These offerings provide a range of opportunities for Members to collaborate and connect on different topics and professional responsibilities. 

 Indigenous Connections
Indigenous Connections is a series of opportunities for school leaders to engage in conversations that deepen their understanding of Indigenous history, heritage, and culture. These facilitated sessions are designed to maximize peer-to-peer connection and sharing of ideas, especially those connected to creating school environments that acknowledge and honour Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and where all students can thrive and grow.  

Session #5 - School Improvement Planning in Indigenous Education

Description: Participants will learn about frameworks to engage in the work of Indigenous Education and Truth and Reconciliation in school improvement planning and implementation. Participants will: 

  • Engage in self-reflection in relation to identity and land;
  • Gain understanding of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Actions;
  • Think about data to inform decision making in relation to school improvement;
  • Plan for possible actions to inform staff learning.

Date: Thursday, March 9, 2023

Time: 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST

Facilitator: Robert Durocher

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Robert Durocher (Métis/French) is currently a Centrally Assigned Vice-Principal, Indigenous Education at the Urban Indigenous Education Centre at Toronto District School Board.  Previous to this he worked as Instructional Leader, Indigenous Education where he initiated the first Two-Spirit/Indigequeer Pride.  He co-wrote an educator resource on Cultural Appropriation vs Appreciation.  Robert also worked as a K-12 Learning Coach and was seconded faculty at York University's Faculty of Education with arts education and teacher candidates.  He enjoys drawing, collage and photography when he has time.

Principal Coffee Connections

OPC is offering 30-minute “Coffee connections”. During these drop-in sessions you can join us with your morning coffee, tea, juice or water and discussion some of the issues you are dealing with along with principals and vice-principals from across Ontario or joint with the British Columbia Principals' and Vice-Principals' Association (BCPVPA). We may choose to focus on a specific topic, or we may not. The intention is to provide a space where you can have a coffee and friendly conversation with colleagues. Sessions will take place on the third Thursday of each month and will alternate between a 7:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. start time.

Sessions

  • April 20 at 7:00 p.m. EDT
  • May 18 at 7:30 a.m. EDT
  • June 15 at 7:00 p.m. EDT

Register

 Equity Connections

Equity Connections is a series of opportunities for school leaders to engage in conversations that deepen their understanding of anti-racism and anti-oppression. These facilitated sessions are designed to maximize sharing of ideas, especially those connected to creating anti-oppressive school environments and where all students can thrive and grow.

Session # 6: Queering Leadership

Description: During this session, we will explore ideas such as questioning the very concept of leadership, living in the contradictions of leadership and looking elsewhere for leadership. We will also examine

  • strategic disruption and activism
  • making and taking up space
  • centring the body, desire, and pleasure
  • engaging the unknown
  • diffusing the liminal
  • the ambiguous
  • living and leading for collective liberation as we trace a different set of ancestors.

This session is informed by the Queering Leadership episode of Vidya's podcast, The UnLeading Project

Date: Tuesday, March, 28, 2023.

Time: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. EST

Cost: Free for OPC members and associate members. Non-members - $50.00 + HST

Facilitator: Dr. Vidya Shah, York University

Panelist: Barry Bedford, Principal of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion/ Multi-Language Learners in the SCDSB

Please ensure you register through the correct link.

OPC Member Registration

Non-Member Registration

Dr. Vidya Shah is an educator committed to issues of equity and justice. She is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education, York University and teaches in the Master of Leadership and Community Engagement and Initial Teacher Education Programs. She received her Doctorate in Educational Administration from the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education at the University of Toronto and her research explores the contributing factors to district reform for equity. Vidya has worked in the Model Schools for Inner Cities Program in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and was a primary, junior and intermediate classroom teacher in the TDSB. She is currently the GTA Regional Lead for the Réseau de Savoir sur l’Équité/Equity Knowledge Network in partnership with the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa and the Ontario Ministry of Education. Vidya is also a curriculum writer and is actively involved in community initiatives.

 

Virtual Schools Professional Learning Network (PLN)

This PLN focuses on the opportunities and challenges of leading virtual schools.  Driven by participant voices, this is an opportunity for Members with responsibility or interest in leading virtual schools to engage with colleagues to share ideas, strategies, experiences and learning needs.  Please join us in this supportive, engaging learning opportunity.

Session #1:

Date: Wednesday, November 23, 2022.

Time:  4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. EST.

Facilitators: Shaundell Parris, Asha Rathod

Session #1.5:

Date: Tuesday, December 13, 2022.

Time:  4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. EST.

Facilitators: Shaundell Parris, Asha Rathod

 

Register

Session #2:

Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

Time:  4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. EST.

Facilitators: Shaundell Parris, Asha Rathod

Session #3:

Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2023.

Time:  4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. EDT.

Facilitators: Shaundell Parris, Asha Rathod

Registration:

Register

 

Please note that registering for the session linked above will register you for all three sessions. Additionally, registration is open to everyone at any time, even if you have missed the first or second session.

Leadership Development Professional Learning Network (PLN)

Leadership development continues to be an important focus for all school districts, including support and learning for emerging leaders and newly appointed administrators. This PLN is for Members who are involved in leadership development activities in their districts to come together and share some of their ideas, strategies and experiences.  Whether you are in a central role or are a committee member that supports leadership development and are interested in forming a network to connect and share, this PLN will be for you.

Session #1:

Date: Tuesday, November 22, 2022.

Time:  3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST.

Facilitator: Lawrence DeMaeyer

Session #2:

Date: Wednesday, January 11, 2023.

Time: 3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST.

Facilitator: Lawrence DeMaeyer

Session #3:

Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

Time:  3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. EDT.

Facilitator: Lawrence DeMaeyer

Registration:

Register

 

Please note that registering for the session linked above will register you for all three sessions. Additionally, registration is open to everyone at any time, even if you have missed the first or second session.

Adult Learning (Continuing Ed.) Professional Learning Network (PLN)

This PLN focuses on the opportunities and challenges of leading adult/continuing education programs in school districts.  Driven by participant voices, this is an opportunity for Members with responsibility for, or interest in, leading adult/continuing education programs to engage with colleagues to share ideas, strategies, experiences and learning needs.  Please join us in this supportive, engaging learning opportunity.

Session #1:

Date: Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

Time:  3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST.

Facilitator: Lawrence DeMaeyer

 

Session #2:

Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

Time: 3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST.

Facilitator: Lawrence DeMaeyer

Registration:

Register

 

Please note that registering for the session linked above will register you for all sessions. Additionally, registration is open to everyone at any time, even if you have missed the first session.