Good News Items
- Trustee Blair thanked Aurora Middle School for the opportunity to judge the Grade 7/8 Outdoor Education Cooking Challenge. Students prepared stew and bannock outdoors. He also acted as a guest judge at the school's Lip Sync Battle which featured many wonderful performances by students and staff.
- Trustee Garry Kissel commended Glendon School on their well-organized Peter Doonanco Memorial Basketball Tournament, which was held Feb. 21 and 22.
- Trustee Roy Ripkens highlighted the recent Endless Skies Teachers' Convention which featured many great speakers and sessions and was a wonderful opportunity to connect with staff.
- Nicole Garner, Communications and Public Relations Manager, presented Good News highlights from schools throughout the division. The full presentation is available on the NLPS website: Good News - February 26, 2025.
Student Awards
The Board approved two student awards for the 2024-2025 school year.
The Indigenous Achievement Award, which was previously only for Grade 12 students, has been renamed the Seven Teachings Award and has been expanded to include students in Kindergarten to Grade 12. This award is designed to encourage and recognize First Nations, Metis and Inuit students who demonstrate dedication in pursuit of their educational path, rooted in cultural pride and growth.
The Resilience Award is a new award designed to encourage and recognize students who demonstrate growth and perseverance while pursuing their personal and academic goals. This is also open to all K to 12 students.
They join the Impact Award, which was introduced last year and recognizes students who have made an impact in their school and/or community.
All three awards can be applied for on the NLPS website. The deadline is April 1.
Quarterly Budget Report
The Board reviewed the quarterly budget report and discussed areas to focus on in their advocacy efforts. This includes funding for nutrition programs, classroom complexity, student transportation, and operations and maintenance. Specifically, the Board discussed the challenges rural boards face in many of these areas due to their distance from major urban centres, reduced options available locally, and less flexibility in developing innovative solutions.
The Board highlighted initiatives that are showing positive results for students and staff in the division including collaborations with Careers The Next Generation and Ellis Don to expand work experience, Registered Apprenticeship Program, and career exploration activities for students, and the EA-STEP program, which provides training for the division's educational assistants, helping to build capacity, retain staff, and enhance services for students.
2025-2026 School Calendar and Future School Calendars
The Board reviewed a revised 2025-2026 school calendar that was based on the feedback collected in its School Calendar Survey earlier this year. The Board delayed approval of the calendar to provide administration with time to consult with Lakeland Catholic School Division on aligning spring break.
The Board also briefly discussed drafts of calendars for future years. Jeannine Ellis, Director of Learning, noted that in 2026-2027 Labour Day is on September 7th, making it difficult to fit in the required instructional hours if the school year doesn't start until after the long weekend. It would reduce the number of no school days in the first semester and require classes to extend until June 30th. The Board will review its options for calendars for future years once it has approved a calendar for 2025-2026.
Buffalo Lake Request
NLPS representatives will be meeting with Buffalo Lake Metis Settlement Council to discuss student transportation options.