Catholic board to continue work on strategic plan

Northwest Catholic District School Board trustees reviewed the 2007-08 Strategic Plan, which underwent revision in September, at its regular meeting Saturday in Dryden.
“It was the first time I was bringing the results of our fall sessions back to the table,” Education Director Mary-Catherine Kelly noted Monday.
She explained there weren’t many significant changes, but revising the strategic plan allowed for enhancements and updates, such as including the intention to allow for a more visible communication of school successes and promotion of Catholic education with the community.
The mission, visions, and values also had been reworked.
As well, the board discussed the next steps in carrying out the strategic plan, which was to create governance policy and outcomes for each pillar represented in the framework of the supplement to the strategic plan.
These include Planning, Visible Catholic Schools, Student Achievement, Staffing, Facilities, Finance, and Communication.
With the intention of moving forward with these goals, Kelly explained the strategic plan won’t be distributed to the public until nearer to completion.
Also at Saturday’s meeting, Kelly highlighted three new initiatives recently established within the board—the Catholic Leadership Development Program, a Board-Wide Communications Committee, and the Northwest Catholic District School Board Regional School Council meetings.
She noted she felt is was important to promote staff and encourage prospective leaders to come forward for professional development.
“We need to encourage teachers to put themselves forward to try leadership positions within the culture of each school and provide opportunities for sharing skills and learning from each other,” stated the summary in Kelly’s director’s report.
“I encouraged the teachers to indicate that they are interested in being leaders in their school through their roles, and through professional learning teams so that they gain leadership opportunities.”
Eight candidates came forward for the first Leadership Development Program, which was held via videoconference in Fort Frances, Dryden, and Sioux Lookout.
Since the board’s new strategic plan has included communications as a new pillar to address, a board-wide Communications Committee was created with seven members meeting for the first time last month.
Kelly explained there is a need to highlight Catholic education in Ontario, and that it is important to look at strategies to help promote the local Catholic schools and Catholic education in Northwestern Ontario.
And she noted they also have established connecting school councils through a regional school council meeting.
The first one was held last month, with video and phone conference linking Fort Frances with St. Joseph School, Sacred Heart School, and the Thunder Bay Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education.
Also at Saturday’s meeting, the Catholic board:
•held elections for the office of chair and vice-chair of the board, with trustee Robert van Oort acclaimed as chair and trustee Anne Marie Fitzgerald acclaimed as vice-chair;
•heard a presentation by St. Joseph’s School teacher Jacqueline Fenez; and
•received an update from the Special Education Advisory Committee’s latest meeting.
The Catholic board’s next regular meeting will be held Jan. 15 via videoconference at the board office in Fort Frances.