PRESIDENT'S JOURNAL

CPCO’s Governance Model

This week I begin follow-up work with CPCO’s district representatives from all of our Catholic school boards.  All CDRs (Council of District Representatives) have been asked to complete a survey for me to provide some context and data for the traditional president’s September phone call.  These conversations will assist me in my preparations for local association visits throughout the year as well as provide me with a snap shot of models of best practice and challenges in leading a Catholic school in this province.   

The information I collect is critical to the executive council (CPCO’s board of directors) as they oversee critical pathways that CPCO will embark on this year. The information will also be shared with all CDRs at the November meeting in Toronto. CPCO’s governance model relies heavily on a flow of communication from individual members to the executive council. This is accomplished through feedback received from the CDRs who represent their local associations. The stronger your engagement in your local association, the stronger CPCO’s voice is at provincial partner tables. Members are always welcome to contact me directly should an issue or concern arise that they wish to communicate to me personally.

Local Association Visits

My visits to local associations provide me with first-hand experiences of the diverse communities that Catholic principals and vice-principals serve. These insights allow me to bring those unique challenges in the form of stories and examples to the Ministry of Education and to our Catholic school partners. As school leaders we are charged with “raising the bar and lowering the gap” and overseeing the faith formation/education of our students. This awesome responsibility is best realized when we work together and remain committed to a strong provincial professional association. 

Professional Learning Days

Many of you have either opened or are about to open your school. Some of you will be starting your year with professional learning days for your staff.  More and more, the facilitation of professional learning days rests entirely with the principal. This can be a very time-consuming and onerous task.  Please be aware that CPCO has an excellent variety of professional learning modules available to all members. I strongly recommend that you take a look at the on-line brochure to see if there is something that you might be able to use in the delivery of professional learning to your staff.  Should you have any questions about these modules, please contact Program Director Patty Orecchio at porecchio@cpco.on.ca or Professional Learning Director Barbara McMorrow at bmcmorrow@cpco.on.ca.

Upcoming Events

September 8 - Ontario College of Teachers
September 10 - Meeting with Archbishop Collins
September 11 - CDR phone call prep

If you would like to comment or provide feedback on the President’s Journal, please contact Paul Lacalamita at president@cpco.on.ca.