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Who We Are

  • 2020 Director's Message
  • Who We Are
    • General Information
    • Strategic Plan 2019-2024
    • Board Improvement Plan
  • Student Achievement
    • Kindergarten Programs
    • Equity
    • Pathways Program
    • Secondary Student Success Supports
    • The New Math Curriculum
    • Summer Learning
    • Optimized Staff Professional Development
    • Collective Bargaining
  • Safe & Supportive Schools
    • Mental Health in Schools
    • Special Education
    • KPDSB Capital Work
  • Innovative Practice
    • The NAN (Nishnawbe Aski Nation)/KPDSB School Support Program
    • Rapid Response Northern School Team
    • The COVID-19 Pandemic
    • Virtual Learning
    • Partnerships to Support Schools
    • Staying Connected with Families During the Closures
  • Reconciliation
    • Reconciliation
    • Reconciliation in Action
General Information
Strategic Plan 2019-2024
Board Improvement Plan

General Information

Vision Statement

The Keewatin Patricia District School Board puts students first by creating a culture of learning.

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is a progressive and proud public school board that serves the communities of beautiful Northwestern Ontario.  We have schools in the communities of Kenora, Sioux Narrows, Vermilion Bay, Ear Falls, Red Lake, Dryden, Sioux Lookout, Ignace, Pickle Lake, Savant Lake and Upsala as well as serving the educational needs of many neighbouring and far north First Nation communities. 

Students in a KPDSB school always come first and programming options are continually expanding to meet the needs of a diverse student population.  Many of the programs offered are the first of their kind in an Ontario school, a testament to the innovation of our staff and their dedication to our students.

4,828

75,000 sq km

8

18

7

1,200

5

13

30


Dryden Area

Dryden High School

Lillian Berg Public School

New Prospect Public School

Open Roads Public School

Ear Falls Area

Ear Falls Public School

Ignace Area

Ignace Public School

Kenora Area

Beaver Brae Secondary School

Evergreen Public School

Keewatin Public School

King George VI Public School

Valleyview Public School

Pickle Lake Area

Crolancia Public School

Red Lake Area

Red Lake District High School

Golden Learning Centre Public School

Red Lake-Madsen Public School

Sioux Lookout Area 

Sioux North High School

Sioux Mountain Public School

Sioux Narrows Area

Sioux Narrows Public School

Savant Lake Area

Savant Lake Public School

Upsala Area

Upsala Public School

Virtual School

KPDSB Virtual School


KPDSB Website

KPDSB Facebook

KPDSB Twitter

Interactive Map


Senior Administration

Photo of Sherri-Lynne Pharand
Sherri-Lynne Pharand, Director of Education
Photo of Richard Findlay
Richard Findlay, Superintendent of Business
Photo of Shannon Bailey
Shannon Bailey, Superintendent of Education
Jane Lower, Superintendent of Education
Chantal Moore, Superintendent of Education

Board of Trustees

Cecile Marcino, Chair
Roger Griffiths, Vice-Chair
Eric Bortlis
Dave Cornish
Marilyn Duncalfe
Barb Gauthier
Michelle Guitard
Darren Head
Jennifer Kitowski
Gerald Kleist
Bob O’Donohue
Ethan Belrose, Student Trustee
Emma Gardner, Indigenous Student Trustee

Strategic Plan 2019-2024

The Board’s strategic plan is set to achieve the vision,

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board puts students first by creating a culture of learning.

The plan outlines what the Board wants to achieve in the future and the actions we plan to take to get there. KP has set priorities in four key areas:

  • Student Achievement: Ensure the necessary resources are provided to all students to increase their individual achievement.
  • Safe and Supportive Schools: Ensure all students and staff have safe learning and working environments where the academic and mental health needs of the child are met.
  • Innovative Practice: Demonstrate effective “change-ready” leadership.
  • Reconciliation: Ensure all schools and staff are actively engaged in responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action

This year, we have welcomed many new members to the senior team who are working with trustees, schools and communities to implement the Strategic Plan’s goals. We welcomed: 

  • Sherri-Lynne Pharand, Director of Education, January 1, 2020
  • Shannon Bailey, Superintendent of Education, July 1, 2020
  • Jane Lower, Superintendent of Education, August 1, 2020
  • Chantal Moore, Interim Superintendent of Education, November 1, 2020

We acknowledge the ongoing work of Superintendent of Business Richard Findlay and thank Superintendent Joan Kantola, on leave to Schools Mental Health Ontario, for her contributions to the plan.

