Trustee Report - March 12, 2014

Meeting Preliminaries:

• The Board welcomed Abinash Mishra, Education Manager from Alberta Education, who visited Two Hills Mennonite School in the morning and visited with the board for lunch and sat in at the beginning of the meeting.
• Board Chair Heather Starosielski also thanked Ashmont Elementary Principal Christine Ostapiw for her 35 years of service, as she is retiring at the end of the school year.
• Chair Starosielski also mentioned that schools lowered their flags half-mast on March 12 as a request from the Education Minister to recognize the sacrifice of the fallen and celebrate the mission end as well as thank all of those that served in Afghanistan.

Downtown Revitalization Request (St. Paul) - Trustee Looy reported that the Racette School Council was in support of the proposed statue of the “Four Legged Spirit” statue of a bear to be placed on the southwest corner of the school’s grounds. Chair Starosielski also spoke with committee member Amil Shapka and confirmed that a meeting will be held with SPERD to share final drawings of the project prior to commencing the project. The Town of St. Paul is assisting with costs of the project as part of a three-year commitment to public art. The board approved the request with the caveat that any set-up and future maintenance costs would be incurred by the Downtown Revitalization Committee.

ASCA conference - The Board is still looking for local school council registrations for the April 25-27 Alberta School Council Conference. The division is sponsoring two parents to attend on a first come, first served basis.

ASBA Bargaining Consultations - local trustees will be participating in labour bargaining consultations coordinated by the Alberta School Boards Association. These sessions will assist school boards in considering an alternate model for collective bargaining with teachers.

Graduation Tokens – The Board will continue with the USB drives as gifts for our grads.

Capital Plan Priorities - The Board approved its annual Capital Plan Priorities report which will be submitted to the Province. In order of priority: #1 Ashmont Schools modernization; #2 Two Hills Mennonite School (new school will be at capacity when it is complete; Board had addressed this with the Province, but no changes were made at that time); #3 New Myrnam School modernization; #4 Heinsburg School modernization. Ashmont, Myrnam and Heinsburg schools were originally constructed in the 1950s.

Infrastructure Maintenance Renewal (IMR) Plan - The Board approved its annual IMR Plan of $550,000 for this school year, which includes regular maintenance, such as painting, flooring and re-roofing.

Operations and Maintenance Reserves - in an effort to draw down some reserves in this area, administration also presented a draft list of other projects such as gym floors and parking lot expansions for the board to potentially consider and approve for this year.

Policy Review - Trustees reviewed Policy 12 - Role of the Superintendent and Policy 13 - Reviews, Appeals and Hearings Regarding Student Matters. No changes were made at this time.

Superintendent Report:

• Local principals will participate in a two-day meeting on March 17-18 to develop a proposal to the Board on using surplus funds in this year’s budget to assist in student achievement. In its attempt to use some of its reserve funding, the Board has directed the Superintendent to come up with a sustainable and results-driven plan for spending $1 million this year. 
• Excellence in Catholic Education Award - Nicole Hebert, Vice Principal of St. Paul Elementary Community School, has been selected as this year’s recipient of the award. 
• Kevin Cameron from the Canadian Centre for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response will be training approximately 60 division staff and other partnering agencies on March 13-14. The training is in conjunction with the division’s Risk/Threat Protocol. 
• F.G. Miller Jr./Sr. High School will be hosting this year’s Math Olympics on March 26.
• Superintendent Brodziak acknowledged and thanked our valuable substitute teachers across the division for Substitute Teachers Appreciation Week, March 10-14.

Financial Report

The recently announced provincial budget means status quo for education funding. Most of the increases for education address student enrollment growth. Local schools are currently working on enrollment projections for the 2014-15 school year. The SPERD fact-sheet on the provincial website does not include federal funding which constitutes 25% of our revenue.

Capital Projects - The project manager, Alberta Infrastructure, is still reviewing site conditions and slab design for the new Two Hills Mennonite School. The original slab design is being adjusted due to unusual site conditions such as an artesian well, a buried foundation from an old building and high water levels. New plans are expected for mid-March.

