March 10, 2008 | Vol. 20, No. 09

WHAT'S INSIDE?

Don't Miss Your Chance to Submit Nominations for the OPSBA Awards Program
OPSBA Calls for Policy Resolutions & Constitutional Amendments from Member Boards
20^th AGM & PROGRAM 2008
OPSBA Releases Governance Resource Document
OPSBA in the Media
Ministry of Education UPDATE
In the LEGISLATURE
School Boards Need Copyright Law Clarified
Join Your Provincial Partners for CSBA Congress 2008!
ESAO Newsletter, March 2008 - Premiere Edition
Spirit of Mandela Week 2008
Calendar of Events

Don't Miss Your Chance to Submit Nominations for the OPSBA Awards Program

The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association's Awards Program strives to recognize some of the outstanding contributions made to the public education system by individuals across Ontario. 

It’s not too late to nominate a student, teacher or trustee you would like to recognize for making a difference.

Complete information about the awards, including the nomination form and terms of reference, is available online. Please take a few moments to review this online information. The OPSBA Awards are:

The Jack A. MacDonald Award of Merit — recognizes the achievements of an outstanding student for a sound academic record and outstanding community service and leadership.

The Fred L. Bartlett Memorial Award — presented to an active or retired member of the teaching profession for an outstanding contribution to education throughout Ontario, including activities such as constructive participation in education affairs over a number of years or recent participation in a specific project that has had a significant impact.

The Dr. Harry Paikin Award of Merit — awarded to an active or retired public school trustee for outstanding service.

Achievement Award and Award of Excellence — recognizes the outstanding contributions of non-teaching staff, parents, volunteers and community partners from Member Boards. This award provides an opportunity to raise awareness and to promote the importance of celebrating excellence. It also emphasizes the importance of recognizing the contributions of all members of the education community.

The Bernardine Yackman Memorial Award — awarded for dedication, commitment and an outstanding contribution to education with special recognition for Northern Ontario service. The deadline for nominations for this particular award is September 12, 2008

All nominations, except for the Bernardine Yackman Memorial Award, must be received at the OPSBA office no later than 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 18, 2008.

For the Bernardine Yackman Memorial Award, the nomination deadline is September 12, 2008.

See
OPSBA Awards

For more information: Mary Adams-Cuffy, Awards Coordinator, ext.101

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OPSBA Calls for Policy Resolutions & Constitutional Amendments from Member Boards

Policy Resolutions - Submission by Thursday, April 3, 2008
Thursday, April 3 is the deadline for OPSBA member boards to submit policy resolutions for consideration by the general membership at the 2008 OPSBA Annual General Meeting. Policy resolutions from member boards assist OPSBA in its annual process of review and setting of work priorities, developing policies and establishing future directions.

Policy resolutions should reflect the corporate position of a member school board and address issues that have provincial implications. Proposals for action by OPSBA should be clearly identified as part of the backgrounder or within the resolution. Policy resolutions received at OPSBA by April 3 will be reviewed by Executive Council, which acts as a Policy Resolutions Review Committee, and presented to the Board of Directors for information at their April meeting.

In accordance with the OPSBA Constitution, policy resolutions may also be presented from the floor of the Annual General Meeting, but are subject first to obtaining the approval of two thirds of the delegates at the AGM to consider the new resolution. Once the approval to consider the resolution has been obtained, the board representative (delegate) who has introduced the new resolution must provide copies of the resolution in writing for every delegate.

Constitutional Amendments - Submission by Monday, March 31, 2008
Each year, member school boards have an opportunity to submit proposals for constitutional amendments for consideration by the Board of Directors. The deadline for submission this year is Monday, March 31, in order to allow time for staff and legal counsel to review the proposals and to prepare wording before submission to the Board of Directors for consideration at their April 28-29, 2008 meeting. Constitutional amendments are approved by the Board of Directors and then forwarded to the OPSBA Annual General Meeting for confirmation in June by a two-thirds vote. The amendments will be effective when confirmed by at least two-thirds of the votes cast at the Annual General Meeting.

In many cases, when a constitutional amendment is proposed, it is referred to a specially formed committee for study and careful consideration of the full impact of the proposed change. That committee’s recommendation(s) would be provided in time for the following year’s process,  i.e. consideration by the Board of Directors in April, and if approved, forwarded to the Annual General Meeting for confirmation by the delegates.

