Committee Information

Led by parents, guardians and caregivers, DCPIC is a statutory entity of the Durham Catholic District School Board. In accordance with the Ministry of Education, DCPIC’s mandate is to:

  • Support, encourage, and enhance meaningful parent engagement at the board level
  • Improve student achievement and well-being
  • Provide information and advice to the board on parent engagement
  • Communicate with and support local Catholic school councils in the Durham Catholic District School Board
  • Undertake activities to help parents support their children's learning at home and at school
About Us

The Durham Catholic District School Board and the Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee (DCPIC) know that parents, guardians and caregivers play a vital role in the student achievement and wellbeing. Our Parent Involvement Committee makes engagement a priority by providing ongoing support on a system-wide basis and promoting communication and dialogue between:

  • School Councils
  • The Board
  • Members of the community

The committee functions as a direct link for parents to the Director of Education and the Board of Trustees and meets approximately 10 times per year.

The Parent Involvement Committee is a formal structure and an important advisory body. It, along with school councils, encourages parent involvement at the local and regional levels through a grassroots approach.

The Ontario Ministry of Education has established a Parent Engagement Office to develop and implement parent engagement initiatives that support learning and student achievement across the province. 

History
The Durham Catholic School Board established the Parent Involvement Committee during the 1998-1999 school year. There were four meetings held in the first year. The President of the council was Pat Fowler with the resource provided by Superintendent Christopher Hurst.

In January 2011, all school boards in Ontario were required to establish a Parent Involvement Committee. Recent amendments to Ontario Regulation 612/00, by Ontario Regulation 330/10, outline their composition, function and mandate.

Today, the Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee has expanded and evolved in accordance with Ontario Regulation 612.
Members
The Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee (DCPIC) is comprised of 20 members; a Chair, a Vice-Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, 13 parent members and three community representatives, with resource support provided by representatives from the board.

Below is a list of the current DCPIC members: 

NamePositionTerm
Rose Lo Presti Chair 2-years (2022-2024)
Josie Mullin Vice-Chair 2-years (2023-2025)
Andrea Gagliardi Secretary 2-years (2023-2025)
Melissa Bevan Past Chair 2-years (2022-2024)
Michelina Dos Santos Parent Member 2-years (2022-2024)
Pius Sundarith Vasanth Francis Parent Member 2-years (2022-2024)
Lucia Lacorte Parent Member 2-years (2022-2024)
John Rinella Parent Member 2-years (2022-2024)
Christine Santos Parent Member 2-years (2022-2024)
Leny Veliyathuparambil Parent Member 2-years (2022-2024)
Michelle Gillis Parent Member 2-years (2023-2025)
Mike McKenney Parent Member 2-years (2023-2025)
Oliver McLauren Parent Member 2-years (2023-2025)
Christopher Blankson Parent Member 2-years (2023-2025)
Mary Macharia Parent Member 2-years (2023-2025)
Jihan Ferguson Parent Member 1-year (2023-2024)
Veronica McIntosh Parent Member 1-year (2023-2024)
Carol Collins Community Representative 1-year (2023-2024)
Raphael Tercarolli Community Representative 1-year (2023-2024)

Representatives from the Durham Catholic District School Board include:

NamePosition
Christopher Szent-Ivany Principal Representative
Lara Spiers Vice-Principal Representative
TBD Teacher Representative
Meghan Ney Non-Teaching Representative
Richard Damianopoulos Trustee Designate
TBD Trustee Designate (Alternate)
Jim Wilson Superintendent of Education