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DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT 2022 - 2023

Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

TBCDSB 2022-2023

TA B L E O F C O NT E NT S

Director’s Message

Our Values Our Vision 8 10 17 20 25

Growing in Faith Inspiring Achievement Supporting Collaboration Enduring Sustainability Connection Communities

Ensuring Equity

Enrolment Data

Operating Budget

Board of Trustees

Our Board at a Glance/Senior Administration

MISSION STATEMENT The Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board is committed to providing quality education, which combines academic excellence with a concern for the spiritual, moral, social, emotional, cultural and physical growth of the student. This education is provided in a Christ-centered environment where Catholic faith and life are integrated into the total curriculum and school day. Through the ministry of teaching, the Board fulfills its mandate in partnership with the home, the Church and the Ministry of Education.

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

DIRECTOR’S

message

I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to my TBCDSB Family. Your hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment have made this year truly remarkable. Our journey together has been marked by significant strides in our strategic priorities, transforming classrooms and positively impacting our students. The changes we’ve implemented, guided by the principles of deep learning, have not only enriched the learning environment, but have also created a space where everyone can thrive. I am genuinely excited about the positive trajectory we are on and the continued impact we will make. The 2022- 2023 school year brought its own set of challenges, but our educational team faced them with resilience and determination. The ability of our staff and students to adapt to changing circumstances is a testament to the strength of our Catholic community. As we reflect on the past year’s achievements, let us carry this momentum forward through faith, love and compassion. I am confident that with our dedication and passion, we will continue to make a difference in the lives of our students and contribute to the overall well-being of our organization. I extend my deepest appreciation to our incredible team, supportive parents, and engaged community members. Your dedication to the success of our students is the driving force behind our achievements. Thank you for your ongoing support, and I look forward to another year of growth, achievement, and collaboration within our Thunder Bay Catholic family.

Gold Bless,

Pino Tassone Director of Education

TBCDSB 2022-2023

“I extend my deepest appreciation to our incredible team, supportive parents, and engaged community members. Your dedication to the success of our students is the driving force behind our achievements.” 5

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

Growing in Faith Thunder Bay Catholic strives to create a community filled with compassion, inclusion, sharing and forgiveness in accordance with the teachings of Jesus. We continue to strengthen and sustain a relationship between school and church, through maintaining a positive, spiritual and emotional foundation of support for both students and staff. Inspiring Achievement Providing and creating an enjoyable environment filled with culture, faith, and deep learning is key for success. Together, we can inspire success and encourage collaboration. Supporting Collaboration Through various initiatives within our Board, educators have become even more inspired to collaborate with one another, teaming up to form best practices – creating consistency and improving concepts and lessons. Through knowledge and cultural practice sharing, and deep learning, we have successfully been able to work with students, parents and caregivers – creating a collective communicative relationship on all levels. Ensuring Sustainability Catholic Education is a vital piece of who we are as a Board. We illustrate the importance of Catholic Education through our social justice initiatives and good works. We create internal leaders from a young age through our advanced leadership and mentorship programs, and cultivate environmental stewardship and ecological appreciation within our schools. Connecting Communities Together, we form amazing partnerships between home, school and community organizations. It is important and essential to emphasize that everyone is welcome, and ensure our parents and guardians are well -informed and involved. Partnerships, especially cultural ones, are fundamental to our success. We are blessed to have a partnership with Fort William First Nation and various organizations, media outlets and community groups throughout our city.

TBCDSB 2022-2023

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

GROWING IN

Faith

ENHANCING SPIRITUALITY IN OUR LIVES

• We launched our new spiritual theme: Finding our Way with Hope and Compassion. • School Principals were commissioned at the first meeting in August and all other staff were commissioned at the first staff meeting in September. • Faith Development Day was held at St. Ignatius High School. Staff listened to Keynote Speaker, Monsignor Pat Stilla and participated in a carousel session in the morning. In the afternoon, Keynote Speaker, Leo Barbe, spoke to staff. To close the day, staff celebrated Mass together. • The Catholic Education Week theme was: We Are Many, We Are One. It fit very well with the theme for Mental Health Week: My Story. Rather than the themes competing and educators feeling like they had to choose, we compiled resources

for both themes that educators could use in their classrooms throughout the week. We ran a Catholic Youth Conference for students in grades 7 to 12 and had about 250 students attend. The day opened with a message from Bishop Colli, then students listened to Andy Thibodeau speak about Making Care Contagious. We were visited by Ontario’s first Poet Laureate, Randell Adjei who shared his story and encouraged students to find ways to serve their communities. • Andy put on an afternoon workshop where senior students learned about Creating a Life that Balances School Activities w/Careers Prep & Academic Success and Improving Your Reliability to Lead Yourself & Others. • Andy visited all grade 6 students and inspired them to Share their Care. • We continued our social media campaign to share our learning and celebrate Catholic education with a broader audience using hashtags: #tbcdsb #CEW2023 #MentalHealthWeek. Daily prayers and reflections as

