(The Newsbrief is meant to provide the highlights of the decisions made at the Board meeting for the benefit of our community. The notes do not serve as the official record of the meeting. Please refer to Board or Committee minutes).
Presentation - D. Aubrey Moodie Award Winner - Aaron Leonard
The 2016-2017 Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s top scholar and this year’s D. Aubrey Moodie Award recipient is Aaron Leonard. Aaron graduated with a final grade average of 99.3% from Colonel By Secondary School. Aaron is presently enrolled at Western University in a Social Science program (Economics major) and Ivey Business School (Honours in Business Administration.) He hopes to receive two undergraduate degrees in the next five years.
Aaron’s list of accomplishments (beyond his grades) is representative of an individual twice, maybe three times his age. He is the Founder and Executive Member of Free The Children Club. Since grade five, he has been an ambassador of the Free the Children (WE) group, a humanitarian initiative. While in grade ten, he and two classmates spearheaded the group at Colonel By Secondary School. They focused on an international objective: building a school in Ecuador. Currently, their club of over 100 members raised more than $8,000.
Gluten-Free App Development
Over the last two years, Aaron worked with a classmate to develop an app to help people adapt to a gluten-free lifestyle. He spent well over 400 hundred hours planning, modifying, and completing a web prototype. He and his partner pitched their proposal at the Start-up Youth Canada Competition to a panel of judges, where they placed first. They continue to refine their app and hope to have a fully developed app in the near future.
Aaron is also the:
Winner of Western National President’s Scholarship valued at $65,000; the recipient of the
Michael A. R. Wilson Family HBA Scholarship worth $10,000; and he was selected as one of 60 students for Western’s undergraduate research program, where he is able to work with a professor in an area of interest throughout his undergraduate education.
The D. Aubrey Moodie Award has one stipulation the money is not to be used for studies
Arts Advisory Committee Awards Ceremony
ACA Teaching Awards
Music Secondary – Steve Szabo – John McCrae Secondary School
Steve motivates his students to expand their music repertoire – and encourages them to learn to play additional instruments and to compose original music.
Visual Arts – Irving Osterer – Merivale High School
Every Child Matters – this T-shirt project started as an idea to raise student awareness of the residential school issues but it did more than raise awareness. It also provided Mr. Osterer’s integrated arts students the opportunity to showcase their art in another medium. Irv is renowned for incorporating art and social causes. He has an innate ability to encourage student creativity.
School Event – Visual Display - Harvey Renaud Merivale High School
Transportation Technology Teacher, Harvey Renaud had his students enter Richmond Fair’s annual demolition derby. The 2005 Toyota Matrix received a full makeover including a fresh coat of paint, stylized school colours and graphics, as well as an opportunity for all students to leave their mark on the chasis. Merivale’s entry was voted “Best Looking Car in Competition.”
School Event- Performance – Maureen Monsebraaten – Elmdale Public School
Maureen is very dedicated, passionate and supportive of the arts. This past year she spent countless hours preparing for the school’s musical (The Lion King). The cast numbered more than 130 students. Maureen is very inclusive and encourages all students to participate in the arts.
ACA Volunteer Award Winner – Richard Watson- Laird
The Steel Drum Club at Merivale High School is alive and well thanks to the dedication of volunteer Richard Watson –Laird. The Sticks and Steel ensemble performed at Multicultural Shows, Ottawa Senators games, senior citizen homes, at Ottawa’s International Airport for the Junos as well as for the school’s Christmas and Spring concerts.
Public Motions
Facilities Renewal Program and School Condition Improvement 2017-2018
Trustees approved the Facilities Renewal Program and School Condition Improvement Project budget in the amount of $87,408,449. Staff was direct to proceed with individual project tenders within the Facilities Renewal Program and School Condition Improvement Project plans.
Staff will not require further approvals as long as the total overall FRS/SCI budgets are not exceeded. This allows staff the flexibility to add or remove projects depending on bid results and overall budget priorities.
The Chair of the Board and Director of Education are authorized to award contracts above $500,000 as long as those expenditures are within the overall, available, uncommitted approved budget.
Consolidated Capital Projects
In August 2017, the Ministry of Education announced funding for School Consolidation Capital projects. The Ministry approved funding to support eight projects for the District, totaling $18.3 million. The funding process is provided on a case-by-case basis after review by the Ministry of Education.
Staff was directed to start the preliminary design process for the Agincourt Road Public School addition and select and award an architect for the project. Gymnasium additions were approved for Bell High School, Merivale High School and Sir Robert Borden High School. The funds will come from the School Consolidation Capital Funding.
Funding was also designated for Gloucester High School, Briargreen Public School, Woodroffe Avenue Public School and Pinecrest Public School. These funds will be used to offset retrofit costs and to continue to support consolidation requirements through the 2017-18 school year.
Boundary Adjustments to Zones 7 and 11
Trustees approved revisions to the electoral zone boundaries for zones 7 and 11. Zone 7 will be comprised of municipal wards 20 (Osgoode) and 22 (Gloucester-South Nepean) and Zone 11 will be comprised of municipal wards 16 (River) and 10 (Gloucester-Southgate).
Trustees felt it was important to recognize the imbalance in electoral quotients with regard to zones 7 and 11.
Approval of KPMG LLP’s plan for the audit of OCDSB consolidated financial statements
Trustees approved KPMG LLP’s plan for the audit of the 2016-2017 Consolidated Financial Statements be approved. Attached as Appendix C
Approval of the 2016-2017 Annual Report on Internal Audit Activity
Trustees approved the 2016-2017 Annual Report on Internal Audit Activity. The annual report to the Board summarizes the work performed by the regional internal audit team (RIAT) during 2016-2017.
The Audit Committee is integral to the District’s corporate governance framework. Reporting to the Board, Audit Committee works with District management to ensure matters affecting financial, compliance and risk management activities are conducted appropriately.
The Audit Committee meets this mandate by providing oversight in ensuring management has implemented an appropriate system of internal controls and by reviewing significant financial reports.
A key responsibility of the Audit Committee is to work with the RIAT which supports the Committee by providing analyses, assessments and recommendations. More information is contained within Appendix D
Approval of the 2016-2017 Audit Committee Annual Report to the Board
Trustees approved Report 17-063 the Audit Committee Annual Report to the Board for 2016-2017. The Audit Committee’s work has encouraged staff to continue its efforts to enhance budgeting and financial monitoring practices. In response to Audit Committee recommendations, year-to-date expenses have been incorporated into the forecasts and supplementary information regarding miscellaneous Ministry grants and other deferred revenue is now provided. The detailed report can be found in Appendix E
Approval of the 2016-2017 Internal Audit Plan
Trustees approved the regional internal audit manager’s 2017-2018 Internal Audit Plan
Report 17-079, Appointment of Primary Members to SEAC
Trustees appointed Michael Bates as the primary member representing Learning Disabilities Association for Ottawa-Carleton to the Special Education Advisory Committee for the term ending November 30, 2018.
Dragos Popa was appointed as the primary member representing Association for Bright Children of Ontario to the Special Education Advisory Committee. His term ends on November 30, 2018.