Director's Annual Report
1997
Message from the Director of
Education
The 1997 calendar year has been filled with challenges and opportunities. Not since the
beginnings of the Metropolitan Separate School Board have we had to contend with such a
diversity and magnitude of changes as we have during the past 12 months.
We have changed leadership, both politically and administratively. As of January 1, 1998,
we will be a new board governed by 12 elected officials, instead of 22, and the role of
these trustees will be altered. The full impact of these changes won't be known until well
into the 1998 calendar year.
At the same time, we have seen the departure of Norm Forma, our Director of Education
for 18 months. Assuming responsibility for the largest Catholic school board in the
country has been a stimulating experience, and I look forward to the opportunity of
fostering a sense of openness and collaborative leadership among staff, our trustees, our
parishes, our parents and students.
December 31, 1997 marked the end of an era for MSSB. We will no longer operate French
language Catholic schools under the auspices of our Section de langue française. Although
the schools will continue to serve the needs of Francophone Catholics, they will be
governed by the newly-formed French language Catholic school board in our region, and we
will miss their unique contribution to our Board.
Our staff are working diligently to implement the curriculum in Language Arts and
Mathematics to fulfill the mandate of our Assessment Policy and are working cooperatively
with the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) to provide accountability and
to establish directions for improvement of the Ontario educational system.These twin goals
(accountability and continuous school improvement) are firmly entrenched in the MSSB
Mission Statement and we collaborate with the EQAO in achieving its goals. We have had
hundreds of teachers work as group leaders, anchor paper selectors and markers and will
continue to contribute in as many ways as we can.
I have every confidence that the fine staff we have at MSSB will rise to these and
other difficulties and find creative solutions throughout the coming year.
All these changes, as well as others which have yet to be finalized, such as the
introduction of the new funding model, will continue to challenge us as a school board.
One task in the days ahead remains constant, to fulfill our mission of directing our
students to the person of Jesus Christ as the centre from which relationships with God,
self, others, and creation unfold; to provide learning that is holistic and links moral
and spiritual development to the life experiences of our students; and to promote a way of
life rooted in the Christian call to discipleship and community service.
Johanne Stewart
Director of Education
Message du directeur général
L'année 1997 fut remplie de défis et d'opportunités. Pas depuis les débuts du
Conseil des écoles catholiques du Grand Toronto avons nous vécu une telle diversité et
magnitude de changements que nous avons rencontré dans ces derniers 12 mois.
Nous avons changé de leadership au niveau politique et au niveau administratif. À
partir du 1er janvier 1998, nous serons un nouveau conseil géré par 12
membres élus au lieu de 22, et le rôle de ces conseillers et conseillères scolaires
sera modifié. L'impact de ces changements ne sera connu que lorsque l'année 1998 sera
bien entammée.
En même temps, nous avons vu le départ de Norm Forma, notre directeur général
depuis 18 mois. La prise en main de la direction du plus grand conseil scolaire catholique
au Canada fut une expérience enrichissante pour moi et j'attends avec impatience
l'occasion de favoriser l'esprit de franchise et de leadership en collaboration chez le
personnel, nos conseillers et conseillères scolaires, nos paroisses, nos parents et
élèves.
Le 31 décembre 1997 a marqué la fin d'une époque pour le CECGT. Nous ne gérerons
plus d'écoles catholiques de langue française sous les auspices de notre Section de
langue française. Les écoles continueront à desservir la communauté catholique
francophone, mais elles seront gérées par le nouveau conseil scolaire catholique de
langue française de notre région. Leur contribution unique au Conseil nous manquera.
Notre personnel travaille assidûment pour implanter le curriculum en arts du langage
et en mathématiques pour réaliser le mandat de notre politique sur l'évaluation et
travaille en collaboration avec l'Office de la qualité et de la responsabilité (OQRE)
afin de pourvoir la responsabilité et d'établir des directions pour l'amélioration de
l'éducation en Ontario. Ces deux buts (responsabilité et amélioration constante de
l'école) sont fermement ancrés dans l'énoncé de mission du CECGT et nous sommes fiers
de collaborer avec l'OQRE pour atteindre ses buts. Des centaines d'enseignants et
d'enseignantes ont oeuvré comme chefs de groupes, présentateurs sur les choix
d'épreuves et correcteurs et nous continuerons à contribuer de toutes les façons
possibles.
J'ai confiance que le personnel compétent du CECGT saura relever ces et d'autres
défis, et trouver des solutions créatives tout au long de cette année.
Ces changements, ainsi que d'autres qui ne sont pas encore finalisés, tels
l'introduction d'un nouveau modèle de financement, continueront à nous mettre à
l'épreuve en tant que conseil scolaire. Dans les jours qui viennent, une tâche demeure
la même, soit de réaliser notre mission de guider nos élèves vers la personne de
Jésus Christ en tant que point de départ des relations avec Dieu, soi-même, autrui, et
la création; d'offrir un apprentissage qui est holistique et qui relie le développement
moral et spirituel aux expériences vécues de nos élèves; de promouvoir une vie
enracinée dans la vocation chrétienne de disciple au service à la communauté.
Le directeur général,
Johanne Stewart
The Metropolitan Separate School Board has undertaken a number of new
initiatives throughout 1997. The following are some of the highlights:
PROGRAM SERVICES
Religious Education
Through the religious education program, Catholic students learn the basic knowledge of
their faith tradition, develop attitudes and skills that encourage a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ, and participate in a faith community committed to living the Gospel's
call to transform persons, relationships and structures.
As well, family life education enables students to become knowledgeable about the
Christian vision of the human person, with a special focus on the Church's teachings
concerning human dignity, human relationships and human sexuality.
