SPS Report to the Community 2017-18 by Saskatoon Public Schools

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS Report to the Community

2017-2018

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Saskatoon Public Schools ADEN BOWMAN BEDFORD ROAD CENTENNIAL EVAN HARDY MARION M. GRAHAM MOUNT ROYAL NUTANA ROYAL WEST TOMMY DOUGLAS WALTER MURRAY ALVIN BUCKWOLD BREVOORT PARK BROWNELL BRUNSKILL BUENA VISTA CAROLINE ROBINS CASWELL CHARLES RED HAWK CHIEF WHITECAP CITY PARK COLETTE BOURGONJE COLLEGE PARK CONFEDERATION PARK DR. JOHN G. EGNATOFF DUNDONALD ERNEST LINDNER FAIRHAVEN FOREST GROVE GREYSTONE HEIGHTS HENRY KELSEY HOLLISTON HOWARD COAD HUGH CAIRNS V.C. JAMES L. ALEXANDER JOHN DOLAN JOHN LAKE KING GEORGE LAKERIDGE LAKEVIEW LAWSON HEIGHTS LESTER B. PEARSON MAYFAIR MONTGOMERY NORTH PARK WILSON PLEASANT HILL PRINCE PHILIP PRINCESS ALEXANDRA QUEEN ELIZABETH RIVER HEIGHTS ROLAND MICHENER SASKATOON SASKATOON MISBAH SILVERSPRING SILVERWOOD HEIGHTS SUTHERLAND SYLVIA FEDORUK VICTORIA VINCENT MASSEY WESTMOUNT WILDWOOD WILLOWGROVE W.P. BATE

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS OPEN TO ALL. We believe schools should be safe and caring places where excellence in learning is a priority. Our goal is to see all children and youth discover, develop, and act upon their potential based upon the values of Respect, Excellence, Responsibility, and Joy.

RESPECT

EXCELLENCE

Diversity, inclusion, equity, compassion, and respect for oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self and others as part of an accepting school community.

Meeting challenges, asking questions, offering solutions, and engaging in learning opportunities to enhance academic, personal, and social growth.

RESPONSIBILITY

JOY

A commitment to learning and recognition of the importance of citizenship, service, justice, honesty, and fairness.

Self-fulfillment and the opportunity for students to express their curiosity, passion, and joy through learning.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 6

Message from the Board Chair Ray Morrison

Message from the Director Barry MacDougall

Board of Trustees

10 Strategic Priorities 14 Awards 22 Facilities for Learning 28 Partnerships with our Community 42 Core Strategies 62 Arts Education 64 Athletics 70 Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR With great pride, I would like to present the 2017-18 Saskatoon Public Schools Report to the Community. It was a year marked by historic events, both difficult and celebratory. As always, our dedicated staff members—buoyed by supportive school communities—continued their unwavering focus on nurturing and educating students. Saskatoon Public Schools recorded another strong year of growth. In September, our enrolment reached a new all-time high of 25,430, which is 511 more students than the previous year. This growth is expected to continue and our schools will continue to flex with the changing demographics. Speaking of growth, we opened four long-awaited elementary schools in September to serve the neighbourhoods of Evergreen, Hampton Village, Rosewood, and Stonebridge. These four schools— Sylvia Fedoruk, Ernest Lindner, Colette Bourgonje, and Chief Whitecap—have welcomed nearly 1,900 students collectively in their first year of operations. Long before they opened the doors, our enthusiastic staff and administrators built these school communities through face-to-face introductions, neighbourhood gatherings, and fellowship activities. It was inspiring to see the celebrations of the openings and the continuation of the support and camaraderie that had preceded it. These four schools will meet the needs of their growing communities for years to come. Literacy for Life and Collegiate Renewal continue to increase the achievement and engagement levels of all our students through a focus on literacy, numeracy, and improving graduation rates. These priorities reflect the goals laid out in the provincial Education Sector Strategic Plan, including enhanced engagement for First Nations, Inuit and Métis students. This past year, our board heard promising results from our educators who are nurturing students’ curiosity and skills through innovative methods and strategies. Through this work, we want to ensure every student has the opportunity to become a reader, a mathematician, and a graduate.

As board chair, one of my goals for students is to create school environments where children and youth want to be, enjoy attending, and appreciate their learning. Helping our students succeed requires so much more than academics. It is incumbent upon us to provide safe, caring learning spaces. This combination includes warm, welcoming environments that make the school accessible to all students and families. Our facilities department is dedicated to updating and maintaining classrooms and schools to support students’ learning journey. Aside from the physical space, the atmosphere must reflect this welcoming spirit as well. Our school division is open to all and the environment in every Saskatoon public school encourages our students to feel respected, accepted, and safe. Once again this year, our board faced a difficult budget with provincial funding not keeping pace with the rate of student growth and the complexity of issues we are seeing in the classroom. Trustees made difficult decisions that will impact some services within the division but with the intention that the effect on the classroom will be minimal. As always, we will continue to lobby the provincial government to recognize the diversifying needs of our students and the sustained growth of our school communities. Every year, I am humbled by the work being done by our staff members to lift up our learners. The individual acts of a dedicated educator or support staff member can have a lasting impact on the life of a child. This influence is not taken lightly and our actions reflect the respect we have for our students and their families. I am grateful to lead this organization, which is impacting the future of our city, province, and world. I hope you enjoy this celebration of our work this past year. Trust me, there is plenty more where this came from. Stay tuned!

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR Welcome to the 2017-18 edition of the Saskatoon Public Schools Report to the Community. Every year, we gather the achievements, events, and advancements that have occurred in our school division over the past year to be celebrated in this book. I am proud to lead this school division, which is constantly adapting to meet the needs of our students in a rapidly changing world. Our school division has two strategic priorities that guide our work for our students: Literacy for Life and Collegiate Renewal. Literacy for Life focuses on building the foundations every student needs to succeed in school: reading, writing, and mathematics. With the foundations in place, we focus on engaging and encouraging the unique voices and skills of our students through Collegiate Renewal. Both of these priorities place special focus on fostering and supporting the abilities of First Nations, Inuit and Métis students. We want to create opportunities and provide learning environments that make it possible for all students to reach their potential. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. That is certainly true when it comes to educating our young people. As you will see over several pages in this book, our work wouldn’t be possible without the guidance, assistance, and generosity of numerous community agencies and organizations. Our students’ lives are richer and their experiences are broader because of our many partners who believe in lifting up our learners. Our school division continues to develop new and innovative ways to engage students and encourage their personal growth in our community and our world. Our numerous unique programs continue to thrive with more starting up or expanding each year. This year, Off the Grid at Tommy Douglas Collegiate joined our slate of unique program options by introducing an experiential, semester-long course for students focused on sustainable living and social justice. The FLEX program at City Park School is flourishing

with its flexible class schedule and support for students who are pursuing high-performance training in the arts or athletics outside of school. This program is expanding to grades 11 and 12 in order to better serve the needs of students and families. We continue to support students learning of Indigenous languages with focused lessons and programs including the Nêhiyâwiwin Cree Language and Culture program at Confederation Park Community School, Métis Cultural Program at Westmount Community School, and Dakota language and culture lessons at Chief Whitecap School. Our teachers continue to lead the way in the classroom by offering academic challenges in a supportive learning space where students have the comfort to try and try again. Our dedicated support staff ensure that everything we do is in line with the goal of supporting students, whether it is providing new books in the library, ensuring the lights are on and the water is running in the school, or developing curriculum-focused activities that bring learning to life in the classroom. With more than 2,500 educational and professional staff members, our organization is people-powered and focused on raising our next generation. Every person plays a vital role and we all work together towards our common goal: to see every student reach their potential. We strive to embody the four values we have set for our students: respect, excellence, joy, and responsibility. I have unwavering pride in the work of our organization and I look forward to where the new year will take us.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

2017–18

TRUSTEE AND WARD DIRECTORY Our Board of Trustees is a group of dedicated, hard-working members of the community who are committed to making Saskatoon Public Schools the premier public education system in Canada. We welcome your input on any initiatives we are pursuing and invite you to attend board meetings regularly to keep abreast of all that is happening at Saskatoon Public Schools.

WARD 1 Holly Kelleher kelleherh@spsd.sk.ca 306.683.8461 WARD 2 Vernon Linklater linklaterv@spsd.sk.ca 306.683.8462 WARD 3 Donna Banks banksd@spsd.sk.ca 306.683.8463 WARD 4 Cameron Scott scottcam@spsd.sk.ca 306.683.8464 WARD 5 Colleen MacPherson macphersonc@spsd.sk.ca 306.683.8465 WARD 6 Kathleen Brannen brannenk@spsd.sk.ca 306.683.8466 WARD 7 Ross Tait taitr@spsd.sk.ca 306.683.8467 WARD 8 Suzanne Zwarych zwarychs@spsd.sk.ca 306.683.8468 WARD 9 Charmaine Bellamy bellamyc@spsd.sk.ca 306.683.8469 WARD 10 Ray Morrison morrisonra@spsd.sk.ca 306.683.8460

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

LITERACY FOR LIFE GOAL: All Kindergarten to Grade 8 students will achieve at or above grade level in reading, writing, and mathematics. They will be engaged in their learning and graduate as active participants in lifelong learning and as responsible, caring, culturally responsive citizens in the community, nation, and world. In pursuit of this goal, we will focus intensively on the engagement, achievement, and graduation rates of First Nations, Inuit and MĂŠtis students.

Literacy for Life is a strategic priority of the Board of Education. Through the application of research and reflection on teaching practices, school division staff members impact student learning and achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics. Engaging students and their families began in prekindergarten with a focus on home visits and family-day experiences. Language development strategies were embedded into play with learning occurring in classrooms, outdoor spaces, and family homes. Teachers have focused their professional development on building skills to bring back into the classroom and use with students. Teachers have come together in literacy and numeracy learning communities, where they have worked on defining purposeful play and planning for learning through play and inquiry. Annual data shows this focus on developing literacy skills and a love of reading is making a difference. Professional learning in mathematics supported the implementation of expected practices in kindergarten to Grade 8 classrooms. These expected practices include the use of strategies designed to improve studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; computational fluency. Teachers were supported in this work through the mathematics leadership communities, a group of fellow teachers that worked collaboratively to create resources for use in English and French, strengthen the collective understanding of expected practices, and support professional learning. All of this work is done in order to increase our students' learning, confidence, mathematical mindset, and computational fluency. In the spring, the division hosted the 13th annual Literacy for Life Conference on the University of Saskatchewan campus. Over three days, students in middle years through high school classes attended sessions conducted by authors, illustrators, artists, storytellers, musicians, and more.

