AGM set for April 23

P.E.I. Senator Brian Francis, guest speaker for the P.E.I. Home and School Federation’s Annual Meeting on April 23, will talk about the establishment of the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Other speakers include Hon. Natalie Jameson, Minister Education and Lifelong Learning and P.E.I. Lt.-Gov. Antionette Perry.

The Annual Meeting will be held in person for the first time since 2019 at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel.

The theme, Understanding, will focus attendees on current areas of interest such as Truth and Reconciliation, mental wellness, elected school board and the evolution of Home and School.

From its beginnings to the present day, the P.E.I. Home and School Federation has focused on the well-being and educational success of P.E.I. children. Parents, guardians, principals, students and school staff are invited to register for the meeting. While each member Home and School is limited to five voting delegates, there is no limit to the number of attendees otherwise from each school: the greater the attendance, the richer the discussions.

REGISTER by Sunday, April 10, online at: https://peihsf.ca/agm to be included in the early bird draw for an overnight stay at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel.

Engaging with policy-makers is key. Local discussion of proposed provincial policy resolutions is one of the most important activities that Home and School Associations go through each year. These resolutions, on issues of broad provincial importance are ways the parents, guardians, teachers, administrators and staff can speak as a collective Home and School voice and have a direct impact on education policy.

Resolutions will be voted on by delegates from each school at the Federation’s Annual Meeting on April 23rd. Before that can happen, however, the resolutions must be discussed at Home and School meetings in each school and a local vote taken on each one to guide the school’s delegates in their voting. Proposed 2022 resolutions have been circulated to local presidents/ chairs and are available online at: https://peihsf.ca/agm Late or emergency resolutions on emerging education issues will be accepted up to April 20.

The work and care of many important people in our communities goes into making schools safe and caring places for our children and recognizing this work is one of the best parts of our job.  Parents, guardians, teachers, administrators, staff, and members of the community at large may, through their local Home and School associations, nominate school crossing guards and school bus drivers for one of the P.E.I Home and School Federation’s special recognition awards.  Nominations for the School Crossing Guard of the Year Award are due on April 23. Nominations for the School Bus Driver of the Year Award are due on May 10.

The Welcome to Kindergarten program offers resources and strategies for families in support of children and early learning. Primary and elementary schools will be hosting family orientation sessions April 1 to May 31. Check the school or Public Schools Branch website at: https://edu.princeedwardisland.ca/psb/parents_students/wtk-sessions/ for dates and times.

The AGM will also mark the end of my term as president. A huge thanks to the provincial board for all its hard work, dedication, support, and encouragement throughout the past two years. It’s been busy!

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Heather Mullen, president of the P.E.I. Home and School Federation, lives in Lot 38, Canavoy, with her husband and two children, who attend Mount Stewart Consolidated School and Colonel Gray High School. A Home and School column appears in The Guardian during the school year on the first Friday of the month. For questions about this column or to find out more about the work of the P.E.I. Home and School Federation, contact peihsf@edu.pe.ca or 902-620-3186/1-800-916-0664.