Remember to say thank you: Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week will be celebrated Feb. 13-17
"In the new teacher she found another true and helpful friend. Miss Stacy was a bright, sympathetic young woman with the happy gift of winning and holding the affections of her pupils and bringing out the best that was in them mentally and morally. Anne expanded like a flower under this wholesome influence."
Research has shown that students who feel liked and supported by their teachers do better in school. High quality student-teacher relationships have been shown to reduce disruptive behavior, improve the ability of students to respond to stress, and increase student engagement in the classroom. A strong student-teacher relationship is also correlated with higher achievement in math, improved problem solving speed and early language acquisition. The student’s perception of “connection” to their teacher has been shown to be the single most important school-based predictor of academic growth in mathematics.
In recognition of the important role they play, home and school associations are encouraged to find ways of saying thank you to administrators, teachers, and staff for the contributions they make to the lives of our children. Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week will be celebrated February 13-17.
The schools review process is well under way and there have been many discussions over the past few months about the future of education in our province. The recipients of the Dr. Helen MacDonald Memorial Scholarship will have completed their Collaborative Leadership and Facilitation certificate shortly and will be available to assist local associations in their discussions over the next few months and into the future. If you wish to request the complimentary services of one of our newly trained meeting facilitators, please contact the Home and School Federation office.
Work on school food is progressing, and reviews of the semi-annual meeting were extremely positive. We have been participating in ongoing discussions with the Public Schools Branch, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, local home and school associations, the national Coalition for Healthy School Food and other stakeholders about the benefits and opportunities around a school lunch strategy for the province. It is our expectation that pilot projects will be running in several schools by September 2017. It is our hope that the Prince Edward Island provincial school lunch strategy will be a model for how all stakeholders in education can be brought together to promote their shared values for the benefit and wellbeing of all Island children. Let’s do the right thing.
The PEIHSF office staff are available to provide assistance to local associations in their deliberations about everything from public consultation meetings, to school food, to preparing for parent teacher interviews. Email peihsf@edu.pe.ca or phone 902-620-3186 or 1-800-916-0664.
– 30 –
Written by Lisa MacDougall, President, PEI Home and School Federation
February 2017