Click here to view the 2019-2024 Strategic Plan PDF in full.

Board Improvement Plan

Board Continuous Improvement Plan – Academic Success for All

The KPDSB Board Improvement Plan sets out to develop students who are safe, capable, competent, valued, mentally well, recognized and feel they belong.

In the KPDSB, we are committed to improving student achievement by using targeted, evidence-based strategies. To do this, we are effectively and efficiently allocating appropriate resources, including professional training to support these strategies, while keeping student safety and wellness at the forefront of our work.

The goals of the 2020–2021 KPDSB Board Improvement Plan include increasing student achievement and wellness through:

  • Employing effective assessment practices
  • Building a strong sense of self
  • Establishing a learning organization

The first Board Improvement Plan goal identifies that student achievement will improve as we implement effective assessments and evaluations in all classrooms. Assessment for and as learning is a purposeful, ongoing collection of information about how students are learning, while there is still time to improve. Teachers use assessment formatively as they identify concepts or skills students need more work with and provide regular feedback to students on their strengths and areas that need improvement. Students use assessment when they learn to judge the quality of their work and set individual goals for their improvement. Student achievement data will inform the focus of educators’ professional learning as we strive to improve student achievement and well-being for all. Regularly gathering and analyzing student achievement data will provide staff with timely and dependable information about student learning to ensure continuous improvement.

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: Mathematics, 2020 enables teachers to focus on fundamental mathematics concepts and skills and on making connections between related math concepts, mathematics and other disciplines, and mathematics and everyday life. A new focus has been placed on mathematical modelling, coding, financial literacy, and the integration of mathematics learning with learning in other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects.

Ensuring that our students have a strong sense of self is critical in reaching their potential and is important in wellness. The Board Improvement Plan’s second goal consists of four components of the School Effectiveness Framework, which addresses school and classroom leadership, student engagement, curriculum, teaching and learning, Pathways, and career/life planning programs. Themes throughout these components focus on students’ strengths, values, needs, learning styles and cultural perspectives.

Goal three in the Board Improvement Plan is about improving student achievement and wellness by building a learning organization. The indicators in this area of the plan focus on being a learning organization where everyone acts on their belief in the need to grow, learn and develop.

Keeping with the goal and focus of improving data literacy across the system, professional learning is responsive to student learning needs. Teaching and learning include critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and collaboration.

Professional development opportunities promote and connect the themes of equity, well-being and student achievement.

Professional learning for teachers, administrators and senior administrators ensures that conversations and activities focus on the processes and practices required to deepen understanding of the curriculum and refine instruction to improve student learning and achievement.

Who We Are
  • 2020 Director’s Message
  • General Information
  • Strategic Plan 2019-2024
  • Board Improvement Plan
Student Achievement
  • Kindergarten Programs
  • Equity
  • Pathways Program
  • Secondary Student Success Supports
  • The New Math Curriculum
  • Summer Learning
  • Optimized Staff Professional Development
  • Collective Bargaining
Safe & Supportive Schools
  • Mental Health in Schools
  • Special Education
  • KPDSB Capital Work
Innovative Practice
  • The NAN (Nishnawbe Aski Nation)/KPDSB School Support Program
  • Rapid Response Northern School Team
  • The COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Virtual Learning
  • Partnerships to Support Schools
  • Staying Connected with Families During the Closures
Reconciliation
  • Reconciliation
  • Reconciliation in Action

2020 Director’s Annual Report

  • » 2021 Director's Annual Report
  • » 2019 Director's Annual Report
  • » 2018 Director’s Annual Report
  • » 2017 Director’s Annual Report

Kenora - Head Office

4th Floor - 240 Veterans Drive, Kenora, ON P9N 3Y5

Phone: 807-468-5571 Fax: 807-468-3857

Toll Free: 877-275-7771

Dryden - Office

79 Casimir Ave, Dryden, ON P8N 2Z6

Phone: 807-223-5311 Fax: 807-223-4703

Toll Free: 877-287-5430