68%

of GRADE 1 STUDENTS were reading at or above grade level in the 2017-18 school year

43%

Of those, were up to one grade above grade level expectations

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

COLLEGIATE RENEWAL GOAL: All collegiate students will be engaged in their learning so that they graduate as competent, active participants in lifelong learning and as responsible, caring, culturally responsive citizens in the community, nation, and world. In pursuit of this goal, we will focus intensively on the engagement, achievement, and graduation rates of First Nations, Inuit and Métis students.

With Collegiate Renewal, the school division is growing student learning and engagement through improvements in direct interventions with students and professional learning to refine classroom practices. Results from the Our School survey completed in November 2017 show 18 per cent more students in our school division reported being intellectually engaged, compared to other provincial school divisions. Students who experienced responsive instruction and outcomes-based instruction in three or more classes were more likely to report increased engagement. The focus for secondary vice-principals this year was on reducing the number of students transferring or quitting school. While the division’s overall student population grew, there were fewer student transitions mid-year than in 2016-17. Division staff also focused on outcome recovery. This provides extra time and support for students who are close to finishing a course but may have some missing evidence to attain the credit. In each collegiate, students in this situation are offered outcome recovery in order to provide sufficient evidence of course outcomes. The majority of students who attempted to recover outcomes during the first semester of 2017-18 were successful. The First Nations, Inuit and Métis Student Achievement program continued in six collegiates and contributed to credit attainment. In the first semester, 467 students received support, of whom 76 per cent successfully obtained the credit in question. Three collegiates have welcomed Indigenous student advocates, who support Indigenous students both academically and socially to successfully transition through and out of school. These teacher leaders work to develop Indigenous students’ sense of identity and belonging through supports such as culture, extracurricular activities, and events. Many plans are on the horizon for the 2018-19 year. For student engagement, the focus will be on continued support for formative assessment and responsive instruction. An attendance campaign and more supports for students with low attendance will be used to further reduce attendance-related transitions. A new administrative procedure for outcome recovery will be introduced to ensure consistency of practice across collegiates.

REDUCTION in Student Transitions

during the 2017-18 school year.

Fewer transitions result in increased student belonging, engagement, and success in earning credits.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

AWARDS

2017 OUTSTANDING GRADUATES

CONGRATULATIONS to the students from each of our collegiates who have been recognized by Saskatoon Public Schools for all-around excellence.

Treyton Zary

Revathi Nair

Sidney Shacter

Alexandra Lowell

Kayla Denaka

Mikaela Sawatsky

Julianna Sparks

Yuxin Bai

Aden Bowman Collegiate

Mount Royal Collegiate

Bedford Road Collegiate

Nutana Collegiate

Evan Hardy Collegiate

Tommy Douglas Collegiate

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE RECIPIENT Daniel Zhou

Centennial Collegiate

Marion M. Graham Collegiate

Walter Murray Collegiate

SCHOLARSHIPS Our graduates have their choice of universities and other post-secondary institutions to attend across North America and beyond. Each year, several graduates receive generous and prestigious scholarships to attend university. Here are some examples of scholarships accepted by our students in 2018.

Kristen Barrie

Catherine Liu

Bedford Road Collegiate

• Canadian Tire A.J. & Muriel G. Billes Scholarship $10,000

Walter Murray Collegiate • Bank of Montreal Scholarship Queen’s University $40,000

Nick Bauer

Csaba Nemeth

Bedford Road Collegiate

• Entrance Scholarship University of Saskatchewan $24,000

Anna Brabant-Urquiza Marion M. Graham Collegiate

• Peter Lewochko Bursary University of Saskatchewan approx. $23,400

Minnah Butt Centennial Collegiate

• President’s First and Best Scholarship University of Saskatchewan $40,000

Solveig Deason Evan Hardy Collegiate • Berklee College of Music $200,000

Aiyanna Glenister Bedford Road Collegiate • CIBC Youth Scholarship Award $16,000

Syeda Islam Bedford Road Collegiate

• Chancellor’s Scholarship University of Saskatchewan $30,000

Alice Li Centennial Collegiate

• President’s First and Best Scholarship University of Saskatchewan $40,000

Walter Murray Collegiate • Chancellor's Scholarship Queen’s University $36,000

April Nguyen Walter Murray Collegiate

• National Achievement Scholarship University of Alberta $30,000

Tashfia Nidhi Bedford Road Collegiate

• President’s First and Best Scholarship University of Saskatchewan $40,000

1,502

STUDENTS

GRADUATED from SPS in 2018

Brooklyn Trask Marion M. Graham Collegiate

• Peter Lewochko Bursary University of Saskatchewan approx. $23,400

Dayna Wellman Walter Murray Collegiate

• Chancellor’s Circle of Honour Scholarship University of Saskatchewan $30,000 • Edwards Undergraduate Scholarship University of Saskatchewan $24,000

Saskatoon Public

@SaskatoonPubSchools • 22 Jun 2018

Best wishes to the students of @RoyalWestCampus as the school celebrates the success of its graduates during it farewell this afternoon. #spslearn

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Vaidehee Lanke Aden Bowman Collegiate

SCHULICH RECIPIENTS Two Saskatoon Public Schools graduates were among the recipients of one of Canada's most prestigious university scholarships. Robin Wen of Walter Murray Collegiate and Vaidehee Lanke of Aden Bowman Collegiate each received a 2018 Schulich Leader undergraduate scholarship valued at $80,000 over four years. Lanke will study science at the University of Saskatchewan, while Wen will attend the University of Waterloo to study mathematics as part of the university's co-op program. They are among 50 high school students from across Canada selected to receive the scholarships awarded to students studying science, technology, engineering, or math. Students are nominated for the award by their schools. The student submits a scholarship application that includes a list of the universities they wish to attend, personal achievements, academic or otherwise, a short essay, and letters of reference.

Robin Wen Walter Murray Collegiate

The program's 20 Canadian university partners review the student applications using their own admissions process and make the offers to the Schulich Leader nominees.

Celebrating Culture and Community Bringing students together to share in cultural learning and community is the goal of powwows and round dance events held at several schools during the year. Larger-scale powwows held at Nutana and Mount Royal collegiates welcomed elementary classrooms and the wider community to experience and learn about Indigenous culture. Smaller powwows and round dance events held in our schools allow the immediate school community to come together to celebrate and learn in a spirit of reconciliation. SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

AWARDS

STUDENT SUCCESS One Thunderous Voice recognized for reconciliation learning The effort of students involved in One Thunderous Voice, a project that challenges students to examine and respond to issues while building intercultural understanding between communities, was recognized by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR). The project brings together students from Aden Bowman Collegiate and the Constable Robin Cameron Education Complex on the Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation to develop friendships and engage in e-journalism projects at community events.

STEM Solutions Evan Hardy Collegiate and Greystone Heights School were among 50 schools across Canada to be named finalists in the 2018 Solve For Tomorrow Challenge. The program aims to have students apply science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) inspired solutions to real-world challenges. For the regional win, each school received a Samsung technology package.

One Thunderous Voice was chosen as the top project from Saskatchewan following a call by the NCTR that asked young people to share their vision of reconciliation. Student and staff representatives were part of a national event that involved sharing, team-building, and leadership development in the context of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action. Students delivered a speech about their project during a ceremony at the National Human Rights Museum. The students’ work can be viewed online at onethunderousvoice.com.

Super Scientist Evan Hardy Collegiate student Harkirat Bhullar won the gold medal at the Saskatoon Regional Science Fair for his project, “Battling Superbugs: A Machine Learning Framework for Identifying Novel Antibiotic Resistance Factors.” The win allowed Bhullar to compete at the Canada-wide science fair in Ottawa. He was also named to Team Canada and competed at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh.

Recharging Reaps Reward Four students from Brunskill School were awarded $800 in the Caring for our Watersheds provincial student contest. Mohammad Parsa Dhavajeri, Rashed Momani, Tadeusz Pusz-Bochenski, and Maclain Walsworth won third place in the provincial competition with their project titled “Recharging Our World.”

Mayfair School recognized as Reading Champions Encouraging students at Mayfair Community School to read before bedtime resulted in Principal Todd Berg receiving recognition as a Scholastic Canada Reading Champion. The Bedtime Book Club launched by Berg and the staff at Mayfair was designed to foster the habit of reading before bed among the school’s students and families. At the beginning of the 2016-17 school year, 45 per cent of students were reading at grade level or above. By June 2017, 68 per cent of students were reading at or above grade level.

Awards gala recognizes success of First Nations, Inuit and Métis students The 34th annual Saskatoon Indian and Métis Friendship Centre Aboriginal Graduation Gala celebrated the accomplishments of 200 graduates. Thank you to all SPS staff who were involved in the nomination of our students. Congratulations to all of our nominees and the following award recipients: Chanelle Gamble, Centennial—First Nation Cultural Youth Award Jordan Rusk, Evan Hardy—Academic Achievement Award Honeah Sanderson, Bedford Road—John Dewar Spirit & Resiliency Award Abby Wright, Walter Murray—Métis Cultural Youth Award

Student art promotes active transportation Art created by students from Sylvia Fedoruk School and École College Park School was on the move during the summer of 2018. An entry by Grade 7 students Nimarta, Nicoletta, and Zehua from Sylvia Fedoruk and the design created by teacher Linda Liebrecht’s Grade 3/4 class from College Park were the winners of Saskatoon Transit’s Student Art Contest. The artwork, which illustrated the modes and benefits of active transportation, was displayed on city buses.

Philanthropists at play When the Nutrien Children's Discovery Museum needed the perspective of children to help shape the vision for its new museum, the students of North Park Wilson School provided the perfect partners. A display was set up at the school and students had the opportunity to play and share their thoughts with the designers. The school also hosted events that provided the museum with the opportunity to introduce the project to the public and receive community input. The involvement and commitment of the students and school was recognized with the school receiving the Youth in Philanthropy Award.

SaskTel Indigenous Youth Awards of Excellence The 20th annual SaskTel Indigenous Youth Awards of Excellence was held in May. With more than half of the 119 nominated students coming from Saskatoon Public Schools, it was a wonderful showcase of the work of our students and staff. Award recipients from Saskatoon Public Schools were: Darren Bird, Centennial—Culture Jewel Charles, Evan Hardy—Fine/Performing Arts Nautia Crier, Centennial—Spirit Ronin Iron, Bedford Road—Outstanding Achievement (Male) Kyra Ledoux, Tommy Douglas—Sports/Recreation (Female) Honeah Sanderson, Bedford Road—Innovation Chante Speidel, Aden Bowman—Leadership

iGen program has heart The iGen Program partnership between Saskatoon Public Schools and Sherbrooke Community Centre was recognized for its exemplary involvement in the lives of seniors with the 2017 Golden Heart Award presented by the McClure Place Foundation. iGen sees Grade 6 students spend a full school year in a unique classroom experience at Sherbrooke. The inclusion of students in the centre’s daily life complements its Eden Alternative philosophy, which aims to address loneliness, helplessness, and boredom among Elders. The iGen program is the only one of its kind in Saskatchewan.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

AWARDS

STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS Musical leadership recognized

For he’s a geographic good fellow A passion for geography and a belief in sharing that with students earned Andrew Kitchen recognition as part of a select group of Canadians whose efforts expand geographic knowledge and literacy. Kitchen, a teacher at Fairhaven School who has degrees in both geography and education, was named a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. He joined a unique group that includes explorers, astronauts, scientists, and other public figures, as well as researchers and those such as Kitchen whose work it is to educate others about Canada.

