Prairie Rose Public Schools News Archive

<p>A new equine program at Eagle Butte High School will launch this coming September. Cory Schiebelbein and Cassandra Leung will be teaching the program, which already has close to 10 students registered.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Schiebelbein taught at Senator Gershaw for 20 years and transferred to Eagle Butte this academic year. He starts colts and has worked with horses for the past 20 years so was a natural fit for the new program, which is partnered with Coyote Creek Riding Arena, a short 4 km distance from the school. The best part of the program is students who register don’t need to own a horse. If they do, they can board at Coyote Creek or trailer in and pen the horse for the three days the students are at the arena each week.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Students have the chance to obtain their Level 1, 2, 3 and 4 of their Western Riding Instructors through Certified Horsemanship Certification (CHA) in the USA and will be able to test for those levels once they are 18.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“Insurance companies recognize CHA as a viable horsemanship program and understand someone with it knows what they are doing around horses and give insurance deductions for people who are trained with that certification. This company is recognized throughout North America, so students can cross the border to work in the States in camps, equestrian facilities or at ranches. It’s not like we are just letting them ride horses, they are coming away with some certifications that will give them a jump up in the horse industry,” stated Schiebelbein.&nbsp;</p><p>Students will have two hours each school day dedicated to the equine program while still being responsible for all their other required classes. Three days will be spent riding at the arena and two days will be at the school for physical fitness related to horsemanship or working on green certificate books and the CHA manual. Additionally, various guest speakers are booked to come in and speak to the students on topics such as working as a farrier, veterinarian, saddle maker, leatherworker, colt starter, roping, barrel racing and hat shaping. Field trips to Cypress Hills, Historic Reesor Ranch and other destinations are also being planned.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“This whole area is steeped in a ranching history and horses are a big part of that. The program is going to be a positive influence because nothing has been offered before, that I know of, where we can get them CTS credits and certificate credits,” added Schiebelbein. “They are going to come away with so much stuff from this program along with the knowledge of all the clinicians we are bringing in, to have access to that as part of the school program is amazing.”&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 11 student Kiandra Gaetz is excited about the new program and the work Schiebelbein and Leung have done to start it and make it easy for students to do something they love while at school.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“We are a school outside the city and lots of the kids who come here rodeo and are doing that sort of stuff. I’ve been riding my whole life, I own horses, rodeo, jackpot, and train,” said Gaetz. “The certificates would be very useful, I could coach, teach, help my clinician who I study under with clinics and make the equine and horse program bigger and better to help people to learn and teach and do everything surrounding horses at school.”&nbsp;</p><p>Leung is aware of the diverse population of students at Eagle Butte and the way the school is unique in bringing different opportunities forward for them to learn and grow.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“We noticed this was an area we hadn’t developed as a school yet. This is an opportunity for students to get to spend time at school doing something they love that they’ll hopefully grow into in the future after school. It also involves the community we have around here. We have such a rich resource of knowledge and people who have worked hard to set up some excellent facilities. I love that we are getting to involve the students in building a community and being part of it,” said Leung.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Space in the program is limited so anyone interested should register as soon as possible. For more information, contact Eagle Butte High School at 403-528-1996.&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prairie Rose Public Schools would like to congratulate Heather Gust on accepting the Vice Principal (VP) position at Irvine School.&nbsp;</p><p>Having spent her 17-year teaching career in the Medicine Hat area, Heather began with Prairie Rose Public Schools this past fall as a grade four teacher at Irvine School. Prior to that, she worked as an early elementary teacher and classroom support teacher at Ross Glen and Southview schools. In addition to a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta, Gust has a post-graduate certificate in Reading and Literacy and a Professional Master of Education in Literacy Education from Queen's University. Before obtaining her education degree, she also earned a diploma as a speech-language pathology assistant.</p><blockquote><p>“I am both thrilled and honoured to accept the vice-principalship position at Irvine School,” says Gust. “Becoming part of the Irvine family and Prairie Rose Public School has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career. I am deeply grateful to continue working alongside such a dedicated group of students, staff and families.”</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>"Heather has been a great addition to our Irvine School staff this year and brings many exceptional skills to our education team,” says Principal Trent Rayner. “We are fortunate to have someone with her extensive background in reading and literacy instruction and I look forward to working alongside her as we continue to develop exceptional learning opportunities for students.”</p></blockquote><p>Heather Gust will officially assume the role of vice principal at Irvine School at the start of the 2024-2025 school year. The vice principal opening follows current VP Kerry Watson's retirement at the end of the current school year.</p>

<p>Prairie Rose Public Schools would like to congratulate Deanne Smigelski on her acceptance of the position of Principal of Oyen Public School (OPS), effective the 2024-2025 school year. Smigelski is currently the vice principal at both Oyen Public School and South Central High School.</p><p>A long-time teacher with Prairie Rose Public Schools, Deanne has worked exclusively in the Oyen community for the past 17 years. During that time, she has focused primarily on teaching elementary students in grades JK-5 while supporting teachers and students in all grades through her role as the Inclusive Learning Teacher. In addition to a Bachelor of Education,&nbsp;<i>Smigelski has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Lethbridge.</i></p><blockquote><p>“Having served as vice principal, I've had the privilege of working alongside an exceptional team, witnessing first-hand the dedication, resilience, and passion that define our school community,” says Smigelski. “In this new capacity, I am committed to building on the solid foundation we've established, championing an environment fostering innovation, inclusivity and excellence.”</p></blockquote><p>The administrative re-configuration to a single principal and vice principal for OPS and SCHS started in 2022. Based on parent feedback, the decision was made to re-establish a principal position at both schools starting the 2024-2025 school year. Applications for the South Central High School principalship are currently being accepted.</p>

<p>The 2024 Edwin Parr nominee for Prairie Rose Public Schools (PRPS) is Brooklyn Burzminski, who currently teaches at Eagle Butte High School. She feels honoured to be the nominee for PRPS and says it makes her want to do more and work harder at her job.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I like what I am doing so much, which is potentially making a difference and I want to keep expanding and hopefully live up to the nomination,” stated Burzminski.&nbsp;</p><p>Teaching wasn’t a career choice Burzminski had considered and during high school contemplated either a science or English degree. She took science as there seemed to be more career options available, starting at the University of Saskatchewan before transferring to the University of Alberta (UofA) to complete her pharmacology degree. Career choices were primarily in research, which Burzminski felt wasn’t a good fit as it would be isolating. Remaining in Edmonton long term wasn’t ideal either as she wanted to move back to Medicine Hat to be close to her family.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>While working for a year in healthcare and at an auction house, she considered her options and settled on an education degree after someone recommended it. After exploring this path further, Burzminski realized it was the perfect fit. She decided to remain at UofA for two more years to obtain her degree in education and appreciated how her chemistry transferred along with all her English classes, which she minored in.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Landing the job at Eagle Butte High School has been ideal as she gets to teach Science as well as English classes. Last semester she taught Chem 20 and English 10-1 and this semester she is teaching Chem 30 and Science 10. Initially, she was stressed about her first year of teaching as she’d been told how crazy it would be.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I’ve had an awesome experience, in part because of where I am and I am teaching the perfect job right now. It is exactly what I could have asked for, which I didn’t expect for my first year. All the students have been amazing and I like the work I am doing,” said Burzminski. “I’m working long hours, I come early and stay late because I am a perfectionist, but I enjoy what I am doing and don’t feel like it’s draining on me.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>She’s putting in extra hours to ensure her lesson plans are the best she can make them and to be certain she knows how to teach the material, particularly for Chem 30. Her goal is to make the lessons interactive and find fun activities the students want to do, rather than only discussing what is on the board and giving worksheets to complete.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Additionally, Burzminski attempts to add in cross-curricular lessons between her English and my Science classes, such as reading comprehension strategies in chemistry. Her goal is to make school more relevant and easier to understand for students and to help them understand how material transfers from one subject to another.