PWSD Division Update: April 2018

Peace Wapiti Public School Division

APRIL 2018

DIVISION UPDATE Central Office, 8611A-108 Street, Grande Prairie, Alberta T8V-4C5 | www.pwsd76.ab.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 and learn more at www.pwsd76.ab.ca/registration Upcoming Board meetings Apr. 26, May 31, June 21 10:30 a.m., Central Office.

April PSBC meeting Meeting: Apr. 12-14, DoubleTree by Hilton West Edmonton.

Diploma Exams Apr. 9-17 and June 20-28 Schedules: https://education. alberta.ca/writing-diploma-exams/ schedule/?searchMode=3 Wembley Elementary/Helen E. Taylor Grade 4 Consultation Thurs., April 19, 6:00 p.m.

Wembley Elementary School More info: http://bit.ly/WES-HET-Gr4 Regional Skills Canada Competition (RSCC) Apr. 19-20, Fairview ASCA Conference & AGM Register online by Apr.16: www.albertaschoolcouncils.ca Meeting: Apr. 20-22, Delta Edmonton South Administrator meetings Apr. 24 & May 29, Central Office Northern AB Heritage Fair Register by Apr. 26. Email forms to heritagefair@pc-hs.ca Fair: May 3, Teresa Sargent Hall, Montrose Cultural Centre

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The Class Size Report is good news for PWSD

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WSD supports the Alberta Education belief that small class size, excellent teachers, a high-quality curriculum and parent involvement all contribute to Alberta being one of the best learning systems in the world.

PWSD is pleased to report that 86 per cent of its average class sizes for the current 2017-2018 school year are lower than the recommendations provided in the 2003 Alberta Commission on Learning (ACOL) Report.

Recommendation #14 in the ACOL Report suggests school jurisdictions should aim for overall jurisdiction average student/teacher ratios of: a. 17:1 for Divison1 – ECS-Grade 3 b. 23:1 for Division 2 – Grades 4-6 c. 25:1 for Division 3 – Junior High d. 27:1 for Division 4 – High School

How do our class size averages measure up?

Government does not specify a maximum class size.

Schools and school boards are in the best position to determine classroom organization that supports parent and student educational choice.

PWSD has directed resources to improve upon the ACOL Division 3 and 4 recommendations. Our staffing formula is based on student/teacher ratios of: c. 23:1 for Division 3 – Junior High d. 24:1 for Division 4 – High School Within PWSD, there are exceptions to the recommended average class sizes. Some classes have higher enrolments due to limited physical space, student demand (e.g. band), and the necessity for multi-graded classes in smaller schools.

Class Size Comparison: ACOL Report Recommendations and PWSD

Division 1: K - Grade 3

Division 2: Grades 4-6

Division 3: Grades 7-9

Division 4: Grades 10-12

30 25

23

20 15

17

16.4

16.2

27

25 19.7

19.2

18.7

18.5

17.5

All Subjects

Core Subjects

All Subjects

Core Subjects

Core All Subjects Subjects

18.3

10 5 0

Core All Subjects Subjects

ACOL

PWSD

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AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

NEW DEVELOPMENTS WRCS set to open Sept. 4; Minister delays transportation announcement

District Principal Karen Chrenek recipient of Passionate Heart Exceptional Service Award

P Congratulations to Karen Chrenek, District Principal at PWSD, on being recognized with a Passionate Heart Exceptional Service Award for outstanding contributions in the area of social work during the 12th annual Passionate Heart Awards Luncheon on February 14. The awards are sponsored by the Family Community Support Services (FCSS) in both the City and County of Grande Prairie, and Beaverlodge, Sexsmith and Wembley and Hythe.

PWSD students named Indigenous Youth Role Models

ositive changes in the local economy that created trade shortages and slowed construction progress at Whispering Ridge Community School (WRCS) in the fall of 2017 did not come soon enough for some.

