Catholic Education Week is Here!
Catholic Education Week launched on Sunday at parishes across Ontario. Throughout the week in schools, homes and throughout the community liturgies and activities will be taken place to celebrate this year’s theme for Catholic Education Week – “Rebuild, Renew, Restore Together.”
As outlined in a previous memo to all boards, the theme for Catholic Education Week 2022 was inspired by the following considerations:
- In the face of the continuing reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, a strong desire by the planning committee, and supported by feedback from the survey, the themes for Catholic Education Weeks 2020 and 2021, were Igniting Hope and Nurturing Hope, and all we know for certain is that there will be much to Rebuild, Restore and Renew together in 2022.
- The challenges to personal and spiritual well-being posed by the uncertainty and physical isolation of the current global crisis makes the timing and the concerns of Mental Health Week, which takes place during the same week as Catholic Education Week, all the more relevant.
- Ongoing recognition of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission and the relevance of Indigenous culture and spirituality will continue to move us forward.
- The Ministry of Education’s focus on Inclusion and Equity resonates with all educators and administrators as we desire to serve all of God’s children and Pope Francis’ encyclical entitled, Fratelli Tutti, will guide us in this good work.
Sub-Themes
The five sub-themes for Catholic Education Week 2022 are:
Monday: Rediscover / Redécouvrir
Tuesday: Rebuild / Rebâtir
Wednesday: Restore / Rétablir
Thursday: Renew / Renouveler
Friday: Rejoice / Se réjouir
To view the specially prepared school curriculum, liturgies, prayers, music and reading lists, please visit goodnewsforall.ca.
Ontario Catholic Student Youth Day
The annual Ontario Catholic Student Youth Day, organized by the Catholic Board Council of Student Trustees and supported by OCSTA, will take place on Wednesday, May 4, beginning at 10 a.m. with the province-wide, livestreamed Mass from St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto – https://www.stmichaelscathedral.com/live/. All are invited to attend this special Mass for Catholic Education Week. His Eminence, Cardinal Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, will be presiding.
The Ontario Catholic Student Youth Day (OCSYD) Annual Seminar will begin at 11:00 a.m., following Mass. Please note that this Seminar will be delivered in a virtual format using the Zoom platform and offered at no cost to CDSB students. Registration information was released in April.
A separate Zoom link for the OCSYD Seminar will be sent to registered board contacts for distribution to students prior to the event.
Keynote Presentations include:
- Opening remarks from the Catholic Board Council President, Sydney Yott (Niagara CDSB) and OCSTA President, Patrick Daly
- His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto
- Luke Stocking, Deputy Director, Development and Peace
Breakout Presentations include:
Breakout 1: Period Poverty (Windsor-Essex CDSB)
–Student Trustee Liaison: Jada Mallot
Breakout 2: Toonies for Tuition (Hamilton Wentworth CDSB)
–Student Trustee Liaison: Elena Hilson
Breakout 3: Pilgrimage Trip with Sister School (Niagara CDSB)
–Student Trustee Liaison: Sydney Yott
Breakout 4: Anti-Racism and Community Fundraising (Toronto CDSB)
–Student Trustee Liaison: Keith Baybayon
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Sharon McMillan at OCSTA.
CDSB Highlights for Catholic Education Week
Following are a few Catholic Education Week highlights from CDSB communities (click on images to learn more):
Most Rev. Bishop Crosby’s Message for Catholic Education Week
Windsor-Essex CDSB
Kenora CDSB
Brant Haldimand Norfolk CDSB
Appreciation
We would like to thank the members of the 2022 Catholic Education Week writing team for their work establishing these themes, curriculum, liturgies and other resources for our Catholic schools. Many thanks to:
Janet Bentham, Ottawa Catholic CSB; Sr. Pat Carter, CSJ, Huron-Superior CDSB; Nancy Davie, York CDSB; Laura Hughes, Office provincial de l’éducation de la foi catholique de l’Ontario; Sébastien Lacroix, Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir; Stephanie Maher, Simcoe Muskoka CDSB; Paul Nalli, Halton CDSB; Michael Nerino, Northwest CDSB; Michelle Tymkin, Northwest CDSB; and Murray Watson, Simcoe Muskoka CDSB.
