First… let’s celebrate.

Second… Upcoming Board business and decisions. Further down in this post, you will find out what’s on the Board Table for decision-making this coming Tuesday. As always, your thoughts and comments on specific agenda items are welcomed.

Third… Events and/or opportunities that I believe will be of interest to you…. Please note, especially, the opportunity to provide feedback on three policies coming soon to the Board table….and the invitation to the Third Annual “Ready for Life” Edmonton Public Schools (EPSB) Foundation Breakfast!

NOW, LET’S CELEBRATE

Let’s Celebrate the “Excellence in Teaching” semi-finalists from EPSB! On April 28, I was proud to hear about the tremendous impact these teachers are making every day on their students through their caring, teaching dedication, and creativity.  And from Ward H schools, I was proud to congratulate Brendan Tonn from Lillian Osborne High School and Brenna Maradyn and Colin Veldkamp from Harry Ainlay!  As well teacher Janet Bell from Lillian Osborne received one of our inaugural “Excellence in Leadership” Awards. To see the complete list of finalists — http://news.epsb.ca/2012/05/2012-excellence-in-teaching-semi-finalists/

Let’s Celebrate Ward H’s newly confirmed principals! Duggan’s Christine Pickhlyk and Richard Secord’s Kathleen Marzolf have now successfully completed two years as first-time principals and have been confirmed as principals for the district!  Chet Gosavi (formerly from Keheewin) and Carrie Grossman-Sharp (formerly of GH Luck) also were confirmed.  Congrats to all! And also, Welcome to Principal Michael O’Hara , newly appointed to Keheewin for Fall 2012!

Let’s Celebrate the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation! The recent “Ready to Shine” Fashion Show on April 25, hosted by Kingsway Garden Mall and supported by Estee’s Fabrics, Central Sewing Machines, Marvel College, Burke Group, Xerox and IBM, was astounding.  Such fun to see all the different takes on a casual top, business skirt and formal evening gown by student teams from seven different high schools!  Congrats to Sew Sick, Tres Chic, and Fashion Bombshells – the three teams from Harry Ainlay that participated, and also, many thanks to Ross Shep graduate, Jamie Salé, who added her energy and support by strutting the runway in fashions created for her by Ross Shep fashion students. Through this event and much enthusiasm, Kingsway was able to donate $22,000 to the Foundation. Wow!  Thank you! For more on the teaching/learning that happens through this event, listen  in… http://www.kingswaymall.ca/EPSFoundationFashion/gallery.asp

Let’s Celebrate our Student Inventors! I was inspired when attending “The Invention Convention,” which showcased creative inventions by Grade 7 and 8 students from both EPSB and Edmonton Catholic Schools.  Congrats to all the students who participated and presented their idea for solving a common problem (such as making it a snap to put on a bracelet with a clasp, the Waterpod so you can take your IPod in the shower…)  prototype, business plan, etc. Great to meet you all!  http://www.edmontonexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3544326

Let’s Celebrate the Schools That Took Part in the “Not Myself Today” initiative, specifically Queen Elizabeth, Argyll, Jasper Place, Eastglen, W.P. Wagner, Abbott, Victoria, R.J. Scott, Montrose and J. Percy Page.  Students at these schools were  encouraged to visit www.notmyselftoday.ca to sign an online pledge to show support for mental health issues and to pin their mood to a virtual map of Canada during the month of April.

UPCOMING BOARD BUSINESS AND DECISIONS

On Tuesday (May 8 ) the Board will be holding a public board meeting at 2 pm at the Centre for Education, One Kingsway.  As always, EVERYONE is welcome to attend either in person or by webcast.  Should you wish to share any views on general educational topics or on specific agenda items, please let me know and I will get you the details on how to do this.

The agenda and all reports can be found here (along with link to webcasting site): http://www.epsb.ca/board/may082012_agenda.shtml

Up for decision:

1)      Confirmation of Ron MacNeil, Assistant Superintendent, for another three year term (Mr. MacNeil will be familiar to many Ward H residents as all schools that feed into Harry Ainlay High School are under his care and tutelage.) (Report 2)

2)      That we discontinue our Membership in the Public Schools Boards Association (Report 2)

3)      That we continue to support the Edmonton Public School Foundation (Report 4) – this was deferred from the last minute so more information could be provided.

4)      That EPSB should advocate through ASBA that the Province integrate Financial Literacy into the AB curriculum. (Report 5)

5)      That EPSB introduce a modified calendar for high schools (so that they would come back one week early in August and have a week off around Remembrance Day). (Report 6)

6)      That we raise our borrowing limit from $30 million to $42 million (Report 7)

7)      That we renew two dance class courses (Report 8 )

8)      That we pass the Inclusive Education Policy for the third time (Report 10)  (This is a biggie and flows directly out of all the work and consultation with parents and community that the Special Needs Task Force undertook last year)

9)      Also up for the third time:  Parent and Community Involvement policy (Report 11) and Funding and Endorsement Requests from External Orgs (Report 12)

10)   For first and second reading:  Use of Tobacco and Alcohol (Report 13)

Here are some of the key information reports we will be reviewing:

1)      Literacy  (Annual Report) (Report 14) (This report includes data on how students are doing with respect to reading and writing, a copy of the K-12 Literacy Framework developed over the last several years by the Superintendent, and the many initiatives underway in this critical area of work, which directly impacts high school completion.)

2)      Special Education (Annual Report) (Report 15) (Accountability has often been raised as an issue.   This report includes some baseline data in this regard plus updates on what has been happening over the last year.)

3)      Description of Junior Achievement and its support/programming for EPSB students offered by many volunteers – Thank you, JA!  (Report 16)

4)      What we could do for students if we had an extra  $5 million …. (Report 19)

Follow-up on the Last Board Meeting – Significant decisions made include

• Establishment of student advisory council,
• Direction to the Administration that, in preparation for the end of the moratorium in November and with suggested criteria to be considered, it should bring forward recommendations for right-sizing, consolidation, expansion, space sharing, etc.  to take effect in September 2013 (see page 12 of Report 1 for full motion)

OTHER EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Did you know that … this week is Mental Health Week (May 7-13), and next week is Education Week (May 14-20)?   How will you mark these weeks?

Tuesday, May 15 (7 pm) through Thursday, May 17 (noon), The Imagination Conversation Sponsored by Creative Alberta and The Lincoln Centre.  All about creativity in education, commerce, culture ….  http://creativealberta.com/index.html

Wednesday, May 16, 7 p,   SW Edmonton Early Childhood Development Coalition If you are interested in finding out more about what this community group is working on to support awareness and action around the importance of the early years in our part of the world, please contact me.  I am excited to be part of this fledgling group.  New members are WELCOMED!  We are looking at data about children in our various neighbourhoods and their strengths/weaknesses in five key developmental areas and thinking about how we can respond

By May 14, please RSVP to me re: attending the Third Annual “Ready for Life” Foundation  Breakfast This fundraising event for the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation is scheduled for Thursday, May 24, 7:30 – 8:30, at Ross Shepard High School.   A light breakfast created by Foods Students will be served along with some student performances and a video on the Foundation. A request for funds will also be made.  Come out and help us sustain the three Full Day K’s for socially vulnerable children already supported by the Foundation and add more. There are 12 schools on the waiting list!  http://foundation.epsb.ca

Students – by May 18, apply for the Minister of Education’s Student Advisory Council http://www.speakout.alberta.ca/Council/tabid/65/Default.aspx

Until May 23, Give your FEEDBACK on three policies

• Recognition of Staff, Students, Parents and Community  (revision)
• Recruitment, Employment, Qualifications and Deployment of Staff  (revision)
• Student Grade and Course Placement (new)

http://www.epsb.ca/policy/policyReviewListings.shtml

Parents – by May 31,apply to be a member of the Minister of Education’s Parent Advisory Council http://ideas.education.alberta.ca/engage/have-your-say/minister’s-teleconference-with-parents

As always, I am happy to receive any comments, great ideas, or experiences you may wish to share!  You can contact me  through  email (Catherine.Ripley@epsb.ca), phone (780-887-1002), on Facebook (search Catherine Ripley); on Twitter ( cripleyepsb ) or any time you see me out and about in the community. I look forward to speaking with you.