Wendy Rigby, a teacher at Willowgrove School, received the Canadian Music Educators’ Association Builders Award for her role as an educator and leader in the Saskatchewan m u s i c c o m m u n i t y. T h e award recognizes those who advance music education through building community or establishing significant collaborative efforts. Rigby teaches elementary music and choir, and provides leadership to events such as school concerts and musicals. She has presented and organized professional development opportunities and has shared the Orff methodology with other educators.

Bradford named Outstanding Principal

Wonder Whittles At its 2017 convention, the Saskatoon Teachers’ Association recognized Avon Whittles with the Builder of Education Award. Whittles is the former director of education for Saskatoon Public Schools. As a classroom teacher, consultant, principal, superintendent, deputy director, and director with the division, she maintained a focus on improving learning outcomes and developing leadership opportunities for students.

A commitment to building family within the school community is one reason why Michael Bradford was one of 40 principals honoured by the Canada’s Outstanding Principals program in 2018. Bradford said the recognition was an acknowledgment of the strong learning community at École College Park School. “We put family first. That makes a real difference when we work with families who are living in the city for the first time, whether they are from an Indigenous community or are newcomers to Canada.” The Canada’s Outstanding Principals program is operated by The Learning Partnership, a national charity that supports public education.

2017-18 retired employees

Herrod shares lessons in democracy Democracy plays a vital role in Jennifer Herrod’s classroom. So it was no surprise that the Grade 3 teacher from Silverwood Heights School joined more than 80 educators from across Canada on Parliament Hill as part of the Teachers Institute on Parliamentary Democracy. “As teachers we foster our young citizens so when they see democracy in the classroom—when they see their voices being heard and respected—they are going out to be leaders and game-changers.”

Cultural learning Indspires Speidel A belief in the importance of culturally responsive education in schools and a commitment to lift up students and educators alike are among the reasons Don Speidel received a national Indspire: Indigenous Educator Award in the category of culture, language, and tradition. Speidel, a cultural resource liaison with the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Education Unit, was recognized for his leadership within the school division and wider community, and the sharing of cultural teachings with both youth and educators.

Susan Adair Kerry Alcorn Mark Andrews Shane Armstrong Gail Bartlett Maria Bekolay Lorraine Bentham Brenda Bird Mary Bishop Merril Bulin Teri Clark Dan Cloutier Linda Collins Gwen Cruse Connie Cuff Murray Dalen Sharon Desrosiers Camille Dobni Pearl Dolan Debbie Durand Nick Fanner Arlene Fedorchuk Janice Fouhse Loraleigh Garner Helen Generoux Brenda Gibbs Doug Gilmour

Agnes Goodman Alison Grapes Brenda Green Jacqueline Gregoire Dennis Gulka Louise Hajlasz Steven Harris Kathryn Heinrichs Wendy Hill Norman Hillier Dianne Holder Brenda Holfeld Tracy Janzen Norman Johnson Patricia Kikcio Pamela Kokesch Cindy Kornelson Doug Lang Megan Lee Daryl Lesyshyn Mario Martel Constance Martin Audrey Matiko Don Maxwell Shelley McConnell-Harder Dorothy Mcqueen

Dawn Morgan Jim Murray Betty Myrfield Ava Noble Sheila Pocha Lois Popplestone Dave Quinn Christine Rayner Patti Rowley George Rozdilsky Ruth Sestak Dave Sikorski Monte Single Ross Smith Sharon Smith Deb Stevens Bernice Taman Wayne Tamke Kelly Thomas Mardi Timmerman Dorothy Van’t Hof Stewart Walker Danny Yee Moira Zunti

School Team Win Saskatoon Public Schools was part of a provincial team that received the Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Public Service in November 2017. The Joint-Use Schools Team (JUSP) was made up of the five school divisions that built and opened 18 new schools in the fall of 2017, along with the Ministry of Education and SaskBuilds.

50 years of BRIT The Bedford Road Invitational Tournament (BRIT) celebrated 50 years as one of Canada’s top high school basketball tournaments. The BRIT Classic, which attracts top teams from Saskatoon along with teams from across Canada and internationally, is known for a high-calibre of play and bleachers that are filled to capacity. A dedicated group of school staff, hundreds of student volunteers, and other supporters come together each January to host another memorable tournament. The BRIT quilt was created to celebrate the tournament’s 50th anniversary using T-shirts from past tournaments. It was designed and sewn by Dianne Holder, a staff member at Bedford Road Collegiate.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

FACILITIES FOR LEARNING

FACILITIES FOR LEARNING Facilities work in the school division during 2017–18 continued to focus on creating supportive learning environments for students. It included the completion of a variety of projects at existing schools as well as the first full year of operating four new elementary schools. The school division has welcomed hundreds of new students in recent years and its facilities are being renovated and upgraded to meet the needs of students and to support important programming opportunities wherever possible. During 2017–18 the 11-unit relocatable classroom wing at Centennial Collegiate was reconfigured to allow for the addition of four more relocatable classrooms, and preparatory work was undertaken to allow additional relocatable classrooms to be added in the future. The Phase II repurposing of City Park School was completed in March 2018. Phase II work included renovations to make the facility wheelchair accessible, including a new exterior ramp at the front entrance, a vertical lift to serve all main floors of the facility, and accessible washrooms. The renovation/addition of three new classrooms and two existing classrooms to accommodate the division's growing Montessori elementary program, as well as related infrastructure improvements, was undertaken as part of this project. These upgrades and renovations will allow City Park School to provide a range of programming opportunities for current and future students. Phase I of the Painting Plus Program saw up to 22 elementary schools selected for various minor renovations and upgrading during the summer and fall of 2018. It is expected that every existing school in the system will be impacted positively by this program over the next two to three years, conditional on funding availability. The relocation/upgrading of two existing relocatable classrooms from Lakeridge School to École Forest Grove School to accommodate growing student enrolment in the successful French Immersion program was completed in the fall of 2018. The focus on healthy and safe learning environments continues to be a top priority of the school division as it invests in its existing schools, some of which are more than 100 years old and all of which are significant educational and community assets. The need for significant ongoing infrastructure renewal work requires the selection of top priorities in this regard. Items for consideration include structural upgrading, roofing replacement, mechanical and electrical system upgrading, boiler replacement, exterior window replacement, brick and masonry repairs, as well as field and tarmac maintenance and restoration.

Saskatoon Public Schools

BY THE NUMBERS

1,867 ENROLLED

TOTAL number of students

NEW elementary schools in their first month of operation

$2.5 on ROOFING Amount spent

million REPAIRS in 2017-18

$3.9 MAINTENANCE Amount spent on

million WORK in schools including

gym floor replacements, structural repairs, new boilers, new windows, & washroom upgrades.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Chief Whitecap School

Round Dance Photo: Whitecap Dakota First Nation

GRAND OPENING September 22, 2017

Colette Bourgonje School GRAND OPENING September 26, 2017

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Ernest Lindner School GRAND OPENING September 15, 2017

Sylvia Fedoruk School

GRAND OPENING September 8, 2017

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Photo: Saskatoon Fire Department

PARTNERSHIPS

PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR COMMUNITY SASKATOON FIRE DEPARTMENT A partnership with the Saskatoon Fire Department has benefitted students of all grade levels. Starting with our youngest learners, students are introduced to the operations of the fire department and to fire safety through fire hall tours. Fire prevention and safety education continues in subsequent years with presentations being made in schools year round, with a special emphasis on Fire Prevention Week. At the collegiate level, the Fire Introduction Recruitment Experience (FIRE) Cadet program has provided career education students with hands-on training and experience in fire halls. The program is operated in three public collegiates—Bedford Road, Mount Royal and Tommy Douglas—and has gained popularity in its four years of operation. Over an eight-week training period, students attend sessions twice a week to learn a variety of firefighting and emergency response skills. This experiential learning opportunity has inspired many students to consider and pursue a career in emergency services.

Saskatoon Fire Department @SaskatoonFire • 14 Dec 2017

A holiday tradition - serving turkey and all the fixings at Bedford Road @StoonPubSchools

Photo: Saskatoon Fire Department

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PARTNERSHIPS

MÉTIS CULTURAL PROGRAM The support of the Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI), Gabriel Dumont Institute, and Gabriel Dumont Local 11 play an essential role in the ongoing success of the Métis Cultural Program at Westmount Community School. The goal of the program is to preserve, strengthen, and transmit Métis culture and traditions in Saskatchewan. The program engages students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 and is delivered from the Métis perspective. It aligns with Saskatchewan curricula and meets arts education, English language arts, and social studies outcomes. Students are engaged in building Métis cultural leadership skills and experience inter-generational learning opportunities. Each year, Westmount hosts its Métis Day of Learning celebration. The day-long event welcomes hundreds of students from several public schools to take part in cultural activities and learn more about Métis history. The day begins with the raising of the Métis flag in front of Westmount, the only school in the division to fly the Métis flag every day.

CENTRAL URBAN MÉTIS FEDERATION INC. After more than a decade of collaboration, Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI) and Saskatoon Public Schools signed a partnership agreement this year to formalize their work to bring Métis history and teachings to all students in the school division. The signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) renews and deepens the relationship. The MOU sets out numerous intended outcomes, including: providing education supporting self-determination, holistic well-being and continuance of Métis people, while fostering respect for all people as equal and contributing citizens; supporting Métis students and all students in their identity development; increasing attendance and graduation rates; enhancing and designing educational supports, programs and services for Métis students from prekindergarten to Grade 12; and increasing the knowledge of Métis history and the cultural competencies of all staff. 30

WHITECAP DAKOTA FIRST NATION Saskatoon Public Schools and Whitecap Dakota First Nation (WDFN) have a long-standing educational relationship, which was formalized in the signing of the Alliance Agreement in October 2014. The term of the first agreement concluded at the end of August 2018. An official evaluation is underway to celebrate the many successes of the Alliance Agreement and to look for opportunities to strengthen the partnership with the end goal always being to best support WDFN student success. The partners hope to sign a renewed agreement for a five-year term moving forward. Partnership highlights for 2017-18 include: • Presentation on the Alliance Agreement at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education; • The grand opening of Chief Whitecap School; • Introduction of Dakota language and culture at both Charles Red Hawk Elementary School and Chief Whitecap School; • Saskatoon Public Schools supporting our partners from WDFN in hosting their first annual Dakota Language and Culture Conference; • The creation of a Dakota language and culture website (dakotalessons.ca) complete with Dakota resources; and • Official opening of the “Icage” (Dakota word for growing young people and plants) Hoop House, a three-season structure located beside Charles Red Hawk School that supports students achieving curricular outcomes through the lens of “growing.”

