May 1st, 2026

Next week is Education Week in Ontario (May 4-8, 2026).

Recognized during the first full week of May each year, Education Week gives us the opportunity to celebrate student achievement and the incredible staff across the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB).

This year, the WRDSB is proud to highlight how our schools are advancing student achievement and well-being through literacy and numeracy, as well as other components of the Board Improvement and Equity Plan (BIEP) that highlight students’ sense of belonging and connection, STEAM education and Future pathways.

Building The Foundation For Learning

Across the WRDSB, we’re supporting the needs of every student as they develop the literacy skills they need to succeed in learning and in life.

The WRDSB Structured Literacy Multi-Year Plan (SLMYP) provides educators across the system with strategies to support students in learning to read and write. The multi-year plan allows educators to build on students’ learning and experiences to:

  • Develop foundational reading skills
  • Progressively increase fluency in oral language development; vocabulary and knowledge development; and writing

We continue to be committed to supporting all students, with the goal of everyone reading at grade level by the end of Grade 2. Through early intervention, using evidence-based practices and data, and professional development, we are building a strong foundation for student literacy and learning.

The Math Achievement Action Plan (MAAP) is a plan for all students and educators, spanning all grade levels, from Kindergarten to graduation. The approach centres on:

  • High-impact instructional practices that build conceptual understanding, fluency, and the ability to reason and communicate mathematically.
  • Responsive, tiered support that meets learners where they are and provides timely, targeted interventions and extensions.
  • Culturally responsive practices that honour students’ identities, experiences, and strengths.

The goal is to ensure that all students have access to high-level, equitable and inclusive math instruction, with educators taking an individualized approach based on student needs.

One of the ways WRDSB supports students to engage in continuous learning and prepare for future pathways is through the Summer Enhancement and Summer School Program. The Summer Enhancement and Summer School Program is a space where learning feels exciting, inclusive and meaningful, and social-emotional learning workshops are integrated into the program. Participating students gain a better understanding and proficiency in areas such as math; they engage in additional learning and credit enhancement; and they have an opportunity to earn co-op credits to help them prepare for their next step in their chosen pathways. Read more: 

Exploring Pathways

In partnership with the Business and Education Partnership of Waterloo Region (BEP), the WRDSB invited students and their parents, families, and caregivers to participate in the Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) and Skilled Trade Learning Opportunities interactive speaker series and the Explore Your Future Career Expo. This free virtual series gave students a chance to learn about potential career options and helped them plan their future career pathways.

WRDSB recently hosted a Post-Secondary Pathways Fair to explore potential pathways to an apprenticeship, college, university or employment. 

The WRDSB continues to create pathways for students to envision themselves in diverse fields of study and careers. At Chem Lab Days at the University of Waterloo, students engaged directly with faculty and professionals who reflect their own identities and backgrounds. They asked questions, explored the campus, and even performed hands-on experiments in a real chemistry lab.

For students exploring their next steps, the Black Brilliance: Pathways to Post-Secondary Education Fair offered an inspiring space to discover opportunities, ask questions, and build a roadmap for their future. Now in its second year, the event showcased the power of collaboration, both within the WRDSB and with community partners.

Students from across the WRDSB visited Wilfrid Laurier University to attend the Diversity in Teaching event, which brought together aspiring educators and education leaders to explore pathways into teaching and the importance of equity and diverse representation in classrooms.

Students from 13 WRDSB elementary schools gathered at the Kingsdale Community Centre in February to learn about some of the many career pathways available after graduation. The inaugural event offered career-focused programming and highlighted Black-led community education organizations. 

Students took part in a full day of hands-on experience designed to make science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) engaging, inclusive, and fun.

Read more: 

Working Towards A Sustainable Future

From Winter Walk Day to planting microforests and creating outdoor learning spaces, WRDSB is committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship. 

Bridgeport Public School students came together to help plant a microforest of 100 trees as part of Sustainable Waterloo Region’s (SWR) microforest program. Five different species of trees, including dogwood, cedar, oak, shrub and pine, were planted. The work was shared by students in Kindergarten to Grade 6.

Read more: 

A Place Where We All Belong

As part of our ongoing journey to deepen student and educator understanding of Indigenous peoples’ worldviews, perspectives, and histories, Glencairn Public School hosted an Indigenous-led, land-based Lacrosse learning experience.

Led by Haudenosaunee instructors, this opportunity offered meaningful insight into the cultural significance of Lacrosse, an ancient game rooted in Indigenous traditions and known as “The Creator’s Game.”

In November, WRDSB held a mini-launch for staff and students at Forest Heights Collegiate Institute. It was an opportunity to learn about the campaign and educate students on the resources available to them when identifying and reporting hate.

In 2025, through an ongoing partnership with the Ministry of Education, the WRDSB supplied more than 100,000 individual menstrual products to schools throughout the district. More than 650,000 menstrual products, including tampons and pads, will be sent to WRDSB schools throughout the next three years to ensure consistent access for anyone who needs them.

Read more: 

Graduates Making An Impact In Their Chosen Pathways

The WRDSB offers programs to support students in pursuing their desired post-secondary pathway, including:

There are many incredible graduates from the WRDSB, who we’ve begun to highlight in the WRDSB Alumni Feature. Graduates of the WRDSB are accomplishing incredible things in our community, our country and around the world. We are putting a spotlight on their success in their chosen pathways and how their time at WRDSB supported them to graduation and beyond.

From elementary school to the stage at Wilfrid Laurier University, Yvon’s musical journey began in WRDSB classrooms. With the support of passionate teachers who recognized their potential, they helped grow Yvon’s love for music, and specifically, the cello.

David Connolly

From Grade 5 choir to high school musicals, David Connolly found his love for theatre through school. Today, David applies that passion as the artistic director at Drayton Entertainment, where he oversees seven theatres in Ontario. David’s passion for theatre can be traced back to his first solo performance in a Grade 2 choir at Winston Churchill Public School.

Read more: 

Thank You to WRDSB Education Workers

As we mark Education Week, we invite families and caregivers to join us as we express gratitude to WRDSB education workers. Each day, they make a difference in our student’s education and life.

We also want to thank families and community members for their support, trust and partnership. Together, we are helping students build their futures and succeed in their chosen pathways.