Trustee Report - June 13, 2012

1. Two Hills County Council - asked for clarification on how the Student Health Initiative Program funding flows to the Myrnam and Two Hills schools Family School Liaison Workers. The Board is sending a letter in response.

2. Alberta School Councils Association membership - Trustee Starosielski sent a group email out to chairs of local school councils to ask if the division should continue with the ASCA membership. All responses were in favour; therefore the Board's motion was confirmed.

3. East Central Francophone Division land - St. Paul Education discussed the land that was previously owned by SPERD and was transferred over to the East Central Francophone division when the francophone division was created. Some of the land was recently offered back for sale to SPERD. Although St. Paul Elementary Community School could use the land, the division is not in a position to purchase the land at this time.

4. Budget 2012/2013 - The Board approved the 2012/2013 budget, forecasting overall expenses of $55,144,800 with a $419,771 deficit. There are no significant changes to programs at this time. The biggest assumptions and risks are salaries still to be negotiated (which total 79% of budget incl. benefits), enrolment, federal tuition (don't know final figures until the school year is complete). This year looks better than last year, but there are more uncertainties at this time.

5. Policy 1 - our division foundational statements - will be reviewed at a later date following consultations with all of our stakeholders.

6. Whitefish Lake First Nation letter – went to all families in the Goodfish Lake community on May 4 stating bussing to Ashmont Elementary School for K-3 students will be suspended for the 2012-2013 school year. Another letter, dated May 16, directed to our Superintendent, states bussing would be further suspended up to Grade 6 to Ashmont Elementary for the 2013-2014 school year. The Superintendent will be sending a letter to all Goodfish Lake families currently attending Ashmont Elementary reminding them of registration deadlines. Board representatives will be meeting with Whitefish Lake First Nation Chief and Council. Approximately 65 students from Goodfish Lake attend K-3 Ashmont Elementary and the current budget is built on these numbers - approx 1/3 students at Ashmont Elementary come from the Goodfish Lake community.

7. Superintendent report:

- budget process - discussions with schools - staffing needs are being addressed

- Math and Science Olympics – events will take place on alternate years - Racette will host Science Olympics next year

- Showcase of the Arts - moving to an evening program - GA will host next year

- healthy lifestyles - AP167 - schools will develop their own programs

- AP370 - student awards - on whether to continue with Grade 6 student awards even though this level is moving to outcomes-based report cards - two recommendations: -remove the award or recognize award for highest mark on Grade 6 Provincial Achievement Tests - Board decided to keep the Grade 6 award with highest average of PAT scores

8. Alberta School Boards Association Spring General Meeting - 4 trustees attended – reported on issues such as school boards using social media as a communications tool, parent engagement in education, Education Minister Jeff Johnson’s desire to continue with Tripartite discussions, Education Act legislation and teachers becoming learning facilitators instead of lecturers.

9. Capital Projects:

Racette on schedule

FG Miller - hazmat underway and full tender to go out this month.

Two Hills Mennonite - cost estimates - meeting with stakeholders June 14

10. Community Consultation night – Trustees reported on the May 31 event and the feedback received from participants. The Strategic Planning committee will create a brief synopsis of its findings to be reported back to stakeholders in the near future.

11. Council of School Councils – School Councils had an opportunity to meet with the Superintendent, Secretary Treasurer and the Board on June 13 to discuss the 2012-2013 budget, school council housekeeping items and the division’s new assessment policy (in response to the media coverage on no zeroes). Participants also had the opportunity to view the division’s new promotional video which was premiered at the Community Consultation night. Group discussion focused on the division’s intention to explore the use of social media, such as Facebook and/or Twitter.

12. Tribal Chiefs Ventures Initiative – Program Coordinator Glenda Bristow provided an update on the discussions and objectives being designed in partnership with First Nation communities within Tribal Chiefs. Communication and data sharing are the first two strategic directions being developed.

13. Zone 2/3 – Trustee Rudkowsky reported on the following resolutions that our local school board association zone is developing for the fall: transportation, financial literacy for students, sexual minority students, full-time kindergarten, safe and caring schools.