SASKATOON TRIBAL COUNCIL Saskatoon Public Schools has benefitted from a long-term, collaborative relationship with the Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC). Formally – recognized in the Okicı yapi partnership, the school division and STC have worked together for increased educational opportunities for students and professional support for staff members. In 2017-18, Saskatoon Public Schools partnered with STC in developing the Pathways to Education program aimed at increasing graduation rates for all Indigenous students. The program will begin in collegiates in fall 2018. The school division has worked with STC, as well as Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre, and Sask Culture to present the annual Indigenous Language Celebration. Bringing together students, community members, cultural leaders, and elders, the one-day event provides experiential learning for youth, while working to sustain the seven languages that are the fabric of our Indigenous community. STC is a valued partner in providing direction and support for the Nêhiyâwiwin Cree Language and Culture Program at Confederation Park Community School. Our school division also provides professional development opportunities and support for teachers and staff members working in STC schools. By working together, the school division and STC are focused on providing equitable opportunities and successful outcomes for all students. SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PARTNERSHIPS

COMMUNITY THREAT ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT PROTOCOL Saskatoon Public Schools, as part of its Safe, Caring, and Accepting Schools core strategy, works with 22 community partners in the Saskatoon and Area Community Threat Assessment and Support Protocol (CTASP). The protocol is a major initiative in the area of violence threat risk assessment. This unique multi-agency protocol, first signed in August 2011, is guided by the principle that violence prevention in schools and neighbourhoods is a community responsibility. In the 2017-18 year, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, Great Plains College and Whitecap Dakota First Nation became the newest partners to sign on to the protocol. The protocol facilitates proactive sharing of information among agencies, allowing for the development of strong intervention and support plans for children, youth and families. Each agency that signed the protocol recognizes that working together is a necessity to meet the goal of safe schools and healthy communities. Safe School Teams—consisting of the principal, vice-principal, school counsellor, and school resource officer—receive four days of training in how to assess and intervene when a threat is made. These teams work with families and community partners to provide early intervention, violence prevention, high-risk assessments, and supports. The Canadian Centre for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response has recognized the Saskatoon and Area CTASP as a national leader in providing a community-based response to a shared goal of safer schools and communities.

SASKATOON OPEN DOOR SOCIETY Saskatoon Open Door Society (SODS) continues to play a valuable role in our day-to-day work with newcomers arriving to our schools. Twenty-five Settlement Support Workers in Schools (SSWIS) meet families through schools and through our Newcomer Student Centre on an ongoing basis. SSWIS are an integral component of a positive school experience for students and their families. They work hard with teachers to build relationships and a sense of belonging for students and families. SSWIS may provide initial support shortly after families arrive, as well as ongoing support when needed. The workers’ masterful coordination of interpretation services, a daunting task given the diversity within the school system, enables ongoing communication between home and school. Additionally, as part of its innumerable supports and programs, SODS offers specific school-aged youth programs including youth sports and leadership programming, job search programming, and summer camps. We deeply appreciate the work that SODS does to support newcomer families settling into our school community.

CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION A citizenship education project with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC) is strengthening the knowledge of students by focusing on five essential citizenship competencies: enlightened, empowered, empathetic, ethical, and engaged. Classroom resources aligned with the existing curriculum, along with the guidance of the SHRC, has allowed Saskatoon Public Schools to provide an educational focus aimed at developing deeper critical thinking among students and the skills that will allow them to participate fully in Canadian democracy. Developing these competencies in age-appropriate ways from kindergarten to Grade 12 will help foster a respect not only for democracy, but for our multicultural and diverse community. The resource places a strong emphasis on the rights and responsibilities inherent in the treaty relationship, and empowers students to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Calls to Action. The support of the Concentus Citizenship Education Foundation has provided a comprehensive learning resource for teachers to use in the classroom.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Photo: Saskatoon Industry-Education Council

PARTNERSHIPS

SASKATOON INDUSTRY-EDUCATION COUNCIL The Saskatoon Industry-Education Council (SIEC) is a bridge between Saskatchewanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career opportunities and Saskatoon and area youth. Through partnerships with business, industry, and post-secondary institutions, the SIEC designs and delivers unique, hands-on career exploration events and programs to students. These opportunities help young people find a career that connects their passion and natural talents with current and future workforce needs. During the 2017-2018 school year, more than 8,000 students participated in SIEC events. This number continues to grow as students, parents, education, and the business community work collaboratively to provide experiential opportunities. Current programming includes: Spotlight on Careers, Boot Camps, Cardboard Boat Race Challenge, Digitized, Manuquest, Healthlink, the Summer Youth Internship Program and the newest program, SaskCode. Visit www.saskatooniec.ca for more information. 34

KAMSKÉNOW The Nutrien Kamskénow program is bringing unique learning opportunities in science to students. Offered by the College of Arts and Science at the University of Saskatchewan in partnership with Saskatoon Public Schools, Kamskénow has grown considerably since it begin in 2009 as a pilot program in one classroom at Pleasant Hill Community School. Last year, the program was offered in 50 Saskatoon classrooms reaching more than 1,200 students in Grade 4-11. The goal of Kamskénow is to improve science literacy with the long-term aim of increasing the participation of Indigenous people in the sciences. The program employs a team of university students who lead inquiry-based sessions at community schools during a 13-week program. During the final week of the program, students visit the university campus and have the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities in the teaching labs.

MARTIN ABORIGINAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE The Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative has partnered with Saskatoon Public Schools to offer two business-oriented programs for Indigenous students. The Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Program (AYEP) is designed to introduce Indigenous students in Grades 11 and 12 to the wide range of business opportunities available within the Canadian economy. The curriculum teaches students how entrepreneurs and other businesspeople recognize opportunities, generate ideas, and organize resources to plan successful ventures. Indigenous youth learn the perspective and skills required to achieve success in secondary school, the workplace, post-secondary education or training programs, and in daily life. AYEP is currently offered at Nutana Collegiate. The Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, MNP, and the Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative partnered with Saskatoon Public Schools to offer the Accounting Mentorship Program for Aboriginal Students. This new program is aimed at growing Indigenous students’ competencies in business and entrepreneurial enterprise. In 2017-18 students were paired with MNP mentors and participated in community volunteering, career exploration, resume building, and developing interview skills.

SASKATOON TRADES & SKILLS CENTRE Located on Avenue W in a state-of-the-art shared facility with Saskatoon Public Schools, the Saskatoon Trades and Skills Centre (STSC) was established in 2007 as part of a larger initiative to revitalize core neighborhoods, address the needs of area employers for skilled workers, and prepare vulnerable youth and adults for employment and career opportunities in the skilled trades. The centre operates under four strategic pillars: • Engage vulnerable youth and adults in entry-level skills training; • Transition learners to meaningful, sustainable employment and future training/education opportunities; • Build communities through partnership in the Saskatoon and surrounding area; and • Ensure organizational sustainability and accountability. A 10-year celebration was held for the Saskatoon Trades and Skills Centre on June 20, 2018. Dignitaries, STSC alumni, community partners, and current STSC students and staff honoured the great work that has taken place in the centre over the past decade. SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PARTNERSHIPS

RESTORATIVE ACTION PROGRAM The Restorative Action Program (RAP) was piloted at Mount Royal Collegiate in 2003 through a partnership with the Rotary Club of Saskatoon. This community partnership has expanded to seven high schools (four public) in Saskatoon. In Saskatoon Public Schools, the program can be found in Bedford Road, Mount Royal, Tommy Douglas, and Walter Murray collegiates. The goals of RAP are guided by three core principles: prevention, intervention, and reconnection. The school-based program provides conflict resolution training and services, leadership development, and life skills to Saskatoon youth. This initiative aligns with Saskatoon Public Schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Safe, Caring and Accepting Schools core strategy. Students, staff, administrators, and parents/guardians work closely with RAP workers to resolve issues that have the potential to stand in the way of academic success and personal growth.

SASKATOON POLICE SERVICE A valued partnership with the Saskatoon Police Service provides students and schools with leadership and learning, and helps to build safe school communities. Leadership opportunities include cadet programs at Princess Alexandra and Westmount schools. Officers become a part of the school community through weekly meetings with cadets and activities that emphasize responsibility, positive values, and community service. At the high school level, the Cadet Orientation Police Studies program introduces students to the skills involved in law enforcement as a career education opportunity. The Saskatoon Police Service has designated school resource officers (SRO) that serve as a daily resource to students, families, and staff, and help create safer schools and communities. The SROs are an essential part of the schools. They work co-operatively with school staff to proactively identify and address school concerns, provide education on community safety issues, and build positive relationships with students and families. 36

School Community Councils School Community Councils (SCC) provide valuable input and support to the Saskatoon Public Schools community. At the school level, the SCC acts in an advisory role to the school. Its primary purpose is to encourage and facilitate parent and community engagement in school planning and improvement processes, and develop shared responsibility for the learning success and well-being of all children and youth. Three times each year, SCC representatives from all of the division’s elementary and high schools gather for a city-wide assembly to learn more about the school division, discuss topics related to schools and student learning, and provide feedback and suggestions to the Board of Education and administration. Chief Whitecap School hosted the first meeting of the 2017-18 school year in October. Board chair Ray Morrison and Director of Education Barry MacDougall provided updates on the work of the board and the division’s administration. Superintendent Dean Newton and Chief Darcy Bear of the Whitecap Dakota First Nation spoke about the educational partnership between the division and the First Nation, and the unique role of Chief Whitecap School in welcoming Grade 4-8 students from Whitecap. The school division’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action was shared with participants and there was discussion on how SCCs can support the Calls to Action at their school. The January meeting at Aden Bowman Collegiate provided participants with the opportunity to take part in breakout sessions that examined the role of school board trustees, mathematics education, inspiring readers and writers at the elementary school level, and an opportunity for SCC members from high schools to share and discuss common concerns and issues, particularly the impact of social media in schools. Ernest Lindner School welcomed SCC participants for the April gathering. Topics included the division’s Our School Student Perceptions Survey. The survey seeks input from students in Grade 4-12, with simplified questions asked of students in Grade 4-6. Results are used to inform school-level decision making. Additional sessions included discussion on technology in the classroom and digital citizenship, along with the role of arts education in schools. Tanya Napper, a parent from Brunskill School, was selected as the new assembly co-chair joining Deborah Whittingstall and Ray Morrison. Catherine Weenk, who served as co-chair for four years, was thanked for her commitment to school community councils. The SCC assembly co-chairs wish to express appreciation for the hospitality and warmth of the schools that hosted meetings during 2017-18, and to the division’s leadership, superintendents, and trustees who continue to support parents by attending assembly gatherings and engaging in valuable discussions with the wider school community.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

A DAY IN THE LIFE AT

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS June 1, 2018

Cart provides hands-on cultural learning Building awareness of culture and history meant a hands-on approach for students at Westmount Community School. As part of a larger project to create a Métis cultural outdoor classroom, students at the school built a Red River cart under the direction of the school’s industrial arts instructor. The goal of the outdoor classroom project is to provide a gathering place and source of inspiration for students to explore their cultural roots. Funding for the project came through a community grant from the Saskatchewan Alliance for Youth & Community Well-Being.

