REGINA – Ten Saskatchewan schools are each receiving $10,000 to support student nutrition after winning the Mosaic Extreme School Makeover Challenge for 2018.

“This year we received a record 70 applications for the Makeover Challenge and the winning schools and their projects are once again impressive and inspiring,” said Sarah Fedorchuk, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Government Relations at The Mosaic Company. “We’re very excited to hear more about their efforts to make nutrition a daily part of student lives with the funding Mosaic provides.”

The grants will support winning projects that have goals including developing or upgrading indoor and outdoor kitchen and garden facilities; improving education for students and communities about nutrition, cooking, agriculture, food safety and First Nations and Métis knowledge; aiding in the path toward reconciliation; and, developing or furthering breakfast and snack programs.

Many schools from across the province submitted their projects to compete for a total of $100,000 in prizes, provided by Mosaic. Schools receiving grants this year are part of the Holy Trinity, Horizon, Ile a la Crosse, Northern Lights, Prairie Valley, Regina Catholic, Regina Public and Saskatoon Public school divisions and Muskoday First Nation.

With Mosaic and the SSBA as partners, the Makeover Challenge began in 2006, to encourage grassroots initiatives to improve student nutrition.

“We are grateful for the ongoing generous support from Mosaic in funding this effort,” said Dr. Shawn Davidson, SSBA President. “We are very proud of our continued partnership in support of the Mosaic Extreme School Makeover Challenge and promoting improved nutrition environments for students in our province.”

Backgrounder: Mosaic Extreme School Makeover Challenge 2018 Winners

REGINA – Saskatchewan’s school boards are encouraged that some funding was restored in the provincial budget for 2018-19 announced today, but are calling for renewed investment in education going forward.

“We are pleased that Premier Scott Moe is committed to keeping the promise from his leadership campaign and the government has restored some funding for education,” said Dr. Shawn Davidson, president of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association. “Premier Moe said that education must be a top priority and we thank him and Minister of Education Gordon Wyant for their reprioritization of support for our province’s students.

“However, we know the funding announced today only goes so far in terms of meeting the pressures being faced in classrooms across Saskatchewan,” Davidson continued. “We also need to ensure predictable and sustainable funding is in place to support innovation and improvement in the system for many years to come.”

School boards have been calling for restored and renewed investment after funding for education was cut significantly in the provincial budget for the previous year, 2017-18. The funding announced in the 2018-19 budget will improve the ability of boards to address pressures facing school division operations, but continued growth and inflation means funding levels remain concerning.

“Boards made many difficult decisions as a result of last year’s cuts,” Davidson said. “Our members will be working through the funding allocations for their divisions to determine what they mean for the next school year.”

Davidson said boards see the efforts made this year to reprioritize funding for education as critical to supporting continued progress in the area of student achievement.

“Our responsibility as locally elected boards is to represent the voices of families and communities in overseeing the operations of our education system,” he said. “The provincial government is responsible for funding. We need to be engaged and working together and we believe that all students should have the resources they need to succeed and achieve, regardless of where they live in the province or their personal circumstances.”

REGINA – The Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) thanked outgoing Minister of Education Bronwyn Eyre and congratulated and welcomed incoming Deputy Premier and Minister of Education Gordon Wyant, following the provincial cabinet shuffle that was recently announced.

“We thank Minister Eyre for her service,” said Dr. Shawn Davidson, SSBA President. “We wish her all the best in her new role as Minister of Energy and Resources and Minister responsible for SaskWater and SaskEnergy.”

Davidson also congratulated and welcomed incoming Minister Wyant, who is also Deputy Premier. Davidson noted Wyant’s past service to the education sector in Saskatchewan as a locally elected school board trustee.

“We look forward to working with Minister Wyant to advance the important efforts happening in our sector to support our province’s students,” said Davidson. “The SSBA and its member boards believe all students should have the resources they need to succeed and achieve, regardless of where they live in the province or their personal circumstances. Education is an investment in our future.”

School boards have been calling for restored and renewed investment in education and want the voices of the families and communities they represent to be heard and considered by the government.

The new minister and Premier Scott Moe have been invited to meet with partners from across the education sector in the near future. Davidson said he hopes they will take the opportunity to engage and establish relationships.

SASKATOON – The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), the Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre (SICC), the Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) and the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Reconciliation through Treaty education.

The MOU recognizes that Reconciliation through Treaty education can be the tool to overcome obstacles that affect Treaty relations. It also endorses partnerships to address the advancement of Treaty awareness and education, as vehicles toward the elimination of systemic discrimination and embody the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. Through the MOU, the partners have committed to working to address systemic discrimination in the spirit and intent of Treaty partnerships and as partners in Reconciliation.

“This MOU is the first step towards Reconciliation through education. It provides a way forward for the institutions involved to create Treaty awareness in the classroom,” said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron. “Our children will grow up understanding their Inherent and Treaty rights. They will learn that Treaties are a sacred covenant and are international law. Together, we can end discrimination in our education systems.”

“Education was the vehicle used to oppress First Nations people,” said Treaty Commissioner Mary Culbertson. “Through education about the Spirit, the Intent and the Treaty relationship, Reconciliation can be one day achieved. Education will be the vehicle to take us there.”

