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School councils want cuts stopped
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Members of the E.G. Wahlstrom School parent council gather for a meeting. The school is one of three - also including C.J. Schurter and Roland Michener - in which there is a separate fundraising group, so the councils can concentrate on other issues.
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Theresa Seraphim
for Spotlight
Spotlight Staff
Pending education cuts by the province appear to be a main concern of school councils in this area.
Several school council presidents or secretaries cited the Stop the Cuts campaign – involving the Alberta School Council Association, the Alberta Teachers Association and the Alberta School Boards Association – as a vital initiative, in response to the province’s plan to chop $80 million from the education budget this school year and $320 million next year.
Syreena Skahl, president of Roland Michener Secondary School parent council, said emails have gone out about the campaign, to get as many people as possible on board.
Nancy Bliss, chair of High Prairie Elementary School’s council, said she is concerned that the government’s efforts for smaller classes will be undone.
“Those cuts are meaning that we’re going to have larger classes again,” said Bliss.
Joy McGregor, president of the E.G. Wahlstrom and C.J. Schurter parent councils, agreed.
“We’re watching the cutbacks closely,” said McGregor.
She said the concern is that they would lead to larger class sizes, which would not be as manageable for the teacher or the students.
However, the anti-cutback campaign is not the only matter that the councils are dealing with.
The Roland Michener council has split, said Skahl.
“This year, we have taken the fundraising out of (Roland Michener, E.G Wahlstrom and C.J. Schurter) councils,” she said. Although it was done because of an insufficient number of parents for both fundraising and other council activities, it means the nonfundraisers can concentrate more effectively on issue and policies, said Skahl, adding the council also has a separate committee for Roland Michener graduation.
“In the High Prairie School Division, Slave Lake is the first community to try (combining the fundraising of several schools in one group),” said Skahl.
Judging from last year’s meeting of the Alberta School Councils Association, where parents made recommendations, their concerns include topics like oil and gas well placement, the school year, and the amount of money that should go to private schools, said Skahl.
Roland Michener’s council has four fundraisers planned for this year: wreaths (currently on), poinsettias (early November), cookie dough and bulbs (both in springtime).
Cutbacks are leading to another worry.
“C.J. Schurter is definitely looking into the speech (therapy) because the SHIP (Student Health Initiative Program) is being taken away,” said McGregor.
She said E.G. Wahlstrom is doing a survey on the 40 developmental assets with the hope of incorporating them into school life, while C.J. Schurter has already implemented them.
“The I Care program at (that school) is based on those 40 assets,” said McGregor.
The Roland Michener council will be involved with school dances and helping to run the cafeteria.
At E.W. Pratt, the focus of council – which meets every second month – is on getting students to school as much as possible, said council secretary Tori Young.
“We’re supporting the staff in coming up with ideas on how to improve attendance,” she said.
“I think attendance is a big issue for everyone.”
The school is also getting an external review, said Young.
The priorities at Kinuso School include increasing attendance at meetings, said president Julia Hunt.
“We really need to get the word out to the parents and guardians, and somehow entice them into coming out and joining in,” said Hunt.
Another priority is the courtyard – putting in benches in honour of teachers and staff who have retired from the school and in remembrance of those who died while working there.
Also, at present the school is being renovated, and the council is doing whatever it can to help everyone through this time.
Hunt said the council also wants to further promote the school in the community, hoping people – with or without children attending – will take advantage of events such as gym night, library facilities and meeting spaces.
High Prairie Elementary council president Nancy Bliss said one major project this past year was the courtyard, which was made more user friendly for all, including people in wheelchairs.
“It provides outside teaching opportunities,” Bliss commented.
The playground is another priority.
“We’d like to see more benches and tables outside,” said Bliss.
The council – which meets on the third Tuesday of the month – also runs a hot lunch every month and a milk program twice a week, and is planning a book drive for about a month down the road.
“There are lots of children that haven’t had the pleasure of owning their own book,” said Bliss.
She said she enjoys working with fellow council members and feels school staff are backing them.
“We’ve got a good group of parents (and) we’ve always had strong support from the administration. They’ve been really good about listening to our ideas.”
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