- Catherine Fife, President, Ontario Public School Board Association

- Jash Puniya, Past Chair, Red Willow Public School

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

See all 5 parts of the broadcast.

Since 2006 Suzanne Nurse has established a record of excellence in her role as trustee, her commitment, hard work, dedication, and professionalism have enabled her to address issues in a timely and effective manner, always with the needs of the student at the forefront.

Suzanne has opened 6 schools in the Springdale and Castlemore area, including Louise Arbour Secondary School which will be welcoming students in September 2010.  The rapid growth in north Brampton led to Suzanne being voted in as  of Chair of the PDSB (Peel District School Board) Physical Planning and Building Committee.  The committee oversees the construction of new schools, as well as additions and renovations.  Suzanne brings  the voice of north Brampton to the table, to expedite the numerous building projects required to accommodate students.

Effective representation of high growth wards is one of Suzanne’s strengths. She understands the pressures families experience when students are transferred to new schools due to boundary changes.   Suzanne advocated for the need to have a more compassionate approach to the process by having boundaries revised and more open dialogue with the communities affected.

Following the lead of our amazing students in Peel, Suzanne championed and chaired our Board’s first Environmental Committee.  This gave birth to the Board’s Environmental Policy that is dedicated to engaging youth through leadership opportunities and nurturing students’ ability to affect positive change both locally and globally.

Along with Brampton Safety Council, Suzanne championed[?] the “Safety Around Our School” DVD which looks to educate students and families on safety issues such as crossing  roads and using school buses.

Parent involvement is central to the success of any student.  In keeping with this Suzanne is a member of the Board’s Parent Involvement Committee which looks at encouraging increased participation from diverse parent communities.

After listening to the concerns of many constituents about the difficulty in accessing existing International Language Programs, Suzanne opened two new language sites at Sandalwood Heights Secondary School and Calderstone Middle School.  Calderstone hosts the English Creole Language Program, an exciting new program for students interested in learning more about the language and culture of the Carribbean.  [what language programs at Sandalwood?]

Suzanne speaking at Mother’s Day Tea for the Congress of Black Women at Century Gardens Recreation Centre on May 16, 2010.