Date: Thursday, June 20, 2013
Time: 5:30 to 9:00 pm
Location: Airdrie (RVS Education Centre)
Agenda:
5:30 - 7:00 pm: Introduction to RVS
7:00 - 7:45 pm: 21st C Showcase
7:45 - 9:00 pm: Three Concurrent ASCA Sessions:
1. ASCA Online Community Workshop
The ASCA website School Council Group Pages are a great way to connect with school council members and the community. Enjoy a hands-on exploration of this tool which features easy access to document posting and storage, discussion items, event notices, networking and two-way communication. School Council Chairs attending this session are asked to notify Angela Spanier by June 17 to aspanier@rockyview.ab.ca to ensure they are given ASCA site privledges to upload documents to the site!
Please bring your own electronic device or laptop with WIFI capability for this session.
ASCA Instructor Trina Boymook
2. School Council Purpose
Understanding the legislated role of school councils including which topics/areas are open for discussion, which require caution and what decisions are within the authority of a school council helps to prevent tension and dysfunction within the school council and the school community. Learn how to identify each, how to frame a "personal issue” from a school council perspective and how to broach sensitive topics.
ASCA Instructor Mary Marson-Troicuk
3. Understanding the School Council Partnership with Fundraising Associations
Learn how Fundraising Associations (FRAs) are separate, legal entities with distinct rules to follow, responsibilities to comply with and liabilities to consider. Understand who has authority for what, and how those decisions should be made. Recognize why FRAs can choose how to raise and spend funds, but cannot compel the principal or school community to participate in fundraising or to accept funds. Discover why creating positive, collaborative, mutually respectful relationships with the principal and school council is integral to success and is in the best interests of students.
ASCA Instructor Larissa Bissett
]]>Delegates are required to submit a copy of their presentation to Executive Assistant Karen Dolynny at: kdolynny@rockyview.ab.ca, by May 21, 2013. Details about making presentations can be found in Procedure B - Delegations/Petitions to the Board.
]]>Alberta Education will be sending a total of 20 students to the Summer Camp, which will run from July 16 – 31, 2013. This group will include two members of the Minister’s Student Advisory Council as student leaders, together with three chaperones. Alberta Education also will provide $1,000 toward each student’s round-trip airfare to China. Domestic costs, such as accommodation, food, transportation and site seeing in China, will be borne by Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters.
Applications must by submitted by May 24, 2013. Nominators are asked to include a letter of support for their nominated student, along with the application package.
Questions can be directed to Rania El Saadi, International Education Standards Officer, International Education Services, Education at: rania.elsaadi@gov.ab.ca or 780.427.2035 (toll-free by dialing 310.0000 first).
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Accessible via the jurisdictional website under Schools/netWORK, netWORK collects information about volunteer needs and opportunities at both the school level and within RVS communities.
Parents, businesses, or community organizations can volunteer their expertise through the Community Resource Database, or access student services through the School Community Service Database. Schools are just beginning to populate netWORK, which is currently operating as a pilot project, so stakeholders are encouraged to return often and check the databases for new entries.
Help promote awareness around netWORK by sharing a Fact Sheet with your employers, colleagues, or community associations or refer them to RVS' Power to Enrich from Apr. 17 – 23, 2013, when a series of blogs about community engagement within RVS will be featured. You also can learn more about netWORK by reviewing the following presentation.
Visit netWORK to find out how you can make public education more meaningful!
]]>Cochrane Accommodation - Q&A
]]>Families seeking excellent education with a Christian foundation for their children, regardless of faith background, have a place to call home. The Airdrie Christian Program at Meadowbrook Middle School will open to students in Fall 2013. The Board of Trustees of Rocky View Schools announced approval of a K - 2, possibly 3, program on March 21, 2013.
Rocky View Schools is excited to add the Airdrie Christian Program as a third Christian-based choice for Rocky View residents. Two very successful public Christian schools are currently operating in the communities of Cochrane and Chestermere region. Airdrie is an ever-growing community – providing choice in education programming, including Christian programming, will help our community meet the challenges growth brings.
