May, 2024
April 29-May 3, 2024
Good morning, everyone.
This week is Mental Health Week in Canada, with the theme of “Compassion Connects”. For me, I can never use the word compassion without throwing in the word “care” as a lead. I am certain many of you use these words as a dynamic duo when we think about how our children and others should be supported. Regardless, this week is an important reminder that we always need to consider what people are experiencing in their personal lives, and a little “care and compassion” can be a small thing that has a huge impact. I know our schools will be doing important work around this theme, as you always do.
Thinking about mental wellness and mental health in general, Superintendent of Student Wellness Terry Leibel and I met with members of the Project 11 team who have developed outstanding teaching resources on supporting mental health in K-12 education. It stems from the important care and compassion demonstrated by Mark Chipman, friend and owner of the Winnipeg Jets, who took the initiative to implement this project in support of Rick Rypien, former Regina Pat, Manitoba Moose, Vancouver Canuck, and Winnipeg Jet.
Rick took his life before the inaugural restart of the 2011-12 Jets’ campaign as he was struggling with depression. Rick cared deeply about children and youth and talked about an opportunity to have a program that would help them through similar mental health struggles he found himself in when he was young. Rick believed that if he had a program in school when he was a kid, it may have helped him address some of the personal challenges that continued to challenge him until his untimely death. Mark made sure Rick’s ongoing passion for supporting children and youth with mental health challenges would live on through Project 11. We are excited to bring this well-researched curriculum support tool made by teachers for teachers and used across Manitoba and several American states and Canadian provinces to Saskatchewan and Horizon School Division. If you want to find out more, please visit www.projecteleven.ca or watch the video on Rick’s story and the development of Project 11.
Provincial Directors’ Meeting
I again started the week by meeting with Directors from across Saskatchewan for our regular Monday check-in while the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and Government Trustee Bargaining Committee bargaining process is underway. We continued to discuss preparations ahead of the STF members voting on the Government’s offer later this week.
Board Facility Tours and Celebration Day Lunch
I joined trustees on a Horizon facilities tour on Monday as we visited with Annaheim School students and staff before joining Lake Lenore School staff for their Celebration Day lunch and facility tour. Following lunch, we stopped at Three Lakes School. Our trustees who were able to join were impressed with the students and staff and appreciated the chance to become more familiar with our school facilities.
Wakaw School Community Council AGM & Regular Meeting to Follow
I attended Wakaw School’s SCC annual general meeting on Monday evening with Trustee Jenna Hale. Jenna and I shared that Wakaw School is on Horizon’s capital project list for a new build, similar to the way Lanigan was prior to its announcement. Of course, this does not mean that the community and Horizon will see a new school any time soon, but it is an old building and a new construction would serve the growing population very well. It was a great discussion and a great opportunity to see first-hand parents and community members engaged and contributing to Wakaw School.
Provincial Education Plan Implementation Team (PEPIT) Meeting
The PEPIT team met on Tuesday for an implementation planning meeting where we continued to work on targets and measures for the provincial education plan. Superintendent of Learning Trish Maxwell and I joined the provincial team in Regina to continue the important discussion of how the plan would be implemented.
2024-25 Budget
Wednesday was budget day in Horizon as our Board of Education met with me and CFO Sarah Reding to review and approve the 2024-25 operating budget. The Board had met in February to discuss the priorities for the system and it made the budgeting process much more streamlined and easier to understand.
Directors’ Leadership Team
Horizon’s administrators met for a virtual meeting on Thursday morning. We discussed the available Saskatchewan School Boards Association scholarships, the extended deadline for Public Schools of Saskatchewan Student Citizenship Awards where student groups and classes can win up to $1000, a review of safety guidelines for student activities, and an update on the upcoming Student Day. We also heard from the Senior Leadership Team with items from their areas.
We are extremely excited about the agriculture-themed Student Day this year. We will have live animals, machinery, games, guest speakers, activities, and much more. The amount of support from our local agriculture businesses and organizations has been unbelievable, and we look forward to recognizing sponsors and supporters in the next days.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirited Peoples
On Friday, Division office staff wore red to raise awareness for the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Peoples. The statistics around MMIWG2S+ are shocking, and we were glad to show our support and bring attention to this critical issue. It is important for us to acknowledge and address these serious challenges in our community. We encourage everyone to learn more and get involved in making a difference.
