A trusted voice for St. Paul Education

As we approach election day on October 16, I thought I would share my speech from the Town of St. Paul forum that took place on October 4. You can also watch the video of the forum here.

Good evening, Mr. Moderator, fellow candidates, and community members.

Thank you to the St. Paul and District Chamber of Commerce for giving trustee candidates time to speak this evening, and thank you to those who arrived early to listen.

Some of you might be wondering what a school trustee does. As a member of a board, we set policy, approve a budget, and evaluate our one employee – our Superintendent. But primarily we are here as an advocate for students. In my 10 years as a trustee, I can truly state that each decision we make focuses on students first.

Parents have told us class size is important. We continue to have one of the best student-teacher ratios in the area. Staff has told us they need student supports in the classroom. We continue to fund our Family School Liaison program, with assistance from our municipal partners. These items are just some of the ways our board supports students each year at budget time. 

Trustees also act as a bridge between the school, home, and community. We advocate for students, we engage our parents and staff, and we act with all levels of government to ensure our community receives the education it deserves.

We receive the majority of our revenue from the provincial and federal government and have strict guidelines on how this money is spent. In fact, almost 80 per cent of our 55 million-dollar budget goes towards employing over 600 staff in our region. Our Superintendent is in charge of these staff. As Trustees, it is not our job to meddle in the day-to-day operations at our schools. We can raise concerns brought forward by students, staff, and parents, but ultimately, it is the superintendent’s job to evaluate and monitor our school communities. And it is the board’s job to evaluate the Superintendent annually.

I have mentioned recently that I am concerned about the elimination of locally-elected school boards. Our local residents elect school boards, but the provincial government has started interfering with our role as a board.

For example, in the last couple of years, school boards across the province have been forced to revise or replace their existing policies and submit them to the government for approval on a strict timeline. Our policies are our tools we use to govern. We have never had to submit them for approval to the government before now. It makes me wonder what will happen next.

I am also concerned about the growing disparity between rural and urban boards. School divisions are funded on a per-student basis. Rural boards are experiencing a decline in enrolment, as people choose to move to larger centres and sprawling suburbia.

We were pleasantly surprised when the provincial government recently announced it would now assist in playground funding for new schools. However, when we read the fine print and asked why two of our new schools in the division are not eligible for funding, the answer was, it had to be on a new school site. In small, rural communities we are usually left with no choice but to build on existing sites due to the lack of serviceable land available. Again, rural communities are being left out.  

We have a lot of challenges facing our local board in the coming months and I believe it will take trustees with experience to face these challenges. I have been a trustee for 10 years. I started this position when my children were preschoolers – they are now enrolled in the French Immersion program at Racette Junior High School.

I have always worked hard and have gone the extra mile to get the work done that needs to be done on our board. When policy needs to be written or revised, I take my time to research each item and then present it to the policy committee. When the board needed to work on its communication to the public, I took the extra time to write Trustee Reports after each board meeting so that we were all on the same page. I am proud to say we now have the staff in place to enhance some of our communications – something I personally advocated for since I was first elected.

I am actively engaged on our board, as well as in the community. Again, when a job needs to be done, I do it. I was instrumental in upgrades to the St. Paul Elementary playground as a member of its fundraising council for close to five years. I have been a team manager in soccer, hockey, and baseball. My husband and I have successfully operated a small business together since 2009.

I am passionate, organized, efficient with my time, and dedicated to our local community. I am a vocal advocate for Catholic schools and will continue to stand up for St. Paul Education. I would be honoured to continue serving you as your Trustee for Subdivision D.

Thank you.

Putting my name on the ballot

I am asking my constituents for their support in electing me to another term as trustee with St. Paul Education Regional Division No. 1. Over the past 10 years, I have learned so much and have grown both professionally and personally in my role as a trustee. I hope to use this knowledge and growth to serve my constituents and continue to make students my number one priority.

I know I mentioned a year ago that I would not be seeking another term. Perhaps I spoke too soon. Over this past year, I grew concerned about the attack on locally elected schools boards, especially in other parts of the country where they are considering reducing or eliminating school boards like they did to our health authorities in Alberta. We all know that decision did not bode well for Albertans. Local voices are needed when it comes to decisions that affect our communities.