AB Rural Education Symposium - Administrators, teachers and trustees attended the conference in Canmore, March 2-4. Trustees reported on the various sessions they attended. Three of our schools were represented as session presenters.

Catholic Education Symposium Feb. 21-22 - SPECS principal and two staff attended as well as Assistant Superintendent Patricia Gervais and Trustee Lafrance.

Trustee Report - February 12, 2014

School Board and Teacher Agreement – The Board and local teachers have reached a new collective bargaining agreement in conjunction with the deal struck between the Alberta Government and the Alberta Teachers Association - in effect from Sept. 2012 to Aug. 2016. The provincial deal dealt with salaries, while the local bargaining unit came to an agreement on non-salary items, such as personal leaves and teacher working conditions.

Calendar Approval - Trustees passed the final draft for the 2014/15 school year. School will begin after the September long weekend and extra professional development time has been worked in to accommodate staff requests for more time to collaborate. This information was garnered during the government-driven teacher workload study.

School Dominican Trip – Local parents and students attended a special meeting to review the activities and safety measures in place for the upcoming Dominican Experience trip in light of recent news reports regarding Manitoba students who were exposed to theft on their Dominican trip. The Board was satisfied with the information provided in order for parents to make an informed decision with their children.

Downtown Revitalization (St. Paul) - A local committee wrote to the Board with a proposal to erect a “Four Legged Spirit Being” statue in the southwest corner of the Racette schoolyard. According to division policy, any statue or public feature erected on school property must go through a number of consultation processes. As a result, the Board agreed to bring this request to Racette School Council first and also check with the committee with regards to maintenance of the bear statue and its surrounding features.

Skiing Consent Form - A parent recently brought forward concerns regarding the consent form for ski trips, particularly with regards to indemnifying the school board in the event of any injury or death ...  “including the negligence of the school or its officers, directors, volunteers, or agents.” The Board agreed to eliminate the last section in quotes since it is not on any other consent forms.

Policy Review - Policy 10 Policy Making and Policy 11 Board Delegation of Authority were reviewed with no changes. Next month the Board will be reviewing Policy 12 Role of Superintendent and Policy 13 Appeals and Hearings Regarding Student Matters.

ASBA Second Languages Survey - the provincial trustees’ association is looking to its member boards for input on the future direction of the Second Languages Task Force. It is currently considering putting most of its focus on English language learners. The Board will be submitting its opinions in the survey.

Learning Networks Ballot - Two candidates were shortlisted for the open board position. Learning Networks offers professional development options for staff in northeastern Alberta. The Board submitted their vote for one of the candidates.

Mennonite Initiatives Committee - Trustee Rajoo was invited to attend this recently-created committee with the purpose to connect local Mennonites to different services within the Two Hills community. Trustees Rajoo and Pederson will continue to attend future meetings as members of the Board’s Mennonite Liaison Committee.

Nike High School Grand Prix request - due to the nature of the request, the Board supported the local athletes’ trip to Toronto in spirit, but not financially.

ASCA Conference - the Board passed a motion to sponsor the registration and accommodations for two parents to attend the annual Alberta School Councils’ Association conference in Edmonton, April 25 - 27. Further details will be emailed to School Council chairs.

Superintendent’s Report: 

• Inclement Weather - Policies and procedures were reviewed in the latest inclement weather day on January 15 with extreme high wind conditions. For future inclement weather days, principals are asked to be at school earlier, if possible, in order to be part of the decision-making process and provide direction to staff and families. The existing policies still meet the division’s needs with the goal of safety first. 
• Morning supervision - Administrators discussed supervision needs for elementary students arriving at 8:00 in the morning or earlier with the decision to provide supervision beginning at approximately 8:00 a.m.  Individual cases where families may be sending their children unnecessarily early should be handled by phone calls.  
• Jan. 23 - Catholic trustees and staff met with Bishop Terrio
• Admin Council Feb. 10 and 11 - reviewed C2 (teacher workload study) data and future plans.
• Upcoming:
• Feb. 26 - Board tour of Ashmont Schools
• March 13/14 - Kevin Cameron will be conducting Risk/Threat Assessment training for up to 80 people for staff and other local partnering community agencies.
• March 10-14 - substitute teachers appreciation week
• March 26 - Jr. High Math Olympics, 10 a.m., FG Miller
• FG Miller - “Slamming the door on bullying” - upcoming events and activities for bully prevention.

