<p><strong>Acadia Valley ECS</strong></p><p>The Acadia Valley ECS is seeking a Part-time Teacher at Warren Peers School for the 2022-23 school year.&nbsp;<br><br>The successful candidate will be responsible for providing instruction for the children, while facilitating and maintaining a positive, safe, and caring learning environment. Ensuring confidentiality and open communication with parents and guardians is a necessity in maintaining this welcoming environment. Through adequate preparation and organization, the teacher will exhibit excellent classroom management in the promotion of goals and standards as adopted and approved by Alberta Education. Using regular evaluation and reporting, the teacher will encourage and foster lifelong learning in the children. The successful candidate will work collaboratively in a professional team environment alongside a Parent Board and the staff at Warren Peers School.</p><p><strong>Qualifications:</strong><br>● Bachelor of Education Degree from an accredited University&nbsp;<br>● Alberta Teaching Certificate</p><p><strong>Terms of Employment:</strong><br>August 30, 2022 - June 30, 2023 (with the potential to re-sign a continuing yearly contract)</p><p><strong>About Prairie Rose Public Schools:</strong><br>The Acadia Valley ECS program is run independently of Prairie Rose Public Schools and is a private ECS.</p><p><strong>Submission Details:</strong><br>Please email complete resume and 3 contactable references to:&nbsp;<br>Chynna Kuhn(president)&nbsp;<br>Acadia Valley ECS Email: [email protected]<br><br>The Acadia Valley Early Childhood Services is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure learning environment. To assist in achieving that goal, we require the successful applicant to provide a satisfactory Police Information Check, including a Vulnerable Sector Search, prior to commencing employment.</p><p>APPLICATION DEADLINE: This position will remain OPEN until a suitable candidate is found.</p><div class="collapsible-box"><h3 class="collapsible-box-title">&nbsp;</h3><div class="collapsible-box-description"><p>&nbsp;</p></div></div>

Congratulations Archers on an excellent showing at NASP Provincials.

Chemistry in action. Exploring powders and their chemical reactions.

Congratulations archers on your medals from the Cessford archery tournament

<p><i>The board meeting agenda package can be found here:</i> <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ro2XbuU_WcCMh26nIZoKuDjL6zukV5bz/view?usp=sharing">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ro2XbuU_WcCMh26nIZoKuDjL6zukV5bz/view?usp=sharing</a></p><p><strong>Schuler School Presentation</strong></p><p>Schuler School principal Lisa Lindsay provided an overview of the school and highlights from the past year. Schuler is a K-9 school of approximately 70 students located 90 kilometres north of Medicine Hat. The school has implemented several new initiatives from the feedback received from students, parents, and staff through the 2021-2022 assurance survey. These include; new routines for junior high students during the recess and lunch break, increased choice in the option courses available, an active student voice, enhanced weekly communication to parents and the community, and opportunities for team building and collaboration amongst the staff. A summary of the school’s education goals was shared, focusing on literacy, deeper learning and promoting a positive culture. The full school presentation can be found in the meeting agenda package.</p><p><strong>Technology Accountability Report</strong></p><p>Director of Technology Wayne Rossler presented the 2022 PRPS Technology Accountability Report for information. The report includes a list of the division’s technology assets, along with a summary of key projects and priorities for the current school year, which includes; the digitization of student records, security upgrades, the moving of files to a cloud-based data centre and the installation of Chromebook internet filtering. It was noted that during the 2020-2021 school year, Prairie Rose Public Schools spent 1.3 million dollars on technology purchases and licensing. The full report can be found in the meeting agenda package.</p><p><strong>2022-2023 School Calendar Approval</strong></p><p>The board approved the school calendar for the 2022-2023 year. The calendar has a start date for students of August 29, 2022, a mid-week start to the Christmas break, a day for all students and staff to honour Truth and Reconciliation, and the inclusion of two wellness days into the calendar. The approved calendar is available on the Prairie Rose website:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.myprps.com/news/2022-2023-prps-school-year-calendar-1646873059180">https://www.myprps.com/news/2022-2023-prps-school-year-calendar-1646873059180</a></p><p><strong>Capital Plan Approval</strong></p><p>Chief Financial Officer Ryan Boser shared that Prairie Rose has been granted an extension by Alberta Infrastructure for late submission of the annual Capital Plan, which is usually required by the end of March. The division will be working with Ferrari Westwood Babits Architects to formally revamp the plan to ensure essential school facility needs are represented. The plan will be returned to the board for approval at the April public board meeting.</p><p><strong>GP15 Trustee Development</strong></p><ul><li>A modification was made to GP15 to allow trustees the choice to attend the Rural Education Symposium or First Nations Metis Education Gathering conference annually as part of their allocated PD budget.</li></ul>

