Mentoring committee to be saluted

At its first regular meeting of the new year, the Rainy River District School Board will salute the people behind the board’s mentoring and induction program for new teachers.
Teachers who are new to the board are provided with an orientation and induction program, as well as a mentor to help them adjust to their new work environment.
A recent study by the Ontario College of Teachers found 18 percent of first-year teachers received no orientation from their board, and only one in four teachers who did receive orientation rated the program as satisfactory.
As a result, members of the local board’s mentoring committee were invited to present their innovative program at the first Symposium on the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession, conducted by the Ontario College of Teachers on Nov. 28-30.
Presenters Catherine Bruyere (a mentor), Laurie Holliday (a mentor trainer), and Kendall Olsen (chair of the mentoring committee) will be recognized for their efforts at tonight’s board meeting.
Also tonight, Education Director Warren Hoshizaki will present a proposal from the Ontario Library Association regarding an Ontario Digital Library—a program that would link libraries across Ontario with academic and educational institutions as well as training, business, and health care communities.
“The services provided will assist Ontarians of all ages to learn about, find, and locate the information they need,” the OLA said in its proposal.
“The ODL will transform how libraries in the province interact with each other and with those who use their collections and services.”^Such a program could allow students in Rainy River District to access information from libraries all across the province.
Also at tonight’s meeting, the board will: •hear an update on the construction at J.W. Walker from Raymond Roy, who replaced Murray Quinn as superintendent of plant operations and maintenance; •hold a final vote on criminal background checks for all board employees; and •examine the budget for “Career Direct,” the annual action plan for students at risk.