OCSTA Newswire
October 16, 2023
REMINDER: Local Government Week – Oct. 16 – 20
In an October 4 memo, President Daly recognized and thanked Catholic Trustees for responding to God’s call to serve His Church through faith-filled service to publicly funded Catholic education in Ontario. The context of that memo included the announcement that the provincial government had designated October 16 – 20, 2023 as Local Government Week to help increase youth and public awareness about the role Local Goverment plays in our communities.
OCSTA has published to the website Local Government Week resoures. This information can be shared through in-person presentations or by providing this content in a format that can be shared on Board websites. To support both in-person and online presentations we have provided you with a PowerPoint slide deck (see below) that you are invited to amend to reflect your board’s local history, profile and contact information.
You may also wish to distribute locally or electronically a brief brochure produced by OCSTA about the history of Catholic education in Ontario. The brochure is online and can be downloaded and printed for distribution. Here is the link for the brochure:
http://www.ocsta.on.ca/ocsta/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/final-brochure-pdf.pdf
Following is the link to the PowerPoint slide deck (please customize as indicated/required):
https://www.ocsta.on.ca/ocsta/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Catholic-Trustees-Local-Gov-Week-2023.pptx
Other useful resources include:
Catholic Trustees, Advocates, Guardians and Stewards of Catholic Education
Becoming a Catholic Trustee
Ontario Education Services Corporation resources include:
Making a Difference for Kids: Running for Election as a School Board Trustee
2022-2026 Good Governance Guide
2022 Ontario Municipal and School Board Elections website
Bill 98, The Better Schools and Outcomes Act, 2023 – UPDATE
The regulatory posting for Director of Education Performance Appraisal is now available on Ontario’s Regulatory Registry. See the memo from the Deputy Minister. The due date for feedback is November 2, 2023.
Ministry of Education Communications
October 4, 2023 memo re: Cyber Awareness Resources
OCSTA Fall Speaker Series
We are pleased to inform you that OCSTA will once again be hosting the Catholic Education Leadership Speaker Series beginning on November 8th at 6:30 p.m. This virtual event will feature Linda Staudt, retired Director of Education for the London District Catholic School Board who is one of the laypersons participating in the 16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome this October.
Linda was selected as one of seven lay people from North America. She was nominated by His Excellency, Bishop Ronald Fabbro based on her extensive knowledge of the Synod, her service to the Diocese of London, her achievements as a leader in Catholic education and goodness.
The meetings in Rome this October are the first of two sessions of the Synod of Bishops. Participants will be meeting to discern what it means to be a listening Church, examining the Synod’s themes of Communion, Participation and Mission. We look forward to learning more about the Synod through Linda’s experiences as a participant.
About Linda
Linda has a long history in leadership positions in Catholic education in Ontario. She was the Director of Education for the London District Catholic School Board from 2013 until she retired in 2021. She is an active parishioner and is the Diocesan Synod Committee Co-Chair and Director of Safe Environment Services. She was the Chair and Lead Writer of the Synod Synthesis Team for the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario and presented the Ontario Synthesis to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2022.
OCSTA Conversations
This presentation is part of OCSTA’s priority on encouraging conversations and sharing information with regards to the Catholic identity of publicly funded Catholic education and the role of Trustees in promoting that vision.
The length of this session will be approximately 90 minutes in total, with 60 minutes dedicated to the formal presentation and a further 30 minutes set aside for audience questions.
There is no charge for attending this event and we encourage all Trustees and others to register in advance – please see information below to complete registration:
OCSTA Catholic Education Leadership Speaker Series:
“A Layperson’s Synodal Journey-Reflections and Insights” with
Linda Staudt”
WHEN: Wednesday, November 8th, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
FORMAT: Virtual (Zoom) – no fee to attend
REGISTRATION: Click on the link below to complete the registration form
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpfuqspjMiHNwKPlGXaIpspZi4PJCzGZ3n
Short Video Contest for CDSB Students – Grades 4 – 12
We hope students at CDSBs across Ontario are enjoying the opportunity to develop short-video submissions for the very popular OCSTA Annual Short Video Contest. This year the contest explores the theme “We are Called to Love”. For more details visit the contest page here.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining this OCSTA event.
For more information, please contact Sharon McMillan at smcmillan@ocsta.on.ca.
Reflections and Perspectives – Resources for Trustees
OCSTA President, Patrick Daly continues to share with CDSB Chairs and Directors of Education articles exploring faith inspired perspectives and
reflections of interest to Catholic education leaders. For your reference and convenience, these articles are being saved in the OCSTA Virtual Library |
(accessible from the OCSTA website’s top navigation bar/menu under the “Publications” tab. Click here to visit the Virtual Library and
see screenshot of the download page below:
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