Latest news with #WRDSB
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Trees will be cut down at Sandowne Public School to make room for Elizabeth Ziegler students
The exterior of Sandowne Public School was photographed in Waterloo, Ont. on April 10, 2025. Several mature trees will soon be cut down as the Waterloo Region District School Board prepares for an influx of students at Sandowne Public School in Waterloo. Some students from Elizabeth Ziegler Public School will be moving to Sandowne for the next academic year due to structural issues at Elizabeth Ziegler. To make room for the growing student body, and the increased traffic that will come with the change, the school board confirmed they will be removing several trees on Sandowne's property. 'For every tree removed, the WRDSB will plant a minimum of two native replacement trees. These species will be selected based on their ability to thrive in our region and provide shade relatively quickly after planting,' the school board said in an email to CTV News Kitchener on Thursday. Some families have also raised concerns with the future of Sandowne's current outdoor learning space. 'While this space will be impacted by the changes, it is in need of renewal. Once the portables are installed and replacement trees are in place, our Facilities Services staff will collaborate with school staff and the community to recreate and enhance the outdoor learning area for students,' the email said.
Newsweek
16-06-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Canadian School Denies Calling the Word 'Family' Racist
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Canadian school board in Baden, Ontario, has denied teaching its staff that the word "family" is racist. The claims first surfaced in a news article, which revealed details from a presentation given to staff at the Waterloo Oxford District Secondary School (W-O) entitled: "Dismantling Whiteness at W-O: Words Matter." Newsweek reached out via email to Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), outside of usual working hours, seeking further information and comment. Why It Matters Race can be a sensitive and, in some school districts, politically-divisive issue, both educationally and socially. Some commentators have suggested that racism in Canada has surged in recent years, where classroom discussions on race and language have gone viral and teachers have been provided with an online tool to allow them to anonymously report racist incidents. Protesters march during an anti-racism demonstration on June 6, 2020, in Toronto. Protesters march during an anti-racism demonstration on June 6, 2020, in To Know Teachers at the high school in Baden were reportedly shown a slide that stated the word "family" had been "identified as harmful by our racialized students," according to alternative media site Juno News in collaboration with the True North website. However, the WRDSB has hit back, by releasing a statement "categorically" denying that its workshop had been "teaching that the word 'family' is racist." It is the second time it has faced the issue. The presentation about "dismantling whiteness" was given back in November 2023, although details only emerged this month. The story was broken by Juno News in a post by a True North journalist on June 4, after the outlet was given the materials by a whistleblower. One of the slides, which was pictured by the news outlet, said that "Whiteness is a system…a construct that allows white supremacy to flourish." Another quoted from a book called Culturally Relevant Pedagogy by Laura Mae Lindo, which said that white culture teaches various "biases" and uses "key words and phrases to promote the dominant culture." One such word was "family," which entails individuals "sacrificing personal boundaries," and was deemed "harmful by our racialized students," because it implies a male authority in the home and a nuclear family that many people do not have. The word "family" also "asks for obedience; [with] no room for questions or criticism," the slide reportedly said. Another slide suggested that asking for evidence amid allegations of racism was a "characteristic of whiteness" that should be abolished. The outlet quoted an anonymous source at the school board, who said: "Teachers just want to get on with their job of teaching. Ideology—if you will—is just something many teachers acknowledge as being present. They just want to get on with their jobs…Whether [anyone within the administration] believes it or not is anyone's guess." However, officials from the WRDSB responded with an initial statement on June 6, saying the workshop simply "explored how different communities may experience public institutions differently, and how educators can be thoughtful and inclusive in their communication." However, the new statement released by the board several days later went further. What People Are Saying An online statement published by chair Maedith Radlein on behalf of the board on June 10 said: "In the past week trustees have been receiving emails stating that the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) is teaching that the word 'family' is racist. I would like to state categorically that this is not the case. The word 'family' and what it represents is integral to all we do. "A look at our website will reveal numerous references to family…A look at our policies and procedures will also reveal the intentional focus on family and the commitment to continue working to improve and strengthen collaboration between home and school. "The workshop referenced by the news article took place one and a half years ago. Since then, there has been no change in the quality of the partnership between school and families in that community, and therefore no basis for the accusation made in the article. Families have always been and will always be welcome in every school in the WRDSB; they are an integral part of school life." In addition, "the news article did not include the full context of the presentation," the board argued. The event was held to provide staff with "the professional development required" to carry out various policy approaches, such as Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy. It was "necessary to explore and understand the ever-changing and evolving nature of language and how it has affected the lived experiences of some of the families in the WRDSB." The statement also went on to "express regret for the racist hate mail directed at Dr. Laura Mae Lindo," who was not involved in the session, although a slide from one of her previous presentations was included. Radlein concluded by saying that the trustees stood by the commitment to the board's current strategic plan, which "was built using what we heard from students, staff, families and community members." What Happens Next It remains to be seen if the furor will die down with the release of the school board's statement.
