Board salutes Trustee Jeanna Miller & Trustee Ruth Ward for dedicated service

During the regular meeting on Monday, November 15th, 2010, Rainbow District School Board Chair Tyler Campbell paid tribute to Trustee Ruth Ward whose term of office ends on November 30th, 2010. He also recognized Trustee Jeanna Miller who has represented the Espanola area for the past 21 years. “Trustee Jeanna Miller and Trustee Ruth Ward have served this Board with distinction,” said Chair Campbell. “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank them for their contribution to public education.”

During the regular meeting on Monday, November 15th, 2010, Rainbow District School Board Chair Tyler Campbell paid tribute to Trustee Jeanna Miller and Trustee Ruth Ward whose term of office ends on November 30th, 2010.

“Trustee Jeanna Miller and Trustee Ruth Ward have served this Board with distinction,” said Chair Campbell. “Each, in their own special way, has displayed the character traits that we model and teach in Rainbow Schools – honesty, respect, empathy, responsibility, integrity, courtesy, resilience, acceptance, courage and co-operation. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank them for their contribution to public education.”

Trustee Jeanna Miller represents the Espanola area, including A.B. Ellis Public School, S. Geiger Public School, Webbwood Public School and Espanola High School.

Jeanna Miller has been a trustee for the past 21 years with Rainbow District School Board and the former Espanola Board of Education. She has been a member of every standing committee of the Board. She has also served on a number of ad hoc committees.

Trustee Miller currently serves on the following – Policy and Finance Committee, Negotiating Committee, First Nations Advisory Committee, the Discipline Committee, the Parent Involvement Committee and the Special Education Advisory Committee, where she has been a past-Chair.

Prior to her retirement, Trustee Miller was the Corporate Secretary and Deputy Registrar for the Town of Espanola for 30 years. During that time, she served as Emergency Planning Co-ordinator and Clerk-Treasurer of the Township of Baldwin.

She has a wealth of experience on a variety of committees, volunteer associations and boards including the Espanola General Hospital Board, The Trillium Foundation of Ontario, Ontario Housing Corporation, Sudbury & District Health Council, Sudbury District West Health Advisory Committee, and the Espanola Housing Authority.

Trustee Ruth Ward has represented Area 3 for the past four years, serving Pinecrest Public School, Redwood Acres Public School, Val Caron Public School, Valley View Public School and Confederation Secondary School.

Prior to becoming a trustee, Ruth Ward was the Chair of the Board’s Parent Involvement Committee and also served as Chair of the School Council Co-ordinating Committee. In this capacity, she participated in various workshops and made presentations on the important role of School Councils.

She was a member, chair and community representative on the School Council at Confederation Secondary School and Valley View Public School. While her children attended Val Caron Public School, she was a member of the Parent Teacher Association and was part of the Sudbury Board of Education’s Homework Committee.

Trustee Ward has been self-employed as a bookkeeper for more than 24 years. She served as a board member and treasurer of the Social Planning Council for approximately 10 years and is currently treasurer of the Chaplaincy Ministry in Long Term Care Facilities.

Throughout her term as trustee, Ruth Ward continued to be a member of the Parent Involvement Committee and remained a strong advocate for parental engagement in schools. In addition to PIC, Trustee Ward is currently Vice-Chair of the Policy and Finance Committee and serves on the following – Negotiating Committee, Accessibility Planning Committee, Discipline Committee and as an alternate on the Special Education Advisory Committee. For the past year, she has been a voting delegate to the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA).

-30-

Media Contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor,

Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,

Rainbow District School Board, 674-3171, ext. 7217.