Date: April 25, 2025

Secondary:

Length: Full Day

Location: All schools - In-person (Secondary only)

Topics: Curriculum Development, Implementation and Review

Presenters: School Administrators

Description: 

This professional development session will focus on empowering students with critical thinking and transferable skills essential for navigating a rapidly changing world. Educators will explore practical strategies and routines to effectively infuse critical thinking into daily instruction and assessment practices.

Special Education teachers will be participating in a presentation on and demonstration of the APEX (Adapted Physical Education) Program at the University of Windsor Human Kinetics Building and Toldo Lancer Centre.  University of Windsor staff will be facilitating the session.

Date: February 14 , 2025

Elementary

Length: Full Day

Location: All schools - In-person

Presenters: School Administrators and Educator Staff

Topic 1: Supporting Students with Prevalent Medical Conditions

Description: An overview of PPM 161 will be provided, outlining how to support students with prevalent medical conditions such as anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes and/or epilepsy.

Topic 2: Guidance and Career Education

Description: Staff will focus on career exploration and academic planning (ex: career pathways, skilled trades) through the Ontario Council for Technology. 

Topic 3: Curriculum Implementation

Description: Staff will explore mathematical content through the lens of Financial Literacy. 

Staff will investigate the Writing Pathway scope and sequence for teaching writing that can be embedded in any content or curriculum. FSL Teachers will learn about  a differentiated approach to teach listening, by identifying 6 key factors that influence the difficulty level of oral texts. Music teachers will discuss the role of technology in music programs and explore digital tools available to enhance teaching and learning experiences.

Topic 4: Framework for Teacher Professionalism Online Training Module

Description: Created for WECDSB Ontario Certified Teachers, the module identifies and highlights the importance of professional, ethical and legal parameters, conduct and responsibilities that govern Ontario Certified Teachers and their practice. 

Secondary

Length: Full Day

Location: All schools - In-person

Presenters: School Administrators and Educator Staff

Topic 1: Supporting Students with Prevalent Medical Conditions

Description: An overview of PPM 161 will be provided, outlining how to support students with prevalent medical conditions such as anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes and/or epilepsy.

Topic 2: Bullying and School Safety: Responsible Digital Citizenship:Through a Catholic Lens

Description: Staff will be examining resources and strategies to promote responsible digital citizenship and online safety through a Catholic lens.  Connections will be made to the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations and resources created by the Institute for Catholic Education.

Topic 3: Framework for Teacher Professionalism Online Training Module

Description: Created for WECDSB Ontario Certified Teachers, the module identifies and highlights the importance of professional, ethical and legal parameters, conduct and responsibilities that govern Ontario Certified Teachers and their practice. 

Topic 4: Curriculum Implementation/Literacy/STEM: Student Achievement Plan

Description: School teams will review and discuss strategies related to their Student Achievement Plans, with a focus on curriculum implementation, student outcomes in literacy and numeracy, as well as participation in Math, Science and job skills programs.

Date: January 31, 2025

Secondary:

Length: Full Day

Location: All schools - In-person (Secondary only)

Topics: Curriculum Development, Implementation and Review

Presenters: Not applicable

Description: 

In preparation for the second semester, secondary teachers will work within subject disciplines to review curriculum, as well as assessment and evaluation strategies.

Date: January 17, 2025

Elementary:

Length: Full Day

Location: All schools - In-person (Elementary only)

Topics: Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting

Presenters: Not applicable

Description: 

Elementary teachers will be engaged in Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting activities to complete Term 1 Report Cards.

Date: November 15, 2024

Elementary

Length: Full Day

Location: All schools - In-person

Presenters: School Administrators and Educator Staff

Topic 1: AM - Bullying and School Safety

Description: Staff will review safe school policies, violent incident reporting procedures, and bullying prevention and promotion strategies.  Strategies to support a positive school climate will also be highlighted.

Topic 2: AM - Mental Health and Well-Being

Description: Staff will review Social Emotional Learning resources that will focus on six competencies and skills identified by School Mental Health Ontario.  Teachers will have an opportunity to discuss classroom practices for students related to curriculum expectations.

Topic 3: AM - Student Achievement Plan - Literacy

Description: Staff will review the Literacy Student Achievement Plan and discuss how classroom practices relate to fidelity of curriculum and teacher content knowledge. The Literacy block will be reviewed as well as a discussion of Literacy Look Fors in the classroom.

Topic 4: PM - Mathematics

Description: Staff will review the Math Achievement Action Plan and discuss how to maximize High Impact Instructional Practices. Teachers will review and reflect on how to implement resources to support a balanced approach in the Numeracy block.

Secondary

Length: Full Day

Location: All schools - In-person

Presenters: School Administrators and Educator Staff

Topic 1: AM - Bullying and School Safety

Description: Staff will review safe school policies, violent incident reporting procedures, and bullying prevention and promotion strategies.  Strategies to support a positive school climate will also be highlighted.

Topic 2: AM - Artificial Intelligence -  AI : Your Ai(d) in Education

Description: Staff will learn about the power of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and how it is reshaping the educational landscape. Educators will delve into critical evaluation techniques for AI-generated content, enabling them to identify potential biases and ensure responsible implementation. Through hands-on exploration, staff will discover how AI can serve as a valuable assistant, aiding them in various aspects of your teaching practice, such as curriculum planning, implementation and assessment.  

Topic 3: PM - Artificial Intelligence - AI in Action

Description: Teachers will get hands-on and explore different tasks and tools that can enhance their lives in education. Within subject disciplines, teachers will work with various AI and relate them to teaching tasks relevant to their practice, such as meeting the needs of all learners, assessment, lesson planning, and curriculum delivery.   

Topic 4: PM - Guidance and Career Education

Description: Guidance counsellors, Student Success Teachers and Co-op Teachers will make connections between their roles and local employers/labour market, with a focus on high-demand economic sectors.  The session will be facilitated by representatives from Workforce Windsor-Essex.

Topic 5: PM - Empowering Multilingual Learners in the Content Areas

Description: This session will equip high school teachers across all content areas with practical, asset-based strategies to support multilingual learners in building language skills while learning content. Teachers will also explore technology and AI tools that can assist teachers to enhance language support and differentiate instruction.

Date: October 11, 2024

Elementary & Secondary

Length: Full Day

Topics: Together in Faith Day and Online Mandatory Training Modules

Location: Various Catholic parishes across Windsor and Essex County

Presenter(s): Luke Willson - Retired NFL player and former WECDSB Student Trustee; Margaret Palmer - Chaplaincy Leader, Ursuline College; Raymond Grassi - Ice Sledge Hockey gold medalist with Team Canada at the 2006 Winter Paralympics; Deacon Keith Strohm - Deacon for the Archdiocese of Chicago; Mike Masse - Mindfulness Consultant and Best Selling Author; Christina Mines -  Director of Evangelization & Catechesis, Diocese of Hamilton; Claire Bondy -  Director of Lay Ecclesial Ministry and Ongoing Formation for the Diocese of London; Mackenzie Siddall - Founder of Attitude of Gratitude. 

Description: In the morning, staff will gather as a “Family of Schools” to celebrate Mass. This year’s theme will be “Called to Inspire”.  After Mass, a guest speaker will present and speak to the importance of inspiring our students and staff to live out their Catholic faith. In the afternoon, staff will complete online mandatory training modules (Asbestos Awareness, Bill 13 & Emergency Response, Violence Prevention in the Workplace, WHMIS, Auto-Injector eLearning Course (WECHU), Concussion Identification, Management and Prevention for School eLearning Course (OPHEA), Ryan’s Law: Asthma in the School eLearning Course (WECHU).

Date: September 20, 2024

Elementary

Length: Full Day

Location: All schools - In-person

Presenters: School Administrators and Educator Staff

Topic 1: AM - Cell Phones and Vaping

Description: Staff will review new policies and procedures surrounding cell phone use and vaping.  Educators will explore resources from School Mental Health Ontario (SMHO) and the Windsor Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) to consider for use in educating students about the harms of vaping and excessive screen time.

Topic 2: AM - Mental Health

Description: Staff will participate in Mental Health literacy promotion through the review of the Ministry’s Policy Program Memorandum 169 - Student Mental Health and how this applies in the classroom setting. Board priorities from our Mental Health Action Plan will be shared with opportunities for discussion. Teachers will be able to review curriculum connections as well as mental health resources that are available to assist them in curriculum delivery.  

Topic 3: AM - Bias Awareness Training Module

Description: Created for employees of the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, the Bias Awareness Training Module is an interactive module designed to strengthen one’s understanding of conscious and unconscious biases. 

Topic 4: PM - Literacy

Topic 5: PM - Curriculum Implementation

Description: Staff will engage in professional learning about the principles and requirements related to Early Reading Screening as described in the Ministry’s Policy Program Memorandum 168.  The implementation of the revised 2023 Language curriculum will also be reviewed with educators.  

Educational Assistants and Child and Youth Workers will participate in virtual Behaviour Management Systems (BMS) training in the afternoon.

Secondary

Length: Full Day

Location: All schools - In-person

Presenters: School Administrators and Educator Staff

Topic 1: AM - Cell Phones and Vaping

Description: Staff will review new policies and procedures surrounding cell phone use and vaping.  Educators will explore resources from School Mental Health Ontario (SMHO) and the Windsor Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) to consider for use in educating students about the harms of vaping and excessive screen time.

Topic 2: AM - Mental Health

Description: Staff will participate in Mental Health literacy promotion through the review of the Ministry’s Policy Program Memorandum 169 - Student Mental Health and how this applies in the classroom setting. Board priorities from our Mental Health Action Plan will be shared with opportunities for discussion. Teachers will be able to review curriculum connections as well as mental health resources that are available to assist them in curriculum delivery.  

Topic 3: AM - Bias Awareness Training Module

Description: Created for employees of the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, the Bias Awareness Training Module is an interactive module designed to strengthen one’s understanding of conscious and unconscious biases. 

Topic 4: PM - Curriculum Implementation

Topic 5: PM - Literacy

Topic 6: PM - Mathematics

Description: Within their respective subject disciplines, teachers will review and/or deepen their understanding of inclusive and equitable planning, teaching and assessment practices.  High impact instructional practices will be explored.

The following new or recently revised curriculum/resources will be explored:

• Grade 9 destreamed Geography curriculum;
• Grade 9 and 10 Business Studies curriculum;
• Grade 9 and 10 Technological Education curriculum;
• Grade 10 Career Studies curriculum;
• Grade 10 Computer Studies curriculum;
• Grade 9 destreamed Math curriculum;
• Grade 9 destreamed Science curriculum;
• Grade 9 destreamed English curriculum.

Educational Assistants and Child and Youth Workers will participate in virtual Behaviour Management Systems (BMS) training in the afternoon.