Natalie Bui’s parents don’t push her to do well in school—she pushes herself. She’s always been outgoing, self-motivated and driven. From her early years as a primary student in Vietnam to being an international student at the Peel Academy for International Students, every day she is closer to her dream of becoming a doctor.
The Peel District School Board is committed to promoting positive mental health for all students. Student mental health is identified as a board priority within the Community, Culture and Caring pillar of our Board Improvement Plan.
Our Mental Health Strategy helps us to:
Students need support and guidance from caring adults in their families, at schools and in their communities. These include ongoing secure relationships with parents as well as formal and informal relationships with teachers, mentors, coaches, peers, youth volunteers and community members. Ensuring positive student mental health is a shared responsibility of students, parents, community partners and all staff.
Our vision is to provide a comprehensive mental health strategy for all students that promotes positive mental health, creates a culture of caring and empathy regarding mental health and enables all stakeholders to collaborate with community partners in a coordinated, responsive and effective manner.
The Peel board will work to de-stigmatize mental health and promote a culture of support and caring regarding student mental health. We respect and value our diverse communities and seek to understand and support their unique needs. Collaboration is the key to our work as we develop and implement our Mental Health Strategy—we are committed to involving all stakeholders and to clearly communicating our collaborative action plan.
For more information, contact Maureen Mackay, the Peel board’s student well-being coordinator, at 905-890-1010 (1-800-668-1146) ext. 3359.
As of September 2014, all Peel kindergarten classrooms offer full-day early learning programs. At the Peel board, full-day kindergarten was phased in over five years. Schools were selected based on available space, community need (using Social Risk Index data), impact on existing local child care, student achievement, and readiness to implement. View a full list of sites, organized by implementation year.
The Peel board has committed to a range of products to make devices affordable for families. During the 2013-14 school year, the Peel board announced partnerships with the following technology providers:
Clarkson Secondary School has a long-standing commitment to fundraising that supports various cancer charities. Since they began fundraising in the early 1970s, Clarkson has raised more than $750,000 for this worthy cause, including $150,000 to purchase a chemotherapy chair at Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga.
During the past decade the Cancer Drive has generated funds for Camp Oochigeas, a volunteer-based organization that provides kids with and affected by childhood cancer with unique opportunities for growth through challenging, fun, enriching and magical experiences. During the 2013-14 school year, 850 students and staff raised more than $30,000 during the school’s week-long cancer drive, a record that overwhelmed the school community and Camp Oochigeas' executive director and staff.
Clarkson’s annual Cancer Drive has become the single greatest activity/cause that all Clarkson Chargers identify as what makes Clarkson outstanding. The spirit, activities and results have generated a sense of pride that has created a legacy in the community.