Near North District School Board
| Near North District School Board | |
|---|---|
| Type | Government agency |
Near North District School Board is a school board where Falcon McLeod has taught.[1]
In Anishinabek News
- April 2014: The board's Team 1305 acted as mentors to the students building the robot Enimkii. The board's team received the Regional Chairman’s Award for their presentation on ethics and philosophy.[2]
- May 2014: Students from this board participated in the 2014 North Bay Regional Heritage Fair.[3]
- June 2015: The board's pilot project was funded by the Ontario Arts Council.[4]
- October 2017: The board reportedly discussed the use of the Braves head and the Chippewa Raiders name.[5]
- May 2018: The board collaborated with Nipissing University to establish the Treaty Education Mentorship Project. Staff member Amanda Mathias-Mizzi was a partner in creating the treaty education initiative.[6]
- May 2019: In May 2019, the board issued redundancy notices to approximately half of its secondary school teachers. The board informed teachers like Johna Hupfield that staffing levels exceeded requirements for the 2019-2020 school year due to provincial changes.[7]
- June 2021: As of June 2021, the board offers Anishinaabemowin classes in 13 schools with 10 language teachers and 365 students enrolled. Students within this board have the option to take Anishinaabemowin studies as an alternative to French classes. The board's language classes often take the lead in organizing school pow wows, school drum groups, and incorporating Ojibwe language signage.[8]
- January 2022: The board unanimously approved the appointment of Allen Lewis Trodd as its inaugural Indigenous Student Trustee in early 2022. As of January 2022, approximately 11 per cent of the students within the board's jurisdiction self-identify as First Nation, Métis, or Inuit. The board created the Indigenous Student Trustee position to ensure Indigenous youth have a direct voice in their education and to advance reconciliation.[9]
- January 2022: The board hosted a meet-the-author event featuring Juliana Armstrong to discuss her book and inspirations.[10]
- April 2023: More than 1,400 students from this board attended a historical performance about Francis Pegahmagabow in March 2023.[11]
- July 2023: The board provided funding and communications support for the return of the Parry Sound High School Pow Wow.[12]
- September 2023: The board provided sponsorship for the Mahiingan Family Road Race in September 2023.[13]
- July 2024: The board appointed its first Indigenous chair, Ashley St. Pierre, during a meeting on May 14, 2024. The board addressed a proposal to rename Chippewa Secondary School, ultimately deciding to rebrand the mascot instead. A motion to play the national anthem at board and committee meetings was overturned following opposition from trustees.[14]
- November 2024: The board is the first to offer virtual Indigenous language credits to secondary students across Ontario through the Ontario eLearning Consortium. As of November 2024, it is situated on Robinson Huron Treaty territory on the lands of seven Anishinaabe First Nations. The organization aims to support language revitalization and fulfill Calls to Action related to language and Truth and Reconciliation.[15]
- December 2024: The board's eLearning Consortium is hosting new online Anishinaabemowin courses created by Falcon McLeod. The organization helped facilitate the virtual lessons to ensure the language program remains viable through province-wide enrollment. The board employs Falcon McLeod as an Ojibwe instructor for multiple high schools in the district.[16]
- May 2026: The board organized a series of interactive teaching pow wows at various secondary schools for students in all grade levels. The board employs graduation coaches to support Indigenous youth within dedicated spaces in its secondary schools.[17]
- August 2026: The board announced the official name for a new kindergarten to grade six school in Parry Sound in August 2026. The organization worked in partnership with Wasauksing First Nation to name the school after an Anishinaabe leader.[18]
- September 2026: Falcon McLeod has been an instructor with the school board for approximately eight years.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Gift of Spirit Name drives Language Keeper in Nipissing First Nation’s Ojibwe revitalization", Anishinabek News, 10 September 2026 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Enimkii robot caught judges’ eye", Anishinabek News, 11 April 2014 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Dancer wins heritage prize", Anishinabek News, 5 May 2014 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Don’t give up – Dream Big!", Anishinabek News, 3 June 2015 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "‘Braves’ artist sad to see the crest go from Northern Secondary School", Anishinabek News, 26 October 2017 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Outdoor classroom setting ideal for learning nation-to-nation history for students and teachers", Anishinabek News, 11 May 2018 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "‘…We’re not being heard,’ says Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief on recent provincial education cuts", Anishinabek News, 14 May 2019 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Indigenous language studies at Near North District School Board", Anishinabek News, 12 June 2021 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Allen Lewis Trodd sworn in as Indigenous Student Trustee", Anishinabek News, 20 January 2022 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Nipissing First Nation author shares the language in new children’s book", Anishinabek News, 25 January 2022 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Francis Pegahmagabow brought to life on stage for next generation", Anishinabek News, 5 April 2023 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Return of pow wow a profound event for Parry Sound High School community", Anishinabek News, 1 July 2023 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Lace-up your running shoes this weekend in support of FASD", Anishinabek News, 8 September 2023 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Anishinaabekwe appointed as new Near North District School Board Chair", Anishinabek News, 15 July 2024 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Near North District School Board first to offer virtual Indigenous language courses to students across Ontario", Anishinabek News, 23 November 2024 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Virtual Anishinaabemowin courses created by Nipissing Language Teacher", Anishinabek News, 24 December 2024 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Try Pow Wow dancing at West Ferris Secondary", Anishinabek News, 20 May 2026 (archived copy; original article).
- ↑ "Near North District School Board announces Francis Pegahmagabow Elementary School as official name for new Parry Sound K-6 school", Anishinabek News, 22 August 2026 (archived copy; original article).