I am also concerned over the growing movement in Alberta to eliminate Catholic schools. My children attend a Catholic school and I wouldn't have it any other way. Our school division is unique in the province, having both Catholic and non-Catholic schools in one division, and I want to preserve what our community voted on over 20 years ago. What we have works for our local division and I continue to stand for what our community wants.

My two children are in grades 6 and 9 this year; and, although I believe a trustee doesn't need to have children attending school to make informed decisions, a parent's perspective adds another element to our role as governors.

I believe in St. Paul Education. We have made many important changes to how policy is made and reviewed, and in how we are communicating with our staff, students, parents, and our communities at large. Our goals are strong and our mission of working together to inspire and empower our students to succeed is sound.

On October 16, I ask for your support. 

Are you #ReadyForHer?

Last week I wrote a blog about the Top 10 things I've learned as a trustee. This week I want to focus on the push to have more women running in the upcoming municipal and school board elections across Alberta in October. There is currently a group of female politicians touring the province to talk about their experiences as local representatives. The "Ready for Her" campaign examines the barriers to women entering politics and how some women have overcome them.

Now, I must admit, when the Bank of Canada unveiled their new $10 banknote for Canada 150 celebrations last week, I did not recognize the woman that was pictured among three men. The name sounded kind of familiar, but I didn't know who she was until the newscaster mentioned that Agnes Macphail was the first woman elected to the House of Commons in 1921. Women didn't even have the right to vote until 1916 in the four western provinces, 1917 in Ontario, and 1940 in Quebec. Women weren't allowed to hold a seat in the House of Commons until 1919. Can you imagine what it was like for her to enter those chambers full of men? She knew she was starting a movement; only, it became stalled along the way. Hopefully, her face on the $10 bill will awaken new possibilities.

Even though our House of Commons reached a new record high of 25 per cent women elected in the last federal election, it still doesn't represent the 50 per cent of women in the country. In the 2013 municipal elections, only 26 per cent of the elected seats went to women. There is no specific data for elected trustees, but I suspect the number may be higher based on the trustees I see at provincial school board events. 

When I decided to run as a school board trustee, I was a stay-at-home mom with two children, aged one and four. I felt disconnected from my community after leaving the full-time workforce and wanted to serve in some way. With the support of my family, I knocked on doors every day during the month-long campaign and beat the male incumbent by 15 votes. I still remember the phone call at close to midnight that election night. After many recounts, I was declared the winner. Now what? I had my first meeting two days later and needed to find a babysitter. 

I must say, finding childcare has been the most challenging part of becoming an elected official. It's not like it is a regular 9-5 job. Every time an extra meeting came up outside of the regular schedule, or if a meeting was running late, I was stressed. And since most of our meetings are during the day, it meant hiring someone to look after my pre-school children. Luckily, I found some sitters with flexible schedules that didn't require me to pay for a whole week or month of daycare. Board meeting days and times are voted on each fall at a board organizational meeting, and I do know of many school boards and councils that have their meetings in the evening. However, school tours obviously must take place during the day. Since women remain primarily in charge of child care and domestic labour, support in these areas is needed for women to enter politics. 

We need our elected bodies to be representative of our diverse communities. Politics is becoming more progressive. There are still some "backroom-dealing politicians" out there, and there always will be, but overall, I believe people want to see change. Are you ready to put your name forward this fall?

Top 10 things I've learned being a School Trustee

When municipal and school board elections take place this October, I will have served as a School Trustee for 10 years. I have accumulated a lot of knowledge throughout my tenure, but when you are overseeing a $55 million budget, 4,000 students and over 600 staff, there is still a lot to learn. To encapsulate some of the most important things I've learned, I have created a Top 10 List:

1. Students are number one. Every decision we make as a Board comes down to the basic question: how will this affect students? Although parents, staff and our communities are equally important when making decisions, we are advocates for our students, and all of our students. Even though I am elected to Ward D and serve St. Paul South, once elected to a board, I am here for all students.

2. Policy is key. Trustees are elected to govern. And to govern, we need a set of guidelines, or policies, to assist us in our decision-making. I have been on the Board's Policy Committee for most of my 10 years on the board. I admit I am a policy geek and I believe a board cannot function without strong policy. Our Board reviews all of its policies every year and will add new ones where it sees fit. We only have 22 policies which can be found here. As governors, we should not be meddling in day-to-day affairs at our schools. We are here to govern our school division as a whole based on the policies we have created.

