PEACE WAPITI BOARD NEWS & EVENTS

PEACE
WAPITI
PUBLIC SCHOOL DIVISION NO. 76
WWW.PWSD76.AB.CA
BOARD NEWS & EVENTS
Subscribe online at
www.pwsd76.ab.ca
Upcoming Events
Random Acts of Kindness
Day, Friday, November 7.
OCTOBER 30, 2014
BOARD DISCUSSIONS
Tools for Effective School Councils –
ASCA workshop highlight of PWSD’s Fall General School Councils’ Meeting
Day off in lieu of parentteacher interviews, Monday,
November 10.
Remembrance Day, no
classes, Tuesday, November
11.
Next Board Meeting,
Thursday, November 27,
10:30 a.m., Central Office.
Left: Rhonda Schumm, ASCA Facilitator, presented a workshop on Tools for Effective School Councils.
Right: Dana McIntosh, Board Chair, conducts the door prize draw for children’s books.
Draft 2016-2017
School Year
Calendar receives
Board approval
A
draft of the 2016-2017
School Year Calendar
has received Board approval
following a review by PWSD’s
Administrative and Executive
staff. The new calendar
outlines 187 instructional
days and 11 professional
development days. A printable
PDF will be posted online at
www.pwsd76.ab.ca/Resources/
ParentResources/calendars.
Keep up-to-date with PWSD’s
latest news and events!
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www.pwsd76.ab.ca
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P
eace Wapiti Public School Division (PWSD)
hosted Principals and School Council Chairs and
members at the 2014 Fall General School Councils’
Meeting held on October 28, 2014 at Sexsmith
Secondary School.
Following supper and a Division update from
PWSD, the highlight of the meeting was an Alberta
School Councils’ Association (ASCA) workshop
on Tools for Effective School Councils, led by
Rhonda Schumm. The 70 attendees received tips
on understanding community culture and basic
volunteer psychology. School Councils were also
provided with resources and strategies to assist them
in their efforts to engage school communities.
During the Public School Boards’ Association
Fall General Meeting held earlier in October, PWSD
Trustees won a draw for three children’s books. The
books were handed out as door prizes during the
School Councils’ Meeting.
PWSD’s Division Update newsletter was shared
with the group, and may be viewed online at
http://bit.ly/PWSD-Oct2014.
Former Deputy Superintendent receives PSBAA award
D
r. Rodney Lee, former Deputy Superintendent
at PWSD, was recognized at the October 30th
Board Meeting as the recipient of this year’s Public
School Boards’ Association of Alberta (PSBAA)
Special Contribution to Public Education Award.
Dr. Lee has been a proactive influence in public
education for more than 36 years, the last 25 of
which have been with PWSD. He has been active
on numerous committees and task forces. He was
a leader in the original development of School
Councils. Beyond retirement from public education,
Dr. Lee continues to lecture at Grande Prairie
Regional College in the area of Ethics and the Law in
Education. The award was officially announced during the
PSBAA’s 2014 Annual General Meeting in Edmonton
on October 17. Dr. Lee will receive the award at
PSBAA’s Spring General Assembly in May, 2015.
PEACE WAPITI PUBLIC SCHOOL DIVISION NO. 76
L-r: Superintendent Sheldon Rowe, Dr. Rodney Lee and Board Chair
Dana McIntosh.
Board supports upcoming transportation funding meeting
T
he Board voted to send a letter to the Alberta
School Boards’ Association (ASBA) in support
of Buffalo Trails School Division’s request for a
meeting room at the ASBA Fall General Meeting
to allow Boards to discuss transportation funding.
EDUCATING TODAY FOR SUCCESS TOMORROW
1
BOARD NEWS & EVENTS
PWSD students fared well in 2013-2014 PATs
and Diploma Exams
G
rade 6 students at PWSD schools achieving the acceptable standard
in Language Arts Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) were on par
with the province. An improvement was seen in Grade 6 Math PATs,
while Grade 9 PATs results sat close to provincial averages in the areas
of Language Arts and Science. Grade 3 PATs are in the process of being
phased out and replaced by Student Learning Assessments (SLAs), which
were administered in September, 2014 at PWSD schools.
Diploma Exam results were positive for PWSD. Students scored above
provincial averages in English 30-1 and 30-2, Social Studies results
improved significantly over last year, and the percentage of Physics students
achieving the acceptable standard was higher than that of the province.
Utilization Report
D
uring the Utilization Report to the Board, Deputy Superintendent
Mark Davidson noted that most PWSD schools are able to
accommodate programming needs, but the continued population growth
around Grande Prairie is causing utilization issues at four schools.
