Halton Catholic Parent Conference 2011

The 2011 Halton Catholic Parent Conference took place on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in Oakville.

This year’s conference theme was Engaging Families: Achieving, Believing, Belonging.

A number of workshops were offered with themes that included Curriculum, Catholicity, Healthy Living, Safety, Technology and Diversity.

Keynote Speaker - Chris D'Souza

This year's keynote address was presented by Chris D'Souza, teacher, equity lecturer and author. Chris examined the impact of recent immigration trends on Catholic Education in Ontario, as well as the Ministry of Education’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy, which is designed to assist school boards across the province meet the needs of an increasingly diverse and complex student population. 

Parent engagement is a key pillar of the strategy and parents  learned more about the ways they can participate in the Halton Catholic District School Board's initiatives to both promote and ensure that every student receives an education within a safe and caring Catholic school environment.

Chris D'Souza has taught at both the elementary and secondary level, and was the Equity and Diversity Officer for five years for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB). Most recently, he was a Course Director in the Faculty of Education at York University for three years, and is now teaching at St. Roch Catholic Secondary School with the DPCDSB.  

Chris has conducted over 3,000 Equity and Anti-Oppression workshops and is the Founder and Chair of the Equity Summit Group, a collaborative of over 26 school board equity representatives in Ontario. In November, 2009, he was awarded a National Award for his leadership in Education by the Harmony Movement, which promotes the eradication of discrimination globally. In January 2011, he was featured in Education Today, an award-winning education related publication. Chris is also an author of two books; "Empowerism: A lifestyle Guide to Environmental Ethics", and his most recent being a children's storybook, "Why Are All Taxi Driver's ...?".