Public school board moves to ease in new curriculum

Both students and teachers are in for some changes due to the revised curriculum being implemented in elementary and secondary schools across the province come September.
But the Rainy River District School Board announced a new measure to make that change a little easier at its regular monthly meeting here last night.
While parents may be signing up their kids for summer school in July this week, teachers will be given a boost at “Summer Institute 1999” in August.
“Institute,” a three-day workshop slated Aug. 23-25 at Robert Moore School, will be geared towards acquainting teachers with changes in curriculum and assessment.
“This is the first time the board’s offered a workshop for teachers in August,” noted Education Director Warren Hoshizaki. “It looks to be very extensive and a very good start for the next year.”
The program will feature John Bray, editor-in-chief of “Getting Assessment Right,” a planning document used by all the local public board’s teachers.
Also featured will be the grade one to eight Writing Exemplars Project with Maureen Ricard and Dianne DeBenedet, as well as an orientation with the Electronic Curriculum Planner and the Ontario Student Achievement Tracker–two new software releases designed to aid teachers in curriculum and assessment planning and tracking.
Ray Maynard, Nancy Fretter, Walter Rogoza, Kathy Livicker, and Tom Fry also will be involved in the project.
In related news, all district students will get out of school 90 minutes early next Tuesday (June 8) in order to give teachers some extra professional development time.
Such breaks may be used more in the future as a way of supplementing professional development opportunities.
Also last night, Laura Mills was welcomed as the board’s new chief financial officer, replacing Jack McMillan effective yesterday.
Formerly with the Algoma District School Board, Mills is a certified accountant.
Meanwhile, the “multi-use” committee reported construction was on schedule at the Westfort site, with only superficial additions and equipment installations to be done, including some painting, drapes, asphalt paving, the theatre sound/light system, and auditorium seating.
“I was touring the building [Tuesday] and it’s coming together nicely,’ board chair Dennis Brunn told trustees. “The auditorium looks amazing.
“Hopefully, the school portion will be done by mid-June and the auditorium by mid-July,” he added.
The high school transition committee also announced its moving schedule for the next month. The movement of books from the resource centre and the installation of new computers began yesterday while office furniture will be relocated June 7.
Some classroom materials will be moved June 14.
The grand opening of the new high school is slated Oct. 12.
Also last night, the board:
•received the June personnel report, which included the appointment of Terry Ogden, Cauleen Stanley, and Bob Derkson as the new principals at Riverview, J.W. Walker, and Robert Moore Schools respectively;
•gave June’s Recognition of Excellence to Crossroads student Keith McKay, who placed first at the annual intermediate speech contest in Emo on May 11;
•approved the “Risk Watch” safety education program to be applied into the elementary curriculum;
•received the proposed fee schedule for the community auditorium from the Town of Fort Frances; and
•received a report from the transportation committee, including a review of a letter of support from local MPP Howard Hampton in an appeal to the Ministry of Education and Training for extra funding to cover a $300,000 shortfall in next year’s transportation budget.