ELECT

Janice Fiaschetti Trustee for the Waterloo Catholic School Board

October 26, 2026

I am blessed with a loving family, a Mom to a beautiful daughter and son-in-law and grandmother to three active grandchildren. For over 40 years I have been married to a wonderful and supportive husband.

With a rich background in education and a deep commitment to the Kitchener community, I bring a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the school board.

My motivation to run as a trustee is my grandchildren and all children to ensure that they all have quality education, and success in life.

Born in Sudbury, Ontario, I relocated with my family to Toronto during my childhood. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the University of Toronto, launching a career in the forest industry, working in Northern Ontario.

Seeking to transition into education, I returned to university and completed my Bachelor of Education at Nipissing University. Immediately after graduation, I began my teaching career with the Waterloo Catholic School Board in Kitchener, where I remained for 30 years until retirement. Throughout my tenure, I taught all grade levels and served passionately as a special education teacher. I developed extensive experience in addressing children's diverse learning needs including emotional, psychological, and physical requirements. This work required close collaboration with support staff and outside agencies to ensure comprehensive care for my students.

A particularly meaningful chapter of my career involved serving on a collaborative mental health team at Grand River Hospital. Working alongside psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, psychologists, social workers, and child and youth workers, I contributed to a program supporting young adults navigating mental health challenges. This experience was invaluable in deepening my understanding of the struggles, barriers, and pain point’s young people face. I will use this experience to steer policy to expand support for youth with mental health issues.

Upon retiring from education and presently I am working in the lumber remanufacturing industry.

Endorsement by Former Mayor Richard Christie

I am delighted to endorse the candidacy of Janice Fiaschetti as a Trustee for the WCDSB. She brings 30 years of classroom experience and an enduring respect for the teaching profession and the education of every student. Her decisions will be informed by her experience, dedication, and the needs of students for the best possible education.

Richard D. Christy

Former Mayor of Kitchener

Faith Informed Values/Education and Academic Excellence

Living Our Catholic Mission – A Catholic school is more than academics. It is faith formation integrated into daily learning. A Christ-like approach to education nurtures compassion, integrity, service, and dignity for every child and promotes academic excellence. This is at the heart of our schools' mandate and purpose.

Transparency with Curriculum

A Working Partnership

Advocating for equitable access to education and a welcoming space for all students from all backgrounds. Education should be a collaboration not a top-down directive. There must be every effort to bring out the best potential in every child through genuine partnership between families, school staff, and board administration.

Promoting a safe learning and teaching environment for students and teachers

All our students and teachers deserve a safe space to learn and teach. A safe learning environment helps students feel secure and focused so they can learn better and teachers can teach more effectively. When everyone is safe, curriculum can be delivered and children learn.

Connecting by Open and Respectful Communication

Communication is key to a thriving educational environment. Open dialogue and clear information, ensuring all voices are heard and valued. Let's work together for the best interests of our students, teachers and schools.

Open, respectful communication and continuing dialogue is required for the best interest of each child. This should be a working partnership between families, school staff, board administration, and teacher groups with the child's potential as the shared priority.

My three decades of classroom experience, combined with my work on the Grand River Hospital mental health collaborative team, have given me unique insight into what students truly need to thrive. I've seen first hand how fragmented communication hurts families and how genuine partnerships lifts everyone up.

Transparency with Finance

There is an immediate need for the board at all levels of administration to be transparent with the families and community of Kitchener. Too many parents feel shut out from decisions affecting their children's education.

Every budget decision, every policy change, every curricular update must be communicated clearly and openly. Families deserve full visibility into how their tax dollars are being spent and what their children are experiencing throughout the school day. Transparency builds trust—and trust is essential to a functioning educational partnership.