Re-elect
Ralf MESENBRINK
For UGDSB Trustee
City of Guelph
Wards 2,3 & 4
About Ralf
I'm a long time resident of Guelph, married, with five children, three of whom have attended UGDSB schools.
While I am a current UGDSB Trustee, Chair of the Board and retired educator, my navigation of the school system has primarily been as a parent focused on supporting our children to get to their chosen pathways: College, Military, University and Apprenticeship.
My children have come to the education system with strengths but also needs for special education and mental health supports.
All of our children come to school with wonderful gifts and varying needs. I would like to continue to use my skills and experience gained as a parent, educator, Trustee and Board Chair to ensure that all UGDSB students are successful.
Community Engagement
I am an active volunteer in my community - as my children were growing, engaged in sports, music and other activities. Over the past 15 years I have been a volunteer and board member with the West Village Community Co-op, delivering food support, volunteering at summer and March Break day camps, delivering Holiday hampers, developing experiential learning programs, volunteer coordinator for a large community garden, running the Westwood Community Ice rink when weather cooperates, involved in Marksam Park Forest Stewardship, a member of Guelph Urban Forest Friends....
Volunteering gives me immense value by listening to people, making connections and in small ways, contribute to make my community a better place for families and their children.
Interacting with these various groups of people ensures I am able to listen to stories and concerns from parents..
My Priorities
The education system in Ontario has constantly changed over time, evolving from a system of small, locally controlled schools in mostly rural communities to the world-class system we have today. The most recent changes impact governance and the role of trustees in some fundamental ways. Bill 101, passed this spring, and the regulations that largely implement it, have removed some important powers of English Public School Board Trustees – the ability to make changes to budgets, the role in negotiating and ratifying collective agreements, among others. More regulations have been proposed and are expected to be released in the coming weeks and months. I believe the most important influence Trustees will have moving forward in the future is not just the vote and board decisions, but through the relationships with the Chief Executive Officer/Director of Education and with the other Trustees at the table. I believe that this is one of my strengths.
I have listened to many parents tell me about the hopes and plans they have for their children's futures. A good education is an important part of this. These stories have helped me focus my priorities:
Student Mental Health and Wellbeing
As a parent, I have supported my children through the stresses of COVID, economic and employment uncertainty, the impact of world events and other stresses. As a former principal, I am aware of the mental health and wellness issues facing our students and staff prior to COVID – those issues are much greater now. I know how important it is to provide resources and supports, and to advocate with the province for what we need locally in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, to ensure mental health and wellness for our students and staff.
Student Achievement - Identifying and addressing learning gaps
Our youngest child experienced virtual learning and school closures during COVID, giving me first-hand knowledge of some of the learning gaps our students experienced. However, learning gaps can occur for many reasons. I want to ensure that we continue to have student success data, who is doing well and who is not, so we can identify the supports needed and address the needs. As a Board, in this last term, we dedicated significant financial resources to support early reading and math, and our students’ continuous improvement in EQAO results over the past years have validated the use of those resources.
Equity
The UGDSB has identified Equity of Access and Equity of Outcomes as one the key pillars of the Multi-Year Plan. The board has taken large steps towards this, creating a self-funded Human Rights, Equity and Accessibility Office, having an external Human Rights review completed, and implementing recommendations from the report. There is much more work to be done to ensure all policies, processes and practices are consistent, inclusive and removing, not creating systemic barriers.
Sustainability and climate change
I will continue to work to make UGDSB facilities greener – reduce carbon emissions, reduce energy use and aim for net-zero buildings, starting with buildings that will have the greatest impact. This is difficult work that is proceeding more slowly than I would like, as the Board must work within the capital funding envelope provided by the Ministry of Education.
I am also aware that our changing climate disproportionately impacts schools without air conditioning. I will continue to advocate for provincial funding to address that.
Planning for the future
With the September 2026 opening of Two Rivers Secondary School, a significant step towards relieving enrollment pressures in our Guelph high schools will have been taken. There is more work to be done, including the completion of re-balancing enrollment in our secondary schools. The board also faces enrollment pressure in other parts of the board.
Financial pressures due to changing provincial funding, declining enrollment and other factors continue to be a major concern for me, as they are for Trustees across the province. We are also entering a period of negotiations with our employee groups.
I look forward to revisiting our Multi-Year Plan. This opportunity to work with the community to set the goals and priorities of the board for the next several years is one of the most important responsibilities Trustees have.
Land Acknowledgment
This place we call Guelph has served as traditional lands and a place of refuge for many peoples over time, but more specifically the Attiwonderonk, and the Haudenosaunee. This land is held as the treaty lands and territory with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Guelph lies directly adjacent to the Haldimand Tract and is part of a long-established traditional hunting ground for the Six Nations of the Grand River. Many First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples who have come from across Turtle Island call Guelph home today. I will work to strengthen my relationship with our First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.