Date: November 17, 2023

Elementary:

Length: Full Day

Location: All schools - In-person

Topics: Cybersecurity and Online Privacy Awareness, Assessment and Evaluation, Literacy and Mathematics, and Equity Action Plan - Data Collection

Presenters: School Principals and Vice-Principals will be facilitating the sessions.

Description: 

Topic 1: Cybersecurity and Online Privacy Awareness

Teachers will be provided with information on how to keep our students safe as it relates to Cybersecurity and Online Privacy Awareness.  The topics include: managing media balance and well-being, protecting privacy (passwords, personal information, etc.), digital footprints and combating inappropriate online behaviour.

Topic 2: Assessment and Evaluation - Literacy and Mathematics

Teachers will be engaged in a thorough review of the additions and revisions made to the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board’s Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting of Student Achievement Guidelines K-12, in alignment with Growing Success.  Teachers will review high impact instructional strategies in literacy and mathematics, as they explore the various ways in which to capture evidence of learning through the triangulation of data.

Topic 3: Equity Action Plan - Data Collection

Teachers will be provided an overview and opportunity to complete the WECDSB Voluntary Workplace Census. 

Secondary:

Length: Full Day

Location: All schools - In-person

Topics: Cybersecurity and Online Privacy Awareness, Assessment and Evaluation, Literacy and Mathematics, and Equity Action Plan - Data Collection 

Presenters: School Principals and Vice-Principals will be facilitating the sessions.

Description: 

Topic 1: Cybersecurity and Online Privacy Awareness

Teachers will be provided with information on how to keep our students safe as it relates to Cybersecurity and Online Privacy Awareness.  The topics include: managing media balance and well-being, protecting privacy (passwords, personal information, etc.), digital footprints and combating inappropriate online behaviour.

Topic 2: Assessment and Evaluation - Literacy and Mathematics

Teachers will be engaged in a thorough review of the additions and revisions made to the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board’s Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting of Student Achievement Guidelines K-12, in alignment with Growing Success.  Teachers will review high impact instructional strategies in literacy and mathematics, as they work in subject disciplines to explore triangulation of data and the creation of culminating assessments.

Special Education teachers will participate in a virtual session on Resources to Support Students with Learning Disabilities, led by Martin Smit, Educational Consultant at the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario and WECDSB Special Education Coordinators.

Topic 3: Equity Action Plan - Data Collection

Teachers will be provided an overview and the opportunity to complete the WECDSB Voluntary Workplace Census.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

English teachers will be engaged in professional learning to strengthen their understanding and practices around diversity, equity and inclusion as it relates to the implementation of the English language curriculum.  The session will be facilitated by Janelle Abela (PhD), of Diverse Solutions Strategy Firm.

Law teachers will participate in a morning session at the University of Windsor, organized by the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN).  Current legal issues will be examined in collaboration with faculty members and lawyers.

Date: October 27, 2023

Elementary

Length: Full Day

Topics: Student Mental Health and Well-Being, Curriculum Implementation and Assessment and Evaluation

Location: All schools - In-person

Presenters: School Principals and Vice-Principals will be facilitating the sessions.

Description:

Topic 1:  Student Mental Health and Well-Being

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.  There will also be a review of how to recognize and support students who require further mental health intervention.

Topic 2: Assessment and Evaluation

Teachers will be engaged in a thorough review of the additions and revisions made to the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board’s Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting of Student Achievement Guidelines K-12, in alignment with Growing Success and the Kindergarten Addendum.

Topic 3: Curriculum Implementation

Teachers will:

• explore the new Religious Education digital resource: Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ;
• explore the newly revised Social Studies curriculum, as it relates to Indigenous and Holocaust education (Grades 1-3, Grade 6);
• explore the new Language Curriculum (Grades 1-8);
• explore Knowledgehook, a new mathematics digital tool (Grades 3-8);
• explore various early literacy strategies to support the implementation of the new Language Curriculum (FDK, Grades 1-2) - these early literacy strategy sessions will be presented virtually.

Core French as a Second Language (FSL) teachers will participate in a session related to language skills at an alternate school location in the afternoon.

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

Secondary

Length: Full Day

Topics: Student Mental Health and Well-Being, Curriculum Implementation and Assessment and Evaluation

Location: All schools - In-person

Presenters: School Principals and Vice-Principals will be facilitating the sessions.

Description:

Topic 1:  Student Mental Health and Well-Being

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.  There will also be a review of how to recognize and support students who require further mental health intervention.

Topic 2: Assessment and Evaluation

Teachers will be engaged in a thorough review of the additions and revisions made to the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board’s Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting of Student Achievement Guidelines K-12, in alignment with Growing Success.

Topic 3: Curriculum Implementation

Within their respective subject disciplines, teachers will explore and/or deepen their understanding of fair, transparent and equitable assessment and evaluation practices. Teachers will explore in more depth the achievement chart categories to develop rich assessment tasks.

The following curriculum/resources will be explored by the respective teachers responsible for their implementation:

• New de-streamed Grade 9 English curriculum;
• Grade 10 Computer Studies - Digital Technology and Innovations in the Changing World;
• Knowledgehook, a new mathematics digital tool for use in Grade 9.

Guidance and Student Success teachers will engage in pathways training at an alternative school location in the afternoon.

Special Education teachers will learn about and tour the Community Integration through Cooperative Education (CICE) Program at St. Clair College.

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