The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division is trying to expand the role School Community Councils (SCCs) play in student learning.
The councils are already involved in school fundraising activities, but following the last school board meeting of the school year, Sask. Rivers Education Director Neil Finch said they hope the councils can become involved in other areas.
“I think the ideal would be more engagement, (specifically) engagement in student learning and our strategic plan,” Finch said. “If we can get SCC’s to that point that would be great.”
Finch said they want to make sure they have parents involved as an advisory council, while also making sure the SCCs continue in their current role.
During the school year, the division held a series of regional SCC gatherings, which has helped boost their public profile.
“The regional meetings that we have, it’s helped other SCCs see what SCC’s across the division are doing,” Finch explained. “Anytime you get a chance to do that, you can steal some good ideas from each other.”
Superintendent Garette Tebay presented the Community Engagement Annual Report at the division’s June 18 school board meeting. The report focused on the work being to promote learning and development with the school division’s partners.
In addition to the SCCs, the report also focused on Saskatchewan Rivers Students for Change, the group responsible for selecting rural and urban student trustees. Tebay said the group has helped boost student learning, as shown by the number of students from the group who earned scholarships.
“There is good value in it for our students who are participating, for sure,” Tebay said.
The report also highlighted community partnerships such as KidsFirst and the Prince Albert Early Years Resource Centre and others.
Finally, the report gave an overview of the Division communications for the 2023-24 school year. According to a school division press release, the division Facebook page added more than 400 new followers, and the Instagram accounted added more than 100.
Finch said working through social media has helped the division get the message out.
“The key is the various channels,” Finch said. “You’re going to reach your community in different ways, so (we’re) trying to be creative and flexible in how we reach people to get information out there—not only just to get information out there but also receive information back.
SUBHEADLINE: Saskatchewan Rivers wishes best to graduates and retirees
With the June 17 meeting being their final meeting of the school year ahead of graduations, the Board wished sincerest congratulations to all Sask Rivers students in the Class of 2024.
“I think it’s always great to recognize those that are leaving us and that’s really what that is. Your graduates are leaving you and you are hoping you’ve prepared them for their next steps in their journey,” Finch said.
The Board stated in a release that they recognized the hard work and determination graduates have shown to achieve a High School Diploma and they wish them all the best in their future.
The Board also recognized long serving and retiring staff at their annual recognition banquet on June 10.
“Anyone that’s resigning or retiring, they’re also leaving us and we hope that the best comes their way with whatever their next steps are in their journey,” Finch said,
Finch recognized that this is an emotional time of year.
“Every year you sort of have the mixed feelings of sadness that they’re leaving you, but also you’re happy that they’re going to have to do something different,” Finch said.
The Board also wished the entire SRPSD community a great summer.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca