As your school trustee, it will be my passion to relate your interests to the overall policy direction and the budget of the school board.  I will be committed to working with parents, students and community on raising:  academic excellence, whole child development, accountability and community connectedness with the vision of developing well-rounded students and responsible citizens for our society.  


The funding formulas are full of flaws. I will work with my colleagues and staff to continuously monitor our budget and strive to get our fair share of grants from the Ministry of Education to meet student needs. The triumph in improved special ed funding was encouraging and hopefully, more good news will follow.




1. Academic Excellence


Basics and problem solving skills

  • Review math curriculum with the Ministry of Education with the aim to provide students a solid foundation in basic knowledge and problem solving skills
  • Align resources to provide students a solid foundation in academics 
  • Support home and school working together to foster literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills
  • Hire more math consultants to provide homeroom teachers with on-job training and classroom help
  • Arrange one-on-one mentoring by peers or retired professionals for underachieving students as required
  • Organize regular teachers’ forums to exchange successes and challenges

EQAO Performance Improvements - MAKE IT A BOARD PRIORITY!!!

  • Help parents understand the contextual factors as well as the achievement data
  • Analyze and learn from school communities whose scores declined or improved most
  • Set up school teams of teachers, parents, and students to address identified key issues
  • Provide teachers, parents and students with improvement strategies and tools
  • Ensure discretionary resources be dedicated to support schools with a high underachieved student population


 



2. Whole Child Development


Supporting the whole child means supporting the child's academic achievement as well as his or her cognitive, emotional, social and physical well-being. Students who have strong relationships and a positive sense of self – and who can understand and manage their own health and emotions – are in a better position to reach their full potential in the future.

  • Ensure adequate resources to support equitable access to intra and extracurricular activities. School activities such as projects, sports, music, arts, and hobby/learning clubs nurture happy and well-rounded students, making them more resilient and better able to communicate and learn from others and to overcome challenges
  • Foster physical and health education with an emphasis on nutritional literacy
  • Provide the missing parent role models to students from lone-parent families by pairing with leaders and volunteers from community
  • Engage school social workers to work together with service agencies and community organizations to support the needs of vulnerable students and to minimize the effects of social determinants on their health and learning.


3. Accountability


School Board – Establish policies and practices with a vision of developing well-rounded students and responsible citizens who will graduate with the knowledge and practical skills required for both the workplace and in life; direct resources to support learning and whole child development; support continuous learning and development of teachers and staff


Teachers and School Administrators – Provide a safe learning environment; make each school day an exciting learning experience; equip students with appropriate life skills at different stages to manage their academics, conflicts, budget, health, and emotions; encourage and support parental involvement


Parents – Provide a loving and caring home environment; support positive and healthy growth and development of child; recognize the uniqueness of individual child and respect his/her rights, including the right to play, the right to make friends and the right to be heard


Students – Take responsibilities for self, including learning, behaviours, relationships, and emotions; respect parents, teachers and peers


4. Community Connectedness


Peel is diverse. It is important to help students stay connected and engaged with the larger community and to instill in them compassion and understanding of people who face obstacles and challenges in life.

  • Teach students about poverty in Peel and nurture in them care and respect for others
  • Engage students in neighbourhood improvement projects
  • Encourage students to spend community hours at soup kitchens and food banks
  • Promote appreciation of foods and manufactured products by taking students to farms and factories to witness how fresh produce are grown and how things are made
  • Teach students age-appropriate life skills