Length: All Day

Topic of Focus: Faith Day and Navigating the IEP & IPRC Process: A Collaborative Guide for All Educators

Morning Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Kelly Ronan, Advanced Specialist, Pearson Canada

Morning Description: During this half-day Faith Day session supporting curriculum implementation, Kelly Ronan from Pearson Canada will guide staff through the digital platforms powering the Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ program. Participants will explore how to efficiently navigate the teacher, student, and parish websites to locate essential instructional content, digital tools, and parish-school resources needed to deliver the Religious Education curriculum effectively in the classroom. This interactive session is designed to enhance instructional practice and curriculum consistency and delivery across all schools.

Afternoon Presenter: Experienced Ontario Special Education Educator & OECTA Member

Afternoon Description: Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and IPRCs are central to inclusive education in Ontario, but maximizing their impact takes a whole-school team effort. Delivered by an experienced Ontario Special Education teacher and OECTA member, this interactive session translates Ontario special education standards into practical, real-world practice for every educator role - from classroom teachers and support staff to school leadership.

What We Will Explore

• IEP Standards & Core Components: Map student strengths and needs directly to appropriate accommodations, modifications, and alternative expectations.
• Clear, Measurable Goals: Write actionable annual goals and learning expectations that simplify assessment and evaluation.
• Classroom Integration: Implement, track, and update IEPs seamlessly within daily instruction and assessment.
• Strong Family Partnerships: Master effective strategies for meaningful, ongoing consultation with families.
• The IPRC Process: Understand your role in the process, document student strengths accurately, and navigate placement decisions with confidence.
  
  

Length: Full Day

Topic of Focus: Student Achievement Plan 2026-27 and Safe Schools Training

Morning Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): School-Based Administrators

Morning Description: During a half-day session, staff will work alongside their principals within their own school to review the Board's Student Achievement Plan submitted to the Ministry of Education. This session provides staff with a direct voice in updating their School Action Plan for 2025-2027, ensuring school-level goals align with broader board goals and Ministry priorities. Using the master planning template, school teams will translate their data analysis into concrete, evidence-based commitments.

The process and template establish alignment through the following elements:

• Strategic Priorities & Pillars: Integrates core Ministry priorities: Literacy, Math/Numeracy, and Mental Health & Wellbeing, alongside Catholic Education, School Climate, Equity, Indigenous Education/Reconciliation, K-8 Pathways, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Actionable Commitments: Requires teams to document specific Goals, Strategies/Actions, Monitoring & Progress Evidence, and Timelines based on data analysis.
• Clarity: Keeps all strategic priorities organized in a single, "at-a-glance" view.
• Collaboration: Ensures staff have a meaningful voice in the development process and decision-making.
• Accountability: Enables teams to clearly understand their specific actions and actively participate in tracking and monitoring goals.

Afternoon Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Vector Training Platform

Afternoon Description: During the afternoon session, all board staff will engage in mandatory, school-based Safe Schools and Health & Safety Training delivered via the Vector training platform. This critical professional development session focuses on compliance, awareness, and reinforcing health and safety standards across the Superior North Catholic District School Board. Completing these training modules ensures that our educators and support staff remain fully equipped to maintain a secure, supportive, and healthy learning environment that prioritizes the well-being of all students and members of our school communities.

Length: Full Day

Topic of Focus: Consistent Classroom Delivery and new Curriculum updates

Presenter/Facilitator: Doug Duff and System Support Team members

Description: Doug Duff Keynote on the Science of Teaching and Learning and the connection to student engagement and achievement.

Following the keynote:
Stream A: Session Focus: Navigating and Implementing the Revised Kindergarten Curriculum

This collaborative session guides Kindergarten teachers through the key shifts in the newly revised Kindergarten curriculum. Facilitated by experienced OECTA peer educators, participants will explore actionable ways to integrate explicit, intentional instruction into play- and inquiry-based environments.

Key Focus Areas:

• Curriculum Navigation: Unpacking updated strands, revised learning expectations, and foundational skill continuums.
• Instructional Alignment: Embedding explicit literacy (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary) and early numeracy into daily play routines and center-based learning.
• Assessment & Documentation: Refining observational assessment, skill-tracking practices, and data-informed documentation in the early years.
• Collaborative Planning: Engaging in peer dialogue and co-designing classroom activities with OECTA facilitators.

Stream B: Grade 1-8 Division

Facilitator: Angela Gainer

Session Focus: Language Curriculum Alignment, Right to Read, Acadience Screening, Targeted Interventions, and the Edwin Platform
Designed for Grade 1-8 educators, this deep-dive session focuses on advancing structured literacy instruction, utilizing diagnostic assessment to design effective interventions, and incorporating board digital ecosystems.

Key Focus Areas:

• Language Curriculum Continuity: Building on the revised Ontario Language Curriculum across elementary grades to ensure cohesive instruction.
• Right to Read Implementation: Operationalizing the recommendations of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) Right to Read report in daily classroom practice.
• Acadience Screening & Intervention Planning: Interpreting Acadience screening data to design and deliver targeted Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 reading interventions.
• Edwin Digital Rollout: Exploring the Edwin digital learning platform, navigating board-provided content, and integrating interactive digital resources into cross-curricular lesson design.

Stream B: Grade 1-8 Division

Facilitator: SNCDSB Math Lead

Session Focus: High-Impact Math Instruction, Curriculum Alignment, and Interventions informed by Evidence-Based Numeracy

Key Focus Areas: Implementing high-impact instructional practices aligned with the Science of Learning; Analyzing classroom and board-level math assessment data to identify learning gaps, establish flexible small-group guided math instruction, and deliver targeted Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 interventions; and establishing consistent daily math routines across Grades 1–8.