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>In the first semester, Burzminski helped with the Eagle Butte cross-country team and plans to continue her extra-curricular involvement this spring with track and field. “It’s a different experience to be involved with those sports and the school activities,” stated Burzminski. “All of it is fun, so it doesn’t feel like you are being forced to stay when the kids are here.”&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 10 student Talayna Miller was in Burzminski’s English 10 class last semester and is taking her Science 10 class this semester. “She is a caring teacher and thinks about all her students,” said Miller. She’s really amazing and thorough with the material, so she doesn’t just give what is there. She goes beyond and explains it, so we have a good understanding.”&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 12 students Kelsie Pleau-Stewart and Samantha Lentz are both in Chem 30 with Burzminski. All three students talked about how understanding Burzminski is and that she not only cares how students are doing in her class, but also outside of school. They also mentioned her availability for students, including before and after school, and during Tag and her prep period.&nbsp;</p><p>“Whenever a class is missed, I can go back in and she’ll teach a mini lesson and be open to questions,” explained Pleau-Stewart. “She is open to giving us time to work on our assignments in class and offers help if needed and gives us direction if we are doing something wrong. Right now, I have an 83% in the class, normally I’m around the 60% area, so this is a big upgrade for me.” Pleau-Stewart is planning to go to Lakeland College to become a veterinary technician after graduating from high school.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Samantha Lentz, who intends to pursue her post-secondary nursing education in Lethbridge after graduating, feels having Burzminski as a teacher is why she is doing so well in Chem 30.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I’m sitting with an 87% right now, which I think is great and I have a higher grade now than what I finished Chem 20 with,” stated Lentz. “I like her as a teacher, she cares about each of her students mentally and physically. If you are having problems outside of school, she is always there for you. She is such a welcoming teacher and is easy to talk to.”&nbsp;</p><p>What is key for Lentz is that when she asks questions, Burzminski doesn’t make her feel inadequate and is always non-judgmental. Additionally, each week Burzminski provides old Chem 30 diploma exam questions for the students to attempt. “It’s for us to get a better understanding of what the Chem 30 diploma questions might look like this year, which I find awesome because I struggle with writing diploma exams, so having a small understanding of what diploma questions look like make it so much better,” concluded Lentz.</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p><i>In the photo: Custodian Rhonda Pruden is being interviewed by grade 3 students</i></p><p>Learning about different roles people have is part of the new health curriculum. At the beginning of February, Grade 3 students at Irvine School practiced their interviewing skills on staff to find out about the roles they play in the school, at home and in the community.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Teacher Emily Weimer explained, “It went really well, although a lot of the students were really nervous. Some are new to our school this year, so they haven’t grown up with some of those teachers or seen them around, so that was an added level of pressure. They were relieved when they came back and said it wasn’t so bad or was fun and they enjoyed it once they got to do it. We made pamphlets and drew some pictures to give back to the person they interviewed.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Teegan and Hannah, along with a third classmate, interviewed Rhonda Pruden, a custodian at Irvine School, to demonstrate the process. In the original project, all students interviewed a staff member individually, but last week the three students took turns asking Pruden about her roles and responsibilities. All students admitted they were nervous asking adults about their lives and were surprised by the new things they learned about them.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I liked how we got to interview and how they got to share things about themselves,” said Teegan. “Some people have kids still at home who are like 20.” When asked to say why this was surprising, Teegan replied she thought by that age they would have moved out of the family home.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Hannah enjoyed doing the interviews, although admitted it would have been easier to interview her classmates or friends. “It’s kind of scary asking people about their lives and I was nervous asking a teacher what they do because they are adults.” She was proud and happy with herself once the project was done and said she learnt lots about the teacher she interviewed.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“In my job, I am the custodian, so my main job is to keep the school clean and healthy for all the kids,” Pruden told the students. “I think my job as a custodian, I do lots of things more than just cleaning. Sometimes I help kids find teachers, or I’m getting band-aids and other days I’m helping in the kitchen. Sometimes being a custodian, or just working in a school, you might have one job, but you get to do a lot of different things.” She’s been with PRPS at Irvine School for over 16 years and lives locally.&nbsp;</p><p>Purden volunteers on the municipal and local library board and at the Irvine Community Library. &nbsp;She’s been on the municipal board for about six years and the local one for around 10 years. The municipal board concentrates on financing the Irvine and Ralston libraries while the local board focuses primarily on programming.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p>The March 12, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda Package can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lUUjJNGIu-uZ912-8FA3H32rDPLt2Dgo/view">March 12, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda</a></p><p>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</p><p><strong>School Bus Transportation Request for Proposals</strong><br>Chief Financial Officer Ryan Boser shared that at the end of the current school year, all 87 school bus routes will be at the end of their contracts and will go up for tender. Interested bus contractors can submit bids until noon on Friday, April 12. Packages can be submitted via email or dropped off at any school or the Prairie Rose Public Schools division office. The public tender opening will take place at noon on April 12. More information can be found on the Prairie Rose website:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.myprps.com/bus-transportation-rfp">https://www.myprps.com/bus-transportation-rfp</a></p><p><strong>Home Plus</strong><br>The Home Plus Learning Network presentation was postponed. The digital presentation is available in the Board Meeting Agenda package.</p><p><strong>Executive Report</strong></p><ul><li>Deputy Superintendent Mark Heinricks announced that Prairie Rose had selected Brooklyn Burzminski as the Edwin Parr nominee for the 2023-2024 school year.</li><li>Superintendent Reagan Weeks shared:<ul><li>PRPS will be working to create a set of guidelines for student use of AI (artificial intelligence). PRPS Instructional Coach Cammie Kannekens will spearhead work on the document.</li><li>Exhibitions of Learning have begun across the school division. To date, Eagle Butte, Ralston, and Senator Gershaw schools have hosted learning events.</li><li>A Hot Wheel racing activity called Gravity Racing has started at Foremost School led by teacher Jay Diemert. The kids bring in their favourite Hot Wheel cars, which they race against each other using a very specific set of race rules on Thursdays at lunch and recess. Around 40 students are involved in the club.</li></ul></li></ul><p><strong>2024-2025 School Calendar</strong><br>The board approved the 2024-2025 School Calendar. It was noted that the school start date will be after the Labour Day long weekend and that most holidays and PD days are closely aligned with the neighbouring school divisions. The calendar can be found here:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.myprps.com/news/prps-board-approves-2024-2025-school-year-calendar-1710272988070">https://www.myprps.com/news/prps-board-approves-2024-2025-school-year-calendar-1710272988070</a></p><p><strong>Technology Accountability Report</strong><br>Manager of Technology Wayne Rossler presented the annual Technology Report for information. Part of the report focused on an overview of the different technology distributed across the school division, which includes one-to-one Chromebooks for all students in grades 4 and up. It was shared that the division continues to have some challenges with damaged Chromebooks coming back for repair. The school division only charges for the cost of the parts and takes care of the labour internally. The other significant technology initiative over the past year has been the migration from Smartboards to Viewsonic Interactive Display Boards across the school division. Forty-five boards have been deployed to date. Feedback from the schools about the new boards has been positive, and the technology team is in the process of mounting the boards on the walls of the classrooms from the moveable carts they are currently on. The full technology report can be found in the March 13, 2024, Board Agenda package.</p><p><strong>Locally Approved Courses</strong><br>The board approved locally developed courses Musical Theatre 15-3, 15-5, 25-3, 25-5, 35-3 and 35-5. Approval of these courses allows high schools to provide additional course credits to students who participate in high school musical productions (dance, drama, music).&nbsp;</p><p><strong>School Field Trip Approvals</strong></p><ul><li>The board approved the Ralston School field trip request to Super T Aviation for grades 4 and 5 students on March 28, 2024. The trip will include learning about the theory of aerodynamics with the DR Flight Academy students and a flight in a 30-minute plane ride above Medicine Hat.&nbsp;</li><li>The board approved the South Central High School field trip to Belize from April 16 to April 25, 2025. The trip will focus on social studies, biology and international foods curriculum and include visits to the Maya Forest Cooridor, Mayan Ruins of Carocol and the Belize Barrier Reef. Students will also get to experience a bird banding and bat mist-netting workshop, and visit the Smithsonian research centre at Carrie Bowe Caye.</li></ul><p><strong>ASBAA, PSBAA, RCASB</strong><br>No reports.</p>

