<figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Complete award details and links to the online nomination form can be found via the link below.&nbsp;</p><p>2024 Trustee Awards of Recognition Criteria: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TmHl007KfoQOoghtP7nP34u27uT2cCWF/view?usp=drive_link">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TmHl007KfoQOoghtP7nP34u27uT2cCWF/view?usp=drive_link</a></p></td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p>For the second year in a row, PRPS trustees will recognize students who contribute to a culture of excellence in their schools. The 2024 Trustee Awards are about community spirit and are for those students who go the extra mile. “We want to empower all pockets of students and hope this award will target another group,” explained Trustee Shauna VanderSpruit. “Last year, the awards were well-received, and every school had two recipients. This year we would love to see more nominations come from teachers or administration for students who are deserving of this award.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Mindy Straub is now attending Eagle Butte High School and received a Trustee Award from Schuler School in June 2023. She describes herself as being very sociable and getting along with the students across all grades as she’d known them for years.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I feel I was really good with the younger kids because they all liked me,” stated Straub. “On certain mornings, we would get together in the gym and do different literacy activities. The older kids would pair up with the younger kids for reading or word work and that’s why I’d get to spend time with younger students. At recess, if a kid was sad or something, I usually ended up helping and supporting them.”&nbsp;</p><p>Jason Fehr, also attending Eagle Butte this year, received a Grade 9 award from Prairie Mennonite School. He and many of his classmates enjoyed playing games, an activity not permitted on school-issued Chromebooks. To motivate himself and other students, Fehr created a time on Fridays where students could play games competitively against each other if they completed all their schoolwork. &nbsp;As a result, students were less inclined to play games during the week.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;“It made them want to work harder” explained Feher, “so they would be able to do that. You would have to do well on all your schoolwork to participate.” There were about 70 students at the school and about 25 or 30 of them would show up for the competitive gaming times.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;“That ended up working out pretty well, they still do it to this day,” said Fehr, who also added, “during recess, I would be outside and play with the younger kids, showing them some tips on basketball. We’d usually play two versus one because they were younger, not on a team or anything, just personally for fun outside.”&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;Trustees are also looking for nominations for the Community Champion for Education. Any member of the public can submit a nomination for this award which recognizes an individual or organization that goes above to provide exceptional learning experiences and opportunities for students. &nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;To submit a community award nomination, click here: <a href="https://prrdweb.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9B51bgE6XE90VFQ">https://prrdweb.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9B51bgE6XE90VFQ</a>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p><i>Photo: Dana Marshall stands next to Terry Super from Super T Aviation after completing her commercial pilot's test</i></p><p>It’s no small feat getting a commercial pilot’s license, particularly if it's on the side to a number of other roles, such as teaching chemistry, physics and math at Eagle Butte, being co-lead of the DR South Alberta Flight Academy, the local ATA president, a mother, rancher, and a volunteer wildland firefighter with the Cypress County Elkwater Fire Station. However, almost three years from when Dana Marshall did her discovery flight, she has done just that.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Marshall has no plans to become a professional pilot as she wants to remain a teacher, but after encouragement from Super T and Superintendent Dr. Reagan Weeks, she decided to train towards a commercial pilot’s license, which is a prerequisite for getting an instructor’s license. &nbsp;Marshall and Katelyn Rozdeba, the other co-lead of the flight academy, are the certified teachers of the program but are unable to teach ground school or flight training without an instructor’s license. They are responsible for all aspects of the academy aside from flight training, such as ensuring the students fulfill curriculum credits, organizing field trips, first-aid, and other non-flight training events.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The flight exam for a commercial license is very similar to that for a private license except the pilot must be more precise in their flying. The ground school portion or written exam is vastly different. “There is a ton more knowledge to learn for the commercial written exam,” explained Marshall. “They say it is one of the toughest exams you can write in Transport Canada.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The pilot needs a minimum of 200 hours flying time with at least 100 of those hours as piloting command time, which is flying solo. Additionally, they need a certain amount of instrument flying time where the pilot wears a helmet to block their vision, so they are flying by instruments alone, with an instructor beside them, to simulate flying in a cloud.&nbsp;</p><p>“I like to fly with my kids if they are up for it, I have an 11 and a 5-year-old. Now they are bored with it, so a lot of the time, I message the students to see if they want to go flying, if they want to hang out and go for a trip,” said Marshall. “All those solo hours get lonely after a while so it’s better to fly with someone. I’ve taken a few staff members and a few students up.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Marshall sat the written exam on April 4, 2023, and passed the flight exam on September 1, 2023. Since then, she’s been flying off the needed hours and checking off the rest of the required boxes. “With the private you can do either/or first,” explained Marshall. “With the commercial, they want the written passed first and then you do the flight test. You can do the flight test as early as 150 hours and then you just get all the other flight hours in.”&nbsp;</p><p>Marshall kept a logbook of her flight hours, and a pilot training record also shows which instructor was supervising and what Marshall was working on. Transport Canada requires this because when the submission is made for the commercial license, Super T must prove she completed all the requirements.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I flew all around Alberta, Saskatchewan and went to BC a couple of times. Part of the commercial is a 300 nautical mile flight from your starting point to the destination and there are approved routes you can do. I went to Yorkton, Saskatchewan and you have to stop twice, at two places that aren’t your destination. You have to stop for gas anyway, so I stopped in Regina, Yorkton and then at Regina on the way back. It’s all about gaining more experience, getting to more airports, being able to be in different types of airspace, that is what they are trying to teach you by having these certain rules,” stated Marshall.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Medicine Hat and Lethbridge have a flight services station because they aren’t busy enough to have a tower. Marshall had never been in Class D airspace before or talked to a tower, but she had to when she landed and departed from Regina.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“Class C airspace, which is very busy, would-be Calgary International, Springbank and Edmonton International. There are multiple different frequencies you talk to, there might be an outer frequency, an inner frequency when you are coming in then you must dial in a new radio station once you land to talk to ground control, it’s a whole bunch of different pieces of training. For the night rating, we get to land at Calgary International. I had an instructor with me and that was my first ever experience with Class C and it was overwhelming because they spit stuff out of you and their instruction is at 100 miles an hour and you are not only flying the plane, but you are also trying to take down their instructions. Landing is a higher stress situation, a critical moment of flight, and you have to write down where they want you to exit, taxi to and your frequencies and instructions. You need a plan ahead of time in order to be able to catch it all.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>For the moment, Marshall is reveling in completing her commercial license training. Currently, Super T has a new grant where they can train up to 15 instructors. “I might try to take advantage of that, but I also don’t want to take that opportunity away from a young pilot that wants the instructor rating to go onto an airline job. I have no plans to become an airline pilot, so for me to take up a spot someone else could use, I would feel rotten about that. I’m sitting back and enjoying and letting my brain chill out for a while and not being in constant training like I have for the past three years,” concluded Marshall.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p>It may still look and feel like winter, but the greenhouse at Senator Gershaw School in Bow Island is now fully planted for the season with a few cucumbers ready to be picked.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“The greenhouse has been operating for a couple of years now and we've been learning through trial and error with what works. What we’ve found is if we start too soon, we get too many bugs from the summer,” explained Principal Scott Angle. “Now, what we do, is we wait until there has been a good solid freeze before we move any plants in.”