Catherine

We have a very full Board meeting on Tuesday and please note, we are having an all-day meeting to accommodate moving through all the items, beginning at 9 am.

The agenda and all reports can be found here:

http://www.epsb.ca/board/april102012_agenda.shtml

As always, EVERYONE is welcome to attend either in person or by webcast.

There are many important items on the agenda… Your views or questions on any or all of these decisions or reports are welcomed by late Easter Monday afternoon.

Here are some of the key decisions we will be discussing:

1)      Should the Board approve the Superintendent’s proposed “distribution of funds” for the 2012-13 school year?  The recommended option includes 3.4% basic increase out to schools, an Inclusive Learning Allocation increase of 9.5% (which together combine to equal 3.7% increase out to schools),  and a Central Services increase of 0.3%.  (Report 9)

2)      Should the Board approve the recommended bargaining objectives for teacher negotiations?  (Report 2)

3)      Should the Board approve a continuation of the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation? (Report 3)

4)      Should the Board approve the new Inclusive Education policy?  (Report 10)

5)      Should the Board approve Trustee Janz’s motion related to a Short-term plan for District Space? (Report 5)

• Note, we approved a modified version of Trustee Spencer’s motion related to a long-term plan for school infrastructure on March 13. You can see the final version in the Minutes (Report 1), page 11.)

6)      Should the Board establish a Student Advisory Council?  (Report 6)

• Background for this includes: Student Advisory Committee Report found at  http://www.epsb.ca/board/oct11_2011/item07.pdf and Metro Boards Student Engagement Practices Report at  http://www.epsb.ca/board/january17_2012/item11.pdf.

Note, this list is not inclusive. There is also the First and Second Readings for a revised Parent and Community Involvement policy and a new policy around Funding and Endorsement Requests from External Organizations.  And some proposed issues to take forward to ASBA Zone 2/3 (re: mandating ½ Day K and Full Day K for those with socio-economic vulnerabilities and increased attention to LGBTQ students in safe and caring policies)

Here are some of the key information reports we will be reviewing:

1)      Health and Wellness of Staff and Students (Annual Report)

2)      English Language Learners (Annual Report)

3)      Aboriginal Education (Annual Report)

There are other information reports up for discussion, but these ones are specifically focused on our students and our progress as a district in supporting them.  Please, take a peek!

Also UPCOMING

By Friday, April 13, apply for the new EPSB Inclusive Education Parent and Community Advisory Committee! If you have a strong interest in special education and want to help EPSB build the inclusive education system we envision for our school district, please apply.(Overview) http://www.epsb.ca/datafiles/Overview_PCAC.pdf and http://www.epsb.ca/datafiles/InclusiveEduCommitteeApplForm.pdf (Application)

Friday, April 13, 11:50 am to 1:10 pm Enjoy Lunch with the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation @ Tipaskan School.  For more info, visit http://foundation.epsb.ca/events Still time to sign up!

Saturday, April 14, 2012 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Literacy and Learning Day – 10^th Anniversary! Congratulations to all involved, especially former trustee Wendy Keiver, Chair

Saturday, April 14 and Sunday, April 15  Hang a Garment at Kingsway Garden Mall Drop by and purchase a paper cut out of a top, bottom or a complete outfit!  Anything you buy will be matched by Kingsway Garden Mall and go towards the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation’s work to raise funds for Full Day Kindergarten.  THANK YOU, Kingsway! http://www.edmontonexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3525029

Week of April 15    National Volunteer Week! And a sincere thank you to all those volunteers who support our students and schools!  We couldn’t do it without you!  For more information click: http://nationalvolunteerweek.ca/

Saturday, April 21   “hot chefs, cool bEATS 2012” Fundraising Event Funds raised will support Culinary Team Canada in their quest for gold at the Culinary Olympics in Germany in October 2012, and to the High School Culinary Challenge, which provides students wishing to pursue careers in the culinary industry with scholarship and apprenticeship opportunities.   For more info, www.hotchefs.ca

Monday, April 23:  ELECTION DAY! For background and information, including issues that EPSB has been raising….  http://catherineripley.ca/2012/04/07/april-23-election-day-please-vote/

Wednesday, April 25 (evening)    Ready to Shine Fashion Show @ Kingsway Garden Mall   An Edmonton Public Schools Foundation Event I will be attending to marvel at the fashions created by teams of students from seven Edmonton Public high schools.  Last year was fabulous!  If you would be interested in attending with me, please let me know.

Thursday, April 26, 11:50 am to 1:10 pm Enjoy Lunch with the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation @ Tipaskan School.  For more info, visit http://foundation.epsb.ca/events.

Students – by May 18,apply for the Minister of Education’s Student Advisory Council http://www.speakout.alberta.ca/Council/tabid/65/Default.aspx

Parents – by May 31,apply to be a member of the Minister of Education’s Parent Advisory Council http://ideas.education.alberta.ca/engage/have-your-say/minister’s-teleconference-with-parents

DID YOU KNOW?

The District’s Literacy Steering Committee has collaborated with Communications to create a series of one page information documents entitled Spotlight on Literacy. These documents provide parents and the community with information about the District’s focus on literacy for the 21^st century learner. Currently there are four documents for your interest:

• K-12 Literacy for 21^st Century Learners Guiding Document
• Spotlight on Literacy Overview
• Spotlight on Literacy Authentic Learning Tasks
• Spotlight on Literacy Digital Literacy.

Click http://www.epsb.ca/familiescommunity/families.shtml to check out these publications (the first four bullets under the Resources for Families heading).

As always, I am happy to receive any comments, great ideas, or experiences you may wish to share!

Catherine

Not sure of where the parties stand on public education?

Three ideas –

1) Invest an hour into watching the webcast of the Board’s April 4 Education Forum at http://www.livestream.com/edmontonpublicschools Many thanks to  Sue Huff (Alberta Party), Weslyn Mather (Alberta Liberals), David Eggen (New Democrats),  Thomas Lukaszuk (Progressive Conservative), and Vitor Marciano (Wildrose)  for their participation and interest in public education issues…  to all those who submitted questions ahead of time (which were combined into five questions on five key issues for the candidates) …. to our “question-asking” students  … to Leslie MacDonald for moderating the Forum … and to our Communications staff for all their hard work in arranging it all.

2) Check out the party platforms online  http://catherineripley.ca/links/democratic-participation/

3) Contact your local candidates.   http://daveberta.ca/alberta-election/

For your further consideration, here are the issues that the Board has been raising during the Election period :

1)     The importance of Adequate, sustainable, predictable funding for public education  –  In terms of predictability, the recent three-year commitment by the Province is a great start.  Meeting the needs of all students continues to be complex, challenging, and rewarding work.  It requires, however, enough funding to build staff capacity and supply the supports and resources needed in the classroom to meet the varying needs of students (from gifted and talented students to FNMI students to English Language Learners to special education students, etc.).

2)      Funding for public education needs to be viewed an investment, not an expense  – investing today will lead Alberta to greater prosperity in the future. It will also reduce crime and unemployment in the future.

3)      More flexibility in both infrastructure funding and formulas is needed – this would enable us to create meaningful long-term partnerships  and better allow our schools to operate as community hubs.

4)      Mandated Half-Day Kindergarten for all students AND fully funded Full-Day Kindergarten for students with socio-economic vulnerabilities  – because early learning is critical to students’ lifelong success and we want to ensure all kids are “ready to learn” when they hit Grade 1.

Finally, on a personal note, I was very disappointed that Bill 2 did not pass in the last Legislative Session.  This is a good enabling and empowering Act for communities, parents, students, staff and school boards.  You can read what the Public School Boards Association of Alberta, whose members represent  228,000 school children across the province here, had to say about this unexpected turn of events.  Will the Act — and all the work that went into it — come back, and when?

I ask you to consider these points and also, the perspectives and plans of each party on public education carefully and then on April 23… please vote!

Also, please encourage your neighbours to vote!

If you are not sure about where to vote, please visit Elections Alberta.

Other Resources

CBC

Edmonton Journal

Primetime Alberta

Edmonton Public Schools  continues to work on its district priority around ensuring all students and their families feel “welcomed, respected, accepted, and supported” in all their schools.  Through its Safe, Caring and Respectful Learning and Working Environment policies and the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identify policy, the Board has set clear expectations that everyone is to be respected and accepted for who they are in our schools and programming, and that discrimination of any type is not acceptable.  The Superintendent is working on regulations to support these policies, and the Board appreciates the focus on welcoming and caring environments in the Province’s Bill 2 (the new Education Act), the establishment of a Bully Free Week, etc. which would underline the work we are already engaged in.

While I am proud to be part of setting these directions and expectations for public education in Edmonton, I am thinking that the change to a world without discrimination, prejudice, bullying, and racism also has to be start with individuals — a bottom up, top down approach, if you will.  During a course connected with Racism-Free Edmonton, which some trustees took last year along with our Superintendent and Senior Administration, we were challenged to honestly look at our assumptions and our places of “privilege” in society (or lack thereof) and how that affects how we make decisions, etc.

The following wish list from some Edmonton students about what they wish could be changed at their school has helped me repeat this exercise again.  How can I listen better?  Yes, I still need to work on being less judgmental!   Do I have the courage to call people out if I see them being a bully or biased?

What thoughts do you have about what you can do to end discrimination, prejudice, bullying and racism?

Very many thanks to Betty for sharing this wish list:

•    Stop all the name-calling and bad words.
•    Stop racism.
•    Be friendly to everyone.
•    Stop all the bullying.
•    Stop racism and name-calling.
•    Stop fighting/violence.
•    Bullying is bad.
•    Harassing needs to stop.
•    Racism needs to stop.
•    Make every one cool.
•    Make everyone equal.
•    Make everyone the same “status”.
•    Schools should be more strict like 1960’s.
•    I would make racism stop completely.
•    I would give everyone some more money in equal amounts.
•    I would make it impossible to say mean words.
•    I would change it so that there weren’t racial groups (brown kids, Asians, etc).
•    In classes I would make it mandatory that you have to sit in a new seat everyday.
•    I would encourage people talking to others.
•    I would want to change how people are sectioned into groups (Jocks, Goths, etc.).
•    It would be nice if more people took some time out of their day to listen to what someone has to say.
•    I would change the stereotype people have about certain people.  I wish people stopped judging others.
•    I think racism needs to stop; there is a lot of racism in society.
•    I think that bullying shouldn’t be tolerated, it’s dumb that kids get picked on because they may be “different” when there aren’t any real differences between them and everyone else.  People are unique.
•    I would change communication; I believe that stupid things happen because of a lack of communication.
•    I would change how people are biased towards others.
•    I would change how people can be so means sometimes about the stupidest things.
•    Apathy.
•    The crowd of people who just bother EVERYONE!
•    Have more activities that kids can join and be a part of.
•    People were more open to other cultures.
•    People were less judgmental.
•    Change the way people discriminate others.
•    Make people know that they should not take it to heart, they should know they are perfect the way they are.
•    People should listen to the whole story before taking a side because that’s what causes problems.
•    Change the way people discriminate others.
•    Stand up more and get others to stand up.
•    Show that everyone is equal.
•    People need to be more accepting of others.
•    Teachers and by-standers need to stop something if they see something.



Spring Break is fast approaching, and due to this break, we will not have another Public Board Meeting until April 10.  In the interim, I wanted to alert you to a few opportunities that are looming early in April, and I hope you will mark your calendars with these dates.

I also wanted to update you on the Education Act and its progress through the Legislature plus the Board’s 2013-16 Capital Plan decision (and how that impacts the increasing student population pressures in the southerly areas of our ward) and the motion with respect to a long-term “go forward” plan for the district from our last board meeting.  (See UPDATES below.)

But first….

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4:  EDUCATION FORUM at THE CENTRE FOR EDUCATION

Although we don’t yet know the exact date of the looming Provincial Election, I was delighted to see that Education was picked by the Edmonton Journal as a top election issue over the weekend.  I couldn’t agree more!  The Board is keen to keep public education issues at the top of our communities’ minds during the Election period (well… and forever more!), and on April 4 we are hosting an Education Forum with representatives from all political parties. Lesley Macdonald will moderate the evening, and I hereby invite you to attend – and to bring a neighbor with you!

Whether or not you are able to attend, you can submit questions for the forum by visiting:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J592QHW

To attend, register by March 30:

http://www.epsbeducationforum.eventbrite.ca

If unable to attend personally, you can view the webcast of the forum at:
http://www.livestream.com”/edmontonpublicschools

The Board would like to raise four important issues during the Election period with all candidates from all parties and build greater understanding around the importance of these issues to the success of our students in Edmonton Public Schools.

1)      Adequate, sustainable, predictable funding for public education  –  In terms of predictability, the recent three-year commitment by the Province is a great start.  Meeting the needs of all students continues to be complex, challenging, and rewarding work.  It requires, however, enough funding to build staff capacity and supply the supports and resources needed in the classroom to meet the varying needs of students (from gifted and talented students to FNMI students to English Language Learners to special education students, etc.).

2)      Funding for public education needs to be viewed an investment, not an expense  – investing today will lead Alberta to greater prosperity in the future. It will also reduce crime and unemployment in the future.

3)      More flexibility in both infrastructure funding and formulas is needed – this would enable us to create meaningful long-term partnerships  and better allow our schools to operate as community hubs.

4)      Mandated Half-Day Kindergarten for all students AND fully funded Full-Day Kindergarten for students with socio-economic vulnerabilities  – because early learning is critical to students’ lifelong success and we want to ensure all kids are “ready to learn” when they hit Grade 1.

CONGRATULATIONS TO LITERACY AND LEARNING DAY,

CELEBRATING ITS TENTH ANNIVERSARY ON APRIL 14.

After ten years, this Free Parent Conference is still going strong,  and this year it will feature two guest speakers (Barbara Colorso and David Bouchard).  Congratulations – and thank you – to former trustee Wendy Keiver and her core team for their ongoing dedication and commitment to engaging, enlightening and phenomenal parent education!   Check out http://www.literacyday.ca/ to see the wide range of workshops available  and then…register!  Apparently, spaces are filling fast.

Also UPCOMING

Wednesday, March 21 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

What are you doing to mark this day? Look for ideas at:  http://marchforunderstanding.com/

Wednesday, March 21

EPSB PARENTS – Your child or teen’s District Pre-Enrolment Passport is due back to your school TODAY!

March 26 – 30  SPRING BREAK!

Monday, March 26, 5 – 6 pm  Free Parenting Lecture: Strengthening Couple Relationships & Fathers’ Involvement: Good for Parents & Children
This open University of Alberta 2012 Empey Lecture is FREE and will be held at the University of Alberta TELUS Centre Room 150 (87 Avenue and 110 Street). No registration required.

Saturday, March 31, 8:30 – 9:30  Celebrate Earth Hour and discuss energy usage, climate change, etc. with your kids, grandkids, nephews and nieces…. Turn out the lights! http://www.edmonton.ca/environmental/programs/earth-hour.aspx

Tuesday, April 3, 7 – 9 pm “Creating Opportunities for Friendship” Sponsored by Edmonton Regional Coalition for Inclusive Education,  Dr. Heather Raymond, Director, Inclusive Learning, Edmonton Public Schools will lead participants in exploring the value and role friendship plays in our lives. Strategies for supporting children with disabilities to be in meaningful and reciprocal relationships will be explored.  Location: The GRIT Program, 14930 – 114 Avenue, Edmonton

Wednesday, April 4, 7 pm.  You’re Invited:  EPSB’s Education Forum! (as mentioned above)

Tuesday, April 10, 2- 6 pm.  Public Board Meeting:  All are Welcome!

Friday, April 13, 11:50 am to 1:10 pm. Enjoy Lunch with the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation @ Tipaskan School.  For more info, visit http://foundation.epsb.ca/events

Saturday, April 14, 2012 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Literacy and Learning Day – 10^th Anniversary! (as mentioned above)

Wednesday, April 25 (evening)  Ready to Shine Fashion Show @ Kingsway Garden Mall An Edmonton Public Schools Foundation Event:  I will be attending to marvel at the fashions created by teams of students from seven Edmonton Public high schools.  Last year was fabulous!  If you would be interested in attending with me, please let me know.

Thursday, April 26, 11:50 am to 1:10 pm Enjoy Lunch with the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation @ Tipaskan School.  For more info, visit http://foundation.epsb.ca/events.

UPDATES

EDUCATION ACT

The Education Act has now moved through First and  Second Readings, and is now in the the “Committee of the Whole”;  two amendments were introduced recently.  You can see these amendments and the dates on which Bill 2 was discussed at the following link http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=bills_status&selectbill=002

Today the Public School Boards Association of Alberta (PSBAA) issued a press release urging our MLAs to see the Bill through Third Reading in this legislative session. As does Edmonton Public Schools, PSBAA believes, overall, the Bill will be excellent for our students, education, and Alberta’s future.  This enabling legislation will give greater flexibility to school boards, which will allow us to meet the needs of our local communities more nimbly, and calls for greater responsibility and partnership with students, parents, and the community.  We hope it passes!

In a letter to Minister Lukaszuk, the Board …

• Endorsed without qualification the second preamble statement (Whereas education is the foundation of a democratic and civil society),
• Valued the commitment to inclusive education in the Ninth Preamble statement as well as the commitment to offering students “flexible timing and pacing through a range of learning environments to meet diverse student needs and to maximize student success” (Eleventh Preamble statement) (We believe these statements of principle and policy affirm an increased commitment by Government and appreciate the recognition of the increased funding that these commitments will necessitate.),
• Supported the addition of Section 35 (Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week), and Sections 38 and 39 (Establishment of a student advisory council for the Minister),
• Pointed out that the change of residency requirement from parent to student will have significant implications for Edmonton Public Schools,
• Reiterated our view that the promulgation  of ministerial regulations should be kept to a minimum so that changes in legislation can be addressed with full public debate in the legislature,
• Suggested that a new section should be added to Bill 2 to promote healthy food choices and increased opportunities for physical exercise in all schools.

What do you think?

2013-16 CAPITAL PLAN INCLUDES FIVE NEW  SW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

The 2013-16 Capital Plan was passed by the Board last Tuesday.  For the southwest, the following are included in the Plan:

Year One

#6 Terwillegar Heights K-9 (900)

#7 Heritage Valley K-9 (600)

#11 Lillian Osborne (addition) (600)  (A Value Management Study would be done to confirm need and configuration)

Year 2

#16 Windemere K-9 (600)

Year 3

#22 Heritage Valley K-9 (600)

The Capital Plan now goes forward to the Province for its consideration, support and funding.  If the Province funds the construction of these new schools and we can get building right away, then the District should be well-placed to accommodate the ever-increasing numbers of students in our newer areas. (And increase they will according to the development maps and projections  included as background for the Capital Plan!)  You can see the full Plan at http://www.epsb.ca/board/march13_2012/item07.pdf

In the interim, our two newest schools in the SW (Esther Starkman and Johnny Bright) are already at and past their original capacity.  To manage the current student growth pressures at these schools, two additional modular have been received and are now being installed.  In addition, last fall, the District requested support from the Province for the installation of six portable classrooms at both schools.  Currently, the Province is reviewing this request and we are very hopeful that a decision will be made in a few weeks, which will mean that these portables can be installed by September 2012.

Only in the event that the portables were not supported would other options be looked at; the range of possibilities was detailed in a February 14  Board Report http://www.epsb.ca/board/february14_2012/item16.pdf My most recent understanding is that the options of changing the attendance area or grade configuration would only be considered for the 2013-14 school year, not this upcoming year, and if such changes needed to be considered, there would be a public meeting to share information and gather feedback on any proposed changes. But, as I said, we are hopeful the Province will support the installation of the portables.   I will keep you posted.

Ten-Year Facilities and Infrastructure Plan to be Updated and Renewed!

After a lengthy debate, the Board decided to review and update the Ten Year Facilities Plan (in conjunction with communities, other levels of government and school boards) and which may include modernizations, right-sizing, expansions, consolidations, replacement schools, etc. Again, I will keep you posted on this, as part of the work will include data and planning for the SW.

OTHER

On March 7, Edmonton Public Schools was invited to present to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and answer questions from the Committee.  I attended and it was very interesting.  You can see the transcript here: http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=pa&section=doc&fid=29

As always, I am happy to receive any comments, great ideas, or experiences you may wish to share!  For those of you who are taking a spring break next week with your children, I wish you a wonderful holiday, and special thanks to the Richard Secord School Council for a warm welcome earlier this evening.

And oh yes, Happy Spring!

Catherine

Over the past couple of weeks I have kept bumping into what makes me proud to be an Edmonton Public Schools trustee –

·        Imagine marking a million papers/assignments! That’s what Alice Ayre, teacher at DS MacKenzie, has done over her teaching career. Ms. Ayre is now in her 40^th year of service to Edmonton Public.  Congratulations and THANK YOU to Ms. Ayre and to all the other staff whose 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 years of excellent service to the district the Board celebrated several weeks ago. Your dedication and commitment is greatly valued.

·        Hearty minnestrone soup, melt-in-your-mouth rouladen, and heavenly chocolate mousse!  This was the meal that culinary teams from high schools around the region prepared for Chef Simon and his fellow judges in the Fifth Canadian Culinary Federation High School Challenge.  Congratulations to the Harry Ainlay team that placed second in the competition!

·        The dedication and care with which our staff help the Board craft, wrestle with,  and develop our policies (Stay tuned – the final version of the Inclusive Education policy is on its way to public board!)

·        Be it resolved that the 21^st century will be China’s century…. This was the resolution that was debated last Saturday by junior high debate teams, and it was so great to see the students’ research efforts shine through and their strong ability to argue their case with passion and clarity.  Congratulations to the students who participated, and thanks to all the teachers involved in supporting junior high debate teams across the district and to the team at Vernon Barford for hosting this Regional Tournament for the fifth year.

·        This past week Grade 1 students from Westbrook School got a peek into their future!  They walked with their teachers and parent volunteers to Harry Ainlay, the designated high school where many of them will be attending someday. They were greeted by Grade 12 leadership students who took them on a tour of the school following the school’s timetable including visits to classrooms and the school’s welding shop.

·        What precision of rhythm and pitch, robustness of sound, and joy in performance was seen last Wednesday night at the 48^th Annual Night of Music, “United in Song”!  Thanks to all the musicians and performers involved …and their teachers!  Students from several Ward H schools were involved this year including individual students who participated in the Honour Bands and Choirs plus the Lillian Osborne House Band plus classes from Esther Starkman and Johnny Bright …PLUS ….Greenfield students who created the artwork for the program and posters.

·        Last week some Keheewin classes went global in their learning by competing in World Education Day in three different categories (math facts, spelling, science). Cool!

·        And on it goes…. But  now it is time to stop looking back and look to the week ahead….

