KENORA – Finishing their first week back to school, the Kenora Catholic District School Board said they’re off to a “very positive start.”
“That first day you can always feel the peak of energy and excitement and you see students reconnecting with friends and staff,” said Jamey Robertson, CEO of the school board.
“Student achievement is always at the heart of our work, and we’re continuing focusing strongly on classroom instruction, making sure our students have the supports and opportunities they need to succeed,” said Robertson.
He added that their priorities this year also include making students feel like they belong, student attendance, and strengthening the relationship between schools and families.
The school board also welcomed some new staff to their five schools, including the new principal of St. John Paul II School, Jordan Temple, and the new vice principal of École Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys, Stephanie Sweeney.
Some new programs began this year for staff, including the Growing Leaders Program and the Leadership Development Series, according to Robertson.
“We’ve got an incredibly talented group of people at Kenora Catholic and we really want to create strong opportunities for staff to grow and develop their leadership capacity,” he said.
“Strong leadership throughout the organization leads to stronger schools and better experiences for our students.”
The program runs on a monthly basis, with the first having taken place in August.
“It gives staff who are interested an opportunity to kind of grow their leadership in their respective areas, whether its classroom or business services,” Robertson explained.
With growing use of AI, Robertson acknowledged the responsibility of the board to ensure they’re approaching the tool thoughtfully and respectfully, and with caution.
He said they “recognize there’s a tremendous potential to support teachers and learning, but really importantly, student privacy, safety and responsible use are the important pieces for us.”
