Parents take part in workshops. Now’s the time to look ahead to elect new local executives
It’s hard to believe another school year is coming to a close. I want to personally thank all the local home and school volunteers for the important work you do for our children and our communities. It takes a team of parents and educators working together to advocate for our students in a given year of school activities.
The federation is looking forward to working with the new Minister of Education and Lifelong Learning, Hon. Brad Trivers and new Deputy Minister, Bethany MacLeod on issues that impact the day-to-day lives of students in P.E.I. schools. To quote the late Hesta MacDonald, president, 1965-1967, “We’re not done yet!”
Parent leadership information sessions were held across the province during this school year. These workshops covered a broad range of topics.
Student Habits for Success, Birchwood Home and School: Administrators, teaching specialists and school support staff came together to offer tips and tricks to students and parents looking to build habits for success. Fifty-six Birchwood students and their parents attended three short concurrent sessions on: Organization, Study Skills, and Healthy Habits.
Farm to Table, Montague Regional Home and School: Students from Ms. Hayden-Ward’s Gr.11/12 Agri-Science class had contributed informational displays in which each student had chosen a local farm to interview. There was also information and take-homes, like recipes and spices, provided by various agricultural organizations such as Dairy Farmers of Canada, Canadian Beef, Egg Farmers of P.E.I. and P.E.I. potatoes.
Math Games Night, Mount Stewart Consolidated Home and School: Nearly fifty parents, students and siblings participated in Mount Stewart’s Math Games Night. Parents and guardians attended a presentation by the school’s math coach, Lauren Gill, while students went with their classroom teachers to play math games.
Family Literacy Night, Prince Street Home and School: Former Prince Street School teacher-librarian Wendy Poirier (Stonepark Intermediate) offered a session for parents and students on encouraging the development of literacy skills through at-home reading.
Healthy School Lunches, Prince Street Home and School: Parents signed up to attend a session on healthy cooking and preparing school lunches. Nathan, the chef at Sobeys Stratford, and Shannon, Registered Dietician for Sobeys Charlottetown, held a session in the community kitchen at the Allan Street location. The dietician reviewed the new Canada’s Food Guide and explained that the focus has moved away from serving sizes to proportions of your plate that should be taken up by different types of foods.
Congratulations to all Provincial Heritage Fair students. In recognition of the excellent work of students, the P.E.I. Home and School Federation awards two specialty prizes in the Provincial Heritage Fair. Congratulations to: Seamus Studer, Athena Consolidated School TOPIC: Bops (My great-grandfather) and Emma MacDougall, Central Queens TOPIC: My Great Grandmother Was a War Bride.
School Bus Driver Awards will be presented before the end of the school year in recognition of bus drivers who keep our children safe while travelling on the bus to and from school throughout the school year.
The 66th Annual Meeting & Convention minutes, final resolutions, Round Table and other summaries have been compiled and posted online at: https://peihsf.ca/agm
June is an excellent time to hold Home and School election of officers to allow your new executive time to prepare for the new school year in September. Parents are asked to take a turn in filling the executive and board positions. Co-chairing any position helps to share the volunteer role. Your past president is an excellent resource and will guide you through the next school year’s activities. For more information, contact the federation office at: 620-3186 / 1-800-916-0664 / peihsf@edu.pe.ca
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Cory Thomas, president of the P.E.I. Home and School Federation, lives in Summerside with his wife and two children, who both attend Elm Street Elementary School. His column appears in The Guardian during the school year on the first Thursday of the month. He welcomes comments from readers and information for the column. He can be reached at peihsf.ca or 902-620-3186.