PUBLIC BOARD MEETING (Tuesday, March 13, 2 -6 PM)

All Agenda Items and Related Reports can be found here:

http://www.epsb.ca/board/march132012_agenda.shtml

Several big items of discussion this week

·        A motion from Trustee Spencer about creating a 20-year infrastructure plan for the district (including replacement schools, consolidations, expansions, right-sizing, etc.) and to be developed in the spirit of the Elevate Report

·        A motion from Trustee Janz about asking the Administration to prepare for the end of the Moratorium by bringing forward a series of recommendations re: schools and programming to be put into effect by September 2013. (Read more at:  http://www.michaeljanz.ca/2012/02/what-happens-after-the-school-closure-moratorium-expires-in-november-2012/)

·        A motion from Trustee Janz about creating active transportation plans for all schools in the district (who should do this work – the district or school communities

·        2013-16 Capital Plan Recommendation Please take a look and see what you think. As per the Board’s instruction through its Moratorium Committee recommendations, renewal projects have been prioritized. That said, new schools for Terwillegar Heights and Heritage Valley are been suggested for Year One (Priorities 6 & 7) with an addition for Lillian Osborne as Priority 11, a new school for Windermere in Year Two as Priority 16, and another school for Heritage Valley in Year Three (Priority 22) .

PLUS INFORMATION ON

·        Modifying the School Calendar for High Schools only

·        Maps of Schools that Have Reached or Surpassed Their Capacity

·        JUA Report (JUA users –please read and let me know if you have any questions about what the district is thinking with respect to trying to improve how the JUA works from a school perspective as well as from a community user perspective.)

·        Feasibility Report on Implementing Financial Literacy courses

·        Provincial and Federal Funding for ELL

·        What Did We Learn from the 2010 ASAP Schools

AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST…. OUR EDWIN PARR AWARDS

§           Join us in celebrating four outstanding first-year teachers and find out who will be our Edwin Parr candidate to go forward into the Alberta School Boards Association Zone 2/3 selection process.

As always, everyone is welcome to attend our meetings, which are held at the Centre for Education, One Kingsway. Can’t join us in person? Then please consider joining us online either in real-time or online at http://www.livestream.com/edmontonpublicschools. You can also view archived versions of all board meetings here.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS (PLEASE!)

Thursday, March 15, 7 to 9 p.m.

Extraordinary Supports for Extraordinary Students

This is session is for parents or caregivers of children within Edmonton Public Schools who have severe disabilities. Includes presentations from Family Support for Children with a Disability, Disability Tax Credit, City of Edmonton – recreation/ camps/programs, Parent Perspective, and Q&A, and information resource tables. Held at the Centre for Education, One Kingsway. To register — http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LWTBYJK

Saturday, March 17, 9 – 2 p.m.

Preventing Conflict in Special Education

Hosted by Kathryn Burke, Executive Director of the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta and author of The Accidental Advocate @ the DS Mackenzie Library ($40 registration fee) For more information and to register, visit www.LDExperince.ca

March 21  International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

What are you doing to mark this day? Look for ideas at:  http://marchforunderstanding.com/

Wednesday, March 21

EPSB PARENTS – Your child or teen’s District Pre-Enrolment Passport is due back to your school TODAY!

March 26 – 30  SPRING BREAK!

Monday, March 26, 5 – 6 pm

Free Parenting Lecture: Strengthening Couple Relationships & Fathers’ Involvement: Good for Parents & Children
This open University of Alberta 2012 Empey Lecture is FREE and will be held at the University of Alberta TELUS Centre Room 150 (87 Avenue and 110 Street). No registration required.

Saturday, March 31, 8:30 – 9:30

Celebrate Earth Hour and discuss energy usage, climate change, etc. with your kids, grandkids, nephews and nieces…. Turn out the lights! http://www.edmonton.ca/environmental/programs/earth-hour.aspx

Wednesday, April 4, 7 pm

You’re Invited:  Education Forum!

Please join the Board at the Centre for Education (One Kingsway) to hear Q&A with the representatives of five political parties and  Moderator Lesley Macdonald. RSVP to Kim McEwan at kim.mcewan@epsb.ca or 780-429-8040, and if you have questions for the candidates to contribute, please visit www.tinyurl.com/ElectionsForum.

OTHER

NEW ONLINE SITE FOR PARENTS

This new Alberta Education site informs parents about what their child is learning and how their child might be assessed for every subject and grade level at school. http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mychildslearning/

As always, I am happy to receive any comments, great ideas, or experiences you may wish to share!

Catherine

I have been away for the last week skiing with my family and thus, I am late in alerting you to the Board meeting agenda for this Tuesday. Better late than never… and here we go! 

 PUBLIC BOARD MEETING (Tuesday, February 28, 2 -6 PM) 

All Agenda Items and Related Reports can be found here:  http://www.epsb.ca/board/february282012_agenda.shtml  

 As always, everyone is welcome to attend our meetings, which are held at the Centre for Education, One Kingsway. Can’t join us in person?  Then please consider joining us online either in real-time or by viewing the archived version.  or online at http://www.livestream.com/edmontonpublicschools. 

 TRACKING PROGRESS in OUR PRIORITIES

• Queen Elizabeth High School will be presenting on the SLISE (Student Led Initiatives for Sustainability Education) program.  The program is based on the United Nations concept of E.S.D. (Education for Sustainable Development) and “is a model of 21st century learning that goes beyond classroom walls by connecting students to others through video conferencing, field trips, conferences and clinics…. At Queen E, SLISE began with a project to build solar lanterns for Haiti which are now being used by Haitians as nighttime lighting for education, medical services and economic development.” Sounds fantastic!  I look forward to finding out more on Tuesday.

RECOMMENDATION REPORT

• Process and Timeline for 2013-14 Budget (which begins with the approval of this recommendation!), which sees a discussion about the Distribution of Funds in early April, a first public look at the budget in late May and final approval in mid-June.

INFORMATION REPORTS

• Update re:  Achievement Performance of Students from Closed Schools (Good news here…. Thoughts?)

• Leasing Costs and Revenues  (The report explains why funds generated through lease agreements do not provide additional funding to support teaching and learning, and the rates do not cover capital depreciation costs.  One might consider raising the leasing rates but this would mean many non-profit child-friendly and family-supportive tenants would not be able to afford the space. )

• Moratorium Committee Approved Recommendations  (We discussed thirteen recommendations from the Committee and four additional recommendations from Trustee Janz over the last two board meetings, and this report summarizes the initiatives and actions the Board will be moving ahead with. ) 

ALSO, UPCOMING

 Thursday, March 1, 6 pm

Riverbend Junior High Benefit Concert and Silent Auction in support of Bissell Centre. All proceeds from the event will go to Bissell Centre to help them run their numerous programs. Buy a ticket at: http://www.citadeltheatre.com/event/benefit-for-bissell/

Saturday, March 3, 10:30 am to Noon

Alberta Education Webcast Event for Parents to Further the Conversations around Inclusive Education

The webcasts will bring together Education staff and parent and/or school teams that provide relevant examples and expertise. The presentations, which will be no more than 30 minutes, will focus on the basics of inclusive practice and supporting stories from parents and classroom professionals. Participants must register in advance at http://www.education.alberta.ca/apps/Registration/InclusionWebcast/default.asp

 The webcasts will be posted online shortly after they have occurred.

Tuesday, March 6,  11:50 – 1:10 pm, @ Montrose School

“Free” Lunch Sponsored by the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation

Find out firsthand about the great work being done for socio-economically disadvantaged children in our full-day Kindergartens and why the Board established this Foundation several years ago.   To register, please contact Alva Shewchuk at 780-970-5238 or alva.shewchuk@epsb.ca

By March 5, RSVP for one of two REACH Community Conversation Workshops, taking place on Thursday, March 8 @ Highlands School OR on Tuesday, March 13 @ Queen Alexandra Community Hall (both sessions run from 7 – 8:30 p m)   

Discussion will take place around the Violence Reduction Action Plan, community safety issues, best practices,  and  local success stories. Sponsored by REACH Edmonton Council for Safe Communities, in partnership with the Edmonton Police Service and the City of Edmonton. Please RSVP to brittany.lewchuk@reachedmonton.ca.

