SUDBURY—On Monday, December 3, Justice of the Peace Gary McMahon administered the Declaration of Office and Oath of Allegiance to trustees serving on the Rainbow District School Board (RDSB) over the next four years. Following the swearing in ceremony, Trustee Doreen Dewar was acclaimed chair of the board and Trustee Dena Morrison was acclaimed vice-chair of the board. Membership on board standing committees was also approved.
In Area 7, Margaret Stringer will be the RDSB trustee representative for the Towns of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands (NEMI), Gore Bay and the townships of Assiginack, Barrie Island, Billings, Burpee-Mills, Central Manitoulin, Cockburn Island, Gordon and Tehkummah.
“I’m looking forward to working on behalf of Manitoulin communities for the next four years and using my previous experience in education to benefit the students of Manitoulin Island and the entire board area,” Ms. Stringer told The Recorder.
Ms. Stringer retired in 2014 after a 34 year career in education with RDSB, the Manitoulin Board of Education, Spirit River School Division and Saudi Arabian International School-Riyadh, a release notes. She worked as a teacher and principal on Manitoulin Island as well as the system principal of special education programs and services for the board.
Throughout Ms. Stringer’s career, students with special needs were always close to her heart. As a system principal, she collaborated with a variety of children’s services in Sudbury, Espanola and Manitoulin and gained additional training and experience in violent threat risk assessment, suicide intervention and health and safety. Over the years, she worked with trustees on the Employee Relations and Special Education Advisory Committee. She also contributed to board negotiating committees. Through her work in ‘Learning for All’ and ‘Assessing Achievement in Alternative Areas,’ RDSB was a lead board provincially, embracing the philosophy that “what’s necessary for some is good for all,” the release continues. In recognition of her dedicated service to students, Ms. Stringer received an Award for Excellence from RDSB. She looks forward to bringing her passion for education to her role as trustee.
Ms. Stringer will also serve as a member on several board standing committees, the audit committee, First Nation advisory committee, labour relations committee, the special education advisory committee and strategic planning committee.
With Grace Fox recently announcing that she would be retiring as First Nations representative on the RDSB. The 11 First Nation communities (including those on Manitoulin) who have education service agreements with the board will announce the trustee who will represent them, at a later date, the release notes.
Ms. Dewar, who represents Area 5 (wards 9 and 10 in the City of Greater Sudbury) is the longest serving trustee on the board with over 30 years’ experience, including nine years on the Sudbury Board of Education. She has been chair of the board for the past seven years and continues in that role. Vice-Chair Dena Morrison represents wards seven and eight of the RDSB, while other members of the board include Kerrie St. Jean, Anita Gibson, Judy Kosmerly, Judy Hunda and Bob Clement.
