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12/13/2016 - Regular Board Meeting THAMES VALLEY DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD INAUGURAL MEETING, PUBLIC SESSION 2016 DECEMBER 13 The Board met in session for its annual Inaugural meeting on 2016 December 13 in the Board Room at the Education Centre, meeting in public session at 7:00 p.m. The following were in attendance: TRUSTEES ADMINISTRATION AND OTHERS M. Reid (Chair) J. Bennett R. Campbell C. Goodall G. Hart P. Jaffe A. Morell (Vice-Chair) Regrets: B. McKinnon S. Polhill A. Pucchio P. Schuyler J. Skinner S. Suvajac R. Tisdale J. Todd L. Elliott V. Nielsen J. Pratt C. Beal S. Builder R. Culhane M. Deman K. Edgar L. Griffith-Jones R. Kuiper D. Macpherson M. Moynihan S. Powell K. Wilkinson K. Bushell B. Williams T. Testa J. Knight S. Macey C. Stager D. Giesbrecht L. Abell 1. CALL TO ORDER Board Chair M. Reid called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. O CANADA Louise Arbour French Immersion Elementary School Intermediate Choir led in the singing of O Canada. 3. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION OF TRUSTEES Joyce Bennett, Chair, Programs and School Services Advisory Committee, on behalf of the Trustees and the Senior Administration welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the 2017 Board. She introduced the trustees noting their area of representation and committee work. 4. MUSICAL INTERLUDE Trustee C. Goodall introduced the Parkside Collegiate Institute Music Group to perform the first of three musical selections, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). 5. TRADITIONAL OPENING Monty McGahey, Chippewa of the Thames First Nation provided a traditional opening. 6. REFLECTION Jacob Rowe delivered the reflection. 7. MUSICAL INTERLUDE Student Trustee A. Pucchio introduced Louise Arbour French Immersion Elementary School Intermediate Choir. The Choir performed a musical selection, Frosty the Snowman. 8. SPECIAL GREETINGS James Todd, Chair, Planning and Priorities Advisory Committee read a list of organizations represented at the meeting. He welcomed and introduced the following guests including those who brought greetings on behalf of their affiliates:  Joy Antoniuk, Ministry of Education Regional Office  John Jevnikar, Chair, London District Catholic School Board  Adrian Willsher and Loretta Honsinger, Co-Chairs, Thames Valley Parent Involvement Committee  Sheena Davis, President, Thames Valley Council of Home and School Associations 2016 December 13…2  James Stewart, President, Thames Valley Education Foundation Trustee Todd read a letter bringing greetings to trustees for 2017 and congratulating incoming Chair Matt Reid, from Ernie Hardeman, Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Oxford. 9. MUSICAL INTERLUDE Parkside Collegiate Institute Music Group performed their second selection, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. 10. RECOGNITION OF 2017 CHAIR Trustee J. Bennett recognized Past Chairs R. Tisdale and B. McKinnon for their commitment and dedication in serving as the 2016 Chairs. 11. MUSICAL INTERLUDE Louise Arbour French Immersion Elementary School Intermediate Choir performed ‘Cold Snap’. 12. PRESENTATION OF THE GAVEL On behalf of the students, trustees, staff and community of the Thames Valley District School Board, the gavel of office was presented to Chair Reid by Student Trustees, A. Pucchio and S. Suvajac. 13. INAUGURAL ADDRESS Chair Reid presented the following Inaugural Address: “Thank you everyone for joining us tonight at the Inaugural Meeting. Since I was 17 and attended my first Inaugural meeting I’ve always considered this night as an opportunity to recognize our accomplishments from the past year and to reaffirm our commitment to our students and the community for the upcoming year. First, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Ruth Tisdale and Bill McKinnon for their leadership as our Chairs in 2015-2016. Ruth and Bill thank you for being such strong leaders and tireless advocates for public education. I also want to recognize the sacrifices that each of our trustees and their families make so that we can make a positive difference for our 75,000 students. Whether you’ve been out late at a committee meeting or attending events at one of our 157 schools, whether you have represented our board at OPSBA meetings in Toronto or have sat through three straight days of interviews for our administration - this is all time away from our families and I do not believe the sacrifices our families make are recognized nearly enough. So thank you to them. I am so humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve as Chair. I am privileged to have learned from those around this table and I hope that I can make you proud in this role. My focus will be to continue our commitment to embrace our diversity and foster a school culture where all of our students are able to thrive. Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau recently told the United Nations, “In Canada we see diversity as a source of strength, not weakness. Our country is strong not in spite of our difference but because of them. Every single day we need to choose hope over fear, diversity over division. “I have always believed that our board’s greatest strength is our diversity. Bringing together 75,000 students and over 7,000 staff with different religions, ethnicities, creeds, sexual orientation and gender identities is a true reflection of what is great about Canada. It was our school board’s commitment to diversity that showed us at our best, creating the innovative GENTLE program that saw 476 Syrian Newcomers welcomed into their new school communities. It was in recognizing the dignity of all of our students, new and old, that we helped these families move beyond the atrocities that they fled; to become part of our extended family here and for these young newcomers to feel safe for the first time in some of their lives was something our staff took on with a passion that these students will take with them for the rest of their lives. This program inspired the community and was recently recognized by Pillar Non Profit Network but it is the lives that were changed in the process that make us truly proud. 2016 December 13…3 Much like it was a team that made GENTLE the success it was, it is our team of 15 trustees and our talented senior administration that will ensure our board has the strategic direction to provide the world class education to our students that we have come to appreciate in Ontario. It is so vital that we embrace our individual lived experience and draw upon that experience to help our students and staff thrive. I, like many of our students was raised by a single parent; whom I am happy is here tonight, but I, also learned from so many great teachers at Arthur Stringer P.S. and Sir Wilfrid Laurier S.S. who guided me through my formative years. Many of you taught me the importance of being true to myself, and it is just one of the lessons I carry with me. Our teachers are f our greatest strengths at TVDSB, I feel privileged to get to work alongside some of my old teachers, many who are principals in our schools now, and meeting the new generation of teachers that are choosing to start their careers in Thames Valley, it helps me know that our students are in good hands. What I want to say to all of our teachers and staff is that if you can chang e someone’s perception of themselves and make them better than what they thought they were, then you will change lives and we will never truly know the ripple affect you will have. I must take this moment to recognize that it is only through this board’s d iversity and commitment to move past intolerance to full acceptance that I proudly stand here today as the first openly gay chair of a school board. While I know that the path may not be the same or easy for all of our students - many coming from difficult and varied family situations - every student belongs in our board and deserves to learn in a safe and secure learning environment so that they can flourish and reach their full potential. And I also know that it is important for our students to see themselves reflected in our board’s words and actions. It was our actions this past year of recognizing the traditional territory for which we gather that show our indigenous communities that we are committed to working together in a meaningful way. It was in the actions of creating all gender bathrooms in our high schools after hearing the concerns of our trans community that we showed them that we care. It was in the actions of dozens and dozens of staff and students walking in the London Pride Parade for the first time ever as a school board that we showed we stand united in support of equal rights. We will continue to promote inclusion in 2017 and I invite everyone to join me as we raise the Trans Flag for the first time as a school board to show our support on the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on May 17th. We will continue to live our commitment to diversity in everything we do. I want to thank our trustees and senior administration who continue to be our champions. Especiall y Trustee Morell for being my Vice Chair this year and to our Student Trustees Pucchio and Suvajac for being willing to stand up for their peers and be counted. I remember all too well how overwhelming it can be to represent 75,000 of your peers when you aren’t even old enough to vote in an election, but you must know how much we value your contributions and for articulating the student voice. We as Trustees have one of the greatest honors that the community can bestow upon us. We are the Guardians of Public Education. We know Public Education helps ensure that all students, regardless of their socio-economic position in life are able to reach their full potential. That the only thing that will limit our students in life is their ability to dream. And we will never stop advocating for our students, because they will help ensure our country and world prosper in the future. But it is not just up to our 13 elected Trustees to be the guardians of public education – we need everyone who is impacted by our schools to make politicians of all stripes know how important education is to us. Because in these difficult economic times, when governments can all too easily make decisions that affect the 2 million students in Ontario, we cannot watch from the sidelines, but rather we must use this call to arms to advocate louder and be tireless in or pursuit. Together, let us continue to change hearts and minds and embrace our diversity in all its forms. Thank you.” 2016 December 13…4 The following motion was moved by R. Tisdale, seconded by P. Jaffe and carried: That the Chairperson’s Inaugural Address be spread upon the minutes. 14. MUSICAL INTERLUDE Parkside Collegiate Institute performed Mele Kalikimaka. Vice-Chair Arlene Morell thanked the Louise Arbour French Immersion Elementary School Intermediate Choir and the Parkside Collegiate Institute Music Group for their performances. 15. CLOSING REMARKS Director L. Elliott brought closing remarks to the Inaugural meeting of the Thames Valley Board of Trustees noting the Inaugural meeting is held to mark the beginning of a leader’s term of office. Trustee Matt Reid was welcomed as Chairperson and Trustee Arlene Morell as Vice Chairperson. On behalf of the Senior Administrative team , Director Elliott expressed the ongoing commitment of working together to create an innovative and positive learning culture for all students and staff. The student performers were thanked for their special performances and sharing their talents. Families, friends, staff, partners in education and special guests were thanked for attending. Director Elliott invited guests to attend the reception in the Atrium to celebrate the new Board and extend personal congratulations to Chairperson Matt Reid and Vice Chairperson Arlene Morell. 16. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:07 p.m. on motion of G. Hart, seconded by R. Campbell. Confirmed: M. Reid, Chairperson SUMMARY OF APPROVED RECOMMENDATIONS OF 2016 DECEMBER 13 That the Chairperson’s Inaugural Address be spread upon the minutes and posted to the Board’s website.