Learners Today, Leaders Tomorrow Another School Year Has Begun—Tim Mendel, Superintendent/CEO I want to take this opportunity to welcome everyone back from their much deserved summer vacation. Summer vacation seems like a distant memory now that the dayto-day hustle and bustle of the school year is in full swing. As many are aware this is the school trustee election year. I want to take this opportunity to thank those who have served but have decided to step down for their contributions and service to the students of Park West School Division. The role of a trustee can at times be challenging and difficult but it also holds great rewards and pride. This board can be proud of their many accomplishments such as the development of several technical vocational programs; the implementation of our unique educational partnership with Waywayseecappo; better communication with all stakeholders by utilizing a variety of vehicles such as a new website divisional calendar; divisional newsletter, executive summaries and digital signs; development of a variety of partnerships with community groups; introducing CTS and apprenticeship programs; increasing 0-5 programming in the area. These are just a few of the accomplishments that this board has achieved. I think its greatest accomplishment is that this board has regained the trust of all communities in the Park West footprint. The new year and new board will bring new ideas, a fresh perspective, and renewed energy. I look forward to working with all stakeholders in providing even more learning opportunities for our students. A final poem for our retiring trustees: I Resign ~ author unknown I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as a trustee. I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8 year old again. I want to go to McDonald’s and that it’s a four star restaurant. I want to sail sticks across a fresh much puddle and make ripples with rocks. I want to think M&M’s are better than money because you can eat them. I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer day. I want to return to a time when life was simple. When all you knew were colors, multiplication tables, and nursery rhymes, but that didn’t bother you, because you didn’t know what you didn’t know and you didn’t care. All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worri ed or upset. I want to think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good. I want to believe that anything is possible. I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and overly excited by the little things again. I want to live simple again. I don’t want my day to consist of board meetings, angry phone calls, or coffee shop gossip. I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the snow. So…here’s my laptop, day planner, passwords, and all my responsibility. I am officially resigning from trusteeship. And if you want to discuss this further, you’ll have to catch me first, ‘cause, “Tag! You’re it!” Change is in the Air Division Office Contact Information PO Box 68 1126 St. Clare Street Birtle, MB R0M 0C0 Well, there you have it. Four years has passed since the last civic elections that formed your current Board of Trustees. Change will undoubtedly take place on October 22 and the new board that is formed will have many new faces and ideas. As your Board of Trustees reflects on the past four years, we hope you will agree that it has been a good four years. As chairman, I am extremely proud of the folks that I have had the privilege to work with and the commitment to excellence in the system, with one eye steady on the need for equity. Kids in this division are among the most proficient in the province, as shown by our year over year success in leadership, social justice and academic awards on the provincial and national stage. This is no accident. It takes links of people all pulling their share of the load in the same direction. We realize that mostly this task falls on the shoulders of teachers, but hopefully this board has in those ways that it can, been part of framing the building of this culture of success. 2014-2015 is going to be a great year with some exciting new directions in support of early years, middle years industrial arts, and partnerships with post-secondary institutions. Keep up the momentum. “A bend in the road is not the end of the road…unless you fail to make the turn.” ~ Helen Keller ~submitted by: Don Cochrane, Board Chair Phone: 204-842-2100 Casting Your Vote Fax: 204-842-2110 A reminder that school trustee elections will be held on October 22nd. Please visit www.manitobavotes.ca for a complete list of candidates. More information regarding school trustee elections can be found on the Manitoba School Boards Association website at www.mbschoolboards.ca/elections2014.php Email: [email protected] Website: www.pwsd.ca Japanese Intern at RES Helps “Bring the World to Our Students” Students at Rossburn Elementary School are learning about Japan from an expert. Kaori Sato has been working as a full-time volunteer at RES since she arrived in April. She plans to stay for one year, leaving in March 2015 to return to Japan. With 9 years of experience as an elementary school teacher in Tokyo, Ms. Sato knows how to plan engaging and memorable lessons about Japan and Japanese culture. In addition to her lessons, she runs a Japanese club during the lunch hour, participates in many extra-curricular activities, and helps out in classrooms wherever she is needed. Ms. Sato is the fifth Japanese intern that RES has hosted since 2002, and her one-year stay will be the longest. Asked to comment on what she has found most challenging about her stay in Canada, Ms. Sato said, “It has been a challenge to adjust to the many differences between life in Tokyo and in rural Manitoba, but I am learning a lot. I look forward to going to school every day and seeing the students and the staff.” “We will bring the world to our students to prepare our students for the world.” ~ Park West School Division Vision Building Community – Building Connections As a new initiative toward building community, the students and staff of Binscarth School will be participating in a variety of community projects throughout the school year. We will work in close association with our Senior Services Coordinator, Val Ferguson. One of the projects will see different class groups attending the monthly ‘Family Suppers’ held at the Drop In Centre to provide entertainment for attendees. Another affiliated project will have our Grade 7/8 students working hand-in-hand with seniors to develop technology skills with the hope of creating a publishable calendar as a culminating activity. Other activities will have our school hosting two Binscarth Lions Supper Meetings, two community breakfasts, as well as a potential cooperative project with the Binscarth Park and Pool. We look forward to developing meaningful relationships among many members of the community. We are of the belief that it truly does ‘take a village to raise a child.’ Waywayseecappo Horseback Riding Adventure! On Wednesday, September 17th, 2014 over 200 students in Kindergarten to Grade 5 from Waywayseecappo Community School enjoyed a day of horseback riding as part of our cultural activities leading up to our annual Fall Feast. Along with riding horses we also had a petting farm that included llamas, pigs, hedgehogs, turkeys, chickens, chicks, goats, ducks, and a donkey. The students and staff all had a wonderful time. For most of the students it was their first time riding a horse. Everyone rode at least one time. Even the students that were hesitant and afraid got on by the end of the day. A huge thank you to the grade 8 students for helping that day and parent, Ross Wabash, for everything he did that day. MacPhail McCormick Memorial Fund Information This fund was established by Marion McCormick and Alexander MacPhail and is administered by the Park West School Division Foundation. Some of the guidelines are: -be a grade twelve graduate having attended either BCI, RCI, SLS for the last two years. Exceptions as listed on the application -be enrolled in a university, community college, bible college or recognized educational institution as a full time student; -be about to embark upon or are already engaged in a course of studies leading to a career in any fields listed on the application; -remain a full time student in an eligible program (as recognized by the educational institution attended) for all terms of the academic year; -provide a statement of their marks of the previous year, grade twelve or college, etc.; Full application details can be found at www.pwsd.ca Application deadline is November 14th, 2014 Page 2 Lauman Scholarship Information This scholarship was established by George and Mabel Lauman and is administered by the Park West School Division Foundation. Some of the guidelines are: -be a graduate of one of the following High Schools: BCI, DCS, HCI, SLS, SCS; and have been a resident of PWSD and a student of the above schools for a minimum of two years; -be a student taking a full course of studies at a University, Community College or School of Nursing where the program of studies is two years or longer; -along with the application provide official academic standing; -an applicant may apply twice: once in second or third year of studies; once in fourth or fifth year of studies. Full application details are at www.pwsd.ca Application deadline is November 14th, 2014 Any questions regarding these scholarships can be emailed to Tanya at [email protected] Park West School Division Newsletter October 2014 How I Spent My Summer The beginning of the summer for most students means lazy afternoons with friends. For five Westman students and 5 adults this meant travelling half way across the world to help build a school in Kipsongol, Kenya with Free the Children. This project was an extension of the We Day experience that the students took part in 2012 in Winnipeg. Our time in Kipsongol, Kenya, was absolutely amazing. Everything was full of life; the people, the plants, even animals seemed to glow. Most students have never experienced an environment like this before. The first day in Kipsongol we broke ground for a new classroom. We walked from our camp to the school ground. I am so thankful we did. Before even reaching the school, children were running up to us and singing. At first I thought the singing was Swahili, but it was English. The children sang, “Happiness, happiness, happiness today” over and over until we were clapping and singing along with them. The men shook our hands and told us how thankful the community was to have us. The women greeted us last by singing in Swahili. This entire experience was amazing. Paired with the fact that it was a Saturday and none of the children needed to be there made it all the more special. During our trip we went on a safari which was breathtaking, visited hospitals and other schools built by Free the Children. We participated in a traditional ‘water-walk’ which the community gets its drinking and cooing water. The water walk was 5km in total, though it didn’t feel like it. Holding 20 liters of water on your head with a thin scarf is just as hard it sounds. We did it once but we were told the Mamas make that walk three times a day. On our last day the students put together a song for us which all of them sang. A boy played a guitar, a girl led the song, and the children danced and clapped. Near the end of the song a child grabbed each of our hands and gave us necklaces. Then we were pulled into the celebration to dance. The entire experience was incredible; the Maasai culture, the food, all of the children, the entire community and the fantastic people who went to Kenya with me were AMAZING. Every single thing about the trip was special. I couldn’t have picked better people to experience it all with. It has made me appreciate what we have in Canada and the importance of education for everyone. ~submitted by Davey Couvier & Craig Barker Kenya Adventures of Russell Travel Club July 7-17, 2014 was filled with new experiences as our 11 members of the Russell Travel Club (Emily Barteaux, Joshua Barteaux, Dana Barteaux, Kennedy Cadieux, Tiffany Cadieux, Stephanie Judd, Christine Judd, Wesley Flett, Suzy Paradine, Charlene Vandenbosch, and group leader Debra Jackson) traveled to Kenya. Here are some activities our group were involved in: sleep over at Rosslyn camp in Nariobi, drive to the Great Rift Valley, stay the week at the beautiful Bogani Camp, Swahili lessons with a Masia Warrior, visit Emori Joi Primary School, water walk and beading with Mamas, medicinal walk and weapons training with a Masia Warrior, Safari, sleep over in Manyattas (mud huts) at Boma camp, explore Baraka Health Center, visit Kisaruni (girls High School), shop at the Duka (store), and experiencing the beautiful scenery throughout our travels. The most rewarding activity was building at Kisaruni. The group made great progress as they wheeled mortar, carried rocks, built walls, and worked together as a team. There were priceless memories made as we played games with students, chatted with and learned traditions from locals, were invited into farmers’ homes, and enjoyed entertainment by the Kenya Boys Choir. Smiles were contagious throughout the adventure. As the group travelled place to place children would be sprinting to wave and greeting us with “Jambo”, which means “Hello” in Swahili. Tears were shed as the group carried out the daily chores of the locals. Carrying the heavy loads of water on our backs with the mamas pulled on our heart strings as we experienced their lives first hand. This trip was a true blessing and we are all very grateful for our experiences in Kenya. Every single person on this trip came back to Canada with a greater appreciation for the little things in life. We recommend traveling through EF Tours and volunteering with Free The Children Foundation as they do such fantastic work all over the world. ~submitted by Suzy Paradine Park West School Division Newsletter October 2014 Page 3 Career & Technology Studies Career and Technology Studies (CTS) programming is student driven, comprised of individualized community based internship experiences and opportunities. An internship is a structured educational experience which incorporates productive work experience as a regular part of a student's curriculum. Through this internship experience students are provided the opportunity to improve their basic skills while seeing the career skills being applied in real-world situations. Students select their practicum based on personal interests. Students use this opportunity to explore personal strengths, affirm interests, and develop technical skills which may lead to employment or further study. The student is provided with relevant experiences outside the classroom which complement in-school activity. CTS courses count as credit toward High School diplomas. The work site does not pay interns a salary. Shaylin Stebeleski, a participant of CTS this past spring, was a intern at the Shoal Lake Health Centre where she experienced a variety of health care occupations. When she first signed up for CTS she wanted to be a Lab Technician but during her internship at the centre she realized she would like to become a nurse. Shaylin is now enrolled in the Health Care Aide program in Birtle and currently works part-time for the Shoal Lake Health Centre. PWSD would like to thank the Shoal Lake Health Centre for being a great community partner, to the staff for mentoring Shaylin and having such a positive impact on her future. If you are interested in learning more about CTS either as an employer/worksite host or as a student please contact your local PWSD school or connect with Lindsay Rubeniuk, Vocational Education Facilitator at [email protected] or 1-204-821-5174. A Fond Farewell! Park West School Division would like to wish Trustee Anne Grabauskas, Trustee Paulette Koroscil, and Trustee Tyler Fulton the very best in the future. Trustee Grabauskas has served on the school board for 22 years. Her years of experience with past board’s and words of wisdom will be missed! Trustee Koroscil has held the role as both a Trustee, Vice Chair and Chair throughout her career with Park West. She has strived to keep the board’s focus on the students. Trustee Fulton served as both a Trustee and Vice Chair with the division. His passion for creating strong partnerships within the communities has benefitted the division. Having had the opportunity and honor to serve as a school board trustee for 22 years I have decided to step down. It has been a very rewarding and humbling experience enabling me to understand the complexities and challenges of public education. I would like to thank the people I have worked with over the years for sharing their passion with us all to ensure that all students in Park West School Division have access to the best education possible. I believe that our school division epitomizes the words of Nelson Mandela: "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ~Anne Grabauskas I would like to thank the public for the opportunity to serve on the Park West School Division board for the last 8 years. As I leave this board, I am confident Park West will continue to put the students first. I believe anyone who is in education must put the interest of students first. Every student deserves the best that we can offer. Best wishes to the new board, administration, and all staff of Park West School Division. ~Paulette Koroscil After a productive four year term I have decided not to seek re-election to the Board of Trustees. I really enjoyed my time on the board and value all of the new friendships that have developed. I am proud of how Park West School Division serves our communities and I believe there are still many challenges still to be tackled. Thank you for your support and most importantly, thank you to all of the dedicated Teachers, Principles and Staff for their hard work. I have a great appreciation for your efforts. ~Tyler Fulton Welcome New Staff! Ross Andrew—Bus Driver, HCI/HES Carissa Armstrong—Teacher, HES Carly Betke—Teacher, SLS Dallas Dufrat—Teacher, WWS Pam Gobert—Teacher, MPS Brittani Hammond—Teacher, HCI Paula Hrycak—Educational Assistant, SLS Duane Ivey—Bus Driver, MPS Haylan Jackson—Teacher, RCI Steven Kaskiw—Teacher, RCI Stephanie Knockaert—Teacher, SLS Danna Kopp—Speech Language Pathologist, Divisional Bob Lints—Educational Assistant, HCI Jane Liske—Bus Driver, ING Sarah Lopes—Teacher, HCI Rebecca Okemow—Teacher, SCS Helen Peake—Cosmetology Teacher Brittney Robertson—Teacher, RES Wes Scantlebury—Bus Driver, BCI/BES Ray Smith—Custodian, ING Molly Tharalson—Teacher, SLS Cally Tinkess—Teacher, SLS Michelle Vinie—Educational Assistant, BCI Cynthia Wright—Custodian, BIN Jennifer Yuriy—Teacher, SCS