The Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Pembina Hills Regional Division No
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2696 February 27, 2013 The Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Pembina Hills Regional Division No. 7 was held on February 27, 2013 at the Jarvie School. In attendance were Trustees S. Allen, A. Bokenfohr, D. Schaffrick, D. Truckey, S. Volorney, S. Watson, and K. Webster. Also in attendance were Superintendent C. Symyrozum-Watt and Secretary Treasurer T. Meunier. Call to Order Chair Volorney called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. Invocation Trustee Webster provided the invocation. Agenda The following amendments were made to the agenda: 8. Committee Reports Delete h) Expulsion Hearing Adopting the Moved by Trustee Webster that the Agenda be adopted as submitted and amended. Agenda – February 27, Carried 2013 5938/02/13 Adopting the Moved by Trustee Watson that the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board of Minutes – Trustees of Pembina Hills Regional Division No. 7 held on February 13, 2013 be February 13, adopted as circulated. 2013 Carried 5939/02/13 COMMITTEE REPORTS The following Committee Reports were presented: - GROWTH Alberta - Meeting with Bruce McAllister, MLA, Chestermere-Rockyview - Swan Hills School Council - ASBA Zone 2/3 - Neerlandia Public Christian School Council - Barrhead Composite High School Council NEW BUSINESS Cancellation of Superintendent Symyrozum-Watt provided an overview of the recommendation to March 13, 2013 cancel the March 13, 2013 Regular Board Meeting and re-schedule Board Planning Regular Board for 2013-2014. Meeting and Re- scheduling of When the 2013-2014 Strategic Planning Process was ratified by the Board on Board Planning November 14, 2012, it was forecasted that the Provincial Budget would be released in February 2013, allowing the Board and Administration to plan in February/March, with ratification of key strategic priorities (i.e. Education Plan priorities, co-op pool, allocation formula, calendar, etc.) to occur at the March Regular Board Meeting. Therefore, no accountability reports were scheduled in the Board’s Workplan for March. The Provincial Budget has been delayed to March 7, 2013. This delays the dates for School Administrative Planning and Board Planning as well as delaying the Board’s ability to ratify strategic priorities. Therefore, it is recommended that the Board cancel the March 13, 2013 Regular Board Meeting. The second day for Admin Planning would occur on March 21, 2013; Board Planning would be re- scheduled to April 2-4, 2013 with ratification of key strategic priorities at the April 10, 2013 Regular Board Meeting. 5940/02/13 Moved by Trustee Bokenfohr that the Board cancel the March 13, 2013 Regular Board Meeting. Carried 2697 February 27, 2013 5941/02/13 Moved by Trustee Allen that the Board re-schedule Board Planning for April 2-4, 2013. Carried Board Meeting Superintendent Symyrozum-Watt provided an overview of the recommendation to Schedule – May amend the 2012-2013 Board Meeting Schedule. 22, 2013 The 2012-2013 Board Meeting Schedule indicated that the March 13, 2013 Regular Board Meeting was to be held at Vista Virtual School, Barrhead location. Given the cancellation of the March 13, 2013 Board Meeting, it is recommended that the location for the May 22, 2013 Regular Board Meeting be changed from Barrhead Composite High School to Vista Virtual, Barrhead location. Barrhead Composite High School will be re-scheduled as a Board Meeting location in the 2013-2014 school year. 5942/02/13 Moved by Trustee Webster that the Board approve the change in location for the May 22, 2013 Regular Board Meeting to Vista Virtual School, Barrhead location. Carried INFORMATION ITEMS The following were presented as information items: - Letter from Jacquie Hansen, President of the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) to the Hon. Jeff Johnson, Minister of Education regarding potential cutting of funding to the Alberta Initiative for Student Improvement (AISI) in the upcoming budget - ASBA Labour Relations Bulleting entitled ‘Alberta School Boards Student, Teacher, Staff Counts as of September 30, 2012’ - February 15, 2013 issue of the PSBAA Advocate - Thank you card from PSBAA to Pembina Hills for providing a presentation on ADLC at the February, 2013 PSBC meeting, highlighting opportunities for Alberta’s children JARVIE SCHOOL REPORT, SCHOOL COUNCIL Jarvie School Superintendent, C. Symyrozum-Watt introduced Principal Martin Cairns. Report Principal Martin Cairns reported on the following: - Schedule – all core classes are in the morning – approximately 54 minutes each. Afternoon classes are option blocks and differ from day to day - Attempt to align alternate days with Dapp School - Afternoon programs include reading block for 15 minutes after the lunch hour; band class includes all students at the school for 30 minutes four (4) days per week; Career & Technology Studies (CTS); physical education - Valued use of resources through Yellowhead Regional Library - The school band holds four (4) concerts per year - Students work on a multitude of CTS projects throughout the