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Saturday, October 18, 2014
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EDUCATION WEEK OCTOBER 19-25
Supporting and Celebrating Success
PRAIRIE SPIRIT SCHOOL DIVISION:
Learners for Life
Education Week is a time to celebrate student success in Saskatchewan! Photo: Ministry of Education
CELEBRATE EDUCATION WEEK! October 19 to 25 is Education Week in Saskatchewan. This year’s theme is, once again, Supporting and Celebrating Success, which provides the opportunity to shine a spotlight on the incredible work happening in the education sector. Throughout the week, the Ministry of Education will be working with school divisions to recognize students and teachers who are achieving remarkable accomplishments in the classroom and their communities. There are many Education Week activities and events happening throughout Saskatchewan schools. The ministry will also be participating in the Education Week Kickoff at Prairie South Learning Centre in Moose Jaw on Oct. 20; School Bus Driver Appreciation Day on Oct. 20; and the Grand Opening of Emerald Ridge Elementary School in White City on Oct 21. The approval of the Education Sector Strategic Plan by all 28 school boards in April of this year was a historic event and has set a unified direction for the education system. This is essential to reaching the Plan for Growth target of a graduation rate of 85 per cent in Saskatchewan by 2020. The sector plan was informed by the feedback of more than 1,000 students, teachers, parents and caregivers, and education stakeholders, which indicated that the system must put the student first and take a holistic approach to meeting their needs. There are great things happening in education in
Saskatchewan. Bedford Road Collegiate in Saskatoon created an Academic Adoption program that provides individualized support to students who are struggling with any courses. In just three years, Bedford Road has seen greater engagement and student success from the many First Nations, Inuit and Métis students who have taken part in the program. Mother Theresa Middle School in Regina’s North Central provides innovative program delivery and extensive support for their students through high school to post-secondary and employment. The teachers at this school work closely with parents and caregivers, businesses and other key partners in the community to provide equitable opportunities for their students. By identifying and meeting their students’ needs, integrating Aboriginal ways of knowing and learning and involving families and the community, Mother Theresa is creating an education experience that is changing their students’ lives and improving their outcomes. Success stories from Saskatchewan schools, such as the two above, will be highlighted on the Student First blog (www.studentfirstsk.com) throughout the week. This week, the public is invited to join in celebrating student success and in recognizing the dedication and commitment of education professionals across the province. Contributed by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education
In Prairie Spirit School Division, we believe that all students can learn and to a high level when we provide the appropriate supports to our adult and student learners. This belief and commitment is evident in each of our 45 schools. We create learning environments that are student centered, where higher order thinking is evident as students inquire, discover and apply their learning in the real world. Prairie Spirit School Division is the progressive rural and urban school division with 45 schools in 28 communities surrounding the City of Saskatoon. The school division covers a wide geographic area, north to Leask, south to Hanley, east to Colonsay and west to Perdue. Prairie Spirit includes small towns and villages and growing cities like Warman and Martensville. The school division includes nine Hutterite colonies and three First Nations communities. The 2014/15 school year marks the ninth consecutive year of student enrolment growth in our school division. Since the school division was formed through the amalgamation of three school divisions in 2006, student enrolment has increased by approximately 1500 students. The Division’s 10,300 students are served by a team of over 1,300 dedicated professionals and support staff. Led by our dedicated staff, our students are achieving at high levels and our graduation rates are among the highest in the province. Prairie Spirit is focusing on preparing students for the world after school, by exploring learning as it relates to a real world context. We want our students to be curious, take risks, and apply their learning in a meaningful way. Our mission and vision
Student enrollment in the Prairie Spirit School Division has increased for a ninth consecutive year for the 2014/2015 school year. Photo: Prairie Spirit School Division/Wayne Shiels
statements support and reflect the Division’s beliefs about learning. The mission statement captures the spirit of innovation, creativity and a global society. Our vision for our students and staff is: Learners for Life. Our mission is: Learning without limits in a world of possibilities. In Prairie Spirit schools, curiosity is instilled, questions are applauded and classroom and school environments reflect how we learn. As a result, students learn by actively figuring things out, not just by listening. Prairie Spirit has a culture where feedback is embraced for both adults and students. In fact, feedback is integral to better understand how current performance might be improved. Prairie Spirit is a school division that values rigor, relevance, relationships and innovation. The Board of Education’s strategic plan focuses on four areas for the next two years. Our strategic goals are in the following areas: • Numeracy • Literacy
• First Nations/Métis achievement • High school completion and transition to career Because of our steady growth in student enrolment, there have been a variety of new construction projects in Prairie Spirit School Division. The renovated and expanded Stobart Community School is an amazing learning environment for our students in Duck Lake. The new Warman Community Middle School opened last year and offers 21st century learning opportunities to our students in Warman. Martensville High School is currently under construction with an extensive expansion and renovation project underway. Prairie Spirit will open two new elementary schools (Warman and Martensville) in the fall of 2017. These new schools will be joint public and Catholic schools. Relocatable classrooms continue to be added to our growing schools as well. With our focus on improved adult and student learning, Prairie Spirit is truly inspiring learners for life. Contributed by Prairie Spirit School Division
ABOUT THIS CONTENT: These stories were produced by The StarPhoenix Creative Features department to promote awareness of this topic for commercial purposes. The StarPhoenix editorial department had no involvement in the creation of this content.
Supporting and Celebrating Success Helping all of our students reach their full potential.
www.gscs.sk.ca
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