The Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board (NPSC) is pleased to provide parents and guardians with details on our seven planned Professional Activity (PA) Days for the 2026-2027 school year, in accordance with Ontario Regulation 226/23 on school year calendars and PA Days.
We invite NPSC families to review the details below on the topics and learning/training activities in which staff will be engaged for the purpose of supporting student learning and achievement in accordance with provincial education priorities.
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Topic 1: Equity & Inclusion
Entity Hosting: St. Joseph-Scollard Hall, System-wide
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Yvonne Runstedler (Staff Officer, Professional Development Department, OECTA) and Aubrey Noronha (Hello Hope Canada)
NPSC and OECTA are hosting a joint system-wide PA Day at St. Joseph-Scollard Hall CSS. We will begin the day by celebrating Mass together as a community of Faith. Following that, educational staff will enjoy keynote presentations on Equity & Diversity and Bullying Prevention, Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination. They will learn about the importance of creating supportive classrooms that are free of discrimination and this learning will equip educators with the knowledge to promote and uphold human rights and address discrimination and racism in our Catholic schools. The messages are of hope and are designed to push our thinking in a way that encourages us to create schools that are not only safe, but also more emotionally connected, which will enhance school culture and further animate our Board’s vision that is Rooted in Faith, Alive in Spirit.
Thursday, September 3, 2026 (Mandatory PA Day topic)
Topic 1: Keeping Schools Safe
Entity Hosting: School -Based
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Principals
School teams will review educational policies, health & safety training, requirements and supports for safe schools regarding the Provincial Code of Conduct, violence prevention, bullying prevention and intervention, duty to report children in need of protection to a children's aid society, progressive discipline, violent incident reporting, gender-based violence, sex trafficking, and the Local Police/School Board Protocol. In relation to the local police/school board protocol, emphasis will be placed on the importance of the role of police in our schools as partners in education as they are valuable resources for school teams/educators in providing various educational opportunities for public-safety presentations to students on topics, such as cyber-bullying, human trafficking, and road safety.
School teams will focus their attention on: information about child sexual abuse prevention and reporting, including available counselling and resources for children who are sexually abused, for all teachers and other staff in schools as outlined in section 170.0.1 of the Education Act, information about the role of police in providing high-quality, age-appropriate educational public safety presentations to students on subjects such as cyber-crime, human trafficking, road safety and other areas of local importance, and information about the role of police in the school community, to support trust building between educators, policing services, students, and parents/guardians.
Monday, October 26, 2026 (Mandatory PA Day topics)
Topic 1: Consistent Classroom Delivery and New Curriculum Updates (AM) and Special Education and Individual Education Plans (PM)
Entity Hosting: St. Joseph Scollard Hall, System-Wide
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Union Partners (OECTA, COPE), NPSC Educational and Support Staff, Community Partners
NPSC will host a system-wide professional activity day (PA Day) at St. Joseph-Scollard Hall CSS. The day will include an opportunity for staff to participate in a variety of learning opportunities based on the ministry priority areas that include Consistent Classroom Delivery, New Curriculum Updates, Special Education and Individual Education Plans. We will begin the day by celebrating Mass together as a community of Faith. Following that, educational staff will participate in a variety of workshops on topics such as: the new Kindergarten curriculum, early learning in literacy, mathematics, and science and technology, the new learning in Grades 7 and 8 History on Black history in Canada, orientation on “Nelson Edwin”, consistent evaluation and assessment practices, supporting students’ transition to secondary school, Grade 10 History on Black history in Canada, the Holocaust and rising antisemitism, and the Holodomor famine in Ukraine, effective practices for developing positive learning habits, understanding the standards and required components of Individual Education Plans (IEPs), strengthening educator understanding of how to develop clear and measurable annual learning goals and learning expectations to support the assessment and evaluation of student progress, reviewing how to develop, implement, update and monitor IEPs in classroom practice, including accommodations, teaching strategies, and assessment methods, enhancement of methods to communicate and consult families regarding special education programs and services in the development and review of IEPs, and improving the understanding of the role of educators on an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), including decision-making documentation of student strengths and needs and how to document the reasons for placement decisions, where applicable.
Friday, November 27, 2026
Topic 1: Report Reporting to Parents (Elementary) / Student Achievement & Well-Being, Consistent Classroom Delivery and New Curriculum Updates (Secondary)
Entity Hosting: School-Based
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Principals/Educators
Elementary educators will meet with parents/guardians to discuss evidence of student achievement and well-being, based on the Ministry of Education "Progress Report". Progress on the Learning Skills and academic progress in various subject areas are the key points of discussion in the conferences with parents/guardians and students.
Secondary educators will meet with administration and in their departments to review and plan around consistent classroom delivery and new curriculum updates from the Ministry of Education, including a detailed review of Ontario’s secondary school evaluation policy updates in Growing Success. This in-depth review includes updates to final evaluation, including mandatory written exams, weightings, and designated exam period timing, to support consistency in evaluation and assessment practices across courses, and professional learning on attendance and participation, with an emphasis on understanding and applying the criteria for the determination of final grades related to attendance and participation; and an overview of the policy requirements and implementation supports related to the new Financial Literacy Graduation Requirement and financial literacy learning across the curriculum. Secondary staff will also meet with administration and within their departments to review the school Student Achievement Plan, where data will be used to reflect upon student progress to date and plan focused, intentional next steps to support student achievement and well-being.
Topic 1: Report Card Preparation/Reporting to Parents/Ongoing Communication
Entity Hosting: School-Based
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Principals/Educators
Elementary educators will complete student report cards to accurately reflect and summarize student outcomes based on the overall curriculum expectations. This evaluation provides evidence of student achievement and is based on assessment of learning.
Secondary educators will complete student report cards to accurately reflect and summarize student outcomes based on the overall curriculum expectations. This evaluation provides evidence of student achievement and is based on assessment of learning for the First Semester.
Friday, April 16, 2027 (Mandatory PA Day topics)
Topic 1: Cyber Safety & Artificial Intelligence
Entity Hosting: School-Based
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): School Principals/System Staff
School teams will review key components of their school’s student achievement plans and engage in monitoring activities to take stock of progress and next steps. School teams will also review literacy and numeracy blocks and co-create and collaboratively plan and integrate prioritized board resources. To continue to support student achievement and well-being, educators will continue to focus on the effective use of Artificial Intelligence, as well as other digital tools that can be used across the curriculum, K-12, to improve outcomes for students. Learning activities will include the LUMI AI tool in the Virtual Learning Environment, the board’s approved AI tools, as well as how to effectively and safely use those tools with students. Through our board approved cyber safety learning resource and the Ontario curriculum, staff will deepen their knowledge and skills to promote safe, responsible and ethical online behaviours related to security, privacy and digital safety, and will reflect current and emerging digital behaviours and threats for students K to 12.
Entity Hosting: Board-wide
Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): NPSC Chaplain, Senior Administration, School Principals
This day is focused on faith-based professional development and is a day where NPSC staff will celebrate the unique gift of Catholic Education. On this day we will animate our board's vision of "Rooted in Faith, Alive in Spirit" and align the learning to the year’s pastoral theme, "Alive in the Spirit."