October 30th, 2023

Monday, November 13, 2023, is a professional development (PD) day for elementary and secondary school staff.

  • Students will not attend school, in person or virtually
  • All board-operated Extended Day and Youth Development programs will be closed

About Professional Development (PD) Days

PD days are held throughout the school year to provide learning opportunities for school-based staff. This professional learning focuses on providing educators and staff with the knowledge and skills needed to support and enhance student achievement and well being.

What Elementary School Staff Are Learning

Monday, November 13, 2023 – Full Day Session

  • Focus:
    • Curriculum implementation with a focus on:
      • Moving to one mark for Language
      • Unpacking Strands A, C, D of the new Language Curriculum
    • School Learning and Improvement Work
      • Differentiated by school and determined by each school’s improvement goal
    • Acadience Training
  • Formats: In-person
  • Learning delivery methods:
    • Facilitated discussions
    • Group activities
    • Hands-on training and workshops
  • Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Waterloo Region District School Board
  • Schools Participating: All Elementary schools

Content of Staff Learning

  • Using a data informed approach to assess changes in student learning
  • Planning tier one instruction, focusing on instructional approaches listed in the revised 2023 Language curriculum, to support literacy learning across all subject areas.
  • Grade 1 and Grade 2 teachers who have applied will participate in Acadience training to support the implementation of a universal literacy screener

What Secondary School Staff Are Learning

Monday, November 13, 2023 – Full Day Session

  • Focus:
    • English curriculum implementation
    • Assessment and evaluation
    • De-streaming with a focus on literacy and numeracy
    • School Learning and Improvement Work:
      • Differentiated by school and determined by each school’s improvement goal
  • Format: In-person
  • Learning delivery method:
    • Facilitated discussions
    • Small and large group activities
  • Presenter(s)/Facilitator(s): Waterloo Region District School Board
  • Schools Participating: All Secondary schools

Content of Staff Learning

  • Unpacking the new English curriculum
  • Planning assessments aligned with a de-streamed approach
  • Continuing to implement tiered intervention approaches designed to engage all learners in de-streamed classrooms

Learn more about Professional Development for School Staff on the WRDSB website.