Thursday, March 15, 7 to 9 p.m.,

Extraordinary Supports for Extraordinary Students

This is session is for parents or caregivers of children within Edmonton Public Schools who have severe disabilities. Includes presentations from Family Support for Children with a Disability, Disability Tax Credit , City of Edmonton – recreation/camps/programs, Parent Perspective, and Q&A, and information resource tables.  Held at the Centre for Education, One Kingsway.  To register — http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LWTBYJK

Saturday, March 17, 9 – 2 p.m.

Preventing Conflict in Special Education

Hosted by Kathryn Burke, Executive Director of the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta and author of The Accidental Advocate @ the DS Mackenzie Library ($40 registration fee) For more information and to register, visit www.LDExperince.ca

Monday, March 26, 5 – 6 pm

Free  Parenting Lecture: Strengthening Couple Relationships & Fathers’ Involvement: Good for Parents & Children
This open University of Alberta 2012 Empey Lecture is FREE and will be held at the University of Alberta TELUS Centre Room 150 (87 Avenue and 110 Street). No registration required.

 By March 31st, 2012 Nominate your Good Neighbour!

“Regardless of season or action, a good neighbour makes a neighbourhood shine all year long!” (And strong communities = strong families = successful kids at school!)   Details are at www.edmonton.ca/goodneighbours or call 311. The 2012 Good Neighbour Awards is a partnership effort between the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues, The REALTORS Association of Edmonton and the City of Edmonton.

 Saturday, March 31, 8:30 – 9:30

Celebrate Earth Hour and discuss energy usage, climate change, etc. with your kids, grandkids, nephews and nieces…. Turn out the lights! http://www.edmonton.ca/environmental/programs/earth-hour.aspx

 DID YOU KNOW?  BILL 2 – The Education Act keeps moving forward! 

Just before I left for my week away I had the pleasure of attending the Leg to hear a few members speak to Bill 2 (Hugh Macdonald and Teresa Woo Paw).  You can find links to the new version of the Education Act here plus to the Minister of Education’s opening remarks on the Bill, etc.: http://catherineripley.ca/2012/02/16/the-education-act-bill-2-now-under-discussion/.

Please note that the Preamble has changed and expanded (the Preamble sets the tone and spirit in which one reads all the other sections); the enabling “natural person powers” for boards remains as does raising the minimum school leaving age from 16 to 17 and removing the requirement for the Minister to approve our Superintendents;   students, parents, trustees, and boards are now PARTNERS in education, which underscores the expectation that all of us will work together collaboratively to ensure the success of all students; the emphasis on community engagement in education remains; there is even greater emphasis on anti-bullying in this version; and also note the addition of the word “welcoming” to “safe, caring and respectful learning environments.” This is a great addition and exactly fits with our third Edmonton Public Schools priority, and it reminds me of something I heard said at the ZEBRA Centre.  We wanted to create a place that conveyed the following message to children:  “We’ve been waiting for you. Welcome!”  This is how I hope all children feel when they come through our EPSB doors, too. 

There are other changes, but no time to comment right now! 

As always, I am happy to receive any comments, great ideas, or experiences you may wish to share! 

Catherine

There was some debate on it yesterday (February 15) and there will be more today (when I am looking forward to attending in person to hear the debate) … and in the days to come.

You can see the comments so far from our MLAs in Hansard

Feb 14, beginning at page 115, with the tabling of the Bill by the Minister of Education, http://www.assembly.ab.ca/Documents/isysquery/13df19ca-8271-4424-8871-5ae894eaff4f/1/doc/ 

Feb 15, beginning at page 152, with comments from the Minister of Education, followed by comments from Dr. David Swann, Mr. Kevin Taft, Mr. Rob Anderson, and Mr. Kent Hehr,  http://www.assembly.ab.ca/Documents/isysquery/20cf1610-11ad-4d1f-b145-51266436c6da/1/doc/

As I have stated before, this is a critical and important piece of legislation, which is rooted in the Inspiring Education dialogue of several years ago, and I encourage everyone to read through the Act as well as follow the debates and comments.  Is it perfect?  If you see room for improvement, please let your MLA know! 

The gateway to various pieces of information related to the Education Act is here: http://www.education.alberta.ca/department/policy/education-act.aspx.  For a synopsis of the changes, click on the link “What has Changed in the Education Act (from the School Act)?”

  You can access the full version of Bill 2 at this link, as well as follow the actual legislative agenda here (under Bill 2) http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=bills_status&selectbill=002

My Initial Thoughts. 

First I need to read the entire thing… and I haven’t had the time to do this yet.  However,  I have begun by looking at Part 3, the Responsibilities section (on which Trustee Janz and I held a community meeting in September), and here are the changes I have noted: 

Student Responsibilities (Section 31)  

I note a new addition:  (i) [students are to...] positively contribute to the student’s school and community. (This,  for me, is in line with the Edmonton Public Schools priority around citizenship. )

31(3) which requires students to refrain from, report and not tolerate bullying, and which caused some concern for the students who attended the September 2011 community meeting,  remains the same as Bill 18.  Their concerns are around the notion of reporting and are detailed in Trustee Janz’s and my Summary Report  http://catherineripley.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/September-14-Summary.pdf   Although the wording of this clause has not changed, it has in fact become much more specific through the introduction of a definition of BULLYING in the Definition section. i.e. “bullying” means repeated and hostile or demeaning behaviour by a student where the behaviour is intended by the student to cause harm, fear or distress to another individual in the school community, including psychological harm or harm to the individual’s reputation.   *** (see very bottom for a tangential side comment!)

Parent Responsibilities (Section 32)

I see a parent is now defined as a “partner” in education

(b) — will now not only take an active part in a child’s educational success, but also ” assist the child in complying with Section 31″

(f)  — quite a big change here from Bill 18 where parents had responsibility to “respect the professional judgement of [school staff] to… ”encourage, foster and advance collaborative, positive and respectful relationships with teachers, principals, other school staff and professionals providing supports and services in the school,

 Board’s Responsibilities (Section 33)

I note the language of 33 1 (d) around the a Board’s responsibility to create a safe, caring, respectful environment has been expanded to include the concept of “welcoming”  — So very pleased about this one!   (And students and parents are expected to contribute to this environment a part of their responsibilities) 

33 1 (g)  Addition of an expectation that Boards are to collaborate with post-secondary institutions and the community to ensure smooth transitions

33 (2) — addition of requiring Boards to establish a code of conduct for students with respect to bullying behaviour…

Addition of 33(3) — which lays out very specfic expectations for said Code of Conduct. 

***  RE BULLYING.  The new definition in Bill 2 brings to mind the update report on the Anti-Bullying work we had at Public Board in December http://www.epsb.ca/board/december13_2011/item15.pdf and the definition the Superintendent presented at that time upon which he will basing his work with schools in this area.  Please note, too, that on February 14, Trustee Hoffman has requested an analysis of the bullying provisions in Bill 2 and how that will support the work of the District.  To come to a future Board Meeting … stay tuned!

 Two highlights for me in the past two weeks –

 ELEVATE….

On February 2, ELEVATE, the Community Sustainability Task Force Report was released.  I am privileged and proud to have served as the Board’s representative on this Task Force.  I have learned much about how “we” might work to sustain and support and grow vibrant, happy communities in every part of our city and so pleased to see that an emphasis on education and life-long learning is one of the major thrusts of the report.  

