Westisle Family of Schools District Advisory Council
November 17th, 2021 - Microsoft Teams Meeting
Guest: John Cummings, Executive Director of Educational Services
Discussion
Group Guidelines
-
The Junior Policy Analyst will prepare and send along the meeting agenda before each meeting.
-
The group will contribute to the agenda by adding action items, progress on past work, and any new priorities they would like to discuss.
-
The group would like to continue using Doodle Polls to decide when the best suited times are to meet.
-
It is understood that the meetings can take place either virtually or in person, and if the meeting is to take place in person, proper vaccination protocols must be conducted. The group is considering a mix of both in-person and virtual.
-
The group discussed having a meeting chair to ensure the agenda items are discussed and that everyone has a chance to share. The Junior Policy Analyst will assume this role for the meetings.
-
The group is welcome to meet on their own outside of regular meeting times without the Junior Policy Analyst and bring this information forward with the larger group in the next meeting.
-
For an individual who would like to serve more than the two terms as a parent representative, they must confirm with the school that there is no interest for someone to take over; if not, the parent can continue.
-
If there is a presentation/ speaker during a meeting, the group would like time to discuss the content outside of the presentation time. In past years, presentations took up a large part of the group's time. The proposed solution was that there be at least three meetings for discussion outside of any presentation that takes place.
District Advisory Council Overview
Tyler Gallant, the Junior Policy Analyst for the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning, gave a presentation that offered information regarding the DAC's and their role in the PEI education system.
-
The mandate of the DACs is to help shape an education system that is focused on and meets the need of learners.
-
The role of the DACs is to advise the Minister of Education on priorities for the district, to engage school communities in discussions, and foster collaboration among school councils, home and school associations, and the community.
-
Responsibilities of the membership include reporting concerns to your local home and school to the DAC, providing leadership in identifying priorities to focus on, working collaboratively with members and reporting back to your local home and school, the discussions and outcomes of the DAC meetings.
Topics of Discussion
Elected School Board
-
Discussion about the Elected School Board consultations. Currently in review, and the group will revisit this topic at a later date when more information is available. It is expected to see change effective for the next school year.
Parent Representation
-
Parent involvement has been low in the region over the past years due to several factors such as COVID-19, tragedies or lack of interest. What can be done to increase this engagement and have more parents involved in committees and community groups?
Reduced Wait-Times for Psych Ed Assessments
-
The group would like an update from the PSB on this topic and where it currently stands? A common theme seems to be that there has been progress on this, but this progress is not so prevalent in our region…. What has been done?
-
For the next meeting, the group would like to invite members of the Student Services team at the PSB to share any new information or updates in this area.
-
The assessment is only the beginning when it comes to what services need to be lined up. Getting the assessment done and then receiving results only is the start, as then a plan needs to be put forward to act upon any results. This process has taken years for some, and access to certain health care professionals has not helped move the process along either.
Lunch Program and Healthy Eating
-
The program has improved dramatically over the past year and has overcome many challenges, including food's freshness and timely service.
-
Vendors such as Harbourview and Mill River have come on board to provide the school's food.
-
The numbers of registrations have been increasing with these improvements, and the feedback has been very positive not only from students but parents as well.
Fundraising and Access to Funding
-
At St. Louis Elementary, the cohort system affects who has access to the new playground equipment and picnic tables that both had been fundraised for under the impression they would be accessible to all students. Further fundraising efforts to support multiple cohorts would be very draining for parents and committees.
-
The rural schools have a much harder time when it comes to funding field trips due to the price of gas and the distance to many destinations. These trips played an important role in the school community, and so many relationships are built in these times. COVID-19 has really impacted our kids, and we would like to improve the culture and community aspect on this end of the island.
Bus Drivers and Substitute Bus Drivers
- Schools across the region are seeing a significant portion of their bus drivers retiring in the coming years. What is the PSB doing in order to recruit and fill these vacancies, and what has been the result of previous initiatives? The PSB will be contacted and information provided at future meetings.
Previous School Years