Financial Report:

- SPERD approved for extra federal funding for FNMI students

- ASBA completing survey on school board financial reserves

-  March 6 provincial budget announcement

-  East Central Francophone accepted the Board’s recent bid of $200,000 to purchase two parcels of land to the north and west of St. Paul Elementary Community School

Capital Projects - Mennonite School - slab design for the new school is still under review

Trustee Attendance Schedule - Trustees shared highlights from the recently attended new trustees and community engagement conferences.

Trustee Report - January 8, 2014

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.

Capital Projects - TH Mennonite - still waiting for final approval on the revised slab plans. Hoping to see approvals complete within the next two weeks.

Trustee Report - December 11, 2013

2014-15 Calendar Development - The Board is limited with the flexibility of creating a calendar due to government exam dates and teacher collective agreement schedules. Administration will develop draft calendars to present at January Board meeting and then send out to schools and communities for feedback. The calendar committee will then make recommendations from its findings to the Board for final approval. Because of the work of the C2 (teacher workload study) committee findings, administration is already looking at adding approximately six minutes per day to guarantee a start date after the September long weekend and allowing more time for teachers to collaborate with their colleagues during additional PD days.

HPV Vaccinations for Boys - Alberta Health made an announcement on Dec. 5 that the HPV vaccine will be available for all boys in Grades 5 and 9. The Board is awaiting further information regarding implementation.

FG Miller Jersey Sponsorship – The Board received further information on the proposed sponsor for a new set of basketball jerseys. Trustees were satisfied with the background information provided and approved the sponsorship request.

ASBA Strategic Plan - The Alberta School Boards Association develops a three-year strategic plan and is looking for information from all school boards. The local board completed their survey after the public meeting.

Policy 2 & 6 Review - Board annual work plan appendix in Policy 2 Role of the Board was amended and the addition to vice chair duties in Policy 6 to include the officer in the Whistleblower Protection legislation (Policy 21).

Superintendent’s Report:

• During the principals meeting on December 10, a local businessperson presented a workshop proposal aimed at preteen girls. GirlPower™ empowers girls from 6 to 12 years old with the skills, language, and self-confidence to be better friends and develop healthier friendships through their suite of GirlPower workshops. Girls learn what's normal in a friendship, the difference between healthy and unhealthy friends, and how to stand up for themselves. The principals agreed to the initiative, which will take place in the spring. Schools will allow for the promotion of the event through their local communication methods.
• Synrevoice - our automated calling system for emergencies, bus cancellations and other information is in place and has started to be used. The system makes automated phone calls, emails and text messages. In emergency situations, all three communications methods will be used (includes bus cancellations). In information call outs (ie. Christmas concerts, parent-teachers interviews) will only receive emails and/or texts. When Synrevoice is used, users will be asked to respond through pressing a number in instances where feedback is required (i.e. in emergencies and in cases where busses are sent home early - not in bus cancellations). If there is no response, the schools will contact the households. Our goal is to have call-out done by 6:45 a.m. during inclement weather days. However, some information may come later. Radio stations and the division website are a follow-up method of communication. Temperatures fluctuate in different communities, therefore there may be some communities that have bus cancellations and others that don’t. Parents must sign up to activate the text message alerts. Please see your school for more information.
• C2 Teacher Workload study - overall feedback has been positive and constructive. The committee is learning where teachers are putting their time and planning for future efficiencies. Teachers are providing valuable information on what’s working and what we can fix. 
• Kindergarten entry age - our division children must be age 5 by March 1. Division is investigating the possibility of moving the entry date to age 5 by Dec. 31. Would not change until Sept. 2015. See what research says, what other divisions are currently doing.

