December OSCAR - Old Ottawa South

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Kathy Ablett, R.N.
Trustee Zone 9
Capital/River Wards
Telephone: 526-9512
Corpus Christi School
Help Lesotho Update: Help
Lesotho is an organization
that was created to help the
people of Lesotho, Africa. Through
this organization Corpus Christi was
twinned with Katlehong Primary
School, and for several years our
students have worked hard to raise
funds to support the 900 students
attending Katlehong. Last year was
a very special year with regards to
our fundraising efforts, as our entire
school community worked together to
raise $30,000. This accomplishment
means that Corpus Christi has
collected more funds than any other
school in the history of Help Lesotho.
The students and staff of Katlehong
are grateful and excited about the
plans. Way to go Corpus Christi!
We are blessed to be a part of such a
caring and generous community.
Mark your calendars for Friday,
November 25! Corpus Christi Staff
and School Council will be hosting a
Chili Supper and Family Dance. Come
on out for a family evening of good
food and lots of fun for everyone! The
The OSCAR - OUR 38 th YEAR
OCCSB TRUSTEE REPORT
“PUTTING STUDENTS FIRST”
evening’s entertainment will include
a cake auction and DJ. We will also
have an update from Help Lesotho on
how Corpus Christi’s donations to our
twin school in Lesotho are making
a huge impact. Funds raised from
the evening will go to support our
twinned school, Katlehong Primary,
and School Council activities.
Immaculata High School
Immaculata is gearing up for a
very busy November and December.
We will be welcoming the Unity
Cross at the end of November as well
as working to prepare for the District
Review on December 6. Earlier
in November some of our students
participated in the Torch for Life relay
for organ donation.
Immaculata has hosted its very
first ‘Immaculata Film Festival’ (IFF)
event. Students were encouraged to
submit a film earlier in November
and the IFF evening was held on
November 17th. Films were viewed
and awards presented. In all, a very
successful event.
Thank you to all students who
bring energy, motivation and optimism
to all of our school’s initiatives.
Honours and Awards
Committee Update
The Board approved a new
Director of Education Award for
Academic Perseverance in the
amount of $1,000 for each of the 15
high schools and one for St. Nicholas
Adult High School.
The Board increased the value of
the Distinguished Catholic Alumni
Award from $1000 to $5000, effective
for the 2012 recipient.
Shauna Mullally is our 2011
Distinguished Catholic Alumni Award
recipient. For information on Shauna’s
remarkable achievements, please visit
http://www.ottawacatholicschools.ca/
content.php?doc=7319
Improving Student Learning by
Refining Teaching Practice
The Student Success –
Intermediate/Secondary team led
by Superintendent Manon Séguin
presented the Board’s strategy for
Collaborative Inquiry Learning
– Mathematics (CIL-M). CIL-M
works to develop a job-embedded
professional learning framework to
improve student achievement and
teacher’s instruction in mathematics.
The process encourages teachers
to co-plan, co-teach, and follow up
their lesson plans in small groups.
This method develops and supports
an important network among
teachers, principals, vice-principals,
consultants and learning partners
across the system. This strategy
Southside
No Hibernating
at Southside Preschool!
By Sheryl Hamilton
While it may be more difficult
for us adults, making
the transition from fall to
winter has been lots of fun for the
children at Southside Preschool. The
spooky haunted house that the children
in the After School and Senior
Kinders programs created out of
boxes for Hallowe’en was turned inside
out and has become a life-sized
bear den for winter. Children in the
Senior and Junior Kinders programs
have been proudly labeling and putting
up photographs of their family
members on the new Family Wall.
Cooking their own treats like apple
sauce and apple crisp has produced
a wonderful sense of achievement in
our young chefs. And in the Nursery
School, the children have been
(rightly) asking: why should dress
up only be for Hallowe’en?
The children’s interests always
shape the learning activities at
DEC 2011
focuses on the mathematical thinking
of students providing substantial
learning for both new and experienced
teachers.
Board Improvement Plan for
Student Achievement 2011-2012
The Board’s Improvement Plan
is developed with input from all
departments. The plan addresses
goals in the following four Ministry
pillars:
• Community, Culture and Caring
• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Pathways
The four pillars align perfectly
with the goals already established
under the Board Priorities – Success
for Students. The needs assessment
used to develop the goals incorporated
data from many sources, including:
School Improvement Plans, report
card data, school climate surveys,
EQAO results, District Review
results, and anecdotal evidence.
In closing, I would like to take this
opportunity to wish you a peaceful
and joyous Christmas and continued
success in the New Year.
If, at any time, I can be of
assistance to you please do not
hesitate to call me at 526-9512.
Sincerely,
Kathy Ablett
“Your Trustee”
Southside and it turns out we have a
group of very avid new readers. We
now feature a Kinders reading nook
and book wall where every child
who attempts to read a book places a
piece of coloured paper on the wall
with the book title and their name.
The blizzard of colours we now
have on our book wall is inspiring
for the children (not to mention for
the parents and teachers)!
The teachers and parents at Southside
are currently collecting new
mittens, scarves and hats for donation
to the York Street Public
School. The children at York Street
are always appreciative of the generosity
of the Southside community
and while sharing is a value celebrated
every day at Southside, this
project gives the children a chance
to extend its reach.
The teachers, parents and children
at Southside Preschool wish all of
you a very happy and safe holiday
season!