Archives for November 2022

REGINA – The 27 member boards of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association chose Jaimie Smith-Windsor as the new President of the organization during the SSBA’s Annual General Meeting this week.

Smith-Windsor, who had previously served on the SSBA Executive as Central Constituency Representative and Vice President, was acclaimed. Shawn Davidson will continue serving on the Executive, as Vice-President.

Smith-Windsor is in her fourth term serving as a trustee on the Saskatchewan Rivers Board of Education and is a champion for local voice in publicly funded education.

“Boards play a critical role in shaping education through democratic, student-centered and non-partisan leadership,” she said, noting she values the unified advocacy of public, Catholic, Indigenous, francophone, northern, urban and rural boards of education in addressing important issues arising in Saskatchewan education.

“We need to continually amplify the work of locally elected and autonomous boards of education,” she added.

Smith-Windsor, who lives in the Resort Village of Elk Ridge with her partner and three teenagers, is committed to reconciliation and supporting Indigenous education and trusteeship. She aspires to high-performance and ethical governance and upholding core values of excellence, respect for diversity and achievement for all students.

“We need to advocate for the kind of investment in education that enables innovation,” Smith-Windsor said. “Our students’ needs are diverse. They deserve our very best efforts to secure the resources they need to thrive.”

A business owner with 19 years of experience in the construction industry, Smith-Windsor holds a graduate degree in Political Science, has held teaching and research positions and is a published scholar.

The SSBA Provincial Executive members are all school board trustees. Representatives for the SSBA’s seven constituencies are chosen by the constituency members. All 27 school boards in the province are eligible to vote for the SSBA President and Vice-President. A number of other Executive members were returned during the AGM.

Along with Smith-Windsor and Davidson, the 2022-23 Executive includes constituency representatives Jerome Niezgoda (Catholic), Christine Gradin (Central), Élizabeth Perreault (Conseil scolaire Fransaskois), Kimberly Greyeyes (Indigenous), Nathan Favel (Northern), Robert Bachmann (Southern) and Donna Banks (Urban Public).

The Executive advocates with a unified, province-wide voice on matters identified as important by the membership, promotes the important work of boards in improving outcomes for all students and builds relationships with key partners and stakeholders to ensure views of boards are represented.

REGINA – The Holy Trinity Catholic School Division Board of Education has received the 2022 Premier’s Board of Education Award for Innovation and Excellence in Education for the submission of “Post-Graduation Community Transition: Holy Trinity Catholic School Division, Moose Jaw Kinsmen Inclusion Centre Partnership”.

The Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) co-ordinates the Premier’s Award each year. The award was presented on behalf of Premier Scott Moe during the SSBA’s Annual General Assembly on Monday.

“The Government of Saskatchewan is pleased to recognize Holy Trinity Catholic School Division Board of Education, as the recipient of the Premier’s Award for their dedication to innovation, inclusion and student success,” said Premier Scott Moe. “The Post-Graduation Community Transition partnership, is a testament of the great things that can be achieved when sectors come together with the goal of providing the best possible outcomes for Saskatchewan’s young people.”

In its application for the award, Holy Trinity said the program provides meaningful transitional opportunities after formal graduation at 18, improves the provision of services and supports students in independence, social well-being, career training and work experience and life skills.

“What started as a challenge to provide programming for students after graduation, with their age-appropriate peers, and continuing at school until the age of 22, has turned into something truly exceptional,” said Joann Blazieko, Board Chair. “The innovation stemmed from the willingness to think outside the box and listen to all stakeholders. The goals were to enhance student learning, ensure smooth transitions from K-12 Education to the larger community, enhance future employment opportunities and improve the quality of life for each individual student. It takes a community to raise a child and this partnership with Moose Jaw Families for Change at the Kinsmen Inclusion Centre, Kinsmen Café, Kinsmen Community Gardens and in the greater community will continue to benefit our students in the years to come.”

The $3,000 award has been sponsored by Xerox Canada since its development in 1999. The award recipient is recommended by a panel of education sector partners. Xerox is pleased to continue the long-standing partnership with the SSBA through the sponsorship of the Premier’s Award.

“Our history at Xerox is one that is defined by continuous innovation,” said Mike Tulk, Vice-President. “This is driven by a diverse employee base focused on creating new ideas to solve the business problems of today and into the future. It is a great honour to once again be associated with the prestigious Premier’s Award for Innovation and Excellence in Education. Congratulations to Holy Trinity School Division on behalf of Xerox Canada.”

To view a video about the award recipients, please visit: https://youtu.be/dtqzoNIudJk

At its assembly, the SSBA also recognized long-time employee Geraldine Knudsen with an Honorary Life Membership. Scholarships were also presented, to Sung Park and Wilson Williams, both graduates of Regina Public Schools.