<p>At the March 12, 2024, public board meeting the PRPS Board of Trustees approved the 2024-2025 school year calendar.</p><p>Simplified phone friendly version (screenshot to your phone photos for quick access): <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/18ms_t0mYokHg1PSedRUpPnxYqRycOAM4/view?usp=drive_link">https://drive.google.com/file/d/18ms_t0mYokHg1PSedRUpPnxYqRycOAM4/view?usp=drive_link</a></p><p>PDF simplified version: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jb5x4W408mBZGSZnTOr2p7wfQqHaUucS/view?usp=drive_link">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jb5x4W408mBZGSZnTOr2p7wfQqHaUucS/view?usp=drive_link</a></p><p>Full detailed version: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vX7GU9uMSTLgY3bS-NXher3R_DxhdRlF/view?usp=drive_link">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vX7GU9uMSTLgY3bS-NXher3R_DxhdRlF/view?usp=drive_link</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><i>Above photos: Corinne Aupperle at IF Cox School and Muhamed Ibrahimovic at Eagle Butte High School&nbsp;</i></p><p>Corinne Aupperle is a substitute teacher with Prairie Rose Public Schools, primarily at IF Cox School working across all the grades. She enjoys returning to the same school for the familiarity of the environment and knowing the students in the class she is covering.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>After teaching in rural Saskatchewan for 30 years, Aupperle retired early to move to Medicine Hat when her daughter got pregnant. She took a few years off to enjoy being a grandmother before becoming a substitute teacher, which she’s done for the past seven years. It took a while to get her name out, but she was fortunate to be recommended to IF Cox as she lives in Redcliff.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I can work when I want and not work when I have other things to do. I can take a holiday, or I can spend time with my family. A huge benefit is when the day is done, I’m done. There is no planning, no extracurricular, no report cards or parent-teacher interviews. I do some marking just because I know how busy teachers are, but if I’m busy I don’t even have to do that. It’s wonderful to just walk out the door,” said Aupperle.&nbsp;</p><p>Even though there are numerous substitute teachers, there are many days where not many are available. Sometimes Aupperle subs at McCoy for the Catholic division, which is enjoyable in a different way than being in an elementary school. There are days, such as last Thursday, where she is already scheduled to be in one school and has several calls from other schools who need a sub.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“You can see by just being in there it’s lots of fun and you can engage with the kids,” explained Aupperle. “What’s beneficial for me is, moving from Saskatchewan, I didn’t know anybody, and this is a way to connect with the community. I can be at Costco and there are kids who know me and then I get to know their parents to say hello. I can walk down the street and if there are people out, it’s a rare time a child doesn’t recognize me. That is a benefit and is a good way to get involved with the community.”&nbsp;</p><p>Muhamed Ibrahimovic taught Language Arts for six years in his home country of Bosnia before immigrating to Canada in 2015. While he was working on getting his diploma accredited by Alberta Education, he taught ESL at Medicine Hat College and for Saamis Immigration. His diploma was accredited in 2021 and he’s been subbing since then. One of those schools is Eagle Butte High School. He also has casual employment as a Correctional Peace Officer, which often results in full-time hours.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“The flexibility is really nice and you get to pick and choose the schools you like best. You have that luxury because I don’t know if subbing can be a full-time job because work is not always guaranteed,” explained Ibrahimovic. “At this school I like it because the students are respectful, the staff is appreciative and I’m really enjoying it. I’m not doing it for the experience or financial benefit, I just enjoy it here.”&nbsp;</p><p>He prefers subbing in high schools because he appreciates working with students who understand on a higher level and can go into more depth on topics. “Being a sub, I have to follow a sub plan, but with high school, I can incorporate what I know and enrich the lesson here and there while still following the plan,” said Ibrahimovic.&nbsp;</p><p>One of the challenges of being a sub is the last-minute calls and needing to be somewhere right away, although sometimes there are a few days or even a few weeks' notice. “I’m glad this Substitute Appreciation Week exists, and schools are showing they love their subs,” stated Ibrahimovic. “Many people don’t know how challenging it can be to be a sub, sometimes you are thrown into the fire.”&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer</p>

<p>The March 12, 2024, PRPS Public Board Meeting will take place at the Prairie Rose Public Schools Division Office starting at 11:45 a.m. The meeting is only available in-person.</p><p>The complete agenda package can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lUUjJNGIu-uZ912-8FA3H32rDPLt2Dgo/view?usp=drive_link">March 12, 2024 Board Meeting Agenda</a></p>

<figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Complete award details and links to the online nomination form can be found via the link below.&nbsp;</p><p>2024 Trustee Awards of Recognition Criteria: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TmHl007KfoQOoghtP7nP34u27uT2cCWF/view?usp=drive_link">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TmHl007KfoQOoghtP7nP34u27uT2cCWF/view?usp=drive_link</a></p></td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p>For the second year in a row, PRPS trustees will recognize students who contribute to a culture of excellence in their schools. The 2024 Trustee Awards are about community spirit and are for those students who go the extra mile. “We want to empower all pockets of students and hope this award will target another group,” explained Trustee Shauna VanderSpruit. “Last year, the awards were well-received, and every school had two recipients. This year we would love to see more nominations come from teachers or administration for students who are deserving of this award.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Mindy Straub is now attending Eagle Butte High School and received a Trustee Award from Schuler School in June 2023. She describes herself as being very sociable and getting along with the students across all grades as she’d known them for years.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I feel I was really good with the younger kids because they all liked me,” stated Straub. “On certain mornings, we would get together in the gym and do different literacy activities. The older kids would pair up with the younger kids for reading or word work and that’s why I’d get to spend time with younger students. At recess, if a kid was sad or something, I usually ended up helping and supporting them.”&nbsp;</p><p>Jason Fehr, also attending Eagle Butte this year, received a Grade 9 award from Prairie Mennonite School. He and many of his classmates enjoyed playing games, an activity not permitted on school-issued Chromebooks. To motivate himself and other students, Fehr created a time on Fridays where students could play games competitively against each other if they completed all their schoolwork. &nbsp;As a result, students were less inclined to play games during the week.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;“It made them want to work harder” explained Feher, “so they would be able to do that. You would have to do well on all your schoolwork to participate.” There were about 70 students at the school and about 25 or 30 of them would show up for the competitive gaming times.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;“That ended up working out pretty well, they still do it to this day,” said Fehr, who also added, “during recess, I would be outside and play with the younger kids, showing them some tips on basketball. We’d usually play two versus one because they were younger, not on a team or anything, just personally for fun outside.”&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;Trustees are also looking for nominations for the Community Champion for Education. Any member of the public can submit a nomination for this award which recognizes an individual or organization that goes above to provide exceptional learning experiences and opportunities for students. &nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;To submit a community award nomination, click here: <a href="https://prrdweb.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9B51bgE6XE90VFQ">https://prrdweb.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9B51bgE6XE90VFQ</a>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p><i>Photo: Dana Marshall stands next to Terry Super from Super T Aviation after completing her commercial pilot's test</i></p><p>It’s no small feat getting a commercial pilot’s license, particularly if it's on the side to a number of other roles, such as teaching chemistry, physics and math at Eagle Butte, being co-lead of the DR South Alberta Flight Academy, the local ATA president, a mother, rancher, and a volunteer wildland firefighter with the Cypress County Elkwater Fire Station. However, almost three years from when Dana Marshall did her discovery flight, she has done just that.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Marshall has no plans to become a professional pilot as she wants to remain a teacher, but after encouragement from Super T and Superintendent Dr. Reagan Weeks, she decided to train towards a commercial pilot’s license, which is a prerequisite for getting an instructor’s license. &nbsp;Marshall and Katelyn Rozdeba, the other co-lead of the flight academy, are the certified teachers of the program but are unable to teach ground school or flight training without an instructor’s license. They are responsible for all aspects of the academy aside from flight training, such as ensuring the students fulfill curriculum credits, organizing field trips, first-aid, and other non-flight training events.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The flight exam for a commercial license is very similar to that for a private license except the pilot must be more precise in their flying. The ground school portion or written exam is vastly different. “There is a ton more knowledge to learn for the commercial written exam,” explained Marshall. “They say it is one of the toughest exams you can write in Transport Canada.