O•S•C•A•R© Shop Your Local! - Old Ottawa South
O•S•C•A•R© Shop Your Local! - Old Ottawa South
O•S•C•A•R© Shop Your Local! - Old Ottawa South
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Page 28<br />
Kathy Ablett, R.N. Chair<br />
of the Board & Trustee<br />
Zone 9 Capital/River<br />
Wards Telephone: 526-<br />
9512<br />
OCCSB TRUSTEE REPORT<br />
Remembrance Day<br />
There were many different<br />
ceremonies held at all of our<br />
schools as students and staff<br />
observed two minutes of silence.<br />
The Board welcomed Major Jean<br />
Paul Pendergast from the Princess<br />
Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.<br />
The Major shared the history of<br />
Remembrance Day, an annual funeral<br />
for Canada’s war dead and a special<br />
celebration to honour veterans of<br />
foreign wars and peacekeeping<br />
missions. In a touching tribute, Major<br />
Pendergast shared personal pictures<br />
and stories of fallen friends.<br />
Student Trustees read cards from<br />
students to be shared with the Major’s<br />
comrades-in-arms. On behalf of the<br />
Board, Chairperson Kathy Ablett<br />
thanked Major Pendergast pointing out<br />
that members of the Canadian Armed<br />
Services have sacrificed and continue<br />
to sacrifice to ensure freedom for all.<br />
The OSCAR - OUR 36 th YEAR<br />
“PUTTING STUDENTS FIRST”<br />
Cooperative Negotiating Teams<br />
Achieve Success<br />
Negotiating teams from the Board<br />
and employee unions have been hard<br />
at work to two months discussing<br />
salaries and benefits using the<br />
Government’s Provincial Discussion<br />
Table guidelines.<br />
The Board has completed<br />
negotiations and reached four-year<br />
agreements with the following<br />
employee groups:<br />
CUPE 2357 (School and<br />
office support staff) – Ratified by<br />
membership on November 5 and<br />
approved by the Board November 11<br />
OECTA (Teachers) – Ratification<br />
by membership expected, approved<br />
by the Board November 11<br />
OPSEU <strong>Local</strong> 423 (part time ESL<br />
instructors) – Ratified by membership<br />
November 4 and approved by the<br />
Board November 11<br />
OECTA Occasional (Occasional<br />
teachers) – Ratification by membership<br />
expected, approved by the Board<br />
November 11<br />
CUPE <strong>Local</strong> 3689 (ESL teachers)<br />
– Ratification by membership<br />
expected, approved by the board<br />
November 11<br />
Unite Here, <strong>Local</strong> 272 (Caretakers<br />
and Trades) – Ratified by membership<br />
September 28, approved by the Board<br />
October 14<br />
Chairperson Kathy Ablett said,<br />
“On behalf of the Board, I want to<br />
thank you for a job well done. The<br />
teams have worked in an amiable<br />
manner, finishing on schedule with<br />
agreements that satisfy all parties.<br />
Congratulations!”<br />
Behaviour Focus Committee<br />
Superintendent Simone Oliver,<br />
and Behaviour Focus Committee<br />
Chairperson, Cindy Bissonnette,<br />
reported on the findings of their<br />
examination of current resources and<br />
programs dedicated to students with<br />
behaviour issues. The committee also<br />
investigated practices in other boards<br />
with a focus on exemplary practices.<br />
The goal of the committee is<br />
to continue to build supports for<br />
the student that may be disengaged<br />
and vulnerable because of his or her<br />
behaviour.<br />
The committee recommended<br />
seven “next steps”:<br />
1. Social Skills Intervention<br />
DEC 2008<br />
Program Pilot – students at the<br />
intermediate level at two schools will<br />
participate in a social skills program<br />
led by clinical staff, in collaboration<br />
with educational staff.<br />
2. Behaviour programs and<br />
classes/program standardization<br />
– ensure that there is a consistent<br />
approach to assessment and skills<br />
taught across the system.<br />
3. Parenting programs to be<br />
offered to discuss effective strategies<br />
to eliminate and/or reduce problematic<br />
behaviour.<br />
4. Improve communication<br />
between schools and parents of<br />
students attending behaviour classes<br />
and programs.<br />
5. Increase the number of students<br />
supported by the itinerant Primary and<br />
Junior Behaviour Programs.<br />
6. Increase the amount of<br />
professional development for all<br />
7. Interdepartmental collaboration<br />
and planning – The Special Education<br />
and Student Services Department will<br />
continue to work with the Student<br />
Success Department to implement best<br />
practices in the area of programming<br />
and transition planning for the<br />
behaviorally challenged students.<br />
Corpus Christi<br />
Help Lesotho – Advent Project:<br />
This project is in its second year. Help<br />
Lesotho is an excellent example of<br />
“Caring For God’s Creation” which<br />
is the Board’s spiritual theme this<br />
year. Corpus Christi Catholic School<br />
is twinned with Katlehong Primary<br />
School, which is an 800-student<br />
elementary school with a staff of 8.<br />
Corpus Christi is the sole financial<br />
support of this facility located in<br />
Lesotho, high in the mountains of<br />
Thaba Tseka. Best wishes on such a<br />
Cont’d on next page
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