TOUGH 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 currently piloted in Island schools.
Four resolutions were brought to the floor, voted on, and passed. Englewood Home and School requested a study to determine the feasibility of incorporating white or chocolate milk and non-dairy products into the pay-what-you-can school food program.
Somerset Home and School Association requested the Department of Education and Early Years and the Public Schools Branch add a minimum of 0.5 FTE student behavior intervention resource positions to future staffing allocations in all Island schools.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES
Souris Home and School Association urged the Government of Canada to enact the Online Harms Act, with a focus on measures that protect children from online exploitation, bullying, and harmful content. It also called upon social media platforms and online service providers to fully comply with the requirements of the Online Harms Act, implementing comprehensive safety measures to protect children and youth using their services.
The importance of this resolution reinforced keynote Carl Burke’s message that left no eyes dry as he shared the events about his son Harry’s death by suicide following online sextortion.
Queen Elizabeth Elementary Home and School Association called upon the federal government to enact comprehensive legislation to strengthen data protection measures for educational institutions and third-party service providers; establish clear guidelines for the retention and deletion of outdated personal information; and mandate strict penalties for non-compliance with privacy laws, including fines for failure to implement safeguards or promptly disclose breaches.
They further resolved to urge the provincial government to conduct a thorough review of all third-party educational technology providers, requiring proof of compliance with federal privacy standards; implement mandatory cybersecurity training for school staff and administrators; adopt data minimization policies to limit the collection of non-essential personal information, particularly for historical records; and require transparent reporting of breaches within 72 hours of discovery.
FINANCES, VOLUNTEERS, COMMUNICATION
Attendees also met with other local home and school associations to discuss two concerns: best practices for finances, and volunteers and communications. Given concerns raised by several local Home and Schools over the handling of funds raised by COS-P.E.I. “gold rush,” the importance of following best practices by local treasurers and school administration cannot be understated.
Congratulations to returning and new board members elected for 2025-2026: secretary Bev Campbell, treasurer Craig Goodick, Andrea Kelly (Bluefield), Coreen Pickering (Kensington), Kelly Steele (Souris), Michelle Dunn (Three Oaks), and Christine Sidwell (Westisle). And thank you to outgoing board members Erin Veale, Mikayla Paynter, Jannett Jones, and Shannon Bruyneel.
Finally, this year’s P.E.I. Science Fair Specialty Awards from the P.E.I. Home and School Federation for the best projects that focus on the total well-being of children regarding health, safety and learning went to Sophia Faccin, grade 7 of Queen Charlotte for her project exploring how AI can be used to detect fungi in food; and Callie Cusack, grade 6 of West Royalty for her project on learning how to manage stress and if calming strategies really do help students.
For more information, go to peihsf@gov.pe.ca or call 902-620-3186.
David Schult, president of the PEI Home and School Federation, lives in Charlottetown with his wife and two children, who attend UPEI and Colonel Gray Senior High School. Together we build better schools.