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The pilot needs a minimum of 200 hours flying time with at least 100 of those hours as piloting command time, which is flying solo. Additionally, they need a certain amount of instrument flying time where the pilot wears a helmet to block their vision, so they are flying by instruments alone, with an instructor beside them, to simulate flying in a cloud.&nbsp;</p><p>“I like to fly with my kids if they are up for it, I have an 11 and a 5-year-old. Now they are bored with it, so a lot of the time, I message the students to see if they want to go flying, if they want to hang out and go for a trip,” said Marshall. “All those solo hours get lonely after a while so it’s better to fly with someone. I’ve taken a few staff members and a few students up.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Marshall sat the written exam on April 4, 2023, and passed the flight exam on September 1, 2023. Since then, she’s been flying off the needed hours and checking off the rest of the required boxes. “With the private you can do either/or first,” explained Marshall. “With the commercial, they want the written passed first and then you do the flight test. You can do the flight test as early as 150 hours and then you just get all the other flight hours in.”&nbsp;</p><p>Marshall kept a logbook of her flight hours, and a pilot training record also shows which instructor was supervising and what Marshall was working on. Transport Canada requires this because when the submission is made for the commercial license, Super T must prove she completed all the requirements.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I flew all around Alberta, Saskatchewan and went to BC a couple of times. Part of the commercial is a 300 nautical mile flight from your starting point to the destination and there are approved routes you can do. I went to Yorkton, Saskatchewan and you have to stop twice, at two places that aren’t your destination. You have to stop for gas anyway, so I stopped in Regina, Yorkton and then at Regina on the way back. It’s all about gaining more experience, getting to more airports, being able to be in different types of airspace, that is what they are trying to teach you by having these certain rules,” stated Marshall.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Medicine Hat and Lethbridge have a flight services station because they aren’t busy enough to have a tower. Marshall had never been in Class D airspace before or talked to a tower, but she had to when she landed and departed from Regina.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“Class C airspace, which is very busy, would-be Calgary International, Springbank and Edmonton International. There are multiple different frequencies you talk to, there might be an outer frequency, an inner frequency when you are coming in then you must dial in a new radio station once you land to talk to ground control, it’s a whole bunch of different pieces of training. For the night rating, we get to land at Calgary International. I had an instructor with me and that was my first ever experience with Class C and it was overwhelming because they spit stuff out of you and their instruction is at 100 miles an hour and you are not only flying the plane, but you are also trying to take down their instructions. Landing is a higher stress situation, a critical moment of flight, and you have to write down where they want you to exit, taxi to and your frequencies and instructions. You need a plan ahead of time in order to be able to catch it all.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>For the moment, Marshall is reveling in completing her commercial license training. Currently, Super T has a new grant where they can train up to 15 instructors. “I might try to take advantage of that, but I also don’t want to take that opportunity away from a young pilot that wants the instructor rating to go onto an airline job. I have no plans to become an airline pilot, so for me to take up a spot someone else could use, I would feel rotten about that. I’m sitting back and enjoying and letting my brain chill out for a while and not being in constant training like I have for the past three years,” concluded Marshall.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p>It may still look and feel like winter, but the greenhouse at Senator Gershaw School in Bow Island is now fully planted for the season with a few cucumbers ready to be picked.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“The greenhouse has been operating for a couple of years now and we've been learning through trial and error with what works. What we’ve found is if we start too soon, we get too many bugs from the summer,” explained Principal Scott Angle. “Now, what we do, is we wait until there has been a good solid freeze before we move any plants in.”&nbsp;</p><p>The school partners with Stigter’s Greenhouses in Redcliff who provide propagated plants around the second week of January. “We’ve found we aren’t successful if we don’t use the propagated plants and because we aren’t a big enough bulk purchaser, we can’t buy them on our own. As a result, we have to partner with a greenhouse to make it happen,” stated Angle.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Even though it’s small, the greenhouse is operated along the same lines as a commercial greenhouse. Angle is learning alongside the students as the teacher who began the program transferred to another school. “We worked together lots and I was the one who knew the most about it, so I took over,” said Angle. “The tomatoes and peppers need to be pruned and I need to learn how to do it properly, but I’m going to work with Jeff Stigter on that and figure it out.”&nbsp;</p><p>Growing in the greenhouse are peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers in coconut bags and there is a small hydroponic unit for lettuce. Over the next few weeks, younger students will start planting seeds for the school garden west of the school.&nbsp;</p><p>There are between five to eight students who choose the greenhouse option each year, which is the perfect number as it allows those most interested in the program to join. Additionally, the work in the greenhouse can be done most effectively by a smaller group of students.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 9 students Alia Babcock and Gage Hintz both signed up for the greenhouse option this semester.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I think it’s a good option because it produces and gives us something fun to do by getting your hands dirty, doing extra projects and watching your plants grow,” said Babcock. For her, the biggest challenge is putting lots of effort into plants that aren’t thriving only to have them continue to fail.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Hintz joined the greenhouse as he does aquaponics – germinating plants on top of an aquarium where the fish provide the nutrients - and gardening at home. He enjoys how much faster plants grow in the greenhouse compared to an outdoor plot. “The hydroponics we’ve never done before, which is cool, we helped set that up. The hardest thing was getting the pump working right to get water to the system.”&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td><figure class="media"><oembed url="https://vimeo.com/782597223?share=copy"></oembed></figure><p><i>Promotional video featuring students in the Foremost Rodeo Academy.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p>The Rodeo Academy at Foremost School is now in its second year with 11 students enrolled, two who are from the Medicine Hat area and billet in town. Recently, the Academy put out feelers over social media to find out if there is enough interest from students in the Medicine Hat area to run a bus out to Foremost School each day.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“This is our second year and over the past two years we’ve had lots of enquiries from all around the province,” stated Principal of Foremost School Corey Steeves. “This year we have two students who attend from the Medicine Hat area and billet in town and a couple of students transferred from the Horizon School District.”&nbsp;</p><p>Connor Harty is in Grade 12 and finds the most challenging part of the Rodeo Academy is staying focused and taking opportunities as they arise. Alternatively, being involved with the academy helps motivate Harty to get his schoolwork done early so that he can go to practice because he knows he won’t have time after.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 8 student Roan Bosch was born and raised on a ranch bull yard and joined the academy to improve his roping skills. “When we do roping and steer wrestling, you are riding up to a calf you have to brand or treat. You can rope them, flip them and get them treated and it helps to know how to do that,” explained Bosch. Feedback from the instructors is incredibly helpful for Bosch and he’s learned to overcome his fears and make a run without overthinking.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Kendyl Hollingsworth used to barrel race but now focuses on goat tying and breakaway roping. “The year I started Rodeo Academy I was leaning towards the livestock end of rodeo and was getting out of barrel racing and entering the roping side,” she stated.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>While it was a long process, Hollingsworth persevered and has seen lots of improvement in her technique. “I didn’t know how to swing a rope about a year ago and now I’m competing with the girls in high school rodeo,” said Hollingsworth. “I think it helps push me to do my schoolwork because if I’m going to practice, I’m finishing my schoolwork first. That kind of thing helps me keep in track.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Brittney Chomistek began teaching at Foremost School two years ago just as the Rodeo Academy was launching. With a lifetime of rodeo experience and as the 2018 Miss Rodeo Canada, Chomistek is able to bring the connections she made on the circuit into the school to provide different opportunities for students.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Outside of instructing at the Rodeo Academy, Chomistek teaches Grade 2 and is thrilled about how the academy filters down to the younger kids. “We let them go rope dummies sometimes, or we’ll have the high school kids teach them how to tie goats. There are kids who have never been around horses and just want to be a part of it, so it’s also building that sense of community,” explained Chomistek.