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August 23, 2010
Vision to Practice 2010
Participants in the Greater Essex County District School Board’s 5th annual summer conference will be challenged to Dream – Dare – Do!
Almost 2000 teachers, administrators and support staff have embraced the proposition and have registered for the 3 day event. It runs August 30 – September 1st at the Caesar’s Convention Centre in Windsor.
In collaboration with the Staff Development Council of Ontario, the Board once again is offering exceptional professional development in the area of literacy, numeracy, professional learning communities, leadership, self-esteem and technology.
A tremendous program of key note speakers has been fashioned, highlighted by television personality, author and stylist Carson Kressley. The line up also includes actor and comedian Rick Green, Dr. Sharroky Hollie, the Executive Director of the Centre for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning in Los Angeles, psychologist Dr. Steve Katz and Dr. Phil Schlechty, the CEO of the Centre for Leadership in School Reform from Louisville, Kentucky.
Educators will also benefit from a wide variety of workshops and seminars designed to provide high quality professional development that will translate into improved learning opportunities for students.
For more information on Vision to Practice 2010 click the icon at the bottom of the page.

August 23, 2010
Dr. David Suzuki Public School Open House
“Awesome” is how visitors and staff are describing Dr. David Suzuki Public School, which will open for the new school year on September 7th.
It’s Canada’s first LEED Platinum school and features 20 different environmental technologies that will greatly reduce its carbon footprint. From the impressive solar panel array over to the green roof and down to geothermal heating and cooling system, the school is intended to publicly demonstrate “green” building options, along with its primary function as a home to more than 500 JK - Grade 8 students in the Riverside area.
The Greater Essex County District School Board is holding two Open Houses this week. Students and their families are welcome to have a sneak peek at their new school on Tuesday, August 24th from 6 – 8:00 p.m. The general public is invited to tour the building on Wednesday, August 25th from 4 – 7:00 p.m.
The school is located at 6320 Raymond Avenue in Windsor.

July 20, 2010
Groundbreaking for New School in Tecumseh
Greater Essex County District School Board Trustees joined members of administration, representatives of the Town of Tecumseh, the architects and the builders, even a few neighbours of the new school in Tecumseh for a small groundbreaking ceremony to initiate the construction of the $22 million dollar project.
The as yet unnamed school will be the first including JK – Grade 12 in the GECDSB. It has been designed by J.P. Thomson Architects and will be built by Wincon Construction. The Elementary section of the school will be complete for September of 2011 with the Secondary portion scheduled for completion later in that school year.
The Board has also begun the process of selecting a name for the new school and the citizens of Tecumseh are being asked for their input. The eventual name will be distinctive and have a strong relationship to the community and its identity. It can be a person, historical event or geographical feature that is significant to the area.

July 14, 2010
Students Support Dieppe Memorial Project II
In 1942 a force of young Canadians was assigned the task of penetrating German defenses in occupied France to begin the restoration of freedom in Europe. They fought valiantly, but the raid failed tragically on a rocky beach below the town of Dieppe. Many of those soldiers were from Windsor and Essex County, part of the Essex Scottish Regiment.
Almost 7 decades later, another group of young Canadians has been given the responsibility of honouring the memory of those who fought and sacrificed that day.
A Child Shall Lead the Way is the theme for the dedication of a monument on Windsor’s riverfront, to take place on August 19th. Organizers have been encouraging students throughout Windsor and Essex County to attend and participate in the ceremony.
Recently a group of students from Vincent Massey Secondary School, who, during March Break, visited the original memorial in France, helped wash a ton of beach stones from Dieppe which will be placed in the base of the Windsor monument. They also contributed the stones they had collected themselves during their trip.

June 29, 2010
GECDSB History Teacher One of Canada's Best
Anne Beneteau of Malden Central Public School has been named as a finalist for the 2010 Governor General’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History. This distinction, conferred by Canada’s National History Society recognizes teachers who excel at bringing history to life for their students.
Mrs. Beneteau was cited for a number of learning opportunities she developed for her students, including an overnight investigation of Fort Malden national Historic Site, where students re-enacted the daily existence of a British Regiment soldier; an Amazing race-style scavenger hunt of seven local historic sites; and a Fathers of Confederation / Explorers wax museum, in which students performed as the autonomic figures to answer questions from younger students.
A national judging panel will select 6 award recipients from the 25 finalists. The winners will receive a gold medal, $2500 and a cash gift of $1000 for their school. This program is made possible through the support of TD Bank Financial Group.

June 18, 2010
EcoSchools Certification Success
Everyone in the Greater Essex County District School Board is thrilled with the level of success our schools have had in the Ontario EcoSchools environmental stewardship program.
This year, 49 of our 77 schools have received a bronze, silver or gold certification rating from the provincial governing body. To become certified, a school must demonstrate achievement in at least 4 key areas: energy conservation, waste minimization, ecological literacy and school ground greening for shade and energy conservation.
This year, 11 GECDSB schools attained gold, 27 silver and 11 were awarded bronze for their effort to do “The Right Thing for the Planet”

Gold Schools:	Amherstburg Public School Anderdon Public School Concord Public School Dr. H.D. Taylor Public School M.D. Bennie Public School Percy P. McCallum Public School	Leamington District Sec. School Riverside Secondary School Sandwich Secondary School Vincent Massey Sec. School Walkerville Collegiate Institute

June 16, 2010
OSSLT RESULTS
82 % of Grade 10 students in the Greater Essex County District School Board have successfully completed the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test click here for full details

June 1, 2010
PFLC Celebration
Parents and care givers, children, staff and Board administration held a little party on May 18th to celebrate 3 successful years for the Greater Essex County District School Board’s Parenting and Family Literacy Centres. The PFLC room at F.W. Begley Public School was jammed with outstanding examples of the program in action - parents and children discovering the joys of early childhood learning, together.
Since opening, attendance at the Board’s four PFLCs (Begley, Marlborough, Coronation and Queen Elizabeth Public Schools) has grown by more than 50%. Parent Nancy Charette, who brings her daughter to the Marlborough PFLC, says she’s seen her child’s social skills, independence and academic development improve because of the time they spend there.
Parenting and Family Literacy Centres are open to parents with children ages 0-6. They are designed to promote early learning through a play-based program and encourage families to be engaged in their child’s education.

June 1, 2010
Western Secondary School 24 Hour Famine
Students at Western Secondary School staged their annual 24 Hour Famine in May to benefit Free the Children and the Pamoja Project. The students are working towards the UN Millennium Development Goals, learning about global issues and making a tangible difference in the lives of their peers in the developing world.
This year 36 students participated in the project. They slept, overnight, at the school, enjoyed a day filled with fun, team-building activities and listened to a presentation from Engineers Without Borders.
“We’re proud to represent the voices of youth in Essex County” said teacher representative, Annie Bondy. “There are so many issues in our world that need our attention and we’re ready to show that young people in our area care and want to make a global difference.

April 27, 2010
Princess Elizabeth –Made in the Shade
It seems everybody wants to pitch in to spend some time in the shade at Princess Elizabeth Public School.
On Earth Day (April 22nd) a dozen large, young trees were planted on the east side of the school. During Education Week (May 3-7) another 80 trees, of varying sizes along with shrubs and native plants were added around the school yard. An outdoor learning centre is replacing an aging playground structure with trees, bushes, a butterfly garden and a seating area.
A lot of the work was done by the students themselves, with help and contributions from E.R.C.A., the City of Windsor, GECDSB Facility Services and the Windsor-Essex Health Unit.
The entire Princess Elizabeth school community will benefit from the project with a new and interesting resource to study nature, a nice place to relax and a convenient escape from the hot sun.

April 27, 2010
Minister of Education Visits DDSPS
Ontario’s Minister of Education, the Honourable Leona Dombrowsky, chose Earth Day, April 22nd to tour what will be Canada’s most environmentally friendly school when it opens in September 2010. Along with 25 students from Princess Anne and Concord Public Schools, some staff members, parents and Trustees, Ms. Dombrowsky got a chance to see some of the technologies incorporated in the design that will make Dr. David Suzuki Public School a very special place.
It will still be a few months before construction is complete, but many of the special features have been installed. Sun trackers and sun pipes already bring natural light to areas, such as the gym, which normally require 100% artificial light. Cisterns have been placed in the ground at the front of the school to collect rain water that will be used to flush the building’s toilets and drilling is underway to install the geothermal pipes that will both heat and cool the building.
Dr. David Suzuki Public School will be 68% more energy efficient than a typical building built to code. It will be Canada’s first LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) Platinum school. Minister Dombrowsky was tremendously impressed by the project and says she is looking forward to returning for the school’s Grand Opening, scheduled for September 30th.

March 22, 2010
Brock Students Go Camping
Fifty grade 6 and 8 students from General Brock Public School arrived home Friday, March 24th, played out after three days at the Tim Horton Onondago Farms camp in St. George’s. They were guests of the Tim Horton’s Children’s Foundation through their Community Sponsorship Program.
For three days and two nights, the students participated in a premier outdoor educational experience, learning, through games and activities, about the environment, agriculture and the arts. Too busy and engaged to be homesick, the most frequently asked question was, “Can we stay one more day?”
The entire General Brock Public School community extends thanks for this incredible opportunity to the Tim Horton’s Children’s Foundation and to the individuals, community groups and organizations which support the good work of the foundation.

March 22, 2010
Earth Hour
Earth Hour is a practical as well symbolic gesture to recognize the need to reduce green house gases and deal with climate change. It was started in 2007 in Australia by the World Wildlife Federation and has spread to 88 countries with hundreds of millions of people participating. The request is simple – turn off lights for an hour to save on electricity and reduce the emissions created making that power. The official Earth Hour website (http://www.earthhour.org) refers to it as “a call to stand up, to show leadership and be responsible for our future.”
Schools throughout the Greater Essex County District School Board will acknowledge Earth Hour throughout the week, with many scheduling an hour on Friday to turn out all but the necessary lights. Kingsville District High School’s Eco Schools team is taking the message to the community, to encourage even greater participation. Glenwood Public School Grade 8 students have produced a public service announcement that is airing on Cogeco community cable all week. View the video >

FEBRUARY 26, 2010
GECDSB Book Launch
The Greater Essex County District School Board has launched its very own children’s book, What Did You Do at School Today? Written and illustrated by teachers Lisa Cranston, Sherry Doherty and Lisa Galvan, the book will be given to all children registering for kindergarten this year at our schools.
“The book creates an opportunity for parents and caregivers to read to their child while, at the same time, introducing them to what school will be like as they prepare to enter the early learning program,” says Superintendent of Program Clara Howitt. The story and illustrations focus on the play-based learning centres that are in each kindergarten class across the district. The children portrayed in the book also reflect the amazing diversity evident in the Greater Essex County District School Board.

FEBRUARY 11, 2010
Kindergarten Registration
The Greater Essex County District School Board is getting ready to welcome a new class of young learners. Registration for kindergarten will be held at schools throughout the district beginning February 22nd through to March 5th.
Beginning in September 2010, schools in the City of Windsor will be switching from a half-day every day program to full-day alternate day program.
Starting September 2010 a full day everyday program will be offered at the following schools: Marlborough, Dr. H.D. Taylor, John Campbell, Prince Edward, W.G. Davis, Eastwood, Colchester North, Amherstburg, Belle River, Mill Street and Gore Hill Public School.
Parents or caregivers of children, who will be at least 4 years of age by December 31st, 2010, can make an appointment to register by calling your local public school.
Parents and children are invited to attend the Kindergarten Open House at their neighbourhood school on February 24th, beginning at 5:30 p.m.For more information, visit the Kindergarten section of our website.

JANUARY 13, 2010
Aid for Haiti
School communities throughout the Greater Essex County District School Board reacted swiftly to the immense natural disaster in Haiti and the incredible need for immediate aid.
Not long after the early estimated level of destruction had been reported, coin drives were started, fund raisers were planned and action was taken to provide support for the survivors of the devastating earthquake.
A suggested Board initiative was to collect funds to purchase Shelterboxes (check out: www.shelterbox.ca) which provide much needed temporary housing and basic comforts to the thousands of people left homeless. Some schools have elected to direct their contributions to the Canadian Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders.
So far thousands of dollars have been raised by the students and staff of the Greater Essex County District School Board for the people of Haiti.

JANUARY 13, 2010
Grey Cup @ Brock Public School
Former student Walter Robinson Spencer brought the Grey Cup to General Brock Public School during his day with the cherished Canadian football trophy.
Spencer is a member of the Montreal Alouettes, who defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders in an exciting CFL final in November.
He told Principal Chris Inverarity that his former elementary school was at the top to visit with the Cup. Spencer said he has great memories from his time at Brock and he wanted to inspire the current students “to believe in themselves, do not let anyone stop you, you have the choices to make, you choose your friends wisely, you do your best in school...that is your ticket in the world. Do not let anyone stop you.
See Images >

JANUARY 12, 2010
Full Day Learning Announced
The Ontario Ministry of Education has released the list of schools which will have full day, every day kindergarten programs beginning in September 2010. The Full Day Learning Plan will be implemented over a 5 year period, with all schools across the province participating by 2015.
Eleven schools in The Greater Essex County District School Board will offer full day, every day kindergarten this fall:
   Dr. H.D. Taylor Public School (Windsor)
   Marlborough Public School (Windsor)
   Prince Edward Public School (Windsor)
   Eastwood Public School (Windsor)
   John Campbell Public School (Windsor)
   W.G. Davis Public School (Windsor)
   Amherstburg Public School
   Belle River Public School (Lakeshore)
   Colchester North Public School (Essex)
   Mill St. Public School (Leamington)
   Gore Hill Public School (Leamington)

NOVEMBER 30, 2009
Herman Urban Schools Project
Students at W.F. Herman High School, their families and many people, both kids and adults are benefiting from the Herman Urban Schools Project, which is funded through a grant from the Province of Ontario.
Herman is one of 34 high schools in the province offering this program to provide support and develop resources in urban communities.
This past summer Herman operated tremendously successful music and sports camps. “It was wonderful to be able to provide those opportunities to students in our community,” says Principal Tom Halliwill. “Especially since many other programs in the city were not available.”
Currently Herman is conducting an after-school music program for students in grades 5-8, Saturday morning athletic instruction and a daily academic support program for any student in any school in the community.
There’s also a Holiday Cookie Exchange and a Gingerbread House Building Workshop being held this December as well as the Herman Christmas Concert, featuring the talents of the students in the after school music program.
You can find out more about the Herman Urban School Project at www.hermangriffins.com.

NOVEMBER 5, 2009
We Care We Can Campaign
In its first 2 years, the Greater Essex County District School Board’s We Care We Can Campaign has piled up impressive numbers. More than 250 tons of food valued at approximately $3.2 million has been collected by schools to help hundreds of people through food banks in the eight communities we serve.
As well, thousands of students have learned the importance and the value of community service through the simple act of giving.
This year’s We Care We Can Campaign begins Monday, November 9th. Over the next two weeks many schools will be holding food drives to collect canned goods and other non-perishable food items. Our partners from the Rotary Club and Mayflower Moving will pick up the collections and deliver them to the Unemployed Help Centre from where it will be distributed to members of the Windsor-Essex Food Banks Association.
The Windsor Spitfires will also be having a We Care We Can collection at an upcoming home game at the WFCU Centre.

OCTOBER 20, 2009
Take Our Kids to Work
Wednesday, November 4th is Take our Kids to Work Day.
The Greater Essex County District School Board enthusiastically supports this community based learning experience for Grade 9 students and we encourage them to participate.

OCTOBER 20, 2009
Character Development Workshop
An exercise in fostering a character development network of teachers and students had delegates from every school in the Greater Essex County District School Board limbering up their compassion and generosity during a workshop held at the Ciociaro Club.
The students, who were selected by each school’s Character Development Contact, got a chance to talk openly about their issues while the teachers were given a seminar on ways to help positive habits flourish.
Renowned facilitator Micah Jacobsen conducted sessions with integrated groups to help them realize their capacity for change. He exhorted them to open their eyes to possibilities…to emerge from “a state of constraint to a state of capability.”
The objective of the workshop was to empower students and the Character Development Contacts to, in the words of Teacher Consultant Shelly Duben, “just don’t do nothing. There’s a lot of need out there.”

SEPTEMBER 28, 2009
Marathon of Hope
Schools throughout the Greater Essex County District School Board continued their annual support of Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope on National School Run Day, Friday, September 25th.
Students and staff raised money in a variety of ways throughout the week which will all be donated to help fund cancer research. The most popular event was Twoonies for Terry that gave participants a special privilege or a ticket in a raffle draw for the donation of at least 2 dollars.
Everyone taking part then performed their symbolic expression of appreciation of Terry Fox’s effort and sacrifice by walking, running or wheeling around the school.

SEPTEMBER 17, 2009
Public Board Committed to Improving Student Achievement
The Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) has released the results of the Primary and Junior Reading, Writing and Mathematics Assessment and the Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics written by Ontario students during the 2008-2009 school year. ...read more >

SEPTEMBER 10, 2009
Back to School
“We want every day to be just like the first day of school!” was the message from Director of Education Warren Kennedy on the actual first day of school. Mr. Kennedy, who’s starting his first full year as Director says he’d like to see the same kind of excitement and enthusiasm that he witnessed on September 8th throughout the 2009-10 school year.
The ultimate goal of the Greater Essex County District School Board has not changed this year: to provide a positive, safe, caring learning environment where everyone can reach their potential. “We must continue to set high goals,” Kennedy noted. “We must also build on our past successes.”
This year approximately 34,500 students will go to class at one of our 77 schools.
Among the highlights this year for the Board will be the construction of the new Dr. David Suzuki Public School and the massive renovation of John Campbell Public School.

AUGUST 28, 2009
Marlee Matlin Delivers Keynote Address
Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin signed up a whole bunch of new fans during her keynote address to the Greater Essex County District School Board’s Vision to Practice summer conference.
Ms. Matlin, who is profoundly deaf, delivered a message which nicely complemented the theme of the 4 day seminar; Dream, Believe, Achieve. She told the crowd of 500 that all students should learn this formula: dreams + the desire to believe = success. She said that has been her personal philosophy since she was a child. “The real handicap with deafness,” Ms. Matlin stated “does not lie in the ear, but in the mind.”
Her entire 30 minute address was communicated in sign language and translated for the audience by her interpreter Jack Jason. Matlin won her Best Actress Academy Award in 1986 for her performance in Children of a Lesser God. Throughout her career she has been seen in a variety of roles in movies and television, including the iconic Seinfeld series and most recently a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. She is also an unequivocal advocate for children with disabilities.