Our June newsletter is hot off the press - have a read, there's a lot happening in this last month of school! https://www.smore.com/ad0fv

ADC summer employment opportunity!

As of now, our track and field day scheduled for tomorrow (Friday, May 27) is still a go. If this changes, we will communicate that to everyone in the morning. NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS!! We look forward to sharing this special day with our Irvine School families once again!

<p>The May 24th Board Meeting Agenda and attachments can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WYrx7MA441adTbUJDWfRHTgz9hs3lqzY/view?usp=sharing">PRPS May 24, 2022 Board Meeting Agenda Package</a></p><p><strong>Eagle Butte High School Presentation</strong></p><p>Eagle Butte High School principal Boyd Craven and vice-principals Cathy Hynes and Rocheal Howes provided an update to the board highlighting educational and student initiatives from the past year. In addition to adding several new learning opportunities for students, such as podcasts, tutor time, busking and food fusion classes, the school leadership team has increased opportunities to gather student input through the implementation of TAG surveys. Overall, it was noted that students have transitioned really well from the restrictions of COVID-19 and are involved in many sporting events and activities this spring. It was also shared that this is Eagle Butte High School’s 25th anniversary with an extensive community event planned for June 25th.</p><p><strong>FNMI Report</strong></p><p>FNMI Coordinator Carol Carlson provided an overview of several FNMI learning initiatives and activities across Prairie Rose Public Schools. It was shared that Prairie Rose has been working closely with community partner Whitebear Creations, a local group who has visited several PRPS schools to provide FNMI learning support which includes sharing history, games and indigenous art projects. Increased FNMI learning has also been integrated into many Prairie Rose Possibility projects. These include the Ralston School Learning for the Land project, where students learn how to use resources found in the local area. This spring, heirloom seeds, native to the land and passed on through generations, are also being added to PRPS greenhouse projects. Prairie Rose Public Schools currently has 122 self-identified FNMI students, representing 2.85% of the student population.</p><p><strong>2022-2025 Three-Year Education Plan</strong></p><p>Superintendent Reagan Weeks presented the 2022-2025 Three-year Education Plan to the board for review and approval. The plan features three new goals, including Ignite Minds, Kindle Hearts and Forge Futures. These three goals are supported by the six new Core Principles outlined in the plan focused on Connect, Create, Communicate, Care, Contribute and Challenge. Feedback from various stakeholders, including staff, parents, students and community partners, was conducted as part of the plan’s development. The full plan can be found in the Agenda package.</p><p><strong>2022-2023 Preliminary Budget</strong></p><p>Chief Financial Officer Ryan Boser presented the Preliminary 2022-2023 Budget for approval. Overall, Prairie Rose Public Schools is projecting the following expenses and revenues for the upcoming school year:</p><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td><strong>Revenues</strong></td><td><strong>Expenditures</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Instruction</td><td>40,067,342</td><td>40,050,342</td></tr><tr><td>Operations and Maintenance</td><td>6,043,124</td><td>7,157,173</td></tr><tr><td>Transportation</td><td>5,814,362</td><td>5,548,298</td></tr><tr><td>Board and System Admin</td><td>2,193,363</td><td>2,272,705</td></tr><tr><td>External Services</td><td>29,184</td><td>27,755</td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>&nbsp;</td><td>&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Total Budgeted</td><td>54,147,375</td><td>55,056,273</td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>&nbsp;</td><td>&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2">Surplus (Deficit) of Revenues over Expenses</td><td>(908,898)</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p>It was shared that the proposed deficit for the 2022-2023 year of $908,898 will bring PRPS reserves down to 3.97% or $2.187 million. For the first time this upcoming year, K-12 school division operating reserves cannot exceed more than their Board and System Admin expense percentage allowance, which for PRPS is 4.42% of operating expenses (approx. $2.250 million).</p><ul><li>The board approved the transfer of $300,000 from unrestricted operating reserves to restricted reserves to implement the 2022-2023 Education Plan.</li><li>The board approved the 2022-2023 Preliminary Budget as presented.</li></ul><p>The complete 2022-2023 Preliminary Budget can be found in the Board Agenda package.</p>

Reminder to families of Gr 1-9 students - please ensure your child is prepared for Track and Field day this Friday, May 27th with running shoes, a water bottle, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses and spare socks is always a great idea! Dressing in layers is usually helpful as the weather may fluctuate.

