STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS VISION, MISSION & VALUES STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Leadership and Excellence in Independent Education in Ontario cisontario.ca
Ottawa Ashbury College Elmwood School
Rosseau Rosseau Lake College
ONTARIO
Belleville Albert College
Lakefield Lakefield College School Innisfil (Barrie) Kempenfelt Bay School
Newmarket Pickering College
King The Country Day School Villanova College Toronto Oakville Waterloo Region (Breslau) St. John’s-Kilmarnock School
Hamilton Hillfield Strathallan College
London Matthews Hall
Port Hope Trinity College School
Whitby Trafalgar Castle School Aurora St. Andrew’s College & St. Anne’s School Richmond Hill Holy Trinity School TMS Mississauga Holy Name of Mary College School St. Catharines Ridley College Wheatley School
Oakville Appleby College St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School
Associate Members Nichols School — Buffalo, NY Rothesay Netherwood School — Rothesay, NB St. John’s-Ravenscourt School — Winnipeg, MB
Our Members
Toronto Bannockburn School Bayview Glen Branksome Hall Crescent School Crestwood School & Prep. College De La Salle College ‘Oaklands’ Greenwood College School Havergal College Hawthorn School for Girls Kingsway College School Montcrest School Royal St. George’s College St. Clement’s School St. Michael’s College School TFS-Canada’s International School The Bishop Strachan School The Mabin School The Rosedale Day School The Sterling Hall School The York School Upper Canada College UTS University of Toronto Schools
Diverse offerings with a united commitment to excellence.
Our 47 member schools include 44 full members within Ontario and 3 associate schools from outside the province. In serving our member schools, we advocate for quality independent school education for over 28,000 students and offer professional opportunities to more than 5,000 employees. 1
CIS Ontario Strategic Directions
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion CIS Ontario commits to strengthening diversity, inclusivity, and equity within the association where all students, volunteers and employees, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or gender identity, education or disability, feel valued and respected. The association’s nondiscriminatory approach promotes equal opportunity for volunteerism, employment and advancement. We honour and appreciate the richness of varied life experiences, striving to foster an inclusive environment where every voice is respected and embraced.
To provide informed, authentic leadership for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in the pursuit of pluralism, CIS Ontario strives to: • Value diversity, inclusion, and equity as mission critical to ensure the wellbeing of our employees and the educational communities we serve • Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs and services, and continually update and report association progress • Explore potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions that interfere with inclusiveness • Recognize the contributions and historic importance of Indigenous peoples through our collective commitment to make the promise, the challenge and the opportunities of Truth and Reconciliation real within the association and our school communities • Advocate for and support board-level thinking about how systemic inequities impact our association’s work, and how best to address them in a way that is consistent with our mission and values • Practice and encourage transparent communication in all interactions • Commit time and resources to expand more diverse leadership within our board, employees, committees, and volunteers • Lead with respect and tolerance as we embrace this notion and express it in workplace interactions and through everyday practices
Land Acknowledgement We acknowledge that our work within CIS Ontario occurs on Indigenous land, for which we express gratitude for the opportunity to convene both physically and virtually across the province. Recognizing the enduring care and stewardship of this land by Indigenous peoples across millennia, we honour the many treaties and agreements encompassing present-day Ontario. We are thankful for the opportunity to live and work in these territories, attributing their strength to the ongoing contributions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities. As settlers, it is essential that we overtly connect this recognition to our collective commitment to fostering the actualization of Truth and Reconciliation within our association and school communities. CIS Ontario Strategic Directions
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Our Vision Leadership and excellence in independent education in Ontario.
Our Values These values guide CIS Ontario and the member schools of our association. EXCELLENCE
Our Mission The mission of CIS Ontario is to enhance excellence and community among our member schools through exemplary student programs, professional learning and collaborative initiatives.
We stand for excellence by providing high quality programs and services for our member schools. BELONGING We strive to create a community characterized by connection, inclusion and acceptance. COLLABORATION Our strength is our member school community. By working together, we achieve more. INTEGRITY We act and account for our actions as a community with honesty, respect and professionalism. LEARNING Our reason for being is to advance and support learning in our member schools. Learning guides everything we do. MEMBER VALUE We exist to provide high value to our member schools, and to support and advance our collective interests.
Ensure the delivery of high quality interschool student experiences
Our Strategic Priorities
Deliver exemplary professional learning programs and foster collaborative employee networks Support our member schools through effective partnerships and stakeholder relations Build the long term relevance and sustainability of our association
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CIS Ontario Strategic Directions
STUDENT EXPERIENCES Ensure the delivery of high quality inter-school student experiences
The quality of an independent school education is enriched by the opportunities for students to connect with each other and to pursue their passions to a high level of excellence. Through strong inter-school programs, we extend the opportunity for students to learn, connect and excel.
1 Design and deliver a diverse range of quality inter-
school student programs that are responsive to the changing needs of our schools.
2 Implement practices and protocols to support the
quality, safety and a sense of belonging for students who participate in our inter-school experiences.
3 Provide necessary support to the groups and
individuals involved in planning and implementing our student programs.