<p>The Prairie Rose Public Schools Board of Trustees will be holding their next public board meeting on Wednesday, March 9th at 12:45 pm. The meeting will be held in-person at the Chamber of Commerce office in Medicine Hat located at:</p><p>413 - 6 Avenue SE<br>Medicine Hat, Alberta</p><p>The meeting agenda can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ro2XbuU_WcCMh26nIZoKuDjL6zukV5bz/view?usp=sharing">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ro2XbuU_WcCMh26nIZoKuDjL6zukV5bz/view?usp=sharing</a></p>

Microscopic investigation

Great showing of WPS at archery tournament in Cessford. Well done shooters.

<p>On Saturday, February 26, 2022, Alberta Premier Jason Kenny announced that the province will be moving forward with lifting most of the remaining COVID-19 restrictions on March 1st. For K-12 schools this will result in the removal of all current protocols, <i>with the exception of the sickness/isolation guidelines</i>.</p><p>Specifically, starting March 1, 2022, the following restrictions will no longer apply:</p><ul><li>Cohorting will be removed for grades K-6.</li><li>Youth screening activities for entertainment and sports activities will no longer be required.</li><li>Capacity limits for large gatherings are removed.</li><li>Indoor and outdoor social gathering limits will be lifted.</li><li>There will no longer be a requirement for those over the age of 18 to wear a mask, however, Prairie Rose Public Schools will continue to support any individual who wishes to continue wearing a mask.</li></ul><p>As mentioned, the illness and stay at home when sick requirements remain in place. <strong>Please continue to use our Student Illness Guide to determine whether your child is well enough to attend school</strong>. &nbsp;This requirement also applies to all adults visiting school facilities. A link to the most recent versions of our PRPS Illness Guides can be found below.&nbsp;</p><p>(<strong>Updated February 2022</strong>): <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/12oedZgsqwxJlmL6yMMLlR86E4PeuvGMG/view">Student Illness Guide - Staying Home When Sick</a></p><p>(<strong>Updated February 2022</strong>): <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IJ8D-GrZniZOevr6tKsVJ0NGb-SRMChH/view">Adult Illness Guide - Staying Home When Sick</a></p>

Red for Ed. And 100 days. Let’s celebrate today!

Basketball game for WPS against OYEN. Go Wildcats.