Programs used in MSSB schools for religious/family life education are developed under
the direction of the Canadian and Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The National Office of Religious Education, which operates under the auspices of the
Canadian Bishops, has now completed its curriculum revisions for the intermediate cycle of
the We Are Strong Together catechetical series. In-service on the new program for Grade 7
entitled Believe in Me was provided for all MSSB Grade 7 teachers.
A new textbook has been produced by the Ontario Conference of Catholic Bishops for use
in Grades 9 and 10 entitled Turning Points: Readings in Family Life Education. Class sets
of the resource have been sent to all MSSB Secondary Schools along with class sets of a
summary of the Encyclical Evangelium Vitae produced by the Catholic Organization for Life
and Family.
The Archdiocese of Toronto has produced a video for use in schools and parishes in
preparing for next year's confirmation celebration. Copies of the video and the study
guide to accompany it have been sent to all MSSB schools.
When Faith Meets Pedagogy
For the second year, Metro Separate educators assumed a leadership role in planning and
implementing successfully the second annual conference offered by the Community of
Catholic School Boards and attended by 1,200 educators. Congratulations to all planning
committee members and workshop leaders! It is hoped that over time, this will evolve into
the largest annual gathering of Catholic educators in Ontario.
Mathematics
Last spring, our teachers were greatly involved in planning and implementing the annual
Ontario Association of Math Educators annual conference held at the Sheraton Centre in
Toronto. The quality of workshops and the participation of about 1,500 educators is a
tribute to the excellent quality of teachers at MSSB.
This past year the Mathematics and the Language Arts Departments were involved in the
writing of the new provincial curriculum. These departments have been involved at the
provincial level in training other boards, as well as our own, on the revised Ontario
Curriculum. Presently, their mandate is to assist schools in the implementation of this
new curriculum.
Language Arts Program
The Board has approved a Balanced Language Arts Program for MSSB schools as a response
to the needs identified in the Board's review of the primary language arts program. One
third of MSSB schools will be provided with literacy materials, teacher in-service and
program support each year for the next three years. Implementation began last fall.
The program partners, Program Services, Special Services, Research Department, resource
teachers, and implementation schools share the common goal of improved performance by all
students. The magnitude of this project, the financial and moral support given by the
Board and the excitement in the field help mark this as a very special educational
initiative.
Science and Technology
The York University Consortium has submitted the final draft of the Ontario Science
& Technology Curriculum: Grades 1 to 8 to the Ministry of Education and Training. The
Ministry will now be reviewing the document and releasing it to the province for
implementation. The Council of Ministers of Education from across Canada will also be
releasing the Pan-Canadian Protocol for Collaboration on School Curriculum: Common
Framework of Science Learning Outcomes, a document that will address content description
for all grade levels across Canada. The Ontario Science and Technology document mirrors
the content strands of the Pan-Canadian Protocol.
It is anticipated that these documents will impact on the science and technology
curriculum within our board. The science and technology review planned for this year is
waiting to receive final versions of these documents so that implementation needs and
existing strengths can be identified.
Social Studies
In-service began last fall on the newly completed Social Studies Planning Guide: Grades
K-3. Last year, more than 300 teachers attended one of nine in-service sessions and
received personal copies of the Social Studies Planning Guide: Grades 4-6 and the model
outcome-based unit Canada: A Good Neighbour in the Global Community. These program
materials have been well received within and beyond MSSB and should continue to influence
the provincial dialogue. A similar program will now be initiated for primary grade
teachers.
Physical and Health Education
New core physical education curriculum for Grades 4-6 was delivered to all schools. The
curriculum document for Grades 7-9, in-serviced last year, was extremely well received. A
new health program called Know Your Body will be piloted in selected schools beginning in
October.
Primary Division Curriculum Materials
Program Services has coordinated the development of a document entitled In Balance:
A Framework for Program Planning, JK-3. It includes twenty-eight outcome based unit
planners and organizes program information for primary grade teachers. Teacher in-service
took place during the fall of 1997 and will continue during the winter of 1998. A similar
document was developed for Grades 4-6 and all junior division teachers were in-serviced.
Visual Arts
The Visual Arts Department has assumed a leadership role in the development of The
Arts: A Planning Guide K-9, a joint project of MSSB and the Community of Catholic
School Boards. This project demonstrates how curriculum support documents can be developed
by coordinating existing human and material resources. A new document, intended to support
primary grade teachers in planning and implementing studio activities for young children
will be introduced in January.
A new project entitled KIDSMUSE focuses on improved literacy and numeracy, exposure to
digital media technologies for accessing, creating, communicating and disseminating
information, the incorporation of the arts and technology as learning tools, and access to
a wide variety of visual resources including multimedia expositions, presentations and
visual databases.
Multi-media centres are set up in participating schools and 10 community agencies which
support learning. Students create their own art collections of digitized artifacts that
help explore aspects of the curriculum with specific learning outcomes.
MSSB.NET
In partnership with Compucentre Ltd., Program Services has implemented a program to
facilitate the electronic access of curriculum by MSSB staff through the Internet
(mssb.net). This database of curriculum resources will continue to expand to include
newly-developed unit planners, model lessons and units of study and other program
supporting resources. In addition, some existing documents are being formatted for this
electronic sharing process. Products from curriculum projects initiated by members of the
Central Ontario Based Community of Catholic School Boards will also be made available to
teachers through this project.
Adult Education
- With funding from the provincial and federal governments and in co-sponsorship with more
than 40 community agencies, MSSB offered ESL, Citizenship Preparation and Literacy
programs to more than 40,000 adult learners.
- With funding from the federal and provincial governments, MSSB has been invited to
develop curricula and workshops for foreign-trained professionals and tradespeople. Four
major occupational sectors will be targeted. The purpose of the project is to strengthen
the likelihood that newcomers to Canada will be able to obtain employment which permits
them to apply the knowledge and skills they possess.