year. Currently the boys are working on CO2 cars and the girls are working on silk-screening t-shirts. In addition, students, in groups of 5, rotate through cooking class. Students have started making wishing wells as a fund-raiser for the three (3) year trip - Practices for the sports teams are done as part of the physical education class rather than after-school - Activity based outdoor education program - Art program is taught by Mrs. Medcke on Friday mornings - Started curling - have invited the grade 5/6 students from Dapp School to participate as well - Community ties – upgraded library (public/school library); a guitar instructor comes to the school regularly to provide private instruction to students; community coaches; Heroes program (Character Education) sponsored by the community; Elks have donated funds to the school and have purchased a score clock for the gymnasium - Community services – students painted the ball diamonds as their community service project 2698 February 27, 2013 - School improvement – AISI is important for Jarvie School – Pembina Hills has done an exceptional job with the AISI cycles - Technology – working on a system where students can access their learning anytime, anywhere. Goal is to have all student material on-line. The school’s website is used as a portal. The school has run a laptop pilot for students. In addition the school has purchased a class set of Ipads. - Volunteers at Jarvie School are crucial. - Staff makes the school what it is – they are amazing – they create the great environment School Council Dapp-Jarvie Chair, Valerie Montgomery, provided the School Council Report, Report including the following: - Majority of time taken up with Westlock North - Have invited student reps from Students’ Union to participate in School Council meetings - Appreciation for Principal Cairns for involving the School Council in decisions at the school, such as students bringing their own technology devices into the school. Presentation Trustee Allen presented Dapp-Jarvie Chair, Valerie Montgomery, with a gift in recognition of her contribution to Pembina Hills’ communities and schools. School Tour Trustees visited the classrooms at Jarvie School. Student Learning The Board viewed the following during the student learning showcase: Showcase - A Jarvie School student presented her 4-H public speech on cyber-bullying - A slide presentation was given highlighting the various student activities at Jarvie School. Recess Moved by Trustee Bokenfohr that the meeting recess until 1:00 p.m. 5943/02/13 Carried Chair Volorney called the meeting back to order at 1:00 p.m. in the presence of approximately 50 members of the public, Dapp School Principal Pat von Loewenstein, Jarvie School Principal, Martin Cairns, W.R. Frose School Principal, Darcie Eamor, Assistant Superintendent, Wendy Scinski, and Director of Facilities and Transportation, Tracy Tyreman. BUSINESS ARISING Westlock North Chair Volorney outlined the process that will be following by the Board as they Task Force discuss the Westlock North Task Force Report and Recommendation. Report and Recommendation Chair Volorney reminded the public that this is not a school closure meeting – the Board has a recommendation before them on a long range plan for educating students served in the Dapp-Jarvie and W.R. Frose attendance areas. Save Westlock Rick Medcke, on behalf of the Save the Westlock North Committee, presented the North Committee Committee’s request to reject or delay the Westlock North Task Force recommendation and the rationale for their request. Mr. Medcke presented a petition that was circulated amongst the Westlock North communities with the following requests: - Request that Pembina Hills School Board find an alternative solution to the declining enrollment in the Westlock North Schools - Non-support for shutting Fawcett and Jarvie schools and amalgamating into Dapp School - Non-support for spending tax dollars to fund portables for Dapp School to accommodate the three north schools combining when Jarvie and Fawcett schools are available 2699 February 27, 2013 Westlock North Chair Volorney and Vice Chair Webster reviewed the responses to questions #52 - Consultation – #78. Questions & Responses Dapp/Jarvie Dapp/Jarvie School Council Chair Valerie Montgomery provided an overview of School Council the unsolicited feedback she has received regarding the Westlock Task Force and its recommendation and report. W.R. Frose W.R. Frose School Council Chair Cristy Paly provided final thoughts, on behalf of School Council the parents of Fawcett and Flatbush on the future educational opportunities for the students in Westlock North. Westlock North Chair Volorney noted that there was no new information in the petition presented Task Force the Board by Mr. Medcke. Therefore, it was recommended that the board consider the petition brought forward at the meeting, and in dealing with the recommendation of the Task Force, the Board will be dealing with the petition. Petition Moved by Trustee Watson that, pursuant to #9.2.6 of Guiding Principle GP-G, the 5944/02/13 Board agrees to consider the petition brought forward at the February 27, 2013 Regular Board Meeting.