Board Meeting Highlights - November 25, 2025
Land Acknowledgement
Communications Manager Chera Longston presented a video from St. Marys DCVI featuring a staff member and her daughter, who is a student at the school! Also, a warm welcome to Molly Linklater, our new Indigenous Student Trustee.
Michael Bannerman and Patricia Smith Return as Chair and Vice Chair!
We are excited to share that both Michael Bannerman and Patricia Smith have been acclaimed as Chair and Vice-Chair and will return for 2026. Congratulations to both!
Good News
Stratford Intermediate School Acknowledged for Accessibility by the City of Stratford
Superintendent Cheri Carter was proud to share that she, along with Director of Education Graham Shantz and Stratford Intermediate School Principal Erin Cassone, accepted the Accessibility Award from the City of Stratford’s Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC). This award recognizes a business, organization, or individual in Stratford that has made significant efforts to improve accessibility for all. Congratulations! Media coverage of this award:
Professional Development Day Highlights
Superintendent Riley Culhane shared a summary of some of the professional development activities that were hosted across the district on Friday, November 21. He explained that secondary educators gathered at Stratford District SS for an engaging keynote speaker who spoke about AI. They then chose from a variety of subject-specific learning opportunities that were delivered by central staff, school-based colleagues and Ed-Tech partners. Also, elementary educators welcomed parents/caregivers for in-person interviews to discuss progress report cards.
Superintendent Kathy Boyd shared that Educational Assistants and Child and Youth Workers completed role-specific training, including ABA strategies, Behaviour Management System (BMS), and developing support plans for students.
Secondary Athletics Update
Superintendent Paul Langis shared the provincial success of fall athletics teams. Highlights include:
- OFSAA Cross Country - Brampton
- St. Marys DCVI - novice boys - 5th in the province
- St. Marys DCVI - senior boys - 1st in the province
- OFSAA Field Hockey - London
- Goderich District CI participated and lost in the quarter finals
- OFSAA Senior Girls Basketball - Brockville
- St. Marys DCVI won the consolation finals
- OFSAA Senior Boys Volleyball - Ottawa
- SDSS had a great round robin but lost in the first qualifying round
- OFSAA Tennis
- Akane Kawai - antique bronze girls singles
He also reported that winter sports are getting underway, beginning with boys' and girls' hockey.
School Showcase
Communications Manager Chera Longston highlighted Hamlet Public School, located in Stratford (Chair Michael Bannerman and Trustee Deepika Mishra), which serves approximately 230 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6. While it has no designated feeder school, students transition to Stratford Intermediate School for grades 7 and 8 and then to Stratford District SS for secondary education. The current building opened in 1986 and is led by Principal Shannon Hughes under the supervision of Superintendent Paul Langis.
Highlights from Hamlet PS include:
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Culture of Caring and Leadership: Staff are responsive to student interests. They offer many different clubs and activities that have been created based on student voice. Clubs like: Art, Crochet, Robotics, House league soccer, History, Lego, Mental Health and Well-being leadership team. Staff have intentionally designed a continuum of leadership and role modelling from upper grades to the younger grades with Spirit Teams and buddy programs. For example, their house league soccer for primary students involves grade 5 coaches and grade 6 referees.
- Community Involvement: Hamlet's "Giving Tree" supports school families who may need extra support (last year, they provided 32 boxes of essential food items). In addition, primary grades spend time with the residents at Cedarcroft Retirement Home, which is located across the street from the school.
- Community of Belonging: Staff are committed to creating a space where everyone is welcome. Their "Everyone ‘Bee’longs in the Hive" school identity project enabled each student to identify their place in the school.
Days of Significance Wrap-Up (November)
Schools celebrated several important days and weeks throughout November - most notably Remembrance Day. The video below provides a sampling of these activities!
Nov DOS Wrap-up Video by AMDSB Communications
Student Trustee Update
Student Trustee Julia Havenga shared that the senate is looking at fundraising options for their equity initiative. They are also interested in revising forms for field trips, clubs and sports in order to allow students to discreetly indicate the need for financial support. Indigenous Student Trustee Molly Linklater reported that she will bring an update from the Indigenous Student Grand Council to the next meeting.
Senior Staff Updates
Climate Survey Launches for Staff and Parents/Caregivers
Superintendent Jane Morris shared that two climate surveys have been launched that align with the survey that students completed in the 2024/2025 school year. The parent/caregiver version is now available and will be shared widely throughout the coming days. All parents/caregivers are asked to complete the survey in order to support our school and board teams to better understand concerns, build strategies and ultimately improve the school climate. The survey is voluntary, anonymous and confidential, and participants can skip any questions they do not wish to answer.
Future Board Meetings
Regular Board Meetings are held in person unless otherwise noted. Links to join the meetings online will be posted on the Board Meeting page the day before the meeting.
- Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 4:45 p.m. (Regular Board Meeting, followed by Committee of the Whole, Closed Session)
Future Meetings/Events with Trustee Representation
- Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) – Wednesday, December 3, 2025 (online)
- Supervised Alternative Learning (SAL) – Wednesday, December 15, 2025