<p>On Wednesday evening, the province declared a state of public health emergency due to the rising number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions in Alberta. A number of additional public health measures were added as a result of the declaration, including a few for schools.&nbsp;</p><p>Starting Thursday, September 16, 2021, the following public health measures will be implemented all Prairie Rose schools:</p><ul><li>Mandatory masking for grades 4-12 in all public areas and when students cannot be spaced two metres apart. <i>Please ensure you send your child to school with a mask.</i> When students are working at their own work spaces, masks may be removed. This follows the same model as the masking requirement from the 2020-2021 school year.</li><li>Each student in grade K-12 is still required to wear a mask while riding the school bus, as per <a href="https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/4a60eb75-5986-4da2-98d0-b9462e46dfcc/resource/c566b20f-dc1e-4265-bbae-97b33ae43cc2/download/health-cmoh-record-of-decision-cmoh-order-34-2021.pdf">CMOH Health Order 34-2021</a>.</li><li>Cohorting will be implemented, where possible, across all grades. Limited seating in common areas will help support this measure at the junior and high school levels.</li><li>Limited seating for spectators who attend indoor sporting or entertainment events to ⅓ capacity. Masking is now required the entire time a visitor is at the school.</li></ul><p>The school division will continue to follow all the other guidelines as laid out in the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/12HIeN3oaL24UpdR87fT-NGeKXoTXONIU/view">2021-2022 Re-Entry Plan</a> including enhanced cleaning and notification to families when positive COVID-19 cases are reported from parents of individuals who attended school while ill. Our online re-entry plan will be updated tomorrow to reflect the new changes stated above.</p><p>We would like to thank all our parents for working with us to promote healthy and safe learning communities, despite the challenges we face, such as reviewing the daily health check each day and keeping your child home from school when sick. We would also like to thank our parents for keeping us well informed related to testing and student illness. Your cooperation promotes a collaborative community approach for maintaining a healthy school environment.</p><p>Roger Clarke<br>Superintendent of Schools</p>

It’s National Make a Hat Day!!

<p><strong>2021-2022 School Calendar Adjustment - No School September 30th for Staff or Students</strong></p><p>Earlier this month, we shared with parents that a decision would be made by the board at the next public meeting regarding how to approach the newly announced September 30th federal holiday to recognize Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. The day commemorates and remembers residential school survivors and their families. At the public board meeting held Tuesday afternoon, the Prairie Rose Public Schools Board of Trustees voted in favour of making September 30th a non-operational day, which means that students and staff would not attend school on September 30th.&nbsp;</p><p>Key considerations for the board included:</p><ul><li>It was important for Prairie Rose to recognize September 30th in an official manner, especially considering the new information that Canadians learned this past summer in regards to residential schools.</li><li>Could the day be appropriately recognized and coordinated by staff, under short timelines, to ensure curricular activities reflective authentic and acceptable reconciliation actions?</li><li>Would the Alberta Government move to adopting the national holiday in the future?</li><li>What are other school jurisdictions and organizations in Alberta doing?</li></ul><p>The board felt that it was important to ensure that any student-led activities should be appropriately researched and led by those with knowledge and experience of truth and reconciliation. As such, it was decided that due to the short timelines for implementation, September 30, 2021, would be shifted from an instructional day to a non-operational day for the current school year. The decision does not mean that Prairie Rose has established September 30th as a statutory holiday in the future. When the 2022-2023 calendar is created later this school year, the Board of Trustees will research an appropriate path forward. In the meantime, staff will research and plan for appropriate activities that can be utilized across Prairie Rose classrooms for both future Truth and Reconciliation and the June Indigenous Peoples Day.&nbsp;</p><p>We recognize the short notice for families, but also believe that teaching our students about truth and reconciliation is important work that must be done carefully and appropriately.</p><p>Stuart Angle<br>Board Chair<br>Prairie Rose Public Schools</p>

https://drive.google.com/file/d/167efrO-2naXDZ3QTVzZyApulMrjXRkRH/view?usp=sharing

We would like to share the PRPS guidelines for what to do if your child is not feeling well. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the school. Thank you for your continued support.

<p>On Thursday, September 2, 2021, the Prairie Rose Public Schools Board of Trustees held a special board meeting to discuss the &nbsp;‘consideration of closure of New Brigden School’ process. A motion to discontinue the review was put forward by Board Chair Stuart Angle and passed unanimously. As such, the community consultation meeting that was previously scheduled for September 21, 2021 at 7:00 pm will be cancelled and no further action will be taken towards a feasibility review of New Brigden School.&nbsp;</p>

Thank you so much to Tyler Goehring, Teague Pudwell and Justin Asham for volunteering their time to fix our gazebo ceiling!!