Members Gather in Ottawa for the 92nd AGM & Conference
“I remain convinced that the “power of one clear voice is vital as we strive” to continue to do all we can to protect, sustain and promote publicly funded Catholic education in Ontario.”
Patrick J. Daly, OCSTA President
President Daly’s statement to members at OCSTA’s 92nd AGM and Conference in Ottawa was timely for the more than 170 delegates attending this year’s Conference at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel. Virtual presentations over the last two years certainly helped to continue the work of the Association, however, nothing quite compares to an in-person gathering to strengthen the sense of unity and clarity of vision that has driven OCSTA’s mission since 1930.
The Association is most grateful for the warm welcome and hospitality provided by the Ottawa Catholic School Board. From the opening liturgy, to the closing student choir performance – the students and staff of the Ottawa CSB provided several faith-filled, memorable experiences for all in attendance.
The Conference program featured timely and relevant presenters including Child Psychiatrist and Author, Dr. Jean Clinton (Resilience and Empathy in Education), Ottawa’s Poet Laureate, Elder Albert Dumont (“A Glimpse into the Indigenous Worldview”), and Professor Mark McGowan who OCSTA commissioned to update the well-referenced book “The Enduring Gift – The History of Catholic Education.” Prof. McGowan’s closing presentation addressed many contemporary topics aligned with this year’s Conference theme – Communities of Faith and Resilience.
OCSTA Election Results
Members of the OCSTA Board of Directors at Notre-Dame Cathedral, Ottawa
Patrick J. Daly, Chair of the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board was re-elected as President of OCSTA:
“I am honoured and humbled by the trust that the membership of the OCSTA has placed in me. I am inspired by the goodness and commitment of Ontario’s 237 Catholic school trustees as they faithfully serve as strong advocates, good stewards and servants and political leaders of the school systems entrusted to their care. I pledge to work with each of them, the OCSTA Board of Directors and Provincial Catholic Education Partners as we continue to strive to ‘place Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church at the centre’ of publicly funded Catholic education,” said President Daly.
The Chair of the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, Michael Bellmore was also re-elected as Vice-President of the Association and will serve with President Daly and Past President Beverley Eckensweiler (Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board) on the OCSTA Executive.
The following trustees were appointed to the OCSTA Board of Directors for the 2022-2024 term:
Region 6 – Toronto CDSB: Trustee Nancy Crawford and Trustee Garry Tanuan
Region 7 – Dufferin-Peel CDSB: Chair Sharon Hobin and Trustee Luz del Rosario
Region 8 – York CDSB: Trustee Jennifer Wigston
Region 12 – Ottawa CSB: Chair Mark Mullan
Region 13 – Halton CDSB: Janet O’Hearn-Czarnota
Region 12 OCSTA Director Mark Mullan was elected by the membership to represent OCSTA on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association.
The complete list of trustees on OCSTA’s Board of Directors can be viewed at https://www.ocsta.on.ca/ocsta-board-of-directors/.
OCSTA Awards Program
The Association was pleased to acknowledge outstanding Catholic education leadership and service to others through the annual OCSTA Award Program. This year’s awards recognized the following individuals:
2022 OCSTA Trustee Award of Merit Recipients:
Trustee Kathy Burtnik, Niagara Catholic District School Board (view profile)
Former Trustee Barbara Poplawski, Toronto Catholic District School Board (view profile)
2022 OCSTA Special Award Recipient:
Most Rev. Ronald P. Fabbro, CSB, Bishop of London (view profile)
2022 OCSTA Student Trustee Award Recipient
Trustee Michael Murphy, Algonquin & Lakeshore CDSB (view profile)
Member Access to Conference Presentations
Audio recordings and slide presentations for OCSTA’s 92nd AGM & Conference can be accessed and downloaded at the following link on the secure section of the OCSTA website:
NOTE: If you need assistance finding your login information, use the automoated login retrieval link on the access page or contact OCSTA staff member Ashlee Cabral.
