蘑菇传媒

Catholic Board Improvement Learning Cycle 2024-2025

Using Data to Inform Actions in DPCDSB

"Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.鈥� Psalm 25:4

The 蘑菇传媒 (DPCDSB) promotes learning and working environments that support a responsive, equitable, inclusive, and caring culture through its Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP), the Catholic Board Improvement Learning Cycle (CBILC), and Catholic School Improvement Learning Cycles (CSILC). The work of the 2024-2025 school year continued to support the MYSP鈥檚 five core values: Believe, Excel, Respect, Thrive, and Trust. These core values are foundational in shaping the CBILC and CSILC goals, the implementation of action steps, and their monitoring strategies.

For each of the MYSP鈥檚 five core values, DPCDSB schools engage in a cycle of continuous improvement by examining local data, developing, and implementing responsive action steps, and assessing a variety of data sources to monitor goal achievement and ensure accountability. To complement local data gathering by schools to support improvement planning, DPCDSB regularly administers large-scale surveys to collect data about student attitudes and experiences. DPCDSB鈥檚 data gathering in 2024-2025 included:

• Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations Survey (OCSGE) and Ministry of Education Exit Survey
• Math and Literacy Processes, Attitudes, and Engagement Survey
• Catholic Community, Culture, and Caring (CCCC) School Climate Survey
• Catholic Digital Citizenship Survey

Additionally, the Ministry of Education requires school boards to seek feedback on their MYSPs from parents, guardians, students, and other community members. This feedback helps DPCDSB continue to prioritize what is important to students and their families. Finally, data from the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) assessments, including the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), help DPCDSB focus on where students need greater academic support. This wide range of data informs DPCDSB local and system-wide actions and commitment to the core MYSP values concerning Catholic social teachings, achievement, social justice, well-being, and stewardship.

Believe

Goals

• Increase, among all learner groups, student application of scripture, sacramental life, and Catholic social teachings to daily life, by increasing opportunities for student spiritual engagement in their faith formation.
• Deepen faith formation and spiritual faith journey of staff.
• Enhance positive staff perceptions regarding DPCDSB Catholic Community, Culture and Caring.
• Enhance positive parent perceptions of student faith formation in DPCDSB schools.
• Deepen the understanding of how social justice actions are guided by Catholic Social Teachings and faith development for all learners.

Excel

Goals

• Increase the proportion of students from all learner groups meeting or exceeding the provincial standard in literacy and mathematics (e.g., by applying Ministry priority actions: ensuring fidelity of curriculum implementation and use of instructional and assessment practices with a proven track record of enhancing student achievement; ongoing learning to strengthen mathematics content knowledge for teaching; and knowing the learner and ensuring learning tasks, interventions, and supports are relevant and responsive).
• Increase student critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation among all learner groups (e.g., by uplifting Global Competencies and through deep connections to the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations).
• Identify and eliminate disproportionalities and disparities, including in achievement, programming, and discipline, by dismantling stereotypes towards individuals with diverse learning needs and the impacts of colonialism, white supremacy, anti鈥怋lack racism, Islamophobia, anti鈥怱emitism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, able鈥恑sm, and other oppressions.

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Student Mathematics Attitudes听

To help understand how to support student learning and achievement in mathematics, DPCDSB regularly asks students questions* about how they feel about math and how they work in class so they can learn and excel in this critical subject.

* Mathematics Attitudes Student Survey participation: Elementary (Grades 3-8) n=5,298; Secondary n=2,495.

Student Literacy Attitudes听

To help understand how to support student learning and achievement in literacy, DPCDSB regularly asks students questions* about how they feel about reading and writing and how they work in class so they can learn and excel in literacy across all subject areas.

* Literacy Attitudes Student Survey participation: Grades 4-12 n=4,189

2024-2025 EQAO and OSSLT Assessments听

At the time of this report鈥檚 publication, the 2024鈥�2025 EQAO and OSSLT assessment results had not yet been released. Previous results are available at .

