Election for new president on Sept. 14: P.E.I. Home and School Federation AGM to be held virtually
The PEI Home and School Federation will elect a new president this September. It is hard to believe my two years as president of the Federation has been here and gone so quickly.
I want to start my last column by thanking the Chief Public Health Officers, scientists, and health-care professionals who have guided Canadians through the global pandemic thus far. It is important to take the advice of experts in health and science to guide P.E.I. through the pandemic. Dr. Heather Morrison, P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer, also has to be recognized for getting Islanders through these difficult times.
Minister Brad Trivers, the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning staff and the Public Schools Branch have been working to get children back to school this fall. It hasn’t been easy and these efforts for P.E.I. students are appreciated. Working together will have to continue even more than ever to make this school year successful. Constant communication between parents and administrators will be key to a successful fall return to school. I would like to recognize the PEI Home and School Federation vice-president, Heather Mullen, who contributed to this column.
The federation’s 67th annual general meeting is Sept.14, 6 to 8:00 p.m. This meeting will be held virtually using Zoom. As part of the meeting, Trivers will provide an education update followed by a live Q&A with delegates.
Parents, guardians, principals, students and school staff are invited to register for this meeting. While each member 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.
Delegates are asked to review the Proposed 2020 Resolutions and come prepared to vote. Go to peihsf.ca and Register Online or call 902-620-3186/1-800-916-0664.
The work at home and school associations will be different in 2020-21 as schools open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools have started their adaptations. Plans and guidelines will evolve as the return-to-school plan cannot predict all school community members’ needs. Home and school is a place where discussion can happen on how the adaptations are working and where suggestions can be offered moving forward.
New this year, the Healthy School Food Program will provide an opportunity for families to order healthy lunches five days a week alongside existing school food programs.
Meals will be prepared and delivered directly to schools at lunch time by local food service providers. All students will have access to the same healthy lunch options, which will include nut free, gluten free, dairy free and vegetarian options. The pay-what-you-can program offers families three options: pay full amount of your child’s lunch max $5/day; pay an amount that you can afford to pay at that time; order lunch for your child if you are unable to pay. Parents Sign up online at: https://www.food-for-thought.ca
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Cory Thomas, president of P.E.I. Home and School Federation, lives in Summerside with his wife and two children, who will be attending Elm Street Elementary School and Summerside Intermediate School. His column appears in The Guardian during the school year on the first Friday of the month. He welcomes comments from readers and information from the column. He can be reached at 902-620-3186.