Employee Recognition
Congratulations to the following employees on reaching career milestones!
- 25th Anniversaries: Jeffrey Rajala and Kendall McClain
- Retirements: Doug Olson, Lori Woodgate, Ruth Siemens, Shannon Schmidt, Susan Herman, and Verna White
Recognition of Service Awards
Congratulations to the following winners of the 2025 Annual Recognition of Service Awards
Bus Drivers of the Year:
- Maury Nielson
- Tom Duchnicki
Employees of the Year:
- Nikki, Armstrong, Manager of Rainy River District Transportation Services Consortium
- Shannon Schmidt, Education Assistant from Fort Frances High School Intermediate
- Rebecca Tolen, Youth Outreach Worker from Robert Moore School
Volunteer of the Year: Cynthia Vanuden
Community Partner of the Year: Robyn Melville of Community Living Fort Frances
Unfinished Business – Trustee Honoraria
Trustees passed a resolution to amend the rates within Policy 1.43 Trustee Honoraria to reflect 100% enrolment for the Chair and Vice Chair effective the Trustee term starting in 2026.
View the Finance Committee Report.
System-Program/Curriculum Success
Literacy Lead Lynne Avis provided a brief presentation on the RRDSB District Speech contest after which, Quinn Wannamaker, winner of the Junior Division, presented her speech “My True Happiness”, and Leah Teeple, winner of the Intermediate Division, presented her speech “Superstitions”. Both students attend Crossroads School.
First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Education Administrator Kim Kirk and Ojibwe Language Coordinator Jason Jones provided a presentation on the RRDSB’s participation in Gagwe-gikendamaawiziwin, an annual Ojibwe competition hosted by Seven Generations Education Institute.
Robert Moore School placed 1st and JW Walker School placed 3rd in the Junior Division. Fort Frances High School Intermediate placed 2nd and Crossroads School placed 3rd in the Intermediate Division.
View the System-Program/Curriculum Success Report.
Board Reports
Special Education Advisory Committee – Updated Special Education Plan
Trustees passed a resolution to approve the updated 2024-2025 Special Education Plan.
View the Special Education Advisory Committee Report.
Program and Planning – Demographic Data Review
Superintendent of Education Elizabeth Fairfield provided a presentation on data broken down by gender identity and ethnicity as they pertain to graduation rates, pathways, and special education services. Prior to her presentation, she cautioned against problematizing the students represented in the data.
View the Program and Planning Committee Report.
Policy Committee – Policies for Approval
Trustees approved the following policies:
- 6.20 School Attendance Zones
- 6.63 Video Surveillance
- 8.23 Student Competitors’ Assistance Fund
Trustees approved Policy 4.01 Child Abuse Prevention and Reporting for community consultation.
View the Policy Committee Report.
Next Board Meeting
A Special Board Meeting is scheduled for June 30, 2025, 7:00 pm (time is tentative) at the RRDSB Education Centre. Those members of the public wishing to audit the meeting may do so in person, or via the link posted to the RRDSB website calendar.
The next Regular Board Meeting is scheduled for September 2, 2025.
Check out our Facebook page for photos from the meeting!