This month there are several pedagogical days on our calendar which means there are times when students do not report for classes; these are days devoted to various activities linked to teaching and learning. People may wonder, why so many days and what happens on those days? In the Lester B. Pearson School Board, it is a beehive of activity on pedagogical days! Here is a snapshot for November. 

First, at the beginning of the month, on Nov. 6 and 7th, the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers hosted their annual convention in Montreal. This is an opportunity for teachers, through workshops and presentations, to learn from other teachers, some of which featured Lester B. Pearson teachers who shared the great work that they do. On Nov. 14, our Centre of Excellence for Mental Health hosted a day-long training session on motivational interviewing which attracted teachers, consultants and administrators from all over the province. On the November 21^st pedagogical day, there were many activities taking place. Workshops were offered to the entire system, led by SSD and ESD professionals on a variety of topics, including neurodiversity, addressing discriminatory language, indigenous perspectives, critical thinking in the classroom, robotics, executive functioning, reading with ebooks, and language development. Training sessions were also held to help staff learn more about how to intervene with students through behavior management and restorative practices and as well as how to better work toward conflict resolution and dispute prevention in our schools and centres. 

Another activity taking place on the 21^st was the Post-Secondary Education Fair, an opportunity for high school students and their families as well as adult learners to learn more about their future educational and career possibilities. Representatives from several vocational training centres, colleges, universities and employers were on hand to offer information about their courses and programs. Many thanks to John Rennie High School for hosting this education fair and welcoming the over 1000 visitors that came through the doors. I was there mid-morning and can attest that there was definitely a positive buzz in the air as students and parents circulated through the various displays and exhibits. It was wonderful to visit the Lester B. Pearson Continuing education booths and chat with our guidance professionals and other centre staff. 

Finally, at the end of this month, many of our elementary and high schools have a pedagogical day dedicated to parent-teacher conferences. These interviews are an opportunity to review student progress over the first term of the year and work to strengthen home and school collaboration. 

All of these activities illustrate the ways in which we are committed to creating safe and caring learning environments while finding ways to enhance our teaching and learning. We work in a profession that requires us to continually reflect, review and deepen our professional development. I am proud that we can model for students that learning never ends and that public education is very much a team effort. 

The week of November 17-21 was Education Professionals week, a moment to pay homage to our dedicated non-teaching professionals who work in the education network. At Lester B. Pearson, we are fortunate to have a group of dynamic and dedicated professionals, many of whom are in regular contact with our schools and centres to better support our students. Their daily tasks ask them to observe, listen, assess, consult, counsel, train, translate, and research, all as many of them travel from school to school or centre to centre to do their work. Having been a school psychologist in my former life, I know the commitment they bring to their respective professions. They are actively invested in supporting their colleagues and assisting students with their academic and socio-emotional development. As Director General, I am aware of the growing needs we face and the limited resources we have to do this important work which only deepens my gratitude. Hats off to our non-teaching professionals and our continued appreciation for the work you do. 

Term 1 has now ended, and in just a few short weeks we will be going on winter break, a time when many families will celebrate various holidays and spend time together. Until then, we continue to work hard toward our core mission of helping each student progress on their unique pathways towards educational success.