<p>Starting February 23rd, parents will start receiving survey packages by mail from Alberta Education for the 2022 Assurance Survey. &nbsp;Parents will either complete the surveys online or return completed paper copies directly to Alberta Education.&nbsp;</p><p>Here are some important notes for parents regarding the survey:</p><ol><li>The survey package will include:<ul><li>a copy of the Education Minister's letter</li><li>a Random Access Code for accessing the survey online and instructions for accessing the survey in other languages, if needed.</li></ul></li><li>Parents with more than one student in the relevant survey grades will receive a separate survey package and Random Access Code for each child.</li><li><strong>The survey will remain open until April 1, 2022 (the deadline has been extended)</strong>.</li></ol><p><strong>Who will receive the survey?</strong></p><ol><li>Where a school community is fewer than 120 students in grades 4-12, all students in grades 4 and above will meet the survey eligibility criteria.</li><li>Where a school community is above 120 only parents and guardians of students in grades 4, 7 and 10 will receive the survey.</li></ol><p>More information regarding the Assurance Framework and how the survey data will be used can be found by visiting the <a href="https://www.alberta.ca/accountability-education-system.aspx">Alberta Education Assurance and Accountability website</a>.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Prairie Rose Public Schools Board of Trustees will be holding a Special Board Meeting on February 10, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the following item:</p><ol><li>P113 - Workplace Health and Safety, COVID-19 Increased Safety Procedures</li></ol><p>The meeting will be held online and can be accessed here: <a href="https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTZkODA3ZGEtZTdkMS00YTExLWJlNzEtMDY5OTU0MjZhZGE0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22c1a7f361-4369-4e63-af8a-db541e2c097b%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2248a6a9b8-2a7b-494f-9523-0206f91ffcad%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d&amp;btype=a&amp;role=a">Join the Online Meeting</a><br><i>Once you click the link, click cancel (on the pop up), watch on the web instead, join anonymously.</i></p>

<p>Yesterday evening, Premier Jason Kenny shared details regarding the province’s plan for moving forward, beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Full details of the <i>Alberta plan for returning to normal</i> is available here: <a href="https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=8185996876395-A336-5B57-A82D6FEE916E1060">February 8, 2022 Announcement</a></p><p>As a result of these changes, please be aware of the following updates to our division COVID-19 response plan:</p><p>→<strong> &nbsp;Masking:</strong> Starting next week (February 14th), all masking requirements for students will be removed from the public health order for all K-12 students. This means that students in grades K-12 will not be required to wear a mask while riding the school bus, or while attending school. At this time, the Alberta Government still requires all adults (18 years of age or older) to wear masks while in schools. This includes school and division staff, bus drivers and any adult visitors to our schools. As always, our schools will continue to provide a supportive environment for those students who wish to continue wearing a mask.</p><p><strong>→ &nbsp;Daily Checklist and Isolation Requirements:</strong> Parents are encouraged to continue to use the daily checklist when making decisions regarding sending their child to school. All isolation requirements for students who are close contacts or test positive for COVID-19 remain in place. The <i>PRPS Student Illness Guide</i> can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/12oedZgsqwxJlmL6yMMLlR86E4PeuvGMG/view">PRPS Illness Guide</a></p><p><strong>→ &nbsp;Spectators and Visitors in Schools</strong>: Restrictions on spectator limits (sports and performance) have been lifted, however all adults in school buildings are still required to wear a mask for the duration of the time they are in the school as per the current government direction.</p><p><strong>→ &nbsp;Field Trips</strong>: The restrictions to field trip activities have been lifted. Schools are still encouraged to prioritize outdoor field trips and maintain cohorts, where possible.</p><p><strong>→ &nbsp;After School Facility Use (youth)</strong>: Outside user groups for youth are once again permitted at Prairie Rose Public School facilities. Please contact your local school for details.</p><p>As part of the three step <i>Alberta plan for returning to normal</i>, it is likely more changes will be coming throughout the next few weeks. Our division will continue to follow the direction provided by the provincial government as they move toward reopening Alberta.&nbsp;</p><p>Thank you again for your continued patience and understanding as we navigate the challenges of COVID-19. If you have any questions, please contact your school principal.</p>

<p>The Prairie Rose Public Schools Board of Trustees will be holding their next public meeting on February 8, 2022, at 12:45 PM. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the meeting will be streamed live.</p><p>The meeting agenda can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ernKY1U7tQ1DWjyzNfKzPQHsghhOqDky/view?usp=sharing">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ernKY1U7tQ1DWjyzNfKzPQHsghhOqDky/view?usp=sharing</a></p><p>The meeting will be held online and can be accessed here: <a href="https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ODNhMTE3YjQtZGJiZi00M2JmLTkxNGQtMmYwZTc3ZTE4Yzg2%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22c1a7f361-4369-4e63-af8a-db541e2c097b%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22f7324c65-36e2-49e7-bfab-e0b3d9aa4a5d%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d&amp;btype=a&amp;role=a">Join the Online Meeting</a><br><i>Once you click the link, click cancel (on the pop up), watch on the web instead, join anonymously.</i></p>