&nbsp;</p><p>The school partners with Stigter’s Greenhouses in Redcliff who provide propagated plants around the second week of January. “We’ve found we aren’t successful if we don’t use the propagated plants and because we aren’t a big enough bulk purchaser, we can’t buy them on our own. As a result, we have to partner with a greenhouse to make it happen,” stated Angle.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Even though it’s small, the greenhouse is operated along the same lines as a commercial greenhouse. Angle is learning alongside the students as the teacher who began the program transferred to another school. “We worked together lots and I was the one who knew the most about it, so I took over,” said Angle. “The tomatoes and peppers need to be pruned and I need to learn how to do it properly, but I’m going to work with Jeff Stigter on that and figure it out.”&nbsp;</p><p>Growing in the greenhouse are peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers in coconut bags and there is a small hydroponic unit for lettuce. Over the next few weeks, younger students will start planting seeds for the school garden west of the school.&nbsp;</p><p>There are between five to eight students who choose the greenhouse option each year, which is the perfect number as it allows those most interested in the program to join. Additionally, the work in the greenhouse can be done most effectively by a smaller group of students.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 9 students Alia Babcock and Gage Hintz both signed up for the greenhouse option this semester.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I think it’s a good option because it produces and gives us something fun to do by getting your hands dirty, doing extra projects and watching your plants grow,” said Babcock. For her, the biggest challenge is putting lots of effort into plants that aren’t thriving only to have them continue to fail.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Hintz joined the greenhouse as he does aquaponics – germinating plants on top of an aquarium where the fish provide the nutrients - and gardening at home. He enjoys how much faster plants grow in the greenhouse compared to an outdoor plot. “The hydroponics we’ve never done before, which is cool, we helped set that up. The hardest thing was getting the pump working right to get water to the system.”&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td><figure class="media"><oembed url="https://vimeo.com/782597223?share=copy"></oembed></figure><p><i>Promotional video featuring students in the Foremost Rodeo Academy.</i></p></td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p>The Rodeo Academy at Foremost School is now in its second year with 11 students enrolled, two who are from the Medicine Hat area and billet in town. Recently, the Academy put out feelers over social media to find out if there is enough interest from students in the Medicine Hat area to run a bus out to Foremost School each day.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“This is our second year and over the past two years we’ve had lots of enquiries from all around the province,” stated Principal of Foremost School Corey Steeves. “This year we have two students who attend from the Medicine Hat area and billet in town and a couple of students transferred from the Horizon School District.”&nbsp;</p><p>Connor Harty is in Grade 12 and finds the most challenging part of the Rodeo Academy is staying focused and taking opportunities as they arise. Alternatively, being involved with the academy helps motivate Harty to get his schoolwork done early so that he can go to practice because he knows he won’t have time after.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 8 student Roan Bosch was born and raised on a ranch bull yard and joined the academy to improve his roping skills. “When we do roping and steer wrestling, you are riding up to a calf you have to brand or treat. You can rope them, flip them and get them treated and it helps to know how to do that,” explained Bosch. Feedback from the instructors is incredibly helpful for Bosch and he’s learned to overcome his fears and make a run without overthinking.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Kendyl Hollingsworth used to barrel race but now focuses on goat tying and breakaway roping. “The year I started Rodeo Academy I was leaning towards the livestock end of rodeo and was getting out of barrel racing and entering the roping side,” she stated.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>While it was a long process, Hollingsworth persevered and has seen lots of improvement in her technique. “I didn’t know how to swing a rope about a year ago and now I’m competing with the girls in high school rodeo,” said Hollingsworth. “I think it helps push me to do my schoolwork because if I’m going to practice, I’m finishing my schoolwork first. That kind of thing helps me keep in track.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Brittney Chomistek began teaching at Foremost School two years ago just as the Rodeo Academy was launching. With a lifetime of rodeo experience and as the 2018 Miss Rodeo Canada, Chomistek is able to bring the connections she made on the circuit into the school to provide different opportunities for students.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Outside of instructing at the Rodeo Academy, Chomistek teaches Grade 2 and is thrilled about how the academy filters down to the younger kids. “We let them go rope dummies sometimes, or we’ll have the high school kids teach them how to tie goats. There are kids who have never been around horses and just want to be a part of it, so it’s also building that sense of community,” explained Chomistek.&nbsp;</p><p>Based in Medicine Hat, she thinks the commute out to Foremost each school day is worth it. While the roads can be challenging at times, this year has been much easier now that her dad, Guy Chomistek, is also teaching at the school and they commute together.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Chomistek is a huge advocate for Prairie Rose Public Schools and what the division offers all students. When she talks about the academy to those on the pro circuit, they often respond by saying they might have tried harder in school, or stayed in school, had they had an option such as the Rodeo Academy to look forward to most days.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“What I love about Prairie Rose is that we have all these specialized areas in all these other communities that allows us to have other kids involved,” stated Chomistek. “The division goals of fostering futures and igniting minds, that’s what we are doing with these academies while also keeping them accountable in school. We hold our academy kids higher than average students because we expect them to be attending their classes, we expect them to be doing their best, whatever their best is. We’ve taken away practices because we want a well-rounded student athlete, which is what PRPS promotes.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>It’s important to note that not all students in the rodeo academy have their own horse and gear. “It’s about giving kids experience in rodeo and our western heritage while also giving them practice so they can see if this is an avenue they want to pursue or not, which is another beautiful thing about it,” concluded Chomistek.&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer</p>

<p>A year ago, students at Senator Gershaw School in Bow Island began publishing the <a href="https://bowislandioc.ca/"><i>In Our Community</i> publication</a>. A mainstay in Bow Island, Foremost, Burdett and area for many years, the school bought the business when the former owner retired.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“It’s a service our community wants and we had the infrastructure here (at the school) so we bought it,” said Principal Scott Angle. The publication is still run as a business with students applying for positions and getting paid through a profit-sharing system. Three students - editor, finance and publisher/editor - are employed and the more advertising they bring in, the more they earn.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Advertising is beginning to branch out of Bow Island, with some coming in from Seven Persons and Medicine Hat recently. A website is being added soon and there is currently both a paper and online version available.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“It’s almost all student run and we’ve added a hometown hero to recognize people in our community that do great things,” stated Angle. “We’ve been doing it for about a year now and it’s been fairly successful.”&nbsp;</p><p>It’s not only about advertising, in addition to the Hometown Hero feature, <i>In Our Community</i> also lets those reading know about upcoming events.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 9 student Alayna Martens was hired as the editor this year and appreciates she can do the job during school hours once her other schoolwork is complete. She is gaining valuable work experience and learning new skills – software programs, communication skills, editing and how to formally reply to an email – along with engaging as a team member.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“My job is to reply to emails and ensure everyone knows what we are doing. I tell the boys if there are ads we need to do. It’s fun and a great experience,” said Martens.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><i>In Our Community</i> comes out once a month and is delivered through the post office to each mailbox free of charge. Student employees will also deliver copies where needed. Martens puts in about 12 to 13 hours each month and works each day to keep up with incoming emails.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I think community feedback has been quite positive, the Hometown Heroes has really brought some light to different people and made people realize there are lots of organizations out there. I look through old newspapers or online, then call people to ask them if I can do a write up on them,” concluded Martens.