Regional Office –
Additional funding for Busby School gymnasium
The board received a presentation on the new gym project underway at Busby School. While early planning is going well, some important decisions surrounding building materials and current market conditions have increased the cost of the project, and additional funding is required. The board discussed these changes and the best way to provide funding for the project.
The board approved the withdrawal of $650,000 from reserves to add to existing grant funding so that the project can go ahead.
Policies approved
Pembina Hills School Division has a thorough policy framework that guides the direction of the division. In an effort to make sure that these policies remain up-to-date, the board’s Policy Committee meets several times each year and makes recommendations to the board for changes.
- Policy 08 Committees of the Board – Appendix A – Changes were made to update the membership for each committee to reflect changes in staffing and board membership.
- Policy 21 Long Service Awards and Recognition — Changes were made to clarify the coupons that employees are given in recognition for their service.
- Policy 27 Division Citizenship Awards — A change was made to the nomination date deadline.
Communications Assurance Report
Pembina Hills uses a number of digital tools to engage and communicate with parents. PowerSchool is the centre of our Student Information System and so far 73% of our families have set up a parent account. We want to encourage parents to sign up for PowerSchool as it links to our online payment and forms system, Rycor, as well as our online student registration system, SchoolEngage.
School Messenger has also been a very valuable tool to get messaging to parents and guardians quickly, especially as messages regarding COVID-19 have changed frequently and at times suddenly. Safe Arrival will be piloted before rolling out as a tool for parents to communicate student absences.
Check out the board meeting agenda and minutes for more information.
The next school board meeting is at the Regional Office on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 starting at 9:00 a.m.