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Peace Wapiti Public School Division
APRIL 2019
DIVISION UPDATE Central Office, 8611A-108 Street, Grande Prairie, Alberta T8V-4C5 | www.pwpsd.ca
Inspiring all learners to become confident, collaborative and ethical citizens motivated with a passion to achieve a sustainable future.
Upcoming Events Kindergarten registration is ongoing Register online at www.pwpsd.ca/registration CASS First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education Gathering April 10 - 12 Fantasyland Hotel, Edmonton Good Friday & Easter Monday April 19 and 22 PWPSD schools/offices/shops closed. Upcoming Board meetings April 25, May 30 and June 20 10:30 a.m., Central Office. 3D Charity Tournaments Hockey: Apr. 25 - 27, Coca Cola Ctr. Soccer: Apr. 26 - 27, Eastlink Ctr. http://3dcharityhockey.com ASCA Conference and AGM April 26 - 28 Delta by Marriott Edmonton South www.albertaschoolcouncils.ca Administrators’ meetings April 30 and May 28 PWPSD Central Office Annual Dave Bleile Track Meet May 15 (rain date May 16) Legion Field, Grande Prairie Register by May 16: AB Student Voice Conference May 31 - June 1 Sheraton Red Deer Hotel, 3310 50 Ave. www.public-schools.ab.ca
PWPSD’s highest enrolment increase in the 2018-2019 school year is 1.4 students per class in the Division 1 (K - Gr. 3) All Subjects category.
Average class sizes up slightly over past school year
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When considering five-year historical data, Mr. Young said enrolment in all four divisions has gone up slightly in both categories. Staffing decisions made prior to the start of a school year are budgeted based on projected enrolments. “At the start of this year, we added the Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) of 2.5 teaching staff based on our actual enrolment growth over the initial budgeted projections. We also increased funding for Inclusive Education to provide additional educational assistant support in our classrooms. In total, we have the FTE of 376.01 teaching positions at PWPSD this year.” Staffing is provided to schools based on the total number of students, but Principals decide how to distribute staff time where resources are most needed. Mid-year class size reporting is considered a draft until verified by Alberta Education.
verage class sizes are up slightly across Peace Wapiti Public School Division (PWPSD) over the past school year. Class size data is divided into four divisions, broken down as Div. 1: Kindergarten - Grade 3; Div. 2: Grades 4-6; Div. 3: Grades 7-9; and Div. 4: Grades 10-12, and looks at enrolment in two categories for each division – All Subjects and Core Subjects. In his report to the Board on January 17, 2019, Deputy Superintendent Darren Young said, “In the All Subjects category, PWPSD’s greatest enrolment increase over last year is 1.4 students per class in Div. 1. Div. 3 recorded the smallest increase in this category with an additional 0.1 students per class.” The ‘Core Subjects’ category has shown growth in two divisions this year, with Div. 1 increasing by 1.2 students per class, and Div. 4 showing an increase of 0.9 students per class. Div. 2 and 3 classes both decreased by 0.2 students. Class Size Comparison: 2018-2019 versus 2017-2018 ALL SUBJECTS
CORE SUBJECTS
Victoria Day, Mon., May 20 No classes. Offices/shops closed.
Grade Divisions
K-3 Div. 1
4-6 Div. 2
7-9 Div. 3
10-12 Div. 4
K-3 Div. 1
4-6 Div. 2
7-9 Div. 3
10-12 Div. 4
National Indigenous Peoples Day Fri., June 21. No exams.
