate to high consortium resulting in additionalfunding to the Board of $235,733. The reviewevaluated four (4) areas of performance includingConsortium Management, Policies and Practices,Routing and Technology Use, and ContractingPractices.• Total revenue for the year was 70.2 million dollars with expenses of55.2 million dollars. This resulted in an annual surplus of 14.9 milliondollars. A major portion of the surplus is a provincial grant of 15.5million dollars which represents the province’s assumption of theBoard’s outstanding capital debt.• Included in its annual surplus is an operational deficit of $67, 823. Thisreduces the total operational surplus (formerly referred to as the Board’sWorking Fund Reserve) to $667,947.• Salaries and wages continue to comprise the majority of the Board’sexpenditures accounting for 38.7 million dollars or 70% of the Board’sexpenditures.Copies of the Board’s annual budget and audited financial statements areavailable on the Board’s website or by calling (519) 345-2440.To view a copy of the Board’s Strategy in Action please go towww.huronperthcatholic.caFaith and Learning...Celebrating the Journey11