 The idea of bringing all jurisdictions to a common table and encouraging them to work together to assemble a new urban agenda and pursue this through empowering communities to make decisions about their own development reminded me of the  “Let’s Talk Schools! Let’s Talk Communities! Let’s Talk the Future!” meeting in May 2009.  Here are some thoughts generated at that time about how to move forward on strengthening families, improving communication and building citizenship in our youth…

• Be the government; become more active in influencing decisions made.
• Become informed and more conscientious about the issues.
• Share ideas.
• Break down the walls/barriers.
• Create awareness that people can make a difference, get involved, and make your community better.
• Work together/develop partnerships where we are all working collaboratively to raise a child to be an educated child/a better community.

 There are definite echoes of these ideas in ELEVATE, and you can see all the recommendations at www.communitysustainability.ca The full report is accessible on right menu bar along with  other key documents (such as, the EFCL submission, the Citizen Planning Circle submission, Next Gen ideas, etc. )   Of course, I am biased, but ELEVATE is worth reading in its entirety.  I encourage you to do so and then please let me know what you think. 

 A recommendation is coming to Public Board this Tuesday to support the Report in principle.  Do you think this is a good idea?  Any concerns?

 INVOLVING MORE PARENTS….HOW?  

On Thursday evening at Greenfield School five wonderful and inspiring speakers shared their thoughts on how councils might better welcome and involve parents.  Special thanks to Vanessa Desa (who is working with and for Immigrant and Refugee families), Paul Leung (Parent and member of EPSB Inclusive Education Working Group), Bill Baillie and Tom Henningson (Dads Matter), and Debbie Mineault (FNMI Branch, Alberta Ed) for their time and wisdom….and to Principal Linden for welcoming us so warmly into the school.   I will share a synopsis of the evening in the future, but what a great evening!  Thanks to all those who attended and added their perspectives, too. 

 THE BUDGET HAS ARRIVED!

It is positive to see a three-year budget cycle introduced. Predictability is something that school boards across the province have been advocating a long time in their calls for “predictable, sustainable, adequate funding” for our students.  The verdict is still out on what the actual numbers will look like “on the ground” in the years ahead.  I will update you once the Superintendent has had the chance to work all the numbers through, but in the interim, for those of you would like to see the specifics, here are some links to follow…

 Overview from Alberta Education:  http://education.alberta.ca/admin/funding/2012jurisdictionfunding.aspx

 EPSB Budget Allocations http://education.alberta.ca/media/6658284/edmonton%20school%20district.pdf

 EPSB Profile and Fact Sheet http://education.alberta.ca/factsheets/3020.pdf

 PUBLIC BOARD MEETING (Tuesday, February 14, 2 -6 PM) 

All Agenda Items and Related Reports can be found here:  http://www.epsb.ca/board/february142012_agenda.shtml. And as always, everyone is welcome to attend our meetings either in person at the Centre for Education, One Kingsway or online at http://www.livestream.com/edmontonpublicschools. 

 RECOMMENDATIONS COMING FORWARD

• Moratorium Committee Recommendations:  I mentioned these last time.  We debated and discussed 11 out of 13 recommendations, but the final two were deferred to next Tuesday. You can see the summary of the decisions so far in our Board press release:  http://news.epsb.ca/2012/02/board-supports-recommendations-to-keep-schools-open/ For background on the various issues, all meeting minutes and presentations can be found here:  http://www.epsb.ca/trustees/ClosureMoratorium.shtml 
•  Related to these recommendations are several more ideas being put forward by Trustee Michael Janz (i.e. Motion re: District Space).  
• Recommendation to Approve Film Studies 15 – 25 -35 and Physics (AP) 35.  
• Recommendation to endorse the Elevate Report in principle

 INFORMATION REPORTS

On January 31, these reports were deferred for discussion to February 14….

• Instructional Fees (average appears to be $69/student/year),
• Financial Literacy Training (I want to ask about the Junior Achievement work that is done in many schools by dedicated volunteers and how this contributes to “financial literacy”)
•  Sharing of Qualitative Data
• An update on the Student Learning Services Reorganization (& how this is better supporting students)  and
• District Award – Social Studies and Language Arts. 

 In addition, some new Information Reports are now available….

•  District Definition of Creativity In support of our priorities and vision, one of the Superintendent’s goals is to implement strategies that promote student citizenship, health and creativity, and by June 2014, he expects that all schools will be able to demonstrate this implementation. This report gives us a good baseline for going forward in the world of creativity and critical thinking.   
• Update re:  Achievement Performance of Students from Closed Schools Good news here…. Thoughts?   
• Description of Internal/External  Advisory Committees/Groups, which support Students of Diversity 
• Barriers to Schools Choosing a Modified Calendar 
• Small Schools by Necessity – includes a listing of  76 EPSB small schools, and 33 “small schools by necessity” (provincially funded). Please note that four Ward H schools are considered Small Schools by Necessity (Duggan, Rideau Park, Steinhauer and Sweet Grass).   
• Student Accommodation Plans for Esther Starkman and Johnny Bright Schools  I have received many questions about what the plans are for these two schools, which are now operating at over-capacity.  This report lays out the plan as it is known right now.  
• Renting Non-District Space, which explains why do we do this when we have so much excess space.  

 ALSO, UPCOMING

 Thursday, February 16, 6:30 -8:30 pm…When Should I Be Concerned about My Child’s Behaviour?

Hosted by EPSB’s Inclusive Learning Services for Parents of Early Learning, K, and Grades 1-3 Students @ Keheewin School. Adults only, no childcare provided. Please register by Monday, February 13 by contacting Darci.Lazarenko@epsb.ca with name, phone number and school name.

Monday, February 20 …HAPPY FAMILY DAY!

 Have Your Say – on Policy!  Until Wednesday, February 22 – provide your input on one or all of the following policies

• Alcohol and Tobacco Use on School Property and District Events
• Organization for Instruction
• Student Admission to the District
• Community and Parent Involvement
• (new) Funding and Endorsement Requests from External Organizations

http://www.epsb.ca/policy/policyReviewListings.shtml

Saturday, February 25, 9:30 to Noon OR Thursday, March 1, 6:30 – 9 pm …Consultation Meeting on the Edmonton City of Learners Draft Community Learning Plan

The City of Learners initiative seeks to assert the excellence in formal and informal learning already available in Edmonton, but also aspires to support and align organizations that are working to improve learning outcomes in key areas. The Draft Community Learning Plan has been prepared based on expert input and previous roundtable consultations. http://eventful.com/edmonton/events/consultation-meeting-edmonton-city-learners-draft-/E0-001-045868117-7

Monday, February 27 – Thursday, March 1…   ASCA School Council Best Practices One-Hour Webinars

Choose the virtual breakout session you want to participate in and the time that works for you.  Sponsored by Alberta School Councils Association (ASCA).  For all the details:  http://www.albertaschoolcouncils.ca/events/event_details.asp?id=213559

Tuesday, February 28, 2 – 6 pm … Public Board Meeting – McCauley Chambers, Centre for Education, One Kingsway  All are Welcome!

Wednesday, February 29, 11:50 – 1:10 pm   “Free” Lunch Sponsored by the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation!

I will be joining the Foundation for lunch this day.  Would you like to join me?  It’s a super opportunity to find out firsthand about the great work being done for socio-economically disadvantaged children in our full-day Kindergartens!  Please let me know. 

 If you are interested but the 29^th is difficult for you, information lunches are also being held on  February17, and March 6. 

