In this month’s report, I am very pleased to share with you a number of activities and initiatives that are making a positive difference in the lives of our students and families. This month, our schools celebrated African Heritage Month, The Ties that Bind: Faith, Family and Community, through special

events, activities and learning opportunities in and out of our classrooms. Each February, in particular, and throughout the year, our schools focus on the history, culture and achievements of people of African descent to highlight the connection of our past to today and how this information shapes our understanding and cultural awareness. This month is also the perfect time for each of us to reflect on our shared history and understanding of the contributions and traditions of people of African descent.

As part of our goal to improve student achievement and strengthen positive, safe and inclusive environments, I am pleased to share information with you on how schools are tracking and monitoring student progress using school data walls as well as a number of excellent examples of student learning in action throughout the SRCE.

As part of our goal to promote the stewardship of resources, planning has now started for the 2020-2021 school year. Pre-primary and primary registrations have been completed and staffing plans are underway. As well at this time of year, the school calendar starts to be designed, and capital projects for the 2020-2021 are being considered. As with all plans, our number one goal of improving student achievement and success is at the forefront of all decisions.

As always, I encourage you to keep an eye for some of our school and regional celebrations in print, on our website (www.srce.ca) and via the SRCE twitter (@SRCE_NS).

Sincerely,

Paul Landry Regional Executive Director

Paul Landry Regional Executive Director

of Education

304 Pitt Street, Unit 2 Port Hawkesbury, NS B9A 2T9;

www.srce.ca; srce@srce.ca; 902-625-2191/

1-800-650-4448 (P) 902-625-2281 (F)

Follow us on Twitter @SRCE_NS

Regional Executive Director’s Report

to School Communities in the Strait Region

February 2020

Contents

Pre-primary Programs in the SRCE:

Registration and Busing 1

SRCE Celebrates African

Heritage Month 2020 2

Monitoring Student Progress

Using School Data Walls 3

Student Learning in Action

in the SRCE 4/5

Twenty-nine Students Compete for

Seats in the Building Futures for

Youth Program 5

SRCE Students, Families, Staff and

SAC Members Participate in School

Cafeteria Food Services Survey 6

Who Do I Contact With

Questions or Concerns? 6

Upcoming Dates/Events Sunday, March 8, 2020 International Women’s Day March Break March 16 to 20, 2020 Saturday, March 21, 2020 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Follow us on Twitter @SRCE_NS

On Tuesday, February 11, 2020, the province announced that the expansion of the Pre-primary Program is complete. This means that every four-year-old in the province will have access to this free, universal program in September 2020. In addition, the province will roll out phase two of busing for eligible pre-primary children in September. A copy of the news release may be accessed at Pre-primary Expansion Complete. In the SRCE, we have been very fortunate that as of September 2019, busing was available to all pre-primary children eligible to receive bus service. Families may contact the SRCE Transportation Department at 902-747-3645 to determine their eligibility to receive bus service. In addition, as of last school year, 2018-2019, the Pre-primary Program was available to all children in our region at all of our 14 school locations. This certainly has been great news for families in the SRCE. For more information on the Pre-Primary Programs in the SRCE or if you require assistance with the registration process, please contact Carolyn Webber, Manager of Pre-primary and Early Years Programs at carolyn.webber@srce.ca / 902-631-4617, and access http://www.srce.ca.

For more information on the Pre-primary Program, please visit novascotia.ca/preprimary and for additional information on Pre-primary Program busing, please visit https://www.ednet.ns.ca/pre-primary/faq-busing. Watch the video below to learn more about the positive impact for families and many benefits of this play-based learning program from the children and Early Childhood Educators at Bayview Education Centre.

Pre-primary Programs in the SRCE: Registration Ongoing and Busing Available to

Eligible Children

2

SRCE Celebrates African Heritage Month 2020: The Ties that Bind: Faith, Family and Community

Access link below to view the student drumming performance.

Access link below to view the student drumming performance.

Access link below to view the student performance.

