Palliser School Division primed for success in 2024

Sunny South News Photo Submitted Year in Review: Kate Andrews High School students

By Heather Cameron
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Dave Driscoll, Superintendent of Palliser School Division, believes Palliser School Division had a very productive 2023.     

“We recently released our Alberta Education Results Report and are happy with our results,” said Driscoll. “We take pride in our students’ academic achievements and are encouraged by the increased engagement of parents within our Division. Our dedication to furthering this positive trend is evident as we bolster the Palliser ‘Council of School Councils’ and explore new avenues for parent participation. This report is available on our website.”

In addition to that, Driscoll says, Palliser School Division has accomplished numerous positive things throughout 2023 including the Board nominating Sunnyside School for the Alberta School Board Association Award for Innovation this year, as Sunnyside School has embraced outdoor learning and student wellness with the students spending much of their day outside, rain or shine, even on frigid days.

“Staff there are dedicated to teaching students mental and physical wellness through play and connecting with the natural world,” said Driscoll.

Other accomplishments, Driscoll says, include the fact that Picture Butte High School added chickens to their Farm Education program. 

“Students independently researched, designed, and built the chicken coop, with teachers acting as advisors, so it was quite a long and involved process,” said Driscoll. “Getting to the point where they could bring in the chickens was quite an exciting achievement. We are also incredibly proud of our schools and students’ contributions to their communities.”

Driscoll says that the schools in Carmangay and Barons were also very involved in supporting their communities through food drives, neighbourhood cleanups, and shoveling snow. Alberta Health Services, Driscoll says, even recognized Kate Andrews for their work in fostering student connection and reinvigorating their school culture. 

On top of all of that, Driscoll says, the new school in Coaldale now has a name: Coaldale Prairie Winds Secondary. 

“The school will welcome students at the beginning of the 2024/2025 school year,” said Driscoll. “To highlight a few things: it is a beautiful facility with a black box theatre, a career and technology studies room, and a cosmetology lab. We have also been working on modernizing Coalhurst High School. We are starting our public consultation phase and look forward to more progress in the coming months. We are grateful the Government is supporting these projects so that we can offer our students in rural areas the best facilities for learning.”

Driscoll says that the schools also participated in a mental health summit called ‘Headstrong’ this fall. 

“The Palliser School Board, our board and senior Administration have heard from our students, staff, and families that mental well-being is a big priority,” said Driscoll. “We have added some key staff members to support this goal.”

In addition to staff, Driscoll says, Palliser School Division adopted a new payroll and accounting software system. 

“The transition was challenging,” said Driscoll. “We are grateful to the staff who put in extra time to make it work and to all our staff for their patience as we worked through the difficulties.”

The Division, Driscoll says, also held its first-ever ‘Numeracy Symposium’ in the spring of 2023, and it was a day of professional learning for Palliser staff with some of the leading experts in the field. 

“We will continue to hold two Numeracy Symposia alongside our Literacy Symposia, per school year,” said Driscoll. “Our staff really appreciates these days of learning, collaborating, and exploring.”

Palliser School Division, Driscoll says, has been very fortunate in their relationship with Alberta Education. 

“We received a mental health and wellness grant that has been foundational to our work to support our students’ mental well-being,” said Driscoll. “We have also been working on implementing the new curriculum and accessing government funding to support our teaching staff as they adopt it. The government has also helped with individual support to help bridge any learning gaps resulting from the pandemic. We are also grateful for the funding from Jordan’s Principle that helps support our First Nations, Metis, and Inuit students and ensures they receive an equitable, quality education.”

The Division, Driscoll states, is truly using their public engagement platform to consult their school communities. 

“We most notably used it to call for name ideas for the new Coaldale school,” said Driscoll. “A committee of leaders in the Coaldale community helped review and refine the list of name suggestions, of which there were many excellent choices until our Board decided on Coaldale Prairie Winds Secondary. The Board heard loud and clear that the name should include ‘Coaldale,’ and we feel the name will serve the school well. We also collaborate with our schools and their parents through our ‘Council of School Councils,’ where Division leadership meets with school council chairs and principals. It’s been a very productive way to dialogue with our school communities. We look forward to focusing on our internal communication with staff in the coming year.”

Also in 2024, Driscoll says, Southern Alberta Collegiate Institute, a program they created which offers students in Palliser and neighbouring divisions experience and opportunities to pursue a career in the trades, will expand to include a dedicated space at Lethbridge College. The Board of Trustees and school administrators, Driscoll says, will also spend time in 2024 creating a new vision, mission, and core values for Palliser School Division.