On Friday WPS kicked off our Olympics with a reading of the Athlete’s oath, an opening ceremony and a parade of flags. So far team Finland is in the lead with two medals. Go athletes.

<p>On Friday, February 4, 2022, Prairie Rose Public Schools was made aware of a number of organized protests taking place outside our schools in communities across the division. These protests were part of a provincially planned action advocating against public health measures. We acknowledge this action would have caused worry for many of our students and staff. As such, our focus was on providing support in our schools and creating a sense of normalcy throughout the day, as much as possible.</p><ul><li>Our number one priority was to ensure the safety of our students and staff. All efforts were made to provide support and reduce anxiety for students. As part of these efforts, our staff were directed to continue with classes and try to maintain normalcy as much as possible.</li><li>As is consistent with our emergency response Hold and Secure protocol, all school doors were locked and access in and out of schools was monitored throughout the school day.</li><li>Any student who made the choice to actively protest the rules while inside the school building were moved to a location away from the other students. A choice to be at school still requires the student to be responsible for their actions and to follow the expectations for learning in our buildings. The <i>Education Act</i> clearly states that it is a parent’s responsibility to help their student comply with the rules of the school.</li></ul><p>It is extremely unfortunate that our students and staff have been put into the middle of a political debate in which school divisions do not have the authority to make changes. Any concerns that have been shared with us have been passed along to both the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health who are responsible for these decisions.&nbsp;</p><p>These recent events have caused unnecessary challenges and stress on schools. This does not support a positive environment for learning and further impacts the mental health of educators and students. We strongly encourage all community members who have concerns with the current mandates to take their conversations to their local members of government and not our teachers and children.</p><p>Reagan Weeks<br>Superintendent<br>Prairie Rose Public Schools</p><p>Cathy Hogg<br>Board Chair<br>Prairie Rose Public Schools</p>

<p>As we committed to families upon the return to in-person classes on January 10th, Prairie Rose Public Schools has reviewed three key sections of our revised 2022 Re-Entry Plan with regards to field trips, spectators and audience members in schools, and the use of school facilities after school hours.</p><p>✅ &nbsp;Spectators and audience members will be allowed in schools to watch sports and performance events with the following conditions.</p><p>Starting immediately (or when the school can manage the adjustment):</p><ul><li>Each player or performer may have 2 immediate family members attend.</li><li>All visitors must follow the guidelines for visitors in schools, including the requirement to wear a mask for the duration of their time in the building. More details regarding visitors can be found in our <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/12HIeN3oaL24UpdR87fT-NGeKXoTXONIU/view">School Re-Entry Plan</a>.</li></ul><p>Starting February 7th:</p><ul><li>The maximum number of visitors at an event cannot exceed ⅓ capacity.</li><li>All visitors must follow the guidelines for visitors in schools, including the requirement to wear a mask for the duration of their time in the building. More details regarding visitors can be found in our <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/12HIeN3oaL24UpdR87fT-NGeKXoTXONIU/view">School Re-Entry Plan</a>.</li></ul><p>❌ &nbsp;Outside user groups will continue to be restricted at this time and approved on a case by case basis. This decision will be reviewed again by the end of February.&nbsp;</p><p>❌ &nbsp;Field trips that are not part of an educational program will continue to be restricted at this time. Schools have been asked to reschedule any pre-planned trips until the end of February. This decision will be revisited again at the end of February.</p><p>The full school re-entry plan along with our COVID guidelines can be found here: <a href="https://www.myprps.com/covid-19-resources">https://www.myprps.com/covid-19-resources</a></p>