Respect

Goals

• Increase staff awareness and capacity required to address the impacts of colonialism, white supremacy, anti鈥怋lack racism, Islamophobia, anti鈥� Semitism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, able鈥恑sm, and other oppressions, in all areas of school culture through centering Black, Indigenous and marginalized perspectives and voices.
• Increase sense of belonging among students and staff impacted by oppression and injustice, by uplifting the voices of those whose identities are impacted by systemic forms of oppression.
• Enrich students鈥� sense of connection to their Catholic community and sense of belonging.

CCCC School Climate Survey by Student Group

The 2024-2025 Catholic Community, Culture, and Caring (CCCC) School Climate Survey asked students* in Grades 4-12 about:

Students experience each of these aspects of school climate differently based on their gender and whether they have an Individual Education Plan (IEP)** and/or receive English as a Second Language supports. Boys, girls, and students without an IEP or ESL supports tended to have higher scores for peer inclusion and less experience of exclusion and all types of bullying. These findings help staff address these differences by identity, so that everyone feels safe and accepted.

CCCC School Climate Survey* By Race: Belonging and Exclusion

Results from the CCCC School Climate Survey were analyzed using the Disparity Index (DI). The DI showed some patterns in student perceptions of peers, staff, well-being, and positive representation of identity by race.** This information helps increase staff awareness of differences so they can work to make all students feel safe, accepted, supported, and represented at school.

The DI compares student ratings for each racial group with the average ratings for all of DPCDSB. The DI findings showed a pattern of certain racial groups tending to have more positive ratings of peer inclusion, school support, well-being, and positive representation than DPCDSB students, and other racial groups tending to have much fewer positive ratings of these aspects of school climate. Below are the groups that were above and below the DPCDSB average.

The DI results also indicated that certain racial groups reported higher experiences of exclusion and bullying compared to DPCDSB students overall, while other groups reported significantly fewer of these negative experiences. The groups that were above and below the DPCDSB average are shown below.

Thrive

Goals

• Increase student engagement (i.e., academic, social, and intellectual) and well-being for all learner groups, including students with diverse and special education learning needs.
• Enhance student application of Catholic digital citizenship, with particular emphasis on collaboration.
• Enhance students鈥� overall health and well-being.
• Increase awareness and impacts of, and accessibility to culturally sensitive mental health and well-being supports for all members of the DPCDSB community.
• Enhance safety and security measures to support the wellbeing of all (e.g., physical environment and technology infrastructure; data integrity and privacy information management).
• Increase staff well-being and belonging (e.g., work-life balance, organizational culture, workload management).
• Identify and eliminate systemic barriers and instructional practices that negatively impact the success and well-being of students and staff that lead to inequitable outcomes.

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CCCC School Climate Survey*

The 2024-2025 Catholic Community, Culture, and Caring (CCCC) School Climate Survey asked students in Grades 4-12 about:

The 2024-2025 Catholic Community, Culture, and Caring (CCCC) School Climate Survey* asked students in Grades 4-12 about exclusion, bullying, and experience of aggression.

Trust

Goals

• Increase confidence in stewardship of resources (e.g., human, financial, physical and technology).
• Promote practices that value the sacredness of creation (e.g., intentionally reduce energy, use of disposable water bottles, paper consumption, and waste production).
• Enhance engagement of schools with a wide variety of community partners and parishes.
• Increase operational service quality (e.g., community and staff perceptions of service levels; alignment of DPCDSB practices with all Ministry of Education requirements).

MYSP Values: Community Feedback

The Ministry of Education requires school boards to gather feedback from their communities on its Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) twice each school year. To meet this requirement, DPCDSB conducted a MYSP Evaluation Survey open to the DPCDSB community and staff.