- Adult Basic Education classes have created a website which outlines program information,
sites, registration procedures and co-sponsoring partners. The address is
www.mssb.edu.on.ca/adulted/ .
Conflict Management/Affirmative Action
A student sexual harassment policy is in development. Leadership training in violence
prevention, conflict resolution and dealing with sexual harassment are being offered
during the current school year. Programs on Media Violence (Grades 4-6), Sexual Harassment
(Grades 7-8), and Peer Mediation (Grades 9-12) are being piloted in various schools.
STUDENT AND PROGRAM ASSESSMENT
Provincial Standardized Tests
MSSB released board-wide results for the Grade 3 EQAO assessment in November 1997.
Seventy-seven per cent of the Grade 3 students tested performed at or above the provincial
standard in reading, 82 per cent in writing and 73 per cent in mathematics.
In keeping with the Board's policy on student and program assessment, each school
within the MSSB released its own report entitled "Our Catholic School". This
profile provided results of recent provincial standardized tests as well as action plans
that have been developed to help students improve.
The school reports contain the school's results for the Grade 3 Education Quality and
Accountability Office (EQAO) assessments in reading, writing and mathematics administered
in April 1997. Nine MSSB schools that participated in the Grade 6 EQAO mathematics
assessment also reported their individual school results and action plans.
The reports also contain results of the Grade 7 Canadian Achievement Tests (CAT/2) in
language, mathematics and study skills conducted last spring. The results demonstrate that
our students' literacy skills have increased in the past two years and that the emphasis
on teaching problem-solving has resulted in marked improvement in students' scores in math
concepts and applications.
Local Action Planning
All schools are presently engaged in local action planning based on the support
document Implementation Guidelines of Student and Program Assessment. In addition to the
action planning process resources already supplied to school principals, a joint
MSSB-OECTA/MTEU assessment committee has been working on the production of a resource kit,
intended to help support the assessment planning process with a collection of practical
tools. Using a train-the-trainers model, kits will be provided to schools early in the new
year.
PROVINCIAL REPORT CARD
Several MSSB elementary schools volunteered to pilot the new
provincial report card. Ministry of Education and Training staff have made substantial
changes to the 1997 edition of the standard report card. In 1998, seventy-three schools
will use the revised provincial report card. Their experience will help all schools
implement the 1998 edition of the provincial report card.
SPECIAL SERVICES INITIATIVES
Video on Early Literacy
The video Ready...Set...Read! affirms the role that
parents play in developing language and reading skills and demonstrates an effective
technique for reading practice. Volunteers from the MSSB community, including media
personalities, donated their time and talent to this project. The Psychology Department in
partnership with the Community Relations Department has completed a Portuguese and Spanish
version of the video. Each community group has identified features specific to its culture
that create opportunities to enhance language and build positive family bonds. It is hoped
that this video can be made available in other languages that are represented within the
Board.
Summer Tutoring Program
A summer tutoring program that offered one-to-one support in
areas of literacy was offered in three locations. It proved to be particularly valuable
for students entering Grade one. During the summer, they were able to consolidate
knowledge of letter names, sounds and shapes and master key high frequency words. Similar
support is provided throughout the school year by co-op students who choose to be literacy
mentors under the direction of Special Services staff.
Kindergarten Language Program
The Kindergarten Language Program provides intensive speech,
language and literacy support to senior kindergarten students who have been identified to
be at risk by their teachers and parents. Students attend the program two half days per
week, in addition to attending the regular kindergarten program. The program is team
taught by a teacher and a speech-language pathologist. The first year the program took
place on a half time basis to accommodate sixteen students. Results from the first year
are currently being evaluated. Feedback from teachers and parents has been very positive.
This year the program will take place on a full time basis in two locations to accommodate
thirty-two students. This early intervention program will hopefully prevent the need for
special education support over the long term.
ESL Literacy Beginnings
Continuing Education staff has created E.S.L. Literacy
Beginnings, a document intended to assist students at the junior, intermediate, senior and
adult levels who lack literacy skills in their first language.
Resource Guide for Communication Difficulties
The Speech and Language Department has produced a resource guide
for teachers entitled Supporting Children with Autism/PDD for Communications and
Learning. Staff development has also been provided to parents and teachers on
strategies to help students with communication difficulties. Additional resource documents
will be produced for teachers and parents to assist students with communication needs. A
video will also be produced to support children who are non-speaking.
Language Impaired classes were reviewed during the 1996-97 school
year which resulted in the re-allocation of some classes on a system-wide basis to better
meet current demands. Ongoing work will take place during the 1997-98 school year to
further examine program delivery issues.
Workshop on Attentional Difficulties
Teachers are eager to learn more about children and adolescents
who have attentional difficulties that may impact on academic performance. Members of the
psychology staff who have a special interest in this area have developed a workshop that
provides teachers with insight into the strengths and challenges faced by students with
attentional difficulties. Program modifications that can be implemented in the regular
class are presented. This workshop is provided at lunch time or after school in response
to requests from school staff.
Learning Disabled/Gifted Students
A brochure outlining the needs and learning characteristics of
Gifted/Learning Disabled students was prepared by Psychology Department staff and
distributed to principals. The chairs of all IPRCs were in-serviced on this topic. This is
to ensure that we do not overlook these "hidden treasures" who require support
to actualize their high potential.
Bullying and Victimization
Baseline data collected from two elementary schools by Psychology
and Guidance staff, with the help of the Research Department, confirmed the need to
address the issue of bullying and victimization in our schools. Various school communities
have expressed a wish for more information on the topic. A series of three after-hours
presentations took place in October. A Prevention and Intervention Resource for Schools
and a parent's guide are available to schools and families.
