“Our purpose is to ensure the delivery of an excellent education to our

students so they become good citizens who contribute to society.”

February, 2010

What do we understand about our

paradigm? How comfortable are you

with change? What results do you want

to achieve?

District Leadership That Works

by

Marzano and Waters is an interesting

book that discusses many things,

including setting and monitoring non-

negotiable goals, collaborative goal

setting, high-reliability districts and

the perils and promises of second order

change.

Grading What MAtters

, an article by

Tony Winger in a recent ASCD

Educational Leadership magazine,

discusses just that – what matters. No matter how SMART the

formative assessment goal, how you grade your students will

reveal what you value. We communicate to students and parents

what we value when we send home progress reports and report

cards that are stuck in 20th century context that if you comply with

what I want, you can get good grades; effort is rewarded, but

learning is not.

As we assess our students, we certainly have to be aware that test

design is critical. Do we do a test item analysis? Do we test for

validity and reliability, or do we depend on the “gut feeling” we all

get through the inherent experience of teaching? Do we debate

the value of the test and what it actually may test? More than

short-term memory we hope. Short-term memory is important

when making life decisions but is not a valid grading instrument.

But isn’t studying for a test a good way to develop

responsibility? It can be, but attending classes regularly,

completing regular assignments and peer

assessment and feedback to improve

understanding should also be

considered.

So it might be time to rethink our

paradigm. For the experienced teacher

to change grading practices is a

challenge; more so if you happen to

be teaching high school, and real

second-order change is needed. By

second order change I mean looking at

things outside your current comfort

zone and gaining new knowledge and

developing new skills.

Marzano and Walters discuss

managing personal change and I

believe have asked the critical

questions for teachers to adapt to new

grading practices and formative

assessment, or generally dealing with change. The purpose, picture,

plan and part of the transitional change are the connections that

need to be made to their personal loss. As the authors note; “people

need to know why the organizational change(s) associated with

their personal loss is necessary.” What will the new picture or

vision look like, what plans are associated with the change and

what part do they play in this change? Change can be like that, a

personal loss.

Scaredy Squirrel

by Melanie Watt, a wonderful

primary book concludes; “finally Scaredy Squirrel realizes that

nothing horrible is happening in the unknown today.”

See-Do-Get: How you see things determines what you do and the

results you get! It is a tried but true Covey model. What is your

See-Do-Get with regards to formative assessment, grading and

reporting? While some will see, do and get it rather quickly, others

may need time to deal with their personal loss. We know formative

assessment works for students and teachers but let’s not get a

failing grade when it comes to grading and reporting.

Richard Harvey

Superintendent of Schools

Pembina Pipeline

Engaging Minds: See – Do – Get

W

elcome to the following new staff of the

Pembina Hills Regional Division:

Noreen Alkestrup

Bus Driver

Fort Assiniboine

Kelly Boostro m

Program Assist.

Westlock Elementary

Susan Chapotelle

Teacher

Hillman Colony

Darrel Erickson

Teacher

Hillman Colony

Marleen Etherington

Program Assist.

Dapp

Joyce Gordon

Teacher

Swan Hills

Leanne Lindsay

Teacher

ADLC - Edmonton

Vic Mensch

Teacher

ADLC - Lethbridge

Kristen Temple

Admin. Assist.

ADLC - Calgary

Brandy Westman

Program Assist.

BES – PREP Program

Natasha Wierenga

Teacher

ADLC Barrhead

School Superintendent Richard Harvey dropped by

Neerlandia School Feb. 16 to present the Grade 6 class

with a certificate for finishing in second place in Alberta in

an art contest sponsored by Alberta Initiative for School

Improvement (AISI).

---

HOPE FOR HAITI

Grade 5 and 6 students at Barrhead

Elementary School, bottom photo,

were quick to respond to the tragedy

in Haiti, raising $1,615 to help

earthquake victims. The federal

government matched that number,

bringing the total to more than

$3,000. Students at Neerlandia

School raised another $1,575 for

Haiti and again the total was

matched by the federal government.

Grade 3 students at the school also

raised $300 by selling homemade

bracelets. Pictured in the right-hand

photo are Grade 3 student Jenna

Tuininga, marking the fundraising

thermometer, Grade 7 student Amy

Tuininga holding a map with Haiti

and Grade 3 student Tait Devries,

sitting down and showing off one

of the bracelets.

The University of Alberta is reaching out to communities across

the province, trying to strengthen its bond with the people who

ultimately make the school successful. Chancellor Linda Hughes

was in Barrhead Feb. 8 to speak to more than 100 people at a

luncheon sponsored by the Rotary Club.

“We want to start visiting communities

across the province. We need to keep our

connections with people throughout Alberta,

share the progress we have made and get

some feedback about what people think of the

university and what their needs are,” explains

Linda.

The chancellor spoke about the many

opportunities at the post-secondary school,

whether it be teaching or world-class research.

