2022 Election

- We teach children that mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell but not how to do a tax return, or how a credit card works, or how their credit score is calculated, or how to get a small business …loan. Many of these things are easy to roll into a math curriculum as assignments. Financial literacy may make the difference between whether the adults of tomorrow thrive or struggle.

- There has been a dramatic spike in suicide and mental health issues, but there are interventions we can use at scale to address this. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective psychiatric intervention we have, and the basics are easy to teach. I'd strongly push interventions to give students the mental tools usually found in professional therapy.

- Silent hallways are the policy of expecting students to go from one class to another without talking, which interrupts many opportunities for bullying in the hallway and allows students to concentrate on their classes.

- Physics is the most intricate and grand intellectual edifice in our civilization, and we teach it the hard way. I'd push for a restructuring of the physics curriculum, seeking advice from professors in Ontario, researchers at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical physics, and popular physics educators.

- The OECD has a series of studies comparing student achievement across countries, called the PISA studies. I'd call up the researchers involved to see what best practices from around the world can be brought here. Reading their most recent report has me eager to discuss their ideas.

- More generally, there are thousands of education researchers who are itching to have their research heard by School Boards. I intend to find them and hear about the ideas and evidence long overdue for inclusion in Board policy and curricula.

I look forward to serving the community. More

I’ve been a resident of Belleville for 15 years and, like you, I love it here. That is why I want to contribute to making sure it is the best place for our children to grow into well-prepared members of …society.

Children today are faced with challenges and obstacles unlike anything we’ve experienced before. In this rapidly changing world, it is often difficult for adults to keep up with shifting expectations. In many cases that pressure gets passed down to our children in ways that are unrealistic or unfair to them as individuals.

As a trustee, my goal would be to work with you, the school board and the other representatives to explore and action equitable options for learning, inclusiveness, comprehensive health & fitness with possible elective options, and mental health awareness and destigmatization.

Let’s create a better future for our children together. More

Matthew Pinchuk is a local businessperson who has spent the last 22 years in Belleville. After attending college and university in Peterborough, he and his wife returned to her hometown of Belleville to …work with a local children’s assistance agency in the role of Therapeutic Foster Parents for approximately 100 children over multiple years. He has two children, one who recently graduated from high school at Eastside Secondary and another currently attending Bayside in the French Immersion program. He is often found at the baseball diamonds coaching and assisting kids to learn and develop their skills and has served as a member of the Executive Team for the Belleville Amateur Baseball Association.

Pinchuk says he’s a very passionate and dedicated member of the community and wants to bring those traits to the position of Public School Board Trustee. His goal in running for the position of Public School Board Trustee is to bring more focus to Student Development and a Student First perspective to our community. There were many influences in Pinchuk’s life that he says helped shape him to be the person he is now. When reflecting on those people many are teachers. Teachers who took the time to truly understand who he was, where he wanted to go in life, and supported or directed him towards success. He would like to bring this type of experience to all students to help them develop into successful members of the community.

Pinchuk currently works in the staffing industry and sees there is a significant lack of potential employees in the region, and even more so when looking at the skilled trades and medical sciences. He feels that while there are many ways to currently bridge the gap, it is through education and development of our students that change will truly be achieved. Creating programs to encourage and develop and support skills relevant to our community and its needs is imperative in order to grow the community and children. These changes will take time and as such, Pinchuk has committed to sit for a minimum of two terms in the position of Public School Board Trustee in the hopes to bring stability to the position and advocate for the needs of the families in the region.

Commitments
• Supporting both our teachers, and students to create a positive learning environment
• Mitigating the impacts of potential labour disputes and ensuring students are not affected
• Supporting and advocating for the supports required for students with both educational and/or physical difficulties
• Continuing to develop and foster an educational environment that will help to develop our students and assist them in choosing, entering, and succeeding within the workforce or post-secondary education system More

Amanda is a freelance writer and community capacity builder focused on making communities more accessible for everyone who lives in them. She completed her master's degree in Occupational Therapy at the …University of Toronto in 2012; and since graduating, became a mom to three, now public-school students, completed a professional communications certificate, and started her own freelance writing business. Amanda works predominantly with clients who aim to break down barriers for people to participate fully in their communities. She strongly believes in the importance of engaging individuals, especially youth, in meaningful activities and understands the urgency of (re)engaging HPEDSB students with learning as we emerge out of the pandemic.