Have a great week, everyone.
-Kevin
Kevin C. Garinger B.Ed., M.A.Ed., Ed.D. (Candidate)
Director of Education/CEO
Horizon School Division No. 205
May 6-10, 2024
Good morning, everyone!
I want to begin by congratulating Wynyard Elementary School on being selected for this year’s Mosaic School Nutrition Challenge! Wynyard Elementary will receive a $15,000 grant to support student nutrition with cooking classes, land-based learning, and renovations to their cooking lab. Thank you to Principal Michael Jordan and his staff and SCC for having the vision to put forward the application. I know nutrition is so important in our schools and every dollar we get goes to tremendous use in our schools. In comparison to other provinces, Saskatchewan spends some of the lowest dollars for school nutrition, and grants like this help out immensely.
As everyone is aware, 92 per cent of Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation members voted and approximately 90 per cent said “No” to the Government Trustee Bargaining Committee’s offer last week. I know everyone continues to hope for a return to the bargaining table this week and for efforts on both sides to be heightened so they can work toward a new provincial collective agreement. As always, we will continue to communicate any changes due to sanctions or other updates as we learn of them to our staff and families.
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Bargaining
We were elated last week to reach a tentative CUPE agreement after a final day of bargaining with CUPE Local 4799 President Marie Moore and the CUPE bargaining team. We will present the agreement for the Board’s review at their next regular meeting, while CUPE members will also review this agreement in due time with their bargaining committee. For background, the agreement between Horizon and CUPE expired on August 31, 2023. Representatives from Horizon and CUPE Local 4799 met on five dates between February and May using an interest-based bargaining process that reflected our collective commitment to high-quality education while ensuring the well-being and success of our staff. It has been an excellent process that focused on addressing issues while keeping relationships strong. I am proud of the work of both sides throughout the bargaining process.
Directors’ Leadership Team Professional Learning
The DLT gathered in Humboldt on Tuesday, and we picked up with the Leading to Learn Signpost Three. Our thanks to Elder Stuart Bitternose who helped us begin our day in a good way, and also to Dr. Chris Scribe who spoke about relevant and respectful reconciliation for education leaders. He said, “The ones who have the ability to change the world are not wearing bonnets with the title of Chief or MLA. The ones with the power to change the world are in Kindergarten, and we have the responsibility to give them the tools to do it.” His message has inspired us to think deeply about our roles as educators. Let’s carry this inspiration forward and continue the important work of making a difference in our students’ lives.
The afternoon included a session on Building Thinking Classrooms, led by Instructional Coach Jocelyn Armbruster and Superintendent of Learning Trish Maxwell, followed by a focused MathUP overview for administrators that detailed specific instructional techniques, enhancing our math teaching framework. We wrapped up the day discussing emergent items that need addressing, such as transportation for guest riders, and the CUPE agreement.
Kelvington Capital Project
Horizon held a meeting on Tuesday evening in Kelvington to gather input on the Kelvington minor capital project progress and impact. The project will include renovations of Kelvington High School to accommodate Robert Melrose Elementary School students in one building. The Ministry of Education added this project to its capital list in 2023, and just before Christmas of 2023, we finalized the budget with the Ministry of Education to meet the expectations of the project. We appreciate students, staff, and school community council members from Robert Melrose Elementary and Kelvington High for attending this information evening with representatives from Miners Construction and Trustee Jim Lissinna, Superintendent Justin Arendt, Manager Kam Kiland, and me. It was a great evening where apprehensions were short-lived and excitement spilt over. We look forward to the next set of drawings and sharing them with the group. In the meantime, Phases 1 and 2 were approved which will include a large parking lot for staff and visitors, relocation of the student parking lot, and a safe and accessible bus loop for our students.
Celebration Day Lunch
I joined trustees Garth Anderson, Irma Anderson, Paul Crow-Buffalo, and Albert Pinacie at Ituna School for their Celebration Day lunch on Wednesday. Staff from my office supervised students while Ituna staff enjoyed lunch with us. Thank you to students, and staff including Principal Brittany Gent for the warm welcome and tour of the school.