Catholic Learning - Catholic Education Week

During Catholic Education Week, schools across Ontario celebrated the significant contributions that Catholic Education has made to our communities, the province and to Canada. In DPCDSB, Catholic Education Week was marked by many special activities at all grade levels, including prayer celebrations, service activities, Ontario Catholic Student Youth Day, and the Catholic Education Week Provincial Mass. The following are a few highlights of how our schools celebrated the week:

Equity and Indigenous Education Initiatives

鈥�...let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.鈥� (1 John 3:18)

At the 蘑菇传媒 (DPCDSB), we work collectively to fulfill our vocational call as Christians by ensuring that all are welcomed, included and valued. 鈥榃e All Belong鈥� forms the foundation of inclusivity here at the DPCDSB and as a faith-filled community we are committed to ensuring that all students are engaged and feel welcomed and included in every aspect of school life. As a Catholic community, we work to ensure that learning spaces are accepting and that the dignity of the human person is always centered by fostering genuine trusting relationships with all students, staff, family, and community members, guided by a sense of mutual respect. Our faith calls us to celebrate, love and respect one another as we are all wonderfully made in the image and likeness of God. Guided by the Catholic Social Teaching of Human Dignity, the DPCDSB is committed to addressing and dismantling all forms of oppression and injustice.

Fostering student belonging requires a focused effort to identify and eliminate systemic forms of oppression that affect student well-being, learning, and achievement. A genuine commitment to equity must therefore include a commitment to actively addressing these inequities. As Catholic educators, we work to ensure that the work of equity and social justice are interwoven in all that we do. Addressing injustices requires that we centre the humanity of students by honouring the human dignity of all and working alongside and in solidarity with those experiencing barriers to ensure the well-being and success of all students.

Our Multi-Year Strategic Plan centers around the following five pillars: Believe, Excel, Respect, Thrive and Trust. The pillar of Respect calls us to actively nurture human dignity and promote social justice in all aspects of our work and relationships.

This section highlights programs and initiatives planned through the Equity and Indigenous Education Department that have been developed to support the achievement and well-being of students and staff within the DPCDSB. These initiatives have been created and designed with the input from key duty holders across the DPCDSB community. These programs actualize the goals outlined in the DPCDSB Catholic Board Improvement Learning Cycle, the DPCDSB Strategic Plan to Dismantle Anti-Black Racism and the Ontario Human Rights Commission Dreams Delayed: Addressing Systemic Anti-Black Racism and Discrimination in Ontario鈥檚 Public Education System.

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Equity and Inclusion Programming

Capacity Building for System Leaders and Principals and Vice-Principals:

The 蘑菇传媒 Strategic Plan to Dismantle anti-Black Racism:

System leaders participated in a learning opportunity that focused on an understanding of anti-Black racism and the ways in which it shows up in educational spaces. Through this learning opportunity system leaders were introduced to the new iteration of the DPCDSB Strategic Plan to Dismantle anti-Black Racism (SPDABR) reviewing goals outlined within and connections to system goals and Ministry of Education goals. Learning outcomes include offering an understanding of the ways in which the goals outlined in the SPDABR can be embedded within school goals.

Addressing Discriminatory Language:

Guided by the Catholic Social Teachings and Centered in understandings of the protected grounds outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code, system leaders engaged in learning centered in racial literacy and were provided direction and expectations when responding to the use of discriminatory language. System leaders participated in capacity building workshops that offered direction and expectations surrounding responding to discriminatory language, understanding that discriminatory language must always be addressed to centre student safety and wellbeing in order to eliminate language rooted in racism and discrimination.

Case Studies: Building Racial and Equity Literacy:

System leaders participated in capacity building series that aimed to build and sustain racial and equity literacy through participating in case studies. These case studies focused on uplifting protected grounds as outlined in the Ontario Human rights code. System leaders participated in discussions that involved analyzing census data findings and how to respond through a lens of anti-oppression.

Dismantling anti-Black Racism: Cultivating and Sustaining Intentional Spaces of Belonging for Black Students

Administrators participated in a capacity building workshop on belonging that aimed to offer support in the following areas: What are the barriers in our schools that impact belonging? How do we ensure our school鈥檚 culture and climate is one where our students feel a genuine sense of belonging? What are those inclusionary practices that can ensure we create that culture and climate of belonging within our schools? In this workshop administrators examined these questions and were provided additional tools to create a deeper sense of inclusion and belonging.