Amanda has chaired Queen Victoria School (QVS) Council for four years and has participated on various subcommittees of HPEDSB's Parent Involvement Committee, including the Parents Reaching Out Grant Committee, and the 1st Annual Parent Symposium. She has also worked as an occasional emergency supply teacher at QVS, providing classroom support and delivering curriculum to students in kindergarten to grade 6. Amanda has been on the John Howard Society of Belleville's Board of Directors for 6 years and is currently the Treasurer of the board. As the treasurer of a sizeable non-profit, she is no stranger to overseeing limited and ever-changing program funding. She also coaches in the Belleville Boys Spirits Basketball player development program.

Amanda and her family moved to Belleville six years ago. Prior to that, she grew up on a dairy farm outside of Stratford, met her husband while completing her BA in Psychology at the University of Guelph, and lived in both Toronto and Hamilton during their post grad training. She is a 4H Ontario Alum and was part of the Ontario Fair Ambassador Program.

How will Amanda help strengthen publicly funded education in HPEDSB?

- Prioritize student achievement and wellbeing
- Ensure evidence-based policy and decision-making
- Advocate for robust funding of public schools
- Ensure schools, board policies and programs are accessible for all students
- Support extracurricular programming More

My name is Emma Travis. I am a proud and loving mother of 4, supportive and adoring wife to a trucker, smart business owner, and I am an eternal optimist. I am not a wordsmith so here is a simple list …of what a vote for me means:

- Support for programs that eliminate barriers and create equal access to education for all students.

- Support for tolerance and inclusion of all students

- Support for parental choice within schools for vaccines and sexual education

- Improved mental health support for all students and staff

- Fight to keep Adventure Class open and create more adventure classes in other schools within our board

- Support integrative and hands-on learning

- Never force children to wear masks again (choice should remain with the parents)

- No more cancel culture in schools

I will fight to ensure our children have the necessary physical, emotional, mental, and psychological skills to survive and thrive in real life.

I have more detailed information available on my website www.EmmaTravis.com More

I live in North Marysburgh and my two children grew up in our school system. They are PECI graduates and current university students. I operate a small, mixed-livestock farm, am a part-time municipal employee …and union steward, and run a small business.

I am also the founder of All Welcome Here and work to be an outspoken community builder. We focus on equity and anti-racism to ensure our community is as inclusive as we all believe it can be.

Volunteering is also important to me and I have worked with The County of Prince Edward, The ROC, the Greater Than Youth Collective, Community Futures Building Youth Foundation, and more.

I hope you will join with me as we work together to ensure our youth – our future community leaders, colleagues and volunteers – receive the best education we can possibly give them.

Why vote for me? I want to be a real advocate who will:

• Ensure our schools are an inclusive and safe space for ALL of our students (and staff), especially those students who are 2SLGBTQIA+, people of colour/BIPOC, low income, those with learning challenges or mental/physical disabilities, etc. so that no one is left behind.

• Address in-school and online harassment and bullying.

• Support our students’ mental, physical and social health, particularly in this “post-COVID” world.

• Make sure our students are fully equipped to be successful inside and outside of The County! More

How could we make our schools be the best they can be for our children?

Hello, my name is Kandis Hambly.

As a successful small business owner and mother of 2 children within the public school …system, I believe I have a solid background to help support and advocate for the needed changes within our schools. Success for all students is an important focus and I am passionate about building a school system that supports that. My experience includes roles such as School Council Chair, a parent volunteer, fundraising, and being involved in an Accommodation Review Committees (ARC).

I believe we need to focus on the plan to catch up. We need to center our attention on our children’s mental health, their right to read, their wellbeing and relationships in and around our schools. So let me be your voice! Together, we can get the job done and make a real difference. More