A school is deemed fully utilized when enrolment reaches 85 per cent
of capacity. Harry Balfour School, with a utilization rate of 98.2 per cent,
is experiencing pressure on its resources as it strives to accommodate
unprecedented student population growth. The recent announcement of
a new school for Whispering Ridge subdivision falls short of the Board’s
request for two new schools to handle population growth within Harry
Balfour School’s current attendance area.
Bezanson School’s utilization rate sits at 95.3 per cent, followed by 93.3
per cent at Wembley Elementary School and 83.5 per cent at Clairmont
Community School. The Board will continue to lobby government for an
additional K-8 school to address growth at Harry Balfour School, along
with its second and third priority projects which have been identified in
PWSD’s 2015-2018 Capital Plan as a new Grades 9-12 school located north
of Grande Prairie, and a new K-8 school located in Clairmont Heights.
OCTOBER 30, 2014
Transportation report
P
WSD’s Transportation Department manages a total of 102 bus
routes. This year, a route was added in Grande Prairie, one route
was eliminated in Beaverlodge, and Elmworth’s four routes have been
amalgamated into three until an additional driver can be hired.
A number of regular route drivers retired or resigned this year,
resulting in changes to routes located in Grande Prairie, Beaverlodge,
Hythe, Wembley, Ridgevalley, Woking and Spirit River. Five regular
route drivers returned to the spare list. To alleviate driver absence
requests, two new regular route spare drivers were hired. To date,
cancellation of routes due to driver emergencies is up slightly over last
year. Spare drivers remain in high demand throughout the Division. The Transportation Department replaced eight aging buses,
bringing the fleet total to 103 buses with electric doors and 48 buses
with air ride seats. A 17-passenger multifunctional white bus was
replaced with a 21-passenger bus.
Fuel station upgrades were completed in Elmworth, Eaglesham and
Teepee Creek. Upgrades are planned for Woking and Bonanza next
year. With the closure of UFA in Sexsmith, arrangements have been
made with 4Refuel to disperse fuel in the County Industrial Park.
A new short-term rider form, which must be submitted to the
school, bus driver or Transportation Office within 48 hours of the
requested change, has been well-received by parents, with minimal
issues. The forms will serve to supply contact information in the
event of an emergency.
The report was presented by Ted Gobin, Transportation Manager.
Locally-developed yoga course approved
C
ourses developed locally by other School Divisions across Alberta
have, in the past, served to complement the current program of
studies at PWSD high schools. A Yoga 15-3 course has been approved
by the Board for the 2015-2016 school year.
Policy updates
T
he Policy Review Committee and the Executive Team reviewed two
policies but no motion was required as the intent of both did not change.
Policy IFCG – General Use of Tobacco was updated to include e-cigarettes. The
original form attached to Policy IHCD – Administration of Medical Assistance
to Students focused on potentially fatal allergies. The updated form now
includes all potentially fatal or debilitating medical conditions.
ASBA Policies Bulletin
New committee to pursue County partnerships
I
n light of the recently-approved new school for Whispering Ridge
subdivision, the Board voted to strike a School Facility Partnership
Committee consisting of Dana McIntosh, Board Chair, and the three local
trustees – Wendy Kelm, Stefanie Clarke and Dale Crane. The first order of
business for the committee will be to approach the County of Grande Prairie
to discuss possible partnership opportunities within the new school.
Conference and Committee Reports
A
Board News & Events
ttendees reported on the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta
(PSBAA) conference held on October 15-17, and the Audit Committee
meeting held on October 20. In the Policy Review Committee meeting held
on October 22, the membership agreed to change the day Board Agendas
are published from Wednesday of the week prior to a Board Meeting to
Friday, to reduce the number of last-minute additional items.
Board News & Events is a report on news from Peace Wapiti Public School
Division No. 76 and is published following each Board meeting.
Travel requests receive approval
T
he Board discussed the proposed policy positions to be placed
before ASBA membership during the business session of the
upcoming ASBA Fall General Meeting on November 17, 2014.
Content and Design:
Angela Sears
Communications Officer
angelasears@pwsd76.ab.ca
Subscribe online:
www.pwsd76.ab.ca
PEACE WAPITI PUBLIC SCHOOL DIVISION NO. 76
S
pirit River Regional Academy received final approval to travel
internationally to Italy in April, 2015. Peace Wapiti Academy received
approval in principle to travel internationally to Greece during Spring Break,
2015. Peace Wapiti Academy and Bezanson School received approval in
principle to travel to Quebec in February, 2015. Approval for all travel is
pending compliance with Policy HGCG – Off-Site Activities.
EDUCATING TODAY FOR SUCCESS TOMORROW
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