Calendar development -
A draft calendar for 2014/15 school year has been prepared and will be sent to
schools and school councils for feedback. In the first draft, the school year
starts after the September long weekend and some Teacher PD days have been
added to allow more time for teachers and schools to collaborate - a request
indicated by the C2 (teacher workload) study. Some schools may need to add a
few minutes per school day to accommodate the changes. Feedback from stakeholders
is required before the February 12 board meeting.
Bus route change proposal
- In order to accommodate the increased demand for bussing in the Town of St.
Paul and rural bussing in the south and southwest of St. Paul, administration
proposed adding another bus route. Current pick-up times were as early as 6:57
a.m. The change, which would add $20,000 to division transportation costs,
improves pick-up times and ride times for those routes affected. The Board
approved the recommendation and the new route will be advertised as per policy.
Accountability Pillar
Surveys - The Board is hoping parents will take the time to answer mailed
surveys regarding our education system. Alberta Education conducts the annual
survey and provides each school division with a report card on its initiatives.
In January and February, students and staff complete the surveys at school, and
the parent surveys are mailed from the department. Parents of students in
Grades 4, 7 and 10 complete the survey, unless the school has fewer that 120
students in Grades 4-10. Starting this year, all parents with children in
Grades 4-10 in smaller schools will be asked to complete the surveys. All
surveys are anonymous.
Policy review -
Policies 18 and 19 regarding Community Engagement and School Councils were
reviewed with no changes. There is an ASBA Community Engagement conference
coming up later in January, which may provide further information for the
board’s policy.
ASBA awards - Trustees
received information on the entry deadlines for the annual awards that
recognize excellent first-year teachers, long serving trustees, outstanding
school boards and citizens who contribute to public education in Alberta.
Superintendent Report:
- Synrevoice/School Connects - A letter will be sent out to parents to summarize the use of the automated call-out system, specifically dealing with bus cancellations and emergencies.
- Alberta Traffic Safety Act - A new admin procedure has been developed for bus drivers (division owned or school owned buses only) regarding logging hours when more than 160 km traveled, any overnight trip or 15 hours or more on duty. The procedure was developed to coincide with new provincial regulations.
- Kindergarten entry age - Administration is leaning towards changing the Kindergarten entry age to the age of 5 by Dec. 31, 2015. Administration wants to determine the direct impact on children. A final decision will likely be made by this spring, which would be 17 months in advance of the change.
- Grade 3 government exams will now take place at the beginning of the year based on Grade 2 curriculum. Letters are being sent home with Grade 2 and 3 students informing parents of the changes from Grade 3 Provincial Achievement Tests to the new Student Learner Assessments.
- C2 committee - The initial C2 report (teacher workload study) has been completed and shared with staff. Principals and assistant principals will meet for two days in February to review the report in-depth and make decisions moving forward.
- Traveling abroad - Admin procedure changes were made to address the importance of families purchasing travel insurance for their children on school trips and assuming all cancellation risks. Principals must also ensure students and families are aware of all board policies and procedures with respect to traveling abroad.
- Junior High CTS/Arts showcase/Math and Science Olympics – will be held on a three-year rotation. This year will be Math Olympics at FG Miller. Last year was Science Olympics, so next year will be an evening Fine/Performing Arts and CTS showcase.
Financial Report - In
December, Central Office and schools transitioned to a new payroll accounting
system. Kudos to all of our staff during this transitory time. FSLW requests - Town of St. Paul said they would contribute
$10,000 towards the program. The Board is very grateful for the
contribution and is waiting for feedback from its other municipal partners.