14. Tripartite negotiations - ATA rep Connie Landsiedel reported that the first Tripartite meeting is scheduled for Friday, June 15. ASBA position - ASBA wants any negotiated items to be fully funded if a provincial agreement is reached. 

Trustee Report - May 9, 2012

1. Social Media - the Division is examining the use of Facebook and Twitter as another communication tool.  Over the next year, administration will be investigating a number of areas, including weighing the staff time required versus usage of the social media sites.

2. Registration Fee changes - Trustees reviewed and ratified school fee changes for the 2012-2013 school year that were previously approved by School Councils.

3. Policy Review - Trustees brought forward suggested changes to polices regarding Trustee Code of Ethics and Board Operations. Policy 1 Division Foundational Statements is up for review in June (note that this policy will likely change after receiving feedback from the Community Engagement Night on May 31).

4. Superintendent Report:

- Teacher Logic student information system was previewed by teaching staff

- Student Showcase - future events may be combined and held in evening so that more parents can attend; looking for feedback from all stakeholders - Thank you to Servus Credit Union for its generous donations and support for this event - Science and Math Olympics - will be held on alternating years

- AP 200 student assessment - principals have received feedback from staff on the draft version of the new admin procedure

- AISI Cycle 5 - principals gave final feedback on the proposal for student assessment

- Ag Safety Day May 22 - Grade 5 students from across the division will be attending the event hosted by the St. Paul Ag Society

- Healthy Weights Initiative - AP 167 - the admin procedure is in the process of being revised and will be ready in the next month

5. Community Spirit Grant - the Division received $2,492.75 for the 2010-2011 school year. This provincial grant can be applied for once the division receives private donations. The division then reallocates the grant money to the areas in which the donations were made. Private donors can also receive a charitable tax receipt from the division for qualifying donations of $20 or more.

6. Secretarial staff allocation - Trustees approved $7,000 in additional monies to be allocated towards extra training time for the new student information system.

7. Budget - Trustees will be meeting on May 29 to finalize the 2012-2013 budget.

8. ASCA conference - Four trustees and three School Council chairs attended the annual conference. The division has sponsored the registration fees of three parent council members each year for the past three years.

9. Capital projects

Racette - progressing on schedule

FG Miller 100% design documents phase - hopefully go for tender this month

TH Mennonite - schematic design is available for viewing

10. Collective Bargaining - the Board has received a request from the Alberta Teachers' Association to begin bargaining on the Collective Agreement. The Board's guiding principles are on the division website.

11. COSC - Council of School Councils meeting for all school councils - June 13 - 6:30 p.m. at Central Office Board Room.

12. Community Engagement Night - May 31 - 7:00 p.m. at Glen Avon School.

Trustee Report - April 11, 2012

1. Day for Education – Trustees and ATA members reported on the event co-sponsored by both organizations on April 4 – about 50 public members attended the round-table education discussions with local MLA candidates.

2. Policy Review – Policies 16 and 17 were reviewed by trustees with no suggested changes. The Policy Committee plans to complete a more extensive review of all policies and procedures regarding student transportation. Policy 4 Trustee Code of Ethics and Policy 7 Board Operations are up for review at the May 9 board meeting.

3. Community Engagement Meeting – Trustees confirmed the date for the division event to take place on May 31 at the Glen Avon School gathering area. Further advertising and invitations to education stakeholders will be coming shortly. The division video project is on schedule and will be premiered at the Community Engagement Meeting.

4. Superintendent’s Report :

• Principals approved May 22 as the date for Ag Society Day.  This event, for students in Grades 4 and 5, will cover a variety of topics relating to rural safety (all-terrain vehicles, animals, bicycles, chemicals, farm equipment, first aid, firearms, and others).  More details will follow along with confirmation of attendees.
• The division Family School Liaison Worker committee will initiate work in the area of bullying on a division-wide basis, beginning with the establishment of a common definition or understanding of bullying.
• The division’s 15^th annual Servus Credit Union Student Showcase was held in Two Hills on April 12 – this year’s focus was on communications, but the format may be altered in future years.
• The division has received a grant from Alberta Healthy School Community Wellness Fund to review and revise Administrative Procedure 167 Comprehensive School Health, identify steps to promote comprehensive school health from a division perspective, and communicate the aims of the initiative with parents and communities. 
• The theme of this year’s Education Week April 30 to May 6 is Education: Opening Doors, Unlocking Potential.  The Division will be sponsoring ads promoting events associated with Education Week in the local newspapers and events may be taking place at various schools throughout the division.

5. Capital Projects:

• Racette -  if you drive past the school, you will notice the renovations are well underway and on schedule.
• FG Miller - finishing touches on the final design.
• TH Mennonite - 70 per cent design meeting upcoming – the installation of new modular classrooms is almost complete.

6. FNMI Traditional Parenting workshop – Trustee Starosielski reported on the workshop which was facilitated through Learning Networks at Regional High School. Goals of the workshop: to raise awareness and understanding among parents and school authorities about First Nations, Metis and Inuit traditional parenting skills and their implications for student success in school based on diversity and respecting local cultural protocols. - To advocate and support increased involvement and improved participation between FNMI and schools.

Mobilize the masses against bullying

Last night, I attended my very first parent information session on bullying at St. Paul Elementary School. Dare to Care Facilitator Lisa Dixon-Wells had spent the entire day with the school's teachers during a professional development (PD) day and the school also decided to host a session for parents to learn the skills of bully prevention and early intervention. She was also spending the following day with our Grade 5 classes before they move on to junior high.

Dare to Care's mission is to "mobilize the masses" to prevent bullying. The "masses" or "silent majority" are the 79 per cent of the students who are not bullies or victims of bullying (six per cent are bullies; 15 per cent are victims) - they are the kids who stand back and watch without saying anything because of the fear of retaliation.

Before I continue about all of the valuable information I learned not only as a local legislator, but also as a parent of two boys in elementary school, I think it is important to know the definition of bullying. Bullying is when a child is intentionally targeted over a period of time. If the incident takes place one or twice during one week, then it is likely not bullying; if it occurs again the next week and then again a couple of weeks later, then it is bullying. Bullying also involves an imbalance of power so that the victim cannot defend him/herself. Bullies don't think their behaviour is a problem - the behaviour is learned at home and because he/she gets away with it, the bully thinks it is all right. There is also an imbalance of emotion. Bullies have no emotion and excuse their behaviour. Victims usually suppress their true emotions and keep it bottled up inside until they have had too much.

Ms. Dixon-Wells spoke about the importance of our elementary school taking preventive measures now, since hierarchies among students are already established by Grade 3.  And even though my children do not have Facebook accounts or cell phones, Dixon-Wells spoke of the importance of teaching our children that these devices are a privilege, not a right, and that parents need to set rules on their usage and how their public image is displayed once our children are immersed in today's technology.

I believe the most vital part of the evening was learning what to do if my child is being bullied. Dare to Care teaches children the assertive techniques of HA HA, SO;
Help                    Humour               Self-Talk
Assert                  Avoid                  Own It

1. Help - the child being bullied should remain calm, since the bullies want reaction, and then say to an adult, "please help me." As adults, we sometimes ignore children who are whining to us and we don't listen to what they are really saying. If a child came up to you calmly and said, "please help me," it would be an immediate trigger for you to stop and listen. Then the child would give details as to what happened and how long these incidents have been going on for.

2. Assert - teach kids how to assert themselves, where appropriate. If a bully starts picking on another student in the playground, the victim should say "stop it" to the bully, then say "stop it" again; then walk away in the opposite direction and go talk to an adult. If the child says "stop it" more than twice, then their emotions are going to become involved and the bully will have achieved his/her goal.

3. Humour - Dare to Care usually doesn't teach the younger kids this tactic, but it is a way to diffuse the interaction through humour - could be similar to "Own It."

4. Avoid - kids being bullied need to learn to walk away without any body language. Girls learn to roll their eyes at a very young age and boys will try to walk away, but they walk right past the bullying group and possibly right into a fist. Victims of bullying need to learn to keep their body language neutral so that they do not give the bully the satisfaction of a reaction.

5. Self-Talk - we need to teach our children how to flip a negative comment into a positive one. If someone calls my child stupid, I can teach him the skills to develop a "thought bubble" and say to himself, "I'm good at math!", or "I'm awesome!" Even if we start thinking negative thoughts about ourselves, we should instantly have a positive thought bubble to counteract the negative one. Dixon-Wells suggested sitting down with your kids and have them list the top five negative comments/thoughts they encounter and then develop a list of positive thought bubbles.

6. Own It - on occasion, it may be appropriate to "own" the insult and come up with a humorous retort. Say, someone yells out that you stink. You could say, "Yeah, I know. I really need a shower," and then keep on walking away. You wouldn't want your child to do this all of the time, because they might actually start owning too many negative thoughts and the bully could catch on to this technique.

All of these skills could apply to anyone at any age. I know I could use a number of these techniques, especially as a local politician.

Bully prevention is all about teaching our children the proper social skills to interact with others in a kind and respectful way. It is also about setting rules and restrictions instead of being your child's "best friend." We cannot keep our children immune from the social ills all around us, but if we "mobilize the masses," we may have a chance to make a difference for all of our students.

Trustee Report - March 14, 2012

1. Transportation Boundary Survey - Trustees reviewed a request for a boundary change in the northern portion of the Elk Point transportation attendance area. A survey of local residents was completed and the Board determined that the boundary will not be altered.

2. Capital Plan and IMR - The Board listed its priorities for future capital projects, including those that are funded by the Province (Capital Plan) and those funded by the Division (IMR).

3. Policy Review - Policies 14 and 15 - the two policies regarding teacher transfers and program reduction/school closure were reviewed briefly, but because they rely heavily on the School Act legislation, the Board decided to review them more thoroughly after the new Education Act is passed. Policies for review in April include: Policy 16 – Recruitment and Selection of Personnel and Policy 17- Student Transportation Services.

4. Education Day – the Board has decided to work with the local Alberta Teachers Association to host a political event to promote education issues in light of the upcoming provincial election. Local provincial candidates will be available to discuss education on Wednesday, April 4, in St. Paul. More details will be available shortly.

5. Capital projects:

Racette renovations underway

FG Miller  - gone to architects for tender

Two Hills Mennonite - design process - moving onto schematic design

6. Community Engagement meeting update – the director of the division film project will interview candidates on April 2 and 3 - schools also have access to video cameras to record school events – the Community Engagement event will tentatively take place at the end of May.

7. MOU information meeting – Local trustees, Chiefs, educators and students took part in an information meeting regarding the Memorandum of Understanding of First Nations Education in Alberta (MOU). The event on March 12 at Blue Quills College was one of two sessions held by the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations. The MOU is currently in year two of 10-year process and the eight sub-tables were given the deadline of March 31, 2012 to have their recommendations presented to the MOU Working Group. A long-term strategic plan is due June 30, 2012. The eight sub-tables have been hard at work on the following issues: Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom Centre (IKWC), funding analysis, data sharing protocol, tuition agreements, special education, children in care/not in school, community engagement, and teachers recruitment and retention.

8. Catholic Education Award - Shirley Pruden is this year’s recipient of the Excellence in Catholic Education Award.

9. Modular Classroom request for Ashmont denied – Alberta Education recently received over 300 requests for portable classrooms and were only able to fund 47 units.

10. Assistant Superintendents Imeson and Gervais gave the Superintendent’s report:   (1) a date for the August administrators’ meeting which is attended by trustees; (2) information provided to Division principals by the Learning Network which is the consortium providing professional development supports to school divisions in our area; (3)  the Division Communications Showcase which is scheduled for April 12 at Two Hills School; (4)  plans for the transfer of data and training support for the new Division student information system which will be compliant with provincial requirements; (5) an update from the Northern Tier, specifically, the opportunity to participate in a leadership group and provincial findings from the Tell Them From Me survey which is administered to all students enrolled in pilot schools; (6)  progress with the transportation survey which is a follow-up to the 2011 Division Satisfaction Survey that asked about safety on the bus; (7) feedback from the Instructional Assistants’ Conference which was held on February 17; (8) a teacher-initiated collaborative project looking at writing standards for high school Social Studies; (9) a recommendation by principals to continue with Student Support Teams for 2012-2013; (10) an overview of the proposed project on assessment for the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) Cycle 5 which must be submitted by April 30.   The proposed project will be shared through School Councils, the Local ATA, the Division and school websites, and school administrative teams and teachers.  Trustees also provided input on the project.  Additional feedback is requested by all stakeholders by mid-April. 