Capacity Building for Teachers:

Mentoring for Racialized Candidates for Leadership Positions:

Within this programming, educators that identify as Black and Racialized have the opportunity to meet with the Superintendent of Equity and Indigenous Education to learn about the process and pathways to administration.

Addressing Discriminatory Language:

Professional development surrounding the DPCDSB expectation on Discriminatory Language was shared to staff system-wide rooted in goals outlined in the Multi-Year Strategic Plan and the Strategic Plan to Dismantle Anti-Black Racism.

Catholic Equity Leads: Humanizing Pedagogies

Every school has a Catholic Equity Lead, the focus of this role is to build and sustain capacity, support student achievement, improve support for students within our schools and communities, thereby promoting the well-being of all students. Catholic Equity Leads for the 2024-2025 school year, engaged in a 4 Part Interactive Presenter Series presenter series that looked at understanding Pedagogies that centre the Human Dignity of students. The learning outcomes aimed to foster understandings of racial and equity literacy through a commitment to know your learner. Topics included: Simply the Best for our Students and Ourselves - Increasing Achievement, Engagement, Belonging and Joy, Decolonizing Classrooms, Becoming an anti-Racist Educator and Thriving Together Through Reconciliation.

Pedagogical Frameworks that Centre Human Dignity:

The Department of Equity provided professional development to the Program Department, English Secondary Teachers and Elementary teachers on pedagogical practices. Centering the understandings of Humanizing Frameworks as offered through Paulo Freire and Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, teachers-built capacity on calls to action outlined in the Ministry of Education document Learning for all: A guide to Effective Assessment and Instruction for All Students, Kindergarten to Grade 12. Educators looked at how goals embedded within this document can be achieved through utilizing pedagogical frameworks, more specifically, Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy. Educators participated in discussions that involved analyzing census data findings and how to respond through a lens of anti-oppression.

Building and Sustaining Racial and Equity Literacy:

Grade 5 educators participated in a three-part workshop series surrounding Building and Sustaining Racial and Equity Literacy. These workshops introduced teachers to pedagogical frameworks that centre Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy. Teachers were introduced to the HRL framework (Historically Responsive Literacies) as a pedagogical approach to design lessons or critically improve existing lessons and deliver curriculum in a responsive and relevant manner.

New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP): Building and Sustaining Racial and Equity Literacy

As part of the New Teachers Induction Program teachers participated in the following professional development opportunity: NTIP teachers developed an understanding surrounding recognition of the ways in which social location can impact positionality and the ways in which these understandings can impact and influence instruction and relationships within educational spaces. Educators engaged in impactful discussions highlighting the importance of bringing underheard stories, histories, and ways of knowing and being to the forefront of the classroom through exploring the work of Dr. Gholdy Muhammad using the Historically Responsive Literacy framework to shift pedagogical practices.

Capacity Building for Teachers and Support Staff:

Black Student Alliance (BSA) Leads Gathering Day: Centering Belonging

BSA leads across Secondary Schools participated in a day of professional learning that offered a chance to connect and network with other leads from across the board to centre best practices on affinity spaces centering conversations surrounding cultivating and sustaining the wellbeing of Black staff and students through supportive and caring learning environments.

Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Leads Gathering Day: Centering Belonging

GSA leads across Secondary Schools participated in a day of professional learning that offered a chance to connect and network with other leads from across the board to centre best practices on affinity spaces centering conversations surrounding cultivating and sustaining the wellbeing of staff and students through supportive and caring learning environments.

Learning Table Series: Building and Sustaining Racial and Equity Literacy

The Learning Table Series is offered throughout the school year as an informal and relaxed virtual workshop to take part in impactful discussions with members from the Equity team and other board colleagues on topics surrounding best practices in equity and social justice. Topics included but were not limited to: Selecting resources for your school and classroom through a lens of anti-oppression, best practices on affinity spaces and Black History Month, understanding cultural appropriation vs. cultural appreciation, best practices on Halloween and Spirit Week and addressing bias and stereotypes.听

Building Racial and Equity Literacy: Creating and Sustaining Inclusive and Caring Communities:

