DLC Parent Memo - May 28, 2020
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05/29/2020 |
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DCS Parent Communication, May 28, 2020
Dear Families,
As we near the end of May and the 2019-2020 school year begins to wind down, many of you may be already thinking about the fall and what school might look like. While we don’t have any answers at this point, I did want to share some information about how such decisions are made and what role we play in this at the local school level.
In mid-March when schools were closed, a provincial committee was formed called the RPT (Response Planning Team) which involves representation from a number of different organizations including the Ministry of Education, The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, Saskatchewan School Boards Association, Saskatchewan Leagues of Educational Administrators, Directors and Superintendents, Saskatchewan Association of School Business Officials. The purpose of this committee was to make decisions about schools across the province. They work closely with the Ministry of Health to ensure that all decisions reflect the guidelines put forward by the Chief Medical Health Officer. Decisions are shared with local school boards and that information is then shared with staff and parents. Our director, Dr. Tétrault, has sent a number of emails to families to keep you updated about the school closure as well as any new rules (e.g. temporary playground closures). Our role at the school level is to implement the division/provincial guidelines.
To keep the lines of communication open between the divisions and the provincial RPT committee, there are regular meetings and opportunities to provide input and feedback on the decisions that affect us all. In these unprecedented times, this is a challenge as the committee works to make decisions that are the best for the province while recognizing the uniqueness of each division. Balancing consistency throughout the education system as well as providing flexibility to meet individual school needs is no easy task.
What does this mean for DCS and for our families? It means that we will wait for guidance from the division around school re-opening. As we move forward with our planning, our focus continues to be on supporting our students and families. Teachers and EAs have been working diligently to try and ensure that students are achieving their outcomes in preparation for the fall. We recognize how challenging this experience has been for our families. We understand that now the weather has warmed up, trying to keep up with supplemental learning has likely gotten more difficult and you may be worried about not being able to keep your student motivated. We realize that the uncertainty of the fall weighs heavily on you. But please know that we are all here to listen, to talk things through, and to help in whatever way we can. Truly one of the best parts of DCS continues to be our sense of family, even when we are now at a distance. As a family, we are in this together.
In a couple of weeks, I will be meeting with our School Community Council. If there is anything you would like to share about this year or next, I encourage you to reach out to our committee members or connect with me directly. Again, I may not have answers, but I certainly appreciate your insights and input.
For now, we will continue to plan some of our spring events and offer a different way to recognize our incredible students:
Student Showcase - To celebrate the academic and athletic excellence as well as extra-curricular contributions of our students, we will be putting together a video of our student showcase. This will be presented in smaller segments. More information coming in June!
Prom 2020 – Mrs. Jones has been working closely with the Prom 2020 committee to plan a memorable day for our four graduating students on Saturday, June 13, 2020. Our graduates this year are: Cole Buchanan, William Norris, Jesse Thorpe, and Dailey Wollen.
The DCS Staff is planning a Grad Convoy to visit the yard of each Graduating Student's family in order to present the formal portion of our traditional grad ceremony to them individually. We will then head to town to enjoy a Grad Parade on the streets of Dinsmore starting at 4 p.m. The public is invited to bring lawn chairs, sit on the sidewalk at an acceptable physical distance from one another, and cheer as loud as possible to celebrate these young people who are graduating in a very unique time.
As always, I welcome you to reach out to staff or myself with any questions you may have. We will continue to provide updates from the division and Ministry as we are able.
Thank you for your continued support.
Take care – stay connected,
Mrs. Jade Ballek
Dear Families,
As we near the end of May and the 2019-2020 school year begins to wind down, many of you may be already thinking about the fall and what school might look like. While we don’t have any answers at this point, I did want to share some information about how such decisions are made and what role we play in this at the local school level.
In mid-March when schools were closed, a provincial committee was formed called the RPT (Response Planning Team) which involves representation from a number of different organizations including the Ministry of Education, The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, Saskatchewan School Boards Association, Saskatchewan Leagues of Educational Administrators, Directors and Superintendents, Saskatchewan Association of School Business Officials. The purpose of this committee was to make decisions about schools across the province. They work closely with the Ministry of Health to ensure that all decisions reflect the guidelines put forward by the Chief Medical Health Officer. Decisions are shared with local school boards and that information is then shared with staff and parents. Our director, Dr. Tétrault, has sent a number of emails to families to keep you updated about the school closure as well as any new rules (e.g. temporary playground closures). Our role at the school level is to implement the division/provincial guidelines.
To keep the lines of communication open between the divisions and the provincial RPT committee, there are regular meetings and opportunities to provide input and feedback on the decisions that affect us all. In these unprecedented times, this is a challenge as the committee works to make decisions that are the best for the province while recognizing the uniqueness of each division. Balancing consistency throughout the education system as well as providing flexibility to meet individual school needs is no easy task.
What does this mean for DCS and for our families? It means that we will wait for guidance from the division around school re-opening. As we move forward with our planning, our focus continues to be on supporting our students and families. Teachers and EAs have been working diligently to try and ensure that students are achieving their outcomes in preparation for the fall. We recognize how challenging this experience has been for our families. We understand that now the weather has warmed up, trying to keep up with supplemental learning has likely gotten more difficult and you may be worried about not being able to keep your student motivated. We realize that the uncertainty of the fall weighs heavily on you. But please know that we are all here to listen, to talk things through, and to help in whatever way we can. Truly one of the best parts of DCS continues to be our sense of family, even when we are now at a distance. As a family, we are in this together.
In a couple of weeks, I will be meeting with our School Community Council. If there is anything you would like to share about this year or next, I encourage you to reach out to our committee members or connect with me directly. Again, I may not have answers, but I certainly appreciate your insights and input.
For now, we will continue to plan some of our spring events and offer a different way to recognize our incredible students:
Student Showcase - To celebrate the academic and athletic excellence as well as extra-curricular contributions of our students, we will be putting together a video of our student showcase. This will be presented in smaller segments. More information coming in June!
Prom 2020 – Mrs. Jones has been working closely with the Prom 2020 committee to plan a memorable day for our four graduating students on Saturday, June 13, 2020. Our graduates this year are: Cole Buchanan, William Norris, Jesse Thorpe, and Dailey Wollen.
The DCS Staff is planning a Grad Convoy to visit the yard of each Graduating Student's family in order to present the formal portion of our traditional grad ceremony to them individually. We will then head to town to enjoy a Grad Parade on the streets of Dinsmore starting at 4 p.m. The public is invited to bring lawn chairs, sit on the sidewalk at an acceptable physical distance from one another, and cheer as loud as possible to celebrate these young people who are graduating in a very unique time.
As always, I welcome you to reach out to staff or myself with any questions you may have. We will continue to provide updates from the division and Ministry as we are able.
Thank you for your continued support.
Take care – stay connected,
Mrs. Jade Ballek
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