COMMUNITY SERVICES INITIATIVES
- Community Relations staff participated on the Task Force on
Services to Young Children and Families and assisted with the completion of the report
entitled The First Duty. This report addresses major issues such as Before and After
School Programs, Breakfast Programs, parenting skills, poverty, low birth weight and
school absenteeism which have an impact on the well-being of children and families.
- Also, a Directory of Interpreters for 43 languages was developed
and sent to all schools with operating procedures on how schools can communicate with our
communities in languages other than English.
SOCIAL WORK INITIATIVES
In addition, to the direct services which school social workers
provide to students and their families within MSSB schools, special initiatives within the
Social Work Department include:
- A review of the present MSSB policy and procedures for dealing
with student absenteeism will be completed. The focus will be to intervene at an earlier
stage to help address the problem with elementary students where patterns have already
developed. Guidelines for Attendance Review Conferences will also be developed rather than
charging students with truancy under the Education Act.
- The implementation and training of the newly developed Preventive
Education Program for Child Abuse, which involves a pilot teacher training for a selected
group of Grades 2-5 teachers and the implementation of the program in those grades. A
further development of the program and teaching materials for the remainder of the
elementary grades will take place this year. This project is in partnership with the Metro
Special Committee on Child Abuse, the Public Boards of Toronto and the Special Committee.
- Ongoing staff training in the area of responding to critical
events in schools.
- Continued collaboration with the Ministry of Education and
Training, the Etobicoke Board of Education and Women's Habitat on the School Based
Services Project for Violence Against Women Prevention Project.
- Co-hosting a provincial Symposium for School Social Workers with
the Scarborough Board of Education.
- Continued presentations at local, provincial, national and
international conferences by social work staff on relevant issues facing educators today.
Expansion of Section 27 Programs
- The education programs for young offenders at the Metropolitan
Toronto West Detention Centre have been expanded to include two additional teachers. The
total number of teachers serving the young offender population is now eight.
- One teacher has been approved for an educational program for
female adults (18-21) at the Metropolitan Toronto West Detention Centre.
- A new agreement has been finalized with Regesh Family and Child
Services for children (ages 6-13) who have been admitted to the agency because of
emotional and social difficulties.
Gifted Education Initiatives
The Gifted Program embarked on a series of initiatives and
activities designed to give students the opportunity to meet their intellectual peers and
exchange ideas.
- To address the particular needs of schools in low socio-economic
neighbourhoods or where there is a large concentration of new immigrants, a pilot project
to identify non-traditional potentially gifted students is operating in eight schools. The
first group of students admitted to the Gifted Program in September/October 1996 has met
with success. A second group of students, from the eight pilot schools, has been placed in
September 1997. The department intends to widen this project as needed in the school year
1998-99 after the program has been reevaluated.
- In the elementary panel, a Debating Conference and "A Journey
of Discovery" were held in February and May 1997. In 1997-98 both conferences are
being planned again.
- A meeting for parents of all new students admitted to the Gifted
Program was held in September 1997. Speakers for this meeting were teachers from our
Board. Between 400 and 500 parents attended and the response was very positive.
- In the secondary panel, Separate School United Nationals Assembly
(SSUNA) was held in April. A lecture delivered by a York University professor was held in
March. Last June, a teacher conference, organized by Educators of the Gifted of Ontario,
was hosted by the MSSB. A great number of our teachers had the opportunity to meet,
discuss and share ideas with their counterparts in coterminous Boards.
- A conference for secondary school students is planned for February
and another SSUNA will be held in March.
Special Education In-service
The SBST Courses - Basic and Specialist - have been offered once
again. These courses run on teacher time (last August, and on Wednesday evenings). More
than 40 students applied for the Basic Course while 27 students are currently enrolled in
the Specialist Course. Feedback from last year's candidates has been very positive.
SCHOOLS CELEBRATE THEIR RELIGIOUS HERITAGE
Catholic Schools' Appreciation Week was held for the third
consecutive year to coincide with Education Week. With this year's theme of "Catholic
Schools: Schools you can believe in/ L'école catholique, j'y crois!", the focus was
on academic excellence and faith development.
A wide variety of activities took place around Metropolitan
Toronto, ranging from classroom and school liturgies to educational displays and community
events.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCILS
The first year of operation of Catholic School Advisory Councils
has been quite successful. As usual, our parents and school communities worked together
during this transition year to build strong and varied councils to suit the diverse needs
of our local communities.
The publication, CSAC News, has become one of the most widely
read documents produced by the MSSB. This newsletter provides information for and about
Advisory Councils throughout the school year.
NEW WEB SITE
MSSB was pleased to develop a presence on the Internet. Located
at www.mssb.edu.on.ca, the Board's website was designed by a student from Pope John Paul
II Catholic Secondary School. The site provides news and information relating to Board
decisions, Board policies, staff and student achievements and individual school programs
and services.
A team of students from Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School is
currently working on redesigning the Board's web page. The work is expected to be
completed in January 1998.
Since September, MSSB also has a web presence through Toronto
Star City Search at: www.TorontoStarCitySearch.com
EDUCATION REFORM
Who Does What Panel
Meetings with the Minister of Education and Training took place
to discuss issues related to funding equity, impact of government cost saving measures,
implications of the Who Does What Panel recommendations, facilities needs and MSSB debt
status, and effects of the capital expenditures moratorium, as well as potential new GTA
governance structures and cooperative ventures.
Fewer School Boards Act
The Board's submission on Bill 104: The Fewer School Boards Act
touched on key issues including the speed of changes, taxation rights of separate boards,
uncertainty regarding the new funding model promised by the government in terms of equity
and adequacy of funding, the scope and extent of powers legislated for the Education
Improvement Commission, the reduction in the number of trustees representing Catholic
ratepayers, the potential outsourcing of non-instructional school board services, impact
on local collective bargaining, impact on Catholicity of the system, and the role of
school advisory councils.
