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PA Day Agendas: 2026-2027 School Year

PA Days 2026-2027

On Professional Activity (PA) days, staff engage in professional development. Our school, along with all schools in the Halton District School Board (HDSB) have several Professional Activity (PA) Days throughout the school year. The purpose of these days is to enhance student success. Staff focus on professional development activities, participate in training or planning sessions. There are no classes for students on these days. ​ ​

To learn about what schools across the HDSB are focusing on during each PA Day, visit HDSB PA Days.

October 9 – Professional Development Day

Topic:On October 9th, during the Professional Development Day, we will focus on strengthening educator practice through two key areas: Special Education and Ministry Mandates in the morning, followed by Cyber Security, AI and Digital Literacy in the afternoon.

Format: In-person

Description: The morning session will focus on building educator understanding and confidence around IEP development, measurable learning goals, accommodations and modifications, assessment and evaluation, family consultation, and the IPRC process. The afternoon will provide opportunities to explore cyber safety, online privacy, digital literacy and the responsible use of AI, with practical resources and strategies that can be applied in the classroom. Throughout the day, we will connect our learning to our commitment to driving meaningful, measurable and sustained change that supports the excellence and well-being of all students.

Facilitators: 

  • Admin team
  • Lead Teachers
  • Board IPLs

Learning/Delivery Method: 

  • Whole group presentations and
  • Small group work
  • Board-provided videos and resources

 

 

 

Topic: Consistent Classroom Delivery and New Curriculum Updates, Special Education and Individual Education Plans, Keeping Schools Safe

Format: 

  • Full day, in-person

Description: 

School staff will participate in learning focused on student and school safety, support for students, curriculum and assessment and school improvement. Topics will include safety in schools, bullying and violence prevention, student support and reporting responsibilities, Special Education planning and effective assessment and evaluation practices. 

Staff will also learn about new Ontario curriculum expectations, including Kindergarten STEM and updated History curriculum, as well as changes to secondary school evaluation requirements, including final evaluations, attendance and participation. 

School teams will use this learning to support consistent, safe and effective practices for students across Kindergarten to Grade 12. 

Learning/Delivery Method: 

  • Whole group presentations and small group learning and reflection

Facilitators: 

  • School administrators and school-based staff supported with materials and guidance from central departments including Student Mental Health and Well-Being, Safe Schools and Special Education

Topic: Assessment and Evaluation Activities​

Format: 

  • Full-day, in person or remotely​

Description: Elementary educators will be engaged in assessment and evaluation activities including report card writing. This is time designated by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) collective agreement.​

Facilitators: 

  • Self-directed day for teachers

Learning/Delivery Method: 

  • Individual work time​ ​

Format:

  • Full-day

  • Elementary: In-person 

Description: We will begin the day as a whole school sharing the Land Acknowledgment and a Reflection. 

9:00-9:30 Cyber Awareness Training (videos and handouts provided by HDSB)

9:30-10:00 Environmental Impact of AI Inquiry Activity- staff will make connections between AI's impact on the environment and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

10:00 - 10:45 LIVE Moderated Panel Livestream 

Environmental Considerations

Gen AI & Bias

Assessment & Integrity

Mental Health & AI

Age Considerations

Data Privacy

11:00 - 11:45 LIVE -Webinar Session #1- staff will choose from a menu of webinar options and join online

11:45-12:45 Lunch

1:00 - 1:45 LIVE-Webinar Session #2- staff will choose from a menu of webinar options and join online

1:45-2:00 Exit ticket feedback for HDSB

2:00-3:20 SCP-Specific School Improvement Planning to Support Student Achievement

Kindergarten to grade 8 teams will engage in targeted work on our school SMART goal and SIPSA goals and actions to support the success and achievement of students who are not yet meeting expectations in the areas of writing (k-3) and mathematics (4-8). This work will also include professional learning about Building Thinking Classrooms (Peter Liljedahl) and problem solving frameworks (Make Math Moments) and time to fill in a monitoring template of specific targeted actions based on analysis of assessment data. 

Facilitators:

  • Superintendent Jonathan Shoss, HDSB IPLs, Silver Creek administrators, Lead Teachers

Learning/Delivery Method:

  • ​whole group, small group, video, webinar

Learning Materials:

Format:

  • Full-day

  • Elementary: In-person 

Description: We will begin the day as a whole school sharing the Land Acknowledgment and a Reflection and doing a community building activity using More Than One Story Cards. Staff will have an opportunity to go deeper with our value and HDSB MYSP goal of Kindness to plan how to operationalize it with input from all stakeholders.

Elementary teams will also engage in targeted work on their SIPSA goals and actions to support the success and achievement of students who are not yet meeting expectations in the areas of  reading and mathematics, after examining EQAO data. K-2 teams will break out and focus their work on writing improvement, and grade 3-8 teams will break out and focus their work on math improvement, in the area of thinking. This work will also include professional learning about Building Thinking Classrooms (Peter Liljedahl) and time to create a common assessment task to bring back to analyze at our next staff meeting, to determine where to go next in our teaching. Staff will consider how they will embed Culturally Responsive and Relevant Pedagogy by having high expectations for all students to succeed, and uplifting student voice, choice and agency.

Facilitators:

  • Co-facilitated by lead teachers and administrators

Learning/Delivery Method:

  • ​whole group, small group

Learning Materials:

  • More Than One Story Cards

  • HDSB's Literacy and Numeracy Plans for K-8

  • Peter Liljedahl's "Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics"

Topic: Assessment and Evaluation Activities

Format: 

  • Elementary only

  • Full-day, in-person or remotely 

Description: Elementary educators will be engaged in assessment and evaluation activities including report card writing. This is time designated by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) collective agreement.

Facilitators: 

  • Self-directed day for teachers

Learning/Delivery Method: 

  • Individual work time

Topic: 

  • Teachers and DECEs will meet with families for Student-Led Conferences to communicate and share observations to date, Student Strengths and Next Steps.
  • Educational Assistants will be collaborating other Milton schools on this day to learn

Format: 

  • In person

Description: 

  • Student Led Conferences aim to communicate and share observations to date, Highlight Student Strengths and acheivement
  • EAs will be learning about ways to support neuro-diverse students, strategies to support all students in schools,  stay physically safe when dealing with difficult situations and sharing and collaborating with other EA teams from across Milton

Facilitators: 

  • Educational Assistants will have a number of guest speakers presenting and sharing knowledge specific to their daily work