Wellness, achievement, dignity and integrity form the foundation of a new five-year Strategic Plan approved by the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board at its January 30 meeting.
“We are very proud of our new 2017–2022 Strategic Plan,” said Board Chair Dave Howard. “It is firmly aligned with the Ministry of Education’s Achieving Excellence guidelines,” he said, “while reflecting the vision of our Catholic Board.
Howard noted the Board is also very pleased that this Strategic Plan results from wide-ranging consultation with all stakeholders.
In September 2016, a Multi-Year Strategic Plan Committee was established with representation from parents, teachers, Board administration and support staff, as well as the Special Education Advisory Committee and a host of others.
“We consulted widely with our stakeholders, including student representatives and the broader community, to ensure that our new Plan truly reflects the goals and concerns of all parties,” stated Howard.
Jaimie Perry, Chair of the Strategic Plan committee and a Superintendent of Education for RCCDSB, said that the Strategic Plan is based on four pillars: Wholeness and Wellness; Achievement and Potential; Dignity and Belonging; and Witness and Integrity.
“The Wholeness and Wellness pillar focuses on enhancing the spiritual, mental and physical health of our students,” Perry said. “The Achievement and Potential pillar focuses on the giftedness, self-worth and potential of each individual to make success attainable for all.”
“With the Dignity and Belonging pillar,” Perry added, “we focus on the dignity of the whole person and building safe environments characterized by warmth, hospitality, good humour and joy. With our fourth pillar, Witness and Integrity, we claim our role as global stewards who cherish the environment and all life in it, as we work to build public confidence.
Mark Searson, Superintendent of Education and resource for the advisory group, confirmed, “Our committee’s consultations, both on-line and face-to-face, over several months resulted in a broad consensus that these four pillars should be the foundation for our Board’s future direction.”
Trustee Anne Haley, who was a member of the Strategic Plan committee, added that the Plan “truly encapsulates the Vision of our Board.” The RCCDSB Vision states that “Inspired by our rich heritage and challenged by the struggles of our past, we are an inclusive Catholic education community called to express our mission as church to pass on the good news of Jesus Christ, to make it relevant in the world today and to be the hope for the future.’ “
Chair Howard agreed. “This Strategic Plan sets our Board and our students on the best course for the future. With this Strategic Plan, we can truly say that we have schools to believe in.”
January 30, 2017
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
