Welcome to the 2022-23 school year from Supt. Mark Pearmain

September is an exciting time – it marks a fresh beginning for many of us and brings new teachers, new classrooms and for some, even a new school.

This September is particularly significant for me as it’s my first full school year with the district. I started my role in March and have been continually humbled by the extraordinary accomplishments of our staff and students, and the continued support of parents and guardians. I cannot adequately express how fortunate I feel to be part of such a wonderful school district.

This school year, we have a lot to celebrate, including the brand new Regent Road Elementary, an addition at Sullivan Heights Secondary and several other capital projects currently underway to increase capacity in our growing school district. As the largest and fastest growing district in the province, we currently have over 77,000 students and 13,000 staff. And as our enrolment continues to grow with almost 1,000 new students annually, our board and district will continue to work on sustainable solutions to meet our capacity needs.

Over the coming months we will also continue our work on antiracism initiatives to ensure the safety and well-being of every staff member and student. I will share more details later in September, but I wanted to assure each of you that that our district is committed to strengthening racial equity and ensuring all members of our community feel safe, listened to, and heard.

And just last week, the Ministry announced an investment of almost $64 million provincewide to help ease the burden of school-related costs amidst soaring inflation. Our district will receive $7.3 million in one-time funding which we will utilize to support our food security initiatives, as well as support for families facing financial barriers for school fees, supplies and school extracurricular and enhancement activities. We are in the process of identifying a plan that will outline how these funds will be distributed to our schools. Our school-based staff know their community best and can ensure the students and families that need this support are able to access it. 

In late August, the Ministry of Education and Childcare shared updated communicable disease guidelines and as anticipated, we will be able to hold school dances, assemblies, sports tournaments and field trips – all critical components of a school year. This September is also the first time in over two years that we can have all volunteers and visitors safely back inside the school. The contributions that our volunteers make are invaluable and much appreciated.

I recognize that many staff and students may experience varying levels of comfort as classes resume and many of the restrictions that were in place previously are lifted. I’d like to reassure each of you that the health and safety of our school communities is our first priority, and we will continue to work closely with public health to ensure our schools are safe learning environments. We will also continue to provide disposable masks at all our sites for those that wish to use them.

As we enter the 2022-23 school year, let’s continue to treat each other with grace, kindness and patience. It is these qualities that truly make us a community. Once again, thank you for all that you do and welcome back! It is truly an honour and a privilege for me to open the 2022-2023 school year as your superintendent.

Sincerely,

Mark Pearmain