Irvine staff and students had the exciting experience to visit Montreal, Quebec City and Ottawa for an EF tours field trip, joining with a High School group from Terrace BC. In Montreal, they experienced the Notre Dame Basilica, the first Bank of Montreal, Mount Royal and were able to go on a Ferris Wheel overlooking the whole city. In Quebec City, they stood in awe of Old Quebec, walking the cobble stone roads and driving on the first road ever built in Canada. In Ottawa, they were able to see the beauty of the parliament, Rideau, Sussex Drive, the tomb of the unknown soldier and finished their journey with a ghost tour through an old jail. They loved being able to taste the food, bakeries, shopping, but most of all the laughs and memories shared with each other.

<p><strong>12:44 p.m. Meeting UPDATE: The live stream for the public meeting has been delayed until 1:30 PM.</strong></p><p>The next public board meeting for the Prairie Rose Public Schools Board of Trustees will take place on Tuesday, May 24th starting at 12:45 pm. The meeting will be streamed online and held in-person at the Chamber of Commerce Office in Medicine Hat located at:</p><p>413 - 6 Avenue SE<br>Medicine Hat, Alberta</p><p>Due to limited space at the meeting location, attendees are encouraged to join via the online stream: <a href="https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NmEyMDkxOWUtMjFmNy00MmM2LWE4MDItNGFmNTI3OTcxZjg0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22c1a7f361-4369-4e63-af8a-db541e2c097b%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2248a6a9b8-2a7b-494f-9523-0206f91ffcad%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d&amp;btype=a&amp;role=a">Click here to watch the live stream</a> (<i>Once you click the link, click cancel on the pop up, watch on the web instead, join anonymously.)</i></p><p>The meeting agenda can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WYrx7MA441adTbUJDWfRHTgz9hs3lqzY/view?usp=sharing">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WYrx7MA441adTbUJDWfRHTgz9hs3lqzY/view?usp=sharing</a></p>

Irvine School has been busy today with Western Day and our ADC farm! Welcome the newest member of our animal Crew, T-Bone! Today the Holstein calf went from a bull calf to a steer!

Western day impromptu concert!

Grade 1 to 9 Students: Here are the details about Track & Field Day from Mrs. Waldbauer, if you have any questions please reach out to her - https://www.smore.com/b5vmq Our Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten students do not participate, and have a regular day of school.

<p>Prairie Rose Public Schools would like to congratulate Deanne Smigelski who has accepted the position as vice principal of Oyen Public School (OPS) and South Central High School (SCHS). The vice principal role is a new position in Oyen where the focus will be on providing leadership support to the principal across two school communities under the newly created joint leadership model.</p><p>Deanne is a longtime teacher with Prairie Rose Public Schools having worked exclusively in the Oyen community for the past 15 years. During that time she has primarily focused on teaching elementary students in grades JK-5, while supporting both teachers and students in all grades through her role as the Inclusive Learning Teacher. In addition to a Bachelor of Education, Smigelski also has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Lethbridge.</p><blockquote><p>“I am very excited to welcome Deanne to the Oyen leadership team,” says Oyen Public School principal Jason Duchscherer. “Her background in developing high yielding instructional strategies with a focus on literacy, coupled with her knowledge and passion for the Oyen community make her an excellent fit for the role. I look forward to working with her as we continue to build amazing opportunities for all Oyen students.”</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>“I am grateful for this opportunity and excited to start a new path,” says Deanne Smigelski. “The future of OPS and SCHS as a unified school community is one I am looking forward to being part of and supporting. I am hopeful for what's to come for our small-town schools.”</p></blockquote><p>Deanne Smigelski will officially assume the role of vice principal of OPS and SCHS on August 24, 2022. The transition to the new combined leadership model comes following the retirement of current SCHS principal Jean Kimber at the end of the current school year. Jason Duchscherer was recently announced as the new principal of both schools, starting next fall.</p>

Tomorrow is Western Day - yeehaw! Wear your sharpest western duds.