2017-18
16.4
19.7
18.7
17.5
16.2
19.2
18.5
18.3
2018-19
17.8
20.0
18.8
17.9
17.4
19.0
18.3
19.2
Difference
+1.4
+0.3
+0.1
+0.4
+1.2
-0.2
-0.2
+0.9
Last day of classes: Thurs., June 27 Last day for staff: Fri., June 28
More news from Peace Wapiti Public School Division:
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@pwpsd
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2 | DIVISION UPDATE | APRIL 2019
NEW DEVELOPMENTS 2020-2023 Capital Plan: PWPSD requesting three new schools, one modernization project
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he Board identified the need for three new schools and a modernization project in PWPSD’s 20202023 Capital Plan, submitted to Alberta Education by the April 1, 2019 deadline. On the list of urgent priorities is a replacement K-8 Harry Balfour School to address the school’s continuing upward trend in enrolment. The Board will also seek approval from Alberta Education for available land near Five Mile Hall. A second urgent priority is a new high school located north of Grande Prairie to replace Peace Wapiti Academy (PWA) and to address rapid student population growth in a large attendance area that encompasses five feeder schools. Addressing excessive ride times for rural students
is also a priority issue for PWPSD. By relocating HBS and PWA to the County of Grande Prairie, the Board will achieve another important goal – reducing early morning pick-ups and late drop-off times. To achieve planning goals, PWPSD is interested in pursuing partnerships with neighbouring school districts for schools with similar grade configurations. Two other projects are listed as important priorities. A K-8 school, located in the Clairmont area, will relieve enrolment pressure at Clairmont Community School and R.W.Z. Public School, and respond to current and planned residential developments that will significantly add to the area’s student population. Modernization of the aging Bonanza School will support the consistent enrolment seen in past years.
PEACE WAPITI PUBLIC SCHOOL DIVISION
THREE-YEAR CAPITAL PLAN
2020 - 2023
Educating Today for Success Tomorrow
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View PWPSD’s 2020-2023 Capital Plan online at http:// bit.ly/pwpsd-districtreports.
Join PWPSD Trustees in the ongoing fight for equitable transportation funding
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WPSD ‘s Political Action Committee met with local MLAs on December 7 to discuss the mounting transportation deficit, and also sent letters to Premier Notley, Education Minister Eggen and local election candidates. Trustees are continuing to share information with councillors and community members, asking them to speak out about the need for equitable transportation funding in Alberta, and how rural boards are being shortchanged by the current funding grid. PWPSD’s 14-year transportation funding deficit totals $5 million.
PWPSD struggles with inadequate transportation funding, and reported a $804,000 deficit in this area for 2017-2018.
In March, Minister Eggen sent a letter to the Board, announcing a $5.2 million increase to province-wide funding, but only $150,000 was allotted to PWPSD. Read PWPSD’s Unfolding Journey brochure online at http://bit.ly/PWPSD-Unfolding-Journey. It includes stories from students as young as six who endure 10-hour days due to lengthy bus rides. Families – please share your stories with your MLA and election candidates.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS PWPSD honours top academic students of past 2017-2018 school year
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rustees honoured fifteen former students at a ceremony and luncheon on February 21, recognizing outstanding Grade 12 academic achievement in the 2017-2018 school year. Beaverlodge Regional High School (BRHS) graduate Josie Steyer was named Top Student in the Division for the past school year. Awards of Excellence recognized averages above 90 per cent. Noted for this achievement were BRHS graduates Payton Lappenbush, Ranen Calvert, Charlotte Schmidt and Sky Vetsch; Peace Wapiti Academy graduates Haley Friesen, Hannah Thon, Tate Russell and Kade Lyons; and Sexsmith Secondary School graduates Sophia Balderston and Keyana Anderson. Top in School Awards went to graduates Caelen Mitchell, Eaglesham School; Sven Dietsche (posthumous), Savanna School; Lawrence Espela, Spirit River Regional Academy; and Wyatt Andersen, Ridgevalley School for achieving the highest average at their schools.
BRHS graduate Josie Steyer (left), Top Student in the Division, with Ward 4 Trustee Kim Moodie.
