Marnie Van Esbroeck for AMDSB Trustee

09/08/2026

Happy First Day Back to School!

I've just learned that the Limestone DSB (Kingston & area) is now working on piloting their own board operated before and after school programs. Lakehead DSB (Thunder Bay) is expanding their board operated BASP from 3 to 6. School boards across Ontario are starting to realize the benefits of this model. Theese two boards join the growing list of school boards (Waterloo Public & Catholic, Halton DSB, Toronto DSB, Ottawa-Carleton DSB) that operate their own child care programs when a third party is not available

Please follow B2C2 for updates as they will be hosting an informational webinar for parents in the Fall on the benefits of board operated extended day programs.

09/04/2026

I’m pleased to share that The Trees & Me Forest School received approval for all extended day programs to move forward next week, including Exeter Elementary, who received an email Wednesday.

I have always believed in the importance of under-promising and over-delivering. So when Avon Maitland District School Board announced in December 2025 that the program would return before the end of the school year, I was surprised to learn this summer that Ministry approvals were still pending.

If you haven’t guessed it, I’m a bit type A, so finding out a week before school starts that programs are ready to launch was a relief but also frustrating that it took this long. I know most parents had already made other arrangements, which meant we were having to make difficult decisions and having uncomfortable conversations.

Nevertheless, I appreciate the work that has gone into making this happen! Unfortunately, I believe there is a waitlist at EES (and possibly others?), but for now many of us are celebrating the return of extended day programs to our schools.

Our work doesn’t end here. There are still 6 AMDSB schools (50%) without any form of BASP (and even more catholic schools) in Huron County: Goderich PS, Huron Centennial ES, Hullett Central ES, Stephen Central, Brookside ES and North Woods ES have no programs.

The staffing challenges don’t go away. It’s difficult to recruit for part-time split shift work. If we were designing the public education model today, no one would design it this way. We need better support from the school board, and all levels of government so that extended day programs are accessible and reliable.

Avon Maitland District School Board Lisa Thompson Paul Calandra FordNation

09/02/2026

Friends, show some support for Alysha for AMDSB trustee!

Hello!

I thought I should introduce myself.

I am Alysha Dowson. Born and raised in Huron County. I attended Huron Centennial and CHSS. After high school I completed a degree in Adult Development, Families and Wellbeing at the University of Guelph. I then completed my Bachelors of Social Work at Waterloo University.

I started my working career with Community Living Central Huron. From there I took a job working with the Centre for Employment and Learning within AMDSB. While there I worked with the Youth Employment Programs which allowed me to gain valuable skills and knowledge with both local employers and employees. For the last 4 years I have been working in private education. In my most recent role I have learned a lot about the Ministry of Education. I have also heard numerous examples of students, and parents, experiences with multiple public (and private) school boards.

I have over a decade of invaluable work experience within the school system, but I also have a personal connection to AMDSB, as a parent of a grade 2 student. My hope as School Board Trustee is that I can not only support my daughters experience for the next 11 years, but also the experience for your children, and our community.

Please comment below with any questions, concerns/issues you are experiencing that you would like the School Board to know about. Or you can just say hi! I look forward to hearing from YOU!

08/28/2026

I too am grade 13 old.

08/27/2026

08/27/2026

“As of June, the end of the school year, there were only four elementary schools in Huron County, that offered before and after school care. Since then, two of those programs have closed. Parents are left scrambling again. It’s like déjà vu in terms of what happened last August when London Bridge announced they’d be closing their programs,” said Marnie Van Esbroeck, who has 2 children she’d like enrolled in before and after school care.

Van Esbroeck and her fellow frustrated parents, are asking the Avon Maitland District School Board to step up and run before and after school care programs, amidst the void of third party providers.

“We need reliable solutions, so that’s why we are continuing to ask the school board to operate these programs, because we know they’d have better staff retention, and would be more reliable for families,” she said.

***When referring to the 4 schools, I was referring to the public elementary schools. The situation is even worse for the catholic schools.

What do you think??

Explore before and after school care options in Huron County. Stay informed on parental concerns and school board care programs.

08/26/2026

08/24/2026

Exeter Elementary, Huron Centennial, Bluewater Coast, Stephen Central and South Huron HS, I look forward to representing you in the upcoming term!

08/20/2026

When a student needs extra support, families shouldn’t have to wonder whether that support will actually be there.

AMDSB’s 2026–27 Special Education Plan outlines the programs and services available to students with special education needs. It also makes clear that many of those supports depend on provincial funding.

But plans and policies only tell part of the story.

I want to hear about the real experience inside our schools.

💬 Are supports easy to access?
💬 Are families kept informed?
💬 Are educators getting what they need to support students well?
💬 Where are things working—and where are the gaps?

If you’re a parent, caregiver, educator, student, or community member, I’d love to hear your perspective.

You can comment below or send me a private message if you’d rather share your experience privately.

I’m listening. Because the best decisions start with understanding what is actually happening in our classrooms.

📌 Source: Avon Maitland District School Board, 2026–27 Special Education Plan

08/20/2026

South Huron Votes 2026 – Still time to run!

Nomination day is tomorrow, August 21st. Candidates may file their nomination papers with the Clerk until 2:00 p.m. on Nomination Day, August 21, 2026. To see who has already filed their papers view the unofficial list of candidates on the municipal elections page on SouthHuron.ca. https://www.southhuron.ca/government/municipal-election/
Candidates packages are available for pickup at town hall (322 Main Street South, Exeter) or for download off the website.