Latest news with #RainbowDistrictSchoolBoard
CBC
5 days ago
- General
- CBC
Confederation Secondary School, police in partnership for ATV safety week
Social Sharing Confederation Secondary School is partnering with the Greater Sudbury Police Service (GSPS) for the third consecutive year on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) safety awareness program. ATV safety week is being observed from May 30 to June 8, with activities focusing on building awareness among ATV operators, including young people, about riding ATVs in a safe manner. Jody Jakubo, program co-ordinator, SHSM and experiential learning with the Rainbow District School Board, said the program includes an in-class component as well as a chance for the kids to hit the trails. "The Greater Sudbury Police Services and the MNR [Ministry of Natural Resources] come to the school and they do a safety presentation as well as a conservation presentation," Jakubo told CBC News. "They talk to the students about keeping safe on the road, they talk about the rules and the regulations and the bylaws, and then the MNR talks about being respectful of the environment. So, the kids spend half the day in class learning before we even set foot out on the trails together." On Wednesday a team of 13 students in Grade 11 and Grade 12, under the watchful eyes of the police, hit the trails on their ATVs and UTVs for a 50-km ride. Rainbow District School Board director of education, Bruce Bourget, thanked the Greater Sudbury Police Service for initiating the program with support from the MNR. "Incorporating a hands-on component to the training makes it that much more effective," he said. "Building awareness among young people will foster safe use, promote respectful riding, and help prevent possible injuries." According to Greater Sudbury Police Service, on average, there are 100 ATV-related deaths in Canada each year. 'It's definitely increased in popularity' GSPS Const. Al Brunette, says the collaboration is timely and helps to promote a healthy, safe way of operating ATVs. "I think it's very important due to the increase in ATVs, off road vehicles in the city," Brunett told CBC Sudbury. "Not just Sudbury, but I think everywhere it's definitely increased in popularity [and the] majority of these riders are youth operators. So, I think it's very important that off the start that they get to know how to do this safely so that we reduce any risk, so we have less collisions, less injuries that occur, and so they know the rules of the road." Brunett said the collaboration also helps to have a good relationship between the youth and law enforcement officers. Meanwhile, Ontario Federation of ATV Clubs — a group of clubs operated by volunteers, with the goal of providing safe, legal and sustainable trails across the province — says they're seeing a growing number of riders hitting the trails. Beth Wink, the group's program co-ordinator, says everyone using ATVs needs to make plans to be safe. "The number one thing for all riders is that you should wear a helmet. One of the things we have found in studies is the people that die, they …. are not wearing a helmet," Wink told CBC Sudbury. "If your bike rolls over or if there's problems, if you hit something, you need that helmet for protection. It's just like a motorcycle, you need that helmet for protection." Wink said other precautions to take include: Don't ride alone: Always ride with a buddy or in a group — this is especially important in case of mechanical issues or injuries. Make sure your group has a plan and someone knows your expected return time. Mind your speed: Ride within posted trail speed limits. On roads, ATVs must ride 20 km maximum in a 50 km posted zone, or 50 km maximum in a more than 50 km posted zone. Ride clean. No alcohol. No impairments: Packing snacks and drinks is a necessity — but no alcohol or impairing substances should be part of this.
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Grade 3 student from northern Ont. thrives at national spelling bee
Emily Anstice, a student at Assiginack Public School, captured third place in the Primary category at the Spelling Bee of Canada National Championships held in Toronto on May 25. A Grade 3 student from Manitoulin Island placed third in a national spelling bee held last month. Emily Anstice, a student at Assiginack Public School, captured third place in the Primary category at the Spelling Bee of Canada National Championships held in Toronto on May 25. Emily went more than 20 rounds spelling words like 'microgram,' 'viceregal,' 'construe,' 'vying' and 'tithe,' said a news release Wednesday from the Rainbow District School Board. 'While she says 'viceregal' was tricky and 'construe' was challenging, the word that stumped her in the end was 'cinematic,' the release said. 'Emily won the honour to compete nationally by winning the Regional Spelling Bee Competition in Sudbury.' Mini-spelling bees She said she prepared by reading lists that were provided and playing mini-spelling bees with her family. 'Teachers also helped to quiz me,' Emily said in the news release. 'I read a lot too. Currently, I am finishing up the Harry Potter series.' 'We are incredibly proud of Emily's remarkable achievement,' said Ieysha Casanova of Spelling Bee of Canada in an email to the Principal of Assiginack Public School. 'Her dedication, hard work and poise under pressure were truly inspiring. This accomplishment is a testament not only to Emily's commitment to excellence but also to the supportive environment cultivated at your school.' Assiginack principal Julie Balen praised Emily for her efforts. 'Emily took the initiative to compete and put in the work to achieve a successful outcome locally and nationally,' Balen said in the release. 'This was Emily's first experience as a spelling bee competitor, which makes the national honour that much more impressive. Hard work spells success.'