Staff in Corporate Services, Social Work and DECE鈥檚 participated in a professional learning opportunity that centered understandings of tackling racism and discrimination as a system. Staff gained understanding of Human Rights as protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Participants learned about the ways in which racism shows up including overt and covert examples, including understandings of tackling racism within your sphere of influence.听

Catholic School Council:

Members of the Catholic School Council had an opportunity to learn about the comprehensive work offered through the Equity Department, sharing information surrounding system goals outlined in the DPCDSB Multi-Year Strategic Plan and alignment with the goals of Equity. This professional learning opportunity offered council members the opportunity to understand the importance of utilizing a lens of equity when centering belonging in schools.

Resource Development for Educators:

SharePoint Site for Equitable and Inclusive Education Resources:

The Equitable and Inclusive Education SharePoint creates and provides resources to support anti-oppression work in the DPCDSB. This site provides equity and diversity briefings, resource links to lesson plans and articles on equitable and inclusive education, anti-racism education, anti-oppression education, and pedagogical practices. The site is designed to increase awareness and knowledge of issues and initiatives related to equitable and inclusive education and support the Catholic Board Improvement Learning Cycle.

Monthly Indigenous Education and Equity Update:

Through these Monthly briefings, we hope to increase awareness/knowledge of issues and initiatives related to Indigenous Education and Equity. These updates serve to support the Catholic Board Improvement Learning Cycle. These monthly updates aim to build an understanding that reminds educators of their call to action, as members of the Catholic Community, that inclusive education allows us all to answer the call to uphold the human dignity of each person we encounter.

Black Futures Speakers Series:

Black Futures Speakers Series is a digital resource created to ensure that the stories, contributions, and achievements of individuals within the Black community are highlighted and shared. Through these speaker series, individuals share their personal stories and insights on the realities of anti-Black racism, Black identity and its intersections, education, politics, mental health and well-being, constructs of beauty, social justice and activism, Black Canadian history, and other timely topics. To support the 2024-2025 Catholic Education Week Theme of 鈥淧ilgrims of Hope鈥� the Black History Month theme for 2025 was 鈥淏lack History 365: A Look Back, A Look Within, A Look Ahead鈥�, the following individuals were interviewed to share their stories:

• Larissa Crawford
• Alanah Broomfield
• Jahiem Henry

Student Programming:

Black History Month 2025:

Every February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month celebrations that honour the legacy of Black people in Canada and their communities, remembering and acknowledging contributions and achievements both past and present. The 2025 theme for Black History Month is: Black History 365: A Look Back, A Look Within, A Look Ahead. This theme aimed to celebrate and acknowledge past and present contributions and the cultivation of hope for Black futures. This theme aligns with the 2025 theme for Catholic Education Week: Pilgrims of Hope where we have been invited to rediscover the theme of hope and the meaning of hope in our lives.

Black Futures Symposium 2025:

As part of Black History Month Planning for 2025 and included in the 2025 Black History Month theme, Black History Month 365: A Look Back, A Look Within, A Look Ahead, the Equity Department hosted a Black Futures Symposium for Black identifying students in secondary schools who were part of their schools Black Student Alliances (BSA) as a way of celebrating Black joy. The day centered around the importance of wellness and Black joy.

Nia Centre for the Arts:

Secondary students across the DPCDSB had an opportunity to participate in a three-part workshop with Nia Centre that allowed students to learn about Black arts, culture, and tradition, while building their knowledge of the historic and current contributions of Black Canadians. This three-part webinars series, A Look Back, A Look Within and A Look Ahead, allowed students and teachers to expand their knowledge of Black History from a Canadian context, and deepen their understanding of the role art has played to confront oppression, systemic racism and amplify the voices and stories of Black people and community across generations. Through these webinars, students and teachers gained insight into past and present leaders/changemakers who have helped to shape and transform Black identity and learn how they can use art to be the future change makers of tomorrow. These webinars center storytelling and help students foster a healthy identity and expand on the ideas of Black joy, resistance, and futures through the arts, while encouraging student imagination.