“With the mechanical contractor going into receivership, general contractor Graham Construction has had to reset the timeline for completion of the new WRCS,” said David Michalko, PWSD Facilities Director, in a media release on January 25, 2018.

The receivership situation also meant delays for several other new school projects in northern Alberta.

In his letter to WRCS families, Principal Shawn O’Shea said the delay is disappointing for everyone, but it prevents end-of-year disruptions to student learning and support services, preschool, transportation, and existing child care arrangements.

New furniture and equipment will be set up after June 1 when PWSD officially takes ownership of the building. Students, staff and parents will get their first glimpse of the new school during tours in June.

Teachers and staff will use the district organizational day on June 29 to set up classrooms in preparation for the start of the 2018-2019 school year.

Minister delays transportation eligibility criteria After announcing on November 15, 2017 that clear and updated transportation eligibility criteria would be provided before the 2018-2019 school year, the Minister of Education sent an email to all Board Chairs and Superintendents on February 23, 2018 announcing, “…changes to our current student transportation eligibility criteria will not be implemented in September 2018. The current transportation eligibility distance will remain, and key changes will be deferred until the 2019/20 school year.” Read his full message online at http://bit.ly/Update-Westlake-Village-Mar-1-18.

Blanket Exercise at Central Office

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embers of the PWSD Board and executive team participated in a Blanket Exercise in January, led by First Nations, Métis, Inuit (FNMI) Education Coordinator Darrell Willier and Angela Dougall, FNMI Liaison Worker at R.W.Z. Public and Sexsmith Secondary Schools. PWSD Principals and Assistant Principals participated in the exercise in November, and a number of PWSD schools have hosted exercises for students this year.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS Congratulations to PWSD students who received Indigenous Youth Role Model Awards at the 2018 Spirit Seekers Youth Conference at GPRC. Among the winners were four Peace Wapiti Academy students. Pictured above (left-right) are Tyler Funk, Grade 11, Athletic Achievement Award; Emma Young, Grade 10, Community Service Award; Samuel Gerard, Grade 12, Health and Wellness Award (senior); and Melody Mattson-Smith, Grade 10, Health and Wellness Award (junior). Grade 7 student Charleigh Norquay (below) of Clairmont Community School was recognized with a Culture and Heritage Award.

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WSD’s Board of Trustees honoured nine former students at a ceremony and luncheon held during the Board meeting on February 22, in recognition of their outstanding academic achievement in Grade 12 during the 2016-2017 school year. Those in attendance were on study break from various postsecondary institutions.

Beaverlodge Regional High School graduate Alex Boyle, pictured right with Ward 3 Trustee Lori Grant, was named Top Student in the Division for the past school year and received a $300 award.

Awards of Excellence in the amount of $100 were presented to those who graduated with averages above 90 per cent last year. Noted for this achievement were Peace Wapiti Academy graduates Emma Doris, Amanda Pelster, Amanda Terceros, Anna van der Giesen and Jace Wirth.

The 2016-2017 Academic Awards of Excellence recipients (left-right): Savanna School grad Brett Sauder, Beaverlodge Regional High School grad Alex Boyle, and Sexsmith Secondary School grad Taylor Nyland. Missing: Peace Wapiti Academy graduates Emma Doris, Amanda Pelster, Amanda Terceros, Anna van der Giessen and Jace Wirth, and Spirit River Regional Academy graduate Quinn Pelland.

Top in School Awards in the amount of $100 went to Brett Sauder, Savanna School; Taylor Nyland, Sexsmith Secondary School; and Quinn Pelland, Spirit River Regional Academy for graduating with the highest marks at their respective schools.

DIVISION UPDATE | APRIL 2018 | 3

Busy year for IT Department

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n his annual Information Technology report to the Board, PWSD’s IT Coordinator Darcy Bromling noted that the move of PWSD servers to Terago, formerly Rackforce, is now complete and has improved resiliency and uptime. All school office phones have been upgraded, existing issues are being dealt with, and PWSD is beginning to see cost savings. Half of PWSD’s audio/ visual equipment is interactive, while televisions are used in classrooms not requiring touch screens.