<p>The full board meeting agenda package can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ayjvsHhUIIZTvm4ggNZhYMZTF6fpLzuP/view?usp=sharing">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ayjvsHhUIIZTvm4ggNZhYMZTF6fpLzuP/view?usp=sharing</a></p><p><strong>IF Cox School Presentation</strong></p><p>Principal Linda Asham and Vice Principal Tracy Frank provided an overview of IF Cox School highlighting a number of strategies developed by staff focused on increasing learning opportunities and student success. In their presentation to the board, the school leaders featured several initiatives including; a strong focus on literacy, character education and social emotional learning, and respect for one another and the earth. It was noted the school is really proud of the work their students and teachers have done towards improving literacy across grades K-3 through focused strategies such as Secret Stories and the introduction of Heggerty Phonemic Awareness. The full presentation can be found in the board meeting agenda package.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>COVID-19 Update</strong></p><p>Superintendent Reagan Weeks provided a brief system update regarding the return to in-person learning following the extended winter break. It was noted that currently Prairie Rose has been able to maintain in-person learning across the division with minimal disruption and that a few schools (Prairie Mennonite, Jenner, Parkside) had already received their shipment of PPE (as of Tuesday PM) with the rest expected to come throughout the week. All items will be shipped directly to schools so they can be distributed quickly once they arrive. It was also shared that unlike in previous COVID-19 waves, Alberta Health and the province have made the decision to no longer ask schools to report positive COVID cases to their school communities. The complete Prairie Rose return to school plan and the updated illness guides can be found on the website: <a href="https://www.myprps.com/covid-19-resources">https://www.myprps.com/covid-19-resources</a></p><p><strong>Maintenance and Infrastructure Report</strong></p><p>Director of Maintenance Operations Darrell Drefs provided the Maintenance Accountability Report to the Board for information. Highlights of the report include a summary of the maintenance budget, an overview of projects completed in the 2020-2021 year through Infrastructure Maintenance and Renewal (IMR) funding and Capital Maintenance and Renewal (CMR) funding, and a summary of the Prairie Rose Capital Plan. It was shared that during the 2020-2021 year, $592,838 was spent on IMR projects. Some of those upgrades included the modernization of the Oyen Public School entrance, window replacement at Eagle Butte High School, creating barrier-free access at South Central, and upgrading the Ralston server room. Completed CMR projects included (but were not limited to) mechanical upgrades at Parkside, BMS control upgrade at IF Cox, and a fire alarm panel and systems upgrade at Seven Persons. Drefs noted that the main difference between IMR and CMR is how the spending is reported and projects capitalized, and that CMR projects must be pre-approved. Overall, during the 2020-2021 year the actual maintenance deficit came in $195,902 over budget. A complete list and photos on completed projects can be found in the board meeting agenda package.</p><p><strong>Inclusive Education Accountability Report</strong></p><p>Director of Student Services Camille Quinton presented the Inclusive Education Accountability Report to the Board for information. It was noted that the division received an additional $300,000 in funding last year for services and student supports for a total of $4,483,013. The total spent on providing student services amounted to $5,036,985, with the remaining funding coming from general instruction. A breakdown of the types of services and student codes was provided along with allocated funding for each school. The full report can be found in the board meeting agenda package.</p><p><strong>Financial Update</strong></p><p>Assistant Secretary Treasurer Candice Hintz provided a financial update to the Board for information. As of November 2021, the division was 25% of the way through the current fiscal year. There were no reported changes to revenues, compared to the fall 2021 approved budget. The school division is currently projecting overall revenues of $51,511,580 for the year and projected expenses of $52,141,775. Overall, the 2021-2022 school year deficit is expected to come in at $595,195.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Other Items:</strong></p><ul><li>The board approved the borrowing resolution with ATB Financial for the 2021-2022 year.</li></ul>