At a meeting on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, the Board established a joint board/community naming committee, including local Trustees, students, staff, and community representatives from the local schools that will form the school community, to coordinate submissions for the new school in the Northglen neighbourhood in Bowmanville, among other decisions.
School Naming Committee – New Northglen school
Students, staff and community members will have the opportunity to suggest names for the new Northglen neighbourhood elementary school that is scheduled to open in Bowmanville in September 2025.
Trustees tonight approved a joint board/community school naming committee that will welcome suggestions from all students, staff, parents and caregivers, school councils and community members for the new school.
The new Northglen neighbourhood school will have space for 769 students, from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8, as well as a four-room childcare centre.
“We are very excited about the building of the new Northglen neighbourhood elementary school, which is much needed to support our growing student population in the Bowmanville area,” says Jaine Klassen Jeninga, Chairperson of the Board. “We know that this new 21st century learning facility will benefit the students, staff, families and members of this community for generations to come.”
“We encourage people to submit names that reflect the diversity of our students and communities and values their voices.”
“A committee including local Trustees, student, staff, and community representatives from the local schools that will form the Northglen school community will be part of the committee that coordinates suggestions for the naming of the new school,” says Klassen Jeninga. “The committee will then establish a short list of preferred names, and recommend one of those names to the Board for approval.”
Accommodation Planning – Peterborough City and County and Clarke High School
As part of the Resource Committee report, the Board received an update on phase two of the Accommodation Planning process for Peterborough City and County schools.
A final staff report will be presented to the Board of Trustees for consideration at the December 10, 2024, Board meeting. Any approved accommodation strategies will begin to be implemented, starting in September 2025.
Administration also reviewed a commitment to provide enhanced programming opportunities at Clarke HS, and to address enrolment pressures at Bowmanville HS. As part of these plans, beginning in September 2026, Bowmanville HS will be closed to all out-of-boundary students, including those within the Clarke HS attendance area.
This change will impact students beginning in Grade 9 in 2026. Existing out-of-boundary students at Bowmanville HS from the Clarke HS attendance area will be permitted to remain at Bowmanville HS.
Administration believes that this decision will support enhanced educational programming at Clarke HS and will provide a long-term solution to the accommodation pressures at Bowmanville HS.
“We are committed to providing robust educational programming at Clarke High School to meet the needs of our students within this school community,” says Klassen Jeninga. “At the same time, we are also looking to address long-standing accommodation pressures at Bowmanville High School.”
To inform and plan for a successful transition in September 2026, a community engagement session will be held with the community on:
• December 12, 6:00 p.m. at Clarke High School
“As a school board, we continue to experience significant growth within the Municipality of Clarington. This growth has contributed to Bowmanville HS having an enrolment rate that is 126% of its capacity.
Much of the accommodation pressure that the school is experiencing is due to students who are attending from outside the Bowmanville HS attendance area (i.e., out-of-boundary students).
In the 2023-2024 school year, Bowmanville HS was closed to out-of-boundary students with the exception of students residing in the Clarke HS attendance area.
KPR’s Annual Parent Conference — Everyday Resiliency: Strong Kids and Well Families
As part of the Director’s Report, Director of Education Rita Russo provided an update on the Board’s annual parent conference held this past weekend. For the past 23 years, KPR’s annual Parent Conference has given parents and caregivers free, direct access to expert advice on supporting their children’s learning and on raising healthy, resilient families.
This year’s conference featured keynote speaker, Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, one of only a few educational behaviourists in the world, on the topic of everyday resiliency.
Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe’s Keynote and Question and Answer session offered parents and caregivers practical tools and strategies to help children face challenges with confidence, optimism, and adaptability—equipping them with skills to be well.
“This event is always a wonderful opportunity to bring caregivers, staff, and community members together for shared learning in support of children and students,” says Russo. “Parents are our students’ first and life-long teachers, and by being actively involved in their education, they make success possible for their children. When schools work in partnership with parents in education, remarkable things can happen.”
Other decisions
Trustees also:
approved Trustee appointments to Board committees
approved Accumulated Surplus transfers, as detailed in the 2023-2024 Accumulated Surplus/Deficit and Deferred Revenue Report
approved the establishment of the Diane Graham Award for Courage, Determination and Commitment to Follow Your Dream, to be presented annually to a graduating Learning and Life Skills student at Norwood District High School, who has met the award criteria.
approved revisions to a number of Board policies and received reports for information.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