TBCDSB 2022-2023

well as toolkits for teaching about Catholic Social Teachings, Ontario Graduate Expectations and mental health were shared with schools as well. - Teaching Faith in our Schools • Our Faith Ambassador Program was interrupted last year due to a shortage of supply teachers. • RE Consultant visited schools and worked with teachers on implementing the Grade 8 Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ Program, supported teachers with Best Practice Documents for teaching Theme 3 in the Fully Alive program, created new resources for teaching this theme in grades 5 through 8 and offered in class support, particularly for grades 7 and 8. • We continued to build capacity with prayer services by creating and sharing various templates for themes throughout the school year. - Mental Health Our Catholic Faith continues to be at the centre of our efforts to support the social, emotional and spiritual lives of our students. • The 2022-23 school year saw the recruitment, hiring and retention of an internal Thunder Bay Catholic Mental Health Service Team, with 7 full-time staff members providing individual counseling, group programming, system navigation, community referrals, health promotion and prevention activities across our system. • We continue to implement resources and training from School Mental Health Ontario, including the Faith and Wellness Everyday Classroom Resource, for elementary teachers (K-8) and the MH LIT lessons in our secondary system. • We continue to develop mental health resources for use within our system which emphasize the connection between wellness and a strong Catholic Faith. - Supporting LGBTQ Student Inclusion • Our Catholic school communities strive to be places of compassion, inclusion and social justice for 2SLGBTQ+ students, staff and families. • All of our secondary and senior elementary schools support growing Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) groups. In our K-6 schools, the Board supports requests from staff for more awareness level training on behalf of gender diverse students, staff and families. The goal is to champion equity, social justice and human dignity for all through safe, accepting and life affirming learning environments. • During June, a PRIDE committee provided new learning resources, announcements, social media messaging and information on our approach to supporting 2SLGBTQ+ students and families and celebrating diversity within our system. • Our theme for Pride 2023 was Allyship. An ally is a person who actively supports the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. They believe in dignity and respect for all people and are willing to stand up in that role. Allies do not necessarily identify as members of the group they are advocating for.

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

INSPIRING

achievement

PROVIDING LEARNING AND WORKING S PA C E S T H A T E N H A N C E P R O D U C T I V I T Y

In our continued work as a Deep Learning Board, we are striving to inspire and develop competencies which will engage and enrich student thinking and learning. • We continued to work in Families of Schools to examine Pedagogical Practices, Learning Partnerships, Learning Environments, and meaningful ways to Leverage Digital • We maintained an emphasis on working on the 6 Global Competencies, (Collaboration, Citizenship, Character, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication) which align with Learning Skills, Catholic Graduate Expectations, and the Anishnawbe Seven Grandfather Teachings. • We continued to monitor our Long Term Plans in Literacy, Mathematics, Religious Education, Indigenous Education, FSL, Special Education, and Deep Learning as a means to be intentional in moving forward to support educators to best meet the needs of our students.

TBCDSB 2022-2023

- Teachers Our available Resource Support staff continued to co-teach and create learning opportunities to support student thinking. • In addition to co-teaching sessions, learning partnerships between classroom teachers and resource teachers allowed for notable initiatives to be accomplished. Differentiated Book Clubs continued to gain traction among Elementary and Senior Elementary teachers. Differentiated Book Clubs support students in understanding diverse perspectives. The Literacy Resource teacher helped curate an intentional selection of texts that are reflective of the students’ various identities, interests, knowledge, and lived experiences, including diverse First Nation perspectives. • The Math Resource teacher continued with co-teaching cycles in order to develop math pedagogical content knowledge to benefit the development of student thinking in the classroom. Our Lady of Charity School (identified by the Ministry) received extra professional development for all K-6 teachers in the school. Based on Ministry funding, the digital Math Resource, Knowledgehook was made available to the entire system. The Math Resource teacher supported the implementation with professional development and in-class sessions. • The Elementary Coordinator and Literacy teachers collaborated with Kate Winn, educator from the International Dyslexia Association of Ontario, to provide PD sessions to Grade 1 and Grade 2 teachers around Structured Literacy. • The French Resource teacher supported teachers in grades 6, 7 and 8 to analyze the 2022 grade 8 DELF results and work together to explore strategies to support oral language and written expression through part of the OPSBA Collaborative Inquiry. - Learners • Supporting student achievement is fundamental and assistance from school teams along with our Resource teachers is key. Resource Teachers supported our learners in person and in an online learning environment with whole class and small group instruction and assessments in order to support student learning. - Administrators Board Administration is fully involved in Student Achievement goals and ideals. • Superintendents, Principals, and Vice-Principals continued to build leadership and capacity with a Deep Learning lens. • Some of the key areas of focus last year that continued to be explored were how to build clarity and focus with School Improvement Plans, especially investigating the clarity and precision of evidence when monitoring individual SIPs and 100 Day Plans. •Equitable learning practices were investigated along with the concepts of how leaders are Activators, Collaborators, and Culture Builders.

