The Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) hosted their Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Fall Assembly remotely last week.
Sask. Rivers board chair Barry Hollick and trustees reviewed the meeting notes during their own meeting on Monday. This year, the SSBA put their focus was on supporting parent engagement.
Trustees learned about the long-standing and emerging research that clearly shows when parents are engaged in their child’s learning, the child is more successful in school and beyond.
“There was some really engaging presentations and good information that encouraged the board to take a closer look at the kinds of things we can do in Sask Rivers to continue to support and grow our parent engagement,” director of education Robert Bratvold said.
Trustees will use the research and information on successful practices to support staff and School Community Councils (SCCs) in enhancing parent engagement according to a release from the division.
During the AGM, which took place Nov. 14 to 16, Sask Rivers trustee Jaimie Smith-Windsor was reaffirmed as vice president of the organization
Along similar lines during the course of the meeting, Saskatchewan Rivers Students for Change urban trustee Tia-Lee McCallum brought up the importance of student engagement to trustees.
“I see that as really a dual responsibility,” Bratvold said. “Certainly it is up to our board and our staff to do that, but the SRSC has a great opportunity to guide and inform and encourage the board to take actions that are going to be engaging for our students.
“I think there is some opportunities for both the board and the SRSC at focusing on what we can do to focus engagement,” he added. “(It’s) making sure students are connected to the learning, ask questions, can convey when they are concerned or interested or disinterested, and then have an opportunity to reconnect.”
One item that was approved after being discussed in closed session was the purchases of school buses from Western Canada Buses.
“Ordinarily it would be that we do school bus purchase a little bit later in the year but because we know there has been challenges with the supply chain we went to tender earlier than usual,” Bratvold said.