“We have an opportunity to provide education directed toward improving knowledge and understanding of the historical Treaties. To fully understand the Treaties, one must understand the Spirit and Intent of the Sacred Treaties,” said SICC President Wanda Wilson. “Language and culture must be understood as it is the bedrock, the foundation of the First Nation’s world view and it is vital that this forms an integral component of any Treaty education program and any First Nation education program regardless of their linguistic group. This must come from the local language keepers and the knowledge keepers who wait to be asked.”

“Our ongoing partnerships are very important in addressing shared responsibilities and interests in Saskatchewan’s education systems,” said Dr. Shawn Davidson, president of the SSBA. “Joining together to sign this MOU is about our commitment to work together for the benefit of all Saskatchewan students.”

SSBA’s member boards have passed a number of resolutions related to Treaty education. One resolution adopted in 2017 calls for a mandatory Indigenous studies class at the secondary level, in addition to Indigenous teachings currently embedded in the curriculum. Another resolution passed in 2017 calls on all schools and board of education offices in Saskatchewan to display the Treaty symbol.

The FSIN represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan. The Federation is committed to honouring the spirit and intent of the Treaties, as well as the promotion, protection and implementation of the Treaty promises that were made more than a century ago.

REGINA – The Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) is congratulating Scott Moe, who will become the province’s next premier after winning the governing party’s leadership race.

“In our ongoing efforts to support the students in Saskatchewan’s education system, we look forward to working with Mr. Moe as the new premier,” said Dr. Shawn Davidson, president of the SSBA. “We also want to recognize and thank the outgoing premier, Brad Wall, for his years of service to the people of the province and investments made by his government in our education system over the years, particularly in the area of constructing and renovating schools.”

Another important connection between the SSBA and the premier’s office is the annual Premier’s Board of Education Award for Innovation and Excellence. Since 1999, premiers of Saskatchewan have given their support for the award, which recognizes educational innovations and improvements focused on student achievement that have been advanced or directed by boards of education.

School boards have been calling for restored and renewed investment in education and want the voices of the families and communities they represent to be heard and considered by the government. Davidson said he believes the new premier will be receptive to making education an increased funding priority.

“Mr. Moe has said education ‘must be a top priority for the next premier’ and has committed to additional education funding,” Davidson said. “Boards are responsible for overseeing the operations of our province’s education system, while the provincial government is responsible for funding. We need to be engaged and working together in our respective roles so we can continue to see progress in the area of student achievement in Saskatchewan.”

The new premier is being invited to meet with locally elected boards of education and partners from across the education sector in the near future. Davidson said he hopes the new premier will take the opportunity to engage and establish relationships.

REGINA – Saskatchewan school boards believe the education system is at a critical point and funding sufficiency is of major concern for school divisions who are already planning for the 2018-19 school year.

Without restored funding and renewed investment, school boards will not have the resources needed to deal with rising student enrolment numbers, suitable classroom supports and keeping up with inflationary pressures.

“We are at the point where further cuts or funding freezes will significantly impact our classrooms and communities,” said Dr. Shawn Davidson, president of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA). “There has been a trend of decreasing per-student funding in the operating budgets of school divisions. That is the wrong direction and we are falling behind our neighbouring provinces in terms of operating funding for education. We need to make sure education is a priority when planning for the future of our province and investment in students and classrooms plays a big part.”

School boards want the voices of the families and communities they represent to be heard and considered, Davidson said. Boards oversee the province’s education system, while the provincial government is responsible for ensuring the system is appropriately funded.

“Last year’s budget cut about $55 million of funding from school division operating budgets for the 2017-18 school year and boards have worked hard to minimize the negative effects on students and staff resulting from the difficult fiscal situation,” added Davidson. “But school boards are very concerned looking ahead to the 2018-19 year about what will result if funding levels are not restored.”

The SSBA’s advocacy efforts will continue in support of its members and the communities they serve, and Davidson called on families and communities to keep adding their voices by reaching out local to MLAs.

More information is available at https://saskschoolboards.ca/education-belongs-to-community/.

REGINA – Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, the Saskatoon Tribal Council and the College of Education Indian Teacher Education Program at the University of Saskatchewan have received the 2017 Premier’s Board of Education Award for their joint submission of “ni ahkwatonâmonân: An Indigenous Language Pathway to Improved Student Learning Outcomes at St. Frances Cree Bilingual School.”

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

“I want to congratulate the partners for winning this year’s award,” Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood MLA Lisa Lambert said on behalf of Premier Wall. “This award honours the great work they are doing at St. Frances Cree Bilingual School, expanding opportunities for our First Nations and Métis students to improve their learning.”

In their application for the award, the partners said the St. Frances Cree Bilingual Program provides the foundation for students to achieve their full potential and offers an incubation site for innovations in Indigenizing the curriculum and improving First Nations and Métis student learning outcomes.

