Sacred Heart School in Sioux Lookout received a recognition of excellence on two counts from the Northwest Catholic District School Board (TNCDSB)
The school was recognized at the TNCDSB board meeting on Tuesday February 18, 2025. Moreover, Keri Nazvesky, Technology Embedded Learning Teacher for The Northwest Catholic District School Board, presented various tech-embedded aspects of the curriculum across the district, ranging from Lego robotics to kindergarten coding classes where students learn about algorithms, comic strip makers, and more. An update on the recent cybersecurity incident via PowerSchool was given by Jackie Robinson, Director of Education for the board as well.
Michael Esposito, Special Education Resource Teacher, and Jennifer Pugh, Acting Principal of Sacred Heart School, each received a recognition of excellence for their service to their students, among other praise and anecdotes from board members and trustees alike.
The Lego robotics program was highlighted as a form of “hands-on learning” by Nazvesky, and her discussion of the kindergarten coding class suggested the algorithms students learn about are simple enough for students to understand while learning some of the complexities of mathematics in a novel way. Typing programs and comic strip makers were other forms of tech-embedded curriculum presented.
Robinson gave an update on the recent cyber security incident that occurred on PowerSchool, where student data and potential staff data had been leaked.
BLG LLP, a law firm with offices from Vancouver to Montreal, has been hired by TNCDSB to address and represent the board over the data leak. Some of the data leaked, included the date of birth, address, and names of about 3,000 students and 287 staff who used the platform from December ’22 to November ’24.
TNCDSB is waiting for a report from the information and privacy committee. So far, there is no evidence of the data being used maliciously. An inquiry from Jim Kulchyski, Board Trustee of Sioux Lookout, asked for information about the incident.
“If information is out there [being used maliciously, the board] have not yet received confirmation,” said Robinson.
“If PowerSchool does indeed have it.”