Reconciliation through the eyes of students Students in a Grade 4/5 class at Brevoort Park School and a Grade 5/6 class at Princess Alexandra Community School teamed up to make a difference. Learning and living through the lens of reconciliation, the group gathered during the year to interact, build community, and develop citizenship. With the guidance of their teachers and input from community members, the students investigated what it means to be a good citizen, what reconciliation is, and how to work together to take action for change.

Students connect, learn from artist Alvarado Students at King George Community School were given the opportunity to paint thanks to the mentorship and contribution of Hugo Alvarado, a noted Saskatoon artist and CTV Saskatoon’s Citizen of the Year in 2017. Alvarado auctioned off one of his paintings to support an art program at the school and matched the funds raised. His contributions allowed the school to purchase more than 20 art kits and establish an art room that gave students a space to create.

We Grow—We Change Students at John Dolan School worked together to create a mosaic of the four seasons. The piece was created through a step-by-step process that began with students painting paper. The paper was torn to create the sky and trees of the mosaic and students helped trace and cut shapes which became leaves, snowflakes, and berries. Each student had a hand in creating the four-panel mosaic. John Dolan School is a unique and specialized learning community that serves students with multiple disabilities who range in age from 4 to 22.

Silverwood student Inspired by Dahlgren For the longest time, Grade 2 student Jack Stephen had a secret. Then Kaleb Dahlgren visited Silverwood Heights School and Jack no longer needed to keep his diabetes hidden. Dahlgren, a player with the Humboldt Broncos, lives with diabetes and launched his Dahlgren's Diabeauties program to inspire children with diabetes and raise awareness. Silverwood Heights students and staff raised $402.53 for the Diabeauties program and JDRF, a foundation that leads research into Type 1 diabetes.

Diversity is Strength at King George

Mapping a Path to Learning Students at Colette Bourgonje School were among six public schools who had the opportunity to walk across Canada in the comfort of their gymnasium when a giant floor map highlighting the country’s 338 federal electoral ridings toured Saskatoon schools. The map—measuring 88 square metres—was made available through an educational program offered by Canadian Geographic Education and the Canadian Public Affairs Channel (CPAC).

The Saskatchewan Roughriders shared the message of the CFL’s Diversity is Strength campaign with students at King George Community School during the fall of 2017. Former Riders Luc Mullinder and Paul Woldu spoke to students and each student received a shirt. King George has a unique connection to the league’s Diversity is Strength message as teacher Duane Dmytryshyn is a former CFL player whose name was among those on the back of the T-shirt.

Grant supports reading at Sutherland School Students at Sutherland School have new books to read and there are hundreds more still to come thanks to $65,000 from the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation. The school will receive the money over three years to build library resources, improve access to books that reflect the needs and demographics of the school community, and help fund opportunities to engage both students and parents in reading. The school library and the books available through individual classroom libraries are the primary source of reading material for a significant number of Sutherland students.

Schools help Indigenous artists share reconciliation message An arts education program that shared the message of reconciliation worked with two elementary schools to spread the message to students across Canada. Caswell and Sylvia Fedoruk schools hosted and participated in LIVE (Live Interactive Video Education) online workshops that featured Saskatchewan Indigenous artists working with artists from other regions and Grade 3-8 students across the country. The workshops, sponsored by the Saskatchewan Arts Board, were an opportunity for Indigenous artists to discuss the topic of reconciliation in schools through the sharing of stories and the teaching of their respective art forms.

Garden program takes root at Howard Coad Programs that support nutrition and learning at Howard Coad Community School are getting a boost thanks to funding from the Mosaic Extreme School Makeover Challenge. The school received $10,000 to support the creation of indoor/outdoor gardens and enhance the school’s nutrition program and education opportunities. Students will have hands-on experiences through gardening and learning about nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices. Food safety certification and cooking classes will be available to parents and caregivers. The school will purchase kitchen equipment to support its ongoing nutrition program, which provides a healthy breakfast, lunch, and snack to students.

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CORE STRATEGIES

INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING Constructing a rammed-earth building or planting trees aren’t the usual classroom activities, but for students in the Off the Grid program at Tommy Douglas Collegiate, getting their hands dirty is all part of the learning. Off the Grid is a half-day, full-year learning experience for Grade 9 students that introduces them to issues such as climate change, sustainable living, and social justice. Students experience school in a hands-on manner and gain insight into the complex systems that govern life. “We have been thinking of different ways to teach the students in an experiential learning environment and trying to get them out of the class as much as possible,” says teacher Mike Prebble. “Within the school, each student group launches a campaign—waste reduction, composting, solar energy, and energy consumption. It has taken them off in a lot of different paths. It is a case-based class so I give them one issue, they ask a bunch of questions about it, and then they run with it. It is a very inquiry-based kind of method and we tie it into the curriculum.”

Student learning has included investigation of concerns such as water quality, particularly on First Nations’ land, and issues that directly affect their school such as recycling and composting. The students initiated the installation of solar panels at the school, as well as a pilot project to determine the effect of reduced lighting in terms of energy consumption, cost, and the impact on the learning environment. The program’s goals are to build greater overall environmental awareness within the school as students move through their high school career and to illustrate ways in which students can pursue their interest after graduation. The McDowell Foundation, through its teacher research initiatives attached to the course, and the Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation, which provided assistance in the purchase of solar panels, have played important roles in supporting Off the Grid and creating a more sustainable program.

The program was launched in September 2017 and provides students with an opportunity to spend each afternoon together as part of an integrated approach to meeting curricular goals in social studies, science, English language arts, and art. Students are exposed to experts in the fields of environment and sustainability, and have the opportunity to work alongside like-minded peers who are passionate about positively influencing the school and Saskatoon community. Student Ethan Done says the approach to learning gives students the freedom to do what they want within the parameters of a particular assignment or learning goal. “A lot of things we cover are the traditional things that you would learn in the classroom. We have learned the Grade 9 science curriculum, social studies curriculum, and arts curriculum, but there are things that students are learning in this course that you could not have learned otherwise. Some of these things include leadership, taking responsibility, and taking action toward something you are passionate about,” says Done.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

CORE STRATEGIES

FIRST NATION, INUIT & MÉTIS EDUCATION A program aimed at strengthening cultural awareness and pride among Indigenous students is playing a significant role in encouraging youth to connect and participate in their culture and share it with their schools and families.

The program creates understanding and recognition of the importance of Indigenous culture. The experiences and hands-on learning provided to students fits with curricular goals and the effort to impart Indigenous content and perspective.

The Indigenous Art, Song, and Dance Instructional Program provides instruction in many aspects of Indigenous culture and arts for elementary and high school students who attend Saskatoon Public Schools.

For Indigenous students, the opportunity for extracurricular cultural experiences in school can play a role in bringing families together to share a sense of pride and a feeling of belonging to school communities. The mentoring and instruction offered through the program builds confidence in youth and serves as an avenue for students to realize their Indigenous identity.

The program is part of the division’s commitment to culturally responsive learning and recognizing the vital role that culture and the arts play in the development of strong learners, schools, and communities. It offers instruction in powwow dance, powwow song and drum, and Métis jigging along with hands-on opportunities in areas such as dance regalia design, beadwork, and headdress making. The 10-week program is located at a different school each year in order to encourage participation and provide access to a wide range of students and families. Since beginning with a small group of students several years ago, the program grew to include more than 200 students during the fall of 2017, including a significant number of non-Indigenous participants. “The awesome part is that probably 75 per cent were nonIndigenous students,” says Don Speidel, cultural resource liaison with the school division’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis Education Unit. “That is a complementary piece to things that are going on in our country, our province, and our city. People really want to work with Indigenous people face-to-face and shoulder-to-shoulder and create responsive programming that is good for all."

The program serves as the foundation for Saskatoon Public Schools Indigenous Ensemble. Many participants have gone on to roles with the ensemble, an extracurricular program created to provide students with an opportunity to participate in their culture and share it with others. Interest in the Indigenous Art, Song, and Dance Instructional Program is growing each year. The goal is to carry that momentum forward as part of the effort to provide culturally responsive learning that speaks to the needs of Indigenous students, as well as the broader school community. “We have an amazing team of people that continue to commit themselves to developing young people and giving them a chance to bear witness and have access to culture, language and mentorship,” Speidel says.

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CORE STRATEGIES

LEARNING, TEACHING & ASSESSMENT MODELS In order to help their students learn a new language, two French immersion teachers at École River Heights School first had to do some unique learning of their own. Teachers Jessica Brown and Marie-Pierre Michaud wanted to use short songs to help their Grade 2 and Grade 3 students become more familiar with French, but before they could teach with music, they first had to learn how to play guitar. “This literacy framework was born of the understanding that phonics, phonological, and phonemic awareness are key to reading and writing in French,” Michaud says. “Recognizing the power of music to transform learning experiences and bolster memory recall, Jessica and I decided that we would learn how to play the guitar to support literacy learning.” Michaud and Brown use more than two dozen original songs to familiarize students with the most common sounds of the French language. The songs are one component of the literacy instruction that takes place each day in their classrooms through a variety of learning strategies.

“In the classroom, student acquisition of phonics has improved dramatically in response to this responsive instruction. I tested my students for 64 sounds in mid-October and again in the beginning of November. During that period my Grade 2 students gained an average of 15 sounds over the course of October. That translates to an average 35-per-cent reduction in unknown sounds,” she says. The best testimony of the teachers' success at building students’ familiarity with French and creating excitement about language learning comes from the parents who hear their children singing the songs at home. “Parents and students alike have communicated to us their appreciation of this approach to literacy instruction,” Michaud says. “Indeed, one of our student’s infectious singing of the songs at home convinced his mother to incorporate the songs into her classroom literacy instruction. Another parent communicated to us that his child sings so much at home that her younger sister, age three, is now singing along with her!”

