superintendent’s memo - btps
TRANSCRIPT
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Curriculum........................... . 2
Technology...........................3/4
Transportation ...................... 5
Human Resources ................. 6
Extras .................................... 7
Around BTPS.…………………8/13
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BUFFALO TRAIL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
1041 10A Street
Wainwright, AB T9W 2R4
P: 780.842.6144
F: 780.842.3255
www.btps.ca
Twitter: BTPS#28
Superintendent’s Memo
For the Week of June 25th– 29th, 2018
FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT...
Email: [email protected]
Have a great summer!!
MISSION: Buffalo Trail Public Schools is committed to maximizing student learning,
in a safe and caring environment, supported by a highly effective team.
The 2017-2018 school year is fast coming to a close. This week will
mark the final few days for students and staff. While we are in the
final few days, they certainly are more about winding “up” than
“down”. Our schools are busy places involved in a wide variety of
activities to conclude the year. This is a heavy exam time, followed
by updating assessment information and concluding activities for the
2017-2018 school year. The work of our team makes such an incred-
ible difference in the lives of our students. I see and hear of count-
less examples of our staff going above and beyond. I have heard
examples of our staff working with students into the weekend to try
to get them in a positon to complete their year.
At the same time that we are preparing to bid farewell to 2017-
2018, we are working hard to prepare for the arrival of students for
the 2018-2019 school year. Staffing, programming and resources
will need to be to be secured to ensure that we are ready for our
students.
The hard work of this year and the frantic pace of the last few days
will be followed by a well-deserved rest for staff and students. It is
so important that we have breaks like this that allows both students
and staff to rest, relax and regenerate. We have over 680 caring
people who give their all each and every day to our students! I am
so proud to be a part of such an incredible team. On behalf of the
Board of Trustees and the staff of Central Services, I want to wish
our staff a very restful summer break. If you are travelling, please
travel safe! See you all back early in the 2018-2019 school year.
Take care,
CURRICULUM
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Curriculum Summer Reading FUN!
Curious about the status of curriculum re-design in AB? Check out this curriculum timeline tool from AB ED:
Summer Learning Opportunities:
Design Camp: A Catalyst to Find Learning in Unex-pected Places - this is Design Thinking + FNMI! :-) August 21—22, 2018 Tsu’Tina, AB
More Info/ to Register
Coding/ Technology/ STEM and STEAM/ Design/ Makerspaces:
Lego computer coding for kids Follow @learningcode on Twitter—amazing ideas & outreach
Skills AB—monthly maker challenges Follow @makerspaces_com on Twitter—so many good ideas
First Nations, Métis and Inuit + Reconcili-ACTION:
Naonaiyaotit Traditional Knowledge Project Atlas—an amazing tool to support learn-ing about the people, culture and traditional knowledge of the north
K—8 Teachers follow @akgtCanada (A Kids Guide to Canada) to connect and support intercultural learning across Canada
ATA Walking Together: Education for Reconciliation—the stepping stone articles are especially great!
Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada
Wishing you all a wonderful, relaxing summer!
IT DEPARTMENT REORGANIZATION: CHANGE IS CONSTANT
Over the summer, a number of changes are happening within the technology department.
Helpdesk
Deb Wright who has been with the IT department for 22 years has announced her intentions to retire.
Deb’s last day will be around Aug 31st .
Deb’s responsibilities are to:
Answer helpdesk phone,
Assign tickets and priorities,
Respond to [email protected] requests, all ordering and shipping for IT department,
Employee purchase,
BTPS mobile phone plan,
Central Services desktop support,
Ordering toner for schools and central services,
Records management for the department.
Starting September, 1st Deb will be replaced by a .25 person who will be responsible only for
ordering and shipping for IT department and records management for the department.
On behalf of all the BTPS family, I would like to thank Deb for her kindness and professionalism in all
her years’ service to this department and wish her well in her retirement.
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGISTS
With this change the helpdesk phone will be transferred to a yet to be determined number. School-
based technicians will handle collectively [email protected], tickets and priorities. All other
responsibilities will be moved to other personnel.
Xay and Heather are teachers and as such, I felt it was best if they are placed in the instructional
services department so they can be aligned with that departments initiatives. Staring Aug 1st they will
be reporting to Assistant Superintendent, Adelee Penner.
Adelee will be working with our two ETs to set priorities and programs for next year.
TECHNOLOGY
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NETWORK CHANGES
Over the summer, we will continue to work toward our network vision of “network 2021” which is a
cloud-based infrastructure. This summer we have contracted IBM K-12 to help our department with 2
major projects;
IP Services Migration
An IBM K-12 Networking Consultant will design a migration process to move the highlighted services
into the BTPS IP structure. The services would include design of the migration strategy, two pilot
schools and process documentation for BTPS to complete remaining schools on their own.
Servers
Printers
Staff
WIFI
Student
Video
This will segment our network to make network traffic traceable; it involves changing the entire IP
scheme.
System Center Configuration Manager Optimization
An IBM K-12 Microsoft Consultant will complete a health assessment of the BTPS SCCM environment
and, based on K-12 best practices apply remediation and optimization into the solution. Included in the
services would be the following:
WSUS Integration with SCCM
Upgrade to SCCM 1802
Boundary Group Design
Wake-On-LAN
SCCM Reporting
This will help with our managing the Windows updates and security.
Reminder: Do not call the main central office switchboard , as they are not able to help with
technology.
Problems with Technology email - [email protected]
Problems with PowerSchool or PowerTeacher email - [email protected]
Phone - 780.806.2053 Text - 780.806.9228 Twitter hashtag #btps28 BTTube:
Remember your asset tag number on all tickets!
TECHNOLOGY CONTINUED...