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

-Student Support Persons (SSP) SSPs play a critical role in assisting our learners to flourish and grow within our Board. • Professional Development sessions are offered to assist in their roles, with topics including FASD, BMST and Mental Health. An Illumination Workshop: Exploring self worth, finding joy and building resilience and optimism - Early Childhood Educators (ECE) ECEs work in collaboration with Ontario Certified Teachers to provide an enriching full-day play-based program. • Professional Development sessions are offered to assist in their roles, with topics including Literacy training with Kate Winn and BMST. - Enhancing our Mental Health Support – Our Board continues to prioritize mental health support, resources and services for students through the work of our Board Mental Health Leader in collaboration with community partners (CCTB, LHINS, Health Unit) and provincially, School Mental Health Ontario (SMHO). • During the last school year, we started the process of recruiting and hiring registered social workers and psychotherapists to create our own internal Mental Health Services team, to better meet the needs of our students, staff, and community. • We offer brief mental health counseling and support services for all K-12 schools, crisis response services to schools during the school day, coordinated mental health fan-out support to schools following tragic events, student mental health promotion and prevention programming, and staff professional development. • Summer mental health support took place this past summer for high school students who could benefit from an Adventure Therapy Group to help manage stress and anxiety. This program utilized team building and communication initiatives, games, and outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and sailing as an intentional treatment modality. - Attendance MattersIn hopes to alleviate school absenteeism, the Attendance Matters committee gatherers to collaborate and determine system-wide planning. Through the use of evidence-based tools our Attendance team is able to determine factors contributing to Persistent Absenteeism including: school climate, school safety, community

TBCDSB 2022-2023

safety and parental access to basic living needs. • The unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and families have been profound. To this extent, the implementation of strategies to support families includes ongoing community collaboration ensuring access to technology, food security, housing, and mental health supports. • One of the strategies aimed at improving student attendance is the ATSA TWO by TEN intervention. This strategy is based on existing research literature on the impact of a trusted caring adult in school on individual students. Strong relationships at school is one of the protective factors of student attendance and success. Preparation began at PJP II during 2022/2023 to be implemented in the 2023/2024 school year. - Violence Prevention & Threat AssessmentThe Board continues to support school and community initiatives and partnerships that prioritize staff and student safety and aim to prevent violence, respond to threats of violence in a timely and effective manner. • The VTRA (Violence Threat Risk Assessment) model was pursued without success by our Board and other Boards in the region due to different levels of readiness among staff and community partners. Moving forward, our Board continues to follow protocols in place with police to maximize student safety and respond to threats of violence. • This past year we continued to support teacher implementation (Heath & Phys Ed, Religious Education, Guidance) of the Fourth R Healthy Relationships/Violence Prevention Program for grades 7-9. The Program has been shown to be effective in building healthy relationship skills and lowering risks of gender-based violence. - Three Year Plans • The Long Term Plans were monitored and updated last year at various points in the school year. The Literacy Plan was updated to reflect the key changes in the Effective Early Reading Instruction Guide. PD sessions were offered with increased frequency and with smaller groupings due to continued supply teacher shortages. - New Pedagogies for Deeper Learning (NPDL) Our Deep Learning sessions were offered to twenty-one NTIP teachers last year, elements of pedagogical practice, learning partnerships, customized learning environments, and strategies to leverage digital were introduced representing all of our schools K-12 during the 2022-2023 school year. • The 6 Global Competencies were examined in correlation to Learning Skills, the Catholic Graduate expectations and the Anishnawbe Grandfather teachings. • Principles of Deep Learning, including the 4 Elements of Learning Design and the 6 Global Competencies were points of emphasis during Early Release Day planning sessions. • NTIP participants were divided into two groups based on their levels of experience. Teachers participated in a moderation of their Learning Designs as part of their collaborative inquiries. . - Summer Learning Program In an effort to reduce the summer learning gap, a Ministry summer learning initiative was delivered. • The three-week program, offered from July 4th to 21st, was open to all student levels and various needs with a specific focus on literacy and numeracy. Camps included ASD, Primary Skills, Junior Skills, Intermediate Skills Camp, and Self-Awareness & Social Emotional Learning Camp.

