Delegates, guests attend in-person meeting
The Prince Edward Island Home and School Federation (PEIHSF) held its 69th Annual General Meeting on Saturday, April 23 at the Rodd Charlottetown. This was our first in-person meeting since the beginning of COVID-19. There was a turnout of over 60 delegates and guests with 27 schools represented.
Guests included Lt.-Gov. Antoinette Perry; Hon. Education Minister, Natalie Jameson, and Norbert Carpenter, director, Public Schools Branch.
One resolution was presented to the floor regarding school bus aides. After discussion and amendments, the resolution was passed. Resolutions become PEIHSF policy and are used by the board when speaking on behalf of the federation. For more information on this resolution, visit www.peihsf.ca/AGM.
Speakers from the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning and PEIHSF presented on three topics that the board felt were important and relevant to local home and schools. The topics included the evolution of home and school; proposed elected school board and mental health. Small groups then discussed and provided feedback. A summary will be circulated to delegates and posted online at peihsf.ca.
Senator Brian Francis, guest speaker, talked about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, including the history and timeline about how and why truth and reconciliation began, personal accounts of his experience in the residential schools and key points on the kind of future to offer to the next generations.
”Urgent change is needed to put an end to the pattern,” he said. “Education is critical to lasting reconciliation and you each have a role to play. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon. Let us work together to make it a reality.”
Two awards were presented at the AGM. Donna MacLeod, Kinkora, received Volunteer of the Year Award and Heather Mullen, Mount Stewart, received the Lifetime Membership Award. Both women have served tirelessly over the years and are deserving of these recognitions. Overall, the AGM was a success and the PEIHSF would like to thank sponsors for their support.
Nominations are open for recognizing school crossing guards and school bus drivers. Home and Schools are invited to submit nominations for crossing guards by Friday, May 13 and bus drivers by Friday, May 20. Find more details at www.peihsf.ca/crossing-guard-award / www.peihsf.ca/bus.
Parents are invited to attend Welcome to Kindergarten sessions with children entering school in the fall. Contact local schools or find the schedule posted on the Public Schools Branch website at: www.edu.princeedwardisland.ca/psb/parents_students/wtk-sessions
Thank you to Heather Mullen and outgoing board members for the hard work over the past two years and to the membership for allowing me to take the reins for the next two years. Mistakes will be made along the way while adjusting to the new position, so we ask for some grace with the new role and responsibilities. All board members are committed to the best possible education and safety for our children.
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Dionne Tuplin, president of the P.E>I. Home and School Federation, lives in Tyne Valley area, with her husband and four children, who attend Ellerslie Elementary School, Hernewood Intermediate and Westisle Composite 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.