The provincial government has provided Moose Jaw’s Catholic school division with an extra $101,500 that it plans to use to support early years learning and cultural activities.
Last November, Holy Trinity Catholic School Division received the Premier’s Board of Education Award for Innovation and Excellence in Education for its partnership with the Moose Jaw Families for Change to support students with post-graduation work through the Kinsmen Inclusion Centre.
The division received $3,000 for that win.
Meanwhile, the province recently gave the organization $23,500 to support the second year of the division’s parent-teacher home visits pilot project initiative. This project aims to increase parental engagement in their kids’ education and build connections between school and home.
The visits take place in the family home or on the doorstep, in the backyard, in a park or community venue, and virtually if necessary. Parents and teachers build relationships to work together to help support students’ education needs.
In November 2021, the Ministry of Education selected Holy Trinity Catholic School Division as one of five school divisions in Saskatchewan to participate in the pilot project.
The five school divisions were selected due to their readiness level and for having strategic plans that support parent and community engagement strategies. The school divisions determined internally which schools would participate, while teachers and families were asked to participate voluntarily.
The third revenue source the province provided Holy Trinity recently is $75,000 to help the division create a program designer position for the family early resource program in Swift Current.
This position helps the program develop the ability to strategically plan and implement integrated early childhood development strategies that address children’s identified needs.
That funding will increase to $100,000 in the next fiscal year of 2023-24.
Division administration presented a report about the additional money during the March board meeting. Trustees voted to amend the 2023-24 budget to $37,542,980 from $37,441,480 to include the additional funding.
Education director Ward Strueby explained that Holy Trinity would use the $3,000 from its award to grow plants native to Saskatchewan in the garden adjacent to the board office. The division will use some of these plants to conduct smudges at schools.
The organization will have Lyndon Linklater, a traditional knowledge keeper, and resident Mark Fraser help the division source the plants and assist with their development, Strueby added.
The next Holy Trinity board meeting is Monday, April 17.
