The Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education (OAPCE) 76th Annual Conference, AGM, and Gala Dinner will be held in Pembroke May 29–30, 2015. Co-hosted by the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board, the full-day conference is open to parents and educators from all boards and schools.
OAPCE provides a voice for parents and guardians of children who are enrolled in the publicly funded English Catholic system throughout the province. The annual conference each spring consists of keynote speakers, celebrations of our faith, and workshops related to parenting, navigating and enhancing our education system.
“The conference will provide a wonderful opportunity for our Catholic community to come together and celebrate our Catholic schools, share ideas and best practices, and build parental engagement,” says Michele Arbour, RCCDSB Director of Education.
The two-day event will begin with registration from 6 p.m.–7 p.m., followed by a networking reception at 7 p.m. at the Best Western Pembroke Inn and Conference Centre on Friday evening.
This year’s conference theme, “Poor No More”, will address the many forms of poverty including: financial, mental, spiritual, physical and emotional, and what can be done to relieve it.
On Saturday the schedule begins at 8:00 a.m. with registration at Bishop Smith Catholic High School. Keynote speaker Sherry Campbell, Psychotherapist, will share her experiences and insights gained from years of supporting individuals through challenging times. In the afternoon, keynote speaker Genevieve Gallant will talk about her experiences with The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, which works to educate Canadians about the causes of poverty, provide a voice and promote social justice for those in need in developing nations.
In addition to hearing from these engaging keynote speakers, the day will include networking and an opportunity to attend informative workshops.
Also, as part of the 2015 conference the social justice initiatives of Catholic Schools in Ontario will be highlighted, and those attending the conference are asked to bring milk bags (the large outer bag from the 3x1L bags) to support the Milk Bags Unlimited 2.0 initiative. The goal is to collect 1,000 bags, which will be used to make sleeping mats for those in Africa affected by the Ebola outbreak.
Mass and Commissioning will take place at 4:15 p.m. at Bishop Smith Catholic High School at the conclusion of the OAPCE annual general meeting. The Gala Awards Dinner will follow at 7 p.m. back at the Best Western Inn.
For workshop information and/or to register, visit our website at www.oapce.org
May 4, 2015
For further information, please contact: Michele Arbour, Director of Education Renfrew County Catholic District School Board 499 Pembroke Street West Pembroke, ON K8A 5P1 Phone: 613-735-1031 or 1-800-267-0191