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Corey Steeves - School Administration Leadership</strong></p><p>Corey Steeves, principal at Foremost School, gave a presentation on strategies to elevate and flourish as a school leader. “I’ve been doing some research the last couple of years on strategies as a school leader to support well-being and I’ve always had a passion for speaking.” Steeves put together a presentation based on his research to share strategies with other school leaders.&nbsp;</p><p>“Being school leader is a complex job with lots of moving parts and sometimes they feel like they are on their own. I’m going to talk about the power of social capital, or who is in your support network. Education is a learning ecosystem where you have all these other parties that help each other out, leadership is the same,” stated Steeves.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>He feels fortunate to be part of the School Leader Wellbeing Generative Listening group started last year in partnership with Horizon School Division. Principals and division office staff from PRPS and Horizon meet once a month to discuss school leader wellbeing. “That’s a part of social capital,” explained Steeves, “we leave that meeting feeling as good or better than when we walked in.” He also talked about contextual literacy, which is knowing context and understanding communities.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Kelli-Ann Nixdorf - Canva in the Classroom</strong></p><p>Kelli-Ann Nixdorf was a teacher at Eagle Butte High School before becoming an Instructional Coach and finds the best part of this new role is being in every school across all grade levels within the division. Both presentations by Nixdorf were on Canva, the first on the Education Library and the second on Magic Studio.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“Canva has a massive library with thousands of templates and resources for K-12, including activities, worksheets, full lesson plans and presentations.” said Nixdorf. Her first presentation's aim was to give participants a clear understanding of how to access and filter the library to access material or information required.&nbsp;</p><p>Last year the Canva education library was limited, but now it is fully loaded explained Nixdorf, although it can be overwhelming if one doesn’t know where to look or if they haven’t used the program before. After a quick demonstration on how to access the education library and how to filter, Nixdorf turned the session over to the audience to make it interactive and help those in attendance find resources on topics they were interested in.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Nixdorf’s second session on the Canva Magic Studio was content driven. The magic studio contains AI tools that have ChatGPT in the background with Canva-added filters to make the AI more user-friendly. The design feature of the studio can, for example, create a six-slide presentation on the water cycle and will provide five different versions for the user to choose from. Depending on the reliability of the WiFi at MHC, Nixdorf was planning to demonstrate how to use Magic Convert, which will take a presentation and convert it into a digital or printed handout.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Cammie Kannekens - The AI Frontier in the Classroom</strong></p><p>Instructional Coach Cammie Kannekens, who was an English and Social Studies Teacher at Eagle Butte before moving into her current role in 2017, gave two presentations on AI, the first more general knowledge and the second on the generative AI frontier in the classroom.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Using an alphabet wheel, Kannekens discussed a topic related to AI with the letter the wheel landed on. “It’s a fun one to do with random, internet things people haven’t seen before. This will be the first time I’ve done it with AI because it is fairly new,” said Kannekens about her first session.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Regarding her second session, Kannekens added, “in the last year, we’ve been able to say this is a great tool for teachers, here’s lots of ways AI can save time and make you more productive and maybe help to have a higher quality output in a shorter period of time, that part is fairly straightforward. Right now, we are on that precipice with some teachers using AI and tools that are more for students, but there is a lot of ethical, moral, safety, and privacy issues once you start looking at using AI with students.” The goal of this presentation was how to teach students about AI, both the benefits and shortcomings, along with giving teachers ideas of on how to shift their teaching so it is more appropriate in an AI world.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Nichole Neubauer - Agro Food Kits</strong></p><p>Nichole Neubauer is Coordinator of the Agricultural Discovery Centre (ADC) at Irvine School. “This year’s Teachers’ Convention will mark the official launch of the EQUS Agro-Food toolkits. These resources were created thanks to a generous donation by EQUS and will be housed at the Irvine School ADC. They are designed to be an outreach tool for teachers who might not be able to get their students to a farm, so instead we’ve found a really fun way to bring the farm to them.”&nbsp;</p><p>Neubauer had a table in Centennial Hall with examples of several toolkits available and during her presentation on Friday afternoon, she will go into detail about one of the kits. They are available to teachers at no charge thanks to the EQUS grant with each one on loan for about one month. All teachers throughout each of the three school divisions in the Medicine Hat area can request a kit, along with those from other communities EQUS serves, which are Claresholm, Onoway and Innisfail.&nbsp;</p><p>Chicken hatching cycle, growing crops, hydroponics and aquaponics (growing plants in a soilless environment), honeybees and vermicomposting are all available. Links are provided so educators can create activities connected to the curriculum using supplies within the toolkits. For example, the vermicomposting kit will have a vermicomposter, worms, activity suggestions for students K-6, microscopes, spray bottles, petri dishes, and suggestions for experiments to make the learning fun and hands-on for each student.&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer</p>

<p>There was a good turnout at the South Alberta School of Trades Open House at Medicine Hat College on February 13 with about 100 people coming out for the two in- person sessions held in the evening along with an online one during the day for the Foremost and Oyen areas. Interest is high and enrollment for the program is already near capacity.&nbsp;</p><p>Sherry Craven, Student Experience Designer, explained the structure of the program will be cohorts of 12 with up to 48 students accepted each year. “If anyone wants to get their first-year apprenticeship by the time they graduate (from high school), this program is going to help them realize their interests and put the resources behind helping them find the path that is best for them. My goal would be that by graduation, they have their first year (post-secondary) under their belt, but at the very least they are coming in and learning all kinds of life and job skills, getting themselves to be more employable,” stated Craven.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>In the first year, Grade 10 students experience two weeks in each of the seven trades – plumbing, welding, electrical, automotive, carpentry, heavy duty mechanics, and pipefitting – giving them the opportunity to experience a variety of trades to find those that most interest them.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>In the second year, students will choose from one of four clusters, each containing two trades. “The clusters are already decided, they will pick one cluster. They will get experience in two trades of whatever is in the cluster they are most interested in,” explained Craven.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>At the end of Grade 11, students will have both high school and post-secondary credits along with, hopefully, gaining work experience. “In addition to all the stuff being done in school, the students need to be getting out and getting jobs and experience in the field,” stated Craven. “They are starting work experience in the summer by Grade 11. In addition to taking this dual credit class, they will hopefully be registering in RAP (Registered Apprenticeship Program) by Grade 11.”&nbsp;</p><p>Declan Grant and his friend Cooper Melvin, both Grade 9 students at Parkside School in Redcliff, attended the open house and are excited about the School of Trades. They have experience in the plumbing lab and electrical lab at Medicine Hat College as part of a program through Parkside. Declan’s mom Amy said, “when I heard they came out with this I was pretty excited because Declan has been interested in mechanics for quite some time, heavy duty specifically because he is a fairly big guy.”&nbsp;</p><p>Cooper is interested in carpentry and thinks it would be cool to build a house one day. Cooper’s mom Joni said, “this is a fantastic opportunity and just to have a leg up going in and being hooked up with pre-employment and the connections they can get through this program. To be able to know this is what they are really interested in before investing in college, it’s just fantastic on so many levels.”&nbsp;</p><p>Trustee Shauna VanderSpruit attended the open house and was thrilled about the great turnout at the event. “When these opportunities are presented to the Prairie Rose school community, it gives kids an opportunity in a school setting to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. They can experience college life while still in high school. Lots of kids who know they want to be in trades are interested early, but there are still those students who don’t realize that trades is a great career and this will give them the opportunity to see that sooner.”