A Message from the Director of Education: Lead, Learn & Inspire Monthly Bulletin

Grand Erie Families, 

I’m sure many students, families and staff are looking ahead to a well-deserved March Break, which allows students and staff to relax and recharge.

Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and this year marked 115 years. The theme, Give to Gain, highlights a reality we see in hallways every day. When we invest time, mentorship, and encouragement in women and girls, our entire community gains a more vibrant and equitable future.

I want to personally thank you to all of you, mothers/caregivers, daughters, aunts, mentors, and friends, your superpower is what you give. Thank you for your beauty and strength as you demonstrate what it means when we celebrate Give to Gain, impacting women’s advancement and celebrating women’s achievement.

This month, I'd like to recognize several accomplishments:

• Paris District girls hockey recently won the AABHN championship for the second year in a row.
• Violet Lamont, student at Paris District High School, Meghan Daley, teacher at Jarvis Public School, and Terry Osborne, school crossing guard, were recently recognized with a Learn Lead Inspire Recognition Award.
• Students Adele and Joel shared their Words Matter poems at the February board meeting.
• Brady Dowling and Memphis Becker, students at Delhi District, have committed and will play university football together in the US.
• Ruby Sanghera, student at Pauline Johnson Collegiate, was elected to represent the Brantford/Brant County region as student trustee for 2026-27. 
• Paris District hosted their 2nd annual Women in Trades Workshop.
• The creation of the Grand Erie Learning Foundation for students to receive support for emergency needs confidentially, and for schools to apply for grants to support initiatives in their classrooms, playgrounds and buildings.

Learning Updates and Reminders:

Revisions to Grades 7, 8, and 10 History Curriculum

• The Minister of Education has announced updates to the Grades 7 and 8, and Grade 10 History curriculum for the upcoming 2026-27 school year.
• With these updates, in Grades 7, 8, and 10, students will learn about significant contributions of Black individuals and communities to Canada’s foundation as a nation, and the obstacles they faced in the pursuit of building an inclusive and prosperous country. 
• The Grade 10 History course will also have new learning on extreme political and social ideologies, the Holocaust and rising antisemitism, and the Holodomor famine in Ukraine.
• All high school students must complete 40 hours of community involvement by the time they graduate from Grade 12. Students may begin to accumulate volunteer hours in the summer between Grade 8 and Grade 9. If you go above and beyond in your volunteer work during high school, you can earn a Minister’s Certificate of Recognition for Community Involvement when you graduate. 

System Updates:

• 2026-27 School Year Calendars are now available.
• Flexible Periods will offer secondary students an additional opportunity to demonstrate their learning based on the course material covered to date. These periods will take place between March 1 and 30 and April 27 and May 1 and will be scheduled by individual teachers.
• Did you know? 19 absences equal 10 per cent of the school year. Research shows that academic success in school is directly related to student attendance. The Grand Erie Attendance Strategy will increase parent/caregiver awareness and engagement to promote attendance, and support robust, inclusive and collaborative strategies to address complex barriers to student attendance.
• The Technology and Innovation Hubs are exactly the future-ready learning and innovation opportunities we need to strategically explore and implement as a district. Launching September 2026, Grand Erie is expanding future-focused learning opportunities and connect secondary students to real-world career pathways in high-demand sectors.
• Each year, Grand Erie Public Health assesses the immunization records of students aged 7 and 17 to ensure they are compliant with immunization requirements. To learn more, visit geph.ca/ispa.

There are several upcoming opportunities available to all families, including:

• Family events at the Innovation Hub @ Grand Erie
• Two remaining Kick-start to Kindergarten events at Jarvis and Walsh Public schools
• Schools across the Grand Erie District School Board will conduct a survey to assess school climate for students from March 2 to 13. Students in Grades 4 to 12 will be asked by their schools to participate in this voluntary, electronic survey.
• Grand Erie Parent Involvement Committee hosts Margot Denomme on March 27
• We will lead forward with a renewed Strategic Plan for 2026-30. In the coming weeks, we will share more information about how students, parents/caregivers and community can provide input to shape the future of Grand Erie.

Resources:

• Grand Erie Math newsletters and resources
• Grand Erie Literacy newsletter and resources
• Grade 3, 6 and 9 EQAO sample questions and answers
• EQAO webinars to support students and families prepare for the literacy, math and OSSLT assessments
• Supporting Your Child’s Well-being webinars by School Mental Health Ontario
• IGNITE Assistive Technology Grant provides two $1,000 grants for graduating students to access the assistive technology

Wishing all Grand Erie families, a safe and enjoyable March Break!

Dr. JoAnna Roberto, PhD

Director of Education-CEO and Secretary of the Board Grand Erie District School Board

Important Upcoming Dates

View a full list of days of significance and Grand Erie events.