 

Trustee Report – February 8, 2012

1. AP 370 Board Awards - Grade 6, 9, 12 awards - will stay the same this year and come back for review next year - in order to fit into current assessment practices (ie. outcomes based report cards - especially for Grade 6). Will be on agenda at May Principals meeting.

2. Remembrance Day - AP 370 - find balance between respecting Remembrance Day Act (ie. the 11:00 a.m. stipulation) and addressing local scheduling concerns.

3. Transportation Survey Draft - Board passed a motion to move forward with the survey for students and parents. It will be distributed shortly.

4. Policy Review – Board Polices 2, 5,8,9,10,18 were approved as amended and Policy 19 was tabled for further review. Policy 12 – Role of Superintendent and Policy 13 – Student Appeals and Hearings were reviewed with recommendations to be followed up by the Policy Committee. Policy 14 – Hearings on Teacher Transfers and Policy 15 – Program Reduction and School Closure are up for review in March.

5. Two Hills Mennonite School – out-of-province field trip request was approved.

6. Calendar - recommendation to accept Draft 4 with one amendment - November 9 in-lieu-day moved to November 12 in order to accommodate school Remembrance Day Ceremonies prior to the weekend.

7. Wind Power proposal - SPERD spends $490,000 on power each year. It is also part of a consortium with 40 school boards who purchase power and natural gas together. In order to keep costs reasonable in these times of escalating utility costs, SPERD passed a motion on a letter of intent to enter into an investigative process of a proposed wind power project.

8. Two Hills School playground – a parent group has raised concerns regarding possible unsanitary issues with the sand in playground. Most playgrounds in the division have similar ground cover, but as with all school playground projects, the provincial government does not currently provide funds for playgrounds. Community fundraising has been the common practice for playground upgrades.

9. Superintendent's report (provided by Assistant Superintendents Patricia Gervais and Dalane Imeson):purchase of a new Division student information system in compliance with provincial requirements for management of student information; a Division administrative procedure on assessment under development; the possibility of a digital library resource for use with e-books, IPads and other technologies; planning for the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) Cycle 5 project which will focus on assessment; plans to acknowledge substitute teachers' week and ensure that substitute teachers have access to information about professional development opportunities; a grant received from the Alberta Healthy School Community Wellness Fund to take an in-depth look at the Division Administrative Procedure on Comprehensive School Health.

10. Financial report - provincial budget being announced February 9 - will have information on how it affects local division - budget process for the division will begin after provincial announcement.

• Financial Reporting Profile - since 2006/07 expenditures increased from $40 million to $50 million - SPERD reserves have decreased from $5.8 million to $2.9 million (due mainly to construction of new administration building and Board's directive to use reserve funding to supplement shortfalls in instructional funding) - SPERD's reserves now sit below average in comparison to other divisions our size.
• nominal roll for First Nation, Métis, Inuit students - 25 students were approved during the appeal.

11. Capital Report

• Racette demolition well underway
• FG Miller - design almost complete - gone to cost consultant
• TH Mennonite - issued a preliminary design - staff has had a chance to review and has been sent back to architects.

Trustee Report – January 11, 2012

1. Minister's visit – Trustees received word from Minister Lukaszuk's office that the Premier has asked him to join her on a cabinet tour; therefore, he will not be able to tour St. Paul area on January 26. Trustees will be notified when another date becomes available.

2. Board Awards AP 370 - since the division is moving to outcomes-based reporting, the criteria for the division awards is now under question, especially the Grade 6 award. Grade 6, 9, 12 awards have been given to students with the highest grade average. Principals are bringing the issue back to their staff and will report back at the next Admin Council meeting. No changes will be made for the 2011/2012 school year.

3. Student Transportation Survey - Trustees reviewed the draft surveys for students and parents to complete prior to the spring break. One survey will be sent home per family. Central Office staff hasn’t determined yet how it will be distributed.

