PA Day Activities 2026-2027
The Superior-Greenstone District School Board is pleased to provide the details of our upcoming Professional Activity (PA) Days with families. Our schools have several PA Days during the school year. During these days, students do not attend school, but schools remain open, as school staff focus on professional development.
The Ministry of Education's regulation states that school boards must designate three (3) Ministry Directed PA days and may designate up to four (4) additional PA days per school year.
Below are the PA Day activities that are happening for the 2026-2027 school year. Details for each PA Day will be shared at least fourteen (14) days in advance of each scheduled date throughout the year.
For general information about Professional Activity Days in Ontario, please visit the Ministry of Education's website at https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r23226
Staff can access their Professional Activity Day agendas through The Exchange (Intranet) or through email.
Date: August 31, 2026
Learning Delivery Methods:
In-person school teams/ online delivery of learning, lectures/ independent learning & group discussions
Length: AM
Topic of Focus: Consistent Classroom Delivery and New Curriculum Updates
Presenter/Facilitators: School Administration
Description:
The school board will host in person/online learning facilitated by admin that is devoted to provincial education priorities. Presenters will include Open Court – Nelson. School teams will focus on reviewing new and recently revised curriculum expectations, a review of secondary school evaluation policy updates, assessment, cyber safety and artificial intelligence.
School teams will focus on reviewing new and recently revised curriculum expectations, including focus on the new Kindergarten curriculum, to support early learning in literacy, mathematics, and science and technology, and consistent instructional approaches across classrooms.
New learning in Grades 7 and 8 History on Black history in Canada and ensuring elementary educators understand new content and appropriate instructional approaches to support consistent curriculum delivery across classrooms.
New learning in Grade 10 History on Black history in Canada, the Holocaust and rising antisemitism, and the Holodomor famine in Ukraine, and ensuring secondary educators understand new content and appropriate instructional approaches to support consistent curriculum delivery across classrooms.
Literacy Program Training – Reading program for Grades 4-6 Teachers.
Orientation on using Supply Ontario's VOR arrangement: Consistent Educational Resources to access consistent, high-quality, curriculum-aligned learning resources (forthcoming).
Secondary
A review of Ontario's secondary school evaluation policy updates (forthcoming) including:
Updates to final evaluation, including mandatory written exams, weightings, and designated exam period timing, to support consistency in evaluation and assessment practices across courses and schools.
Professional learning on attendance and participation, with an emphasis on understanding and applying the criteria for the determination of final grades related to attendance and participation.
Elementary
At the elementary level, professional learning focused on consistent evaluation and assessment practices and supporting students' transition to secondary school, including effective practices for developing positive learning habits.
An overview of the policy requirements and implementation supports related to the new Financial Literacy Graduation Requirement and financial literacy learning across the curriculum.
Date: August 31, 2026
Learning Delivery Methods:
In-Person School Teams/ Online delivery of learning, lectures/ independent learning & group discussion
Length: PM
Topic of Focus: Cyber Safety and Artificial Intelligence
Entity Hosting: Superior-Greenstone District School Board Leadership
Presenter/Facilitators: School Administrators and Management Team
Description:
The school board will host in person/online learning facilitated by admin that is devoted to cyber safety and artificial intelligence. Exploring mandatory learning in the Ontario curriculum on AI and digital literacy, including learning on cyber security, educator training on cyber safety and online privacy to address technology related risks.
Cyber Safety & Artificial Intelligence
Exploring mandatory learning in the Ontario curriculum on AI and digital literacy, including learning on cyber security.
Providing educators with targeted training on cyber safety, cyber security, and online privacy to address technology-related risks and ensure student safety.
Date: September 1, 2026
Learning Delivery Methods:
In-person school teams/ online delivery of learning, lectures/ independent learning & group discussions
Length: AM
Topic of Focus:
Artificial Intelligence/ Student Engagement Framework / Team Building meetings
Presenter/Facilitators: School Administrators and Management Team
Description:
The school board will host in person/online learning facilitated by admin. School teams will focus on special education and individual education plans including the understanding of standards and required components of IEPs, instructional strategies, strengthening educator understanding of how to develop learning goals and monitor IEPs.
School teams will focus attention on special education and individual education plans.
Professional activities will include:
- Understanding the standards and required components of Individual Education Plans (IEPs), including student strengths and needs, accommodations, modifications and/or alternative expectations, instructional strategies, and methods for reviewing student progress.
- Strengthening educator understanding of how to develop clear and measurable annual learning goals and learning expectations to support the assessment and evaluation of student progress.