Financial Report - Trustees reviewed the 2012-2013 year-end audit letter and recommendations. Ongoing items such as vacation accruals and school-generated funds need to be monitored. The Board met with its auditor on November 27 to review the 2012-2013 report. Due to the efficient planning by our administration and other items that were outside of our control (i.e. government freeze of teacher wages, school-based budget carry-forwards), the division is looking at a $1.2 million surplus. A press release and the financial report are now on the website. Since the board is in an adequate position with its reserve levels, it is looking to stakeholders on future programming possibilities. The message to stakeholders is to look at items with sustainability and focus on improving student achievement. Superintendent Brodziak mentioned that this surplus is on top of low class sizes and daily teacher prep time which is a large cost some take for granted and is not a norm across the province.

Capital Projects - TH Mennonite – revised slab design is in for government approval. Hope to hear answer before Christmas.

ASBA Zone 2/3 - Trustee Pederson reported on highlights from the November 29 meeting which included discussion on school bus cameras and FOIP legislation.

ACSTA Report - Trustee Lafrance reported on the upcoming Catholic Education Symposium on Feb. 21-22 at the Archbishop Jordan High School in Sherwood Park. Registration for the Friday evening and Saturday conference is only $45 and is open to trustees, teachers, staff, parents and students.

New Board of Trustees

SPERD Board of Trustees 2013-2017

L-R back: Lorne Young, Christopher Cook, Deb Pederson, Rhonda Lafrance, Ruven Rajoo

Front: Heather Starosielski and Rhea Looy

Trustee Report – November 13, 2013

FSLW program needs support - the cost of administering the family school liaison worker program is $820,000 annually for the school division - $245,000 comes from a regional collaborative provincial program and about $40,000 from municipalities (the program used to be solely operated by the municipalities’ FCSS programs). The division covers the remainder of the costs to run the program. The FSLW workers provide counseling services to students in crisis (1149 cases last year) as well as preventative and proactive programs for all students, such as anti-bullying programs. Last year the division received $10,000 each from the Town and County of St. Paul; $10,000 from Town of Elk Point and $10,000 from Town and County of Two Hills. Trustees agreed to send letters to the municipalities and First Nation communities again this year and ask for presentations by trustees and school staff.

Local teacher negotiations - After several months of negotiations, a Memorandum of Agreement was reached between the Board and ATA Local. However, it was subsequently rejected by the local ATA at a recent vote. Although negotiations have been challenging, St. Paul Education has great respect for its teachers and will resume negotiations later this month.

Days in lieu for principals (AP 431) - even though the Provincial Framework Agreement between the Province, boards and teachers stipulates principals will only receive two paid days off per year in lieu of their duties, Superintendent Brodziak stated our division would be staying with current practice of 3 days off for principals and 1.5 days off for assistant principals. The admin procedure allows for superintendent discretion and the leaves will take place at mutually agreeable times.

SPERD three year plan - the board and superintendent want to review our past goals and see if they match with our current direction and also incorporate the data we are seeing from the C2 committee (teacher workload study) and direct feedback from teachers - looking at revisions to goals over the 2013/2014 school year.

Uniform sponsorship request - F.G. Miller sent in a request for a company to sponsor a sports team's uniforms. Trustees asked for further information about the sponsoring company and the company's logo.

Policy review - the policy review schedule was amended to allow for the new board to review the policies from last month. All policies have been moved back a month from the previous schedule. Two new policies (20 re: naming of school facilities and 21 re: whistleblower legislation) will be added to the schedule.

Policy 3 and 5 - Role of the Trustee and Role of the Chair reviewed - no changes.

SEVEC (Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges in Canada) exchange for Ashmont Secondary - trustees were given the full details for the school exchange trip to Quebec for their information.

