Posts Tagged ‘Guardian Column’
Help make resolutions reality: P.E.I. Home and School Federation helps create safe spaces for learning
Every New Year, we make resolutions we hope will change our lives. On Prince Edward Island, there is a quieter kind of resolution that changes children’s lives – resolutions debated and passed each spring at the Home and School Federation’s annual general meeting. These ten resolutions, drafted around kitchen tables and school gyms, have shaped…
Read MoreBullying needs to end on P.E.I. Let’s pledge to build safe, welcoming environments where every child feels valued
No more excuses, no more bystanders! It’s time for Prince Edward Island to stop the bull and confront a hard truth: bullying remains a serious problem in our homes, neighbourhoods, and schools. The latest COMPASS survey shows that 30% of PEI students report being bullied each year. This figure hasn’t budged over the last three…
Read MoreBetter Elections equals stronger communities
Congratulations to all new school board trustees. Your role is vital in maintaining a strong voice for all islanders in shaping education policy, providing accountability, and representing your community. When Islanders last voted for school trustees in 2022, only two percent of eligible voters took part. Early reports from this fall’s vote suggest turnout was…
Read MoreP.E.I. schools and families need open dialogue
Conversations about child protection, abuse, and violence are never easy, but they are necessary. These issues affect every school and community, and the Prince Edward Island Home and School Federation is calling on parents, educators, and community members to come together for open, honest discussions. The Federation’s semi-annual meeting, held Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, from…
Read MoreProtecting children more than road safety
A new school year brings familiar routines of backpacks, timetables, and reminders to slow down for those big yellow school buses. Road safety matters — but so does something less visible and just as critical: protecting children from harm inside our schools. No responsibility is more important than the safety and well-being of our children.…
Read MoreSerious Topics Need Engaged Parents
June 2025 PEI Home and School Federation news column David Schult The P.E.I. School Board of Trustees elections on Oct 17 present an important opportunity for concerned parents and community members to engage with candidates on critical issues. Not just parents of school children can vote, but any Canadian citizen over 18 who has lived…
Read MoreTOUGH SUBJECTS TACKLED AT P.E.I. HOME AND SCHOOL AGM
April’s annual general meeting of the P.E.I. Home and School Federation saw attendance soar thanks to strong interest in expert-led workshop topics and keynote speaker Carl Burke. Members heard about the horrors of sextortion, the pros and cons of AI in the classroom, gaming and gambling addictions by youth, and positive behaviour enforcement strategies programs…
Read MoreEach generation looks at the next with suspicion
Lazy, rude, demanding, self-obsessed, disrespectful. Each generation looks at the next with suspicion, convinced something has gone wrong. But are today’s youth worse than those who came before, or is this just the latest round of an age-old complaint? Consider this scathing critique: “I see no hope for the future of our people if they…
Read MoreP.E.I. Home and School presents on online harm
Tackling the Digital Influence on Youth is the focus for P.E.I.’s Home and School Federation’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday, April 12 at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel. Keynote speaker, Carl H. Burke R.N., who dedicated his career to Health PEI for 32 years, lost his 17-year-old son Harry to sextortion in April 2023. Mr.…
Read MoreModel healthy screen habits at home
After a hasty but positive implementation of restrictions on cell phone usage in schools this September, the Department of Education and Early Years this January released new guidelines for promoting healthy screen time habits for children. These guidelines offer useful recommendations for limiting sedentary activities such as watching TV or playing video games while encouraging…
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