Graduation Coaches for Black Students:

The Graduation Coach for Black Students Programming supported two secondary schools along with ongoing support for sustaining Affinity spaces within schools and servicing over 200 students with advocacy, social, emotional and identity affirming support and pathways to Post Secondary. The Graduation Coach program facilitated programming to secondary students鈥� systemwide, provided an opportunity for students to attend mentorship programs focusing on post-secondary education, and partnered with various post-secondary schools to provide STEAM pathways onsite at local universities. The Grad Coaches also created leadership opportunities for two Black-identifying students from each secondary school to represent student voice as a BCAC student council of over 50 students. This BCAC council attended three workshops throughout the year, bringing the work back to their larger school bodies.

Author Virtual Read Aloud Series:

The author series seeks to highlight the underheard story and offer a counter narrative. Bringing students stories of brilliance, genius, and joy through a virtual read aloud.

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Community Programming and Initiatives:

Christmas Community Engagement:

The Equity Department, in collaboration with the Black Community Advisory Council, hosted its second annual Christmas event. Families and community members were invited to join the community for crafts, treats and a read-aloud with local author Yolanda T. Marshall. Community members gathered for an evening to celebrate the joy of the season.

STEAM Night:

This event focused on highlighting Black representation in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math, while showcasing potential careers, and identifying multiple pathways to STEAM industries. The evening featured a keynote presentation from a Black female leader in STEAM industries and offered opportunities for students to engage in hands-on STEAM activities. The STEAM Parent Engagement Night was open to DPCDSB families with students in Grades 7-12.

Black Community Advisory Council:

The DPCDSB Black Community Advisory Council (BCAC) met regularly throughout the school year to discuss and advise on how best to support the achievement and well-being of Black students. For the 2024-2025 school year the council came together to advise on DPCDSB census findings and support culturally relevant and responsive resource recommendations.

Indigenous Student Council & Indigenous Programs

Indigenous Education Council

The DPCDSB Indigenous Education Council (IEC) meet throughout the year on a regular basis to offer parent/guardian and community input on the Board Action Plan for Indigenous Education, in addition to providing an advocacy role for parents/guardians and the community. The council continues to support and inform a variety of programming including:

Knowledge Keepers Visiting Program

Another highly successful initiative is our Knowledge Keepers Visiting Program. This program connects classes with members of the Indigenous community who deliver informative sessions on a wide range of topics to support K鈥�12 learning. Last year, over 15,000 students participated in these valuable learning opportunities.

The Indigenous Education Department also coordinates in-person cultural learning experiences with Indigenous Elders, community members, artists, and authors. Schools with Indigenous students receive additional supports and special guest visits.

Program highlights included Onkwehonwe Games, Classic Roots, and our Planetarium Program. The Planetarium Program brought an inflatable planetarium to schools, where students learned from Cree Elder and astronomer Wilfred Buck about Indigenous astronomy and explored traditional star knowledge projected inside the dome.

Supports for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Studies

Secondary schools that offer any of the First Nations, Metis and Inuit Studies courses are supported throughout the year to ensure that curriculum delivery aligns with our Indigenous Education policy. Supports include guest speakers from the Indigenous community to provide cultural knowledge and first-hand accounts related to Indigenous peoples, histories, and contemporary realities.

Resource Development and Curriculum Supports

Several resources have been developed to support educators in delivering appropriate content related to Indigenous Education in a variety of subject areas, including English, Social Science, and the Arts.

The First Nations, M茅tis and Inuit Peoples 鈥� Understanding Traditional Teachings, Histories, Current Issues and Cultures Additional Qualification Courses

These additional qualification courses continue to be the best professional development provided for educators in order to adequately equip them in furthering their understanding of colonialism and how to ensure Indigenous rights and human rights are protected in schools and classrooms. In 2024-2025 we offered the Pat 3 Specialist course.

Indigenous Student and Family Community Events

DPCDSB partnered with the Peel District School Board, Upper Grand District School Board and the Wellington Catholic District School Board to provide regular community events for students and families who identify as Indigenous. These events provide cultural opportunities and educational sessions throughout the year.