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

• In partnership with Creative Therapy, a Kindergarten Readiness Camp was also offered to help prepare our Kinders for a successful transition to school. -Summer School This year, Summer school was offered to students. In addition, a reach-ahead program was offered. - Early Years School educator teams received a refresher training on the Sound Skills program. -Indigenous Transitions Wellness Camp Indigenous Graduation Coaches and the incoming Grade 8 cohorts for our High Schools, came together for a transitions wellness camp. • The focus of the two-week camp was supporting the mental health and wellness of the students and their families. • Youth explored themes of self-care, cultural wellness, and places in the community where they can access support. The camp also involved our new Mental Health Workers. - Empower Reading The evidence-based Empower Reading program is an early intervention program developed to assist children and adolescents with difficulties in reading and spelling, into independent, and flexible learners. • Our Board has offered this program for over 15 years and we’re excited to train 6 new teachers to deliver the decoding program in the 2022 2023 school year. • We also trained 4 teachers in senior elementary and high school, in the Empower Comprehension Program. The program delivery in the high school was very successful, and was extended to offer the course for credit in both semesters. -Project SEARCH A Unique business-led, one-year, transition-to-work program for young people with developmental or intellectual disabilities. • The first year of Project SEARCH was a resounding success. The program consisted of in-class instruction and three placements (internships), where student interns had the opportunity to engage in hands-on training to build job readiness and employability skills. This was a collaborative partnership with Thunder Bay Regional

TBCDSB 2022-2023

Health Sciences Centre, Community Living Thunder Bay and Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board. There was focused instruction in the areas of team building, workplace safety, technology, self advocacy, financial literacy and maintaining employment. • The 2022-2023 cohort consisted of 8 students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities starting in the Project SEARCH Program for the inaugural year. - Learning and Innovation Project The Learning and Innovation Project Fund (K-12) was a Ministry grant to support professional development, collaboration, learning, and sharing of effective practices. • The 17 projects, funded through LIFT, were framed around components of Deep Learning and supported at least one of the Ministry’s priorities. - Digital Human Library (dHL) A partnership with dHL provided teacher professional development opportunities and resource access. • Included in our membership are opportunities to video conference with experts, explore virtual tours and virtual reality, attend live streaming events, and join social innovation projects. • Professional learning and development sessions were offered to our NTIP teachers. - 3-Year French Plan This will also be reflected in the 3 Year Plan Section • Two DELF Scolaire sessions were offered during the 2022-2023 school year. 82 Grade 12 students and 72 Grade 8 students challenged this certification. • Participation in the two OPSBA pilot projects continued into their final year. Both these initiatives support Goal 3 from the Ministry of Education to increase student, educator, parent and community engagement in FSL. - Board Student Achievement Plan (BSAP) Provincial wide Board Improvement Plans are beneficial in refining and assisting with student achievement and well-being for students and staff. • As mandated by the Ministry, during the 2022-23 school year, our Board Equity Team worked on the development of a Board Improvement Equity Plan (BIEP) which would replace the Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement (BIPSA). The BIEP was due to be launched during the 2023-2024 school year. During the summer of 2023 the Ministry changed School Board priorities and directed Boards to call the new document the Board Student Achievement Plan

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

(BSAP). Over the summer of 2023 our Board developed the new plan which included the Ministry’s new priorities and measurable performance indicators under each priority. We launched the 2023 -2024 BSAP in September of 2023. • With input and assistance from Principals and Student Achievement team members, our BSAP provides a roadmap of ways to progress and grow in improvement and future planning. - EQAO During the 2021-2022 school year OSSLT testing resumed and the test was successfully administered at secondary sites in our Board. • EQAO Gr. 9 Math along with Language and Numeracy in Grades 3 and 6 were resumed. It is important to note that there were significant changes in the administration and content of the test which will make it difficult to make comparisons to other years’ data. • Click here to view our Regional EQAO Results and our Gr. 3 and 6 EQAO Results.

TBCDSB 2022-2023

SUPPORTING

collaboration

ENSURE CONSISTENCY AND ENCOURAGE ONGOING IMPROVEMENT

- Day Treatment Program, Elementary Day treatment is offered for our Elementary students at Our Lady of Charity School (grades 3-6), in conjunction with Children’s Centre Thunder Bay (CCTB). • Students hindered by social, emotional, and/or behavioural struggles in which their academic success is obstructed, are able to benefit from this modified academic programming. • This program was reviewed in 2022 - 2023 with CCTB to discuss strategies which will enhance the program and review the memorandum of understanding. - Coordinator for Indigenous Education Our Coordinator has been supporting the work of the Indigenous Education Department staff, providing resources and support. She meets regularly with Indigenous Student Counselors and Indigenous Graduation Coaches. She also provides support to the Ojibwe language teachers.