“We are both honoured and humbled to receive this award for the Cree bilingual program at St. Frances,” said Diane Boyko, Board of Education Chair at Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools. “When we started this journey with our partners years ago, it was a bit of a risk. We were optimistic about its success, but there were a lot of unknowns about how a Cree language program would be received in the medium- to long-term. Ten years later, we have a thriving school community, and the school is bursting at the seams.”

Boyko said the board is very thankful to have great partners in education and noted that it is very gratifying for a program that embraces Indigenous language, culture, identity and community to be recognized. But even more rewarding is the fact that the innovative programs and supports have resulted in marked improvement in student outcomes, she added.

“The St. Frances Professional Development School (PDS) project is designed to achieve the common benefits of the PDS model, including targeted teacher learning and high student achievement; but it also achieves more,” said Michelle Prytula, Dean, College of Education. “Through its focus on Indigenous student identity and Indigenous language and culture, it sets the bar for teaching and learning models province-wide.”

“One of the TRC calls to action mentions that Aboriginal languages are a fundamental and valued element of Canadian culture and society, and there is an urgency to preserve them,” said Tribal Chief Mark Arcand, Saskatoon Tribal Council. “This award demonstrates what incorporating our identity and language can do for a school in the city of Saskatoon where the Indigenous population is steadily increasing.”

The $3,000 award is sponsored by Xerox Canada. The award recipient is recommended by a panel that includes representation from education sector partners.

“The importance of embedding Indigenous language and culture into the curriculum in Saskatchewan has certainly been internalized by St. Frances’ Cree Bilingual Program,” said Damien Johnston, VP Western Canadian Operations, Xerox Canada. “Their unique approach has helped to integrate the language, history and culture of First Nations/Métis communities, with tools and programs designed to support this innovative approach. The results speak for themselves with increases in attendance and improved performance, not to mention an enhanced sense of belonging for students. We are proud to be associated with St. Frances, congratulations from Xerox on your award!”

Developed in 1999, the Premier’s Award recognizes educational innovations and improvements focused on student achievement that have been advanced or directed by boards of education. The prize is to be used to support or extend the innovation or project.

“The Premier’s Award shines a spotlight on great work being done by boards of education throughout the province,” said SSBA President Dr. Shawn Davidson. “Although there is only one recipient of the award, each submission is worthy of recognition for advancing the goal of improved outcomes for all students.”

REGINA – The Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) is encouraging everyone to wear orange and to reflect on residential schools for the second officially proclaimed “Orange Shirt Day” in the province.

“Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity for discussion to happen about residential schools,” said Dr. Shawn Davidson, SSBA president. “It is important to build understanding about this history of our province and country.”

Orange Shirt Day is recognized on Sept. 30 each year and is part of a larger movement in the country to provide opportunity for First Nations, governments, schools and communities to unite in a spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.

“The history of residential schools is an essential part of our history,” Education Minister Bronwyn Eyre said. “While it is embedded throughout our elementary and high school curricula, Orange Shirt Day provides an important opportunity for students and school communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation.”

The Orange Shirt Day movement is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake, B.C., in 2013. It grew out of the account of a young girl having her new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the mission.

At the SSBA Spring General Assembly in 2016, members passed a resolution to request that the Government of Saskatchewan officially recognize Orange Shirt Day.

MUSKOWEKWAN FIRST NATION – Efforts of Saskatchewan schools to improve student nutrition and create healthier environments are being celebrated today with the Mosaic Extreme School Makeover Challenge’s Walk to Breakfast.

“Each year we have the opportunity to visit a winning school and take part in the Walk to Breakfast,” said Sarah Fedorchuk, Mosaic’s Senior Director, Public Affairs. “It’s great to see the project come to life with the grant funding Mosaic provides, but what’s even better is seeing the students’ excitement about what the changes will do for their school and its nutritional environment.”

Since 2006, The Mosaic Company and the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) have hosted the Challenge to encourage grassroots initiatives. Ten schools each received $10,000 earlier this year as winners of the 2017 Challenge. Among the winners was Muskowekwan School, where today’s Walk to Breakfast event was held.

“Muskowekwan School can be proud for being chosen as one of the top 10 schools in Saskatchewan for your work to promote a healthier learning environment for students,” said Larry Doke, Minister Responsible for First Nations, Métis and Northern Affairs.

Muskowekwan School’s winning project highlights include purchasing kitchen equipment, ensuring nutrition programming for all and enhancing food safety and efficiency. Other winning projects have goals including developing or expanding gardens; improving education about nutrition, cooking, agriculture, food safety and First Nations learnings; and, implementing or furthering breakfast and snack programs.

Many schools submitted projects to compete for a total of $100,000 in prizes, provided by Mosaic. Other schools receiving grants this year are part of the Good Spirit, Greater Saskatoon Catholic, Northwest, Prairie South, Saskatchewan Rivers, Saskatoon Public and Horizon school divisions; the Conseil des écoles fransaskoises; and, Key First Nation.

“Our Association is proud to recognize Muskowekwan School and the other winners and we thank The Mosaic Company for this continued commitment to help ensuring students’ health and nutrition needs are met,” said Dr. Shawn Davidson, SSBA President.

Backgrounder: Mosaic Extreme School Makeover Challenge 2017 Winners