October 11, 2022 Board Meeting Highlights

event Published 2022-10-12 20:49:18.372 +0000 UTC

The complete October 11, 2022 Agenda package can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Of5TfqkY2JtbaXAJYjMmXBYsq7wczxDT/view

New Brigden School Presentation

Principal Gayle Vass provided an overview of New Brigden School and highlighted several initiatives and programs taking place at the school. These included student awards and recognition, participation in area sports events and activities with Oyen and Acadia Valley, collaborating with the Agriculture in the North Prairie Rose Possibility project, and maintaining solid and consistent communication with parents/community. In addition to maintaining a strong focus on building early literacy, New Brigden students are always looking for creative ways to give back to their local community, which will be highlighted in the school’s learning exhibition this year. It was also shared that the school continues to grow enrolment, which reached 28 students this year. Examples of wellness, activities, field trips and citizenship were also shared. The full report can be found in the October 11, 2022, Board Meeting Agenda.

Enrolment Update

Chief Financial Officer Ryan Boser provided an enrolment update for information. Compared to the preliminary September 7, 2022, count, the division is up another 0.5 FTE of a student. It was noted that enrolment counts for 2022-2023 are overall very positive for Prairie Rose, with a total increase of 47 students compared to the previous year.

Human Resources Report

Deputy Superintendent Mark Heinricks provided the annual Human Resources report for information. Overall, PRPS employs 476 employees. It was noted that challenges remain with recruiting new employees in all positions (specifically in the very rural areas). Other highlights of the HR report include; lower on-average class sizes at all grade levels in PRPS (based on the recommendations defined by the Alberta Commission on Learning), increased FSLW support time to assist with mental health and wellness initiatives and projected PRPS salary and benefit costs for the 2022-2023 school year. The full report can be found in the October 11, 2022, Board Meeting Agenda.

South Central High School Trip to Iceland

The board approved the South Central High School proposed field trip to Iceland through tour provider Evolve to be scheduled for April 2023. The itinerary includes a day trip to the Golden Circle, a tour of the Hellisheidarvirkjun Geothermal Power Plant, a glacier hike and exploring downtown Reykjavik. The motion was put forward by Lois Bedwell.

EBHS Cross Country Field Trip to New York/Boston

The board approved the Eagle Butte High School Cross Country field trip proposal to visit New York and Boston from April 10-18, 2023. In addition to running in a couple of local races, the students will also tour both cities visiting historical locations that include the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, Harvard University and the New England Aquarium. The motion was put forward by Shauna VanderSpruit.

Other Items:

  • The board approved an ATB borrowing resolution for $750,000 for 2022-2023.
  • The board approved the rewording of GP#2 - Board Role and Responsibilities to change 8.1 to the following:
    • Act as an advocate for the public school system to which we belong and our division. 
  • The board congratulated Nichole Neubauer for receiving The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal.