Trent University asking for students feedback
February 16th, 2013 | Comments (0)
Officials at Trent University are looking for feedback on what students in Oshawa feel makes the school an attractive place to be. A broad consultation process has been launched ahead of Trent’s 50th anniversary, and Vice President of External Relations and Advancement, Julie Davis, says the school has many positives, and the Oshawa campus in many ways is still a well-kept secret. Davis says the goal of the initiative is to come up with a statement that appeals to future students and staff, and says the school continues to be applauded for its intimate environment, where students have access to faculty and administrators. For more information, click here.
Two Pickering Catholic schools closing in September
February 15th, 2013 | Comments (0)
Hundreds of students in Pickering will be forced to change schools in September. The Durham Catholic District School Board is closing St. Anthony Daniel and St. Marguerite Bourgeoys. Board Chair Karen Valentine says closing schools is always tough, but the decision was made based on numerous recommendations from an accommodation review. According to the board, students attending St. Anthony Daniel will be directed to St. Wilfrid, while students at St. Marguerite will go to Saint Elizabeth Seton. Click here for complete details on the changes.
Wynne optimistic extracurriculars will come back
February 14th, 2013 | Comments (0)
For parents and students waiting for the return of extracurricular activities in school, don’t expect them any time soon. Premier Kathleen Wynne says her staff met with union officials representing elementary teachers and school boards, but things won’t charge overnight. Wynne says the talks were productive and she’s optimistic that things will change in the near future. Education Minister Liz Sandals wouldn’t say what the teachers want in exchange for the return of extracurricular activities.
TDSB focuses on students’ mental well-being
February 13th, 2013 | Comments (0)
A new report from Canada’s largest school board says a majority of students are stressed out. More than half of the nearly 103,000 students surveyed by the Toronto District School Board say they worry about their future. They also feel tired for no reason and are nervous or anxious at least some of the time. The findings have promoted the board to commit to a mental health strategy for its nearly 600 schools and emphasize that the survey may be indicative of a larger trend. More information on how the TDSB supports mental well-being, visit their website.
Durham College is receiving some additional research funding
February 13th, 2013 | Comments (0)
Durham College is getting an additional $800-thousand in research funding. The grant comes from Fed Dev Ontario, and will allow the college to grow relationships with small and medium sized businesses. Director of Research Services and Innovation Debbie McKee Demczyk says this provides a great learning opportunity for students because the school be working with 14 companies, developing, testing and demonstrating new products.
The prom is on for public high-schools in the Toronto District School Board
February 7th, 2013 | Comments (0)
Senior students public high-schools in Toronto can breathe a sigh of relief, the prom is on. The province’s public-school teachers have been refusing to supervise extracurricular activities in protest of government-imposed contracts. A special vote was supposed to take place at a Toronto District School Board meeting on Wednesday night, but before it did, Director of Education Donna Quan announced 98 per cent of public high schools have already confirmed prom plans. The events will go on thanks to oversight from principals and support staff.
A Brooklin School will now offer full day Kindergarten
January 29th, 2013 | Comments (0)
Another Durham Region Elementary School is going to full day Kindergarten. The Durham District School Board has been granted approval from the Ministry of Education for the program at Winchester Public School in Brooklin to begin in September 2013. Full day kindergarten will now be available at 77 DDSB schools this fall.
Ministry of Education approves two major projects in Brooklin
January 28th, 2013 | Comments (0)
The Durham District School Board is applauding a couple of recent approvals by the Ministry of Education for students in Brooklin. Chair Joe Allin says the board has been pursuing a new secondary school in the community for years, and finally has been given the go ahead. The new school, which is tentatively set to open in September of 2015, will cost more than $30 million and will be built on the northwest corner of Baldwin and Carnwith. Meantime, the Ministry has also approved a $3.3 million addition to Brooklin Village Public School, featuring eight classrooms and a daycare.
Durham Police to use sports to reach out to local youth
January 25th, 2013 | Comments (0)
Durham Regional Police are teaming up with the Toronto Rock Lacrosse Team, the Durham District School Board, and Tim Horton’s to build relationships between officers and youth through the ProAction Cops and Kids Program. Officers and members of the Toronto Rock will attend various schools across the region with a two-hour, interactive presentation aiming to promote a healthy lifestyle, teamwork, and character development.
McGuinty government set to repeal Bill 115
January 22nd, 2013 | Comments (0)
The McGuinty government has announced they will be repealing Bill 115, the controversial law that has outraged the province’s public school teachers. The legislation allowed the Liberals to impose contracts on over 120,000 teachers and education workers, freezing wages and cutting benefits for most. Education Minister Laurel Broten says she hopes the repeal will help spark the resumption of extracurricular and voluntary work by teachers. The repeal of Bill 115 will occur on Wednesday, just four months after it became law.
Durham College gets high marks for continuing education programs
January 18th, 2013 | Comments (0)
It appears Durham College continuing education students are very happy with the services and education they’re receiving. A survey by the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology, of 24 colleges across the province, showed 93 per cent of the 2,000 Durham students were satisfied with the overall quality of the instructors and 92 per cent with the quality of courses offered. Associate Vice President of Academic Planning Mary Blanchard says the survey is done every two years. Blanchard says the questions in the survey included why they’re taking the course and would they recommend it to others.
Public high school teachers plan demonstrations
January 16th, 2013 | Comments (0)
Public high school teachers plan demonstrations across Southern Ontario, Wednesday, to protest Bill 115 – the controversial legislation that allowed the governing Liberals to impose new contracts on them. Plans by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation for a day of political protest were scuttled last week when the Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled a similar action by elementary teachers would be an illegal strike. The high school teachers plan after-school demonstrations in at least 14 school districts