CBC
28-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Students with special needs shine bright at annual Challenge Meet in Sudbury
Social Sharing Track and field day events are always a fun way to spend the day for students at the end of the school year. For Sudbury mother Amanda Hook, it was a special day watching her five-year-old son Lucian participate in running, high jump, long jump and shot put. Lucien has special needs and was participating in Challenge Meet, a track and field event designed specifically for children living with disabilities. More than 500 students from the Rainbow District School Board and the Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord took to the track at Laurentian University Tuesday. "Being a special needs parent is really hard, so being able to come out and still watch your children enjoy things that neurotypical children enjoy, it was an absolutely amazing experience," said Hook. "It's absolutely amazing that they do this for these kids because they're just like everybody else's kids and they should have every right to enjoy and have fun just like everybody else." Elizabeth Mazzuca is a life skills teacher at Sudbury Secondary School, which had seven students from the life skills and Autism spectrum disorder programs participating at Challenge Meet. She said the event is fully accessible to meet a variety of different abilities and give students some physical activity. "Opportunities for them to really participate and also compete and being able to challenge themselves and push themselves today, I think is a very positive experience for them," said Mazzuca. Having an opportunity that made her child feel included was also a highlight of the day for Vanessa Muwonge, whose four-year-old son Liam was participating in Challenge Meet for the first time. She said, oftentimes with a special needs child, there are certain activities they are excluded from or simply can't do, through no fault of their own. "And so today, because it was meant for them and designed for them, it was nice just to see him be able to be part of what everyone else was doing," said Muwonge. "It's important to have the inclusion so that even just the broader community can understand that, you know, these children are capable, but they might just need some more help to walk them through it."
CBC
23-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Sault Ste. Marie city council to consider banning Chinese AI chatbot
Social Sharing Sault Ste. Marie city council will consider a motion at its Monday meeting to look into blocking the Chinese AI chatbot, DeepSeek, from city devices and networks. The motion asks staff to create a plan for blocking the service and report back to council. Councillors would then vote on proceeding with the plan. Councillor. Stephan Kinach is moving the motion after successfully passing a similar one last year to ban the Chinese-owned social media app, TikTok, from city devices. Kinach said he's read articles warning of security concerns with DeepSeek, and noted that Shared Services Canada has blocked the service on federal government networks and devices it oversees. "Cybersecurity should be top of mind for most levels of governments," he said. "Even this week in northern Ontario, they had a compromise in the Rainbow District School Board, and it was more serious than they let on [at] the beginning." Robust cybersecurity policies will help the city maintain its insurance and possibly reduce its premiums, Kinach added. Kinach is concerned about DeepSeek because of its ties to Communist Party-run China, he said, and because of concerns he's read in security articles about possible unauthorized access to names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, text or audio inputs, prompts, uploaded files, and chat histories. Australia and South Korea have both banned the service on government networks. "It's better to be on top of these policies and not be reacting to them once we get hacked or something is compromised," Kinach said. "It's just good housekeeping to have policies like this to protect us from possible future events … because we don't want to be put in a position where we have to call all our … residents and say 'Your information has been compromised because our system has been hacked.'" Kinach's fellow councillor, Marchy Bruni has seconded the motion.
CBC
20-02-2025
- CBC
Financial, medical information stolen during cyber attack on Rainbow District School Board
A major school board in the Sudbury area is offering more details on the severity of a recent cyber attack, and what information was compromised. The Rainbow District School Board,says the cyber criminals responsible for an attack on the board's computer systems earlier this month stole sensitive personal information belonging to staff and students – including social insurance numbers and bank account information belonging to current and former staff members; social insurance numbers belonging to former students who received scholarships; and medical information for current and former students. The data breach affects people who worked for the board as early as 2010 and students who attended a school in the Rainbow District School Board as early as 2011. "We take this matter very seriously and apologize to all those who are affected," the board wrote in a notice posted to its website on Thursday. "We understand this news will be as concerning to you as it is to us and we are deeply sorry." Hackers accessed SINs belonging to scholarship recipients Criminals may have accessed the following information belonging to students, the board said: Personal information, including contact information, birth dates, academic achievement data, Ontario Education Numbers and, in some cases, medical and immigration information for all students who graduated between June 2012 and June 2024. Assessment information, medical diagnoses, health card numbers, behavioral information and information about accommodation and student support needs belonging to current and former students with identified exceptionality who have been enrolled in an Intensive Support Program (ISP) since 2019. Contact information and place of employment information for parents of the above groups. Social insurance numbers for former students who were enrolled in a Rainbow School since 2011 and who received a scholarship and a T4A slip for income tax purposes. In addition, the attack exposed school photos from the 2012-2013 to 2024-2025 school years. However, those photos are not attached to names or other identifying information, the board said. Anyone employed by the school from January 2010 onward is also affected, including full-time, part-time and occasional staff, it said. Hackers accessed the following data: Address and primary phone numbers of staff members from 2010 onward. Social insurance numbers of staff members from 2012 onward. Bank account numbers of staff members from August 2017 onward. Employee ID/compensation and benefit information/Ontario Ministry Educator Number (for teachers only) and police background check information for employees from September 2018 onward. In addition, they may have accessed medical information such as doctor notes, physical abilities forms and leaves of absence forms belonging to staff members from 2022 onward. The Rainbow District School Board has reported the cyber crime to the Greater Sudbury Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police, the board said. It is offering a two-year TransUnion credit monitoring service, free of charge, to all current and former staff whose personal information was compromised. It's offering the same service to affected scholarship recipients whose social insurance numbers have been compromised and who have reached the age of majority. Former students who wish to sign up for the service should contact cyberincident@ the board said. Staff and former students who believe they have been victims of identity theft related to the incident should email the same address. The president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation district serving Espanola, Manitoulin and Sudbury said he's heard from members who are concerned about the breach. But Eric Laberge said some are also experiencing déjà vu. Teachers hit with cyber attack previously "This is something that they – for the most part, especially those that have been hired more than three years ago – have gone through already," Laberge said. "Because there was a cyber incident with our provincial federation." The Rainbow board began experiencingtechnical difficulties with its computer system on Friday, Feb. 7, officials said. Officials took measures to protect the network and the data stored on it, they said, beginning a system-wide shutdown 10 a.m. that day at the Centre for Education and all 38 public schools in Sudbury, Espanola and on Manitoulin Island. By mid-afternoon, the board had confirmed and announced that the technical difficulties were due to a cyber incident.
