August 2, 2022—This update provides a summary of the public meeting of the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board held August 2, 2022, livestreamed (the recorded version will be available within 24 hours). It is an unofficial summary of the meeting; official minutes will be approved at the next regular meeting in September.
Land Acknowledgement
Jennifer Cobb, Trustee, North Prince Edward County, recited the Land Acknowledgement: As we begin this meeting, we would like to acknowledge that we are gathering on the traditional land of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinabe and Wendat Huron peoples. As we, as a society, delve deeper into truth and reconciliation, we need to consider not only our relationships with each other but the relationship we have with the land. What does this land mean to you and how can you protect and nourish it? A Land Acknowledgement is nothing without action to support a path forward together. What relationships do we need to cultivate? What actions do we need to take? What is necessary to enact real, substantive change?
Recommendations
Appointment of a superintendent of education
Board members approved the appointment of Kristen Niemi as a superintendent of education, effective August 22, 2022.
Ms. Niemi comes to HPEDSB as an experienced superintendent, having been in a similar role at District School Board Ontario North East (DSBONE) for the past four years. While there, she led the K-12 Learning and Teaching portfolio, which included Student Success, Innovation and Alternative Education. Prior to that, she held administrator roles in several elementary and secondary schools over eight years, and taught as a secondary teacher for 11 years, at DSBONE and Near North District School Board.
Ms. Niemi will be responsible for the support and supervision of the Eastside and North Hastings school groups, and the portfolios of Equity, Innovation, Indigenous Education and Safe Schools. She and her family will be relocating to the area in the coming weeks.
For more information, please contact Kerry Donnell, Communications and Privacy Manager, 613-966-1170, extension 62354, or 613-847-0696, or [email protected]