3. Communication is crucial. People want to know what is happening at our local schools. The local news media has always been very supportive is getting the word out to our communities, but it is important to have information and consultation with all audiences, internal and external. I have also been on the Board's Communications Committee throughout my trusteeship and have consistently stressed the importance of communications, not only with the public, but with our staff, parents and students. We follow a Communications Plan and we recently hired a part-time social media communications person to inform our communities in the digital world. Although we must legally protect privacy in some cases, our school division has all of its financial information, policies and, and day-to-day news on display, and we regularly consult parents, students, and staff to guide us in our decision-making.

4. You don't have to be an education expert. There are former educators on school boards across the province, and we have a former principal on our board, but the majority of trustees on our board are parents and community members who have a passion for education. As I mentioned earlier, when you are elected as a School Board Trustee, you are there for students and you are there to govern. You may already know about the education goals and strategies set out as a division, as well as the education philosophy of the Superintendent's office. There is a lot to learn as an elected official, but you don't need to know it all at the start.

5. You are a politician. Even though some trustees don't like to call themselves "politicians", that is what you are once you are elected. You are there to lobby the provincial government and to network with other trustees and elected officials, both locally and provincially. Some trustees are more into politics than others, but once you are a School Trustee, you are expected to take a political role to a certain extent.

6. You are responsible for a budget. Our school division operates a $55+ million budget with the majority of the money coming from the provincial government. About 80 per cent of that budget goes to staff wages and benefits, with the other 20 per cent going towards items such as technology, textbooks, transportation, building maintenance, and utilities. Although the Board approves a budget once a year, the numbers fluctuate and budgetary decisions are required throughout the year.

7. The Superintendent is your only employee. The Board hires its Superintendent and conducts annual evaluations set out in policy. The Superintendent oversees all of the 600+ staff across the division; therefore, the relationship between the Superintendent and the Board is vital. Our Board has a strong relationship with our current Superintendent's office and we believe that we are part of a team with our local principals.

8. Planning is important. A Board is responsible for setting division goals and conducting strategic planning via public consultation. Our Trustees regularly attend local school council meetings, we invite our Alberta Teachers Association reps to our monthly board meetings, and we sit in on monthly principals' meetings. We also rely on local and provincial survey information and feedback from our students, staff, parents, and communities. All of this information is used to create our division goals and our Three Year Plan that is submitted to Alberta Education each year.

9. Be prepared for a lot of reading. In order to make informed decisions, you will be doing a lot of reading as a trustee. Daily emails, reports, following news media, and general research will keep you busy.

10. It will take up more of your time than you think. Even though there are only two official board meetings per month, depending on the committees you select, and the daily email correspondence and communication with your communities, be prepared to be "on call" every day. There are also association conferences and business meetings throughout the year, so plan to be away from home from time to time. And don't expect to be paid a lot of money. You will receive an honorarium for meetings you attend, compensation for travel, and a small monthly stipend, but you have to be in it for the passion, not the paycheque.

January is exam time

While most of us are thinking about the beginning of a new year and our resolutions, our students are busy with their Diploma, Final or Mid-Term Exams. And although these summative exams are a one-time test making up only a portion of their final marks, they are still important. This is why it is important to help our children learn the best study techniques.

Many of our schools have access to online practice exams and teachers quite often provide practice and study exams before the Big Day. It is up to parents to provide the support and structure required to enable their children and ensure they are prepared. For those feeling extra stress or anxiety, there are supports at the school as well.

Back when I was a high school and university student, I learned how to study on my own, but I still suffered from exam anxiety from time to time. I learned some breathing techniques to calm myself down before the exam and I also asked for extra tutoring time from my teachers or through private tutors. That is what worked for me, but having a discussion with your child and finding out what is best for them is the first step. You also may need to have a discussion with the teacher to find out how the two of you can assist your child. The teacher is there to see your child succeed, and once your child has left the K-12 system, the same opportunities don't always exist.