The 2017-2018 Academic Awards of Excellence recipients. Front (l-r): Beaverlodge Regional High School graduates Payton Lappenbush, Ranen Calvert, Charlotte Schmidt, Josie Steyer (Top in the Division) and Sky Vetsch. Back (l-r): Sophia Balderston, Sexsmith Secondary School and Tate Russell, Peace Wapiti Academy. Missing: Haley Friesen, Hannah Thon, Kade Lyons, Keyana Anderson, Caelen Mitchell, Lawrence Espela and Wyatt Andersen.
DIVISION UPDATE | APRIL 2019 | 3
IT Department improving service
COUNCIL CORNER Role of School Councils
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n his annual report to the Board on December 13, PWPSD Information Technology (IT) Coordinator Darcy Bromling noted that approximately 50 per cent of schools still use SMART Board technology, with others using televisions for audio/visual needs. SMART does offer interactive touch screen televisions, but as is often the case with new technology, the cost and size currently aren’t feasible. Students and teachers have transitioned to Gmail. Google Chromebooks continue to be the device of choice, with more than 4,500 playing a key role in education at PWPSD schools – an increase of 1,000 units over last year. Internet activity is at 300 Mb/s per year, up 50 per cent over last year. While SuperNet is effective, it lags behind the needs of larger schools. Penson, Elmworth and LaGlace Schools are using another service and are now able to reach 100 Mb/s of bandwidth. The IT Department also manages cellphones, telephones, computers, laptops, fax machines, copiers, printers, email, websites, LAN, servers, the student database, user support, anti-virus software and spam filtering, digital signage, furnace software and wiring, firewalls, software deployment and support, media installs, security cameras, and door card systems.
Science Fair winner off to Nationals
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oshua Street, a Grade 9 student at Bezanson School, placed first in the Peace Country Regional Science Fair in Peace River on March 15-16, winning gold for his project, Pro-Detector, which was named best in the Grades 9-10 Biotechnology, Engineering and Mathematics category, and Best in Fair. His programmable fire alarm can be reset using a radio signal to allow the homeowner time to deal with the smoke from cooking mishaps, before automatically turning itself back on in a set amount of time, minimizing the need to reset it. Science teacher Jillian Owens says Joshua did all the coding and 3D-printed the necessary parts for the project. His gold medal win means Joshua will be heading to the Canada Wide Science Fair in Fredericton, NB on May 11-17.
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he ASCA School Council Resource Guide provides guidance to school council members. View it online at https://www.albertaschoolcouncils.ca/ public/download/documents/40732. A school council is a vehicle to support meaningful parental involvement in decisions that affect the school and its operations. School council provides the venue for parents to reflect the wishes of the broader community for the education of its students and to actively participate in giving advice and support to the principal in the operations of the school. The actual decision-making authority of the school council is limited to: • Determining the school council operating procedures. • Setting policies to govern school council activities at the school level, as described in the School Act. • Planning engagement activities that align with the school council’s legislated purpose. • Choosing to provide advice to the principal and school board. What School Councils are not: • Not eligible to incorporate as societies. It is not the primary intent of school councils to fundraise or lobby. • Roles that are not to be taken on by a school council include school governance, employment issues, school management or listening to complaints. – Source: ASCA School Council Resource Manual, © Sept. 2016, Updated Aug. 2017
You’ve got mail!
Free School Council resources ASCA will present workshops at your school, free of charge. The workshops are designed to enhance school councils’ effectiveness and parent engagement in public education, and focus on foundation building, operational aspects and expansion potential. Request a workshop online at www.albertaschoolcouncils.ca. ASCA CONFERENCE:
What’s covered? PWPSD supports attendance at ASCA annual conferences by covering the registration fee for up to two school council members per school, plus hotel accommodations, up to two meals, and bus transportation to and from the event. The Board also covers the cost of one optional pre-conference course per member. To secure a seat on the bus, supply your name, school, and your contact information to Terry Tofer by Friday, April 12 at (780) 5328133 or terrytofer@pwsd76. ab.ca. If there are insufficient numbers for a bus, PWPSD will contact registrants to ask them to carpool. The driver may submit gas receipts for reimbursement.
