It’s a pleasure to be writing the Message from the Director for the 2019 Director’s Annual Report.
As I sat down to write this message and thought about what I wanted to say, I kept coming back to the students and staff I’ve met over my career. I find my pride in this organization is sometimes hard to put into words, but what I do know is that it’s the people in our schools and offices that make us who we are.
Every day, I see the students in our schools and classrooms working hard towards their goals, overcoming their challenges and chasing their dreams. I see our teaching and support staff who give their all to supporting and inspiring the learners we serve, often spending their own time and resources outside of work on their students simply because they care about them and believe in them. I see our custodial and maintenance staff who quietly go about their work to keep our schools in peak condition, their pride in the job that they do for all of us is evident. I see our central staff who put many miles on our local highways, often early mornings and late evenings, because they know that there are staff and students who need them and their expertise at the end of the drive. I see our administration, who are tasked with the job of keeping our schools and learning areas safe while ensuring they are supportive and inspiring places for children and youth to learn and grow. I see our Board of Trustees, who strive to make the best possible decisions for the staff and students in our schools. What we do just doesn’t work without all of you.
This 2019 Director’s Annual Report is a celebration of all that we have accomplished together in the past year. There have been some significant and exciting milestones, like moving into our brand new high school, Sioux North High School, in Sioux Lookout. We have celebrated many achievements, like Crolancia Public School in Pickle Lake, becoming the first Downie Wenjack Legacy School in all of Canada. We mapped a new way forward with the creation of our 2019-2024 Strategic Plan. We supported the continued expansion of special programming like Forest and Nature Schools and the joy those programs bring to all involved, from the students and staff to the families of our students. We welcomed our newest and youngest learners to some of the very best Kindergarten programs in the province, and also said farewell and good luck to the many students who have finished their time with us and moved on to pursue the next step in their lives. We have much to celebrate as an organization but also as individuals.
Thank you to each and every one of you for all that you do for the children, youth and adult learners in our communities. I hope you enjoy the highlights from the past school year.
Caryl Hron
Interim Director of Education
