Boardroom Briefs is intended to provide highlights of presentations, reports and decisions made at the regular meeting of the Limestone District School Board of Trustees. The following are highlights of the November 13, 2024 Annual General Meeting and Special Meeting of the Board and the Nominations Committee Meeting and Special Meeting of the Board of November 18, 2024. Board Meeting Agendas can be found on the website under Board Meetings.
All meetings begin with a Land Acknowledgement:
"The Limestone District School Board is situated on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee. We acknowledge their enduring presence on this land, as well as the presence of Métis, Inuit, and other First Nations from across Turtle Island. We honour their cultures and celebrate their commitment to this land.”
The Lost Birds Outreach Project and Music Presentation
Rae McDonald, Elementary Equity & Inclusion and Arts Consultant welcomed the executive members of The Isabel Voices, Dianna Bristol Chair and Darrell Christie, Artistic Director to share highlights and a musical performance of the LDSB and Isabel Voices "The Lost Birds." Artistic Director Christie described "The Lost Birds" as a breathtaking composition for voice, piano and string quartet not only celebrating the awe-inspiring beauty of the natural worlds but also reflecting on the magnificent bird species that grace out skies - both those still soaring among us and those tragically lost. He shared that over the past month The Isabel Voices visited a dozen Grade 4 classrooms with a program celebrating collective music-making alongside environmental conservation. With the assistance of the Kingston Field Naturalists, students engaged in interactive activities to broaden their knowledge and passion about birds. Twelve classes from across the LDSB each chose a unique bird to study, leading to the creation of art projects that accompany the performance. The students' art remains on display at the Isabel Bader Centre, approximately 240 pieces in all. The Kingston Field Naturalist continue their classroom visits all this month.
Program highlights:
- 80 Grade 4 students
- 12 classrooms
- 240 unique art pieces
- 1 sold out performance
Opening Greetings and Introductions:
In accordance with Section 208 of The Education Act, and LDSB By-Laws Article II, and IV, and under the authority invested in Director Krishna Burra as the Secretary of the Board, he welcomed everyone to the Annual Meeting of the Limestone District School Board for the term ending November 14, 2024. The Director of Education acts as the presiding officer of the Annual Meeting, pending the election of the Chair of the Board. Trustees elect a Chair and Vice-Chair to serve as Executive for the next year at the Annual General Meeting. Director Burra stated:
"As the third year of Trustees’ four-year term of office begins, I would like to express my appreciation to the Board of Trustees for the important contributions and decisions made that support student achievement and well-being while ensuring the Board fulfills its duties under the Education Act."
Trustees also formalized the appointments of Trustees Jamie Maracle and Chris Scott to the Board, with both being sworn in at the Annual General Meeting. Trustee Maracle was appointed as Indigenous Trustee by the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, following the retirement of Trustee Kelly Maracle last month. Trustee Scott was appointed by the Board of Trustees to represent the Loyalist-Cataraqui, Collins Bay, and Bayridge Districts in the City of Kingston, filling the vacancy left by the passing of Trustee Judith Brown on October 11, 2024.
Chair and Vice-Chair elected for 2025 session:
Trustees Robin Hutcheon and Bob Godkin were elected to the roles of Chair and Vice-Chair at the Annual General Meeting of the Board
November 13, 2024, for the session ending November 19, 2025. Trustees elect a Chair and Vice-Chair each year of their four-year mandate. This is the third year for both in their respective roles.
After her nomination, Chair Hutcheon thanked Trustee Godkin and expressed her appreciation for the strength of the LDSB team.
"We are committed to students, to their success, and to their well-being. Our staff are innovative, caring, and efficient, and our trustees are passionate and kind."
She thanked the Board for the opportunity to serve, adding, "It is an honour to serve in this role." Chair Hutcheon was first elected in October 2018, now serving her second term. She has contributed to several Board committees and held roles with the Ontario Public School Boards Association.
Similarly Vice-Chair Bob Godkin thanked Trustee Neill for the nomination, and said he looks forward to continuing the work of the Board. Vice-Chair Godkin is also in his second term of office, and represents the City of Kingston: Pittsburgh and King’s Town Districts, and Frontenac Islands.
Private Session Report
Vice-Chair Bob Godkin provided the Private Session Report from earlier in the evening of November 13, 2024:
- The private session minutes were approved from the Regular Board Meeting of October 23, 2024
- Associate Superintendent Gollogly gave a safe schools update.
- Executive Superintendent Young provided a property update.
There was no other business conducted, or motions passed in Private Session.
Reports for Information
Math Action Achievement Plan Update
Associate Superintendent Steve Hedderson provided Trustees with an update on the continued development of Limestone’s Math Achievement Action Plan. The plan is aligned with the LDSB Strategic Plan goal of improving math learning and achievement for every student and improving student well-being/sense of belonging/engagement in class time, and time focused on learning.