&nbsp;</p><p>For Eagle Butte students, the commute to Medicine Hat College will not be overly taxing, but for those coming in from Oyen, Bow Island and Foremost, more planning will be required by the schools.&nbsp;</p><p>“The advantage we have there,” stated VanderSpruit, “is we have an executive team and administrators at the schools who are so willing to think outside the box and to make it happen for these kids, going that extra mile across the school division.”&nbsp;</p><p>Principal of Foremost School Corey Steeves said mechanics is once again available as an option at the school and many students, along with their parents, are interested in trades education. Steeves understands the need for people trained in the trades and is aware of the future benefits of the new program, thus he is willing to do whatever it takes to make it work for Foremost students.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“The way it’s laid out is awesome, where in Grade 10 you don’t know what you don’t know,” added Steeves. “They might think they are interested in the trades and only be thinking about heavy duty mechanics, but what’s awesome about that first year is they will be exposed to all those other trades and they might realize they like another one of them more. We’ve seen the power of the Flight Academy and Fire Academy and our Rodeo Academy, things like that, where students are experiencing as they are learning are super valuable.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The School of Trades will offer students hands-on, experiential learning while providing them a jump start to their post-secondary education. “It’s a good opportunity to have strong supports behind you as a student to find their path,” concluded Craven. “When I talk to adults, they wish there was something like this when they were younger. I have a 26-year-old going into his carpentry apprenticeship and I never had an inkling he would want to do that. Getting that early start and finding out if you are interested, what your passions are, is highly valuable.”&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer</p>

<p><i>Photo: New logo for the AgPro program at Irvine School</i></p><p>Principal of Irvine School Trent Rayner, along with three students and teacher Logyn Jacksteit, gave a presentation to the Board of Trustees at the regularly scheduled meeting on February 13.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“I think the ultimate success of a program is when you are able to have it branch out to other students,” said Rayner. “That happened with the Ag-Pro Western Tractor course when Corey Steeves reached out last year.”&nbsp;</p><p>Steeves is Principal of Foremost School and thought the Ag-Pro course would be a perfect fit for the community. “School-wise we really try to have a lot of hands-on, very place-based learning. There is lots of research behind the power of place and the power of students where they live,” stated Steeves.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>People learn best in the environments they love, and the school has numerous students who live on farms or around farms with around 20 kids from Grades 7, 8 and 9 taking the course. “What was cool about the Western Tractor course is it takes in different avenues, they aren’t just working on the mechanics part, which is very important, but they are also getting into sales and marketing and all those other neat areas,” said Steeves. “Kids are excited about it and parents have commented on how happy they are with the course.”&nbsp;</p><p>Foremost students have just started the Western Tractor Ag-Pro course, they are working through WHMIS and other class-based learning and will have their first on location visit on February 27. It was a simple process to transfer the course from Irvine to Foremost School as creators of the course Logyn Jacksteit and Nichole Neubauer put together a complete program plan that is easy to use.&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 8 student Senya Hietamaa talked to the board about the certification courses she’s taken at Irvine School, which are another new CTF-option addition for junior high students at the school. The first course she took part in was emergency first-aid, which was combined with a babysitter’s course. In the second course, each student tailored what they took to suit their interests, selecting from, among others, sports anatomy, computers, nutrition, driver’s education, second languages, resume building, boat license, animal care, stocks, bonds and taxes, mechanics, and Alberta Health food safety.&nbsp;</p><p>“I did the animal care. I have many pigs at home and we just got them and we don’t know a whole lot about them and how to take care of them. I took the course and I learnt so much and I got so much information from it that I got to do a presentation for 4-H,” explained Hietamaa. “I also looked at the stocks, bonds and taxes course and it was very confusing at first, but I did learn a lot because I don’t know anything about taxes, I’m in Grade 8.”&nbsp;</p><p>Additionally, Hietamaa also took part in resume building and the food safety courses. She concluded by saying she enjoyed all the courses, which were incredibly valuable, providing each student with skills they can put on their resume.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Logyn Jacksteit is currently teaching Grade 6 and 7 language arts and some of the CTF options and presented to the board the two new courses added to the Ag-Pro lineup this year. “Western Tractor CTF was a success and Nichole Neubauer and myself put our heads together this year to plan two additional courses that started just a couple weeks ago,” said Jacksteit.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The two new courses are Ag-Pro Beef and Ag-Pro Crops with both courses having more students interested than they had spaces available. The beef course is well under way, acquainting the students with the cattle industry by bringing in guest speakers and taking the students on multiple field trips.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“Students have a large project at the end to create a scale-model of a cattle handling system in class and it will be judged by professionals,” explained Jacksteit. “They will have to consider animal stress and welfare along with efficiency of the cattle handle system.”&nbsp;</p><p>Ag-Pro Crops will follow a similar format with field trips to the Rattlesnake Reservoir, Nutrien, and Big Marble Farms, to name a few. The students will be studying crops that can be grown in the classroom as well as aquatic systems that can be built in a home to grow plants without soil. At the end of the year, all Ag-Pro students from the three courses will be taken on an overnight field trip to Olds College to get further information on post-secondary options after they complete high school.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;Jacksteit also mentioned new merchandise has been ordered that will reflect the programs. If you would like a hoodie, email him as he promises they will be good conversation starters.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 9 student Odin Jordet gave his perspective on Ag-Pro and how the knowledge gained and people met along the way are why students gravitate to these courses. The courses provide opportunities for students with a background in agriculture and those who don’t.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“The Ag-Pro program is very inclusive for kids who are shy or who don’t know how to get started in agriculture,” stated Jordet. “This program has made myself and many of my friends consider jobs in agriculture for when we get out of school. When I did the Western Tractor program it made me more confident around large machinery.”&nbsp;</p><p>The courses have shown Jordet that learning inside and outside the classroom can be fun while staying on task. Agriculture is the backbone of our society and Ag-Pro provides a new perspective on the amount of work it takes to get the food we eat daily to the table.&nbsp;</p><p>Katelyn Sheppard was involved with the Western Tractor program at the end of her Grade 8 year and most enjoyed learning about the sales department where they learned how to connect with customers and build confidence. Sheppard has also enrolled in both the beef and crop courses and is learning lots and hopes more schools start educating their students on agriculture.&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p>The February 13, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda Package can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mEKoxSYAFibSXZFwclmZusTVqRzMG0y6/view">February 13, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda</a></p><p><strong>Irvine School Presentation</strong><br>Irvine School Principal Trent Rayner was joined by teacher Logyn Jacksteit and students Senya Hietamaa, Katelyn Sheppard and Odin Jordet to share information about two new programs being offered at the school aimed to provide junior high students with job-ready skills.&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>Skills Certification Courses:</strong> Grade 8 student Senya gave a short presentation to the board about the new Skills Certification Courses each junior high student would participate in this spring. Students can choose from various certification options, including Red Cross, first aid, babysitting, nutrition, resume building, animal care, mechanics, referee courses, driver's education, computer programming, boating license and more. Principal Rayner explained that this is something the school has wanted to offer for some time now and was able to get organized this spring under the direction of teacher Linda Kraft. The goal is to ensure each student can get certified in something they can add to their resume as they start building a job application.