Throughout the year and each term, parents and students for Grades 7 and up can keep an eye on their marks and attendance via the HomeLogic online student assessment system. Login information is available through the school. The more you are involved in your children's school and in their learning, the better chance they have at success. Good luck to students writing exams!

A voice at the provincial level

Once or twice a year, school boards across Alberta have a chance to meet together in assembly to discuss and bring forward resolutions to the Alberta government on matters pertaining to the education of our students.

Our local Board of Trustees and administration is heading out to two separate conferences today. The first is the Annual General Meeting of the Alberta Catholic School Trustees Association (ACSTA), followed by the Fall General Meeting of the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) on Sunday evening until Tuesday.

St. Paul Education is a member of ACSTA in support of the Catholic students within our division. We also have a director from each member board that meets four times a year at ACSTA directors' meetings. I have been honoured to serve as our Board's director since 2014. The Fall General Meeting gives Trustees a chance to deepen their faith and conduct business pertaining to the Association. You can learn more about ACSTA and this year's AGM at their website, www.acsta.ab.ca.

On Sunday, we start all over again with the ASBA Fall General Meeting. Some committee members may have separate meetings Sunday afternoon, but we all join together in the evening for the opening ceremonies and the celebration of teacher excellence with the Edwin Parr Awards. These awards recognize first year teachers who have made a positive impact on their students. It is truly inspiring to hear from these passionate educators who are dedicated to students.

On Monday, all 400+ trustees from 61 boards from across Alberta join again for a full day of business meetings. The event is webcast through the ASBA website. You can also view the proposed policy positions that we will be voting on at: www.asba.ab.ca.

These associations are the voice of a collective and our voice at the provincial level. It is important that boards meet to discuss the issues they have in common and lobby the government. Each board is unique and advocates for their own students, but as associations, we can accomplish major change across the province. An example is the weighting of provincial diploma exams. Two years ago, at a Fall General Meeting, trustees at the ASBA voted in favour of changing the weighting from 50 per cent to 30 per cent. The government subsequently reduced the weighting to 30 per cent after further consultation with parents, teachers and students.

Change can happen when we join together in support of our students.

Board tours construction projects

One of the best parts of being a School Board Trustee is to tour our schools. While our school tours usually involve meeting with staff and students, our tour on Wednesday, October 26 was strictly bricks and mortar.

We started off the day with a trip to Myrnam where the Village is working towards developing the area as an education hub. St. Paul Education has granted the Village of Myrnam the opportunity to subdivide a portion of land next to Myrnam School to construct the Myrnam Construction Trades Education Centre (CTEC). The Board of Trustees initially approved Phase One which includes building a 36' x 40' temporary structure to the east of the school which includes a paint booth, heating room and a larger room which contains a large table saw and router. Trustees were impressed with the structure and the equipment in place thus far. They hope to be up and running the program within the next couple of months.

Phase Two includes building a much larger structure on the west side of the school, where the subdivision process is currently in place. This larger structure will include a large building facility and classrooms. All of the funds for these projects is being provided by the Village of Myrnam. St. Paul Education has agreed to assist with staff and programming. However, post secondary programming is also being explored with institutions in the area.

Trustees also traveled to Two Hills to tour the new Mennonite School construction. Although the construction has been delayed numerous times due to some unforeseen site conditions, Trustees were pleased the see the progress made within the last few months. The classrooms are large and bright and the main entrance and gymnasium are impressive. The K-12 school will have a capacity of 550 students and will replace the existing school which is on the same site as the new school. It is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy by September, 2017.

School Boards do not build their own schools. In fact, about 80 per cent of our $55 million budget goes towards the salary of our 650+ employees, who are there to serve all of our students. The money to build schools comes directly from the Alberta Government. The government is also the construction manager of most school construction projects. To see the school projects across the province visit their website at: projects.alberta.ca.

Know the Zone - School Bus Safety Week

School bus drivers are an important part of our school system. They are the first staff our students see in the morning and the last staff they see at the end of the school day. They are responsible for transporting our children to and from school each day. St. Paul Education transports over 1,800 students per day across the division, totalling 1.5 million km logged annually. Approximately 60 per cent of our busses are operated by contractors and 40 per cent are division-owned.