Student-focused Funding for Ontario
The Board reviewed the various components of the Ministry of
Education and Training's new education funding framework guidebook entitled Excellence in
Education: Student-focused Funding for Ontario, and submitted a brief which commented upon
the provisions of the new model from a perspective which reflected the unique needs of the
Catholic school board. The comments of the Board outlined areas within the model which the
Board fully supports, offered suggestions for improvements, and raised a number of
questions related to funding which were not addressed in the guidebook. The Special
Education Advisory Committee of the Board contributed comments regarding the program and
service needs of MSSB's exceptional students.
Education Quality Improvement Act
Bill 160: The Education Quality Improvement Act 1997 was the
subject of detailed consideration by the Board. In October, the comments of the Board
regarding many of the changes were submitted to the Standing Committee of the Legislature
on Administration of Justice. The Board expressed its support for those aspects of the
Bill which would establish a fair and non-discriminatory education funding system. Among
many other comments on specifics of the Bill, the Board reinforced its conviction that the
Bill must not prevent in any way the constitutional right of Catholic school boards to
ensure the Catholic character of their schools.
Local Education Improvement Committee
The Fewer School Boards Act provides for the creation of local
education improvement committees (LEIC) and assigns responsibilities to them under the
direction of the Education Improvement Commission (EIC).
The MSSB Local Education Improvement Committee was formed last
summer and all English trustees have elected to sit on the committee.
The local committees lay the groundwork for the establishment of
the new district school boards within the government's legislative framework and on the
basis of directives and guidelines issued by the Commission. The LEIC was expected to
develop transitional plans for the amalgamation, make recommendations to the EIC, and
offer suggestions for the consideration of the new school board.
POLICY INITIATIVES
Sexual Harassment Policy
The Board approved a new policy on sexual harassment in the
spring of 1997. A summary of the policy and guidelines was made available to all MSSB
staff in the fall.
Permit Policy
The Board approved a revised permit policy which implements user
fees and increased processing fees. Revenues to the Board are expected to double as a
result, and the Board will continue to seek out further opportunities to expand the
utilization of school facilities after school hours.
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IMPROVE SCHOOLS
Construction Begins On New Facilities
The Metropolitan Separate School Board has fought long and hard
for a Catholic secondary school to serve the north Toronto community. The dream came to
fruition with the announcement that the Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School, with a
focus on media studies, will open its doors to Grade 9 students in the fall of 1998. The
facility is currently in use by students and staff from St. Anselm Catholic School
temporarily displaced due to renovations to their school.
Major Capital Projects
Four major capital projects were approved by the Ministry of
Education and Training and the Education Improvement Commission. The construction of St.
Dominic Savio, St. Gregory and St. Maria Goretti Catholic Schools is expected to be
completed this fall. The new St. Basil-the-Great Catholic Secondary School should be
completed the following spring.
St. Dominic Savio Catholic School is a new school being built to
accommodate Scarborough students in the Sheppard Avenue and Highway #2 area. It features
five specialty rooms, a double gymnasium, spacious library and a seven-acre site with
expanded play fields. Construction is underway and occupancy is anticipated during the
1998/99 school year.
St. Gregory Catholic School is a three-story replacement building
constructed for 730 students. The new facility will include 21 classrooms, five specialty
rooms and a unified arts centre including a computer lab.
St. Maria Goretti Catholic School will accommodate 990 students
in a three-story complex which includes four kindergartens, seven specialty rooms, 23 new
classrooms and a lunchroom/assembly forum feature space.
St. Basil-the-Great Catholic Secondary School is a new two-story
facility to accommodate 1250 students on 16 acres of land on the east side of Weston Road.
It includes a skylit chapel, 23 classrooms, 24 specialty spaces, three communication
technology labs, and a 300-seat theatre complex for both program and community use.
Additions to Existing Buildings
St. Anselm, Our Lady of Peace, Holy Family and Pope Paul Catholic
Schools are being redeveloped to include the addition of classroom space. The schools have
contended with serious overcrowding and inadequate classroom space over recent years.
ADMINISTRATIVE INTITIATIVES
Personnel Initiatives Generate Savings
The Board continues to restructure its administrative functions,
bringing central administration costs to less than 2.5% of the total budget, well below
the provincial average.
An absentee management program has been imple-mented in efforts
to minimize absenteeism throughout the system.
A position inventory system as well as an on-line staff
allocation system for secondary schools have been developed and implemented throughout the
1996-97 school year in an effort to allocate the board's human resources more effectively.
Significant Savings Expected from Retrofit Program
The Board has approved a proposal from Tescor Energy Services
Inc. in conjunction with the City of Toronto Better Buildings Partnership program to
undertake a $9.75 million energy retrofit project in 61 schools. The reduced utility and
maintenance costs and the enhancement of automated energy management systems will not only
cover the initial costs but will realize an additional $1.4 M savings per year to the
Board.
Transportation Savings
The Board transports approximately 25,000 students daily. Through
the use of computerized technology (Edulog route optimization software), students are
transported on 120 fewer vehicles than were required just four years ago. The
implementation of staggered hours, the sharing of vehicles among schools within the Board
and with the North York Board of Education have saved millions of dollars in
transportation expenses.
Initiatives in Planning Services
The Planning Department is currently creating a PC/Server based
enrolment project and demographic information system to deliver services more accurately
and efficiently. It will also facilitate the migration away from existing programs that
are not Year 2000 compliant.
The department has also focused on the development of reports on
school reviews, enrolment projections, educational development charges, capital
expenditure forecast and portable classroom requirements.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS
The highlights of any year are always the numerous achievements
of our staff, students and schools. Some of the outstanding achievements for 1997 were:
Art Contest Winners
Mary-Alice Atell, Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic School, won first prize in the "O
Canada" art contest.
