Four school principals from the Conseil scolaire catholique de Nouvel-Ontario (CSCNO) were recently recognized by the Association des directions et des directions adjointes des écoles franco-ontariennes (ADFO). All four received awards at the ADFO’s annual conference on October 18^th in Toronto.

Yves Laliberté, Principal at École secondaire catholique Champlain (Chelmsford), and Paul Henry, Principal at École secondaire du Sacré-Cœur (Sudbury) and Carrefour Options+, both received the first-ever ADFO Leadership Award. The award recognizes principals for their exceptional leadership contributions to their communities.

Under Mr. Laliberté, ÉSC Champlain received the 2018 Premier’s Award for Safe and Accepting Schools and was also designated a Microsoft Showcase School. In December 2017, his extraordinary leadership also earned him a Canada 150 pin for his contributions to youth leadership.

Read more: Four CSCNO School Principals Receive Provincial Honours

In late 2016, Marshall Jarvis, Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) General Secretary, approached CCSTA Executive Director Julian Hanlon about forming a partnership between the two organizations. OECTA is the only union in Canada that represents only Catholic teachers.

“We got together with them in Toronto for a meeting, and we talked about cooperating in areas where we could,” said Mr. Hanlon. “And OECTA has a lot of professional development resources available for teachers.”

CCSTA President Marino Gazzola said that these resources could be very valuable to Catholic educators across the country.

“A lot of our provincial associations, especially the ones that are not funded, don’t have access to those types of resources without buying them,” said Mr. Gazzola. “OECTA’s proposal was that they would share what they have free of charge.”

“We know that our partners across the country certainly appreciate having access to it,” said Mr. Hanlon. “The associations have all expressed interest in using them.”

Read more: OECTA Shares Educational Resources

This school year, the OCSTA is launching the Ontario Campaign for Toonies for Tuition, in support of the CCSTA’s yearly campaign to help ensure children and youth across Canada can access Catholic education in their hometown.

Beverley Eckensweiler, OCSTA President, said the idea to provide greater support for Toonies for Tuition came after learning that if every student in a fully funded Catholic school donated a toonie, the funds raised would exceed the amount requested every year.

“We’re so blessed here in Ontario,” said Mrs. Eckensweiler. “What a great opportunity for our students to be able to support other students who don’t have the blessings they have with Catholic education funding.”

While the OCSTA is helping promote the Toonies for Tuition campaign, they are leaving it up to individual school boards to decide on the best way to raise funds. That allows each board to organize the campaign that works best for their community. Some boards are already getting started.

Read more: The Ontario Campaign for Toonies for Tuition