Catholic school board focuses on faith formation, student success

GUELPH – The Wellington Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) aims to educate students “so they can develop their God-given gifts, honour the sacredness of all, and create a brighter tomorrow” – with faith formation and student success guiding the board’s work.  

Director of education Michael Glazier stated this in his annual director’s report, presented during a Jan. 12 board meeting.  

The WCDSB includes 21 schools in Guelph and Wellington County with 1,500 staff and more than 9,000 students. 

To kick off the report, Glazier highlighted the following accomplishments from the 2024-25 school year: 

– WCDSB students in Grades 3, 6 and 9 met or exceeded provincial standards in Education Quality and Accountability Office testing; 

– the board’s five-year high school graduation rate is among the highest 10 in Ontario; 

– enrolment continues to increase; 

– Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School’s show choir team won first place overall at the National Show Choir Championships; 

– the board’s student senate organized a Youth Mental Health Forum with support from community partners; 

– Bishop MacDonell and St. James Catholic High Schools participated in a building showcase, raising money for Habitat for Humanity; 

– “hospitality programs at secondary schools ... [helped] to provide meals to the homeless and those that are facing food insecurity;” and 

– an addition was completed at St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School in Fergus, a new field and track opened at Bishop Mac, and a new childcare facility opened at St. Patrick Catholic School in Guelph. 

Glazier also highlighted the ways in which the board strengthened teaching practices for math and literacy, including teacher training, new resources and increased support for teachers – particularly new teachers.  

The board adopted a new family life program called Blessed and Beloved. 

Two grants were received that funded increased training for teachers with multilingual students. There were 226 new multi-lingual learners that joined the board during the 2024-25 school year, Glazier noted. 

An artificial intelligence (AI) committee was created to develop guidelines for using AI in classrooms. 

Glazier said that committee “has been quite active,” and the guidelines are set to be released during the current school year, with a focus on maintaining a human connection, safe and ethical use, instruction and assessment, and privacy and security. 

Work is also being done around digital citizenship to help safeguard students, Glazier said.  

The board created a sustainability committee “to define core values and intentions, including the recognition of the global climate emergency and a pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” Glazier states in his report. 

At the start of the 2024-25 school year, the WCDSB launched a preschool life skills program which expanded to include 788 students across 26 kindergarten classrooms in eight schools. 

The board also launched a school-to-work training program for students with disabilities called Project SEARCH, in partnership with the University of Guelph, the Upper Grand District School Board and March of Dimes. 

Glazier said the board made “notable gains in equity and inclusion” during the school year by creating a Black-Youth Alliance at Our Lady of Lourdes high school, visiting the Guelph Black Heritage Society, updating its equity and inclusion policy, providing equity training to teachers and administrators, supporting staff leading equity groups and launching a mentorship series for Indigenous and racialized staff. 

Trustees praised Glazier, director’s assistant Sue-Ann Maharaj and communications lead Bianca Pettinaro for the report, which they said was both informative and visually appealing with a range of photos of students. 

Trustee Andrew Finoro, referencing initiatives for new teachers in the report, suggested the board also consider supporting “seasoned” teachers looking to obtain master’s degrees.