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

- Programming Several successful programs were developed throughout the year, assisting educators and schools to build cultural awareness and provide strategies to support Indigenous students. • Indigenous Language classes and Indigenous Studies programs are offered to our students. The Ojibwe Language program is offered at twelve schools. Ojibwe Language Teachers are offered professional development to assist them in understanding the curriculum expectations. • Indigenous studies credits offered at the secondary level include: Grade 11 English: Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices and Grade 9 Visual Arts: Expressions of Indigenous Culture. • Days which are culturally and nationally significant are honoured within our Board. Schools and sites participate in events annually, recognizing: National Indigenous Peoples Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Treaties Recognition Week, and in the National Day of Remembrance at Fort William First Nation. Other significant dates which are recognized are Day of Action for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, and National Indigenous Veterans Day, - Partnership with the Biwaase’aa Program Biwaase’aa, is an in-school and after-school program for Indigenous elementary students and families. • The program supports the social, emotional, physical and cognitive well-being of Indigenous students through a focus on life skills, cultural awareness, academic mentoring, structured social activities and healthy nutrition. • St. Ann, St. Vincent and Our Lady of Charity currently have this program embedded daily in their schools. - Identity Based Research Project • In partnership with Dr. Lisa Korteweg, a professor at Lakehead University, we completed an Identity-based research project, funded by the Ministry of Education, to examine potential systemic barriers to the voluntary self-identification of Indigenous students and staff. • The data collected in the research provided a foundation and guide to the Indigenous Cultural Safety and equity-focussed work within the Board. - Indigenous Counsellors To provide direct support to our high school and senior elementary school students, Indigenous Student Counselors are on site. • Indigenous Student Counselors support students transitioning to our schools from northern communities, and offer school-based mentoring, leadership and cultural programs. • Indigenous Student Counselors are members of school mental health and well-being teams and work closely with guidance departments, school mental health professionals, and our Mental Health Lead. - Indigenous Grad Coaches The Indigenous Graduation Coaches have been providing support and programming for Indigenous students at St. Patrick and St. Ignatius High schools.

TBCDSB 2022-2023

• This past school year, the Board received funding to pilot an Indigenous Graduation Coach program in a senior elementary school until December 2022. • The Indigenous Grad Coaches provide academic, social, and emotional support to Indigenous students. They work closely with the Indigenous Student Counsellor, and with community organizations to provide academic programming, mentorship and cultural learning, lunch and after-school programs. - Cultural Rooms Cultural rooms offer our students a quiet place of contemplation, ceremony and community. Schools which have cultural rooms include St. Ann, Pope John Paul II, St. Jude, St. Patrick, Bishop Gallagher, and St. Ignatius. - Programming Indigenous Language classes and Indigenous Studies programs are offered to our students, with the Ojibway Language program expanding further, reaching more schools. • Programming is offered to our Ojibway Language Teachers, assisting in understanding the curriculum expectations. • Professional Development is in partnership with Lakehead University’s Indigenous Language Instructor Program. • Together with programming, cultural celebrations also occur within our schools, and we participate annually in National Indigenous Peoples Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Treaties Recognition Week, and in the National Day of Remembrance at Fort William First Nation. - Indigenous Education Council (IEC) With guidance from our Indigenous Education Council, Indigenous programming and services are designed and expanded. The Council provides direction and vision as it relates to Indigenous student success. - Self-IdentificationVoluntary self-identification of Indigenous ancestry is an excellent opportunity for students to declare their culture and background. • This additional knowledge provides information to our Board and schools, assisting in utilizing resources to support Indigenous student success. - Full Day Kindergarten at Fort William First Nation Full Day Kindergarten is offered at Fort William First Nation as a satellite campus of St. Ann school. This project was launched in September 2018 and continues to educate students in the 2022-2023 school year. The program has been successful, particularly in cultural programming, with an increase in student attendance and an improvement in student language and speech. - International Student Program Partnered with MLI, a company that specializes in the recruitment of International students.

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

ENDURING

sustainability

DEMONSTRATE THE VALUE OF SUPPORTING CATHOLIC EDUCATION

- Identify, Develop & Support Leaders Leadership plays a pivotal role in any organization. • Implementation of a Board Leadership Development Strategy (BLDS) is extremely imperative in the roles of Principal and Vice Principal. • Focusing on mentoring aspiring and experienced leaders is imperative in succession planning and performance appraisal. Unfortunately, the Ministry put a pause on funding this program for the 2022-23 school year. • We are in the process of reviewing the Aspiring Leadership Program with the intention of finding innovative ways to support it through our own funds. - Resource Support The Student Achievement Board Resource staff follow a two-tiered system: • One level focuses on the teachers and the other on students. Support for staff includes: capacity building in Literacy, Numeracy and Indigenous worldviews. Capacity-building sessions for educators are a means to help enhance student engagement and achievement by using evidence-based pedagogical practices. • Our Literacy, Numeracy and French Resource teachers co-plan, co-teach and co-debrief with classroom teachers to strengthen content area understanding and instructional strategies.

TBCDSB 2022-2023

• An emphasis on improving teacher pedagogy, including the integration of Deep Learning, is a focus for this team. • The Indigenous Student Support Teacher works directly with students to inquire and discover which learning strategies work best for which students. • Our English Language Learner Teachers work to support student culture and to strengthen language development and learning skills. • Our Indigenous Education Resource Teacher worked with teachers to infuse Indigenous worldviews into classroom work, bringing Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum. Part of the role includes highlighting resources that teachers can use to support the integration of the TRC Calls to Action within their practice. • Our Resource SSPs, provide support to staff and students in the areas of ABA, technology support and communication support. • Our Resource ECE provides support to ELKP educators in programming, self-regulation, and assessment. - Special Education Teacher & Student Support In order to remain up to date on topics relating to Special Education, Board resource staff attend professional development conferences and participate regularly in RSEC (Regional Special Education Committee) meetings to share best practices and resources. • Resource staff facilitated virtual sessions for all school special education teachers addressing: Ministry or Board initiatives, changes or additions to current regulations or processes, data sharing and reports on current trends as well as training in new special education software, assessments, and intervention programs. • Supporting students with special education needs is a priority. We ensure fairness and inclusivity, creating a sense of belonging, where students are motivated to meet their greatest potential. • Support for struggling learners follows a ‘Response to Intervention’ approach which applies the appropriate Tier level of 1, 2, or 3. This is accomplished by having a process in place for in-school special education teams to monitor and assess student progress and make next step referrals to Boardlevel support and then to more focussed interventions provided by special Board programs, or agency partnerships. • An area of great attention and focus this year has been on the OHRC Right to Read Inquiry and the benefit of a Structured Literacy approach to instruction. The hiring of an additional Early Intervention Teacher ensures that as many struggling Grade 1 and Grade 2 students as possible receive the Fundations program, a tier 2 intervention. • Using the DIBELS assessment, Grade 6 students were screened and a Literacy intervention teacher provided Tier 2 support to those most in need of an intervention. - Ensuring Continuous Renewal of Facilities TBCDSB Plant Department and Capital Project Planning Team were busy during the 2022-2023 project season. This was the first “normal” project season following the Pandemic. The following lists projects that were completed during this season: • Bishop Gallagher Exterior Renovation. B.G. welcomed the addition of their new outdoor classroom and workout playground for students. The outdoor classroom will host cultural activities and events.

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

• New Boiler Plant, windows and siding at St. Margaret School. The new corrugated metal siding has modernized the exterior while making the school more efficient for heating. • High School Camera Upgrades. St. Patrick and St. Ignatius features new cameras to support safety in the schools. • St. Elizabeth Kiss & Ride and Kindergarten play area. Student pickup has become so much easier for parents with the addition of the new Kiss and Ride. This area is complete with new sidewalks and extra parking for parents and staff. • Our Lady of Charity drainage and stormwater management. The massive puddles in the parkinglot have dried up due to the drainage plan, making it safer and cleaner for all of our staff, students and guests. • St. Pius Windows. All new windows were installed providing a new look inside and out, also providing efficiency to the school. - Ensuring Quality Technology Technology is a priority for Thunder Bay Catholic and our Information Technology Team is committed to providing support to staff. The following are some of the initiatives, investments and projects that were prioritized in 2022-2023: • Expedited Deployment of classroom Chromebases for teachers and staff. • Installation of new 75” Televisions and projectors for educators • Improvement to Cybersecurity and technology - creating additional protection for staff, students and systems. • Investment in wifi and connectivity through the purchase and installation of new access points in all of our sites. • VOIP Phone Rollout remains a priority as more sites are being activated. • Grade 9 computers continue to be rolled out to new students in our high schools. • Chromebook replacement began in many of our elementary schools this year. More will be rolled out over the next 2 years.

