Civil Municipal - June 2024

experiences that would traditionally be found on a resume. That is one of the ways that we’re looking towards equity of outcomes, and making sure that our staff is representative of the communities that we’re serving.” In another effort to support inclusivity, gender- neutral washrooms have been added to all schools. “That is a piece that is student-driven, and that student’s voice has been heard loud and clear. We’re culminating this year in making sure that that commitment is made whole, and that students across our district have options that align with their gender,” he reports. By prioritizing diverse perspectives and experiences, SGDSB is working to instill a sense of belonging where every student can feel safe, and thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. INNOVATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS Covering such a large geographic area, virtual and e-learning classes are a significant part of SGDSB’s educational approach.“If you look at five small high schools, and the courses that they have available, they are fairly limited. They tend to be more of the core courses that students need to graduate. But we know that that doesn’t bring students to school, we know that that doesn’t help them to be exposed to all of the different possibilities in this very complex and ever-changing world,” Morden Cormier admits. These classes offer access to a wider range of subjects and multiple high schools to participate in shared courses. Another feature unique to the district, all of SGDSB’s elementary schools have virtual playgrounds, allowing kids to be active, even when they can’t go outside.“We live in a region of Canada, Ontario with a lot of snow and a lot of cold weather,” describes Marton.“’ Kids can interact with this playground, they can throw balls at the wall, and the screen reacts to what they’re doing. It’s a great way to substitute that play that they get outside when the weather is prohibitive.” PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION Collaborations with local industries and institutions, such as the Canadian Welding Bureau, Confederation College, and Lakehead University, open doors to 800 people attending this Powwow. They design it, they are on teams from the ground up. The educator is just a facilitator, asking them questions,” she relays. “These students are the leaders of the work that is happening in that classroom. And it culminates in the opportunity to put everything they’ve learned into practice.” CELEBRATING AND SUPPORTING DIVERSITY Equity and inclusion are top of mind for SGDSB as it works to attract native language instructors and address teacher shortages.Marton recounts,“Through our equitable hiring policy, we are prioritizing lived experience, as opposed to the formal colonial 216 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 06 BUSINESS VIEW AGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 01