With Christmas just around the corner, our schools have had a busy November with fundraisers, Remembrance Day, Anti-Bullying week and the start of Grade 8 Parent Information Nights. Here are some of the things we've been up to this month.

St. Mary's Catholic School in Collingwood is determined to bring their lessons from WE Day to change their community one step at a time. After Somer Wilson, a Grade 8 student from St. Mary's Catholic School in Collingwood, attended the WE Day celebration in Toronto, she proposed a drive for gently used boots and shoes.

On November 27, we welcomed the season of Advent with the first Sunday and the first lit candle. The season of Advent is a time of preparation as we are invited to grow more like Jesus while wait for his coming. We get ready for the birth of Christ by praying, reflecting on the promises of God in our Scriptures and by reaching out to others, especially the poor and the forgotten.

On Tuesday, November 29, representatives of local school boards and police services will gather to sign an updated Police/School Board Protocol. The protocol is the result of an ongoing partnership between the four school boards and six police services that serve Simcoe County and area.

On Tuesday, November 22, the County of Simcoe received a 2016 Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) Marketing Canada Award for their 2015 Skilled Trade Expo. This award celebrates the incredible collaboration of local organizations which made the Expo a tremendous success.