<p>Superintendent Roger Clarke is pleased to announce that Lisa Lindsay has accepted the position as principal of Schuler School, following the move of current principal Kerry Watson to the Irvine vice principal position at the end of the 2020-2021 school year.</p><p>Lisa Lindsay comes to Prairie Rose with an extensive education background having worked as a teacher, school leader, and in student services and mental health for the past 30 years. Her most recent experience has been as vice-principal at the Dr. Roy Wilson Learning Centre in Medicine Hat from 2015-2020 and as the Mental Health Services Facilitator and Palliser Adolescent Service Administrator for the past seven months. In addition to a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta, she also has a Master’s in Counselling Psychology from the University of Calgary.&nbsp;</p><p><i>“I am grateful for the opportunity to join the team at Prairie Rose Public Schools and look forward to getting to know the students, staff, and community of Schuler. This is not my first time working for Prairie Rose, as I spent six years teaching at Seven Persons School many years ago. I am excited to return to rural education and look forward to working alongside the Schuler community to develop innovative programs and opportunities for students.” ~ Lisa Lindsay</i></p><p>Lisa Lindsay will officially assume the role of principal at Schuler at the end of the current school year, effective August 25, 2021.</p>

<p>At the May 11, 2021, public board meeting the Prairie Rose Board of Trustees joined other school boards in the province and voted against participating in the draft K-6 curriculum pilot this fall.</p><p>The decision came following a report from an 18 member Prairie Rose teacher review committee who examined the four core subject areas of Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science of the draft curriculum. The report provided a thematic analysis of the core subjects with a lens on five areas including; progression and continuity, competencies, assessment (Bloom’s Taxonomy), age appropriateness, and content load.</p><p>While the committee did find some areas of strength in the proposed&nbsp;curriculum it was noted there were concerns that could not be overlooked. This included things such recognized areas where gaps in learning would likely occur, student comprehension,&nbsp;and the challenge&nbsp;for&nbsp;teachers to be ready for the fall. The committee's recommendation was to not participate in the draft K-6 curriculum pilot. Superintendent Roger Clarke expressed his appreciation to the volunteer teachers who were part of the localized review&nbsp;as they provided&nbsp;significant&nbsp;expertise, knowledge and experience to the process.&nbsp;</p>

<h1>Board Meeting Highlights</h1><p><strong>1. Margaret Wooding School Presentation</strong><br>Principal Craig Corsie and Vice Principal Eli Merrick spoke about the assurance data survey results obtained in March 2021 and how staff reviewed&nbsp;the data and developed goals and strategies to address potential challenges. It was noted that overall the school received very positive results from staff, parent and students in terms of feeling supported and cared for by school staff. Areas identified for growth were broken into student and parent categories. While still quite positive, it was shared that students expressed some concern about safety on the bus, student behaviour, learning expectations, and that their voice matters. Parents also identified bus safety, discipline, communication and learning expectations. Recommendations staff developed stemming from the results included; increased opportunity for student voice, increase parent and community awareness of school programs and what they are learning, and create opportunities for student to engage in learning that ignites their creativity and passions. A number of strategies were also shared to accomplish and evaluate&nbsp;the newly developed goals.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>2. Curriculum Review and Decision</strong><br>Superintendent Roger Clarke shared an overview of the process Prairie Rose Public Schools took to examine the draft K-6 curriculum. A total of 18 teachers participated in an internal review process examining the four core subjects of math, science, social studies and language arts. The five lenses the committee used for review included; progression and continuity, competencies, assessment (Bloom’s Taxonomy), age appropriateness and content load. The committee recommendation was not to pilot the curriculum as it has been proposed for implementation in the fall of 2021. It was noted the volunteer teachers who participated have been teaching the current curriculum for many years and their opinion and expertise is appreciated and highly valued. The board agreed with the recommendation from the committee echoing similar concerns have been expressed in their local communities. &nbsp;The board voted unanimously to not participate the draft K-6 curriculum pilot this fall.</p><p><strong>3. Irvine Riding Arena</strong><br>A motion was put forward asking Prairie Rose to financially supporting the building of an indoor riding and agriculture arena in Irvine. The proposal asks Prairie Rose to contribute $300,000-$500,000 for the construction of the facility and be responsible for the monthly operating expenses of utilities, water and gas. In exchange, Prairie Rose would have unlimited use of the facility and be able to provide several new programming options for students. The board voted to table a decision until they have an opportunity to further review and consider the future implications for Prairie Rose.</p><p><strong>4. Other Items:</strong></p><ul><li>The board approved the revised 2021-2022 Monitoring Schedule, as presented.</li><li>The board approved numerous policy changes to reflect the new name of Prairie Rose Public Schools.</li><li>The board approved the deletion of the June 29, 2021 public board meeting, due to the New Brigden School consultation meeting being moved until August 30, 2021.</li><li>The board approved the change of date for the June 8, 2021 board meeting to June 9, 2021.</li></ul>

We know many of our families have questions about the new restrictions announced by the government for COVID-19. This German video can help explain what the new measures are and what they mean for our families. https://youtu.be/Jzoy38zXQUc

The 2021 Census is here. A video has been made to assist Low German Mennonite families with understanding how to complete their census form. https://youtu.be/14rczx3YKM4