&nbsp;</p><p>Based in Medicine Hat, she thinks the commute out to Foremost each school day is worth it. While the roads can be challenging at times, this year has been much easier now that her dad, Guy Chomistek, is also teaching at the school and they commute together.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Chomistek is a huge advocate for Prairie Rose Public Schools and what the division offers all students. When she talks about the academy to those on the pro circuit, they often respond by saying they might have tried harder in school, or stayed in school, had they had an option such as the Rodeo Academy to look forward to most days.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“What I love about Prairie Rose is that we have all these specialized areas in all these other communities that allows us to have other kids involved,” stated Chomistek. “The division goals of fostering futures and igniting minds, that’s what we are doing with these academies while also keeping them accountable in school. We hold our academy kids higher than average students because we expect them to be attending their classes, we expect them to be doing their best, whatever their best is. We’ve taken away practices because we want a well-rounded student athlete, which is what PRPS promotes.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>It’s important to note that not all students in the rodeo academy have their own horse and gear. “It’s about giving kids experience in rodeo and our western heritage while also giving them practice so they can see if this is an avenue they want to pursue or not, which is another beautiful thing about it,” concluded Chomistek.&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer</p>

<p>A year ago, students at Senator Gershaw School in Bow Island began publishing the <a href="https://bowislandioc.ca/"><i>In Our Community</i> publication</a>. A mainstay in Bow Island, Foremost, Burdett and area for many years, the school bought the business when the former owner retired.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“It’s a service our community wants and we had the infrastructure here (at the school) so we bought it,” said Principal Scott Angle. The publication is still run as a business with students applying for positions and getting paid through a profit-sharing system. Three students - editor, finance and publisher/editor - are employed and the more advertising they bring in, the more they earn.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Advertising is beginning to branch out of Bow Island, with some coming in from Seven Persons and Medicine Hat recently. A website is being added soon and there is currently both a paper and online version available.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“It’s almost all student run and we’ve added a hometown hero to recognize people in our community that do great things,” stated Angle. “We’ve been doing it for about a year now and it’s been fairly successful.”&nbsp;</p><p>It’s not only about advertising, in addition to the Hometown Hero feature, <i>In Our Community</i> also lets those reading know about upcoming events.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 9 student Alayna Martens was hired as the editor this year and appreciates she can do the job during school hours once her other schoolwork is complete. She is gaining valuable work experience and learning new skills – software programs, communication skills, editing and how to formally reply to an email – along with engaging as a team member.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“My job is to reply to emails and ensure everyone knows what we are doing. I tell the boys if there are ads we need to do. It’s fun and a great experience,” said Martens.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><i>In Our Community</i> comes out once a month and is delivered through the post office to each mailbox free of charge. Student employees will also deliver copies where needed. Martens puts in about 12 to 13 hours each month and works each day to keep up with incoming emails.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I think community feedback has been quite positive, the Hometown Heroes has really brought some light to different people and made people realize there are lots of organizations out there. I look through old newspapers or online, then call people to ask them if I can do a write up on them,” concluded Martens.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Corey Steeves - School Administration Leadership</strong></p><p>Corey Steeves, principal at Foremost School, gave a presentation on strategies to elevate and flourish as a school leader. “I’ve been doing some research the last couple of years on strategies as a school leader to support well-being and I’ve always had a passion for speaking.” Steeves put together a presentation based on his research to share strategies with other school leaders.&nbsp;</p><p>“Being school leader is a complex job with lots of moving parts and sometimes they feel like they are on their own. I’m going to talk about the power of social capital, or who is in your support network. Education is a learning ecosystem where you have all these other parties that help each other out, leadership is the same,” stated Steeves.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>He feels fortunate to be part of the School Leader Wellbeing Generative Listening group started last year in partnership with Horizon School Division. Principals and division office staff from PRPS and Horizon meet once a month to discuss school leader wellbeing. “That’s a part of social capital,” explained Steeves, “we leave that meeting feeling as good or better than when we walked in.” He also talked about contextual literacy, which is knowing context and understanding communities.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Kelli-Ann Nixdorf - Canva in the Classroom</strong></p><p>Kelli-Ann Nixdorf was a teacher at Eagle Butte High School before becoming an Instructional Coach and finds the best part of this new role is being in every school across all grade levels within the division. Both presentations by Nixdorf were on Canva, the first on the Education Library and the second on Magic Studio.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“Canva has a massive library with thousands of templates and resources for K-12, including activities, worksheets, full lesson plans and presentations.” said Nixdorf. Her first presentation's aim was to give participants a clear understanding of how to access and filter the library to access material or information required.&nbsp;</p><p>Last year the Canva education library was limited, but now it is fully loaded explained Nixdorf, although it can be overwhelming if one doesn’t know where to look or if they haven’t used the program before. After a quick demonstration on how to access the education library and how to filter, Nixdorf turned the session over to the audience to make it interactive and help those in attendance find resources on topics they were interested in.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Nixdorf’s second session on the Canva Magic Studio was content driven. The magic studio contains AI tools that have ChatGPT in the background with Canva-added filters to make the AI more user-friendly. The design feature of the studio can, for example, create a six-slide presentation on the water cycle and will provide five different versions for the user to choose from. Depending on the reliability of the WiFi at MHC, Nixdorf was planning to demonstrate how to use Magic Convert, which will take a presentation and convert it into a digital or printed handout.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Cammie Kannekens - The AI Frontier in the Classroom</strong></p><p>Instructional Coach Cammie Kannekens, who was an English and Social Studies Teacher at Eagle Butte before moving into her current role in 2017, gave two presentations on AI, the first more general knowledge and the second on the generative AI frontier in the classroom.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Using an alphabet wheel, Kannekens discussed a topic related to AI with the letter the wheel landed on. “It’s a fun one to do with random, internet things people haven’t seen before. This will be the first time I’ve done it with AI because it is fairly new,” said Kannekens about her first session.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Regarding her second session, Kannekens added, “in the last year, we’ve been able to say this is a great tool for teachers, here’s lots of ways AI can save time and make you more productive and maybe help to have a higher quality output in a shorter period of time, that part is fairly straightforward. Right now, we are on that precipice with some teachers using AI and tools that are more for students, but there is a lot of ethical, moral, safety, and privacy issues once you start looking at using AI with students.” The goal of this presentation was how to teach students about AI, both the benefits and shortcomings, along with giving teachers ideas of on how to shift their teaching so it is more appropriate in an AI world.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Nichole Neubauer - Agro Food Kits</strong></p><p>Nichole Neubauer is Coordinator of the Agricultural Discovery Centre (ADC) at Irvine School. “This year’s Teachers’ Convention will mark the official launch of the EQUS Agro-Food toolkits. These resources were created thanks to a generous donation by EQUS and will be housed at the Irvine School ADC. They are designed to be an outreach tool for teachers who might not be able to get their students to a farm, so instead we’ve found a really fun way to bring the farm to them.”&nbsp;</p><p>Neubauer had a table in Centennial Hall with examples of several toolkits available and during her presentation on Friday afternoon, she will go into detail about one of the kits. They are available to teachers at no charge thanks to the EQUS grant with each one on loan for about one month. All teachers throughout each of the three school divisions in the Medicine Hat area can request a kit, along with those from other communities EQUS serves, which are Claresholm, Onoway and Innisfail.&nbsp;</p><p>Chicken hatching cycle, growing crops, hydroponics and aquaponics (growing plants in a soilless environment), honeybees and vermicomposting are all available. Links are provided so educators can create activities connected to the curriculum using supplies within the toolkits. For example, the vermicomposting kit will have a vermicomposter, worms, activity suggestions for students K-6, microscopes, spray bottles, petri dishes, and suggestions for experiments to make the learning fun and hands-on for each student.&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer</p>