Wednesday, February 29 (evening)…Parent Keynotes (Teacher Convention) 

Choose one parent keynote address to attend, courtesy of Edmonton Public Schools “Parents as Partners” program, Edmonton Catholic Schools and the Greater Edmonton Area Teachers Convention.  Choose either Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture  or BoySmarts.  For complete information and to register, visit http://www.epsb.ca/familiescommunity/events.shtml

 Thursday, March 1, 6 pm… Riverbend Junior High Benefit Concert and Silent Auction in support of Bissell Centre. All proceeds from the event will go to Bissell Centre to help them run their numerous programs. Buy a ticket at: http://www.citadeltheatre.com/event/benefit-for-bissell/

 Monday, March 26, 5 – 6 pm…. Free  Parenting Lecture: Strengthening Couple Relationships & Fathers’ Involvement: Good for Parents & Children
This University of Alberta 2012 Empey Lecture is FREE and open to all. It will be held at the University of Alberta TELUS Centre Room 150 (87 Avenue and 110 Street). No registration required.

 As always, I am happy to receive any comments, great ideas, or experiences you may wish to share! 

 Catherine

 A couple of major things to point out to you this week….

Policy Work!

As you know, one of the ongoing major tasks for the Board is to set policy – and thus, direction – for Edmonton Public Schools on behalf of the community. There are two things related to policy on tap this week:  A motion that the Board should undertake a major review of all its policies and update them using a standardized framework is on the table.  While the Board reviews its policies on a continual basis (i.e. every policy is reviewed every seven years at minimum), the intent, I believe, is to move through the entire policy book within one to two years.  Any thoughts on this?   

 And second, the Policy Review Committee is inviting feedback on several policies currently under review before they are formally brought to the Board for First, Second, and Third Readings.  This is a great opportunity to have your say, and please see below for the link to access each of the policies, the suggested changes, and associated electronic survey (See Feb 22 notation below).

Moratorium Committee Update

As you may remember, in November 2010, the Board instituted a two-year moratorium on school closures and established a committee to explore all the issues related to school closures as well as to generate ideas to keep schools open. After a series of meetings and presentations, the Committee is now bringing 13 recommendations to Public Board about next steps this coming Tuesday.

 There is lots to discuss here, thanks to the diligent work of the Committee, and I am looking forward to exploring the recommendations in depth.   Some questions for the Committee are already forming in my mind. For example: Was there any consideration to what the Board should be doing in terms of working with communities themselves on these issues?  How will giving first priority to modernizations on our capital plan help keep schools open? Do families move because they are seeking newer schools, closer proximity to an excellent program, or for other reasons?  

 How about you?  If you have any questions or comments you would like to pass along to me on any or all of the 13 recommendations, that would be appreciated. 

 Board Report and Recommendations (page 3)

http://www.epsb.ca/board/january31_2012/item04.pdf

For background on the various issues, all meeting minutes and presentations can be found here:  http://www.epsb.ca/trustees/ClosureMoratorium.shtml

 Public Board Meeting (Tuesday, January 31, 2 -6 PM) 

Speaking of Public Board, as always, everyone is welcome to attend our meetings either in person at the Centre for Education, One Kingsway or online at http://www.livestream.com/edmontonpublicschools. 

 In addition to the Recommendations from the Moratorium Committee and the Policy Review Motion, also on tap are some interesting information reports on…

• Instructional Fees (average appears to be $69/student/year),

• Financial Literacy Training (I want to ask about the Junior Achievement work that is done in many schools by dedicated volunteers and how this contributes to “financial literacy.”)  Also, thanks to Richard who sent me this link to a Globe and Mail article quite a while ago — http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/preet-banerjee/kids-shouldnt-have-to-learn-about-money-the-hard-way/article2229230/, which provides further food for thought.

• Sharing of Qualitative Data,

• An update on the Student Learning Services Reorganization, and

• District Award – Social Studies and Language Arts. 

You can find links to all the reports and motions mentioned below at   

http://www.epsb.ca/board/january312012_agenda.shtml

ALSO, UPCOMING

Thursday, February 2

Release of the Community Sustainability Task Force Report

City Hall, 10 am.  Everyone is welcome! 

By February3, Nominate an outstanding teacher for a provincial “Excellence in Teaching” Award

http://www.education.alberta.ca/teachers/excellence.aspx

Wednesday, February 8:  Winter Walk Day. 

To register or find out more, visit www.shapeab.com

Thursday, February 9

Ward H School Council Network meeting

TOPIC:  Involving More Parents: How?  with special guest speakers Vanessa Desa (Working with and for Immigrant and Refugee families), Paul Leung (Parent member, EPSB Inclusive Education Working Group), Lew Knetchel and Bill Baillie (Dads Matter group, Greenfield School) and Debbie Mineault (FNMI Branch, Alberta Ed). 

Until Wednesday, February 22 – provide your input on one or all of the following policies

• Alcohol and Tobacco Use on School Property and District Events
• Organization for Instruction
• Student Admission to the District
• Community and Parent Involvement
• (new) Funding and Endorsement Requests from External Organizations

http://www.epsb.ca/policy/policyReviewListings.shtml

Wednesday, February 29, 11:50 – 1:10 pm

“Free” Lunch Sponsored by the Edmonton Public Schools Foundation!

I will be joining the Foundation for lunch this day.  Would you like to join me?  It’s a super opportunity to find out firsthand about the great work being done for socio-economically disadvantaged children in our full-day Kindergartens!  Please let me know. 

If you are interested but the 29^th is difficult for you, other information lunches are being held on  February 3, February17, and March 6.  Please let me know.

Wednesday, February 29

Parent Keynotes (Teacher Convention) 

Choose one parent keynote address to attend, courtesy of Edmonton Public Schools “Parents as Partners” program, Edmonton Catholic Schools and the Greater Edmonton Area Teachers Convention.  Choose either Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture  or BoySmarts.  For complete information and to register, visit http://www.epsb.ca/familiescommunity/events.shtml

UPDATES and REPORTS

Annual Report:  JUA  (Joint Use Agreement)

This report just came across my desk.   I know the fair use and access to school space is of ongoing interest to many in Ward H where space for community activities continues to be at a premium.  Some relief was had when four new schools opened up in the southwest in September 2010 and the new Terwillegar Rec Centre opened in Winter 2011, but the pressures remain due to the continuing rapid population growth in the southwest.   I encourage you to read the report, especially the Executive Summary (page 1) and the Facilities Plan for 2011/12 (page 8), Land Use Plan (page 11)   It was great to read about the Summer Access pilot project, for example, and to know that late notice cancellations are being monitored and reviewed and vacant school sites will be reviewed again in 2012.  You can access the full report at www.edmonton.ca/JointUse 

Update:  Inclusive Education

It has been just over six months since the Special Needs Task Force reported to the full Board on its work and with a series of recommendations. . The work on responding to the recommendations is being led by an interdepartmental Working Committee, which has been meeting regularly each week since October. The results of this work, which is ongoing, will be communicated to the Board in June 2012 as part of the annual report on Special Education.  In the interim, here is an update report on where the work stands with respect to the various recommendations at : http://catherineripley.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/January-2012-Special-Needs-Status-Update.pdf

In addition, did you know that Edmonton Public Schools is one of the school districts across the province that was selected to be a “change agent” for the provincial Action on Inclusion Project?  A handful of schools across the district will have a demonstration “best practice” classroom, where inclusive practices will be explored and assessed. These practices include assistive technology for learning, school-based collaboration processes, and strategies that are focused on fostering positive attitudes in students whose peers have special education needs. All aspects of this work will be completed by June 30, and the information shared with other school districts, so they can learn from the work undertaken by the District. It will also help us strengthen a core strategy included in the District Plan: creating inclusive learning environments for all learners.

Around the World at GPN

On Friday night I attended a great drop-in evening at George P. Nicholson School at which families or groups of families proudly profiled their cultural background with flavours, displays (electronic and otherwise!), traditional clothes, and conversation.  In addition, as one wandered through the countries, kids and community members performed various dance, karate, music…. Fabulous!  Thank you to the GPN “flight attendants” who greeted me on board and all the table hosts and performers for their hard work and enthusiasm, and to the School Council for the invitation.   

As always, I am happy to receive any comments, great ideas, or experiences you may wish to share! 

Catherine