Actions in the LDSB Math Achievement Action Plan help to advance the following high-leverage strategies from the LDSB Strategic plan:
• Create positive cultures that support student engagement & well-being in service of student learning and achievement;
• Increase educator ability to foster growth in student learning and achievement; and
• Support the capacity of administrators and school teams to analyze and interpret data as guidance for implementing impactful student achievement plans.
Associate Superintendent Hedderson shared highlights and metrics since the last update in June 2024:
• Additional meetings have been held with the Provincial Math Lead to discuss data analysis, possible improvement strategies, and key performance indicators to support the LDSB Math Achievement Action Plan;
• Two provincial strategic planning meetings with Board Math Leads across the province to provide additional clarity on data reporting requirements;
• 2 additional webinars have been held provincially to help build math content knowledge for Math Action Teams and Ontario educators in Grades 3, 6, and 9;
• Deeper analysis of EQAO mathematics and other achievement data has been occurring, with a focus on system-level data;
• The LDSB Math Action Team, School-Based Math Facilitators and Learning Partners have been supporting educators in schools in gathering diagnostic math data, plotting students on developmental continua and implementing 15-minutes of daily fluency instruction;
• School-Based Math Facilitators and Learning Partners supported a series of math-related professional learning sessions for educators on the October 11 PA Day;
• Elementary Learning Teams (Principals and Teacher Leaders) were assembled to conduct guided data analysis of math modification data and EQAO contextual and achievement data including math confidence and strands and skills reports;
• A system learning focus on building data literacy for school leaders has begun to help frame the LDSB Math Achievement Action Plan, clarify expectations, and provide support for the implementation of the plan in every mathematics classroom, in every school, and
• As part of the ongoing system inquiry focused on centering students in the margins, particular attention is being paid to students with modified Individual Education Plans in math and uncovering what we can do differently to improve their outcomes in math.
School Math Facilitators (20 partially released and 2 fully released) continue to work alongside Grades 3, 6, and 9 math educators in 26 priority schools (22 elementary and 4 secondary) to support students’ math learning, confidence, and achievement. In addition, the facilitators also support other educators teaching math in other grades in those schools. This year, there are also 9 elementary central learning partners who support capacity building with educators in the core academic skills (Math and Literacy) in non-math priority elementary schools. Associate Superintendent Hedderson concluded the report with an overview of the new provincial metrics that will be monitored during the 2024-2025 school year.
Nominations Committee Meeting:
Trustees gathered on Monday, November 18, 2024 to select which committees they wish to serve on for the session ending November 19, 2025. There are 7 Statutory Committees: Audit, Indigenous Education Committee, Expulsion/Suspension, Parent Involvement Committee, Supervised Alternative Learning, the Special Education Advisory Committee, and the Director’s Review Committee.
The following Trustees will serve on the Board’s Statutory and Standing Committees:
Audit Committee (Serving year 3 of 4-year term):
(1) Trustee Elliott
(2) Trustee Lloyd
(3) Trustee Ruttan
Special Education Advisory Committee (Serving year 3 of 4-year term):
(1) Trustee Lloyd
(2) Trustee McGregor
(3) Trustee Neill (Alternate)
Indigenous Education Committee:
(1) Trustee Maracle
(2) Trustee Godkin
(3) Trustee Hutcheon (Alternate)
Director’s Review Committee:
(1) Trustee [Chair] Hutcheon
(2) Trustee [Vice-Chair] Godkin
(3) Trustee Scott
(4) Trustee Lloyd
(5) Trustee McGregor
Expulsion Hearing Committee / Disciplinary Hearing Committee Pool:
Trustees Elliott, McGregor, Morning, Ruttan, Scott and Neill
Parent Involvement Committee:
(1) Trustee Godkin
(2) Trustee Hutcheon (Alternate)
Supervised Alternative Learning Committee:
(1) Trustee Morning
(2) Trustee Scott (Alternate)
Representation on the Board’s Standing Committees are as follows:
Awards Committee:
(1) Trustee Ruttan
(2) Trustee McGregor
(3) Trustee Elliott
(4) Trustee Lloyd (Alternate)
Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee:
(1) Trustee Morning
(2) Trustee Hutcheon
And representatives on the following associations:
OPSBA (the term runs June to June):
(1) Trustee McGregor
(2) Trustee Ruttan (Alternate)
Food Sharing Project:
(1) Trustee Neill
(2) Trustee Scott (Alternate)
MOTION: Trustee McGregor moved that the report of the Nomination Committee Meeting of November 18, 2024, as presented, be adopted.
CARRIED.
Next Board Meeting
- Education Policy and Operations Meeting December 5, 2024
- Regular Meeting of the Board January 15, 2025
Boardroom Briefs is intended to provide highlights of presentations, reports and decisions made at the regular meeting of the Limestone District School Board of Trustees. Board Meeting Agendas can be found on the website under Board Meetings.