My Uncle Norman was my bus driver. We were neighbours, so we were the first ones on the bus and the last ones off. We rode the bus an hour in the morning and an hour at night, so I know first-hand how important our bus drivers are when it comes to ensuring our students are safe on the way to and from school. Since part of our route was on a busy highway, Uncle Norman prevented a number of near-misses by warning kids to stay back when someone went flying through the flashing lights. I also have vivid memories of my uncle plowing through the snow on the back roads, trying to get us home during a surprise snow storm. I had complete faith in him and knew he always had our safety in the forefront of his mind. In fact, he did the same thing, day in and day out for 40 years. Thank you, Uncle Norman!

Driving a school bus is a huge responsibility and I now rely on another uncle to drive my two boys to school each day. As parents, we put our faith in our bus drivers and they rely on us to keep them informed of our busy schedules. There are many rules and regulations our division's drivers must keep in mind and up to date on a regular basis. It is up to us as drivers to pay attention and follow the rules of the road as well. If you are near a school bus, pay extra attention because there could be a child nearby, trying to cross the road.

So, this School Bus Safety Week (October 16 - 22), slow down around school busses and keep our kids safe!

School Councils need your voice

Our division's report card and results of our Grade 6, 9 and 12 provincial exams were released to the public at our monthly board meeting. Although we are generally improving, there were a couple of concerns, including Math. Math has been a concern across the province for the last few years and I know that some of the basics have been re-introduced to our students (ie. flash cards). However, it still needs closer examination at the local and provincial level.

Your child's school results will be revealed at an upcoming School Council meeting and that's why it is essential that parents show up and get involved. We need your voices. Like the saying goes, "It takes a village," and especially when it comes to schools and the success of your child/ren.

According to the albertaschoolcouncils.ca website, "School Councils are structured groups of parents, principals, teachers, students, and community representatives who work together to effectively support and enhance student learning. They provide a method for members of the school community to consult with and offer advice to the principal and the school board."

Because St. Paul Education is a small, rural board, our Board is dedicated to having a Trustee at most School Council meetings. In the month of October, most School Councils will be holding their Annual General Meetings to choose their executive and set their yearly agendas. Even in schools where there is no active executive, most Principals hold informal School Council meetings where parents can attend to find out what's happening at their school and across the division,

If you want to make a real difference in your child's education, it is important to get involved at the School Council level. Contact your Principal, School Council Chair or your Trustee to find out when the next meeting will be held.

Celebrating our teachers

Education is important to me. I would not be a school board trustee if it wasn't. When I think back to the days I attended school, I have some fond memories and not so fond memories, but one constant that remains is that teachers were a large part of my life. From about ages five to 18, students are in front of teachers just shy of 200 days a year. That's about 2,600 days at seven hours per day, which equals roughly 18,000 hours of our lives with a teacher in front of us. I was fortunate to attend university which added many more hours of instruction and dedication to my studies, and although I have more fond memories of post-secondary education, I wouldn't have gotten there without my K-12 teachers.

There are about 276 full-time equivalent teachers hired by St. Paul Education and 381 support staff who are here to ensure your children have the best education possible. Enrolment numbers go up and down, but we usually have around 4,000 students who attend our schools across the division. St. Paul Education is the largest employer in the region and we are very proud of all of our staff. Parents are the primary educators of our children, but these teachers and support staff help shape our future generations.


October 5 is World Teachers' Day across the globe and today we celebrate the important impact teachers make in students' lives everyday across the world. Education has been proclaimed a fundamental human right and this special day acknowledges the essential role of teachers in our society.

In our ever-evolving world, teachers have been tasked with keeping up with technology while continually using new and time-tested techniques to assess our students and prepare them for their future lives. It is up to us as parents, grandparents, and community members to be there to support our children in all other facets of life. As Bob Dylan said, "the times, they are a-changin'" and at a pace that is mind-blowing and sometimes difficult for us to grasp, but it up to us to help our teachers and support staff make the best of our children's education.

As author C.S. Lewis stated, "The task of the modern education is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts."

Why is my child being asked to wear an orange shirt?

Think back to just a month ago when your children were getting dressed for their first day of school. You had, more than likely, purchased them some new clothes, maybe something that they had picked out because they were excited for the first day. Now imagine finding out your children being stripped of these new clothes and never seeing them again.