Denis Ing, Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School, won the Thrifty's "A Cause
for Celebration" art contest.
Award For Race Relations
Kimberley King, Monsignor Percy Johnson Catholic Secondary School, received the race
relations recognition award from the City of Etobicoke's Multi-culturalism and Race
Relations Committee.
Best Essays
Shelagh McGrann, St. Clement Catholic School, won the Canadian Bar Association Ontario
Essay Contest.
Michelle Lam, St. Joseph Morrow Park Catholic Secondary School, won the 1997
Commonwealth Essay Competition Award from the Chartered Accountants of Ontario.
Ida Jankowska, a Grade 8 student, Holy Redeemer Catholic School, took first place
in the Consumers Gas Environmental Essay Challenge for her creation about the Chernobyl
disaster.
Charmaine Purville, Marian Academy, won a trip to Ghana for her win in the Jane
Finch Concerned Citizens' Organization essay writing contest.
Champion Debater
Julia Dow, a Grade 9 student, Pope John Paul II Catholic Secondary School, represented
MSSB on the Ontario Debating Team that competed in the National Junior Debating
Championships. Julia was named the gold medal winner at the nationals, finishing in the
top spot for Ontario and fourth place overall from more than 40 debaters across Canada.
Choir Shines
The St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic School Songbirds were one of four student
choirs featured in the recent run of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour
Dreamcoat."
Crime Stopper
Theresa Laurico, Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School, received a
certificate of appreciation for support and involvement in the student Crime Stoppers
program.
Exceptional Student
Jeannette Leithwood, St. Joseph College School, was the recipient of this year's
Sister Mary Hamilton Award for Exceptional Students.
Finalists In Debate
Thomas McMorrow, St. Monica Catholic School, was a finalist in the Ontario Student
Debating Junior Provincial Championships.
Krista Lopes and Michelle Rodriguez, Pope John Paul II Catholic Secondary
School, were Ontario Junior High Debating Finalists.
Finalists in Public Speaking
Derek Ishak, école catholique Sainte-Madeleine, won first place in the speech
category, and Jean-Laurent Pouliot, école catholique Georges-Étienne-Cartier,
placed first in the interpretation category of the Club Richelieu Public Speaking Contest.
Gold In Chess
Justin Roncal, Nativity of Our Lord Catholic School, was the gold medalist in the
Ontario Chess Championships.
Heru Riwanto, Pope John Paul II Catholic Secondary School, won the Ontario Chess
Challenge.
Gold Medal In Science
Cecilia Lui, Francis Libermann Catholic Secondary School, was the gold medalist in the
1997 Canada-wide Science and Technology Fair.
Improv Winners
Francis Libermann Catholic Secondary School won the Ontario Regional Improv
Championships. Team members were Joan Antonio, Calvin Cahatol, Brian Faraldo, Brent
Johnson, Halla Khayat, Nareg Kutyan, Russell Rosos and Paul Rubio. The team
finished sixth at the nationals.
Karate Champion
Nassim Varasteh, St. Joseph's Morrow Park Catholic Secondary School, last year won two
gold medals at the national championships, followed by a win in the International Kubota
Cup. Varasteh, currently in training for the Pan American games, hopes to qualify for the
Canadian Olympic Team.
Lifesaver
Chrys Gonsalves, St. Wilfrid Catholic School, received a life-saving award for his
quick actions in saving a fellow student from harm in the school driveway.
Math Olympics
Allison Chick, Holy Spirit Catholic School and Matthew Chung, Our Lady of Grace
Catholic School were part of a four-member team which finished 3rd in the Ontario
Mathematics Olympics for Grades 7 and 8 students.
Marketing Champion
Emanuel Silva, Brebeuf College, earned a provincial championship in the Distributive
Educational Clubs of America marketing education competition and went on to compete at the
international level.
Notion Commotion Win
A team from Francis Libermann Catholic Secondary School won the Notion Commotion
Contest. Team members were: Jennifer Chow, Jaimy Chua, Nicole Headley, Alan Jeremie,
Bruce li Shing Pun, Alisha Morgan, Michelle Munoz and Richelle Omamalin.
Odyssey of the Mind Champions
A team of students representing Cardinal Léger Catholic School and three teams
representing the St. Rose of Lima Catholic School Gifted Program placed first in their
respective divisions in the 1996 provincial "Odyssey of the Mind" creative
problem-solving competition.
These students also competed in the world finals. At that
competition, the team from Cardinal Léger Catholic School placed second in the
spontaneous problem solving competition and 14th overall.
The team members from Cardinal Léger Catholic School were: Ian
Barbeito, Dennis Cho, Kathlyn Gan, Daniels Hughes, Christopher Lau Moon Lin, Edward Song,
Ann Marie Winkler.
The team members from the St. Rose of Lima Catholic School Gifted
Program were: Kimberley Bethke, Leonard Carvalhal, Lisa Endersby, Alexis Fabricius,
Kevin Hughes, Karen Keung, Zachary Lyon, James Mackrell, Erin Mandzak, Theresa McGee,
Elizabeth Robinson, Stephanie Sher, Megan Shrubsole, Raymond Siochi, Jacqueline Smith,
Jeanette Tresidder.
Poster Contest Win
Juliana Fung, The Divine Infant Catholic School, and Angelin Rajaratnam, St.
Gabriel Lalemant Catholic School, received first prize awards from the Scarborough Rotary
Club for their successful participation in the Bicentennial Poster Contest.
Provincial French Contest
Clare Pellerin, école secondaire catholique Mgr-de-Charbonnel, placed third in the
oral category and finished fourth overall in the four categories of the Provincial French
Contest. She received a $3,000 scholarship for first year tuition at Laurentian
University.