G-Suite for Education is widely used by students and staff, and all students have Gmail accounts.

Chromebooks continue to be the device of choice, with more than 3,500 playing a key role in education at PWSD schools – a 33 per cent increase over last year.

Current Internet activity sits at 200 Mb/s per year, also up by a third over last year. While SuperNet is effective, it lags behind PWSD’s needs. Larger schools require more than 100 MB of bandwidth, which is costly. Elmworth, Penson, LaGlace and Savanna Schools are hampered by slower service which delivers only 20 to 40 per cent of the bandwidth available at other schools.

The IT Department manages cellphones, telephones, computers, laptops, fax machines, copiers, printers, email, websites, LAN, servers, student database, user support, SuperNet, anti-virus software and spam filtering, digital signage, furnace software and wiring, firewalls, software deployment and support, media installs, and security cameras and door card systems.

Beaverlodge student places in province-wide design contest

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ongratulations to Ashton Nicholas, Grade 6 student at Beaverlodge Elementary, on placing third in the elementary category of the 2017 Liquor Bag Design Contest, hosted by the Students Against Drinking & Driving Association of AB (SADD) and the AB Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC). The campaign leads to discussions about the dangers of impaired driving or riding as a passenger with an impaired driver.

More than 300 bag designs were submitted, with only ten students named first, second or third place winners in the elementary, junior high and high school categories, and an overall provincial winner.

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Strategies for Success –

Three-Year Education Plan and Annual Education Results Report

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lberta Education required the submission of a STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS Three-Year Education 2017 2020 Plan and Annual Education Results Report for 2017-2020

by November 30, 2017.

The Board approved the document as presented.

Access the full report and summary document at http://bit.ly/pwsd-districtreports.

ANNUAL EDUCATION RESULTS REPORT

WWW.PWSD76.AB.CA

@PWSD76

EDUCATING TODAY FOR SUCCESS TOMORROW

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COUNCIL CORNER

UPCOMING EVENTS 3D Charity Tournaments Hockey: Apr. 26-28, Coca Cola Ctr. Soccer: Apr. 27-28, Eastlink Ctr. http://3dcharityhockey.com Day off in lieu of PTIs Fri., May 18 Victoria Day, Mon., May 21 No classes. Offices/shops closed.

National Aboriginal Day Fri., June 21. No exams.

Grade 9 PATs: During May 8 and June 22-27 Last day of classes: June 28 Last day for staff: June 29

Registration now open for ASCA Annual Conference and AGM

Free School Council resources

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he Alberta School Councils’ Association (ASCA) Annual Conference and AGM will be held on April 20 - 22 at the Delta Edmonton South Hotel and Convention Centre. To register online by the April 16 deadline, click the conference link on the ASCA website, www.albertaschoolcouncils.ca. The event will feature an address by Education Minister, Honourable David Eggen, and a keynote by Dr. Lynn Miller entitled Mental Health Matters!

PWSD supports the attendance of school council members at ASCA annual conferences by covering the registration fee for up to two school council members per school, plus reasonable accommodation costs. Bus transportation to and from the event is provided at no charge to delegates. The Board also covers the cost of one optional pre-conference course per member.

As members of ASCA, PWSD School Councils should select the reduced ASCA member rate when registering online. Conference and accommodation fees must be paid by credit card. Delegates may choose to cover their own registration fee and submit receipts to their school for reimbursement, or ask school staff to register them directly.

To secure a spot on the PWSD bus, contact Terry Tofer by Thursday, April 12 at (780) 532-8133 or terrytofer@pwsd76.ab.ca. Please supply your name, the school you are representing, and your contact information. The bus will depart from PWSD Central Office on Friday, April 20, providing a minimum of 10 people have reserved seats on the bus.

Otherwise, those who have made bus reservations will be notified on April 12 and advised to make alternate travel arrangements.

