PRINCE ALBERT — Trustees in the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division recently completed the first of their school tours for the new board of education.
On Jan. 27, the trustees toured six schools in Prince Albert. The board discussed the tours during a verbal update by Chair Cher Bloom during the board’s regular meeting on Monday.
"This is the first six schools that the board is able to get to and they will get to all schools by the end of their term,” director of education Neil Finch said.
According to a school division press release, these visits allow trustees to engage directly with students and staff. The release states that “by touring schools, the Board strengthens its connection to the school communities it serves, ensuring that decision-making remains informed by the real experiences of educators and students.”
On Jan. 27, trustees visited Wesmor, Westview, Queen Mary, Arthur Pechey, PACI and Victor Thunderchild School.
Trustees interacted with the student body at each school including square dancing at one school.
"The schools do such a good job of having the board visit,” Finch said.
"It was a good visit for sure.”
During the meeting board members spoke about the work being done in the Queen Mary Specialized Support Classroom Pilot Project, and through the PACI Mental Health Capacity Building Partnership with Saskatchewan Health Authority.
The school visits covered all areas of Prince Albert, other tours throughout the board’s term will cover the rest of Prince Albert including the bus maintenance facility and all rural schools.
SUBHEADLINE: Board hosts Winter Pipe Ceremony and learns about Indigenous education framework
The board also took part in their Winter Pipe Ceremony at WJ Berezowsky School on Monday morning.
The purpose was to help bring clarity and direction for Indigenous teachings throughout the division.
"We had a pipe ceremony down at WJ Berezowsky and then we had our Elder’s Council after that, with the whole board and Elder’s Council, and then we moved into our board meeting after that,” director of education Neil Finch explained.
Following the ceremony, the Board met with the Elders Council at the Education Centre and learned about the education framework developed by Elder’s Council Knowledge Keeper Mike Relland.
"We went through a framework that Mike Relland has developed—an education framework—and that was the majority of the conversation,” Finch said.
The framework will help guide Indigenous education in the division.
"There are four stages that schools will be asked (about) when it comes to their Indigenous education and (we’re) making sure that we are improving along the continuum of those four areas,” Finch said.
Relland has expertise in the field and Finch was happy Relland could present the framework. “He developed the framework so he was just presenting it to the board,” Finch said.
