Latest news with #UpperGrandDistrictSchoolBoard
CTV News
28-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
New elementary school will officially be named ‘Grand River Public School' in Fergus, Ont.
The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) approved a name for a new elementary school opening north of Guelph, in time for the next school year. The school, set to open in Fergus, Ont. in September, will officially be called Grand River Public School. The UGDSB had a committee formed and created an online survey for name suggestions as part of the process. They said they received more than 500 submissions for name ideas from the public. Community members were then invited to a virtual town hall to rank their favourites from the list, where the name Grand River Public School came out on top. The new school will open on Kirvan Street and Elliott Avenue East in the Storybrook Subdivision.
Global News
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Global News
Advocacy group calls for relief measures for Guelph schools without air conditioning
With warmer temperatures on the way in Guelph, a children's health advocate group is seeking relief for students and teachers across Canada who are stuck in classrooms without air conditioning. Currently, there are 10 schools in the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) that do not have air conditioning. Erica Phipps, executive director of the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and Environment (CPCHE), said there's an urgency to address the issue. 'Now is the time to make the plans, make the investments. Set the schedule for school upgrades and start chipping away at that backlog and that need for adequate cooling across all schools.' According to a recent report from the CPCHE, data shows that extreme heat affects a child's health and learning ability. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Heather Loney, spokesperson for the UGDSB, said retrofitting older buildings is a challenge. Story continues below advertisement Loney said the aging infrastructure poses some challenges when it comes to installing air conditioning in older buildings, including Victory Public School, which is over 100 years old. 'The infrastructure of putting air conditioning into a building such as that would be very different from a better school that was built a few years ago,' Loney said. Phipps said the group is calling on multiple levels of government to set the temperature threshold in school buildings and educational facilities to 26 C as a matter of policy. The CPCHE has suggested a number of climate resilience measures inside and outside of the classroom that are cost-effective, including installing window blinds or shades to keep some of the incoming solar radiation out of the classroom, appropriate guidance on fans and tree canopies and light-coloured roofs. In addition to the levels of government, the CPHE's call to action extends to educators and parents in the communities affected. 'We very much encourage parents, educators, young people and others to pick it up and run with it. Take the call to action to your local school board, members of parliament or provincial leadership. We need to make it clear and have a strong, collective voice that action on this is needed,' she said. Phipps said the upgrades need to be part of routine maintenance and done with a sense of urgency. Story continues below advertisement Loney said the board has been routinely implementing measures suggested by the CPCHE, such as light-coloured roofs and tree canopies. And as part of the board's multi-year plan, she said the UGDSB is looking at opportunities to add green energy technology into those schools and buildings impacted.
CBC
24-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
Measles case reported at Brisbane Public School in Erin, students not fully vaccinated told to stay home
Social Sharing Families with students at Brisbane Public School in Erin, Ont., have been notified of a measles case at the school. Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health sent a notice to families on April 21. They said the exposure happened April 14, 15 and 16 and that parents and caregivers should monitor their children for signs and symptoms of the measles until the end of day on May 7. It's unclear if the case is in a student, a teacher, staff member or volunteer. The advisory sent to families was shared with CBC News by the Upper Grand District School Board. In the advisory, public health says children who have two doses of the measles vaccine (MMR) or people born before 1970 can continue attending school. "Those who are not fully vaccinated must stay home until proof of vaccination is provided," the advisory from the public health unit says. "Unvaccinated individuals, or those without proof of immunity, may be excluded from school or child care for up to 21 days after exposure." Brian McKechnie, a communications officer for the Upper Grand District School Board, said he could not confirm whether any teachers or staff members are currently on leave from the school due to vaccination status. Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health reported on Wednesday that there are now 30 cases in the area the health unit covers. Dr. Nicola Mercer, the CEO and medical officer of health for the health unit, said it is concerning the virus is now in a school. "Initially when measles was circulating, and we had cases in our area, they were in communities that didn't have a lot of interaction. But now we have some children who are attending public schools who've come down with measles and now we have a lot more exposures and a lot more individuals that we're following up on," Mercer said. "I do anticipate that we will see more cases." More than 1,000 cases across Ontario On Thursday, Public Health Ontario reported that as of April 23, there have been 95 new cases of measles, bringing the total to 1,020 measles cases in Ontario since the outbreak began in October 2024. Of those cases, 74.6 per cent are in infants, children and adolescents, while 24.9 per cent are in adults. As well, Public Health Ontario's report noted 95.3 per cent of cases in infants, children and adolescents were people who were not immunized, while among adults, 61 per cent were unimmunized. There have been 76 people hospitalized, with 72 of those people who have not been immunized (57 children and 15 adults). Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health says common signs and symptoms of measles include: Fever. Runny nose. Cough. Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis). Tiny white spots inside the mouth (Koplik's spots). Red, blotchy rash that starts on the face and spreads over the rest of the body. Mercer says while the "vast majority of parents" vaccinate their children, there may be some children who only have one dose of the measles vaccine, as the second dose isn't given until after a child's fourth birthday.
CBC
18-02-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Schools in Guelph and Wellington County closed, parking bans remain in effect after weekend winter storm
Schools are closed in Guelph and Wellington County Tuesday and parking bans remain in effect for parts of Waterloo region after a winter storm brought a large amount of snow to the area over the weekend. "Students are to shift to remote learning, where possible. Staff should not report to work in person, and should shift to remote working where possible," a statement from the Upper Grand District School Board said Tuesday morning. Field trips will be rescheduled. The closure will also impact some daycares in Guelph and Wellington. Schools in Waterloo region are open. Buses to French Catholic schools in Waterloo region are not running. Buses to other schools in Waterloo region are experiencing delays. A blowing snow advisory is in effect for Waterloo region, Guelph and Wellington County. "Gusty winds are producing significantly reduced visibility in blowing snow. Winds will diminish Tuesday evening. Travel is expected to be hazardous due to reduced visibility," the advisory from Environment Canada said. Snow events in parts of Waterloo region have been extended, which means people should not park on city streets as plows clear snow. In Kitchener and Waterloo, the significant weather events declared on Saturday have been extended until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday. Cambridge says on its website that the significant weather event continues until further notice. "Snow plow crews continue to make their way throughout the city. Vehicles should be remain off the streets or risk being ticketed and towed," the City of Waterloo said in a media release. "Crews will also begin to address narrow streets and intersections with potential sight line concerns as a result of the snow volume and space limitations. Snow clearing has been a round-the-clock operation for several days, and it will take crews some time to manage the additional snow loading operations." Guelph also declared a snow event and asked people to move their vehicles off the streets by 6 p.m. on Monday. The City of Cambridge reminded residents that they ask people to wait 36 hours after a weather event is over to report a problem area such as uncleared streets.