She noted that more than 200,000 students

have graduated from the school in the last

century and hundreds of discoveries have been made by its researchers.

“We have some of the most innovative and cutting edge research in

the world and the most innovative teaching professors in the country,”

says Linda. “There are so many opportunities to grow and learn at

the university and we want to encourage students to take advantage

of those opportunities.”

To illustrate her point, the chancellor brought a pair of homegrown

success stories with her. Darren Van Dijken was born and raised in

Barrhead and is now doing a Masters program in Solar Energy and

Nanotechnology. After seven years of studies, he has developed a

world-class expertise that is in high demand across the globe. “There

are millions of opportunities out there for young people. University

is a great place to start. Most young people don’t know what they

want to do in life and I don’t think they should. At university, you

get exposure to so many different people and professions, it’s a great

place to discover,” says Darren.

Fourth-year medical resident Wade

Koberstein not only talked about his

positive experience at the University of

Alberta, but the importance of his

education at Barrhead Composite High

School. Wade, who is now pursuing a

medical residency and will soon become a

physician, thrived at university from day

one and a big part of that success can be

attributed to his teachers in Barrhead.

“I can’t overemphasize how important high school was for me. It

really carried me in math and chemistry in the first year and those first

classes are core subjects,” says Wade.

“Those first few tests can make or break you. If you’re prepared,

you can get some really good marks and set a positive tone for the

future. If you’re not prepared, it could really swing the other way. I

felt extremely well prepared when I got to university and I don’t

think that was necessarily the case for every student.”

I can’t overemphasize

how important high

school was for me. It really

carried me in math and

chemistry in the first year and

those first classes are core

subjects.

Wade Koberstein

Barrhead students shine at University of Alberta

Pembina Hills teachers have carved out a reputation as some of

the most innovative and committed professionals in the region.

It’s no surprise then that the Alberta Teachers Association tapped

into those skills once again for this year’s North Central Teachers’

Convention Feb. 4 and 5 at the Shaw Conference Centre in

Edmonton.

Eighteen teachers from across the school district chaired PD

sessions at the two-day convention, while the ADLC played a

particularly prominent role. Senior High Associate Principal

Esther Kupsch served as president of the convention executive

committee and another seven teachers from the school made

presentations at the event.

ADLC speakers included Helen Hoey and Slade Sekulich, who

made a presentation called

Knowledge and Employability Skills

,

Alejandro Acevedo, Margareta Hinrichsen and Patrick Fountain,

with a presentation called

Language Acqusition... at a Distance

,

Anita Boychuk, who made a presentation called

New Senior High

Math

, and Jean Mongrain and Esther Kupsch, with a presentation

called

Immersion ou immersion + ... le choix est à vous

. Slade

Sekulich made a second presentation called

Effective Partnerships

Using ADLC’s Distributed Learning Model

.

PHRD teachers play

big role at convention

“

“

---

Community meeting sparks communication

Safety starts with knowledge

Pembina Hills schools are becoming safer,

thanks to a first-aid program developed by

Safety Coordinator Gary Hove.

Pembina Hills implemented the PD program

last year and so far the response has been

tremendous. Three classes have already been

held this year and more than 40 people have

been trained across the school district.

“We want to make sure we have an avenue

within the school district itself for people to

get safety training. There were always people

taking first aid, we just decided to make it a

regular, structured program that we do all

the time,” says Gary. “In the past, schools

would have to bring in an instructor

themselves or go out and take the training

through an outside service provider. This

makes it much more convenient.”

Nurses and other health care professionals

teach the two-day program and participants

learn a wide variety of safety techniques and

medical skills, everything that is available in

a Standard First Aid program.

“They learn to handle everything from CPR,

to treating bloody noses, applying band aids

and treating broken limbs. We’ve got a lot of

interest from coaches, but we have trained

everyone from teachers and program

assistants to maintenance staff,” says Gary.

“The value of the program is that everyone

who is trained takes that knowledge home

with them, which makes our communities

safer.”

They came from every corner of

the region, meeting at the United

Church in Barrhead to discuss

some of the most pressing issues

in local education.

Trustees, parents, business

leaders, administrators and other

stakeholders spent the day

together Jan. 25 for the annual

Educational Partners Planning

Day. About 75 people attended

the event to discuss a wide range

of issues, everything from the

provincial budget to high school

completion.

“These meetings are critical for

us. We need to keep our communities informed as to what we are

doing and where we are going. We want to open up the lines of

communication and keep people informed,” says School

Superintendent Richard Harvey. “What happens in the school is very

important to each community. If parents and the community are

actively engaged with their school, students will be more successful”

Pembina Hills has been hosting the annual community meeting for

nearly a decade now. Members of the School Board pay close attention

to what is said there and use the feedback for future planning sessions.

Although there is always a wide range of discussion, this year’s

meeting focussed on high school completion and what can be done

to improve graduation rates.

