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    Under the Northern Lights - April 19, 2023

    Good News Items

    • Trustee Cheryl Edwards commended the youth and staff who have been involved in establishing The HIVE Youth Hub in Bonnyville. She recently had the opportunity to tour the facility and was impressed with the way the group is empowering youth to define their needs and then providing programming and opportunities to meet those needs.

    • Vice-Chair Garry Kissel congratulated Glendon School on the success of its alumni basketball tournament. He noted it was major event for the community that had amazing community support with local groups hosting social events and assisting with the tournament. The tournament featured grads from all the way back in 1988 and a total of 8 men's and 8 ladies's teams competing. 

    • Trustee Lois Phillips complimented the Lac La Biche and District Music Festival on re-establishing the competition after a short hiatus. She had the opportunity to be the emcee for a portion of the event. 

    • Trustee Debra Lozinksi commended J.A. Williams High School on the event they hosted that featured one act plays. She was impressed by the quality of the plays and the student performances.

    • Associate Superintendent Jimmi Lou Irvine complimented Glendon School on a successful Cake and Dish Auction which raised $1,800 that will benefit the Bonnyville and District SPCA, the new Glendon Public Library, and the school's leadership group. 

    • Nicole Garner, Communications and Public Relations Manager, presented Good News highlights focused on Mental Health from schools throughout the division. The full presentation is available on our website: Good News - Mental Health - April 19, 2023.

     

    Art Smith School Council

    John Shea, Chair of Art Smith Aviation Academy School Council, presented a request from the school council for the board to consider offering Grade 9 at the school. Due to configuration changes, students who finish Grade 8 at Art Smith currently have to transition to Cold Lake Junior High for one year to do Grade 9, and then transition again to Cold Lake High School for Grade 10. Shea said making two transitions in two years has proven to be more stressful than many families had anticipated when configuration conversations initially took place. 

    The school council noted that retaining Grade 9 students at Art Smith would allow them to maintain relationships with school staff, reduce the number of transitions they need to make and ensure the continuity of the supports and resources they receive at Art Smith continue in Grade 9. 

    When configuration discussions were held, enrolment projections predicted it would be at or over capacity, so adding Grade 9 programming to the school was not an option that was considered at that time, explained Secretary-Treasurer Paula Elock. The pandemic has affected enrolment and those projections were not realized.

    There are currently 17 students in Grade 8. The Board requested that administration survey parents to determine how many students would continue in Grade 9 if it was offered.

     

    2023 Edwin Parr Nominee 

    The Board welcomed its 2023 Edwin Parr nominee, Alex Ryl, to the meeting and commended him for the work he has been doing with students at Kikino School during his first year of teaching.

    Ryl shared that before becoming a teacher he worked as a correctional officer. He realized that he could make a bigger impact by becoming a teacher. Ryl has connected with students inside and outside of the classroom. After school he spends time with students who have formed a band, as well as attending local community events.

     

    Board Policies

    The Board approved Board Policy 7, 13 and 16. All three policies had been shared with stakeholders for feedback. 

    The policies are available in the Board section of the NLPS website:

     

    BCHS Deficiencies

    Secretary-Treasurer Paula Elock updated the Board on the progress being made to address deficiencies with the gym floor at Bonnyville Centralized High School. Elock noted the school had created a map of dead spots and areas with issues and that it will likely require replacement. NLPS is working with Alberta Education to determine the cause of the issue and what needs to be done to fix it. 

     

    Honouring Spirit Awards

    Board Chair Karen Packard congratulated Bryce Delorme, a Grade 11 student from J.A. Williams High School in Lac La Biche, on being selected as one of this year's recipients of the Alberta School Boards' Association's Honouring Spirit: Indigenous Student Awards. As an award winner, Delorme will receive a $2,500 scholarship from Keyera.

    Four other J.A. Williams High School students received honourable mentions:  Kaylan Lavallee, Cadence Brereton, Creedyn Jackson-Boucher, and Saskatew Lewis.