Regular Meeting of the Board
Monday, December 9, 2024
All reports for this meeting can be found here.
Susan Gibson Elected Chair, Tom Waldschmidt Elected Vice-Chair
Above: Susan Gibson Elected Chair, Tom Waldschmidt Elected Vice-Chair
Grand Erie Board of Trustees elected Susan Gibson as the Chair of the Grand Erie District School Board during the annual Board Nomination and Organization meeting held on Monday, December 9. Tom Waldschmidt was elected as Vice-Chair of the Board. Gibson represents the City of Brantford, and this is her fourth one-year term as Chair of the Board. She was first elected to the Board in 2018 and has a more than two-decade career as a healthcare leader. She has transferred that passion for helping others to her role as Trustee in public education, collaborating and problem-solving to support student success.
Tom Waldschmidt, representing Norfolk County (Wards 3 and 7) and Brant County, begins his first term as Vice-Chair. Elected as Trustee in 2013, his journey with Grand Erie began on the school council at Paris Central Elementary School in 2005. He then joined the Grand Erie Parent Involvement Committee, and elected Chair in 2009. Waldschmidt has also served as Chair of the Audit Committee and the Special Education Advisory Committee.
Learn Lead Inspire Awards
The Learn Lead Inspire award celebrates students, staff members and volunteers who have made outstanding contributions and shown a steadfast commitment to their school communities, aligning with the Board’s mission to build a culture of learning, well-being and belonging to inspire each learner.
Above: Pauline Johnson Collegiate and Vocational School student Evelyn Waldron received a Learn Lead Inspire Award from Grand Erie Board Chair Susan Gibson (left) and Grand Erie Director of Education JoAnna Roberto on Dec. 9.
Evelyn Waldron
Pauline Johnson Collegiate and Vocational School
Since her first year at Pauline Johnson Collegiate and Vocational School, Evelyn Waldron has exemplified Grand Erie's vision to learn, lead and inspire, immersing herself in numerous aspects of the school community, and demonstrating outstanding leadership, creativity and dedication. It is Evelyn's voice that sets a welcoming tone for fellow students each day on the morning announcements, and from there, you might find her advocating for sustainability as a member of the Eco Club and representing student voice through leadership roles on student council, to organizing events such as Grade 8 Day or leading tours for future PJ students.
Her contributions to the school community extend to grant writing, planning and running events such as the Specialized Services prom and the Horizons Leadership Conference. A three-year student council member, she created the annual Celebration of the Arts event. Her creativity continues to shine through leading mural projects and designing posters to engage learners, fostering their involvement in making PJ a great place to learn, lead and inspire. Her work ethic and passion are a shining example of student leadership, and it's an honour to present her with the Learn Lead Inspire award.
Revised Budget Reflects Increased Enrolment, Strategic Investments
Following the Regular Meeting of the Board on December 9, Grand Erie is submitting its revised budget estimates for the 2024-25 school year to the Ministry of Education. The estimates are based on higher-than-anticipated enrolment numbers, which resulted in greater revenue generation and an opportunity to address immediate needs in schools to enhance support for students and staff. The updated budget revises the original 2024-25 budget approved last June, with enrolment amended to reflect an additional 120 students registered as of October 31. It also considers further projections of estimated enrolment numbers by the end of March 2025. The increase means additional Core Education Funding revenue totalling $1.5 million. The full report can be found here.
Student Senate Holds Inaugural Meeting
Grand Erie’s Student Trustees held their inaugural senate meeting on Thursday, November 21 in the Innovation Hub at North Park Collegiate. This Student Senate event focused on amplifying the voices of students to ensure they are heard. Student Trustees Aidyn Hill, Olivia Prince, and Caitlyn Shields collaborated in their respective working groups with fellow Student Senators to present ideas on how to improve and support schools across Grand Erie.
Director’s Report Highlights
Director’s Annual Report
The Director’s Annual Report showcases some of the achievements, milestones and highlights from the previous school year, and provides an update on the Board’s progress working toward learning, well-being and belonging goals. The full report and video highlights are featured here.
PROSE Program Launches in Partnership with Local Police Services
Grand Erie has launched its PROSE (Police Resource Outreach Supporting Education) program, in partnership with local police services across the region and with modules aligned with Ontario curriculum expectations. The year’s focus is on modules, including two compulsory secondary school courses, Grade 9 Physical Education and Grade 10 Career Studies. The updated program was guided by recommendations that prioritize inclusion, transparency, and the unique needs of Grand Erie’s diverse school communities.
What’s in a Name: Grand Erie Asks Community to Name New Elementary Schools
Grand Erie is growing and needs your help with name suggestions for two new schools across the region. New elementary schools are currently under construction in Caledonia – slated to open its doors in September 2025 – and West Brant, on track to welcome learners in 2026. Grand Erie is looking for your input on a new name for each school. Suggestions will be received until early February, and then the top suggestions will be presented to the School Naming committees for each school. The final selections will be brought to the Board of Trustees for official selection next spring.
In Memoriam
Statements were read to honour Tyler Nelson, a Grade 4 student at Hagersville Elementary School, and Kaitlynn Tessier, a staff member at St. George-German Public School. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of Tyler and Kaitlynn, and the entire school communities at Hagersville Elementary and St. George-German Public School.
Multi-Year Plan Stories
In 2021, Grand Erie approved a new strategic direction to guide the school board’s work. At the centre of this multi-year plan is the vision to Learn, Lead and Inspire, and a mission to build a culture of Learning, Well-Being and Belonging for each learner.
The following stories showcase some of the most recent stories related to the Multi-Year Strategic Plan.
Learning
Well-Being
Belonging
