On Professional Activity (PA) days, staff engage in professional development. Our school, along with all schools in the Halton District School Board (HDSB) have several Professional Activity (PA) Days throughout the school year. The purpose of these days is to enhance student success. Staff focus on professional development activities, participate in training or planning sessions. There are no classes for students on these days.
To learn about what schools across the HDSB are focusing on during each PA Day, visit HDSB PA Days 2024-2025
For a detailed description of what our school will be focusing on please see the following information.
Keeping Schools Safe and School Resource Officer Program
Topic: Provincial Education Priorities - Keeping Schools Safe and School Resource Officer Program
Format:
Full day, in person
Elementary and Secondary Schools
Format:
Full-day, in-person
Elementary and secondary schools
Description: School teams will review policy requirements and supports for safe schools regarding the Provincial Code of Conduct, violence prevention, violent incident reporting and debriefing, gender-based violence and the Provincial Model for a Local Police/School Board Protocol. The content will include the role of police in providing high-quality, age-appropriate educational public safety presentations to students on subjects such as cybercrime, human trafficking, road safety and more. Information will be provided about the role of police in the school community, to support trust building between educators, policing services, students and parents/guardians. For schools currently in the School Resource Officer (SRO) program, a summary of the program's structure and objectives will be reviewed. Suicide prevention and intervention will also be reviewed.
Facilitators: Learning will be led by principals and vice-principals and school-based staff, supported with materials and guidance from central departments including Student Mental Health and Well-Being, Safe Schools and Special Education.
Learning/Delivery Method: Whole group presentations and small group work
2024/2025 PD DAY AGENDA ARCHIVES
Format
Full day, in person
Facilitators
The learning will be led by principals and vice principals and school based subject specific leaders.
Description:
School staff will focus their learning on exploring student mental health and well-being with a focus on mental health literacy learning. The impacts of cellphones and vaping on student learning will also be addressed. Additionally, cyber safety and responsible technology use will be reviewed.
Learning/ Delivery Model:
This learning will be presented using a combination of full staff learning and small group sessions. Some small group sessions will be arranged in department groupings while others will be arranged according to teacher learning goals.
Format
Full day, in person
Facilitators
The learning will be led by principals and vice principals and school based subject specific leader and Learning team
Description:
School staff will continue their learning on exploring methods of asset-based assessment and will collaborate with their course/subject groups to reflect on current practices to implement asset-based assessment practices into their classes. School teams will also explore best practices in all courses and will specifically look at the implementation of AI in education as instructional and assessment tools to support student learning. Staff will also participate in workshops on supporting wellness.
Learning/ Delivery Model:
This learning will be presented using a combination of full staff learning and small group sessions. Some small group sessions will be arranged in department groupings while others will be arranged according to teacher learning goals.
School Improvement Plan: Asset Based Assessment, Evaluation,
Discriminatory and Harmful Language Protocol
Full day, in person
The learning will be led by principal and vice principals and school based subject specific leaders.
School staff will focus their learning on reviewing our SIPSA plan and exploring methods of asset-based assessment. Staff will collaborate with their course/subject groups to reflect on current practices and devise plans to implement new asset-based assessment practices for semester 2. Alternate forms of assessment and evaluation will also be explored. Staff will also review the Discriminatory and Harmful Language Protocols.
This learning will be presented using a combination of full staff learning and small group sessions. Some small group sessions will be arranged in department groupings while others will be arranged according to teacher learning goals.
Timing/Format
8:15-2:40 Full day in school
Facilitators:
The learning will be led by school administrators and school-based staff supported with materials and guidance from the School Programs Department.
Learning:
Implementation of department learning around the asset-based assessment and the removal of category weightings.
To deepen understanding of intentional teacher moves to further support the implementation of asset-based assessment
To tie these asset-based ‘teacher moves’ to the removal of category weightings
Detreaming