The Northern Lights Public Schools Board of Trustees would like to thank all of the parents, students, staff and community members who took part in the division’s Community Engagement sessions held earlier this year.
“The information and suggestions provided were insightful, constructive and greatly appreciated by the Board as we discussed what areas to focus on in our 2019-2022 Three-Year Education Plan,” said Board Chair Arlene Hrynyk. “It was clear that our parents are highly engaged with what is happening in our schools and care deeply about all of our students having opportunities to succeed.”
The division hosted a series of Community Engagement sessions in February and March, as well as sessions with students and staff. Participants were asked about was working well for students, what could be improved, and what priorities the Board should set in its Three-Year Education Plan. Parents and staff also had the opportunity to complete an online survey to provide feedback.
The Board reviewed all of that input, as well as the division’s Accountability Pillar results, Provincial Achievement Test and Diploma Exam results, EYE assessment data, Tell Them From Me survey results and other data.
During that review, two trends were identified in the data, both of which the Board selected as division priorities for the Three-Year Education Plan. Those priorities are:
- To improve the mental health and wellness of students
- To improve the numeracy skills of students.
“These priorities reflect the feedback we received from stakeholders in our engagement sessions. It was clear that numeracy and student mental health and wellness were the two areas that we need to focus on,” said Hrynyk.
The division has already begun identifying strategies to address both of the two new priorities. Those will be detailed in the Three-Year Education Plan that will be reviewed by the Board in the fall. Final approval is expected in November.
In addition, each school in the division is developing a school plan that will include school-based strategies to address numeracy and student mental health and wellness. These plans will also be shared with school councils in the fall.
“It is important to the Board that as we move forward with these priorities, we continue to collaborate with our students, parents and staff,” said Hrynyk. “By working together, we can make changes that will positively impact the lives of our students.”