Belong

Belong

Provide a safe, welcoming, equitable, accessible and inclusive environment that reflects the diversity of our community.

Ensure that students and staff, including those who are Indigenous, Black, people of colour (racialized), persons with disabilities and members of 2SLGBTQIA communities can belong and access education.
Support healthy well-being for students and staff.
Provide for the needs of all learners in all aspects of schooling.
Recognize the unique needs of every student and provide them with the opportunities and supports to succeed.
Increase the knowledge of both students and staff around Indigenous history and perspectives and recognize Indigenous cultures and histories in all facets of Lakehead Public Schools.
Promote an environment that is welcoming and inclusive of diverse students and their families.

Foster a school community within which every student and staff feels accepted and welcome to be actively engaged.

Provide students a variety of opportunities to form relationships with their peers, teachers and other staff members both inside and outside of the classroom.
Create, with students, guiding values for schools.
Support a safe community where every student is comfortable collaborating and cooperating.
Encourage and create safe learning environments where Indigenous students can self-identify as Indigenous and develop a positive self-identity through learning their own histories, cultures, traditional values, contemporary lifestyles and traditional knowledges.
Recognize that each student and staff member play an important role in the community and appreciate their individual skills and talents.
Continually reflect and construct opportunities for students to play an active role in their educational experience.
Empower students and staff to recognize and engage students that rarely participate in the school community.

Promote a culture for students to express themselves and their identities.

Place an emphasis on student voice.
Provide spaces where students can explore their identity and learn about their school community.
Recognize and promote diverse forms of student leadership.
Promote a variety of leadership opportunities for diverse students.

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International Curling

We love to give students from Lakehead Public School International all that Thunder Bay has to offer. In December, more than 50 of them from all over the world headed to the Port Arthur Curling Centre to learn all about the great sport of curling. CBC Thunder Bay was there to catch all the action.

I AM

In October, more than 80 students from across Lakehead Public Schools took part in Harmony Movement Canada. Designed for grades 7-12, this interactive program engages participants through games, multi-media activities, and group discussions to introduce them to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion while developing their abilities to take leadership for social change.

We also kicked off the I AM: Campaign for LPS, which encourages students and families to share information about their identities to help us better understand the diversity and needs of our community and improve programming for students. Students will now design and lead programs in their schools like culture days, cooking experiences and a whole lot more. We can’t wait to see what they do throughout the school year!

You Belong Here

We know how amazing our dedicated staff our at contributing to the success of every student. There’s always room for more incredible people to help that great work continue, which is why we launched this video to share how great it is to have a career at Lakehead Public Schools.

Food, Fashion and Culture

In June, Superior proudly hosted its 2nd Annual Multicultural Fashion & Food Show — and what a celebration it was! Students shared their heritage through traditional clothing and special dishes, giving guests the chance to admire stunning cultural attire and enjoy delicious global flavors. From vibrant fabrics to mouthwatering bites, the evening was a joyful showcase of diversity, pride, and community.

Words of Wisdom

In October, Ms. Howie’s Grade 6/7’s at Kingsway Park Public School were asked to write down some “Words Of Wisdom” – a piece of advice or something they have learned that they thought would help younger students as they continue to grow and learn.

They put all of their advice together in one giant poster to share with their Grade 3 learning buddies from Ms. Compton’s room. After reading through the thoughtful advice from the Grade 6/7s, our Grade 3 students chose their favourite pieces and reflected on how they could use this advice in their daily lives.

This was a powerful collaboration that brought different grades together, strengthening the sense of community across our school. What an amazing example of how we can learn from one another and grow together!

Hands-On Donation

Mr. Dubyk stop by Westgate in October to chat about a recent donation he made on behalf of his late friend Mr. MacDonald. The two met when they were teachers at Lakehead Public Schools, including Westgate, and stayed friends after retirement. When Mr. MacDonald passed away earlier this year, Mr. Dubyk was his executor. Mr. MacDonald was always looking for things that his students could work on, fix and learn about, so Mr. Dubyk decided to donate his accessible van to the technology department at Westgate so the students there can learn all about the automotive and STEM involved. Thank you Mr. Dubyk for continuing Mr. MacDonald’s legacy!

Armstrong Harvest

In September, Grade 8’s at Armstrong Public School headed out to their school garden. The class spent the afternoon harvesting potatoes and cleaning up the space to get it ready for next year. It was a great hands-on experience, and the students worked hard to make sure everything is prepped for future planting. Later that week they cooked the potatoes for a school feast!

Introducing, eSports!

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Tbaytel, Hammarskjold High School, Westgate CVI and Superior CVI are ready to rumble in the digital arena. On Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, members of Lakehead Public Schools and Tbaytel gathered at Superior CVI to announce $30,000 from Tbaytel to help fund the LPS eSports League.

“From sportsmanship and character development to career and scholarship opportunities, along with being a lot of fun, we know that eSports provide so many opportunities for youth. Our staff can also incorporate eSports into their curriculum so our students learn valuable, modern skills,” said Lakehead District School Board Director of Education Sherri-Lynne Pharand.