TBCDSB 2022-2023

- Increasing Environmental Friendliness Schools continued to develop their gardens and water bottle filling stations were added to reduce waste and highlight how an individual’s actions can make an impact on the environment. - Health and Safety Performance Improvement Our Board values the health and safety of our students, staff and guests. In order to remain safe, and prevent injuries. • The Board continued to respond to the pandemic by working closely with the Ministry of Education, Public Health Ontario and Thunder Bay District Health Unit. Staff and students continued to receive masks and rapid antigen tests throughout the school year. • Thunder Bay Catholic continued to invest in top quality disinfectant, hand sanitizer and cleaning products. Our custodial group continued to go above and beyond ensuring spaces were safe and clean. Additional portable HEPA filtration units were deployed throughout our Board. - Ensuring Board Governance and a Balanced Budget We continually implement and verify that we are in compliance with new Ministry directives and legislation. • Together, our Board supports the work of our Trustees in the development and review of policies and procedural by-laws and through professional development sessions. • Together, with Senior Team, we implement the recommendations of the Operational Review, the internal and external audit committees, and Risk Management feedback in a timely manner. - Special Education An area of great attention and focus this year has been on the OHRC Right to Read Inquiry and its recommendations. • As we follow it closely we have begun the process of developing a 3-year early identification and intervention plan that was initiated in the 2021-22 school year. • The Special Education 3 yr Plan includes the following priorities: Tiered Early Intervention including Structured Literacy and Math Interventions, Consistency in the monitoring and accountability of IEP development and implementation and the IPRC process and, implementation of Essential Skills programming at senior elementary and second-level within special education programs.

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

The following actions were also initiated in the 2022-2023 school year: • In collaboration with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and community partner, Community Living Thunder Bay, we offered the first cohort of 8 students beginning their in-class lessons, as well as their 3 internships on site at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Project Search offered a fully immersive learning and work opportunity for students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Wrap around supports are in place to support the transition into the world of work upon program completion. - Intake and Assessment, Early Years Several methods of assessment are used in the early years, identifying next steps, further assessment, specialized intervention or ongoing monitoring. • Ages and Stages Screening Tool, Sounds Skills Screener, Brigance screens and the updated, revised Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Third Edition (WIAT- III), are some of the tools used to help identify academic strengths and weaknesses of a student. These screening tools help to make decisions regarding eligibility for educational services. • A practice started during school closures, and carried over into this year, our Special Education teachers contacted each newly registered family and completed a condensed version of the ASQ to ensure that we were prepared to meet the needs of our incoming students. - Students with Autism Due to the transition of the Ontario Autism Program to new programs that had not yet been implemented, specifically the Early Entry Program and Core Services, we had a select number of students whose high needs were met by the Board contracting ABA services from several local agencies. Qualified ABA therapists developed plans and provided direct services within our school settings. This year our Board was funded by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Children and Youth Services, to support the Ontario Autism Program. Much of the funding was used to support the training and professional development of staff, as well as the transitions of students from school to school.

TBCDSB 2022-2023

CONNECTING

communities

E N S U R I N G A L L PA R E N T S & C A R E G I V E R S F E E L W E L C O M E D & I N V O LV E D

- Communication Communication remains a priority for our Board, ensuring our TBCDSB community is notified and aware of news and events pertaining to our school communities. • Utilizing various social media platforms, our website and SchoolMessenger, we continue to send informative messages and good news stories across our system. • Communication with our external and internal audience is vital in creating a warm, inclusive and transparent environment for all. • Utilizing social media, especially Facebook and Instagram, provides an effective and immediate way to connect. This is also a great way to recruit potential families through our engaging posts and photography. Through the use of SchoolMessenger, we plan on effectively communicating emergency messages beginning in the 2022-2023 school year.

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

ENSURING

equity

FAIRNESS AND INCLUSION THROUGHOUT OUR BOARD

Embracing inclusion and fairness throughout our Board, we continue to work and establish a variety of initiatives supporting equity. • System administration established direction for our schools and monitored their progress closely. Teachers, support staff, parents and students partnered together to implement these initiatives such as: Natural Helpers, We Day Student Conference, Choices Programming, Student Advisory Council and Student Senates, Indigenous Educational art projects and an Indigenous Studies Course. • The formation of many inclusive groups including, Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Positive Space and Rainbow Alliance create spaces for engagement in social justice work, inclusion, and celebrate diversity throughout the school communities. • All system and school leaders are engaged in the School Improvement Planning, with a focus on student wellbeing. Principals are directed to establish and maintain a safe and accepting school committee and many of these groups assist with this improvement. • Our Board has created a de-streaming team and participated in various Ministry workshops building capacity in our Board while preparing our schools to increase educator capacity, student engagement, achievement and well-being. • Professional Development sessions focused on culturally responsible teaching were provided to grade 9 Social Sciences teachers throughout the year. Culturally Responsive teaching strategies were also introduced to Instructional Leads during Early Release Day planning sessions. • As a Board, we are finding ways to make cultural shifts identifying and dismantling systemic discrimination and structural inequities.