CIS Ontario Strategic Directions
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PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Deliver exemplary professional learning programs and foster collaborative employee networks
The people who work and volunteer in our member schools are a primary driver of quality education. We collaborate with them to design professional learning programs that advance independent education in Ontario.
1 Design and deliver innovative, responsive,
affordable, diverse and accessible professional learning programs that focus on emerging and relevant issues for our member schools.
2 Deliver collaborative and complementary
professional learning opportunities in partnership with Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS), Middle States Association (MSA), Ontario’s faculties of education, the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) and other sector organizations.
3 Enable our collaborative employee networks to
foster connection and inclusion, while providing relevant, customized and responsive learning opportunities.
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CIS Ontario Strategic Directions
STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS Support our member schools through effective partnerships and stakeholder relations
We recognize the need to build greater clarity both within our sector and with other stakeholders about who we are, what we stand for and the value we offer – and to advance the sustainability and success of our schools.
1 Enhance our capacity to anticipate, track and
respond effectively to emerging issues driven by legislative, regulatory and environmental changes.
2 Refine and monitor our public affairs strategy to address key issues facing our sector.
3 Strengthen relationships with partners and
develop complementary partnerships in support of the needs of our member schools. (e.g. Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS), Middle States Association (MSA), Ontario’s faculties of education, the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) and other sector organizations).
CIS Ontario Strategic Directions
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ASSOCIATION STRENGTH Build the long term relevance and sustainability of our association
We will ensure the association’s long term strength, relevance and sustainability through strategic leadership, fiscal management and governance.
1 Provide support to member schools engaged in accreditation.
2 Enhance the association’s communications, brand, and marketing strategies to share the unique nature of our member schools within Ontario’s independent school sector.
3 Ensure effective oversight, resources, governance and risk management of all CIS Ontario programs and our volunteers.
4 Implement plans for long term financial as well
as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) sustainability.
5 Plan for succession and ongoing development of our Board and employees.
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CIS Ontario Strategic Directions
Student Programs CIS Ontario supplements and enriches the independent school experience with a range of interschool opportunities for students to connect, learn and excel.
Inter-school student events ignite passion.
cisontario.ca/student-programs
CIS Ontario Strategic Directions
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Professional Learning Events
Learning guides all that we do.
Our members are invited to engage with our annual career development calendar of 30 plus professional learning events and networking opportunities. In addition to furthering one’s career development, our diverse offering of opportunities is a gateway to an unsurpassed network of colleagues and new friends.
Professional learning highlights: • AI Panel & Discussion Series
• Executive Assistants’ Conference
• BLG Legal Webinar Series
• Experiential Educators’ Network Conference
• Business Officers’ Network Retreat • CISAA Professional Learning
• Natural Curiosity - Integrating Environmental Inquiry and Indigenous Perspectives
• Coaching Community of Practice
• New Governors’ Workshop
• DEI Leaders’ Network Retreat
• New Teacher Orientation Series
• Drama, Music, Visual Arts Professional Learning Days
• Nurses’ Network Retreat
See all of our opportunities: cisontario.ca/professional-learning-events
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CIS Ontario Strategic Directions
• TechFest
Professional Learning Networks CIS Ontario member network opportunities make it easy to find like-minded colleagues and draw on their collective niche expertise and experience. We work with our members to create affinity and job-alike networks to encourage professional growth and community. Our member engagement platform, CISO Connect, provides an online space for collaboration.
Just a few of our 40+ role-based and affinity networks: • 2SLGBTQIA+ Affinity Network • CITE (Teachers of English) Network • Curriculum Leaders’ Network • Drama, Music, Visual Arts Educators’ Networks • Experiential Educators’ Network • Heads’ Network • Health Services Networks • Learning Strategies and Student Success Network • Librarians’ Network • People of Colour Affinity Network • Risk Management Network • STE(A)M / STEM / Makerspace Network
See all our networks:
• Technology Network • Thrive Student Leaders Advisor Network
cisontario.ca/networks
Peer-to-peer connection starts here. CIS Ontario Strategic Directions 10
5,000+
up to
13
elected
member school EMPLOYEES
DIRECTORS on the BOARD with equal representation of Heads & Governors from Member Schools & Independents cisontario.ca/board
NETWORKING & COLLABORATION platform
30+
connect.cisontario.ca
signature PROFESSIONAL LEARNING opportunities
40+
cisontario.ca/PLE
5
job-alike & affinity NETWORKS
TEAM members & countless member school VOLUNTEERS
BY THE NUMBERS
47
cisontario.ca/team
4
places to SOCIALIZE with us
cisontario.ca/networks
Member Schools
44
3
Ontario members
Associate members
6
annual signature INTERSCHOOL STUDENT EVENTS & a journal of student writing
cisontario.ca/social
cisontario.ca/students
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28,000+
annual, seasonal NEWSLETTERS celebrating member schools & sponsors
member school STUDENTS
cisontario.ca/newsletters
1,000+
member school JOBS POSTED every year Learn more at:
cisontario.ca/jobs
cisontario.ca
Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association cisontario.ca/CISAA SPORT OPPORTUNITIES
25
sports
165 1,500+ leagues
teams
almost
3,500
games each year