New School Coming in North Woodstock

Thames Valley has received funding approval from the Ministry of Education to construct a new $17.5 million elementary school and child care centre in north Woodstock. The school will have space for 660 students with a five-room child care centre for 10 infants, 30 toddlers and 48 preschoolers.

Project Status

This project is in the Design Stage. This means that Thames Valley has:

  • Established a Design Committee, including members of the community. This committee met in late spring 2022 to review the general layout, basic concept drawings, and project requirements and goals.
  • The Ministry of Education has given Thames Valley District School Board funding and approval to purchase an 8-acre school site within the 5th phase of the Havelock Corners subdivision. TVDSB closed on the Woodstock school site on April 4, 2023 and now has title to the property.
  • We have requested that the Ministry of Education approve an additional eight classrooms on the school and we have reached out to our municipal peers asking to express their support in approving this change!

More information is available here:  New Woodstock School

Ministry of Education Updates

In late August, the Ministry of Education announced an intake for capital projects from school boards across the province.  The TVDSB is currently working on submissions for 7 new schools and 1 addition.  In Oxford funding is being sought for new schools in Ingersoll and Thamesford.

There are an additional 10 schools that are on the TVDSB planning priority list for future submission.  When the Ministry opens another call for capital projects, we expect that Oxford will continue to potentially benefit from capital submissions.  Stay tuned to future announcements around accommodation reviews which will set in motion the requirements the Ministry seeks for future submissions.

Award of Distinction

The Award of Distinction is an annual recognition given by the Thames Valley District School Board Trustees to students, staff, volunteers, parents, and all individuals who have made significant contributions at a system or school level.

Congrats to all those recognized and this group from Oxford County!

Tammy Cloutier
Admin Assistant at Algonquin Public School

Nicki Dickson
Elementary Teacher at Plattsville and District PS

Pamela Pilon
Elementary Teacher at Roch Carrier French Immerson

Colleen Pinney
Volunteer at Harrisfield PS

Check Out These Updates From Some of Oxford Countys Schools in the Last School Year

Zorra Highland Park

There were a lot of exciting things happening at Zorra Highland Park PS this month!

In the makerspace, students were successful in designing code that makes a Lego robot walk from their classroom to the school’s office. This project incorporated the math, science and technology curriculum as they worked to create code, test the process and then debug any issues they encountered along the way.

Students throughout the school are participating in a relationship-building exercise where classes are helping each other paint rocks that reflect each person’s unique identity. After reading the book, Only One You, students were invited to paint a rock in the form of a colourful fish to express themselves and celebrate their individuality.

AJ Baker

Grade 7/8 students at A.J. Baker Public School in Kintore recently engaged in a thoughtful equity initiative that taught them about the culture and cuisines of youth around the world.

After reading a book about a young girl experiencing poverty in Mumbai who learns to cook roti, Virginia Francis’ class cooked roti and other Indian dishes in their own classroom to reflect on the experiences of the main character.

The activity was a great opportunity for students to practice their math skills and learn about the culture and living experiences of children in other parts of the world. One student even had the special opportunity to share her own family’s roti recipe with her classmates, creating a memorable experience for the whole class.

What’s cooking at South Ridge PS in Tillsonburg?

Thanks to a partnership with Southwestern Public Health called Let’s Get Cookin’, students in Grades 5-8 have an opportunity to try different recipes, learn some important life skills and have a lot of fun along the way!

The Let’s Get Cookin’ program encourages students to use math and literacy while developing cooking and food preparation skills, and enabling them to try new dishes that they might not eat at home.

To learn more about Let’s Get Cookin’ and how to bring the program to your school, please visit the Southwestern Public Health website.