SCA 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.

You’ve got mail!

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WSD School Council Chairs: Don’t forget to regularly check your Division-issued generic email accounts for important information.

Click the webmail link at www.pwsd76.ab.ca.

4 | DIVISION UPDATE | APRIL 2018

SCHOOL NEWS Eaglesham student selected to AB Student Voice Mackenzie Laurin, a Grade 11 student at Eaglesham School, represented PWSD as a member of AB Student Voice, a group of 42 Grades 9-12 students selected by the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta (PSBAA) to participate in their Fall Events Conference on November 15-16, 2017 in Edmonton.

Grief boxes and wellness kits help PWSD students deal with loss, support healthy living This year, PWSD schools offer grief boxes, distributed

by PWSD’s Inclusive Education Learning Coach team, that contain age-specific resources to support individual students or whole classes in developing resiliency during a loss and in the months that follow. The Northern Spirit Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) Local No. 6 donated $1,500 to purchase books (top right) for the boxes, along with a matching gift of $1,500 to purchase books (bottom right) for wellness kits. Wellness kits, available in all PWSD schools, contain holistic health resources relating to social, emotional, physical and mental health. The staff and student resources provided in the kits are the result of a collaboration between PWSD schools, the Alberta Healthy School Community Wellness Fund, and the funding provided by the ATA.

Tour the Trades events expose students to careers

Jr. K program expanding at BES

A group of PWSD students joined with others from the two local districts for a second ‘Tour the Trades’ event on February 14. Students visted four local trades-based businesses to learn about potential work experience opportunities and future career paths.

Trades featured on the tour are in high demand.

Students spoke with tradespeople on the job and learned about the steps required for certification.

www.pwsd76.ab.ca/registration

Beaverlodge families will benefit from an expanded Junior Kindergarten program at Beaverlodge Elementary School this September. Registration opened on February 23 and is ongoing during school hours. Included in the expanded program is a dedicated class for all three-year-old children.

In the past, the school accepted only those requiring additional supports. To qualify, children must be potty-trained and turning three by December 31, 2018. Programming for four-yearolds will increase to three days per week, offering even greater learning opportunities. More on the story at http://bit.ly/BES-JK.

All families welcome.

Students make, present quilts to Alzheimer’s patients

Register online

Kindergarten or click the REGISTRATION tab on your school website

Open to children turning five in 2018 If you do not have access to the Internet, please contact the school for assistance.

Registration is

ONGOING

A birth certificate and proof of residency are requirements for in-person or online registration.

JSET strengthening student leadership skills Communities support breakfast, snack programs February 1 marked the kick-off of Sexsmith Secondary School’s free breakfast program for students. This year, Eaglesham students are also enjoying a free daily breakfast. Rycroft School’s new Healthy Snacks program offers students free snacks during the day. The new programs have been generously supported by local businesses.

Health and wellbeing were explored during the first meeting of PWSD’s Jurisdictional Student Engagement Team (JSET) on December 6 at Sexsmith Secondary School. Sessions for students and staff reflected PWSD’s Comprehensive School Health (CSH) focus, with attendees developing leadership skills to take action in creating healthy school communities.

JSET is made up of three students and one teacher champion from each PWSD school.

GOOD NEWS

Students from the Bonanza School sewing club presented blankets to residents of Rotary Manor in Dawson Creek and joined them for tea on February 7. The students quilted the special blankets as fidget devices for Alzheimer’s patients. Pictured left-right with Grades 5-6 teacher Mrs. Yvonne Marshall-MacRae are students Sydney Simmonds, Jenny Rose, Adara Lowes, Molly Hamilton, Victoria Frazer and Laura Sajtovich.

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PWSD DIVISION UPDATE PWSD Division Update is a report on news from Peace Wapiti Public School Division, produced for the Spring and Fall General School Councils’ Meetings.

Content and Design: Angela Sears Communications Officer angelasears@pwsd76.ab.ca

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