- Reviewing how to develop, implement, update and monitor IEPs in classroom practice, including accommodations, teaching strategies, and assessment methods.
September 1, 2026
Learning Delivery Methods:
In-person school teams/ online delivery of learning, lectures/ independent learning & group discussions
Length: PM
Topic of Focus: Keeping Schools Safe
Presenter/Facilitators: School Administration and Management Team, WellNet
Description:
The afternoon portion of the PA Day will be focused on staff completion of school safety and incident prevention modules as centrally negotiated by the federations.
Date: October 26, 2026
Learning Delivery Methods:
In-person school teams/ online delivery of learning, lectures/ independent learning & group discussions
Length: Full Day
Topic of Focus: Keeping Schools Safe
Presenter/Facilitators: School Board Leadership
Description:
The school board will host in person/online learning facilitated by admin that is devoted to keeping schools safe. School teams will focus on violence and bullying prevention. Staff will review provincial code of conduct and other Ministry protocols, as well as receive certification training in Behaviour Management Systems.
Date: November 27, 2026
Learning Delivery Methods:
In-person school teams/ online delivery of learning, lectures/ independent learning & group discussions
Length: Full Day
Topic of Focus: Multiple Theme Day - Cyber Safety and Artificial Intelligence, Special Education, and Keeping Schools Safe
Presenter/Facilitators: School Board, TBC and Future Design School
Description:
The school board will host in person/online learning with Future Design Schools to school teams. They will focus on artificial intelligence, cyber safety, special education and violence and bullying prevention. a review of provincial model for local police/school board protocol.
School teams will focus attention on Assessment and Evaluation in the age of Artificial Intelligence.
Professional activities shall include: Cyber Safety and Artificial Intelligence (AI):
Learning activities to become familiar with the LUMI AI tool in the Virtual Learning Environment and the board's approved AI tools, as well as how to effectively and safely use those tools with students
Curriculum and Assessment
- Assessment in the Age of AI
Mathematics
Kindergarten
Literacy
Special Education
Enhancement of methods to communicate and consult families regarding special education programs and services in the development and review of IEPs.
Improving understanding of the role of educators on an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), including decision-making documentation of student strengths and needs and how to document the reasons for placement decisions, where applicable.
Keeping Schools Safe
Violence and Bullying Prevention:
Review of policy requirements and supports for safe schools regarding the Provincial Code of Conduct, violence prevention, bullying prevention and intervention, duty to report children in need of protection to a children's aid society, progressive discipline, violent incident reporting, gender-based violence, sex trafficking, and the Provincial Model for a Local Police/School Board Protocol.
Information about child sexual abuse prevention and reporting, including available counselling and resources for children who are sexually abused, for all teachers and other staff in schools as outlined in section 170.0.1 of the Education Act.
School Resource Officer (SRO) Program:
Information about the role of police in providing high-quality, age-appropriate educational public safety presentations to students on subjects such as cyber-crime, human trafficking, road safety and other areas of local importance. Information should also be provided about the role of police in the school community, to support trust building between educators, policing services, students, and parents/guardians.
A review and implementation of policy requirements with the police through the Provincial Model for a Local Police/School Board Protocol.
Date: January 29, 2027
Learning Delivery Methods:
In-person school teams/ online delivery of learning, lectures/ independent learning & group discussions
Length: Full Day
Topic of Focus: Report Card Preparation/ Reporting to Parents/Ongoing Communication
Presenter/Facilitators: School Administration
Description:
The focus of the PA Day will be on assessment/evaluation, report card preparation, reporting to parents and a focus on student success/school learning plans. Learning will take place for role specific training for Educational Assistants.
Date: April 16, 2027
Learning Delivery Methods:
In-person school teams/ online delivery of learning, lectures/ independent learning & group discussions
Length: Full Day
Topic of Focus: Multiple Theme Day - Student Well-Being, Learning Recovery Renewal through Indigenous Perspectives
Presenter/Facilitators: School Administration
Description:
The activities of the PA day will be devoted to student well-being, learning recovery and indigenous perspectives. The board will host in person/online learning to deepen the understanding around how to nurture belonging and connection through exploration, indigenous approach to quality learning environment and student achievement planning.
Date: June 4, 2027
Learning Delivery Methods:
In-person school teams/ online delivery of learning, lectures/ independent learning & group discussions
Length: Full Day
Topic of Focus: Report Card Preparation/ Reporting to Parents/Ongoing Communication
Presenter/Facilitators: School Administration
Description:
The focus of the PA Day will be on assessment/evaluation, report card preparation, reporting to parents and a focus on student success/school learning plans. Learning will take place for role specific training for Educational Assistants.