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;</li><li><strong>AgPro Western Tractor:</strong> Grade 9 students Katelyn and Odin and teacher Logyn Jacksteit talked about the AgPro program, which has three different course options for students to learn about. Last fall, students participated in the Western Tractor option, which included learning about farm equipment operations and sales. This spring, the program has added AgPro Crops and AgPro Beef courses. Students are currently taking the AgPro Beef course, where they are learning about the cattle business, feedlot operations, cattle auctioning, butchering, land management, and animal stress and welfare. In AgPro Crops, Jacksteit says they will shift to learning about food growing with several field trips planned, including Nutrien Ag Solutions and Big Marble, to name a few. The students will also learn about aquatic systems, fish fertilization and plants. Both Odin and Katelyn shared what they have learned so far from the AgPro program and why they think all students should know about where their food comes from in school.</li></ul><blockquote><p>A full length story of the Irvine presentation can be found here: <a href="https://www.myprps.com/news/irvine-jr-high-students-learn-about-agriculture-and-gain-advanced-skills-1708104559850">https://www.myprps.com/news/irvine-jr-high-students-learn-about-agriculture-and-gain-advanced-skills-1708104559850</a></p></blockquote><p><strong>Executive Report</strong><br>Superintendent Reagan Weeks shared that the announcement of the new Mavericks School of Baseball and the South Alberta School of Softball had been very well received by students and families. Currently, 89 students are registered across the division in both programs. It was also shared that PRPS successfully launched the new online registration program on February 1, Eagle Butte was set to host a SEAVC volleyball camp on March 15, and new STEM and Vex Robotics options were being added at Eagle Butte and Ralston schools.</p><p><strong>Quarterly Financial Report</strong><br>Finance Controller Candice Hintz shared the quarterly financial update as of November 30, 2023. Overall, PRPS expects a $571,000 funding increase for the year due to increased enrollment over initial projections. It was also noted that increased revenues are expected due to the launch of new academy programs and BATUS funding. Revenues are forecasted to come in $813,750 higher than budgeted. On the expense side, certificated salaries and benefits have been adjusted to reflect an increase in teacher time (due to increased enrollment and increased staffing purchased by schools). Additional costs will also be incurred due to other expenses related to academy programs (including additional transportation costs), modular demolition costs (New Brigden), and additional grants. The school division is now expecting a decrease in the projected deficit for the year of $2,987, with a new expected overall deficit of $1,365,445.</p><p><strong>Transportation Accountability Report</strong><br>Director of Transportation Derek Beck presented the Transportation Accountability Report for information.&nbsp;</p><p>Highlights of the report include:</p><ul><li>An increase in total bus routes from 83 to 87</li><li>Route contractors include Southland (68), First Student (8), Old West Transportation (5), Independent (6)</li><li>An increase in the number of student bus riders from 1,884 to 2,025</li><li>An increase in kilometres travelled each day by school buses from 17,274 to 17,644</li><li>Continued cooperative bussing agreements with Chinook and Sun West school divisions in Saskatchewan, Cherry Coulee and Holy Spirit school divisions in Bow Island, Christ the Redeemer in Oyen and Grasslands School Division to Duchess.</li><li>The longest bus ride in the school division is 115 minutes per day.</li><li>The overall average cost of a bus route in 2022-2023 was $63,863</li></ul><p>It was noted that all PRPS bus routes were coming up for tender this spring. An RFP package will be posted online, in community papers and emailed to current and former bus contractors. The full presentation can be found in the February 13, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda package.</p><p><strong>Communications Accountability Report</strong><br>Director of Communications Angela Baron presented the Communications Accountability Report for information.&nbsp;</p><p>Highlights of the report included:</p><ul><li>An overview of communication channels and tools for parents and staff.</li><li>A summary of social media and website account activity.</li><li>A summary of communications initiatives completed during the 2022-2023 year and upcoming planned projects.</li></ul><p>It was shared that two of the larger projects this past fall included implementing the new online school registration software, School Engage, managed through Communications, and completing/launching the new PRPS brand. The full presentation can be found in the February 13, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda package.</p><p><strong>Other Items:</strong></p><ol><li>Trustees approved the following policy changes as presented:<ul><li>Ends #1 Guiding Principles (combined numerous policies into one)</li><li>GP#15 Trustee Development</li></ul></li><li>The board approved the extension of MNP for auditing services for two years.</li><li>The board approved the spending of $250,000 from Capital Reserves towards purchasing a new teacherage in Oyen to accommodate new staff moving to the area.</li><li>ASBA Report - No report. The next meeting is on February 14, 2024.</li><li>PSBA Report - No report.</li><li>Rural Caucus - The next meeting is on March 3, 2024, before the Rural Education Symposium.</li></ol>

<p>The February 13, 2024, PRPS Public Board Meeting will take place at the Prairie Rose Public Schools Division Office starting at 12:45 p.m. The meeting is only available in-person.</p><p>The complete agenda package can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mEKoxSYAFibSXZFwclmZusTVqRzMG0y6/view?usp=drive_link">February 13, 2024 Board Meeting Agenda</a></p>

<p>A committee was formed in Spring of 2022 to explore a new brand for Prairie Rose Public Schools. A variety of staff were involved with the committee, including administrators, teachers, support staff, members of the executive team, and a trustee. The goal was to create a new and timeless logo&nbsp;that represented the vision of PRPS.</p><p>Prairie Rose Public Schools was created in the mid-1990's following the amalgamation of four separate school districts. The first brand consisted of some books and an apple, which was changed to the rose brand in the early 2000’s. During the last academic year, each of the schools either rebranded or updated their brands, with Eagle Butte being the final school to complete the process. As PRPS is a continually evolving school division and both the font and brand were outdated, it was decided to create a new one for the division in Spring 2022.&nbsp;</p><p>Board Vice-Chair Patty Rooks stepped up to be the voice of the trustees as the Board of Trustees felt they also needed a fresh look to integrate with what the division was doing.</p><p>“The brand committee was great; everybody is so passionate about their school and where they are geographically. It was important to everyone that we as a school division represent our geographic diversity yet uniqueness and bring that together,” said Rooks. “I enjoyed working and hearing so many different opinions with others bringing things to the table I’d never thought of. That passion people brought, it was exciting to see, and everyone had their unique perspective. Bringing it together as one to be cohesive I felt was a wonderful experience.”&nbsp;</p><p>PRPS worked with Flag Five and the committee completed a brand strategy questionnaire, which the designer used to create several brand options. THe committee wanted a brand that was youthful, innovative, creative, forward thinking and collaborative. Additionally, highlighting the inclusivity and diversity of the student experience within the division. &nbsp;</p><p>“The committee felt strongly that PRPS is large geographically with the landscape up north being very different than down south. It was important to see parts of all the district in the brand,” stated Director of Communications Angela Baron. "We wanted to make sure we stood out based on what we are doing for kids and being innovative in programming. We felt it was important to have the idea of forward momentum, forward thinking, innovation, always moving ahead and not being stalled along with remaining youthful in those programming decisions.”&nbsp;</p><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td><i>The new PRPS logo is broken into half circles and placed into a scenic landscape to showcase how the colours and design was chosen for the new brand.</i></td><td><img class="image_resized" style="width:97.22%;" src="/images/de4d6767-f8f1-43b2-bf0f-090e5f305589?fingerprint=ppb20251217025244" alt="PRPS Brand Example NEWS story"></td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p>The new brand is neither traditional nor dated with the new design representing a pinwheel to create a sense of forward momentum and moving ahead. The committee was cognizant of not having too many colours in the new logo and there were numerous discussions on what colours to use. &nbsp;</p><p>Maintaining nostalgia for the old brand was also important and this is carried forward into the new one. Looking at the colours, pink represents the rose of the old brand. If the pink colour is made into a full circle and the green is moved over, it incorporates the old rose logo into the new brand. While the green is also part of the rose, it also represents the green petals of the old flower and new life that sprouts in the spring. Yellow represents crops and the abundance of sunshine and the fall crops. Blue is for the sky and the two rivers - South Saskatchewan River and Red Deer River - that flow through the school district. &nbsp;</p><p>“Education is no longer just done sitting in a classroom,” commented Baron, “it’s done going out and having those hands-on learning experiences, which we do a lot of in Prairie Rose and our rural environment makes that possible.”