Catholic Identity
As part of the Association’s ongoing focus on Catholic Identity, OCSTA continues to encourage conversations with regard to the Catholic Identity of publicly funded Catholic education in Ontario.
This work has led to the development and distribution of a number of resources/documents which give witness to OCSTA’s commitment to support Catholic school boards in “placing Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church at the centre” of their school systems. Resources include:
Together In Faith Series
- Together in Faith: Home, School, Parish booklet
- Together in Faith: Care for Our Common Home. A Collection of School Board Practices booklet, and
- Recently released: Together in Faith – Adult Faith Formation – Catholic Leadership Development. A Collection of School Board Practices
These documents are available on the OCSTA website at:
https://www.ocsta.on.ca/together-in-faith-series/
OCSTA Director Colleen Landers Receives National Recognition
We are pleased to share news regarding OCSTA Board Member, Colleen Landers (Northeastern CDSB), who was recently announced as the recipient of the Canadian Standards Asscociation’s highest award, the John Jenkins Award for outstanding lifetime achievement.
From the CSA News Release:
Certified as a registered nurse in 1967, Colleen Landers worked in the Timmins hospital for 37 years in many areas of nursing and started “Landers Consulting” in 2000. Colleen brought her expertise to CSA in 2000 when she became a member of the CSA Z314 Technical Committee (TC) on Medical Device Reprocessing (MDR) and was a member of the Peri-Operative committee for 5 years. Since that time, she has been involved with nine CSA Technical Committees and Subcommittees. Colleen won the National Canadian Standards Award for Health Care in 2005 for her volunteer hours and invaluable assistance with improving the best practices standards for healthcare.
While serving as an active member of CSA, Colleen is a passionate, knowledgeable, incredibly dedicated, and an invaluable contributor to standards development work. Her current leadership and involvement on the Z314 committee to help develop, advance, and implement CSA standards on MDR and sterilization resulted in vital assistance, not only to the MDR community, but also to the wider health care community users in combating the current COVID pandemic and keeping staff, patients and public safe. Over her long career, she spoke both nationally and internationally at many conferences and performed auditing for many hospitals for reprocessing areas, endoscopy departments and operating rooms, as well as assisted in design and development of policies and procedures for bettering of MDR departments across the country.
…Colleen is a tireless volunteer in her community of Timmins Ontario. She is a founding member of Sports for Kids Timmins in 2001, a local charity for children and is the President. She also is an elected Catholic School Trustee for Northeastern Catholic District School Board , Regional Director of the Ontario Catholic School Trustee Association of Ontario. At her parish, St. Anthony of Padua, she serves as the President of the Catholic Women’s League; a Eucharist, Choral and Lecturer Minister, and assists in preparation of children for the sacraments. During COVID, she has volunteered for 2 years at vaccine clinics each week as a screener and greeter to help her community. For her volunteer work in her community, she has received the “Woman of the Year” in 2008 and the Governor General’s Diamond Jubilee medal in 2012.
With the help of the CSA and ISO standards and users like Colleen, Canada was able to bring the health care user view of international standard applicability to some groups composed of mostly of medical devices manufacturers and this helped us add to these international standards to be more easily applied and used here in Canada. Colleen also brought the knowledge she got from participating in ISO to the CSA Z314 standard.
For her significant contributions and unwavering commitment to health care and CSA standards, Colleen Landers is well-deserving of the 2022 John Jenkins Award. Colleen is the owner of Landers Consulting for health care in Timmins, Ontario.
Congratulations Colleen for receiving this outstanding national and global recognition!
0 Comments