March 2024 BM NEWS

PRPS Board Meeting Highlights for March 12, 2024

event Published 2024-03-13 21:45:16.463 +0000 UTC

The March 12, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda Package can be found here: March 12, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

School Bus Transportation Request for Proposals
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: https://www.myprps.com/bus-transportation-rfp

Home Plus
The Home Plus Learning Network presentation was postponed. The digital presentation is available in the Board Meeting Agenda package.

Executive Report

  • Deputy Superintendent Mark Heinricks announced that Prairie Rose had selected Brooklyn Burzminski as the Edwin Parr nominee for the 2023-2024 school year.
  • Superintendent Reagan Weeks shared:
    • 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.
    • Exhibitions of Learning have begun across the school division. To date, Eagle Butte, Ralston, and Senator Gershaw schools have hosted learning events.
    • 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.

2024-2025 School Calendar
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: https://www.myprps.com/news/prps-board-approves-2024-2025-school-year-calendar-1710272988070

Technology Accountability Report
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.

Locally Approved Courses
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). 

School Field Trip Approvals

  • 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. 
  • 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.

ASBAA, PSBAA, RCASB
No reports.