This is what happened to a young girl at a residential school in the 1970s. Her grandmother had scraped together enough money to buy a shiny, new orange shirt with "string laced up in front, and (it) was so bright and exciting", just how this six-year-old girl felt for her first day of school. She never saw the shirt again.

Orange Shirt Day originated three years ago on September 30 as part of residential school commemoration project in B.C. They used this young girl's story as part of a legacy of the project and now communities across Canada are taking part.

St. Paul Education has joined the Orange Shirt Day tradition this year and is encouraging all of its students and staff to wear an orange shirt on Friday, September 30. Our schools' staff has been participating in the Blue Quills Residential School (now Blue Quills University) tours for a number of years and the Board of Trustees will be participating next week.

It is important for residential school survivors and their families to heal and it is important for all of us to recognize this part of Canada's history and how it has affected generations of First Nation, Metis and Inuit children. We all need to be a part of this healing journey. This is part of reconciliation. You can learn more about how you can get involved at the Truth and Reconciliation website here.

To govern is to decide

We are elected to the Board of Trustees to govern our local education system. The Board is responsible for ensuring that children receive an appropriate education, but it needs goals, plans, and policies in place in order to define our role as governors and our employee's role as educator. The Board of a corporation, whether it be a school board, a municipality, or a large corporation, only has one employee, the CEO, or in our case, the Superintendent. The CEO then oversees the employees and ensures the Board's goals and plans are met. The Board and the Superintendent work together to achieve the goals and plans using respective policies to make decisions. The Board of Trustees has a Board Policy Manual that it uses to make its decisions. There are only a couple of dozen policies within our local St. Paul Education Board Policy Manual. On the other hand, the Superintendent uses hundreds of Administrative Procedures in order to ensure our school system runs effectively. These policies and administrative procedures are constantly reviewed and revised, when necessary, to adjust to our evolving society.

Through its Strategic Planning process, the Board sets its Mission, Vision and Values statements that guide all of its decisions. The St. Paul Education Board of Trustees underwent a community consultation process in order to complete a full review and update of its Mission, Vision and Values statements a couple of years ago. Students, staff, parents, trustees and community members from across the division came together to answer questions and discuss the who we are as a division, as well as the future of St. Paul Education.

Our updated statements are included in Policy 1 of the Board Policy Manual and are as follows:

These are St. Paul Education's Foundation Statements and guide the Board of Trustees in all of its decisions. The remainder of board's policies can be found here.

Budget looks positive for start of new year

St. Paul Education Board of Trustees

Student enrolment numbers are looking stable for the start of a new school year and some unexpected donations, grants and reimbursements were graciously received at our first official Board Meeting of the year.

On Wednesday, September 9, the Board started off the day with its Organizational Meeting where Trustee Starosielski was re-elected as Chair and and Trustee Pederson was elected as Vice-Chair. I was honoured to serve as Vice-Chair the past two years, but I felt it was time to let others serve in this role and I believe Trustee Pederson will do an excellent job. Trustees also selected their respective committees and set their remuneration for the year.

The Regular Board Meeting began with two gracious donations: one, from the St. Paul Legion towards our schools' breakfast programs; and two, from The Spur radio station for our division music programs. The St. Paul and District Co-op has already kicked off its school breakfasts across the division to launch the Bags for Breakfast program; again, with proceeds from re-used grocery bags going towards our division school breakfast program. All of our schools within the division provide free breakfasts for our students so that they are well-fed and ready to learn for the day.

St. Paul and District Co-op staff serving up breakfast at our schools.

The Co-op has been serving pancakes, fruit, milk and juice to students at all of our schools this past week to kick off the Bags for Breakfast program where three cents from each re-usable bag used at their stores will be donated back to St. Paul Education school breakfast programs. The remaining schedule for next week is as follows:

September 19 - Two Hills Schools

September 20 - Racette and St. Paul Elementary Schools

September 21 - Glen Avon, Regional High School and SPAEC

St. Paul Education was also one of 11 districts to be selected for a School Nutrition Pilot Project for K-6 schools announced by the Government of Alberta last month. Ashmont Elementary has been selected to receive $250,000 towards developing a nutrition program. 