SPAEC is holding an open house on Nov. 21

Superintendent Report:

• Grade 3 provincial tests - All Grade 3 teachers were consulted on the three options for moving forward on changes to Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs). Teachers agreed not to write the traditional May/June PATs, choosing instead to take part in the fall pilot exam in 2014, which is replacing provincial achievement tests. The exam is meant to act as one measure on how the students are doing. By having it in the fall, teachers can work on the teaching and learning required for each student.
• Head and Clerical secretary titles – the division currently has class 2 (head), class 4 (clerical) now adding a third category: class 3 (inbetween the two) - more sharing of duties. Administration wants to hear back from each secretarial office by Nov. 29 on what category they would prefer.
• Lockdown procedures – a question came up at the administrator’s meeting as to what happens if a class is out on a field trip returning to school that is on lockdown. There is no guarantee of communication between the school and supervisor, but administration asks supervising teachers to be alert and use common sense when returning to a lockdown situation.
• International travel – administration is exploring changes to policies regarding international travel.
• Kindergarten entry age - Kindergarten entry age varies across the province of Alberta. SPERD will be exploring data/evidence from studies to determine if the current entry age merits change in our division. Any change would not be in effect until September, 2015.
• Community coaches – some schools are having difficulty finding coaches for school sport teams. SPERD’s current policy states that each school sports team needs to have a teacher supervisor. It is becoming more difficult to find teachers even in a supervisory role. The local athletic association and provincial associations are conducting further research and discussion.
• AP on student suspension – an automatic 5-day suspension for violence or threats of violence may need some discretion. For example, a child was out cutting twine with his/her pocket knife with mother/father and forgot to take knife out of jacket pocket. The threat/risk protocol is still in place, but the automatic suspension may not be warranted in some cases.
• Grade 4-6 outcome based report card meetings - many teachers at the Grade 4-6 level like outcome based report cards, but there was mixed reaction for using this format in higher grades. Current use of "Exemplary" and "Proficient" may need more definition.
• Bus drivers sent reminders after student in another division was left on a bus all day - mandatory requirement that all bus drivers check their buses after each run.
• Rock the Diploma – the division will look at organizing these teacher prep courses for kids preparing for Grade 12 diploma exams as required.
• St. Paul and Area Anti-Bullying committee has dissolved - $840 sent to the division to empty their accounts.
• Succession planning for future administrators - admin council identifies characteristics of an exemplary leader. The next group of meetings to determine successors will occur in the near future.
• Racette - Nov. 9 appreciation concert for Pink Heart volunteers
• Dec. 6 - Glen attending meeting on Inspiring Education for superintendents
• Satisfaction survey -  the Board has decided to wait for at least a year to undertake another division satisfaction survey. This time frame will allow for more information to come forth from the C2 (teacher workload) study and for the direction of possible new division goals to be established.

Financial report - the switch in accounting/payroll systems is proving a challenge. Nov. 27 - the board will be meeting with the auditor for its annual review.

Capital Projects - TH Mennonite School - came up with a plan to deal with ground water - hoping remainder of the approvals move quickly.

ASBA Zone 2/3 Report - Trustee Deb Pederson presented her report as the new board rep.

Regulatory Review - Trustee Rhonda Lafrance reported on the Province's review of the regulations associated with the new Education Act. The regulations will be given to boards in summer, 2014 so that boards can make changes to their policies in time for the Education Act and regulations to come into force in fall, 2015.

IMR report - Trustees reviewed the annual report on where infrastructure money provided by the province was used for school repairs and upgrades.

School Board Elections Review - Trustee Ruven Rajoo provided feedback on lack of polling stations during the elections. Traditionally, polling stations are shared with municipalities, but if a councillor is acclaimed, it makes polling stations limited for trustee candidates.

Municipal Government Act Review - A comprehensive review of the MGA Act has begun. Of interest to school boards will be any discussion on annexation, reserve lands, levies, etc.

Trustee Report - October 9, 2013

The Board said thank you and farewell to Trustees Rudkowsky, Younghans and Miller for their years of service. The three trustees dedicated a combined 30 years of service.

Policy 20 - additional item added to board policy regarding naming of school facilities - any additional costs associated with the facility-naming shall be assumed by school and/or nominating party.