A guide to submitting policy resolutions, including a sample submission form is available online.

The OPSBA Constitution and By Laws document, which was last amended in June 2007, is also available online on the OPSBA website.

Please send submissions, including a clear rationale/background and the proposed Constitutional change, to OPSBA by mail, fax or e-mail to the attention of Florenda Tingle, Executive Coordinator.

See
A guide to submitting policy resolutions
OPSBA Constitution and By Laws

For more information: Florenda Tingle, Executive Coordinator, ext.108

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20^th AGM & PROGRAM 2008
Thursday, 12 — Sunday, 15 June, 2008

Sheraton on the Falls Hotel and Conference Centre
5875 Falls Avenue, Niagara Falls, Ontario

HOSTED BY OPSBA’S CENTRAL WEST REGION

NETWORK whilst celebrating our 20^th Anniversary!

At the AGM, we will determine our priorities and directions for the coming year, elect our officers and plan for the future. This event also includes a comprehensive professional development program of stimulating, challenging, and inspiring speakers and in-depth workshops, as well as abundant networking opportunities for trustees.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Dr. MICHAEL THOMPSON — psychologist, school consultant, an internationally renowned speaker and author or co-author of seven books, including the New York Times bestseller, “Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys.”

DAVID WARLICK — Our Students • Our Worlds
This presentation, by 30+ year educator, author, and technologist, will explore some of the changes and challenges in education and arrange them as a set of converging conditions that will provide direction for retooling our classrooms for the 21st century.

THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF ONTARIO, HONOURABLE DAVID ONLEY

WORKSHOPS

• Safe Schools
• Energy
• Update on Current Legal Issues

More to follow ….

Interesting trips and activities are being planned by the Region.  More information to follow on confirmation.

Make plans now to attend!

Welcome reception:  Thursday, 12 June 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
Conference ends:  Sunday, 15 June 2008 at 11:30 a.m.

Watch OPSBA’s Fast Reports for regular updates and future announcements.

The Registration Form and the Preliminary Program will be available online in April.

For more information: Gail Anderson, Executive Director, ext.109; Ernesta Graham,Events Coordinator, ext.115; or Susan Weinberg, Policy & Professional Development Coordinator, ext.128

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OPSBA Releases Governance Resource Document

The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association has published OPSBA on Good Governance:  A Resource Guide.

The Association’s Policy Development Work Team has been working for months collecting and comparing member board policies on governance, decision-making, policy development, strategic planning, codes of ethics, accountability and transparency and trustee professional development. The Work Team presented its document to the OPSBA Board of Directors in November 2007.  Between November 2007 and the end of February 2008, member boards have had the opportunity to review and comment on the proposed Resource Document. The OPSBA Board of Directors endorsed the document, with only minor typographical amendments, at its meeting on March 1, 2008. 

OPSBA on Good Governance: A Resource Guide is intended to provide member boards with information and ideas about effective governance mechanisms.

Printed copies will be distributed to member boards shortly. OPSBA on Good Governance: A Resource Guide is also available online.

See
OPSBA on Good Governance: A Resource Guide

For more information: Cynthia Andrew, Legislative & Policy Analyst, ext.112

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OPSBA in the Media

Canada's other two solitudes
LETTER TO THE EDITOR, Toronto Star, March 12, 2008  

Re: Reserve won't get new school, despite YouTube campaign
March 10

A long list of schools needs to be built on First Nations reserves, and Attawapiskat, on James Bay, just got bumped off the list because needs are greater elsewhere. The children here have been promised a real school instead of makeshift portables for eight years. They are in portables because a diesel spill left their environment toxic.

One can only imagine how low the health and safety standards on a reserve school must fall to qualify to get back on the list. Meanwhile these children are confronting a bitter life lesson: The government of Canada doesn't care.

The parents refuse such a fate for their children. They have raised their voices, written letters and signed petitions. MP Charlie Angus has joined their campaign.

June Callwood once said: "If any of you happens to see an injustice, you are no longer a spectator, you are a participant. And you have an obligation to do something." The rest of Canada needs to stop watching injustice and get behind this campaign. What parent in Waterloo or Oakville or Toronto would tolerate sending their child to a contaminated school or to portables for eight solid winters in Arctic temperatures?