As a Christian school program, the Airdrie Christian Program is committed to teaching the Word of God, the Bible, to all students, helping them to know Jesus Christ and grow in a faith relationship with him. We provide excellence in education through a Christian worldview to meet the needs of students and parents seeking faith-based teaching. The school culture and environment will reflect a Christian identity and permeate the entire schooling experience of our students. We prepare our students to be successful learners - guiding them to understand, make meaning and apply their learning – we encourage them to explore God’s unchanging truths and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. As a public school program, we are accountable to Alberta Education, the school division and the school community we become part of.
We are so excited about the opportunity to serve families in Airdrie in this way.
For more information about Airdrie Christian Program, please contact Shawna Neis at 403.818.3740 or view our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/airdrie.christian
With the province's eradication of the Learning Resources Credit (LRC) Allocation to Boards for 2013/14, RVS Trustees believed they had no other alternative than to increase instructional supplies and materials fees by $10 for Grade 1 – 12 students, Mar. 21, 2013. Reflecting a loss of $140,000, the allocation helped offset the cost of classroom resources, such as textbooks, student agendas, computer supplies and copying resources. The Board decision to increase fees will net approximately $150,000 in additional revenue. As with RVS' Student Transportation Fees, the Board has maintained relatively static fees over the last three years, however voted in favour of increasing fees slightly if it means being able to allocate more resources to instruction.
Student Transportation Fees
Beginning this September parents of Gr. 1 to 12 rural and urban bus students will see transportation fees increase by $50/child. RVS' Board voted in favour of the increase, Mar. 21, 2013, after learning that its Transportation Department will lose $1 million in provincial grant funding next year following the province's decision to eliminate its Fuel Contingency Grant. Trustees agreed to raise the fees to partially offset the loss of revenue in favour of reducing services and increasing ride times to over an hour in some rural routes. Despite considerable growth within the jurisdiction, Trustees have refrained from raising student transportation fees during their term in office. As in previous years, no transportation fees will be charged for Kindergarten students, while families who move out of RVS will continue to be eligible for a partial refund. RVS will seek to offset future increases by exploring cooperative busing with neighbouring boards.
An updated list of 2013/14 fees can be found on RVS' website under Schools/General School Fees, accessible at http://www.rockyview.ab.ca/registration/schoolfees.
]]>The time is fast approaching for residents of Rocky View Schools to decide who will shape and direct local education for the next four years. Elections for school trustees take place October 21, 2013. Nomination Day is September 23, 2013.
Having strong candidates in the upcoming election is critical because school boards make decisions about how education is delivered locally. School board policies directly impact the development of children and affect community interests.
Residents interested in running for the Board Trustee with Rocky View Schools will want to attend one of the Alberta School Boards Association’s Candidate Information Session:
All session begin at 7 pm. Please register online or by contacting Noreen Pownall at npownall@asba.ab.ca or 1.780.451.7102
To learn more about becoming a Trustee go to “Trustee Election 2013” on the ASBA website.
Rocky View Schools is pleased to announce a new date for Links to Learning 2013! On Friday, May 24, our sixth annual charity golf tournament will add to the more than $80,000 raised in support of Rocky View students.
The move from August to May allows us to increase student involvement in the event as well as offer school councils a terrific end-of-school-year fundraising opportunity.
Approximately 20 percent of the proceeds from RVS' sixth annual event is ear-marked for board-sponsored student bursaries and awards. The rest will go directly back to schools!
The following table itemizes sponsorship packages available for the event and what your school receives if you secure a sponsor. For example, if one of your community partners would like to sponsor a hole, your school receives $600, $200 goes to student awards, and the sponsor receives a tax receipt for $800, a great day of golf, and recognition throughout the division!
Register or see the full details on sponsorship here.
For more information:
Tournament Chair Jacquie Mirtle at jmirtle@rockyview.ab.ca
Links to Learning - link to http://linkstolearning.golfreg.com