<p>There was a good turnout at the South Alberta School of Trades Open House at Medicine Hat College on February 13 with about 100 people coming out for the two in- person sessions held in the evening along with an online one during the day for the Foremost and Oyen areas. Interest is high and enrollment for the program is already near capacity.&nbsp;</p><p>Sherry Craven, Student Experience Designer, explained the structure of the program will be cohorts of 12 with up to 48 students accepted each year. “If anyone wants to get their first-year apprenticeship by the time they graduate (from high school), this program is going to help them realize their interests and put the resources behind helping them find the path that is best for them. My goal would be that by graduation, they have their first year (post-secondary) under their belt, but at the very least they are coming in and learning all kinds of life and job skills, getting themselves to be more employable,” stated Craven.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>In the first year, Grade 10 students experience two weeks in each of the seven trades – plumbing, welding, electrical, automotive, carpentry, heavy duty mechanics, and pipefitting – giving them the opportunity to experience a variety of trades to find those that most interest them.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>In the second year, students will choose from one of four clusters, each containing two trades. “The clusters are already decided, they will pick one cluster. They will get experience in two trades of whatever is in the cluster they are most interested in,” explained Craven.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>At the end of Grade 11, students will have both high school and post-secondary credits along with, hopefully, gaining work experience. “In addition to all the stuff being done in school, the students need to be getting out and getting jobs and experience in the field,” stated Craven. “They are starting work experience in the summer by Grade 11. In addition to taking this dual credit class, they will hopefully be registering in RAP (Registered Apprenticeship Program) by Grade 11.”&nbsp;</p><p>Declan Grant and his friend Cooper Melvin, both Grade 9 students at Parkside School in Redcliff, attended the open house and are excited about the School of Trades. They have experience in the plumbing lab and electrical lab at Medicine Hat College as part of a program through Parkside. Declan’s mom Amy said, “when I heard they came out with this I was pretty excited because Declan has been interested in mechanics for quite some time, heavy duty specifically because he is a fairly big guy.”&nbsp;</p><p>Cooper is interested in carpentry and thinks it would be cool to build a house one day. Cooper’s mom Joni said, “this is a fantastic opportunity and just to have a leg up going in and being hooked up with pre-employment and the connections they can get through this program. To be able to know this is what they are really interested in before investing in college, it’s just fantastic on so many levels.”&nbsp;</p><p>Trustee Shauna VanderSpruit attended the open house and was thrilled about the great turnout at the event. “When these opportunities are presented to the Prairie Rose school community, it gives kids an opportunity in a school setting to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. They can experience college life while still in high school. Lots of kids who know they want to be in trades are interested early, but there are still those students who don’t realize that trades is a great career and this will give them the opportunity to see that sooner.”&nbsp;</p><p>For Eagle Butte students, the commute to Medicine Hat College will not be overly taxing, but for those coming in from Oyen, Bow Island and Foremost, more planning will be required by the schools.&nbsp;</p><p>“The advantage we have there,” stated VanderSpruit, “is we have an executive team and administrators at the schools who are so willing to think outside the box and to make it happen for these kids, going that extra mile across the school division.”&nbsp;</p><p>Principal of Foremost School Corey Steeves said mechanics is once again available as an option at the school and many students, along with their parents, are interested in trades education. Steeves understands the need for people trained in the trades and is aware of the future benefits of the new program, thus he is willing to do whatever it takes to make it work for Foremost students.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“The way it’s laid out is awesome, where in Grade 10 you don’t know what you don’t know,” added Steeves. “They might think they are interested in the trades and only be thinking about heavy duty mechanics, but what’s awesome about that first year is they will be exposed to all those other trades and they might realize they like another one of them more. We’ve seen the power of the Flight Academy and Fire Academy and our Rodeo Academy, things like that, where students are experiencing as they are learning are super valuable.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The School of Trades will offer students hands-on, experiential learning while providing them a jump start to their post-secondary education. “It’s a good opportunity to have strong supports behind you as a student to find their path,” concluded Craven. “When I talk to adults, they wish there was something like this when they were younger. I have a 26-year-old going into his carpentry apprenticeship and I never had an inkling he would want to do that. Getting that early start and finding out if you are interested, what your passions are, is highly valuable.”&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer</p>

<p><i>Photo: New logo for the AgPro program at Irvine School</i></p><p>Principal of Irvine School Trent Rayner, along with three students and teacher Logyn Jacksteit, gave a presentation to the Board of Trustees at the regularly scheduled meeting on February 13.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I think the ultimate success of a program is when you are able to have it branch out to other students,” said Rayner. “That happened with the Ag-Pro Western Tractor course when Corey Steeves reached out last year.”&nbsp;</p><p>Steeves is Principal of Foremost School and thought the Ag-Pro course would be a perfect fit for the community. “School-wise we really try to have a lot of hands-on, very place-based learning. There is lots of research behind the power of place and the power of students where they live,” stated Steeves.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>People learn best in the environments they love, and the school has numerous students who live on farms or around farms with around 20 kids from Grades 7, 8 and 9 taking the course. “What was cool about the Western Tractor course is it takes in different avenues, they aren’t just working on the mechanics part, which is very important, but they are also getting into sales and marketing and all those other neat areas,” said Steeves. “Kids are excited about it and parents have commented on how happy they are with the course.”&nbsp;</p><p>Foremost students have just started the Western Tractor Ag-Pro course, they are working through WHMIS and other class-based learning and will have their first on location visit on February 27. It was a simple process to transfer the course from Irvine to Foremost School as creators of the course Logyn Jacksteit and Nichole Neubauer put together a complete program plan that is easy to use.&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 8 student Senya Hietamaa talked to the board about the certification courses she’s taken at Irvine School, which are another new CTF-option addition for junior high students at the school. The first course she took part in was emergency first-aid, which was combined with a babysitter’s course. In the second course, each student tailored what they took to suit their interests, selecting from, among others, sports anatomy, computers, nutrition, driver’s education, second languages, resume building, boat license, animal care, stocks, bonds and taxes, mechanics, and Alberta Health food safety.&nbsp;</p><p>“I did the animal care. I have many pigs at home and we just got them and we don’t know a whole lot about them and how to take care of them. I took the course and I learnt so much and I got so much information from it that I got to do a presentation for 4-H,” explained Hietamaa. “I also looked at the stocks, bonds and taxes course and it was very confusing at first, but I did learn a lot because I don’t know anything about taxes, I’m in Grade 8.”&nbsp;</p><p>Additionally, Hietamaa also took part in resume building and the food safety courses. She concluded by saying she enjoyed all the courses, which were incredibly valuable, providing each student with skills they can put on their resume.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Logyn Jacksteit is currently teaching Grade 6 and 7 language arts and some of the CTF options and presented to the board the two new courses added to the Ag-Pro lineup this year. “Western Tractor CTF was a success and Nichole Neubauer and myself put our heads together this year to plan two additional courses that started just a couple weeks ago,” said Jacksteit.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The two new courses are Ag-Pro Beef and Ag-Pro Crops with both courses having more students interested than they had spaces available. The beef course is well under way, acquainting the students with the cattle industry by bringing in guest speakers and taking the students on multiple field trips.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“Students have a large project at the end to create a scale-model of a cattle handling system in class and it will be judged by professionals,” explained Jacksteit. “They will have to consider animal stress and welfare along with efficiency of the cattle handle system.”&nbsp;</p><p>Ag-Pro Crops will follow a similar format with field trips to the Rattlesnake Reservoir, Nutrien, and Big Marble Farms, to name a few. The students will be studying crops that can be grown in the classroom as well as aquatic systems that can be built in a home to grow plants without soil. At the end of the year, all Ag-Pro students from the three courses will be taken on an overnight field trip to Olds College to get further information on post-secondary options after they complete high school.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;Jacksteit also mentioned new merchandise has been ordered that will reflect the programs. If you would like a hoodie, email him as he promises they will be good conversation starters.