Southwest Horizon School Division Update

January 2012

We are off to a great start in all our schools in the new-year throughout Southwest Horizon School Division.  A number of areas have seen new developments this year including new student activities, career preparation, professional development and technology. 

Our staff is always looking for ways to foster community involvement and to further develop the concept of “social justice” in our students.  One of the exciting opportunities that all schools took part in this year was “We Day” in Winnipeg at the MTS Centre on November 23^rd.   “We Day” began in 2007 and is a movement that grew from “Save the Children”.   “We Day” was established to inspire youth to realize that they can make a positive difference in their communities and the world.  These events highlight youth making a difference and various guest speakers who seek to inspire young people to get involved.  Some of the featured speakers were Paul Martin, Rick Hansen, Mia Farrow and Al Gore. 

In terms of career preparation, we are considering further ways to promote our current Career Technology Studies and Apprenticeship programs across the school division.  We are taking stock of what we offer and looking at possible options across the division connected to the local economy and global job markets. 

In March, our Regional CTS Consortium will be hosting an Agriculture and Health Care Forum in Souris to invite industry and government partners to discuss employment needs now and in the future in our region.  This goal is to help us plan and prepare our youth to live and work in our communities in the future.  We are also forging partnerships with post secondary institutions like the Assiniboine Community College and SAIT in Calgary to create additional high school credit and post-secondary certification opportunities for our students while they are in high school. 

We currently have ten high school students enrolled in the High School Production Field Operators program through SAIT College in Calgary.  These students will graduate with full certification in this program ready to seek employment in the energy field.  Our industry partner in this venture, Penn West Energy, has been very helpful in providing their expertise and financial assistance in support of this program. Please refer to the divisional website, talk to your local principal or call the division office for further details on career programs in Southwest Horizon School Division.

Our staff consists of highly skilled and dedicated professionals who are striving to improve their skills in the classroom to support student learning.  The dedicated members of our Professional Development Committee have supported staff in our schools by providing an excellent program of professional development experiences this year. 

The focus of divisional P.D. this year is “Differentiated Instruction” or personalized learning which assists teachers to reach students at their individual levels. 

Teacher “Learning Groups” are working collaboratively to come up with new ways to enhance learning for all of our students.  The Board of Trustees, in conjunction with our local Manitoba Teacher’s Society, is enabling this effort with considerable funds, to support this effort.

We have made considerable strides in technology.  The size of our division demands that we have a dependable Video Conferencing system to ensure that all of our students have better access to programs.  The Board of Trustees approved installation of a new Video Conference system that has greatly improved our capacity to deliver classes to all students.  Parents can also check their child’s progress online through the student portal.   Student grades by class and attendance are now online and available 24 hours a day. 

Some of our challenges this year have been in the area of facilities and transportation.  Flooding damage in some of our schools has required entire heating system replacements or other major repairs.  Work is proceeding as quickly as possible, and we thank our schools and communities for their patience.  Transportation has been interrupted by bridge washouts and bus routes have been altered.  We thank our students, parents and bus drivers for their patience and cooperation in this regard. 

We are also finding ourselves sharing the roads with increasing traffic in the southwestern corner of our division in the energy-producing sector.  We work very closely with the local energy companies to coordinate our vehicle traffic in this area to be mindful of student safety.  We thank the local energy companies and municipalities for their cooperation and assistance in keeping our roads safe.

Southwest Horizon School Division also invites input into our strategic planning process.  Please review our draft priorities  to offer your suggestions

We view Southwest Horizon School Division as a “Community of Learners, Learning Together,” and students, staff, parents and our Board of Trustees embrace this philosophy and direct our efforts at achieving this end. 

As we continue learning together this year, we welcome your participation as partners in the education process. 

Brad Kyle

Superintendent, Southwest Horizon School Division