PVNC Catholic Literacy Team honoured with 2025 Dyslexia Canada Educational Excellence Award
June 5, 2025
The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board has been awarded Dyslexia Canada’s 2025 Educational Excellence Award for its outstanding commitment to evidence-based literacy practices.
The award recognizes the leadership of Superintendent of Learning Sheila Piggott, Literacy Consultant Lindsay Bowen, and Reading Coaches Maggie Sullivan, Sarah Hurley, Kate Keating, Kathleen Laroque, and Dan Chronowic. It also honours the broader team of coaches and expert advisors from 2022 to 2025.
“We’re honoured by this recognition from Dyslexia Canada. It reflects the thoughtful, collaborative work of so many—reading coaches, educators, principals, and central staff—who have embraced change with a shared commitment to doing what’s best for students,” said Superintendent of Learning Sheila Piggott. “This work continues to evolve, but we’re encouraged by the progress we’ve made together in building a stronger foundation for early literacy across PVNC Catholic.”
The team’s work is rooted in the recommendations of Ontario’s 2022 Right to Read report.
In response, PVNC Catholic established a central literacy team and funded seven reading coach positions, supporting over 170 classrooms across 30 elementary schools.
Throughout the 2023–2024 school year, the Board expanded training for all K–6 educators, Special Education staff, and principals, embedding structured literacy practices system-wide. School leaders played a key role in championing this instructional shift.
The Board’s early adoption of these practices ensured strong preparation for Ontario’s new Kindergarten to Grade 2 screener, introduced in 2024–2025. Educators used Acadience screener data to guide instruction during “Data Days” – collaborative planning sessions co-led by literacy staff and principals.
Collaborations extended across departments, including Special Education, French, and Early Years teams. This integrated approach enabled targeted supports and tiered interventions to meet students’ diverse learning needs.