Trustees were also pleasantly surprised to learn the division is eligible to receive $341,047 as part of the final distribution of the Alberta Local Authorities Reciprocal Insurance Exchange assets. ALARIE ceased operations in 2002, but final distributions required the settling of all outstanding claims and it has now been completed. This goes to show that our division budget fluctuates throughout the year, and even though we approve at budget in the spring, it is a constant target. 

All of the highlights from our Regular Board Meetings can be found on our division website at: www.stpauleducation.ab.ca/board-meetings.

Getting organized for a new school year

As students and teachers settle into their new routines for the year, the Board of Trustees is also getting back into its regular schedule. Although, a small rural board like ours doesn't go to work in an office everyday, our jobs include a lot of reading and preparation for meetings. The first regular Board Meeting day of the year is also when we hold the Organizational Meeting of the year (on non-election years).

The Organizational Meeting is open to the public and it is where we elect a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and choose our board committees. This year's meeting takes place on Wednesday, September 14 at 9:30 a.m. in the Board Room at Central Office. The division's Secretary Treasurer chairs the meeting until the Chairperson is elected and then the remaining items on the agenda are overseen by the Chairperson.

Municipal and school board elections will take place in October, 2017, which means next year's Organizational Meeting won't take place until later in October. When I was first elected in 2007, the vote was close and I didn't find out until close to midnight on the Monday that I had won over the incumbent (the previous trustee). With two toddlers at home, I quickly had to find childcare for the Wednesday of that week and prepare myself for the new trustee orientation and Organizational Meeting. It was quite overwhelming at the time, but as I look back, it was also very rewarding. Working with six other board members can be challenging at times, but I can honestly say we have all been there for kids first, no matter how much we agree to disagree.

This is also the time of the month where the Board prepares its agenda for its regular Board Meeting. Trustees are to submit any reports from their committee meetings to be included in the agenda package, and the Chair, Superintendent and Secretary Treasurer meet to create the official agenda. Items may be added, deleted or tabled at the actual meeting and the agenda must be voted on and passed by the majority prior to commencing with the meeting. The meeting day and time of regular Board Meetings is also set during the Organizational Meeting, but this has typically been the second Wednesday of the month starting at 12:30 p.m.

Policy 7 of the Board Policies sets out the rules for meetings and can be found here. This policy has recently gone through a number of revisions and will be reviewed and passed at the Board Meeting on September 14.

The final leg of another journey

It is "back to school" time for our division's students and staff this week, but it is also the final year for me as a school board trustee. In an effort to further educate the public on the role of a locally-elected school board trustee and to possibly garner interest in the October, 2017 elections, I have decided to resurrect this blog and commit to a weekly post.

To start the year off, I need to talk about the importance of the pipe ceremony conducted by one of our division staff, Cliff Cardinal. A respected elder from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Mr. Cardinal performed the sacred ceremony with all of our division principals, assistant principals, central office staff and trustees last Monday, August 22. He spoke of how isolated and uncomfortable he felt when he came to work for our division 12 years ago. Leaving the reserve to work in a non-aboriginal environment was so foreign for him and it is also foreign for many of our students who come from our neighbouring First Nation communities.

For many of us taking part in our first pipe ceremony, it also may have also felt foreign. Like any traditional ceremony in any culture, there are certain rules and practices to follow, similar to entering a new school or a new grade. But Mr. Cardinal was an excellent educator and took time to explain the customs and the stories behind the pipe ceremony.

Aside from the pipe ceremony, our division staff are also encouraged to take part in blanket exercises and a residential school tour through the now Blue Quills University. Our division also holds a traditional pow wow for our students every second year. All of these events and activities are meant to help close the gap between our cultures and reach a deeper understanding of our First Nation, Metis and Inuit students and their communities.

I look forward to sharing information about the role of a locally elected trustee over the weeks and months to come. If you have more questions about next year's election or about our school division, please leave a comment below.

Trustee Report - February 11, 2015

Calendar Approval: Trustees approved the school calendar for the 2015-2016 year, developed collaboratively with administration, staff, trustees and community stakeholders. The first day of school will be August 31, 2015.

Strategic Planning - April 13 & 14, 2015:  The Board will meet with principals, teachers, students, trustees, and community members to develop its vision and mission statements in keeping with current practices.  Additional information will be provided by the Board.