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 9 student Odin Jordet gave his perspective on Ag-Pro and how the knowledge gained and people met along the way are why students gravitate to these courses. The courses provide opportunities for students with a background in agriculture and those who don’t.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“The Ag-Pro program is very inclusive for kids who are shy or who don’t know how to get started in agriculture,” stated Jordet. “This program has made myself and many of my friends consider jobs in agriculture for when we get out of school. When I did the Western Tractor program it made me more confident around large machinery.”&nbsp;</p><p>The courses have shown Jordet that learning inside and outside the classroom can be fun while staying on task. Agriculture is the backbone of our society and Ag-Pro provides a new perspective on the amount of work it takes to get the food we eat daily to the table.&nbsp;</p><p>Katelyn Sheppard was involved with the Western Tractor program at the end of her Grade 8 year and most enjoyed learning about the sales department where they learned how to connect with customers and build confidence. Sheppard has also enrolled in both the beef and crop courses and is learning lots and hopes more schools start educating their students on agriculture.&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p><i>Photo: A recent basketball game at Parkside school, showing the lack of space for spectators to sit while watching the game.</i>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Parkside Junior High School received design funding in 2023 from Alberta Education for a modernization project. Built in 1958, the school received an addition in 1971. Outside of regular maintenance, there have been upgrades in terms of flooring and new paint, but no further renovations. Currently, 154 students in Grades 7, 8 and 9 are attending the school.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Janet Kraft, Vice Principal of Parkside School, “the whole Redcliff community is excited for the modernization and to get an upgraded junior high school.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>One of the key features of the modernization is a new, larger gym. At present, the gym is small and spectators at sporting events are relegated to sitting on the stage, huddled in corners or standing alongside the baseline. However, to build the best gym, about $600,000 will need to be raised through community support.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Sylis Robins, Grade 8 student at Parkside explained how it is playing basketball in the current gym. “When there is a pass-in, after the ball goes out of bounds, it’s hard to fit in among the crowd. It’s also easier for the ball to go out and it hits lots of parents in the crowd who are watching.”&nbsp;</p><p>When playing at schools with larger gyms, Robins said the team doesn’t feel as enclosed, making it easier to make the plays the team has practiced. “I’m excited for the new gym because it will be a new experience and it will be pretty cool in there.”&nbsp;</p><p>With no place for spectators to sit, it makes it challenging for Parkside to host tournaments. Storage is also an issue, with equipment kept in various locations around the school. Part of the modernization and the reason for adding 80 square meters to the size of the gym is so bleachers can be accommodated outside of the playing courts with having all equipment stored in one central area.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>A larger gym will benefit the entire community of Redcliff, added Kraft, as others will be able to access the new facilities. “Right now, we have volleyball that runs out of the gym every Tuesday and pickleball on Sundays, but there would be more opportunities for the town with a larger gym.”&nbsp;</p><p>Kandice McInnes, President of the Parkside Parent Council has a child on the Grade 7 basketball team. “One of the struggles we see for the Grade 7 team is we can’t come in and watch other games, so we can’t learn from them. During practice, sometimes there is extra space as there are less parents in the gym; however, we don’t get to sit and watch tournaments or games. Unless you have a player in the gym, you don’t get to be in there because there is no room. We are limited to what we can do and where we can do it.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>McInnes has watched the Grade 7 team play at other schools and finds the gyms are bright and open along with being more inclusive, where larger numbers of spectators, including students, can sit and watch the games.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“The other side of the modernization is for everything else, whether it be the arts program or cooking programs or all of those things, we just don’t have the space,” stated McInnes. “We have to take the money we are allocated and put it into all of these things, which cuts down our ability to put in seating (in the gym) because we can only budget for so much.”&nbsp;</p><p>Kraft added the school isn’t very well set up for visitors entering the school, with the main office difficult to spot after walking through the front doors as it’s behind a closed-off wall and across the main foyer.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“In the new building design, it’s an open facility,” explained Kraft. “Walking in, one would see the office staff and they can see you, which is also great for safety. The students will have a gathering area to sit and visit. Instead of having three different lunchroom classes, we would have one area as an open lunchroom/foyer for students to gather and eat together. It would be good for building school community and school spirit, creating a welcoming school environment by opening up the school so you can see people and things.”&nbsp;</p><p>Robins mentioned having an open foyer/lunch area would be beneficial. He has friends in Grade 7 and 9 but currently doesn’t get to see them much during school hours as there is nowhere within the school for them to meet.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Prairie Rose Public Schools will know around the end of February, after the budget is released, if Parkside will receive construction funding this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Chief Financial Officer for PRPS Ryan Boser explained, “we only have design funding, but our hope is once the budget is released at the end of this month, we will get construction funding. Parkside will remain on our Capital Plan as our number one priority until we get construction funding, which is that final step that allows us to take the project off our Capital Plan.”&nbsp;</p><p>The schematic design for the modernization is almost complete and shows the new layout of the school. Next will be the design development stage, where the architect will begin working on a more detailed design, such as the layout of individual rooms along with paint colours.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>In closing, McInnes stated, “I am grateful Alberta Education decided Parkside was due and approved us for our modernization as opposed to building a new school. I don’t believe that putting a new school way out in the middle nowhere that has no services, houses or development is a good idea. As a community in Redcliff, we love that our kids are everywhere. Wherever you go, you see our kids and we have incredibly well-behaved children, for the most part, and it’s how you learn to be a community. When the modernization of this school was approved, I was very excited about it because we are still in the middle of the town.”&nbsp;</p><p>An estimated $600,000 will need to be fundraised to build a gym that will accommodate bleachers along with either two volleyball courts, one basketball court or six badminton courts. For more information about the project, or to donate, please contact Prairie Rose Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Ryan Boser (<a href="mailto:ryanboser@prrd8.ca">ryanboser@prrd8.ca</a> or call 403-527-5516). All donations are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Regular updates about the Parkside School modernization project can be found on the Prairie Rose Public Schools website (<a href="https://www.myprps.com/parkside-jr-high-school-modernization-project">https://www.myprps.com/parkside-jr-high-school-modernization-project</a>).&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p>The February 13, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda Package can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mEKoxSYAFibSXZFwclmZusTVqRzMG0y6/view">February 13, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda</a></p><p><strong>Irvine School Presentation</strong><br>Irvine School Principal Trent Rayner was joined by teacher Logyn Jacksteit and students Senya Hietamaa, Katelyn Sheppard and Odin Jordet to share information about two new programs being offered at the school aimed to provide junior high students with job-ready skills.&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>Skills Certification Courses:</strong> Grade 8 student Senya gave a short presentation to the board about the new Skills Certification Courses each junior high student would participate in this spring. Students can choose from various certification options, including Red Cross, first aid, babysitting, nutrition, resume building, animal care, mechanics, referee courses, driver's education, computer programming, boating license and more. Principal Rayner explained that this is something the school has wanted to offer for some time now and was able to get organized this spring under the direction of teacher Linda Kraft. The goal is to ensure each student can get certified in something they can add to their resume as they start building a job application.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;</li><li><strong>AgPro Western Tractor:</strong> Grade 9 students Katelyn and Odin and teacher Logyn Jacksteit talked about the AgPro program, which has three different course options for students to learn about. Last fall, students participated in the Western Tractor option, which included learning about farm equipment operations and sales. This spring, the program has added AgPro Crops and AgPro Beef courses. Students are currently taking the AgPro Beef course, where they are learning about the cattle business, feedlot operations, cattle auctioning, butchering, land management, and animal stress and welfare. In AgPro Crops, Jacksteit says they will shift to learning about food growing with several field trips planned, including Nutrien Ag Solutions and Big Marble, to name a few. The students will also learn about aquatic systems, fish fertilization and plants. Both Odin and Katelyn shared what they have learned so far from the AgPro program and why they think all students should know about where their food comes from in school.