TBCDSB 2022-2023

- Trades, Entrepreneurship & Further Programming Through programming such as Ontario Youth Apprenticeship (OYAP) and Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM), Co-Operative Education (Coop), Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Program (AYEP), Dual Credit, and Advanced Placement Programs, our students have amazing opportunities at their disposal. • Conferences and programming aimed towards women and Indigenous students are becoming recurrent, with positive role models and entrepreneurs inspiring them to get involved in the career of trades. • Growing partnerships with sector-specific employers provide students with the opportunity to build tradespecific skills and knowledge. This allows students to develop a direct connection between dual credit courses and their placement as a viable career pathway. It allows students to experience post-secondary education, while earning secondary school credit and college credit. • We have 12 SHSM programs successfully running. We received enhanced funding to offer additional sections of manufacturing, hospitality and cooperative education along with innovative approach funding to increase SHSM engagement and participation with student-led projects at both schools (St Pats-Clover Cafe & St Ignatius-Concession Stand). Applications were submitted for the addition of 2 new SHSM programs next year. • These programs have seen an increase in student enrollment along with an increase in SHSM completion rates as they provide opportunities for students to participate in sector-specific experiential learning, reach ahead and industry applicable certification and training. • Students graduating with an SHSM red seal on their diploma, transitioned to a post-secondary pathway with applicable skills, training, education and experience. • Continuing to strengthening our partnerships with post-secondary institutions provides increased opportunities for guided tours of various institutions, classrooms, and shops; along with presentations and workshops have been provided to students at both high schools and alternative education programs. • Guidance Counselor-Teachers participated in a full day of professional learning to develop and enhance understanding of the skilled trades and apprenticeship pathways and the benefits of the skilled trades as a career. The first part of the day consisted of an industry tour where they observed apprentices and journeymen on the job and engaged directly with them about their career path/journey. The second part of the day consisted of focused conversation with representatives from various local skilled trades employers and organizations to extend knowledge and understanding of education and training requirements for this pathway along with current labour market demands. Feedback from Guidance Counselors-Teachers indicated that following this professional development day, they felt they were better informed and positioned to promote this pathway as viable and valuable to all students.

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

ENROLMENT

Corpus Christi - 233 Holy Cross - 341 Holy Family - 358 Our Lady of Charity - 143 St. Ann - 193 St Bernard (Eng) - 160 St Bernard (FI) - 375 St. Elizabeth - 260 St. Francis - 164 St. Jude - 156 St. Margaret - 184 St. Martin (Eng) - 197 St. Martin (FI) - 284 St. Paul - 137 St. Pius X - 204 St. Thomas Aquinas - 205 St. Vincent - 125 TOTAL GRADE JK TO 6 - 3,719 Bishop E Q Jennings - 245 Bishop Gallagher - 260 Pope John Paul II - 549 TOTAL GRADE 7 to 8 - 1,054 TOTAL ELEMENTARY - 4,773 St. Ignatius - 996 St. Patrick - 1,085 TOTAL SECONDARY - 2,081 TOTAL ALL STUDENTS - 6,854

TBCDSB 2022-2023

B U D G E T | $115,501,893 2022-2023 Expenditures

Instruction $82,954,199

Debt Repayment $2,479,230

Administration $7,501,817

Transportation $7,072,189

School Renewal $6,378,028

2022-2023 Source of Financing

Provincial Grants + Taxation $111,188,018

Other Revenues $1,843,300

Tuition Fees $2,470,575

School Operations $9,116,509

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT

OUR TRUSTEES

at a glance

2022-2023 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

CHAIR OF THE BOARD Francis Veneruz

TRUSTEE Sarah Pelletier

VICE-CHAIR Dina McFarlane

TRUSTEE Tony Romeo

TRUSTEE Eleanor Ashe

STUDENT TRUSTEE Joseph Foresta

TRUSTEE Lawrence Badanai

STUDENT TRUSTEE Gabriella Pelletier

TRUSTEE Leanne Fonso

INDIGENOUS STUDENT TRUSTEE Cooper Yesno

6 Trustees elected to serve on the Board for four-year term 1 Trustee appointed by Fort William First Nation 3 Student Trustees appointed for a 1- year term

TBCDSB 2022-2023

OUR BOARD

at a glance

2 0 2 2 - 2 0 2 3 S E N I O R A D M I N I S T R AT I O N SENIOR TEAM Left to Right: Brent Mandryk - Superintendent of Business & Corporate Services, Allison Sargent - Superintendent of Education, Pino Tassone - Director of Education, Omer Belisle - Superintendent of Education and Jean-Paul Tennier -Superintendent of Education.

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION: Pino Tassone

MANAGER OF EMPLOYEE SERVICES: Chad Rojik

SUPERINTENDENT OF BUSINESS AND CORPORATE SERVICES: Brent Mandryk

FAITH LEADER: Fr. Ciarán Donnelly

SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION: Omer Belisle

COMMUNICATIONS: Alexandra Franków, Communications Officer

SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION: Jean-Paul Tennier SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION: Allison Sargent

T H U N D E R B AY C AT H O L I C D I S T R I C T S C H O O L B O A R D This is Us! www.tbcschools.ca