We are excited to share this 2021-2022 Director’s Annual Report, highlighting some of our key accomplishments from last year.
Catholic Education Matters
Our Spiritual Theme in the school year 2021-2022 focused on gratitude. We hope you enjoy reading the report and that it reinforces your belief in Catholic education. Our classrooms, work sites, and boardrooms are fueled by our belief that faith is critical to a well-rounded education. That’s why faith is at the heart of everything we do. Inspired and led by Catholic values, our approach to educating your child is inclusive, honouring the dignity of every child and respecting all faiths.
Gratitude Rooted in Joy Fills Us with Hope
OCSB’s schools celebrated their gratitude by helping others with Christmas baskets, food, and supplies for the Board’s Lenten projects, singing songs to residents of seniors’ homes, and raising funds for those affected by the war in Ukraine. These were just a few of the projects supported by our community. Our Board staff and retirees contributed over $250,000 to CEFO to help families dealing with emergencies, where the school was secondary to finding ways to provide food, clothing, and shelter for their children.
Did Deep Learning Make A Difference During A Pandemic?
The simple answer is yes! We provided many examples throughout the report, but in summation, Deep Learning connects students to real-world, authentic problem-solving, a skill that everyone needed during the pandemic.
Collaboration, Creativity and Innovative Thinking Made a Difference
Thanks to the fantastic effort of our staff, we met the challenges that faced us as a school system even before the first day of school started. As practitioners of critical thinking, we were planning, including school and health and safety preparedness and community outreach.
Health and Safety Was Everyone’s Responsibility
Our caretakers and trades staff continued to focus on Health and Safety. We invested over 15 million dollars in HVAC upgrades, portable Hepa filters, and PPE throughout the Board to provide comfortable working and learning environments. In addition, we ensured that students and staff had masks and hand sanitizers and that our classrooms, hallways, and gymnasiums were thoroughly cleaned and sanitized when necessary.
Relationships
Throughout it all, we supported one another and focused on relationships; our students learned much more than facts. They developed essential life skills and competencies that will stay with them for a lifetime.
Mental Health Matters
Behind the scenes, our clinical and other staff supported students as they dealt with the never-ending pandemic and the realities of world events, racism, war, and addictions. But somehow, we found the strength to help those who needed us the most and still celebrated our liturgical seasons with hope and joy.
Continuing Education
Our continuing education department staff helped and practiced empathy for our adult learners, International students, and language learners who faced additional barriers during the pandemic.
Connecting Digitally
Our digital ecosystem required lots of new learning, but our learning technology and communications staff showed us how to connect using these technologies while never forgetting that relationships matter.
Outdoor Learning
OCSB educators conducted art, science, geography, and math classes, experiments, and physical education activities outside. Outdoor learning was a welcome addition to the many health and safety measures schools had implemented. The focus on learning environments meant their school grounds, neighbourhoods, and local wildlife areas became essential for learning. The classroom was expanded by the imagination of the educators and the students.
Virtual Schools
Our trustees approved using reserves to help keep our virtual schools, St. Josephine and Blessed Carlo, operating. Two fully functioning virtual schools implemented Deep Learning like their counterparts in traditional schools. Blessed Carlo Elementary and St. Josephine Secondary Schools provided the same school experience, including arts, science, music, math, school clubs, and more — just virtually.
We Kept The Lights On, and the Bills Paid
Our finance, Human Resources, and purchasing departments found ways to ensure our staff never missed a payroll; bills were paid, PPE was available, and staffing continued all year.
Joy
As the year progressed, we saw that joy of learning return as we welcomed students into the learning commons, sports teams competed, extended day programming expanded, choirs performed, and field trips resumed. We saw the excitement of our soon-to-be graduates as proms and grads returned to their schools, thanks to the staff working to make this happen.
Hope
The school Year 2021-2022 was challenging, including illness, forced remote learning, storms, and power outages. Yet, all who work in Catholic education found ways to touch the minds and hearts of students while planting seeds of a Catholic education that prepares our students to make a difference today and tomorrow.
Explore
We are proud of all that our staff and students accomplished last year. We hope you will take a few minutes to explore this site and read the stories showcasing how we lived our commitments to Be Community, Be Well, and Be Innovative.