A group of Grade 12 students from across Prairie South School Division has offered trustees some final suggestions on how to improve education to ensure the division remains a “world-class organization.”
Twelve students — from Assiniboia, Avonlea, Central Butte, Moose Jaw and Kincaid — with Voices to Encourage Change (VTEC) spoke to the board during its Feb. 6 meeting. They originally presented in June about four areas they thought the school division could address, including:
- Creating career-based opportunities
- Promoting different assessment methods
- Making division programs known to students
- Educating students on available mental health supports
During the follow-up talk, the youths shared the noticeable changes they had experienced in their schools since June and presented the next steps the board could pursue.
Career-based opportunities
The noticeable changes the Grade 12s had seen with career-based opportunities included more options being made available through the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Corporation (SDLC), monthly distribution of career news and career consultants meeting with every student in Grade 11 and 12.
The next steps the group wanted included having career consultants meet with Grade 12s earlier in the year — in October, preferably — and having individual sessions with students starting in Grade 10.
Assessing students
The noticeable changes the group had seen in assessing students included a shift from “product to conversation” and addressing students’ needs more thoroughly.
The students thought the division did those things well but thought the teachers could do better.
Making programs known
The most noticeable change the group had seen with PSSD making programs known was how the division posted information on multiple social media channels.
“So, Instagram, where people our age are looking, would be helpful,” said one student.
The next steps the students wanted included promoting or explaining more existing programs — such as dual credits, youth apprenticeships and Volunteerism 30 — and encouraging the use of Google Classrooms for career education, along with discussing scholarship opportunities available outside the province.
“… only one of us knew about Volunteerism 30,” another student said.
Mental health supports
The big changes the youths had seen with how the division addressed mental health were teachers addressing the issue more, and there has been a shift in how staff deals with this topic. Specifically, the teens highlighted how teachers have a better understanding of students’ situations.
The next steps the group wanted included ensuring more staff were caring and considerate and having the division better promote its mental health wellness room.
“None of us knew (about the room),” said a student.
The youths also said it has been great to see teachers promote mental health resources and describe what’s available. One teen who has had mental illness said she used the resources and appreciated how much this area has improved since September because many youths were receiving help.
“We all said that there was some adult figure in the school that we felt comfortable talking to,” another student said.
Addressing vaping
The group also addressed vaping since that activity has become popular among teens. What the youths wanted the division to do was increase teacher supervision at breaks, create a designated area to vape and enforce “strict consequences” — a call to parents or suspension — and follow through.
Derek Huschi, superintendent of school operations and VTEC’s advisor, told trustees that the group also discussed dealing with grumpy teachers. The youths said most younger teachers are friendly, while a few veteran educators are kind and considerate. The superintendent named one teacher whom students liked, who respected them and who was not “a grumpy old fart.”
“Age has nothing to do with it,” Huschi chuckled.
Trustee Crystal Froese praised the students for causing change, which was the point of creating VTEC and a positive outcome. She also thanked them for urging the board to take action with vaping and finding solutions to address it.
Over 150 people — parents, grandparents and friends — watched the students’ presentation on Prairie South’s website, which caused the live stream to crash. Trustees were pleased that many people watched.
The next PSSD board meeting is Tuesday, March 5.