&nbsp;</p><p>Rolling out a new brand is a process that will take time. Internally, the process is already complete and the new logo can be seen each time a staff member or student turns on a division computer. The logo is now available for all staff to use and anything new coming out has the new brand and colouring on it, including promotional items. &nbsp;</p><p>“For me, the most important thing is for people to see where they fit in the brand and why it is what it is,” concluded Baron who added the rollout for the new brand should be completed by the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. &nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p>The DR South Alberta Flight Academy is holding an open house on <strong>Wednesday, February 7th from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.</strong> The open house will be at Super T Aviation located at 24 Les Little Way SE in Medicine Hat. Current students have nothing but great things to say about their experience at the Flight Academy and the opportunities it has provided that aren’t available in other school divisions.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Karter Kurpjuweit is in the first year at the Flight Academy and is working towards earning his private pilot’s license and drone license. “Last year I heard about the program and I want to be able to fly, maybe even commercially, so I wanted to go in this academy.” At the start of his second semester, he is feeling good about his decision and feels the abundant opportunities available and new learnings have been incredible.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 11 student Cipher Brooks-Kirsch is also working towards her private and commercial pilot’s license. There has been a delay for her to start flying due to medical issues, but Brooks-Kirsch will complete the taking off and landing courses in the near future. “It’s been my dream since Grade 6 when I first learned about aerodynamics in science. When I am in the air, I feel free and happy.” As she is enrolled in Flight Strategies, which allows students to fly during school hours, Brooks-Kirsch is confident she will be able to catch up on her flight hours without falling behind academically. Originally, she was going to attend McCoy High but switched to Eagle Butte to attend the Flight Academy.</p><p>Grade 11 student Reid Vossler took his first solo flight a few months ago. “It’s a really weird experience not having your instructor beside you watching your airspeed and altitude. It’s a nice experience, kind of like driving for the first time after you get your license. It’s really weird but at the same time it’s really fun as well.”&nbsp;</p><p>Maya Moore is in Grade 12 this year and didn’t know going into the program if she would want to pursue it as a career. “I might get my night reading because it would be so beautiful to fly at night, but I think honestly it will be a cool hobby to be able to fly. It’s been a great experience with the Academy,” said Moore. Following graduation in June, she plans to take a gap year to travel to Thailand as well as building up more flying hours. “I don’t want to go somewhere over my gap year that is a regular, family vacation destination. I want to go somewhere that will be interesting to see while I’m younger,” explained Moore. When she returns, she plans to apply to the nursing program at Medicine Hat College.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Grade 11 student Cole Edmonstone is hoping to become a commercial pilot and fly for WestJet and began looking at this as a career a couple of years ago after hearing about the Flight Academy.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Kathryne Fairbrother is in her second year and completed her first solo flight last year in September and enjoys being in the air on her own. “I’m working towards getting my private (license) before I graduate and hopefully my commercial after that,” stated Fairbrother who has wanted to be a pilot since she was very young. “I love looking up at planes and I’ve never travelled in a plane, except for here (at the Flight Academy) so I think it would be eventful to be up there and flying.”&nbsp;</p><p>Fairbrother was cleared for her first solo by Logan Neubauer, the first graduate from the Flight Academy to receive his wings and, among other things, now an instructor with the Flight Academy. Neubauer recently had the honour of taking Premier Danielle Smith up in the air during her visit to the Flight Academy.&nbsp;</p><p>“It’s not every day your son gets to fly the Premier at 20-years-old,” said Nichole Neubauer, mother of Logan as well as the Coordinator of the Agricultural Discovery Centre at Irvine School. “What a testament to this program, the opportunities seem to be incalculable.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Logan started at the Flight Academy in 2019 and managed through the struggles of the pandemic to complete his training. Logan’s had an interest in airplanes since he was 4 years old after attending an airshow and has persisted in pursuing his passion&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“People think that really cool things should just happen overnight, it should just be easy. It comes with lots of years of practice, and this is year five of Logan’s aviation career. It was such a proud moment when he walked across the stage at his graduation ceremony and they pinned his wings on. He took his commercial license the next year out of high school and went to Saskatoon to get his instructor rating. Now he’s working hard to build hours and get some more ratings to move to the next level,” explained Nichole Neubauer.&nbsp;</p><p>Logan’s story has come full circle with him now instructing some of the Flight Academy students. “It’s easy for him to relate to what they are going through and some of the challenges they face. Becoming a pilot isn’t easy, it’s so technical and there is so much information,” said Nichole. Logan has the unique ability to be able to relate to what it means to be a fulltime student while also participating in extracurricular activities in addition to being part of the Flight Academy.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“He makes it real,” continued Nichole, “and shows it’s possible with hard work and doing what you are told, and because they are set up for success in this program, students can achieve great things. Some of the students who graduated last year are going on to get their commercial licenses and it’s such a fantastic opportunity for the flight industry in general to get these kids excited about flying.”&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>Trades education for regional high schools</strong></h3><p>A new educational opportunity for regional high school students is on the horizon, thanks to a collaborative partnership between Medicine Hat College (MHC) and Prairie Rose Public Schools (PRPS).</p><p>Starting in Fall 2024, Prairie Rose and MHC will launch the Southeast Alberta School of Trades. This initiative will expose students to seven trades disciplines in Grade 10, then narrow their focus on two trades the following year. The final year of high school would involve pre-employment or first year apprenticeship programming.&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p>&nbsp;“The partnership between Prairie Rose and Medicine Hat College has allowed us to expose our students to in-demand career training while in high school,” says Assistant Superintendent Boyd Craven. “We’ve seen this with the Health Care Aide Program, where there is a significant need in rural communities. We know this is the same for trades positions and we are excited to offer this option to grade 10 students across the school division.”&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p>The program is open to students from rural high schools in Bow Island, Dunmore, Foremost and Oyen who will attend classes onsite at MHC for a full day every two weeks to access labs, equipment and instruction.&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p>“I am thrilled about this new opportunity with Prairie Rose Public Schools, which demonstrates a significant stride towards enriching trades education in our communities. This collaboration is more than just an educational alliance; it's a commitment to opening doors for our youth, right from the K-12 system, into the world of skilled trades,” says Chad Flinn, dean of trades and technology at MHC.&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p>The concept received a high level of support from across the region and will help shed light on the potential within trades professions, adds Flinn.&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p>“This partnership aims to provide young minds with the knowledge, skills, and inspiration to pursue a fulfilling career in trades, contributing to both their personal growth and the development of our economy. Together, we are setting a new standard for trades education in Canada, ensuring our students are not just ready for the workforce, but are trailblazers in their chosen fields.”</p></blockquote><p>A South Alberta School of Trades information night will be held at MHC on February 13, 2024, from 5 – 7 p.m. for PRPS teachers, students and parents/guardians to explore trades programming and facilities.</p><p>Read more about the program: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/18z1pXkBO-e5l5BZXOx9GNuoLkInUK4Jb/view?usp=drive_link">South Alberta School of Trades</a></p>