Key Resources: Ontario Mathematics Curriculum (Grades 1–8), High-Impact Instructional Practices in Mathematics, Board and classroom Math Assessment data

Stream C: NSL/FSL Teachers

Native Second Language (NSL) and French as a Second Language (FSL) educators will participate in specialized, collaborative professional development sessions focused on creating consistent classroom delivery across our schools. Because language teachers often work in isolated positions as the sole specialists in their buildings, this session provides a vital opportunity to connect, share best practices, and align instructional strategies. By focusing on high-impact language instruction and collaborative curriculum mapping, teachers will work to eliminate instructional silos, ensuring that all students experience a cohesive, engaging, and equitable approach to language acquisition across the board.

Length: Full Day

Topic of Focus: Violence and Bullying Prevention and Student Well-being

Presenter/Facilitator: BRAVE

Description: Violence and Bullying Prevention:

Part 1 (AM): BRAVE Education Workshop

Designed to empower elementary educators and system support staff, this interactive session focuses on establishing proactive frameworks for positive behaviour intervention and support.

• BRAVE Core Expectations: Grounded in the pillars of being Safe, Responsible, Achievement, Values, and Engaged, providing a unified framework across the school community.
• Proactive Behaviour Supports: Equips staff with practical tools for positive behaviour interventions, reducing disruptive behaviours before they escalate.
  Social-Emotional & Conflict Resolution Strategies: Delivers actionable techniques to build student self-regulation, interpersonal skills, and constructive conflict resolution.
• Anti-Bullying Techniques: Outlines evidence-based practices to prevent, identify, and address bullying in daily educational practice.

Part 2 (AM): Safe Schools Policy Requirements & Mandatory Supports

A thorough review of provincial legislation, board policies, and critical reporting protocols to ensure safe and supportive school environments for all students.

• Provincial Code of Conduct & Progressive Discipline: Reviewing legal standards, behavioural expectations, and continuum-based interventions that support student reflection and accountability.
• Violence & Bullying Prevention: Updating staff on preventive measures, early interventions, and statutory reporting protocols.
  Child Protection & Sexual Abuse Prevention: Reinforcing the legal Duty to Report children in need of protection directly to a Children's Aid Society, alongside specific protocols for child sexual abuse prevention, reporting procedures, and connecting students with specialized counselling and community resources.
  Gender-Based Violence & Sex Trafficking Awareness: Guidance on recognizing indicators, supporting impacted students, and accessing immediate intervention resources.
• Incident Reporting & Board Protocols: Step-by-step procedures for violent incident reporting and operational alignment with the Provincial Model for a Local Police/School Board Protocol.

Part 3 (PM): School Team Collaboration, Strengths, and Resource Integration

Rooted in fostering staff relationships and nurturing collective educator wellbeing, the afternoon provides a supportive, collaborative space for school teams to reconnect and celebrate their shared achievements. Through interactive strength mapping, colleagues will highlight positive school climate data and successful pedagogical practices, integrating these proven successes directly into their 2025-2027 School Action Plan (SAP) across key pillars including Literacy, Math, Mental Health & Wellbeing, and School Climate. Dedicated team time allows staff to explore essential board and community resources, such as mental health tools, differentiated supports, and behavioural intervention kits, while planning physical, social, and academic environment modifications tailored to student needs. By centering staff voice and mutual support, teams will collaboratively document clear goals, actions, monitoring strategies, and timelines within the official SAP template, cultivating a thriving workplace culture where both educators and students feel fully supported.

Length: Full Day

Topic of Focus: Report Card Preparation/Reporting 

Description: Teachers and Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) will engage in school-based administrative work focused on evaluating student progress, analyzing assessment data, and preparing report cards. Principals provided on-site support and guidance throughout the day to ensure reporting alignment and completion.

Length: All Day

Topic of Focus: Cyber Safety and Artificial Intelligence and Indigenous Education

Presenter/Facilitator: SNCDSB Technology Enabled Learning Teacher

Morning Description: Continuing our policy implementation work on the responsible and ethical use of AI tools, Educators will participate in learning activities to become familiar with the LUMI AI tool in the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and the board’s approved AI tools, as well as how to effectively and safely use those tools with their students to support curriculum delivery and student learning. Additionally, the session will:

• Explore mandatory learning in the Ontario curriculum on AI and digital literacy, including learning on cybersecurity.
• Provide educators with targeted training on cyber safety, cybersecurity, and online privacy to address technology-related risks and ensure student safety.

Afternoon Description: In collaboration with our Indigenous Education Advisory Committee, all staff will engage in a deeply meaningful afternoon dedicated to Indigenous Education and truth and reconciliation in the afternoon. This session emphasizes learning directly from community members of the Red Rock Indian Band, Ginoogaming First Nation, and Pays Plat First Nation. Educators and support staff will have the invaluable opportunity to learn about local community histories, cultural protocols, and Indigenous brilliance. By listening to and learning from local knowledge keepers, the Superior North Catholic District School Board continues its commitment to fostering culturally responsive classrooms and embedding authentic Indigenous perspectives across all learning environments.
 

Length: Full Day

Topic of Focus: Report Card Preparation/Reporting

Description: Teachers and Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) will engage in school-based administrative work focused on evaluating student progress, analyzing assessment data, and preparing report cards. Principals provided on-site support and guidance throughout the day to ensure reporting alignment and completion.