“We would like to thank Tbaytel for this latest partnership and look forward to watching the LPS eSports League grow.”

While currently a longtime strategic partner of Lakehead Public Schools, this latest sponsorship was chosen to make technology a focus. As a result, Tbaytel recently purchased 10 Gaming PCs and 10 Gaming Monitors for each school, powered by Tbaytel Fibre Internet, so students can game like a pro.

“On behalf of Tbaytel, we are thrilled to support the eSports League in LPS secondary schools. This project was a natural fit for Tbaytel to support because it aligns with our mission to invest in community, technology and people. The eSports League brings technology and broadband connectivity to the forefront and will empower students, foster teamwork and community spirit. We look forward to seeing the eSports league thrive within the secondary schools,” said Amy Meunier, Tbaytel’s Director of Marketing & Communication.

Under the supervision of the school’s eSports coach, Westgate, Hammarskjold and Superior have started eSports Clubs to learn the fundamentals of the exciting and dynamic world of competitive gaming. Students have the opportunity to learn teamwork, communication skills and strategy along with more academic skills such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics and language arts. Eventually, the LPS eSports League looks forward to these clubs competing against each other, regional schools and even entering province-wide competitions. Later in the year, CBC Thunder Bay stopped by to learn all about it https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6616609

Raising Awareness

Lakehead Public Schools everywhere were busy with some incredible initiatives to mark Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week in November. Over at Algonquin Avenue Public School, we were so happy to have the Lakehead University Thunderwolves stop by to read The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig to help students learn all about kindness and lead a special literacy lesson! Algonquin also started a kindness tree to highlight and celebrate students who perform acts of kindness.

Rock Your Mocs

Kingsway Park Public School and schools across Lakehead Public Schools took part in Rock Your Mocs in November. This world-wide social media event celebrates Indigenous peoples by encouraging people wear moccasins and post photos, create videos or stories to share.

Franco-Ontarien Day

Students at École Gron Morgan celebrated La journée des Franco-Ontarien(ne)s. Gr. 8 French Immersion students led an activity with the SK students to learn about Francophone culture and new French vocabulary. The whole school collaborated on an Art installation exhibiting their Francophone community & pride within their school.

Les élèves d’École Gron Morgan ont célébré la journée des Franco-Ontariens(ne)s. Les élèves de 8e année en immersion française ont mené une activité avec des étudiants de la Maternelle pour apprendre d’avantage sur la culture Francophone et le nouveau vocabulaire français. Toute l’école a collaboré à une installation artistique qui met en valeur leur communauté francophone et la fierté de son école.

Alternative Communication

Thanks to student Brendan Haney and his family, Algonquin Avenue Public School now has 3 new Augmentative and Alternative Communication signs! One will be in the gym, one is in Brendan’s classroom and another is in the school’s outdoor classroom. Thank you to Brendan’s family and the Ontario Autism Program! These signs will help many students at the school communicate and succeed.

Traditional Teaching

In March, Inuit carver Priscilla Boulay for taught the students at Algonquin Avenue Public School how to carve soap stone wolves! Born into a family of multi-generational carvers in Tuktuuyaqtuuq (Tuktoyaktuk), Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT, Priscilla Boulay is a sculptor who works with stone, ivory, antler and horn, which she uses to depict Inuvialuit traditions and activities out on the land. Thank as well to Connected North for the opportunity.

Construction Conference

Lakehead Public Schools KZ Lodge Tiny Home Construction class from Hammarskjold High School attended the three-day First Nations Housing Conference at the Valhalla Inn. Students had the opportunity to learn about renovation techniques, mold and rot remediation with celebrity remodeler Jon Eakes. Students competed in a bathroom floor renovation contest, removing simulated rotten wood from a leaky toilet, replacing floor joists, blocking and plywood, installing new vinyl flooring and baseboard.

Hammarskjold students won 3 of the 4 events!! They showed a ton of pride in their hard work with smiles all around. Special shout out and thank you to everyone involved in making this such an amazing hands-on-learning experience.

Pride Month

Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute raised their Pride Flag in June and celebrated with special guest Adrienne Rosen. Adrienne is a legendary community activist and member of the Brunswick Four. Thank you for sharing your inspiring story with us Adrienne. Along with ceremonies across Lakehead Public Schools, we also raised the flag at the Jim McCuaig Education Centre in June with a ceremony led by Indigenous Student Trustee Eryn Genno. Thanks Eryn!

Black History Month

Students at Five Mile Public School spent Black History Month researching the contributions of Black Canadians and presenting their projects to their classrooms AND over the school’s announcements. Watch the video to hear them in action!

Domino Donation

In April, the Student Council at McKenzie Public School heard that the Dew Drop Inn needed cereal, which is a top 5 request for users of their Compassion Cupboard. The school donated more than 70 boxes of cereal in an amazing effort! Before that though, they stacked the boxes through the halls and toppled them like dominoes in celebration. Thank you to the school community for supporting the Cereal Box Domino Fall in support of the Dew Drop Inn!