“Daily learning must be extended beyond the songs to ensure that students connect the sounds to the appropriate letter combinations,” Michaud explains. “This is achieved through a variety of activities, games, tasks, and explicit decoding strategies.” After more than a year of using the musical approach to literacy instruction, Brown says regular assessment shows student growth in language acquisition. The collection of data allows her to track improvement, target intervention to improve mastery of the sounds on both a class and individual level, and share individualized student progress with parents so they can support their child at home.

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CORE STRATEGIES

SPECIAL EDUCATION & STUDENT SERVICES Graduating from high school is a milestone for every student and a time to prepare for further education or employment. For students in Saskatoon Public Schools, the Life Skills Work Study (LSWS) transition program provides a unique special education opportunity that focuses on helping students navigate the transition from high school to successful community living and possible employment. Located at the school division’s central office in downtown Saskatoon, the transition program is for students up to 22 years of age who have graduated from LSWS or a similar alternate education program. Its goal is to help students build independence and daily living skills, and develop employment readiness. The program works to ensure a smooth transition from the school environment to community based programming and helps to establish an adult support team for the student once their time in the program is complete.

The classroom at the school division’s central office provides a venue where students work and interact with staff. It is a base for teaching and volunteer activities both inside and outside of the building such as catering for division and school-related gatherings, the organization and distribution of donated materials, and other duties. “It is a supported challenge. It challenges them in lots of new ways on a personal level, a social level, and certainly on a work and vocational level, but the supports are there if they are needed,” says Gail Sajtos, the division’s coordinator of special education. “We are bridging from school to work, but we are also bridging from supported advocacy to self-advocacy so that students can be successful.”

“We have lots of success stories and success is different for each student,” says teacher Angela Anderson. “Maybe for one student success is independence in riding the bus or going through vocational training and finding a place or kind of work that they love. “If a student started a work placement, did very well, gained part-time employment and we supported them through that, we feel is a success. And if they are doing day programming and then coming back here to be a mentor, we think that is a success. We celebrate the successes.” Life skills are an important part of the program. Staff work with students to strengthen their ability to access community resources and be confident and successful with skills such as shopping, banking, transportation, and food preparation. Work experience training involves support for interview and communication skills, resume writing, and job search strategies. Skills training, whether for daily living or employment, is tailored to meet the individual needs of each student.

As of December 2017,

SPS served

1,488

INTENSIVE

SUPPORT

STUDENTS

A network of supportive partners in the business and nonprofit communities play a valuable role in providing work placements for students. Often students are able to translate that experience to employment at their placement location. Whether employment is gained or not, experiencing a work environment where they learn from supportive supervisors and co-workers provides students with important skills that will help them in the future.

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CORE STRATEGIES

SAFE, CARING & ACCEPTING SCHOOLS Saskatoon Public Schools is committed to creating safe, caring and accepting learning and work environments that foster inclusion and excellence in learning for all students and staff. It is our goal to work together with families and community partners to support students as they develop moral values, display ethical conduct, and achieve to the best of their ability.

Marion M. Graham Collegiate hosted Grade 7 and 8 students from several feeder schools for two days of facilitator training during which high school students worked with their elementary counterparts. Activities and discussion helped students examine and learn about issues such as gender stereotypes, conflict resolution, unhealthy or hurtful relationships, and physical and dating violence.

A key component of creating safe, caring, and accepting school environments is providing youth with leadership opportunities to experience healthy and respectful relationships. Saskatoon Public Schools has a long-standing partnership with the Canadian Red Cross and its Respect Education programs, both Beyond the Hurt Bullying Prevention and Healthy Youth Relationships, which provides peer-facilitation training for students in Grade 7 to 12.

The symposium provided students with knowledge on how intervene or respond to issues and ways in which they can play a role in promoting healthy relationships within their own school and peer groups. Participants learned how to share the message with fellow students and, along with the assistance of teachers, lead activities that help to build positive relationships within the school.

Jill Flath, the division’s consultant for Safe, Caring and Accepting Schools, says the school division’s emphasis on the importance of fostering healthy youth relationships and the work done in conjunction with the Red Cross has had a positive effect on the many students that receive the training, as well as on the larger school community because the trained students are empowered with leadership skills to share what they have learned with their classmates and peers. “RespectEd teaches our students the skills to build and establish healthy relationships. It teaches them how to treat one another with respect and to grow in ethics and morals and in the way in which they relate to one another,” she says. “It instills a sense of safety; when you have healthy relationships you feel safer at school and you feel like you belong at school.”

“What’s great about the symposium model is it fosters relationship building between senior elementary and high school students,” Flath explains. “Those trained elementary students will work with the trained high school students at later dates during the year to do Pink Day activities or anything around bullying prevention and building healthy relationships. In addition to the learning that takes place, the opportunity for senior elementary students to work with students from their neighbourhood collegiate creates face-to-face connections and familiarity that will help smooth the transition from elementary to high school. The connection starts at the symposium and it carries on.” The success of the pilot program at Marion M. Graham Collegiate has resulted in an expansion of the symposium approach to other division collegiates and their feeder schools for the 2018-19 school year.

The Respect Education training has played an important role within division schools for several years. During the 2017-18 school year, a school-based symposium pilot project provided a new approach to engaging youth as active participants in creating a positive school community.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

CORE STRATEGIES

MATHEMATICS When the families of Grade 1 students at Willowgrove School were asked, “Where does math live in your culture?” the response was as diverse as the students in teacher Kirsten Kobylak’s classroom. The traditional African game of Ayo, a number line written in Urdu, a Métis sash, cultural variations of the children’s game Snakes ’n Ladders, and even popular family games such as Uno and Connect4 represented math in the homes of students. “One of the goals was to show kids that math is everywhere. It’s not only computation and practice, which we do as well, but math can be shown throughout many, many different ways, including the home,” Kobylak explains. “There were new perspectives, as well as shared ones. Regardless of what culture, math is found in games you play with your family. It can bring community together.” The classroom project involved the creation of cultural math bins that included games and activities personalized to the classroom’s students and cultures. Math bins have been highlighted as a tool for practice, communication, and extending skills learned during direct instruction. The bins engaged families in building lessons through their contributions and illustrated how children learn first from their own culture. It showed students that the knowledge and culture they bring from home can help them build mathematical competency.

Students became the teacher as they shared their game or artifact with the class. Family members who visited to teach games such as Ayo or cat’s cradle were greeted enthusiastically by students, who then created their own versions in order to play the game and learn skills such as estimation and counting. It opened up opportunities for inquiry and because the students were engaged in learning, they were developing lessons without realizing it. The cultural math bins were a popular classroom activity and the lessons and games learned by students through the use of the bins were then taken home and shared with families. “The kids are making connections and new discoveries, sharing old discoveries, and problem solving. The best part is it is totally individualized to the class that we have. Every year is going to be something new,” Kobylak says. “Cultural math bins are one way of making sure that the kids are recognized and building on the fact their identity is developed at home. Our classroom is so diverse, our school is so diverse, that we have a lot to learn from families.”

Families were asked for counting or dice games played in a family’s home country, materials used in traditional games, number charts written in a family’s home language, and examples of cultural clothing with patterns for students to extend and represent. Patterning is part of the Grade 1 curriculum, so patterns on a Métis sash or on clothing from Nigeria allowed students to talk about the patterns and how concepts apply. It also created discussion about the cultural and family significance of the clothing.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

CORE STRATEGIES

CAREER & WORK EDUCATION A project constructed of lumber and nails built career skills and knowledge, as well as a partnership between students and schools that are hundreds of kilometres apart. A new home on the English River First Nation in the northern Saskatchewan community of Patuanak is the work of students in the High School Carpentry Apprenticeship Program (HCAP) at Mount Royal Collegiate and high school students at St. Louis School located on the First Nation. Saskatoon Public Schools’ career and work education programs such as HCAP offer a wide range of opportunities to students. The programs provide students with a chance to blend theoretical and practical experience both in the classroom and at a work site.

English River First Nation purchased the materials for the project along with the necessary tools and safety gear required by their students. Cameco provided students with important training in Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS), fire extinguisher safety, and fall protection before they began work. “The students enjoyed the experience,” says Geoff McFarlan, the principal at St. Louis School. “They particularly enjoyed heading to the work site instead of the classroom. Staff noticed an improvement in behaviour and attitude in the students that participated. They have a real appreciation for the value of hard work and satisfaction of a job well done.”

Beginning in Grade 9, career education opportunities promote career planning, exploration, and decision-making. The goal is to help students expand their occupational awareness and relate their educational choices to career development while keeping a wide variety of transition pathways open for consideration. The HCAP experience provides a unique career education opportunity for students in Grade 11 and 12. Each semester, HCAP students build a home or similar projects from start to finish with instruction and training from teacher Ross Johnson and the program’s industry partners. From framing to finishing, students gain experience in all aspects of residential construction including drywall, electrical, plumbing, roofing, siding, and cabinetry. The program also provides students with the chance to earn up to 640 hours toward an apprenticeship. The house built by students during the first semester of the 2017-18 school year was special. Instead of completing the entire project in the learning lab at Mount Royal, the three-bedroom house was loaded onto dollies and trucked more than 500 kilometres north to Patuanak. There, students with an interest in a construction industry career prepared the site and poured the concrete footings to prepare for the building’s arrival. Once the house was on site, students picked up where HCAP left off and completed the interior finishing.

573

SECONDARY STUDENTS enrolled in

CAREER WORK EDUCATION courses in 2017-18

“There is not a lot of opportunity for students (in Patuanak) to experience something like this so we thought it would be a really great partnership,” says Karen Kurtenbach, HCAP’s program facilitator, adding that the project’s division of tasks was a good fit for both groups.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

CORE STRATEGIES

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE Listen closely at Lester B. Pearson School and you’ll hear Tagalog, Urdu, and Arabic. There’ll be Vietnamese and Bengali, Punjabi and French and a smattering of Cree as well. The language and culture of the school’s students is diverse and that diversity is embraced through a variety of language-learning opportunities designed to support new Canadian students and share language and culture throughout the school community. It began with a noon-hour language club, then expanded to specific mother-tongue groups led by outside teachers, which allowed students to learn and experience their home language. In addition, a Cree language club welcomes Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, and a French club helps spark interest in Grade 1 to 4 students before they begin French in Grade 5. The school’s commitment to language learning expanded during the 2017-18 school year thanks to Saskatchewan Organization for Heritage Languages (SOHL) funding of a program that allowed language and culture to be shared in every classroom. “There is lots of research showing that if you are strong in your first language it will help you in learning other languages,” says teacher Kim Guillet. “A lot of our students don’t read in their first language, depending on whether they are refugees or when they moved to Canada. We are trying to give them opportunities for literacy in their home language. If you offer language opportunities, it is a welcoming environment for students to realize that we value your language; we value you and your identity and what you bring to school.” The mother-tongue classes have received a positive response. Students who receive English as an Additional Language (EAL) support during regular class time grow by being able to show who they are and communicate in their home language thanks to the noon-hour groups. Parents are also happy that their child can learn their home language. “The sad thing would be if these kids lost their first language,” Guillet says. “We see the benefits of not losing your home language and we want these students to be bilingual. We are adding English, but we are not taking anything away.” For students who are already fluent in speaking, reading, and writing in their home language, that understanding provides a base of knowledge and reference points as they learn English.