</li></ul><blockquote><p>A full length story of the Irvine presentation can be found here: <a href="https://www.myprps.com/news/irvine-jr-high-students-learn-about-agriculture-and-gain-advanced-skills-1708104559850">https://www.myprps.com/news/irvine-jr-high-students-learn-about-agriculture-and-gain-advanced-skills-1708104559850</a></p></blockquote><p><strong>Executive Report</strong><br>Superintendent Reagan Weeks shared that the announcement of the new Mavericks School of Baseball and the South Alberta School of Softball had been very well received by students and families. Currently, 89 students are registered across the division in both programs. It was also shared that PRPS successfully launched the new online registration program on February 1, Eagle Butte was set to host a SEAVC volleyball camp on March 15, and new STEM and Vex Robotics options were being added at Eagle Butte and Ralston schools.</p><p><strong>Quarterly Financial Report</strong><br>Finance Controller Candice Hintz shared the quarterly financial update as of November 30, 2023. Overall, PRPS expects a $571,000 funding increase for the year due to increased enrollment over initial projections. It was also noted that increased revenues are expected due to the launch of new academy programs and BATUS funding. Revenues are forecasted to come in $813,750 higher than budgeted. On the expense side, certificated salaries and benefits have been adjusted to reflect an increase in teacher time (due to increased enrollment and increased staffing purchased by schools). Additional costs will also be incurred due to other expenses related to academy programs (including additional transportation costs), modular demolition costs (New Brigden), and additional grants. The school division is now expecting a decrease in the projected deficit for the year of $2,987, with a new expected overall deficit of $1,365,445.</p><p><strong>Transportation Accountability Report</strong><br>Director of Transportation Derek Beck presented the Transportation Accountability Report for information.&nbsp;</p><p>Highlights of the report include:</p><ul><li>An increase in total bus routes from 83 to 87</li><li>Route contractors include Southland (68), First Student (8), Old West Transportation (5), Independent (6)</li><li>An increase in the number of student bus riders from 1,884 to 2,025</li><li>An increase in kilometres travelled each day by school buses from 17,274 to 17,644</li><li>Continued cooperative bussing agreements with Chinook and Sun West school divisions in Saskatchewan, Cherry Coulee and Holy Spirit school divisions in Bow Island, Christ the Redeemer in Oyen and Grasslands School Division to Duchess.</li><li>The longest bus ride in the school division is 115 minutes per day.</li><li>The overall average cost of a bus route in 2022-2023 was $63,863</li></ul><p>It was noted that all PRPS bus routes were coming up for tender this spring. An RFP package will be posted online, in community papers and emailed to current and former bus contractors. The full presentation can be found in the February 13, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda package.</p><p><strong>Communications Accountability Report</strong><br>Director of Communications Angela Baron presented the Communications Accountability Report for information.&nbsp;</p><p>Highlights of the report included:</p><ul><li>An overview of communication channels and tools for parents and staff.</li><li>A summary of social media and website account activity.</li><li>A summary of communications initiatives completed during the 2022-2023 year and upcoming planned projects.</li></ul><p>It was shared that two of the larger projects this past fall included implementing the new online school registration software, School Engage, managed through Communications, and completing/launching the new PRPS brand. The full presentation can be found in the February 13, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda package.</p><p><strong>Other Items:</strong></p><ol><li>Trustees approved the following policy changes as presented:<ul><li>Ends #1 Guiding Principles (combined numerous policies into one)</li><li>GP#15 Trustee Development</li></ul></li><li>The board approved the extension of MNP for auditing services for two years.</li><li>The board approved the spending of $250,000 from Capital Reserves towards purchasing a new teacherage in Oyen to accommodate new staff moving to the area.</li><li>ASBA Report - No report. The next meeting is on February 14, 2024.</li><li>PSBA Report - No report.</li><li>Rural Caucus - The next meeting is on March 3, 2024, before the Rural Education Symposium.</li></ol>

<p>The South Alberta Fire Academy held an open house at the Cypress County Firehall in Dunmore during the evening of Wednesday, February 7th. Two current students in the Fire Academy at Eagle Butte High School spoke about their experiences to those gathered.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Judah Kurpjuweit knew he wanted to be a firefighter following graduation in June of 2023 but was initially disappointed he would miss out on attending the South Alberta Fire Academy, which Prairie Rose Public Schools (PRPS) launched in September 2023. All was not lost and Kurpjuweit was able to attend the Academy as a returning senior.&nbsp;</p><p>The most memorable day so far has been the HAZMAT testing day where the students were presented with multiple situations they had to inspect and control. “It was very interesting because all the instructors were hands off and allowing us to inspect and observe to figure out how to deal with each situation. It is my favourite memory thus far because it’s when my classmates became a team,” explained Kurpjuweit.&nbsp;</p><p>The most challenging aspect of attending the Fire Academy is the amount of information the students need to learn, including fire dynamics, HAZMAT, and required personal protective equipment (PPE). “There is a certain pressure that comes with it because it’s a college-level course. I see that as a good thing, the pressure of it, because we all build with each other. It’s lots to take on so it creates this environment that’s heavily impacted by teamwork in the best of ways.”&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 11 student Rachel Sylvester is known as one of the hardest working students at the academy. She was a late comer to the program and didn’t start until the end of September 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I realized I didn’t have a career path and I was looking at the academy the year before and thought it was cool but had lots of discouragement from my family who said it was too dangerous,” explained Sylvester. “They are very supportive now because they see how much I love it.”&nbsp;</p><p>The academic aspects of the program are not as challenging for Sylvester as they are for other students. She admits there is lots of information that needs to be learned on top of regular schoolwork and being organized is important.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“We aren’t far enough into the year to have started the firefighter training because we took our HAZMAT course first. We’ve gone into the gym to workout to tone and build up for what’s coming in Firefighter 1,” said Sylvester when asked about the physical demands of the program.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The PPE is restrictive, heavy and not pleasant to put on explained Sylvester, but it makes one looks cool and helps keep the person wearing it alive. “I’m ready for anything that is coming, my willpower is stronger than my actual power,” concluded Sylvester.&nbsp;</p><p>Registration into the upcoming year of the Eagle Butte Fire Academy opened at the beginning of February and there are already five students signed up. Eagle Butte will be accepting new students each year while the Senator Gershaw Fire Academy in Bow Island will accept students every two years as it’s a smaller school. Senator Gershaw opens up their Fire Academy for Grades 10 through 12 whereas at Eagle Butte only Grade 11 and 12 students can apply for the program.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“When we looked at it, because of the number of students we have at Eagle Butte and the proximity to Medicine Hat, we’ve always thought there was an opportunity to run two classes of 12 students, which was our goal in the first two years,” stated Assistant Superintendent Boyd Craven.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>PRPS is always looking to improve each of the academies they run and are continually learning, with respect to the Fire Academy, with Cypress County on how best to offer the program so the students can get the most out of it.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“We will continue to do that in the second semester with the goal of trying to have a two-year program that continuously turns out a consistent number of volunteer firefighters for the County and provides an educational opportunity for students to have a pathway to a career,” continued Craven.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>One of the tweaks made this year was altering the schedule of the Fire Academy. Originally, students were in the classroom from Monday to Wednesday and spending time at the firehall on Thursdays and Fridays. Many of the students in the program are also student athletes and missed several Fridays due to tournaments and championship games.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“The boys volleyball team got really successful, they were in a tournament, then zones followed by making it to provincials and missed some Fridays,” explained Craven. “A simple change was made and we turned Friday into a classroom day and Wednesday and Thursday became the onsite sessions.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Moving forward, one of the areas being looked at for Eagle Butte are the logistics of having two Fire Academy classes running throughout the year and exploring unique ways where the two groups can work together at times.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“One of the other things that is exciting is we had one of the parents ask how many girls we have participating in the program,” concluded Craven. “We have five right now out of 20 between the two schools, so a quarter of our students. One thing we’ve always wanted to do with all the programs is have equity and opportunity for everyone.”&nbsp;</p><p>More information about the South Alberta Fire Academy can be found at <a href="https://www.myprps.com/south-alberta-fire-rescue-academy">https://www.myprps.com/south-alberta-fire-rescue-academy</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>