PWPSD School Council Chairs: Don’t forget to regularly check your Division-issued generic email accounts for important information. Click the webmail link at www.pwpsd.ca.
Three-Year Education Plan and Annual Education Results Report
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lberta Education requires the submission of a Three-Year Education Plan and Annual Education Results Report (AERR) for 2018-2021 by November 30. Find the full report and summary document on the PWPSD website at http://bit.ly/pwpsd-districtreports.
4 | DIVISION UPDATE | APRIL 2019
SCHOOL NEWS
Grade 6 students learn from local leaders
Clairmont Community School completes, installs collaborative Medicine Wheel project
1 County of Grande Prairie Reeve Leanne Beaupre (left) and MP Chris Warkentin (right) gave presentations on governance to Grade 6 students at Whispering Ridge Community School this term. The recently-installed collaborative art project features a Medicine Wheel on one side (left), bearing a handprint from each student. The other side (right) is a collaborative circle project where every student decorated a quarter of a circle. Grades 7-9 students cooking in Cree Hythe Regional School offered a 13-week Cooking in Cree option class this term, open to all students in Grades 7-9. In addition to learning to cook traditional Indigenous foods, students also learned the Cree terminology. Students cooked and ate bannock, bison stew, bison dry meat and rabbit. Grocery bags become sleeping mats for homeless
PWPSD schools register for Student Vote Alberta A number of PWPSD schools have already registered to participate in the upcoming Student Vote Alberta. This free event will bring the 2019 Alberta Provincial Election into classrooms, as a means of empowering students to experience the voting process firsthand. Registered schools receive teaching materials, posters and election supplies. Students are informed about government and the electoral process and are encouraged to research the issues, parties and candidates, and to engage in conversations with their friends and families. During Student Vote Day, students fulfill the roles of election officers to coordinate a vote in their school. Students cast ballots for the candidates running in their school’s electoral division. Results are shared publicly after the close of the general election polls. View election results at www.studentvote.ca. Messages of support on Bell Let’s Talk Day
Ridgevalley Grade 5 students held a grocery bag drive in support of a project led by the Grande Prairie Rotary House that will see donated bags cut down and crocheted into sleeping mats for the homeless. Sexsmith Secondary celebrates third Provincial Boys 1A/2A Wrestling Rural Provincials title
Teachers at Helen E. Taylor School made T-shirts featuring a caption to encourage students and adults to talk to each other about mental health and help reduce stigma.
PWPSD DIVISION UPDATE PWPSD Division Update is a report on news from Peace Wapiti Public School Division, produced for General School Councils’ Meetings.
Provincials were held in Lethbridge, February 22-23.
Content and Design: Angela Sears Communications Officer angelasears@pwpsd.ca
REGISTER ONLINE FOR
KINDERGARTEN Visit www.pwpsd.ca/registration or click the registration tab on your school website to register for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year.
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QUESTIONS? CONTACT THE SCHOOL OFFICE.
WWW
Teacher recruitment in full swing for the upcoming school year
Representatives from PWPSD are recruiting future teachers for the upcoming school year. Pictured (l-r) are Deputy Superintendent Darren Young, Beaverlodge Regional High Principal Anna Nelson, District Principal Karen Chrenek, Savanna Co-Principal Tina Sauder, and Hythe Regional Principal Dwayne Speager. To date, the team has interviewed candidates at the B.Ed. National and International Job Search event in Halifax, the U of A Education Career Fair, and the GPRC Fair. Certified teachers can view career opportunities and apply online at www.pwpsd.ca/employment. Sign up for school bus route notifications by email
Receive timely alerts on the status of your route. Visit http://transportation. pwpsd.ca. Select your bus route number(s), enter your email address, and click ‘Subscribe’. Please ensure that a valid email address has been entered. A verification email will be sent to you. Your email provider may file the initial notification in your junk email folder – approve it in your “Safe Senders List”.
