Welcome to the 11th annual CPCO conference!

On behalf of the administrators of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, welcome to the city of Toronto and the 2009 CPCO annual conference. Our Director, John Kostoff and Chair of the Board, Mario Pascucci, as well as our very supportive senior administration and Board of Trustees, welcome all CPCO members from across the province. This year’s theme, Celebrating the Human Face of God is truly a reflection of our diverse community here in Dufferin-Peel. Our two-day conference will provide us with the strength to shepherd our community in faith, as well as provide spiritual hope to embrace and lead our diverse communities in this ever-changing world.

This is the 11th anniversary of the Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario. On Thursday evening we open with the Liturgy of the Word, followed by dinner and our keynote speaker, Mr. Stephen Lewis. Mr. Lewis is one of the world’s most influential speakers on human rights, social justice and international development. This world renowned speaker will set the stage for our conference and help us to find within our school communities the reflection of God in the faces of each person that we encounter. He will also help us to embrace our work towards a campaign for social justice, equality and human dignity for each child that we touch.

On Friday morning the conference opens with our keynote speaker the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, minister of education. She will be speaking to us about the vision of leadership within the schools of Ontario. She will speak of some of the new initiatives that the Ministry introduced this year. This will be followed by a question period.

A number of excellent workshops have been arranged for this conference on a wide range of topics of professional and personal interest. There will be dynamic presentations on such topics as Aboriginal rights and education, differentiated learning, the welcoming and inclusion of English Language Learners (ELL students), the L’Arche community as diverse learners, conflict resolution, and many more. In addition to these professional and personal development workshops there will be time to ask questions and share new and innovative ideas with colleagues from across the province.

Throughout the day on Friday, you are encouraged to visit the vendor hall and meet the many exhibitors. Please remember to have your passports signed by each vendor that you visit and to enter the draws at the end of the day. Your generosity in purchasing the passports will go towards our ShareLife campaign for the Archdiocese of Toronto. ShareLife is one of the largest organizations that touches needy people throughout the province.

On Friday afternoon, we will celebrate the Eucharist with Bishop Peter J. Hundt who is the chair of the Ontario Conference of Bishops’ Social Affairs Commission and Father Jim Roth the chaplain of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. Our Gala Dinner will follow Mass.

The conference committee for 2009 is made up of elementary and secondary principals and vice-principals, some of whom worked on last year’s conference hospitality night. We thank them for their dedication and for the endless hours of work they have put in to make this conference the best it can be. We are excited to welcome you back to our Dufferin-Peel community as we Celebrate the Human Face of God, each with our own gifts and talents. Come together to proclaim Catholic education in the province of Ontario.

Silvana Gos and Sarah Russell
Conference Co-chairs