<p>Superintendent Roger Clarke and Deputy Superintendent Reagan Weeks are pleased to announce that Mark Heinricks has been chosen as the successful candidate for the role of Chief Deputy Superintendent. The transition will also include the move of Reagan Weeks to the Superintendent of Schools position, effective November 1, 2021.</p><p>Currently serving as the principal of Eagle Butte High School for the past seven years, Mark Heinricks is a long-time employee of Prairie Rose with an extensive teaching and leadership background. Throughout his 32-year teaching career, with the past 25 with Prairie Rose, Mark has worked at Eagle Butte as a teacher, vice principal and principal and at Irvine School as a teacher and vice principal. In addition to a Bachelor of Education degree, he also holds a Master of Education with a focus on Educational Leadership.</p><p>“I am excited to welcome Mark to the Prairie Rose Public Schools executive team,” says Reagan Weeks. “Mark’s integrity, work ethic and commitment to Prairie Rose is second to none and I look forward to working with him in his new role as Chief Deputy Superintendent in charge of Human Resources. Mark’s connection to Prairie Rose and our students will be a huge asset as we continue with developing exceptional learning opportunities for rural students.”</p><p>“I feel very honoured to be selected for this role,” says Mark Heinricks. “I have always valued the teamwork and collaborative environment Prairie Rose has promoted with school leaders. Whether in my role as teacher, mentor or school administrator, I am a firm believer in treating students, parents and staff with dignity and respect. These are values that I know are important to Prairie Rose and I consider a strength as I move into this new position. I will miss the staff and students I have worked so closely with for many, many years… but I am very excited about growing in this new role.”</p><p>Mark Heinricks will make the transition from Eagle Butte to the Deputy Superintendent position on October 1, 2021.</p>

<p>A Special Board Meeting will be held on September 2, 2021, at 7:00 pm to discuss the following:</p><ol><li>Consideration of closure of New Brigden School</li></ol><p>The Special Meeting will be held online and can be accessed here: <a href="https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NWQwMjkzNWUtMzcxYi00ZGJjLTgzMjUtNDlkNzU1MGJmNmVl%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">Join the Online Meeting</a><br><i>Once you click the link, click cancel (on the pop up), watch on the web instead, join anonymously</i></p>

Happy First Day!!!

We are so excited, the first day of school is almost here!!! Here is the menu for our free lunch program! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xu0xlRhMjsjyk3SqMmacMSE5Uh3wnyd8/view?usp=sharing

<p>On August 25, 2021, administration presented the Board of Trustees with updated information for New Brigden School. As part of the package, the revised data focused on scenarios beyond the current school year, based on the decision to delay the school review until 2021-2022. While some sections of the revised information remained unchanged from the spring (i.e. maintenance costs), trustees identified notable differences related to financial implications for the current year (2021-2022) and the one following (2022-2023). Senior Administration explained that these differences represent changes introduced last year as part of the new funding formula. To ensure accuracy of the document, the Prairie Rose financial team will be meeting with Alberta Education officials to confirm the new information. <i>Once this has been completed, the revised package will be shared with parents to review</i>.</p><p>Link to previously shared data package: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TRjurLltohdPASFpl81S_ta1B8qvn-kr/view">June 2021</a></p><p>In consideration of the timing of the new information and the pending community consultation meeting scheduled for next Monday, the board felt that it was in the best interest of parents and the New Brigden community <strong>to delay for two weeks to ensure all parties have appropriate time to review the new information in more detail</strong>. It is important to the board that all stakeholders, including trustees, have adequate time to examine the new data and consider how it may relate to the future of New Brigden School. The new meeting information is listed below:</p><p><strong>Meeting Date</strong>: Tuesday, September 21, 2021<br><strong>Meeting Time</strong>: 7:00 PM<br><strong>Meeting Format</strong>: In-person at New Brigden School (meeting format will be required to comply with COVID-19 pandemic health restrictions)</p><p>Following the public consultation meeting, members of the public will also have the opportunity to provide written submissions to the board for consideration and apply to make an in-person presentation.</p><p>A final decision regarding the notice of motion for closure of New Brigden School&nbsp;will come forward to the board at the October 13, 2021, public board meeting.</p>

Here is some information about the upcoming school year. The office will be open starting August 18th if you have any other questions. We are looking forward to seeing everyone soon!!

Prairie Rose Public Schools Re-Entry Plan 2021-2022 https://drive.google.com/file/d/12HIeN3oaL24UpdR87fT-NGeKXoTXONIU/view

Welcome Back to School: Re-entry highlights from our superintendent Roger Clarke https://youtu.be/jkdPKaL5Y1A

The I.F. Cox Before and After School Program (for grades 1-3) will be having a registration night for new parents on Tuesday, August 24th from 6:00-7:30 pm. Please use the gym doors on 4th avenue. If you have any questions, please call Tammy @ 403-952-2152

Are you looking for childcare? Kindercare is now accepting registrations for the 2021-2022 school year. The ages accepted are 3 years old up to and including kindergarten students. If you are interested or need more information please call the school at 403-548-3449 ext 3505. If you are looking for before and after school care for your grade 1-3 student, we can help with that too. Please call Tammy at 403-952-2152