We are saddened by the act of hate that happened at the University of Waterloo on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. Our thoughts go to the victims of this homophobic and transphobic attack, to the entire 2SLGBTQ+ community, and to those who are impacted by this event. 

What a year this has been! I am so proud of your collective efforts to partner with students, families and communities to build a culture of learning, well-being and belonging to inspire every learner.

Jack Kelly, Grade 12 student at Paris District High School, is ending the year with a touchdown: he recently signed a five-year football contract with Western University, where he’ll start his post-secondary journey in the fall of 2024 after completing the final credits of his secondary school diploma at PDHS this fall.

Grand Erie District School Board approved balanced 2023-24 operating and capital budgets during the Regular Board meeting on Monday, June 26. Both budgets will now be submitted to the Ministry of Education.

Wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility and truth. These concepts make up the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) Seven Grandfather Teachings, a set of core values that come from Indigenous ways of knowing, and thanks to a year-long effort at J.L. Mitchener Public School, they’ve become guiding principles that help define the school community. 

Holding an oversized pair of novelty scissors that required both hands, Lorne Johnstone, Grade 12 student at Cayuga Secondary School, cut through a ribbon to officially unveil the school’s upgraded technological education learning space. He was joined by fellow students, staff, and representatives from Stelco and the CWB Welding Foundation, which made the upgrades possible through a donation that added industry-grade welding equipment and machinery in line with today’s workforce. 

At Central Public School and Major Ballachey Public School, staff and students have been hard at work this spring, developing skills that will help them meet challenges both in the classroom and in life. 

Our local public health units have issued statements regarding the current air quality situation (BCHU, HNHU). Poor air quality, with moderate to high-risk Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) values are expected through most of the week.

Time to huddle up and do something about bullying. That was the message students at Burford District Elementary School got recently during an assembly where we spoke virtually to Boris Bede, a player from the Toronto Argonauts football team.

In a world of opportunity, deciding what’s next is no easy feat. Just ask Emely and Stephon, BCI students who found direction in their local community through co-operative learning. Emely’s interest in speech and language services began years ago after a family member attended speech therapy. With curiosity and limited knowledge, Emely sought hands-on experience with Kids Can Speak in Brantford.