Human Resources
Much of Thursday and Friday were spent interviewing for upcoming principal and vice principal roles. Again, we met with several excellent candidates and look forward to sharing who the successful individuals are for these leadership positions within Horizon. I want to thank Superintendent Cory Popoff for his work in organizing these important interviews and preparing all the necessary materials.
Badminton Provincials
Congratulations to Geri Lon Valdesimo (LeRoy School) and Lorenz Cabingan (Englefeld School) who competed in the Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association provincial championships in Nipawin this past weekend! Both students represented Horizon extremely well at their respective championships.
Have a great week, everyone.
-Kevin
Kevin C. Garinger B.Ed., M.A.Ed., Ed.D. (Candidate)
Director of Education/CEO
Horizon School Division No. 205
May 13-24, 2024
Good morning, everyone. I hope you all had a chance to enjoy the past couple of weekends and some decent weather. Last week track and field athletes competed in some very challenging conditions - my hat is off to all who toughed it out through cold, rainy, and windy weather to make pre-districts happen. I took some time away last week but did attend several virtual meetings.
I am very pleased to share that Horizon and the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4799 ratified their collective agreement last week. The agreement will bring labour peace for our unionized support staff and our Board and Division office. I believe the agreement to be fair and reflects the ongoing importance of the people doing such important work in our system. Like almost any ratified agreement I have been part of, I know not every individual shares my perspective. However, as Syrus said, “Agreement is made more precious by disagreement”. There were many times positions were challenged and worked through at the table, so it is undoubtedly the case that the CBA with CUPE has brought all these disagreements to an agreement that folks can live with. I thank everyone who has been part of the process of getting to yes, including our Board and our employees.
Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation members have voted on the tentative Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement this week, and the results shared last night are certainly troubling. Teachers seem to be split across our province and we will wait to see what the next steps are. More to come on Monday.
Student Agriculture Day
We had a fabulous day with students from across Horizon joining us at the Humboldt Golf Club’s Community Event Centre. We were entertained and educated by our guest speakers, including the Honourable David Marit, Minister of Agriculture, 4-H provincial speakers, and the talents of Codie Prevost, Four-time CCMA Nominee and Six-time SCMA Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year. We are so appreciative of our many sponsors from the agriculture industry, as well as breakout session sponsors whose contributions helped make this a very hands-on, interactive, and engaging day.
Educational assistants from each school drove students to Humboldt, then joined Superintendent of Inclusive Education Jacquie Bergerman for a day of professional learning focused on supporting executive functioning and behaviours.
All in all, it was an excellent day and we look forward to continuing with an ag-focused student day next year. Thank you to the many staff members whose work made this day a resounding success. Finally, thank you to our Board of Education. Our Board’s support of student day and agriculture education is instrumental in making events like this possible. The future of this event is so very bright!
Governance
The Board met for their regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, May 15th and highlights have been shared in the From the Board newsletter. We had another excellent meeting focusing on the important governance work of Horizon’s trustees, and it’s difficult to believe we have only one more meeting before the end of the school year.
Staffing in Horizon
Many of my days have been spent with Superintendent Cory Popoff conducting interviews for a number of open administrative positions in Horizon. The calibre of candidates is outstanding, most of whom are Horizon’s own. We are nearing the end with only a few positions left while Cory continues to address transfers and new hires.
Sector Partnership
The Saskatchewan School Boards Association executive invited League of Educational Administrators, Directors, and Superintendents (LEADS) members to join their executive meeting on Thursday, May 23. This was an excellent opportunity for LEADS members to provide an overview of our organization, and to support our collaborative work. I had the great opportunity to share a deeper understanding of my executive work with CASSA (Canadian Association of School System Administrators) and governing board work with the AASA (The School Superintendents’ Association of the US).
Finally, I wanted to share the difficult news of the loss of one of our students from Bruno Central School. It is with a continued heavy heart that I extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and staff of Rydyn Littlecrow-Fleury who passed away on the morning of May 13, 2024. Rydyn’s passing leaves a significant hole in the hearts of all who knew him. I know no words can express how deeply he will be missed, but I appreciate that you will join me in thinking about all those who were impacted as they are learning to address their grief and live without Rydyn. Gloria Vanderbilt said it very well when she said, “I have heard it said that the greatest loss a human being can experience is the loss of a child. This is true. It doesn’t just change you. It demolishes you. Is the pain less? No, just different. It is there forever, till the day you die”.
