Professional Activity Days

Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, boards of education in Ontario are required to post a detailed summary of Professional Activity (PA) days on our board or school websites. The requirements are outlined in Policy and Program Memorandum (PPM) 151.

We invite you to learn more about the Durham Catholic District School Board's PA day activities below. Summary information will be posted to this webpage 14 days in advance of each PA day. Please subscribe to this webpage to receive updates directly to your email.

If you have any questions about PA days, please contact your DCDSB home school.

Elementary PA Day Summary

Thursday, August 31, 2023 - PA Day 1

Date: Thursday, August 31, 2023

Length: Full Day

Topic 1: AM - Creating the Conditions for Learning

Location: In-person at schools

Presenter/Facilitators: School administration

Description: Topics will include information on mental health and well-being, including the Indigenous wellness and mental health framework, operational procedures, and the spiritual theme for the year of Speaking With the Heart. This learning will involve discussion on student activities for the transition into school to build strong connections and community within the classrooms.

Topic 2: PM – please see the table below for differentiation of learning information.

Afternoon PA Day Sessions
Staff	Location	Focus of Learning	Facilitators
Grade 1 to 8 Classroom, Curriculum Coverage and Program Support Teachers	Staff will remain at school for principal directed activities	Unpacking the new language curriculum	School Administration
Kindergarten Educators (DECE and Teachers)	All Saints Catholic School	6 Big Ideas in the Science of Reading	Literacy Consultants and Intervention Teachers
Grade 1-8 French Immersion Teachers	Pope Francis Centre	How to implement structured literacy in the classroom	French Consultants
Core French Teachers	St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic School	CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) in the Core French Classroom	French Consultants
Educational Assistants	School sites	Transition entry preparation for students with special needs as per the direction of School Administration	School Administration

Friday, October 6, 2023 - PA Day 2

Date: Friday, October 6, 2023

Length: Full Day

Topic 1: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - Creating the Conditions for Learning

Location: In-person at schools

Presenter/Facilitators: School Administration

Description: Educators will learn about brain theory, how the brain seeks out conditions for safety, and how culture influences how the brain responds. Educators will also be provided with School Mental Health Ontario (SMHO) resources and practical strategies from The Regulated Classroom (Daniels, 2022) to focus on creating the conditions for learning that students need. The focus will be on theoretical information and practical strategies to promote inclusion in the classroom, as a Tier 1 strategy for all learners.

Topic 2: Please see the tables below for differentiation of learning information.

Morning PA Day Sessions

Staff	Location	Focus of Learning	Facilitators
Kindergarten to Grade 3 Educators	Staff will remain at school for Principal directed activities	Using Universal Reading Screeners to Support Foundational Reading Skills	David Fainstein via Video Conference
Grade 4 to 8 Educators	Staff will remain at school for principal directed activities	Using High Impact Instructional Practices to Support Numeracy	School Administration
Grade 1-3 French Immersion Educators	Pope Francis Centre	Universal Screening Diagnostics to Support Fundamental Reading Concepts	DCDSB French Consultant
Grade 4-8 Core French Educators and Grade 4-8 French Immersion	Pope Francis Centre	Collaborative Review of French as a Second Language Resources	DCDSB Educators

Afternoon PA Day Sessions

Staff	Location	Focus of Learning	Facilitators
Kindergarten to Grade 3 Educators	Staff will remain at school for Principal directed activities	Linking the Science of Reading to the new Language Curriculum	Self-facilitated
Grade 4 to 8 Educators	Staff will remain at school for Principal directed activities	Using Math Digital Tools in the Classroom	School Administration
Grade 1-3 French Immersion Educators	Pope Francis Centre	Universal Screening Diagnostics to Support Fundamental Reading Concepts.	DCDSB French Consultant
Grade 4-8 Core French Educators and Grade 4-8 French Immersion	Pope Francis Centre	CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) Activities in French as a Second Language Classes	DCDSB Educators

Secondary PA Day Summary

Thursday, August 31, 2023 - PA Day 1

Date: Thursday, August 31, 2023

Length: Full Day

Topic 1: AM - Creating the Conditions for Learning

Location: In-person at schools

Presenter/Facilitators: School administration

Description: Topics may include information on mental health and well-being, including the Indigenous wellness and mental health framework, operational procedures, and the spiritual theme for the year of Speaking with the Heart. This learning will involve discussion on student activities for the transition into school to build strong connections and community within the classrooms.

Topic 2: PM - staff will be engaged in learning using the agenda below.

Location: In-person at schools

Presenter/Facilitators: School administration, Guidance staff and Department Chairs

Agenda:

1. Unpacking New curriculum Documents

Staff will review and unpack revised curriculums for 2023:

English De-streaming Grade 9 (ENL1W)
Computer Studies Grade 10 Course Digital Technology and Innovations

2. Digital Student Portfolios

All departments will learn about the purpose of digital student portfolios in EDSBY. They will review student portfolios for incoming Grade 9 students and engage in discussions as to how these can be used to create the conditions for learning for students in our de-streamed classrooms.

Educational Assistants will prepare for student entry of students with special needs in the afternoon following the direction of school administration.

Friday, October 6, 2023 - PA Day 2

Date: Friday, October 6, 2023

Length: Full Day

Topic 1: AM - Creating the Conditions for Learning

Location: In-person at schools

Presenter/Facilitators: School administration

Topic 2: PM - staff will be engaged in learning using the agenda below.

Location: In-person at schools

Presenter/Facilitators: School Administration and Curriculum Chairs

Afternoon Agenda

Using Assessment and Evaluation to Support Student Improvement - Part 1

Using the Growing Success document, the focus of the learning will be on the triangulation of data and how educators can be intentional in gathering evidence of student learning, in de-streamed courses and beyond, through observation and conversations with students, rather than relying on products only. They will work collaboratively to create tasks which can capture this student learning. Additionally, educators will begin to think about the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how this might impact their evaluation practices.

Using Assessment and Evaluation to Support Student Improvement - Part 2

Educators will be working in their departments to create new assessments based on the "Thinking" category in their course. This will involve agreeing on key indicators that can be used to measure where students are in their thinking and what feedback they need to improve. They will determine tools and processes on how observations and conversations can be used in assessment to counter the use of artificial intelligence in products.