“When we go into our planning later this year with the School

Board, we will sit down and talk about our high school completion

goals. Are we meeting some of the targets we set out and what else

can we do to support our school councils and communities in

reaching these goals,” says Richard. “There’s no quick fix for any of

these things, but if all of our schools and communities are thinking

about strategies, things like

creating positive connections for

students and keeping them

engaged, that will help us achieve

our goal of improving high

school completion rates.”

Many people attending the

meeting were members of school

councils.

These

volunteer

organizations were established 14

years ago by the provincial

government and have become a

big part of the region’s efforts to

communicate

with

each

community. For Cheryl Houle

of the Dapp-Jarvie school

council, the meeting gives her an

opportunity to discuss education priorities directly with school

trustees and regional administrators. “I started going to these meetings

because it’s an opportunity to find out what’s going on. You get an

idea of what the board is focussing on and what their priorities are,”

notes Cheryl. “If you become involved and people see you coming

to the meetings, they take you more seriously.”

To strengthen the groups, Pembina Hills is encouraging school

councils to establish an umbrella organization that will represent

all of them. Edith McMann,who chairs the Dunstable School

Council, has been a strong proponent of the concept and sees the

value of meeting with her colleagues in other communities, even if

it’s only a few times each year.

“I’m quite excited about that. We are looking at the big picture. We

can make a resolution, send it to the Alberta School Councils

Association and put it on the agenda at the annual general meeting,”

says Edith. “We are the parents and we can have a loud voice if we

speak up. We can vote on the issues with all the other school councils

and make our voice heard by the provincial government.”

Community members from across Pembina Hills discussed a wide variety

of issues at the annual Educational Partners Planning Day. More than 75

people attended the meeting in Barrhead on Jan. 25.

---

Special needs students are getting a head start on their

education, thanks to a pre-school program that prepares them

for kindergarten and beyond. The PREP program at Barrhead

Elementary School helps special needs children three to five

years old develop the skills they need for moving into

kindergarten.

With the guidance of a committed teaching staff, and the

support of health workers like occupational therapists and

speech language pathologists, these special needs students

improve their ability to communicate while developing social

skills like interactive play, communicating with their peers and

turn taking.

“It’s a very structured program with routines and expectations.

Our goal is to get the children more prepared for kindergarten

because there are so many more expectations on the children.

Students will still have needs after taking this program, but

they have much greater success in school,” says Program

Coordinator Margaret Osborne.

“In the past, we would try to bring special needs kids into

kindergarten early, but it was very difficult. In many cases, they were

developmentally too young and didn’t blend well with kindergarten

students. In the PREP program, they are playing and doing activities

with their peers and that is the most effective way to get these

children to grow and improve.”

The PREP program in Barrhead is similar to the SPICE program in

Westlock and C-PREP in Clyde. All three work with special needs

students and all three also include typically developing students. In

fact, these programs have become critical to the school district’s

efforts to promote inclusive education.

“There’s tremendous value in having a class with both special needs

students and typically developing students. The special needs children

learn so much and the other children learn a lot about tolerance and

acceptance of other children with differences,” says Margaret. “When

you come into the classroom you would be hard pressed to figure

out who has special needs and who doesn’t.”

Each of the three programs in Pembina Hills are headed up by

certified teachers like Margaret but it’s the program assistants who

really make it tick. Margaret can’t be there every day and relies

tremendously on the support of the program assistants.

“Our program assistants have training and lots of experience working

with these kids. It’s a small class and the students get a great deal

of adult assistance. The program assistants do a great job. That’s why

it has been so successful.”

The learning curve was steep and stressful,

but trustees Weida Kingma and Kim

Webster are thrilled with their experience as

first-term school trustees.

Although the position has been

challenging, the support from the school

district has been tremendous, and both

ladies would encourage other parents to

consider running in the upcoming election

this October.

“There’s a huge learning curve and I wasn’t

expecting to be as busy as we are, but it

has worked really well and the School

Board has stood behind us and supported

us,” says Weida.

“Pembina Hills really wants people with

kids in school to run for election. They

are willing to make it work and everyone

is very accommodating. It’s nice to see

that. There are times I had to leave early to

get my children from daycare and it’s really

not a big deal.”

Before running for election three years ago,

Weida and Kim were like many other

parents – they understood the importance

of the School Board and its work, but

didn’t think they had the time to commit

to the role.

“It can be stressful. We dealt with some

big issues in our first term, but there are

challenges every year. Our kids are in

school right now and we can have direct

impact on their education,” says Kim.

“I’ve really come to appreciate the scope of

knowledge you acquire. You learn different

skill sets, you meet so many different

people. I didn’t know anything about

budgets, I didn’t know anything about how

our schools are run. We’ve learned so much

and everyone has been so supportive. I get

so much more out of it than I thought I

would.”

School district supports new trustees

PREP program prepares students for

kindergarten

Program Assistant Lindsay Sallis helps five-year-old student Karsten Grabler

do some writing on the whiteboard during a PREP class at Barrhead