Division Satisfaction Survey: Every four years, a division satisfaction survey will be administered, to be used by the Board to provide specific direction for the division.  It is distinct to the accountability pillar sent from Alberta Education.  The survey will be completed online by students in grades 4-12 and staff April 7-24.  Parents will receive paper surveys that will be sent home with students prior to Spring break and are appreciated to be returned by April 17.

Forensics 9 Locally Developed Course: Trustees approved this new course, requested in Mallaig School.  Students will gain an understanding of how science is used to solve crimes by looking at evidence, such as fingerprints, trace evidence, blood, DNA evidence, and specific scientific processes that link cross curricular competencies to many Alberta Education core subjects.  AP218 requires schools to seek board approval for a locally developed course and AP291 governs the assessment of the course.

Policy Review:  Policy 12, Role of the Superintendant, was reviewed, with minor housekeeping changes.  Policy 13, Reviews, Appeals and Hearings Regarding Student Matters, was reviewed with no changes. 

Annual Alberta School Council Association AGM Conference, April 24 - 26: Trustees approved sponsoring two parent members to attend the conference.  Additional information will be provided to School Council chairs.

Superintendant’s Report:

myBlueprint Education Planner: This program for students in grades 9-12 offers learning styles and interests assessments, information on career paths for various course choices, and planning and financial information for post-secondary education.  The program will be implemented in September 2015, but schools also have the option to launch the program in February, 2015.

New Employee Assistance Provider: Information about the change in service provider for the Division EAP program was sent to all staff on January 15. Posters and brochures will also be distributed in the schools.

Website Updates: Principals were asked for feedback further to a recent meeting focused on technical support and content standards for Division websites.

Dual-Credit Strategy: Principals were asked to send in information about students enrolled in dual-credit courses from Lakeland College in the second semester. Currently, about 10 students are taking part in the partnership.

Substitute Teacher’s Appreciation Week - March 9 – 13

Student Learning Assessment (SLA) Implementation: Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) are still evolving into SLAs. Alberta Education has decided that more time is needed to ensure the grade 3 SLAs are a valuable assessment tool before transitioning from PATs to SLAs in Grades 6 and 9. The Grade 6 SLA pilot will be rescheduled, with a target of Fall 2016 for the first administration. As a result, the May-June 2015 and May-June 2016 Grade 6 Provincial Achievement Tests will be a regular, full administration across the province.  Current students in grade 2 will be completing SLAs in September, 2015 when they are in grade 3.  Grade 6 and 9 students will be writing PATs in May/June, 2015. SLAs are expected to be implemented in grade 6 in 2016 and grade 9 likely in three years.

Family Student Liaison Worker (FSLW) Support: FSLW began originally as a FCSS led initiative by the counties and local towns before SPERD took on the program.  Currently about 1,200 students in the division participate.  The Town of St. Paul recently donated $ 10,000 to the program and is utilized by 220 of the town’s students.  The County of St. Paul donated $ 30,000, and is utilized by 320 of the county’s students.

Administrative Procedure 315 - Accident Reports: Medical decisions made at the hospital, when failing to get a hold of a parent or guardian will be made by the medical professional.

Administrative Procedure 351 - School Dress: Ultimately, the privilege to wear headgear, defined as caps, hats, bandannas, or scarves, or the like, except during official gatherings, like Remembrance Day, in a school will be determined by the school’s administration and staff, as advised by school councils.

Financial Report: The division is operating within its budget.  Money not used for collaborative professional development for teachers were re-allocated to the following school year.  Information of the division budget is available on our website.

Capital Projects Report: The Two Hills Mennonite School (THMS) construction project has a projected completion date of September, 2016.  Two modular classrooms for the THMS have been approved and are anticipated to be on site in Fall, 2015.  Meeting dates are forthcoming for project management for the new build proposed for Ashmont.

Alberta School Board Association Division Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) Report: SPERD is proud that it has a pupil teacher ratio is considerably lower than other school jurisdictions in the province, with 14.95 pupils per teacher.  The provincial range is 10.40 to 19.90 for the 61 school jurisdictions listed. SPERD places a priority on having more teachers for each student and wishes to continue this practice.  There are instances when we are challenged to keep PTR in a lower range due to programming and building constraints.