Regional Office, Barrhead –

PHPS offers $2,500 Relocation Incentive
Are you considering applying for a position in Pembina Hills Public Schools? Do you already work for us but live outside the division? Our new Relocation Incentive offers $2,500 to all new and existing employees who live outside the division and choose to move to a community within Pembina Hills’ geographic area.

Why are we offering this incentive?
We believe that growth in our communities will help to sustain the viability of our schools. We also believe there are many benefits to employees who reside in the communities where they work, including reduced travel time and expenses. With the exception of Vista Virtual School that has campuses in Edmonton and Calgary, we prefer that our employees reside within the geographic area of the school division.

School board adopts $63.3M PHPS budget and $20.2M ADLC budget
The school board adopted the PHPS and ADLC budgets for 2018-19. Secretary Treasurer Tracy Meunier presented the combined budget overview, a total of $83.5 million.

While government funding rates remain the same as last year, our division will have less money due to declining enrolment and the increased cost of goods and services.

We are however thankful for the continuation of the Classroom Improvement Fund (CIF). As part of its budget deliberations, the board approved the $843,600 allotment to schools. Schools will be required to submit proposals for their portion of the CIF and later report on how they spent the monies.

The division’s 2018-19 budget illustrates the importance of reserves. Although we will receive less money from the government next year, the PHPS Budget indicates our intention to use reserve funds to keep and launch programs that focus on our priority areas — diversity of student needs, student-teacher relationships, numeracy, and literacy.

The ADLC Budget includes the following changes:

• Phasing out of services provided by contract markers
• Centralization of services in Barrhead
• Discontinuance of services to adult students
• Decreasing instructional design to maintenance levels for 2018-19; no new resource development is planned
• A net reduction of 21.5 fte support staff positions — a result of operating efficiencies, alignment of work locations, decreasing instructional design output and elimination of job tasks

Our Grade nine students are reading — despite a world filled with digital distractions
Junior high teachers Noreen Holt and Danica Pyper reported on the successes and lessons learned from the PHPS Junior High Reading Project that began in January 2018.

The pilot project involved five schools, ten teachers and 239 students from 13 diverse Grade nine classes. Students were expected to read five books, including at least one novel. Teachers devoted 75-90 minutes of in-class reading time per week.

91% of students who participated in the project say they would like to see it continue! And it will next year, thanks to dedicated funds from the Co-op Pool operating reserve.

The next school board meeting is on Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at École Barrhead Elementary School starting at 9:30 a.m. Members of the public are welcome to attend.