4. Tribal Chiefs Ventures Initiative - Trustee Starosielski reported on the January 5 meeting regarding “joint data collection, sharing and management respecting First Nation students”, under the recently signed Memorandum of Agreement with Whitefish Lake, Frog Lake, Heart Lake, Cold Lake, Kehewin and Beaver Lake. Assistant Superintendent Dalane Imeson and Coordinator Glenda Bristow will attend the next planning meeting.

5. Scholarship Agreement - A new scholarship has been created thanks to a donation from the Fox and McFadyen families of Elk Point. The Violet E. McFadyen Memorial Scholarship Fund will provide a $500 award to an eligible student or employee of the Elk Point Hospital who will be pursuing training in the medical care profession.

6. Policy Review – Trustees reviewed Policy 10 Policy Making and Policy 11 Board Delegation of Authority. Policies to be reviewed in February include Policy 12 Role of Superintendent and Policy 13 Appeals and Hearings Regarding Student Matters.

7. Two Hills community usage request - a volleyball tournament was held at the Two Hills School last year to raise money for a family in need. This year, the same group would like to rent the Two Hills School gym to raise money for Haying in the '30s. The Board passed a motion to waive the rental fees for the non-profit group.

8. Superintendent's report:

• all staff given access to handouts on the safe use of technology and especially the use of social media. Handouts include information on division admin procedures as well as legal matters regarding Facebook, etc.  - Also looking into the possibility using Facebook to provide one-way information to our stakeholders - the communications committee will follow up.
• succession planning meetings to take place end of January - about 20 staff members have been selected.
• Admin Procedure on Religious and Patriotic Exercises - adjusted the time so that schools could have more flexibility in scheduling Remembrance Day activities, as per a request from community groups such as the Cadets and the Legion.
• Student Information System (SIS) - staying with the MIG (SIRS) system that tracks student data - will include an online information program similar to Students Achieve so that parents/student can access information at home.
• Read and Write Gold - assistive technology for students who require additional assistance in their education - schools are taking further steps to move forward with the technology.
• AISI Literacy - Patricia Gervais will be visiting all schools to conduct an inventory of literacy needs across the division.
• AISI cycles - moving forward on assessment plan for the division, which will then be tailored for each school.
• Diploma exams started today (Jan. 11) for Grade 12 students.

9. Nominal roll for federal students - Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AAND&C) has challenged funding for 50 federal students - the division is appealing the decision and believes that at least 20 students should not be disqualified – the decision is related to attendance issues - presents a challenge for division staffing decisions - could lose anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000 in funding, depending on the appeal process. AAND&C seems to have less leeway in the eligibility criteria, which presents a significant challenge to the Division budget.

10. Capital Update:

• Racette site meeting January 18 - construction/demolition has begun
• FG Miller - finalizing design
• Mennonite school site meeting January 24 – government does not believe the existing structure can be used in the new construction - won't be demolished until after the construction is complete.

11. Community Engagement meeting - request for proposals have been sent out to various video production companies - next meeting will take place January 19. The local Community Development rep will run a mock set-up of the event at the Board's information meeting on January 25.

12. Tripartite Agreement - the Alberta School Boards Association had a meeting regularly scheduled for Board chairs, Superintendents and Secretary Treasurers on Monday, January 9. The attendees found out that the Deputy Minister and two ministry-appointed lawyers would be attending. The attendees were told that the lawyers are going to reach a provincial settlement for Alberta teachers and boards in 10 days. Further information will be given once the board has received it.

13. CFEP grant - Myrnam School received a $20,000 grant towards their new playground.

14. 10 Point Plan for School Act – Minister Lukaszuk has released a 10-point plan as a result of the recent community consultations on the School Act. The plan includes:

• Reducing travel time for students who spend more than one hour on a bus and enabling students to better use technology when they travel.
• Creating more opportunities for students to earn credits in high school and post-secondary at the same time.
• Updating school design specifications to better support communities.
• Co-ordinating building playgrounds and new schools.
• Reducing the administrative burden for charter schools.
• Supporting First Nations students by working more closely with the federal government.
• Creating a stronger voice for parents in the education system.
• Providing better information to increase the transparency, clarity and accountability of the education system.
• Reviewing provincial achievement tests.
• Examining the operational requirements of full-day kindergarten.