<p>The January 9, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda Package can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xfSaApkqnkNaP3j0aLaCWSiHJuYC2mnE/view?usp=drive_link">January 9, 2024, Board Meeting Agenda</a></p><p><strong>Schuler School Presentation</strong><br>The principal of Schuler School, Lyle Kennedy, provided an update on the school's learning goals, emphasizing educational programming and promoting a strong sense of community. Feedback from school stakeholders highlighted the importance of parent engagement, diverse student opportunities, student voice, and the staff's dedication to making a difference. One of the school's primary education goals is to enhance literacy skills through methods like the science of reading, UFLI, and a vibrant library run by the school's administrative assistant and librarian, Janice Herman. Efforts to promote a positive culture include regular interactions with stakeholders that focus on being "for our community, with our community, as our community." It was also noted that the small school has expanded its sports offerings to include volleyball, basketball, curling, mini basketball, badminton, archery, and track and field options. Additionally, it was shared that the school was recently successful in securing a wellness grant for $10,000, which could go towards funding a greenhouse, outdoor fitness equipment, guest speakers, or even hosting community wellness events. The full presentation can be found in the January 9th Board Meeting Agenda package.</p><p>Story about Schuler School by the Medicine Hat News:&nbsp;<a href="https://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2024/01/11/schuler-schools-new-principal-has-been-building-off-past-successes/">https://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2024/01/11/schuler-schools-new-principal-has-been-building-off-past-successes/</a></p><p><strong>Executive Report</strong><br>In the monthly executive report, Superintendent Reagan Weeks shared that the school division was announcing two exciting new sports programs for both baseball and softball. The new Mavericks School of Baseball will begin this spring and will be offered to students in grades 4-9 who attend Irvine School, Schuler School and Senator Gershaw School. The new South Alberta School of Softball will kick off at Seven Persons School this spring and be offered to female students in grades 4-9. It was also shared that two new drone offerings are being developed for students. One is a semester-long course offered in partnership with the Medicine Hat College. The other is a joint initiative with Cypress County, a two-day drone course centred around agriculture and livestock in Seven Persons on March 12th and 13th.</p><p>Mavericks School of Baseball:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.myprps.com/news/the-mavericks-and-prairie-rose-partner-to-launch-new-school-of-baseball-this-spring-1704825660121">https://www.myprps.com/news/the-mavericks-and-prairie-rose-partner-to-launch-new-school-of-baseball-this-spring-1704825660121</a></p><p>South Alberta School of Softball:&nbsp;<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aWI4f0bnqEM2iOt1-OUx9cnOuKUT9mfN/view?usp=drive_link">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aWI4f0bnqEM2iOt1-OUx9cnOuKUT9mfN/view?usp=drive_link</a></p><p>Story on Drone Courses by the Medicine Hat News:&nbsp;<a href="https://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2024/01/11/prps-revamps-its-drone-program/">https://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2024/01/11/prps-revamps-its-drone-program/</a><br>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Building Operations and Maintenance Report</strong><br>Director of Building Operations and Maintenance Darrell Drefs provided his annual report to the board for information. One of the biggest challenges continues to be the Operations and Maintenance budget, which ran a deficit for the 2022-2023 year ($150,000). Drefs contributes the deficit to several factors including increased utility costs for power and water, additional mechanical costs added in schools compared to previous years, which cost more to run, reduced federal subsidies for summer students (grounds crews), higher insurance costs, and vehicle and fuel costs. Some of the listed priorities for the current year include updating the mechanical rooms at Oyen Public School, replacing the gym roof at Foremost School, upgrading the Senator Gershaw treatment room, and refinishing the SGS gym floor. The other notable project is the Parkside School Modernization, which is currently in the design stage. The division hopes to complete design plans by the fall of 2024, with construction beginning in the spring of 2025. The complete Building Operations and Maintenance Report can be found in the January 9th Board Meeting Agenda package.</p><p><strong>Wellness Report</strong><br>Tammy Toews and Greg Godard presented the Wellness Report for information. Toews gave an overview of employee wellness strategies for the year, including the development of new policies (disconnecting after work hours, workplace diversity, discrimination and harassment training) and the division-wide PD day held last fall with a primary focus on the dimensions of wellness. The division also has a wellness BINGO in January, February and March to promote self-wellness for employees. On the student side, School Psychologist Greg Godard provided an overview of the Student Support team, which consists of Family School Liaison Workers (7), a mental performance professional, behaviour intervention specialists (2), himself (school psychologist) and three service dogs (Timber, Luka, Iain). It was shared that the four most commonly referred cases to the FSLW team are related to anxiety, emotion regulation, and family and peer relationships, which is similar to what the team saw last year. It was also shared that overwhelming pressure on junior and senior high students, sleep problems, use of inappropriate language, social drama, and cyber and in-person bullying are the most common trends school mental health counsellors are seeing in today's youth. The complete Wellness Report can be found in the January 9th Board Meeting Agenda package.</p><p><strong>Other items:</strong></p><ul><li>The board approved proposed updates to policies GP#3 Chairperson's Role, GP#7 Regular Board Meetings, GP#8 Board Organizational Meeting, and GP#9 Executive Sessions (In-Camera) as presented.</li></ul>

<p>Prairie Rose students will be stepping up to the plate this spring as Prairie Rose Public Schools in collaboration with The Mavericks baseball organization (WCBL) is partnering to launch the Maverick School of Baseball. This innovative sports program is specifically designed for students in grades 4-9 and will be available at several schools in Prairie Rose Public Schools.</p><p>The Maverick School of Baseball integrates enhanced baseball training into the regular school curriculum outside of regular physical education instruction. Students will benefit from additional programming during their school day, focusing on developing and honing their baseball skills under the guidance of skilled professionals.</p><p>Key to the program's success is the direct involvement of experienced Mavericks coaches. Leading the Mavericks School of Baseball coaching team is head coach and program director Greg Morrison, a former professional player with a distinguished 12-season career which includes time with the LA Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays organizations. Morrison's career highlights include achieving over 1,000 hits and 100 home runs.</p><blockquote><p>“We know the importance of giving younger kids the skills to throw, catch, and hit a baseball,” says Greg Morrison. “Not only will you see those dividends in sport and athletic development for the students who choose to continue to play baseball in high school and college, but also in promoting a healthy lifestyle which carries with them for the rest of their lives.”&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p>Joining him is Chad Martin, a seasoned professional with a rich background in baseball. Martin has a history of playing US College baseball, has served as a high school baseball head coach at Eagle Butte High School and Crescent Heights High School for 25 years, and is currently the assistant coach with the Mavericks since 2009 and a teacher at Senator Gershaw School.</p><p>The Maverick School of Baseball will launch this spring (2024) and will be available to Prairie Rose students at Irvine School, Schuler School, and Senator Gershaw School.&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p>“The addition of the Mavericks School of Baseball to the PRPS program offerings represents a unique opportunity for young athletes to grow under the guidance of accomplished professionals,” says South Alberta High School principal Darren MacMillan. “In Prairie Rose we are always trying to find engaging learning experiences for students based on their passions. We heard from many students and parents that would like to see a program based around building baseball skills. Thanks to our partners at the Mavericks, we have been able to make that happen.”</p></blockquote><p>Details about the program are still being finalized and will be shared as soon as they are available. An information night will be held on January 16, 2024, at the Prairie Rose Public Schools Division Office at 6:00 p.m. All interested families are invited to attend.</p><p>Watch the story on CHAT TV: <a href="https://chatnewstoday.ca/2024/01/09/school-of-baseball-partnership-between-prairie-rose-school-division-and-medicine-hat-mavericks-announced/?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter">https://chatnewstoday.ca/2024/01/09/school-of-baseball-partnership-between-prairie-rose-school-division-and-medicine-hat-mavericks-announced/?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter</a></p><p>Medicine Hat News story 1: <a href="https://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2024/01/10/prairie-rose-sd-partnering-with-mavericks-for-baseball-school/">https://medicinehatnews.com/news/local-news/2024/01/10/prairie-rose-sd-partnering-with-mavericks-for-baseball-school/</a></p><p>Medicine Hat News story 2: <a href="https://medicinehatnews.com/sports/local-sports/2024/01/10/morrison-mavs-open-baseball-school/">https://medicinehatnews.com/sports/local-sports/2024/01/10/morrison-mavs-open-baseball-school/</a></p><p>Learn more about the Mavericks School of Baseball ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️</p><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZB6c-aOqcSH5aduCRrQaQ6MKQQSqJSe8/view?usp=drive_link"><img src="/images/8c60f5bc-3ee4-46c6-a315-69832877d0b8?fingerprint=ppb20251217023850" alt="MSB News Graphic"></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The January 9, 2024, PRPS Public Board Meeting will take place at the Prairie Rose Public Schools Division Office starting at 12:45 p.m. The meeting is only available in-person.</p><p>The complete agenda package can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xfSaApkqnkNaP3j0aLaCWSiHJuYC2mnE/view?usp=drive_link">January 9, 2024 Board Meeting Agenda</a></p>