Scholarship Recipient
Carolyn Murnaghan, Loretto Abbey, was the 1997 Ontario recipient of the EF Ambassador
Scholarship.
Soccer Victory
Senator O'Connor Catholic Secondary School placed first in the Metrosport Indoor
Soccer Championships. Team members were: Gianpiero Angelona, Aaron Benjamin, Anthony
Capostoto, Matt Clark, Vanni David, Anthony Infanti, Aaron Jahurali, Jeff Jones, Kevin
Knight, Sean Mazzucca, James Nunes, Mike Sherwin, Kevin Smyth and Rudy Takacs.
Spelling Champions
Irénidice Morin, école catholique Sainte-Marguerite-d'Youville, finished first in
the Ontario "La Dictée P.G.L" (French language spelling contest) and went on to
compete in the National Competition.
Gabriel Potvin, école catholique Sainte-Madeleine,
finished second and Johanna Grant-Bailey, école catholique Georges-Étienne-Cartier,
finished third.
Success At Kiwanis
The intermediate instrumental band from Nativity of Our Lord and St. Gregory Catholic
Schools, won first place in the elementary school intramural band category at the 1997
Kiwanis Music Festival.
Tops In Math
Jimmy Chui, Brebeuf College, won three gold medals in the Canadian Mathematics
Competitions, and was selected to the Mathematics Olympics Team.
Christopher So, Francis Libermann Catholic Secondary
School, earned a gold medal in the Canadian Mathematics Competition Euclid Contest for
Grade 12 students with a score of 95.
Winston Ipp and Eric Chan, Francis Libermann
Catholic Secondary School, made the Canadian Honour Roll for the Cayley Mathematics
Contest for Grade 10.
Top Scholar
Paul Szmitko, St. Basil-the-Great Catholic Secondary School, finished the 1996-97
school year with an average of 99.3%. Paul also earned the distinction of Ontario Biology
Scholar by the University of Toronto.
Top Sports Writer
Kellee Ngan, Loretto Abbey, finished first in the sports writing category of the
Toronto Star's annual high school newspaper contest.
Volleyball Champs
Undefeated during the regular season, the Cardinal Léger Catholic School volleyball
team won the provincial girls' championships. Team members were Jamila Brown, Nicole de
las Alas, Clare Bamble, Eliza Hernandez, Ashley Hinds-Grannum, Melanie MacLean, Erin
Mandzak, Ashley McKenzie-Barnes, Antonietta Robino, Christine Santos and Rowena
Sarmago.
Young Artists
Renée Morris and Sébastien Lelasseux, école secondaire catholique
Mgr-de-Charbonnel, created a three dimensional painting, which included a sculpture of
Evita, for the Toronto première of the film "Evita". Their work was exhibited
at the Eglinton Theatre.
Young Authors
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association presented awards to a number
of Ontario students in their annual young authors' competition. Winners were: Marialisa
Polsinelli, Father Serra Catholic School; Meghan D'Mello, St. Bede Catholic
School; Liam O'Doherty and Kelly Gilkinson, St. Denis Catholic School; Sarah
Aranha, St. Albert Catholic School; Mandy Tiffany Eaton, St. Brigid Catholic
School; Brian Rieper, Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts; Michael Figueiredo,
Father Serra Catholic School; Frances Ue, St. Bede Catholic School; Judith
Dunga, St. Agatha Catholic School; Carlos Illanes, St. Pius X Catholic School; James
Devine, St. Joachim Catholic School; Constance Grisbrook, The Divine Infant
Catholic School; Kesh Kumar, St. Victor Catholic School.
STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS
While the achievements of our students remain sources of great pride to MSSB, we take
equal pleasure in the recognition received by our fine teaching and support staff,
including:
Athletics Award
Angelo Della Pia, St. Helen Catholic School, won the Victor Angelosante Trophy to
honour his achievements in, and commitment to, athletics within the Board.
Award Of Merit Recipient
Stan Kutz, principal, Senator O'Connor Catholic Secondary School, received the Marion
Tyrrell Award of Merit from the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association.
Prime Minister's Awards
John W. Kullman, a science teacher, Madonna Catholic Secondary School, received the
Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence in Science, Technology and Math.
Daniel Malric, a science and mathematics teacher, école
secondaire catholique Mgr-de-Charbonnel, received the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching
Excellence in Science, Technology and Math.
Louis Meneguzzi, a design and technology teacher, St.
Charles Garnier Catholic School, was a recipient of the local Exemplary Practices Award
from the Prime Minister of Canada.
Teacher Of The Year
Rene Jansen, Pope John Paul II Catholic Secondary School, was named the Toronto Sun's
Teacher of the Year for his contribution to academics and athletics.
SCHOOL ANNIVERSARIES
The MSSB has a rich and diverse history, steeped in Catholic tradition. Celebrating
milestones in 1997 were:
100th anniversary
- St. Peter Catholic School
75th anniversary
- St. Pius X Catholic School
50th anniversary
- St. Louis Catholic School
25th anniversary
- John XXIII Catholic School
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School
- St. Edmund Campion Catholic School
- St. Fidelis Catholic School
- St. Francis de Sales Catholic School
20th anniversary
- Francis Libermann Catholic Secondary School
10th anniversary
- Madonna Catholic Secondary School
OTHER MILESTONES
In celebration of the beatification of Blessed Edmund Rice, the
MSSB honoured the contributions of the congregation of Christian Brothers in founding and
administering Brother Edmund Rice Catholic Secondary School.
St. Barnabas Catholic School celebrated the opening of a
two-storey addition last fall. The project was made possible through the
federal/provincial Infrastructure program.
St. Cecilia Catholic School converted its
"asphalt wasteland" into a dream school yard featuring a butterfly garden, chess
garden, conversation circles, two large play structures and 150 trees. The project was
completed in just five days thanks to the efforts of the local school and business
community which donated labour, materials and equipment. Each MSSB school participated in
food drives, and fundraisers for local charities, including the Heart and Stroke
Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society, and ShareLife, and local activities involving
hospitals and retirement homes. Students from Archbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School
built furniture for James Culnan, Santa Maria and St. Nicholas of Bari Catholic Schools.
Archbishop Romero Catholic Secondary School has also undertaken a joint literacy project
with York University aimed at teachers. Cardinal Léger Catholic School was the top MSSB
school in fundraising through the Terry Fox Run. This year’s total was $18,360. The
Learning Partnership honoured Holy Child Catholic School with a Partnership Award. Holy
Child is part of the Humberwoods project in Etobicoke. New programs to serve young
children were started in several MSSB schools this past year, including:
- After-school programs at St. Agnes, St. Angela, St. John the
Evangelist, St. John Vianney, St. Roch and St. William Catholic Elementary Schools
- Child care centre at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary
School
- Breakfast program at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Elementary School
- Snack programs at Pope Paul, St. Mary of the Angels, St. Patrick,
St. Bruno, St. Raymond, Senhor Santo Cristo, St. Michael and St. Leonard Catholic
Elementary Schools.
1997 BUDGET
The Metropolitan Separate School Board approved a budget of
$696.4 million for the 1997 fiscal year, which is $6.4 million less than 1996. The
approved mill rates for 1997 were 259.65 for residential and 305.47 for commercial and
industrial, unchanged from 1996.
During the budget preparation process for the past number of
years, the MSSB has engaged school communities in a consultation process to assist the
Board in achieving a balanced budget. Through a Program Priorities Task Force appointed by
the Director in December 1996, determination was made of discretionary program and service
areas. Once these areas and associated costs had been determined, senior staff established
priority ranking for each item. This list was submitted to the Board who, in turn, invited
school councils to provide their ranking based upon local school needs and concerns.
Despite reductions in grant revenues and a continuing loss of tax
revenues due to bankruptcies and assessment appeals, the Board has been able to maintain
programs including junior kindergarten (at a cost of $7 million) through continued
downsizing of staff and other cost efficiencies. In addition in 1997, the budget provides
for two additional initiatives, namely a Language Arts Review and the increasing of
education assistants by 34 plus 1 additional child care worker.
Our Mission
In a school community formed by Catholic beliefs and traditions, our Mission is to
educate students to their full potential by providing:
- Leadership in the shared responsibility for education that exists
among schools, students, families, parishes and the community;
- A safe and welcoming learning environment that is an example of
Christian community;
- Role models of Gospel values and Catholic doctrines, teachings and
beliefs;
- Guidance in what students need to learn;
- Instruction in the learning process itself;
- Religious, academic and technological instruction;
- Integration of Catholic, Christian beliefs into the total learning
experience; and
- Feedback on students’ proficiency and performance.
Vision of our students
We envision students who:
Vision of MSSB
To provide students with the qualities they will require, our vision of MSSB is a
school system that:
- Is Christ-centred;
- Is student-focused;
- Demonstrates a clear sense of purpose;
- Is visibly and demonstrably Catholic;
- Reflects empowering leadership;
- Applies collaborative decision-making;
- Is innovative; and
- Provides role models among all stakeholders for all these
qualities.
Notre mission
Notre Mission est d’assurer le développement intégral de
l’élève francophone catholique pour qu’il ou elle puisse acquérir les
valeurs, les connaissances et les habiletés requises pour s’engager et
s’adapter à un monde en constante évolution.
Pour ce faire, elle fournit :
- un leadership qui invite à un partage avec les divers partenaires
en éducation : l’école, l’élève, la famille, la paroisse et la communauté
- un milieu de vie qui favorise l’épanouissement de la culture
franco-ontarienne et l’apprentissage de la langue française
- un milieu accueillant et sécuritaire qui reflète une communauté
chrétienne
- des personnes modèles qui vivent selon les valeurs évangéliques
et selon la doctrine et l’enseignement de la foi catholique
- une direction qui vise l’acquisition des connaissances
nécessaires
- un enseignement qui favorise le processus d’apprentissage
- une éducation religieuse, académique et technologique
- une intégration de l’enseignement catholique et des valeurs
chrétiennes à l’intérieur de l’ensemble de l’expérience éducative
- une évaluation du progrès et des aptitudes de l’élève
Une vision pour nos élèves
Nous envisageons des élèves qui seront :
- formé-e-s par la foi catholique
- capables d’intégrer les valeurs chrétiennes aux diverses
circon-stances de leur vie, aux choix et aux défis de leur existence
- aptes à manifester des habiletés, des connaissances et des
compétences pertinentes
- capables de communiquer en français
- imprégné-e-s de la culture franco-ontarienne
- fiers-ères d’être francophone
- conscientisé-e-s à la diversité culturelle francophone
- capables de démontrer l’estime de soi et le respect
d’autrui
- aptes à entretenir des relations saines au sein de leur famille
- capables de démontrer un sens de responsabilité communautaire
- capables de faire preuve de perspective globale
Une vision de la Section
Afin de permettre à nos élèves d’acquérir les
qualités requises, notre Vision de la Section du CECGT est celle d’un système
scolaire qui est :
- axé sur le Christ
- centré sur l’élève
- garant de la langue française et de la culture franco-ontarienne
- capable de donner un sens de direction
- visiblement catholique
- garant d’un leadership qui préconise l’autonomie
- garant d’une gestion participative
- innovateur
- doté d’un personnel qui véhicule ces valeurs
Produced by the Office of the Director of
Education with assistance from the Communications Department Metropolitan Separate School
Board
December 1997
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