Enrolment - Official Sept. 30 count is 4128 students - up 47 students from projections. A total of 2.5 full time staff have been hired at three different schools to accommodate "hot spots".

Naming of FG Miller Gymnasium - the school council and principal have submitted a request as per Policy 20 - Mr. Danyluk is well known for the dedication to his home community of Elk Point and especially as a coach volunteering at the school. This gym renovation was one of his dreams as a former trustee, board chair and local MLA. The board passed the motion to accept the naming of F.G. Miller gym as the Ray Danyluk Gymnasium.

Whisteblower Protection legislation - As per new provincial regulation, the division has created new legislation to allow for the disclosure of an alleged wrongdoing and protection against reprisals for employees who make such disclosures. Discussion took place as to whether this new item should be a board policy or an administrative procedure. The reporting officer will be the Board Vice Chair. The motion was passed as Board Policy 21.

Policy Review - policies regarding role of trustee and board chair were tabled to the next meeting and passed to the policy committee to create a new review schedule.

PATS and DIPS 2013 - K-9 Provincial Achievement Tests (PATS) for the division are at provincial average and have improved over the past few years - still lower on the standard of excellence (above average students). Discussion over whether Grade 3 students should write the PATS in spring, 2014 or wait until the fall and write the new "pilot" exam in the fall - the decision will be left to the Grade 3 teachers in discussion with administration. Diploma (DIPS) exams are also around provincial average and standards of excellence fall just below provincial average.

School trip - the Superintendent approved the Ecole Mallaig school trip to Quebec in April for Grade 10-12 students.

Superintendent report:

• Eva Olsson was the guest speaker for our staff appreciation on Oct. 11. She is 89 years old, a holocaust survivor with a message of forgiveness and peace. 
• Job fairs -made the decision not to attend any job fairs for recruiting new staff. Our applications have been strong and many people are interested in coming into our area. New teacher mentorship program was cut back due to budget restraints, so may move these funds from job fairs to return focus to first year teachers. 
• Nov. 6 take your child to work day - Grade 9 students.
• C2 committee - stems from framework agreement with ATA, ASBA and province - regarding teacher workload. Info was shared at principals' meeting on Oct. 8.  Examining if we are asking the right questions. Committee will work throughout the length of the four-year agreement. Good process, committee has been working well together. Gov rep said we are actually ahead of other boards and that the relationships are strong.
• Academic dishonesty policy - has gone through a number of drafts at school and principal level. Included a definition of academic dishonesty, as well allowing some discretion at the school level. Will go to students, staff, school councils and distributed through newsletters. (prepare copies for school council meeting)
• School sport tournaments - junior high tournaments should take place after school (whether hosting or going away). High school students should not be permitted to attend tournaments around diploma exam time (ie. will be allowed first week of January, but not after classes resume in January)
• Flag protocol - new admin procedure on flying flags at half mast.
• Division career counseling - another position was added this year. Two division counselors for career planning. Finding proper balance between using teacher time at school and division counselor time.
• Non-teaching ads on Facebook - will be up to discretion of each school. 
• Report card meetings - Grade 4-6 outcome-based report cards. Division staff are examining how they are going and tackling any subsequent problem-solving.

Financial report - enrolment figures are positive - some staffing has been added which more than offsets the number of enrolment increase. Busy with the transition to new accounting and payroll software. Yearend audit at the end of October.

Capital Projects:

FG Miller - gym re-opening is Oct. 16 at 10:30 a.m.

TH Mennonite - temporary heat in the old school - floor slab issues have delayed project by 4-5 weeks due to underground aquifer.

Zone 2/3 report - Trustee Rudkowsky gave his final report after covering zone 2/3 meetings as a trustee for the past 9 years - issues discussed included changes to portable classroom funding; PD for whistleblower legislation, curriculum redesign, health effects of wifi, funding framework changes, specific definition of reserve funds, changing instruction to teacher PD needs; Education Act rules and regulations; advocacy suggestions for MLA luncheon.