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- Rex Murphy, CBC Radio Personality and Columnist
- “Rex
Murphy is someone who: “is not afraid to affirm…in this era of the
corporate agenda, that education is not about jobs or efficiency, or
turning out good little workers for society, but that education is about humanness, and becoming better people, that education helps us to know ourselves, know one another and know the world, and then genuinely care for all three.In his curmudgeonly way, he challenged us to see beyond material circumstances and limitations to the intrinsic value of education in growing knowledge, developing the body, mind and spirit, and creating community.
--SaskatoonTeachers Association
- “How Catholic Schools Have Shaped Canadian Society,” presented by Kevin Feehan, LL.B, Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP
For Conference registration information please contact Pam DeNobrega, (416) 932-9460 ext. 234 or email pdenobrega@ocsta.on.ca.
Across the Board Highlights
Renfrew County CDSB
(news release exerpt): Board Chair and OCSTA Director, Andrew Bray
recently marked his 25th anniversary as a trustee with the Renfrew
County CDSB. Andrew was appointed a trustee just four months after
full-funding for Catholic education was introduced by the Ontario
government.
"I'd like to take credit for that, but
really I was just in the right place at the right time," chuckles Mr.
Bray, who recalls hearing the news on his car radio on the way to a
meting.
"It was quite the day," he says, noting that he was the first to share
the information with school board administrators Frank Turner and John
Stunt.
During his tenure as trustee, Andrerw has chaired every major committee
of the board. He led a proactive committee that was struck to prepare
for the advent of school advisory committees, and he continues to chair
the liaison committee with the school advisory councils in Renfrew
County.
Congratulations Andrew!
Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington CDSB: Director
of Education for the PVNC CDSB, John Mackle, was recognized in the
Peterborough Examiner for his work as co-chairperson of this year’s
United Way campaign with his wife Susan.
John
has been involved in the United Way for 21 years spending one year on
the campaign cabinet as a representative from the education sector.
To read more about this story please click here.
London DCSB:
Catholic educators from London District, St. Clair and Windsor Essex
Catholic District School Boards spent their March break on a pilgimage
to Spain and Portugal. This photo is taken in Santegao de Compostela,
the destination of pilgrimas following "the way of St. James." This
pilgrimage also included a visit to Our Lady of Fatima Shrine and Bom
Jesus du Monte Sanctuary, in Portugal.
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OCSTA News Release: Ontario Budget
The following news release was issued on March 27, 2009
Education Remains a Priority in Provincial Budget
The
2009-10 Ontario Budget continues to recognize the province's publicly
funded education system as a provincial priority within a very
challenging economic environment. The Ontario Catholic School Trustees'
Association (OCSTA) views the education allocation in the budget as a
welcome affirmation of the government's multi-year commitment to
initiatives in education designed to help students to realize success
in our schools.
"These are difficult economic
times for all sectors and I appreciate the steps the government has
taken to maintain its support for effective initiatives around numeracy
and literacy and secondary student success," explains Paula Peroni,
OCSTA president.
We
recognize that expenditure constraints contained in the budget are a
response to the realities of the current economy. The overall increase
in funding is welcome. We are, however, concerned about funding
reductions in some specific areas such as information technology and
textbooks. OCSTA will continue to work cooperatively and
collaboratively with our member boards, the government and our
education partners to address these concerns," adds Peroni.
The
intent of the province to introduce a harmonized sales tax appears to
be fiscally neutral within the elementary and secondary education
sector, although slight variations may occur from one school board to
the next. OCSTA will carefully analyze the impact of this and other
aspects of the announcement on our individual Catholic school boards.
The
Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association is the provincial voice
for publicly funded Catholic education. Founded in 1930, OCSTA
represents the interests of Catholic school boards that collectively
educate approximately 600,000 students in Ontario, from Junior
Kindergarten to Grade 12.
News from Our Catholic Partners
The Catholic Curriculum Corporation (CCC) is pleased to announce When Faith Meets Pedagogy XIV.
This annual Conference will be held October 22,23, 24 at the Airport
Hilton Double Tree Hotel in Toronto. This hotel is conveniently located
close to the Pearson International Airport. This year's theme is "Voices That Challenge."
The
conference program will be available and delegrate registration will
open September 11, 2009. We encourage you to block the dates in your
calendar and maximize participation of Catholic Trustees across
Ontario. Keynote speakers will include Craig and Marc Kielburger and Father Thomas Rosica, C.S.B.
This
year's Catholic Youth Forum, will take place on Thursday, October 22,
2009 immediately prior to the conference, with approximately 1500
Catholic secondary school students attending. Nobel Peace prize
nominees and graduates of the Ontario Catholic school system, Craig and
Marc Kielburger, will be featured at the forum along with several other
Catholic partners.
Father
Thomas Rosica C.S.B., CEO of Salt + Light Television and former CEO of
World Youth Day in Toronto, will open the WFMP XIV conference as the
keynote speaker on the evening of Thursday, October 22. Friday, October
23 and Saturday, October 24 will feature workshops and presentations
from practitioners in Catholic education at all levels. A vendor
display and exhibit area has become a key attraction of WFMP and will
be part of the program this year.
The
Catholic Curriculum Corporation looks forward to welcoming delegates
from across Ontario and Canada to this year's exciting event. So please
circle the dates and plan to attend an event that has become one of the
Catholic educational community's most successful gatherings.
For
more information, please contact Michael Bator, Executive Director at
(905) 564-8209 or via email at michaelbator@catholiccurriculumcorp.org.