FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Leading edge orientation program welcomes teachers
18 August 2005, Belleville, Ontario—Starting new teachers off on the right foot is a goal of an orientation program. Next week, 75 new full-time and long-term occasional teachers from primary, junior, intermediate, special education and secondary divisions will participate in workshops on setting up the classroom for learning and success, program planning, implementing literacy across the curriculum, assessment and evaluation, plus a host of other board and policy related topics.

This is the ninth year for the new teacher orientation program, and builds upon the success of the Board’s participation in the Ministry of Education’s Mentoring Demonstration Program as one of 21 project sites in the province. The format includes a combination of large group sessions and smaller rotating workshops over the four days.

“Our Board is admired as a leader in new teacher orientation. Each year we hear how valuable the experience is for new teachers,” remarks Judy Edgar, Chair of the Board. “We have developed a comprehensive program that sets a supportive tone. Orientation helps to ensure new teachers feel supported on the first day of school because they’ve had a chance to meet other new teachers, do some networking, and find out how the Board operates.”

New for this year
This year’s orientation sessions will be enhanced through the following:
1. Health and safety training
2. All the Right Moves training which teaches crisis prevention skills
3. Opportunity for new teachers and their mentors to interact and exchange ideas

All sessions are designed to provide new teachers with an overview of board policies and teaching strategies, and give enough specific information to get them started on the first day of school. Additional training is offered at strategic points in the school year to further support them, such as sessions to understand how to complete the assessment and evaluation sections of report cards.

Media representatives are invited to attend new teacher orientation
DATE: Wednesday, August 24th

LOCATION: The Boardroom in the Education Centre, 156 Ann Street, Belleville

TIME:
8:30 a.m. – Meet and Greet
8:45 a.m. – Welcome - Judy Edgar, Chair of the Board, and Kathy Soule, Director of Education
9:30 a.m. – Rotating workshops begin

The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board has 54 schools serving 18,400 students, employing 1,070 teachers and 705 support staff. The Board covers a wide geographical area of 7,221 square kilometres bordered by Maynooth to the north, Deseronto to the east, Prince Edward County to the south, and Quinte West to the west.

For information, contact:
• Kerry Donnell, Communications Officer, (613) 966-1170, or 1 800 267-4350, ext. 2354