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TRANSPORTATION
School Bus Safety Consultant and her team will be presenting their Safely on Board school bus safety program to all of our schools in the south (MD of Wainwright and MD of Provost) this year. The schedule for your school can be found at this link. Please review the schedule and forward it to any teachers who will be impacted. If you have any changes, please email Cindy House directly at [email protected] or call her at (780) 963-7746. Thank you.
Summer is a time for fun and relaxing, but wherever you go and whatever you do, be safe! On behalf of the Transportation Department I would like to wish everyone a wonderful summer break. Take time to smell the flowers, feel the sand in your toes, and actually taste the food you are eating. We appreciate the cooperation and support we receive from the schools and their families to ensure our bus drivers are getting children safely to and from school every day. The school year is a busy time and we need the summer to unwind so we are ready to do it all again in the fall. After all, the next Prime Minister may be sitting in your classroom or riding on your school bus!!
Chrysti Mannix
Director of Transportation
Buffalo Trail Public Schools
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STUDENT SAFETY IS OUR GOAL!
HUMAN RESOURCES
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Support Staff
Teachers
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EXTRAS
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Dewberry April 27, 2018
Delnorte May 4, 2018
E.H. Walter School May 11, 2018
Mannville May 11, 2018
Edgerton Public School May 12, 2018
Kitscoty High May 12, 2018
Irma May 25, 2018
Marwayne May 25, 2018
Dr. Folkins Community May 26, 2018
Vermilion Outreach School May 25, 2018
Provost Public School June 2, 2018
Wainwright High School June 2, 2018
Hughenden June 29, 2018
JR Robson School June 29, 2018
GRADS
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COLIN BEECROFT @ VES
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Mr. Koskie is a huge roughriders fan, so one
of our students Jordan Gibb made him a
farewell cake with go Edmonton Eskimos sign
on it...
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A huge thanks to Haley Newman for planning the Irma School Bike Rodeo. The Grade 1-6 classes had so much fun in the sun, and learned about bike safety.
Irma School’s first annual Lane Crawford Water Fight Extravaganza was a huge success!! Girls were largely outnumbered.
Congratulations to Irma School’s Grade 12 class for winning the first annual slo-pitch game of Staff vs Grads.
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WHS w ould really like to thank our CUPE local 1606 for the donation of
$500.00 towards our Food for Thought program. With their donation we were able to
purchase muffins for the kids to have before their exams this year. The response from
the kids was very positive, they loved the muffins for breakfast. Thank you very much.
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The Alberta 6-man Football League held the 4th annual North Vs South All Star game in
Lacombe, on Monday, May, 21st. Over 50 players from schools across Alberta were invited to
the evaluation camp, which was held in Lacombe on Saturday, April 28th. These high school
players were able to tryout for various positions on the team, providing them with more oppor-
tunity to make the cut. In order to be asked to attend the tryouts, the players had to exhibit
positive leadership skills, have the ability to learn quickly, have a talent for the game, and be a
positive role model for their team and school community. The Provost Panthers sent three
players and JR Robson Marauders sent one player. Aidan Robinson (Grade 11) and Wyatt Ford
(Grade 11) of the Panthers and Trevor Thor from JR Robson (Grade 12) were asked to return
for the All Star Game in May. Meeting in Lacombe during the long weekend in May, both the
North and South team players were able to practice together and also spend time off the field
getting to know each other. On the day of the game, with the temperatures reaching towards
30 degrees, these elite athletes played a great game, even in the heat. This year's game was
won by the southern team, with a final score of 41 to 22.
In September, 2017, JR Robson joined the 6-man football league for exhibition games. This
year, Trevor, a Grade 12 student from Marwayne, was sent by Coach Lorne Meier to try out for
the All Star Team. Beginning his career in 12-man in Grade 10 and then moving to 6-man as
the Marauders moved to this new program, Trevor founds that 6-man football was "way more
fun". Making the adjustment to the new layout of the players did not hinder Trevor. As a lead-
er on his own
team, he was
able to not only
enjoy his last
season in high
school football,
but he was able
to have one
more high
school game
with other elite
athletes. With
his athleticism,
leadership skills
and his ability
to play the
game well, Tre-
vor was award-
ed MVP for the
Northern team.
Trevor Thor - JR Robson, receiving the MVP for the northern team from the head coach of the Caroline Cougars, Jim Bystrom
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Although the 12-man version of football is more popular in Canada, the 6-man game is becom-
ing increasingly an alternative for smaller schools to participate in. This version of the game
that began in Nebraska during the 30's, has spread all over North America and continues to
draw in smaller communities who wish to offer the game of football to their students. The Al-
berta 6-man Football league began in 2005, under the ASAA umbrella and Alberta Foot-
ball. Starting with only a handful of teams, the league has now grown to 17 teams. During the
2017 All Star Tryouts, coaches from the Saskatchewan 6-man community came out to watch
the Alberta players in order to open the doors for joining forces in the national Can-Am
Bowl. This annual event, which is alternated between Canada and United States, was played in
Kerrobert Saskatchewan in 2017. Last year, a Grade 12 player from Holy Redeemer High
School in Edson was asked to come out for the tryouts and made the team . Although we have
not heard if any of Alberta's 6-man players have been invited to try out for this years Can-Am
Bowl, we look forward to continuing the program in our schools, with hopes of developing ath-
letes that can continue to play the sport they love after high school.
Submitted by: Michelle Munro
Left to Right - Wyatt Ford - Provost Panthers, Trevor Thor - JR Robson, & Aidan Robinson - Provost Panthers
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The videoconference Art program is concluding this year. Previously, schools such as Mannville,
Innisfree, Irma and KHS have received Art from J.R. Robson. Kitscoty has had the longest standing art
crowd as the kids went all the way to Art 30.
Submitted by: Monica To