The effort made by the school’s staff to provide language learning has been recognized by students as an opportunity to learn and teach others. For example, a Grade 3 student taught a classmate a Somali lullaby that they then performed together, while Grade 1 students taught classmates how to count from one to 10 in Arabic, Cree, and Bengali. Along the way, the opportunity to learn a home language or the language of their classmates has created connections, awareness, and empathy among the students at Lester B. Pearson. “Sometimes, if you speak English, maybe you don’t realize that these new Canadian students already know language and their language looks different," Guillet says. “Kids have a more open world view and this shows that even though we might live in Saskatchewan we are looking more globally. I have lots of kids ask how to say something in another language. We are building connections between students with engagement and curiosity.”

The

TOP 5

COUNTRIES that the school division

WELCOMES STUDENTS from are China, Philippines, India, Pakistan, & Bangladesh.

The school-wide language learning supported by SOHL saw each class choose a language and culture to study. Many classes made the choice based on a language spoken by classmates, while others explored a language outside of their school experience. The result was a multilingual mix that included Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Bengali, and Urdu. SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

CORE STRATEGIES

TECHNOLOGY FOR LEARNING Cardboard cars that go zoom, catapults that fling marshmallows across the room, and model street lights designed to keep a pintsized plastic pedestrian safe—all are the creation of students in the Design Lab program at Caroline Robins Community School. They are the result of the students’ successful application of the processes of engineering and design. Design thinking and use of the engineering design process are increasingly important skills in school and society, and the goal of the lab’s hands-on learning experience is to increase student engagement at every grade level. “The goal of design lab is to teach the students to think like an engineer when building, which means using the engineering design process to get their hands on things and do some fast prototyping. It’s about learning design-thinking skills, but what they are really learning is perseverance and that is translating into their classwork,” explains teacher and design lab leader Russell Munkler. Programming for the design lab includes instruction at all grade levels. Students begin with a series of simple design challenges to engage them in the engineering design process. Once they have a good understanding of the process, they take on a larger design challenge. Providing the opportunity to help students think in a more analytical manner will prepare them for success not only in school, but in life. The skills learned in the design lab can spark students’ interest in a wide range of areas. Some are attracted to it because of the computational thinking aspect. For others, it is the hands-on approach that allows students to build their analytical ability by “thinking” with their hands. By going through the iterative process of design and engineering, students are able to refine and improve their project and, along the way, discover that failure is a way to grow as a learner. The opportunity helps build a mindset that understands how learning from mistakes contributes to success. For younger students, projects are decidedly low-tech. Grade 1 students built a car using a cardboard tube and wheels, while Grade 3 students created helicopters using a piece of paper and paperclip. The learning comes as students test their initial designs and then refine their approach to make the car roll more smoothly or experiment to change the way in which the helicopter moves and spins as it sinks to the floor.

After its first year of operation, the skills and experiences provided in the design lab have had a positive impact on learning and the lives of students, according to Munkler. “We had students who had difficulty persevering and struggled with self-esteem, but they really shone in this area. It completely changed their attitude toward school because now they had an identity at school as the ‘design guy’ or the builder or the maker.”

Saskatoon Public Schools

BY THE NUMBERS

1,837 424

Teacher Notebooks

Admin Computers

8,042

Student Computers

2,590

Tablets/ iPads

140

Assigned Technology for Special Needs Students

59,000

inbound emails/day to 3,850 addresses

(6,900 are legitimate, 88.3% of daily messages are spam)

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Learning from a Champion Students at Colette Bourgonje School received a skiing lesson from one of Canada’s most decorated Paralympians—their school’s namesake. Bourgonje, who won six medals in Para-Nordic skiing including silver and bronze at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics, skied alongside students in Wildwood Golf Course and shared some advice with those new to the sport. Bourgonje, a former Saskatoon Public Schools elementary physical education and classroom teacher, combined teaching with her training and competition schedule throughout her career.

Saskatoon Public Schools

BY THE NUMBERS 25,430 This is an

INCREASE

in enrolment of

STUDENTS ENROLLED

PreK-12 in Saskatoon Public Schools as of September 30, 2017

511

16,790 8,640

NEW STUDENTS in 2016-17 over the previous year.

ELEMENTARY STUDENTS enrolled as of September 30, 2017

SECONDARY STUDENTS enrolled as of September 30, 2017

787

NEWCOMER STUDENTS

joined SPS during the 2017 -18 school year (and more than 6,100 since 2011-12)

Saskatoon Public Schools 2016-17

TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET

$10,202

$259.4 million INVESTED in each student

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ARTS EDUCATION

ARTS EDUCATION Art serves as a mode to explore issues facing society. For students at Vincent Massey Community School, art was a way to share their learning while expressing their thoughts and concerns. The conceptual art focus for Grade 8 is social issues and the challenge for students was to examine how they could affect their community in a positive way through their art. The inquiry based project gave students the opportunity to share their voice and express their opinions creatively. The students used their ideas and experiences as inspiration to create a piece of art that delivered their perspective while responding to curricular goals that encourage the exploration of art processes and the utilization of a variety of image-making tools and techniques to solve visual art problems. As part of the curriculum, students were challenged to investigate and identify factors that influence artists, their work, and careers. During its discussion, the class explored how art can communicate a visual message without words, with students noting how such messages can promote change within communities. The resulting projects demonstrated how art can express emotions and passions in a powerful manner. “The students chose the medium they wanted to pursue,” says art teacher Christine Murphy. “Some chose a medium that was comfortable for them, like paper and paint, but some also chose more three-dimensional mediums such as chairs or clothing. One student painted a shirt that said ‘no racism’ on the back. Other students created altered books or repurposed old chairs.” Student Avery Dionne’s piece, Save Our Sisters, was a mixed media project that combined a wooden chair, paint, and newspaper clippings. It illustrates and examines the story of missing and murdered Indigenous women, an issue that is close to her heart. “This project honestly means the world to me. I have had relatives and friends that relate to this issue. I think that people need to realize that this is a very important cause and people need to take into consideration that the families of these women are worried sick,” her artist statement explains. “It will stop happening if people speak out and say something.” Creating art that speaks to issues is empowering for students. Murphy says opportunities to express their thoughts and ideas through art engages students in learning. The project mattered to students and they were passionate about it and the opportunity to pursue it in the manner they wanted. “It’s powerful, it’s important,” Murphy says. “Art provides us with a way to communicate without words and you can look at an art piece and interpret it in a way that suits you. I planted the seed for this project but the students were ones that brought it to life.”

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

ATHLETICS

ATHLETICS Athletes who compete in cross-country running finish their race with an individual time, but for the hundreds of Saskatoon Public Schools elementary and high school students who compete in cross country each fall, the sport is all about being part of a team.

“When you have the right team environment you have athletes who want to be there and who have a positive attitude and who have the self-belief that they can achieve their goals and dreams. Those are the athletes who have success,“ says Li.

“Every member of the team matters—it’s a value that is reinforced daily in practice and in all team messaging. Team members encourage and support each other in workouts and in competition whether they are at the front of the pack or at the back,” says Janet Christ, head coach of the Walter Murray Collegiate team that in 2017 captured its 12th city championship in 13 years and then added its first-ever provincial team title.

Christ credits the success of Walter Murray’s program to a dedicated coaching staff and the contributions of athletes from previous years who built a tradition and culture that allows current team members to learn, grow, and push themselves as athletes.

“The team philosophy is centred on team success and on individuals achieving their personal success, whatever that may be. Each experience is a learning experience from which the athlete grows physically, mentally, and emotionally.”

“Every athlete contributes, every athlete matters,” she says. “Though we strive for success, at the heart of our team lies the precept that athletes should be running for the fun of it and the joy of being with one another. Winning has just been a bonus.”

Cross country is part of the extracurricular program at many of the division’s elementary and high schools. Runners receive their introduction to the sport as early as Grade 4 and have their first opportunity to compete as part of the city-wide elementary meets. “We are very proud of our runners. At a cross-country meet with elementary students, there are thousands of children everywhere, there are parents, grandparents, coaches pulling their hair out and there is great excitement,” says Tammy Wilson, coach of the Willowgrove School team that included 80 runners from Grade 4-8. “We sell it to them as hard work: ‘This is going to be hard for you. This takes a lot of effort.’ They come out and they are excited to be there and to show that they can work hard and they can put effort into things.” Extracurricular sports such as cross country provide student-athletes of any age with benefits such as increasing fitness, building skill level, and gaining new friends from different classes and grades. Wilson says many teachers report that students are also more focused and ready for learning following a training run. Wilson and Christ share a conviction that emphasizing a team approach to an individual sport offers opportunities for their athletes. By instilling and reinforcing the message that every member of the team matters, athletes come together to encourage and support each other during training and competition.

Through

Saskatoon Secondary Schools Athletic Directorate Saskatoon Public Schools supports

5,197

participating in

STUDENT ATHLETES

DIFFERENT SPORTS

Cindy Li, a Grade 12 student at Walter Murray, said the sense of community among the group of runners, ranging from Grade 9 newcomers to senior students, was built not only through training and competition, but also team potluck meals and other fun events.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

COMMUNITY VOICE Chris M. Guérette @Chris_Guerette • 20 Mar 2018 Teaching all our children Cree is important. Was thrilled to see my 10yo have Cree language sessions in school this yr (thank you @StoonPubSchools). If my Francophone kids can have 3 founding languages under their belt... #imagine

SK Research Council @SRCnews • 2 Nov 2017 Learning to draw the #bison w. Kevin & Nyle @SylviaFedoruk @StoonPubSchools #liveartsnational #artseducation #indigenousartists Hilary Gough @hilaryYXE • 7 Mar 2018 @wpbateschool @StoonPubSchools Congratulations to the students and teachers involved on this beautiful and meaningful work.