Academic Supports for Indigenous students

In the 2024-2025 school year the Indigenous Education Department piloted Academic supports for Indigenous Students. In this program, Indigenous Education consultants engaged with youth about their pathway in secondary as well as what post-secondary and transition pathways. This program was developed in response to the census data which indicates the disparities for Indigenous in accessing to university pathways overall and in English and math subject areas.

Anishinaabemowin Language Course and Language Nest

Offering an Anishinaabemowin Language Course program for secondary students has been one of our greatest successes. This program is for any student in Ontario as well as our own DPCDSB students.

The Anishinaabemowin Language Nest takes place on Saturdays where Indigenous families learn alongside their children. This program is in its third year and has been incredibly successful.

Tipis and Telescopes Event

As part of our commitment to celebrating Indigenous knowledge systems, the DPCDSB partnered with Cree Elder and astronomer Wilfred Buck through the annual Tipis and Telescopes event, held on October 4^th and 5^th, 2024. Students, educators, and their families are invited to explore the connections between Indigenous star knowledge and Western astronomy. Through immersive experiences, participants learn traditional teachings about the cosmos, stories of the constellations, and the significance of the night sky in Indigenous cultures.

Planetarium Program

The Planetarium Program brings an inflatable dome to schools, creating an immersive learning environment where students explore Indigenous star knowledge guided by Cree Elder and astronomer Wilfred Buck. Inside the planetarium, students experience traditional teachings about constellations and stories about the night sky. To extend this experience, the Indigenous Education Department is developing resources that link Wilfred Buck鈥檚 teachings to the Ontario Science and Technology curriculum for Grades 1鈥�8 and the Grade 9 Science course. These resources will also highlight connections to mathematical concepts such as spatial sense, measurement, and geometric reasoning.

Grade 3 Social Studies Professional Development

The Indigenous Education Department hosted a two-day professional development session for all Grade 3 teachers teaching Social Studies. Using Rubicon鈥檚 Boldprint Inquiry books, Indigenous Packs, the sessions focused on weaving Indigenous perspectives into the Grade 3 Social Studies curriculum in meaningful ways. Teachers explored strategies to bring Indigenous voices and stories into their classrooms, making connections to inquiry-based learning and curriculum expectations. The Department also created resources to accompany the books and the PD sessions for teachers to use in their classrooms.

March Break Sugar Bush Program

Over the course of the March Break Indigenous youth participated in weeklong cultural learning in the traditional Anishinaabe way of processing sweet water into maple syrup. Indigenous youth were responsible for:

• The daily collection and measurement of sweet water
• Monitoring the processing of sweet water into syrup and maple sugar
• Traditional processing of Moose hides

Also present was the M膩ori community where youth learned from M膩ori guests about the traditional seasonal practices occurring in Aotearoa (New Zealand). The culmination of this week was a student-led board wide public access event where youth shared their learning with attendees. This event was attended by more than 2,000 families across the DPCSB school board. Attendees participated in multiple sessions each day connected to the sugar bush program led by Anishinaabe, Onkwehonwe and M膩ori community. In addition to the sugar bush sessions, attendees took part in traditional Onkwehonwe winter games, learned about traditional Anishinaabe, Onkwehonwe and M膩ori carving and hide tanning processes.

Summer Program

Over a two-week period in July Indigenous youth participated in cultural learning by Anishinaabe, Onkwehonwe, Cree and M膩ori community. Youth engaged in learning language, connecting to the land, plant and star teachings, traditional drumming, working with hide and beading materials. Students engaged in land-based learning at Silvercreek Outdoor Education Centre, learned about traditional cultural food preparation and teachings at Oneida, and camped overnight at Nimkii Aazhibikong.

First Grade 12 Graduation Ceremony for Indigenous Students

The Indigenous Education Department hosted the first ever annual graduation ceremony for grade 12 Indigenous students and their respective families. Led by several Indigenous community members, each Indigenous graduate was honoured and presented with an eagle feather. These miigwanak (feathers) are only given out upon special circumstances and through honouring ceremonies.