CBC
11-06-2025
- General
- CBC
New report details 'concerning' structural damage at Elizabeth Ziegler Public School
Social Sharing A crumbling façade is just the beginning of several major structural issues plaguing Elizabeth Zielger Public School (EZPS) in Waterloo, according to a long-awaited engineering report released Wednesday. The report, first mentioned at a community meeting in March, was ordered by the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) after bricks fell from the outside walls of EZPS, forcing a closure that at first lasted just two days, then two weeks, and now the remainder of this school year and next. But according to the report, engineers have discovered additional issues with the building, including steel-beamed headers, floor and roof joists that are moderately to severely corroded, posing "safety concerns to any occupants inside or around the building." The report continues by saying "repairing the deteriorated structural members is a critical step to reinstating occupancy for the school." School board's plan The board says they plan to repair the school by installing a new steel frame on the interior, with new foundations to support it. Once that has been completed, repairs to the façade can begin. Bill Lemon is the associate director of business services at WRDSB. He told CBC News the report is encouraging, mapping out "a way forward to restore the school and regain occupancy for the staff and students." "What I'm excited about is the proposed steel frame that's going to be incorporated into the building," said Lemon, adding that it "will allow us to use that building for a much longer period of time." But before work can begin, a design report for the restoration and repair of EZPS needs to be presented for approval to the City of Waterloo Municipal Heritage Committee. "We're hoping that we can have that sooner rather than later because that is an important step in this process for us to make sure that our proposed design meets with their expectations," said Lemon. Funding the repairs and restorations is also a concern. "It would be a capital project and we would be drawing on whole number of fiscal resources," said Lemon. "For the potential size of a project such as this, we would need to engage the ministry [of education] and make them aware," he said. Lemon said that "as it is right now … with some support, we would be able to manage that within our own resource envelope." A full cost of the project is not yet available. For parent Suzie Taka, the report finally being released brings some relief, but doesn't exactly put her fears to rest. "I don't love the idea that we need entirely new steel beams," said Taka, whose son had been attending EZPS for the past two years. "That feels concerning about what the state of the school was." However, despite news that damages far exceeded what she originally thought, Taka said she is glad to finally have some answers. "I'll be honest, I was actually thrilled when I first opened the email," she said. "We've all been most concerned about it being a tear down and the timeline." Now that the report has been released, Taka said she's curious what the next steps are. "I have big questions about what things will cost, what their plans are for funding, any timeline would be great and any contingency plans, if things become ongoing and they uncover more concerns," she said. "I think it's very hard when we keep getting these direct communications and we don't get to have an actual conversation." Communication and timelines are concerns shared by parent Ian McDonald, who has been vocal in his quest for answers from the school board and its trustees. He's concerned repairs won't be done in time. "There are only 15 months until the start of the 2026-2027 school year," he said in an email to CBC News. The WRDSB release containing the engineering report said the next update is expected on June 25.
CTV News
11-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Dedicated Waterloo Region fibre-optic network marks 25 years
An undated image of the WCDSB network team working on our WREPNet connection to St Mary's high school (Submitted by Chris Demers). A celebration was held Wednesday to mark 25 years since a high-speed fibre-optic network connected hundred of public organizations in Waterloo Region. The Waterloo Region Education and Public Network (WREPnet) was created in 2000. Fibre-optics are thin strands of glass or plastic that sends information through light. The network allowed users to plug in and use the internet at any speed required. 'It is an extremely fast network,' explained Chris Demers, the chief information officer for the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB). 'If you look at other regions and other city areas, they don't have such a robust network.' Demers said WREPnet is the backbone of all information that travels through the region. Multiple organizations use the network, including WCDSB, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), the Region of Waterloo, the cities of Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge, as well as universities, schools and libraries. Wednesday's event gave users a chance to connect in person. WREPnet 25 years Waterloo Region Education and Public Network An event at Region of Waterloo Administrative Headquarters to mark 25 years of the Waterloo Region Education and Public Network, June 11, 2025 (Sidra Jafri/CTV News). 'We look at it as a real community of technical people,' said Demers. 'We get together and we discuss common issues. We discuss technologies even outside of networking, like cyber security and artificial intelligence is a big thing that we're talking about now.' The decision to create the network began back to 1998, according to WREPnet's website . Prescient International Inc. built a similar educational network for the North York District School Board, then reached out to both the Catholic and public school boards in Waterloo Region. More than 380 organizations currently use WREPnet. WREPnet 25 years Waterloo Region Education and Public Network An event at Region of Waterloo Administrative Headquarters to mark 25 years of the Waterloo Region Education and Public Network, June 11, 2025 (Sidra Jafri/CTV News). 'The network is extremely secure,' said Demers. 'Every partner has a separate, tactical path, which cannot be crossed between them. So, any kind of information or private data, we have [on] multiple streams. For example, the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. We have a stream across the network just for students, we have a stream across the network just for administrative data, and every organization has the same thing.' Demers said WREPnet creates a cohesive community. 'It brings our important public services together into one envelope and it also allows us to be a community of technical, security and infrastructure,' he explained, adding that it allows them to 'communicate critical data between the different Waterloo Region partners and also with the rest of the world.'
CTV News
29-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
St. Andrew's Public School in Cambridge closed for water main break
St. Andrew's Public School in Cambridge was closed Thursday, due to a water main break. In a release by the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), they confirmed facility services staff and contractors were on site working to address the break. Students were switched to learn remotely for the day. WRDSB said staff would provide updates as they became available. A track and field meet happening at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School resumed as normal.