<p><i>Medicine Hat News - BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER ON DECEMBER 6, 2023.</i></p><p>Prairie Rose Public Schools has received a clean financial audit, with statements presented to the board on Nov. 28.</p><p>Board chair Lois Bedwell was on the audit committee and stated she learned a lot during pre- and post-audit meetings. Accounting firm MNP LLP gave PRPS a clean audit and was impressed with the work done by the financial team. Controller Candice Hintz touched on three of the main schedules in her presentation.</p><p>Last year, PRPS received new and initial funding, but only for a few months, and this year it is available for the full 10 months of operations. Badlands Baseball Academy has been incorporated into PRPS operations this year and the division was approved for collegiate funding for the South Alberta Flight Academy.</p><p>New this year is the assets retirement obligation (ARO), estimated at a $4.6 million cost to deal with any asset retirement obligation, such as asbestos and septic tanks, at the end of useful life. Most assets are in the schools, which Alberta Education will likely fund when the time comes, but since it’s not confirmed, PRPS must record this cost as a liability. With the ARO, it makes the total liabilities higher than total assets, resulting in a net debt amount due to that change in accounting policies.</p><p>Actual revenue was $1,549,994 higher than budget due to increased funding from Alberta Education, increase in fees, increase in interest income, additional donations and ASBIE (Alberta School Boards’ Insurance Exchange) equity return.</p><p>Actual expenses were $1,360,545 over budget, which was due to increased support for programming, additional professional development, increased utility costs and expenses incurred due to increased funding.</p><p>CFO Ryan Boser asked the board to approve a motion, which was carried, prior to approving the audited financial statements.</p><p>“In order to fund the deficit this year and get our reserves down below the maximum, which we successfully did, it does require a reserve transfer to move $1,003,458 from restricted operating reserves to unrestricted operating reserves. Essentially what that means is we are moving just over $1 million from our restricted reserves into operations to fund that deficit, and that was part of our plan all along.”</p>

<p><i>Medicine Hat News - BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER ON DECEMBER 5, 2023.</i></p><p>For K-3 students at I.F. Cox School in Redcliff, there is a new Prairie Rose Possibilities project available called TNT, or Try New Things.</p><p>Parents wanted to see broader programs in the school and this project offers opportunities for students to take part in different areas of interest. Another benefit is children engage with different teachers as well as students from other grades while participating in their chosen courses.</p><p>The project aligns with kindling hearts by bringing a sense of well-being to both students and staff. It allows staff to offer courses in subjects they are passionate about and gives students a choice of what topics they want to engage in. It also provides an opportunity to bring parents and stakeholders back into the school post-pandemic. It ignites minds by providing high yield strategies, co-operative learning, executive functioning skills and non-linguistic representation.</p><p>Additionally, by cultivating wonder, strengthening partnerships with stakeholders and offering prospects for deeper learning, the program is forging futures.</p><p>The program started with teaching staff offering courses and has grown to include support staff and a divisional lead. First-year education students from Medicine Hat College, a retired teacher who is a watercolour artist, the Mavericks baseball team, along with men’s and women’s sports teams from the college have all come into the school.</p><p>There were 92 parent responses from a survey and 100% were positive, with comments focused on how much they were looking forward to sessions restarting again this year.</p><p>Trustee Patty Rooks stated the program was a great way to create a sense of community, and while she is aware it creates extra work for the teachers, it is appreciated.</p><p>The school is having a Christmas fair and fun night and many groups have been working on products to sell, such as baked items, ornaments and watercolour paintings. The fair will take place Dec. 6 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and the school is in the process of choosing a charity to donate all proceeds to.</p>

<p>The November 28, 2023, Board Meeting Agenda Package can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IXInzuN7EFDeKlyOezLkvCr58mlAWksf/view?usp=drive_link">November 28, 2023 Board Meeting Agenda</a></p><p><strong>PAT and Diploma Results</strong></p><p>Assistant Superintendent Boyd Craven presented the 2023-2024 Prairie Rose results from the PAT (provincial assessment testing grades 6 and 9) and Diploma (grade 12) exams for information. It was noted that Prairie Rose students did very well in most areas compared to the provincial results.&nbsp;</p><p>Some highlights of the report include:</p><ul><li>The divisional PAT results were higher at the acceptable level than the province in every subject.</li><li>Overall, the diploma acceptable standard increased from 71% to 77%.</li><li>There was an overall increase in the diploma standard of excellence from 10.9% to 11.8%.</li></ul><p>The full report can be found in the November 28, 2023, Board Meeting Agenda package.</p><p><strong>IF Cox Presentation</strong></p><p>IF Cox School Vice-Principal Tracy Frank provided an overview of the school’s Prairie Rose Possibility program called TNT or Try New Things. The program runs in six-week cycles, with each student getting to choose two options during that time frame. Some options available to students have included sign language, coding, pickleball, virtual reality, running, pinata making, magic tricks, field trips and more. The options are chosen based on staff interest and their passion for sharing with the students. Outside community members are also brought in to offer additional subject options. The program was developed to offer opportunities for younger students to engage in areas of passion and interest, much like they do at the junior high level. It was also shared that TNT classes are not grade-specific, but students from K-3 all participate together in their chosen subject areas. This has helped transition students between grades and the Redcliff schools as they get to know students outside their direct peer groups. The full presentation can be found in the Board Meeting Agenda package for November 28, 2023.</p><p><strong>Cypress County Ag Conference</strong></p><p>Trustee Graeme Dennis commended Cypress County on successfully hosting the Ag Connections Conference on November 22, 2023. Community partner Nichole Neubauer and the Irvine School ADC students were also congratulated for their presentation at the conference. It was noted that a lot of great work is happening in agriculture, which has been intertwined with learning in PRPS.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>PRPS Executive Report</strong></p><p>Superintendent Reagan Weeks shared the executive report with the board, highlighting several exciting and upcoming initiatives across Prairie Rose Public Schools.&nbsp;</p><p>Some of the highlights include:</p><ul><li>Recent Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence winner and Ralston School teacher Jocelyn Encinas will spearhead a new Prairie Rose Possibility program focused on robotics at Ralston School.</li><li>PRPS Instructional Coach Cammie Kannekens was invited to attend the Google for Educators conference in Ireland to represent PRPS at Google headquarters</li><li>PRPS will launch an expanded drone program with new partnerships for training specific to the agriculture industry. The training will take place at the airfield in Foremost.</li><li>The DR South Alberta Flight Academy is touring CFB Cold Lake to learn more about the Canadian military aviation program.</li></ul><p><strong>Audited Financial Statement</strong></p><p>Board Chair Lois Bedwell provided highlights from the MNP audit report. Overall, PRPS was given a clean audit from MNP. The full report can be found in the November 28, 2023, Board Meeting Agenda package.</p><p>Total revenues for the 2022-2023 school year amounted to $55,697,369.</p><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td>K-12 Instruction</td><td>$39,151,322</td></tr><tr><td>Plant Operations and Maintenance</td><td>$6,035,008</td></tr><tr><td>Transportation</td><td>$6,234,628</td></tr><tr><td>System Administration</td><td>$2,220,085</td></tr><tr><td>External Services</td><td>$28,084&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p>Total expenses for the year totalled $56,416,818.</p><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td>K-12 Instruction</td><td>$39,039,516</td></tr><tr><td>Plant Operations and Maintenance</td><td>$7,294,079</td></tr><tr><td>Transportation</td><td>$5,905,299</td></tr><tr><td>System Administration</td><td>$2,106,651</td></tr><tr><td>External Services</td><td>$33,926</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p>The total operating deficit for the 2022-2023 year came in at $719,449, a planned deficit amount to get division reserves under the allowable 4.42% of August 31, 2022 expenses ($2,374,703). Operating reserves now sit at $2,228,252. Trustees approved a motion to move 1,358,000 from restricted to unrestricted to cover the deficit. The 2022-2023 financial statements were approved as presented.</p>

<p>The November 28, 2023, PRPS Public Board Meeting will take place at the Prairie Rose Public Schools Division Office starting at 10:00 a.m. The meeting is only available in-person.</p><p>The complete agenda package can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IXInzuN7EFDeKlyOezLkvCr58mlAWksf/view?usp=drive_link">November 28, 2023 Board Meeting Agenda</a></p>