African Heritage Month Proclamation and

Celebration Hosted by the Town of Antigonish

February is recognized internationally as African Heritage Month – a time to celebrate and share the culture, history and achievements of people of African descent from all over the world. The theme of African Heritage Month

2020 is The Ties that Bind: Faith, Family and Community and recognizes the unique bond people of African descent share through faith, family and community. This provincial theme is about celebrating the longstanding legacy of faith and spirituality, acknowledging strong family ties and honouring the togetherness of the African Nova Scotian Community. These ties help facilitate a greater bond and understanding of all cultures in Nova Scotia. Together, we can unite the culture and heritage we share as a community as we also observe the United Nations International Decade of People of African Descent from 2015 to 2024, which embraces the themes of recognition, justice and development.

On behalf of the SRCE, Director of Human Resources, Janice Gough, attended the launch and proclamation of African Heritage Month hosted by the Town of Antigonish on January 23, 2020. Students and staff from several of our schools attended the event and Ms. Morgan Gero, Teacher at St. Andrew Junior School and her student African Drumming Group, comprised of students attending Dr. J.H. Gillis Regional High School and St. Andrew Junior School, performed at the celebration. (View their performance here). Throughout the year, and especially in February, our schools focus on the history, culture and achievements of people of African descent through a variety of educational approaches and thought-provoking activities in and out of the classroom to highlight the connection of our past to today and how this information shapes our understanding. Some examples of the school-based activities include guest speakers, presentations, musical performances, student research and discussion, creation of African Art and other visual representations, displays, and visits to our Afrikan Canadian Heritage and Friendship Centre in Guysborough. Read more in the news story SRCE Celebrates African Heritage Month 2020: The Ties that Bind: Faith, Family and Community.

3

Monitoring Student Progress Using School Data Walls

This year, many of our schools have created data walls as an additional tool to help them keep track and monitor student progress.

Data walls provide a visual representation of the strengths and needs of all students using multiple data sources. This information leads to collaborative discussion among teachers around learning patterns, setting targets, effective teaching practices and required professional learning; all focused on a school-wide culture of learning. In particular, data walls generate questions and focused conversations about school improvement planning:

What is making us proud?

What are our concerns?

In what areas are our students struggling?

What supports are students able to access?

Are we having impact on student growth and achievement? How can we collectively work together to improve learning for all

students?

The data walls are designed to show growth and achievement over time and are updated at multiple points throughout the school year. Staff organize student data on their data walls. This is a critical first step to meet the differentiated learning needs of students in each school, and is key to measuring any impact of the interventions implemented to support student learning.

4 Student Learning in Action in the SRCE

In this month’s Report, I am pleased to share some excellent examples of the work underway by SRCE staff to support student achievement, success and overall well-being in inclusive and equitable learning environments.

Student Learning in Action in the SRCE

5

Twenty-nine (29) SRCE Students Compete for Seats in the Building Futures for Youth Program

Twenty-nine (29) students from eight schools in the SRCE took part in an interview preparation workshop at the Nova Scotia Community College-Strait Campus on Wednesday, February 19, 2020. These students are vying for the highly coveted seats in the Building Futures for Youth Program and this workshop will help them prepare for the very competitive interviews in April. The successful candidates will receive six (6) days of safety training at NSCC in May/June. These students will then embark on a 200-hour paid summer work placement with a host employer in the construction industry starting in July 2020. The training and placement will result in three (3) additional Co-operative Education credits earned while any placements with certified journeypersons will enable these students to accrue these hours towards becoming a journeyperson themselves. I extend sincere thanks to the many local employers for partnering on this very important hands-on learning opportunity for our students and giving them an opportunity to get a head start in a career, while still in high school. The Construction Association of Nova Scotia (CANS) developed Building Futures for Youth (BFY), in partnership with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency, Nova Scotia Community College, local Regional Centres for Education, and in consultation with industry representatives. The program is designed to increase the number of youth safely exploring careers in the construction industry.

Pleasant Bay School

6 SRCE Students, Families, Staff and SAC Members Participate in School Cafeteria Food Services Survey

I would like to thank SRCE students, families, staff and School Advisory Council members for taking the time to participate in the School Cafeteria Food Services Survey. During a two-week period, we received an impressive 1,122 responses to the survey. The purpose of this survey was to gather information and feedback regarding the current use of cafeteria services in SRCE schools in an effort to continue to provide quality service and help meet the nutritional requirements of students and staff. The intent of the survey was not as an evaluation of the SRCE’s current service provider.