As a First Nations reserve, this community is condemned to lower standards of education, and an appallingly slow and deceitful litany of promises for a real school by a succession of ministers. What we do to stand up for communities such as Attawapiskat speaks volumes in terms of their importance to us and offers their children, all children, a different life lesson.

Catherine Fife, Vice-president, Ontario Public School Boards' Association

For more information: Jeff Sprang, Director of Communications, ext.111

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Ministry of Education UPDATE

Ministry of Education / Ministry of Health Promotion, Letter re Healthy Schools Recognition Program
Memorandum 2008: SB 3 re Cost Study Funding Enhancement Adjustments
Memorandum 2008: SB 4 re Fuel Costs

Memo Summary: February 2008

See
http://cal2.edu.gov.on.ca/feb08.html

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In the LEGISLATURE

Ontario Legislative Assembly to Commence Spring Sittings – 2008 Budget Date Set

The Ontario Legislative Assembly will resume regular sittings again on March 17, 2008, after the winter recess. Finance Minister Dwight Duncan has announced that the provincial budget will be tabled in the Legislature on March 25, 2008. 

OPSBA’s Fast Reports will continue to provide a synopsis of activities and issues from the Ontario Legislature. For trustees and school board administration who wish more detailed and timely information, OPSBA provides a daily report which is distributed to subscribers by email. This daily report contains excerpts from the daily Hansard reports of the Ontario Legislature, usually within 24 hours of the days sitting. To subscribe to the report, send an email to candrew@opsba.org

For more information: Cynthia Andrew, Legislative & Policy Analyst, ext.112

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School Boards Need Copyright Law Clarified

The second of five information bulletins on the issue of Copyright Reform is now available.  The first bulletin was included in Fast Reports, February 11 edition.

This second bulletin focuses on the need for clarity in copyright legislation so that school boards, students and teachers are certain about what they are permitted to do and what activities are restricted when it comes to the Internet. The Canadian School Boards' Association, and other national educational organizations, are asking the government to make it clear that educational use of publicly available Internet material is not an infringement of copyright. 

These bulletins provide valuable information for trustees and educators to learn about the issue and to use in local conversations with federal MPs. 

See
Education Organizations Need Clarity in Canada's New Copyright Law

For more information: Cynthia Andrew, Legislative & Policy Analyst, ext.112

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Join Your Provincial Partners for CSBA Congress 2008!

The CSBA Congress 2008, Teach Our Children Well, will be held from July 3 to 5 in Regina, Saskatchewan. Special guests and keynote speakers include:

• Catriona Le May – Olympic speed skater and Gold Medal winner
• Ian Jukes – Teacher, administrator, writer, consultant, university instructor and keynote speaker
• Gordon Tootoosis – Award winning Cree First Nation actor and 2005 recipient of the Order of Canada
• Dr. Pat Wolfe – Award winning author and educational consultant specializing in the application of brain research to the educational practice
• Pat Katz – Accomplished writer and a life balance and renewal strategist who is a frequent media guest expert on issues of balance, stress, time, and organization

Visit the CSBA Congress 2008 website for regular updates.

See
CSBA Congress 2008

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ESAO Newsletter, March 2008 - Premiere Edition

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Spirit of Mandela Week 2008

Spirit of Mandela Week captures the indomitable spirit of one of the greatest leaders of our time. After helping to free his nation from apartheid, he now seeks our help in assisting those children and youth in South Africa affected by disabilities, poverty, HIV/AIDS, and those in need of educational and skills development opportunities.

From April 21-25, 2008 schools across Ontario will be celebrating Spirit of Mandela Week and raising funds for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.

Please encourage your schools to visit www.spiritofmandela.ca and register online.

1. The target is 1000 schools. 16 school boards have registered to date and your help is needed in ensuring that every school in every board gets involved.
2. Awareness is critical.  Please disseminate information on Spirit of Mandela Week through as many channels as possible, both internal and external.  Please feel free to use the Mandela poster and information flyer to send to your colleagues. Please refer your colleagues to www.spiritofmandela.ca and have them forward it to as many people as possible.

See
Spirit of Mandela

For more information: Mark Beckles, Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (Canada),MBeckles@mandela-children.ca

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Calendar of EVENTS