Excuse the tardiness (photos were digitally misplaced!) - but agree with us that it's never too late to celebrate the success of our students - here are the Term 2 pictures of all our amazing Award earners. Just a few more weeks until we celebrate our end of year awards!

We couldn't spoil the surprise, but a HUGE thank you to Alicea at Sugar for making the trip to Irvine to teach us some decorating and assembly pointers to make beautiful cakes for our Moms! Thank you for sharing your passion and skill with us.

<p><strong>Irvine Agriculture Discovery Centre</strong></p><p>Prior to the May 10th public board meeting, the media, trustees and Cypress County officials were invited for a tour of the new Irvine School Agricultural Discovery Centre. As part of the tour, officials were asked to participate in some of the chores students are responsible for at the Agriculture Centre including cleaning the goat pen, feeding the baby calves, collecting eggs from the chicken coop and working in the garden. The initiative is a joint school project between Prairie Rose Public Schools and program founder Nichole Neubauer of Neubauer Farms. Photos of the tour are available on the Prairie Rose Public School Facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PrairieRosePublicSchools/posts/5207103409372267">https://www.facebook.com/PrairieRosePublicSchools</a></p><p><strong>Ralston/Redcliff Proposed Attendance Area Changes</strong></p><p>The Prairie Rose Public Schools Board of Trustees approved the application for proposed changes to the Ralston/Redcliff attendance boundary. It was noted that the request affects the designated school attendance area for only a couple of families (who are already meeting a bus to Redcliff) and will have minimal to no impact on Ralston School, as the majority of land in the proposed area is leased and cannot be purchased. Attendance area requests come forward to the Board for review and consideration once each year, as per the Board Monitoring Schedule.</p><p><strong>The PRPS Board approved the following administrative items:</strong></p><ul><li>The 2022-2023 Board Monitoring Schedule</li><li>Changes to the Board/Teacher Advisory Committee policy to clarify the maximum number of trustees that may sit on the board</li></ul><p><strong>The PRPS Board approved the following school field trips:</strong></p><ul><li>South Central High School Grade 9 Field Trip to the Inter-Varsity Pioneer Camp in Rocky Mountain House from May 4-6.</li><li>South Central High School Biology 20/30 Field Trip to Edmonton to participate in RiverWatch from May 11-12.</li><li>Irvine School Grade 9 Field Trip to Cypress Hills (Saskatchewan) to Treeosix Adventures on June 17th.</li></ul><p>Additional details regarding the board items listed above can be found in the May 10th PRPS Board Meeting Agenda package: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qizqmwwXA33lf2f7Qqjvn75ZTGKrkTh5/view?usp=sharing">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qizqmwwXA33lf2f7Qqjvn75ZTGKrkTh5/view?usp=sharing</a></p>

<p><i>Boyd Craven announced as new Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services for Prairie Rose Public Schools</i></p><p>Prairie Rose Public Schools would like to congratulate Boyd Craven who has been chosen as the successful candidate for the role of Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services.</p><p>Currently working as the Eagle Butte High School principal, Boyd Craven is a long-time employee of Prairie Rose with an extensive teaching and leadership background. Throughout his 18-year teaching career with Prairie Rose Public Schools, Boyd has worked in school administration for the past 15 years, first as vice-principal of Ralston School, then vice-principal and principal at Parkside Junior High School and most recently as principal at Eagle Butte High School. In addition to a Bachelor of Arts and Education, he also holds a Master of Education with a focus on Educational Leadership.</p><blockquote><p>“I am excited to welcome Boyd to the Prairie Rose leadership team,” says Superintendent Reagan Weeks. “Boyd has a strong background in building positive school cultures that support a teamwork approach to learning. As Prairie Rose continues to create exceptional opportunities for students, his leadership and collaborative approach will be instrumental in executing our division education plan.”</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>“During my years as a school leader, I have witnessed deeper learning and academic excellence occur when students are given the opportunity to engage in learning they love and have a passion for,” says Boyd Craven. “In my new role as Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services, I look forward to being part of a leadership team that is continuously striving to find new ways for students of all ages to be innovators and find success through access to these opportunities.”</p></blockquote><p>Boyd Craven will make the transition from Eagle Butte to the Assistant Superintendent position at the end of the current school year. The Eagle Butte High School principal position will be posted in the very near future.</p>