Have a gracious and relaxing weekend ahead, everyone. I will connect with you on Monday.
-Kevin
Kevin C. Garinger B.Ed., M.A.Ed., Ed.D. (Candidate)
Director of Education/CEO
Horizon School Division No. 205
May 27-31, 2024
Good evening, everyone.
Last week was a busy one with meetings being conducted in many of our Horizon schools. We also had a follow-up meeting on the Kelvington minor capital project on Thursday evening, so many kilometres were put into supporting learning and facilities. It is so hard to believe that June is upon us - always a busy and exciting time in schools. Several of our high schools have held their graduation ceremonies, school sports will conclude this upcoming weekend with track and field provincials, and the last few drama productions are slated to go ahead.
Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation members voted on the tentative Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Teachers’ Bargaining Committee and Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee on May 29 and 30, and we found out late Thursday evening that the vote did not pass. We remain hopeful that both parties can find common ground and bring these negotiations to a conclusion.
Human Resources
Much of Monday was spent interviewing excellent candidates for upcoming principal roles in Horizon. Trustees joined the Superintendent of HR Cory Popoff and me for this worthwhile and important work of hiring the next school leaders.
Learning Improvement Plans
We began the second of two Learning Improvement Plan (LIP) review meetings for the 2023-24 school year last week. Along with Superintendents Jacquie Bergerman, Trish Maxwell, Bryan McNabb, and Terry Leibel, we met with principals and vice principals to review school data, plans to foster continuous student learning, support for literacy and numeracy development, and discuss the good work focused on keeping our schools safe and caring places for our students, staff, and families. I value this chance to connect with the Director’s Leadership Team members to revisit how school teams are ensuring a dedicated focus on meeting Horizon’s goals.
Last week, we met with administrators from William Derby, Bulyea Elementary, Nokomis, Drake, Lanigan Elementary, Lanigan Central High, Viscount Central, Winston High, Watrous Elementary, Imperial, Schell, St. Brieux, Three Lakes, and Muenster schools. It is anticipated we will complete the LIP reviews in just over a week’s time, barring any unforeseen issues.
Kelvington School Capital Project Update
Trustee Jim Lissinna, Superintendent of Operations Justin Arendt, Manager of Facilities Kam Kiland and I met with the teams from Robert Melrose Elementary and Kelvington High, including SCC members and students to follow up on the previous engagement session related to the renovation and consolidation of the schools in Kelvington. Miners Construction was able to present an updated design for discussion and review, and we also reviewed the timeline and scope of the construction phases.
Athletics
Congratulations to archers from Drake, Englefeld, Ituna, LeRoy, and Raymore schools for their excellent showing at the provincial tournament of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP)! Congrats to the Raymore and Englefeld athletes who medalled in the bullseye and 3D target events! What an amazing accomplishment.
Congratulations also to district track and field competitors who met in Saskatoon last week, and to everyone who advanced to provincials. It is great to see so many athletes engaged in the great sport of Track and Field broke ten Horizon Central Athletic Association records!
As always, thank you to the coaches and parents who encouraged and supported these athletes!
I spent the weekend watching my Pirates play against the Blue Jays in Toronto. My oldest son met me in TO on Friday before we took in the longest extra-inning game I have ever had the privilege to be part of. The game went 14 innings, which in today’s game with the international rule in effect (at least that’s what we called it in Softball), it’s much harder to have a game stretch out that long. To be honest, the game should have been done after 9 if it wasn’t for a more than frustrating dropped ball in the 8th by our Pirate centre fielder.
While in Toronto, I ran into Paul and Beth Raycroft who were also there to watch some baseball and cheer for the Jays. Paul is a teacher at HCI and Beth used to work for us in Human Resources. We all got home a little late on Sunday night, or perhaps early in the morning on Monday due to flight times. Like me, I know they wouldn’t have changed their opportunity to spend time watching baseball. Of course, it was easier for them and my son to say that…they are Blue Jays fans!
Have a great week, everyone!
-Kevin
Kevin C. Garinger B.Ed., M.A.Ed., Ed.D. (Candidate)
Director of Education/CEO
Horizon School Division No. 205