Tasha Maddison @tmmaddison • 7 Feb 2018 @StoonPubSchools Love the Thought Exchange! So much love in the community for teachers and the wonderful work that they do. I love reading the comments.

SK Research Council @SRCnews • 2 Nov 2017 Grade 9 students visited our Biotech lab this morning to extract DNA from an onion as part of #KidsToWork @TLPCanada @StoonPubSchools

CHEP Good Food Inc. @CHEPGoodFood • 10 Jun 2017 The runners are coming in and the medals are being given out. Beautiful design by a Westmount School student. @StoonPubSchools @HomeSIGA #yxe

Dr. Debbie Pushor @DrDebbiePushor • 3 June 2018 Big shout out to @StoonPubSchools Director of Education @macdougallb7 & Superintendent Lisa Fleming for their work with the parent engagement prototype @howardcoad. They are advocates, deeply engaged, present, supportive, actively working to rethink structures & remove barriers.

Cst. Derek Chesney @SPSChesney • 1 Jun 2018 Big thanks to @StoonPubSchools @GSCSNews dreambrokers for another awesome year of @SaskatoonPolice Peacekeeper cadets.

Charlie Clark @charlieclarkyxe • 6 Dec 2017 Loved the warm welcome and energy at W.P. Bate School! Thank you to all of the staff there creating such a vibrant supportive environment for an incredibly diverse group of students! @StoonPubSchools

Tyler @TylerRittinger • 28 May 2018 Thanks to the @CityParkSask neighbourhood...Ecoquest’s 2nd annual Bike and Bottle Drive was a success...a truck full of bikes for @the_BCBC and donations to give to both the Bike Coop & @CHEPGoodFood to help replace their delivery truck. @StoonPubSchools

Donna Banks @hockeymom1959 • 13 Jun 2018

Huskie Football @skhuskies • 12 Dec 2017 Welcome 2018 Dogs! We’re thrilled to have Aden Bowman and U-18 team Sask DB Matt Digout join the huskies! #skhuskies

@MMGCI gym was named John Michael Dewar Athlete Centre tonight. Terry, Addison, and Alexander all spoke about John. Then the young boys played a basketball game against some of John’s former friends and teammates. John would have been proud. @StoonPubSchools

Wanuskewin @Wanuskewin_Park • 16 Jun 2018 The beautiful painted tipi created by @StoonPubSchools has been featured in the @nytimes! Thanks to Donnie Speidel and @bwaytheatre for their partnership! #victoriaschoolyxe

Terri Jackson @foreveraknitwit • 16 Dec 2017 Tonight it was our pleasure to share the gift of time with Elders at Sherbrooke Community Center. Inspired by Home Instead Senior Care and the Be a Santa for a Senior Program, we played games, visited and made memories for students and Elders.

Rick & Jacquie Block @randjblock • 23 May 2018 #Schoolgardens at Mayfair #yxe get special treatment today courtesy Grade 7 students and value-added guidance from http://saskhort.com @horticulturepat

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

SASKATCHEWAN

A student-led project saw students, teachers and staff at Mount Royal Collegiate lend their voices to the goals of breaking down stereotypes and building the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. Mount Royal students and staff encourage everyone to learn more about Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history and explore the work and calls to action of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada, upon which this project was based. Learn more at saskatoonpublicschools.ca/mountroyal

What does reconciliation mean to you?

SPS FOUNDATION

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION The Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation (SPSF) is an independent charity dedicated to enhancing learning opportunities for students at Saskatoon Public Schools. The foundation partners with committed businesses, organizations, and individuals to support programs and initiatives that go beyond Saskatoon Public Schools’ mandate. This year, the Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation continued to focus on its new strategic plan featuring three key areas: • Literacy • Healthy Active Schools • Empowering Innovation Sponsored by a generous anonymous donor, the foundation’s successful Early Learner Tutor Program was expanded to 22 schools across the division. Over the past five years, 936 tutor sessions have been offered. Our ongoing partnership with READ Saskatoon introduces parent skills as a way of enhancing family and community engagement activities. The Summer Reading Camps—graciously supported by the Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation and fundraising efforts— are another key part of the SPSF’s efforts to support literacy. This year, the camps welcomed more than 200 students for a two-week experience designed to prevent learning loss over the summer months. Camps were held in 10 schools across Saskatoon and included partnerships with Sask Sport, the Summer Snack Program, and SaskTel Pioneers. Further, the Saskatoon Open Door Society provided reading camps for English as an Additional Language learners at Sutherland School with SPSF support. An important part of the foundation’s focus on healthy, active schools is its support of school-based nutrition programs through the Nutrien Food4Thought Nutrition Program. This school year, the Nutrien Food4Thought Nutrition Program helped provide more than 725,279 servings of healthy breakfasts, snacks, and lunches to students in 19 public schools. The SPSF also furthered its focus on empowering innovation by awarding a total of $40,000 through the Programs of Excellence Grants. These grants provide opportunities such as the Saskatoon Public Schools First Nations, Inuit and Métis Education Unit's work in supporting Truth and Reconciliation initiatives, the Buena Vista School “Reaching Out to Make a Change” project, adding band instruments to the Evan Hardy Collegiate music program, provision of a Soundbeam system for students at John Dolan School, the “Bedtime Book Club” at Mayfair School, the École River Heights School “L'alphabet animé” literacy framework, and the Sylvia Fedoruk School “Stewards of the Swale” initiative. Other examples of the foundation’s support for learning include: • The Cameco Centre of Excellence in Science and Mathematics at Bedford Road Collegiate. Thanks to the generous support of Cameco, the centre provides experiences for students in pneumatics, 3-D modelling, robotics, and 3-D manufacturing. This year, the Cameco funds allowed for the development of a design lab at Caroline Robins School, the purchase of STEM-focused learning kits, professional development activities, and initiatives designed to enhance elementary school-aged children’s knowledge of careers in science and technology.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

• The Nutrien Eco-Science and Indigenous Learning Centre at Brightwater welcomed nearly 3,500 students, teachers, and volunteers. In the centre’s five years of operation, more than 17,500 students, staff, and community members have experienced unique programs focused on sustainable living and Indigenous ways of knowing. Another aspect to the foundation's work is to facilitate numerous donordirected gifts. A recent donation of $30,000 from the estate of Mr. Durward Seafoot was directed to Princess Alexandra School. This contribution will mean children will benefit from enhanced technology resources and the future development of an outdoor learning space. The SPSF programs and initiatives are funded entirely by the support of donations. This year, the foundation’s major fundraiser, the Autumn Social & Celebrity Roast, featured notable Saskatoon Public Schools alumni Chief Darcy Bear and Tiffany Paulsen. This entertaining evening took place at historic Nutana Collegiate and raised almost $60,000 for foundation programs. In its second year, the Drive Fore Literacy Golf Tournament was led by teachers and staff from Saskatoon Public Schools. The event was a remarkable success due to the generosity of a matching donor and division staff, raising nearly $20,000 for Summer Reading Camps. A new fundraising event, the Cinco de Mayo dance and social, was well attended by division staff and community members and raised over $5,000 for the Summer Reading Camps. Many Saskatoon Public Schools staff also supported the foundation by choosing to donate through a payroll giving program. The foundation is deeply appreciative of the support received from all donors and extends its sincere gratitude to the families, staff, and community members who come together to meet the shared goal of enhancing learning for the students of Saskatoon Public Schools.

SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS  Zeba Ahmad, PRESIDENT Leanne  Bellegarde Kathleen Brannen, SECRETARY Wayne Brownlee Lisa Fleming Prabha Mitchell Ray Morrison Jesse Radu, VICE PRESIDENT & TREASURER Shane Skjerven Janet Uchacz-Hart Stephanie Yong

STAFF

George Rathwell, EXECUTIVE  CONSULTANT Avon Whittles, EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT Stephanie Schedlosky, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Global goals, local learning Students in Saskatoon Public Schools are sharing their learning about the United Nations 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development through a division-wide poster competition organized by Roland Michener School. Submissions were received from elementary school students and a committee of school and community representatives chose the top 17 posters representing each of the goals. Marcus Matias, a student at Mayfair Community School, was the overall winner of the competition with a poster highlighting the goal of Decent Work and Economic Growth. SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Orange Shirt Day Charging for Charity Since 2010, Centennial Collegiate has hosted the Centennial Charger Charity Classic basketball tournament every December. This is the second $10,000 cheque that the school has donated to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation as a result of the tournament. The event also supports the school’s Christmas hamper project.

Saskatoon Public Schools recognizes September 30 as Orange Shirt Day—a day to honour the Indigenous children who survived residential schools and remember those who didn’t. Principals and division administration attending a planning gathering joined for a photo to share their commitment. In schools, students and staff were encouraged to wear orange and activities and lessons were offered to help foster students’ understanding of the impact of residential schools. Orange Shirt Day is one of the actions Saskatoon Public Schools is undertaking as part of its response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action.

Water Carrier / Fire Keeper Every year, Saskatoon Public Schools appoints a water carrier and fire keeper to support First Nations ceremonies and activities in the school division. Water is essential for life; without water, there cannot be life. First Nations have the shared belief that the Earth is a female who gives and nurtures life. Women have been gifted to be the carriers of the water needed to support new life. It is for this reason that women are responsible for water at many ceremonies. The water carrier (Mini Awanyanke) for the 2017-18 school year was Shanna Strueby. Fire plays an essential role in perpetuating life by providing light, warmth, and the ability to cook. The spirit of fire is highly respected in all First Nations cultures. Each society had a fire keeper who was responsible for making and tending fires for societal ceremonies and activities. The fire keeper saves a coal. from their previous fire to use to rekindle the fire when needed. The fire keeper (Peta Awanyanke) for the 2017-18 school year was Michael Bradford.

Get on Your Bikes and Ride! Saskatoon Public Schools and Grade 8 students in the Ecoquest program at City Park School were a part of the annual Bike to Work Day YXE held during May. The students—who use bicycles to travel to and from school as well as during the school day— welcomed cyclists to a bike commuter station located along the Meewasin Trail between Duke and Queen streets during the morning commute.

Tipi sparks learning, community conversation A tipi erected on the grounds of Ă&#x2030;cole Victoria School served as a representation of student learning and a commitment to reconciliation. Students in the Grade 7/8 class hand-painted the tipi with the support of the First Nations, Inuit and MĂŠtis Education Unit. The opportunity provided students with hands-on lessons about Indigenous history and customs. The tipi, which was provided through a partnership between the Broadway Theatre and Wanuskewin Heritage Park, created a unique learning space for students. Its prominent location near Broadway Avenue was also an opportunity to spark conversations in the wider community.

Saskatoon Public Schools 310 - 21st Street East Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada S7K 1M7

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