Hey OPS families - Want updates on the upcoming school year? Please join us at the school council meeting tonight at 7:00pm! Lots of exciting changes coming our way!

<p>Prairie Rose Public Schools would like to congratulate Deanne Smigelski who has accepted the position as vice principal of Oyen Public School (OPS) and South Central High School (SCHS). The vice principal role is a new position in Oyen where the focus will be on providing leadership support to the principal across two school communities under the newly created joint leadership model.</p><p>Deanne is a longtime teacher with Prairie Rose Public Schools having worked exclusively in the Oyen community for the past 15 years. During that time she has primarily focused on teaching elementary students in grades JK-5, while supporting both teachers and students in all grades through her role as the Inclusive Learning Teacher. In addition to a Bachelor of Education, Smigelski also has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Lethbridge.</p><blockquote><p>“I am very excited to welcome Deanne to the Oyen leadership team,” says Oyen Public School principal Jason Duchscherer. “Her background in developing high yielding instructional strategies with a focus on literacy, coupled with her knowledge and passion for the Oyen community make her an excellent fit for the role. I look forward to working with her as we continue to build amazing opportunities for all Oyen students.”</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>“I am grateful for this opportunity and excited to start a new path,” says Deanne Smigelski. “The future of OPS and SCHS as a unified school community is one I am looking forward to being part of and supporting. I am hopeful for what's to come for our small-town schools.”</p></blockquote><p>Deanne Smigelski will officially assume the role of vice principal of OPS and SCHS on August 24, 2022. The transition to the new combined leadership model comes following the retirement of current SCHS principal Jean Kimber at the end of the current school year. Jason Duchscherer was recently announced as the new principal of both schools, starting next fall.</p>

Mrs. Stammers, knocked it out of the park this am for the grade 6’s, who are writing their first PAT this am!!!! What a great breakfast she prepared for them, 😋😋😋 Thank you Mrs. Stammers ❤️❤️❤️

We are loving using our outdoor classroom on these gorgeous mornings ❤️ who doesn’t love LA in the sun ☀️

Exciting news for our Hockey Academy program!

Employment Opportunity - Head Coach - Softball Badlands Academy!!!

Our grade k-3 students are sure enjoying their mentoring time with the grade 7/8 students!!!! Connections ❤️🙌

Breakfast is ready

<p><strong>Irvine Agriculture Discovery Centre</strong></p><p>Prior to the May 10th public board meeting, the media, trustees and Cypress County officials were invited for a tour of the new Irvine School Agricultural Discovery Centre. As part of the tour, officials were asked to participate in some of the chores students are responsible for at the Agriculture Centre including cleaning the goat pen, feeding the baby calves, collecting eggs from the chicken coop and working in the garden. The initiative is a joint school project between Prairie Rose Public Schools and program founder Nichole Neubauer of Neubauer Farms. Photos of the tour are available on the Prairie Rose Public School Facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PrairieRosePublicSchools/posts/5207103409372267">https://www.facebook.com/PrairieRosePublicSchools</a></p><p><strong>Ralston/Redcliff Proposed Attendance Area Changes</strong></p><p>The Prairie Rose Public Schools Board of Trustees approved the application for proposed changes to the Ralston/Redcliff attendance boundary. It was noted that the request affects the designated school attendance area for only a couple of families (who are already meeting a bus to Redcliff) and will have minimal to no impact on Ralston School, as the majority of land in the proposed area is leased and cannot be purchased. Attendance area requests come forward to the Board for review and consideration once each year, as per the Board Monitoring Schedule.</p><p><strong>The PRPS Board approved the following administrative items:</strong></p><ul><li>The 2022-2023 Board Monitoring Schedule</li><li>Changes to the Board/Teacher Advisory Committee policy to clarify the maximum number of trustees that may sit on the board</li></ul><p><strong>The PRPS Board approved the following school field trips:</strong></p><ul><li>South Central High School Grade 9 Field Trip to the Inter-Varsity Pioneer Camp in Rocky Mountain House from May 4-6.</li><li>South Central High School Biology 20/30 Field Trip to Edmonton to participate in RiverWatch from May 11-12.</li><li>Irvine School Grade 9 Field Trip to Cypress Hills (Saskatchewan) to Treeosix Adventures on June 17th.</li></ul><p>Additional details regarding the board items listed above can be found in the May 10th PRPS Board Meeting Agenda package: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qizqmwwXA33lf2f7Qqjvn75ZTGKrkTh5/view?usp=sharing">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qizqmwwXA33lf2f7Qqjvn75ZTGKrkTh5/view?usp=sharing</a></p>

<p><i>Boyd Craven announced as new Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services for Prairie Rose Public Schools</i></p><p>Prairie Rose Public Schools would like to congratulate Boyd Craven who has been chosen as the successful candidate for the role of Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services.</p><p>Currently working as the Eagle Butte High School principal, Boyd Craven is a long-time employee of Prairie Rose with an extensive teaching and leadership background. Throughout his 18-year teaching career with Prairie Rose Public Schools, Boyd has worked in school administration for the past 15 years, first as vice-principal of Ralston School, then vice-principal and principal at Parkside Junior High School and most recently as principal at Eagle Butte High School. In addition to a Bachelor of Arts and Education, he also holds a Master of Education with a focus on Educational Leadership.</p><blockquote><p>“I am excited to welcome Boyd to the Prairie Rose leadership team,” says Superintendent Reagan Weeks. “Boyd has a strong background in building positive school cultures that support a teamwork approach to learning. As Prairie Rose continues to create exceptional opportunities for students, his leadership and collaborative approach will be instrumental in executing our division education plan.”</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>“During my years as a school leader, I have witnessed deeper learning and academic excellence occur when students are given the opportunity to engage in learning they love and have a passion for,” says Boyd Craven. “In my new role as Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services, I look forward to being part of a leadership team that is continuously striving to find new ways for students of all ages to be innovators and find success through access to these opportunities.”</p></blockquote><p>Boyd Craven will make the transition from Eagle Butte to the Assistant Superintendent position at the end of the current school year. The Eagle Butte High School principal position will be posted in the very near future.</p>

<p>The next public board meeting for the Prairie Rose Public Schools Board of Trustees will take place on Tuesday, May 10th starting at 12:45 pm. The meeting will be streamed online and held in-person in the Irvine School library.</p><p>Due to limited space at the meeting location, attendees are encouraged to join via the online stream: <a href="https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MzQwZWRhOGQtOWEyNS00NzYzLTg3NzgtYjAwZTM3YmU3YTk4%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22c1a7f361-4369-4e63-af8a-db541e2c097b%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2248a6a9b8-2a7b-494f-9523-0206f91ffcad%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d&amp;btype=a&amp;role=a">Click here to watch the live stream</a> (<i>Once you click the link, click cancel on the pop up, watch on the web instead, join anonymously.)</i></p><p>The meeting agenda can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qizqmwwXA33lf2f7Qqjvn75ZTGKrkTh5/view?usp=sharing">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qizqmwwXA33lf2f7Qqjvn75ZTGKrkTh5/view?usp=sharing</a></p>

Reminder to send a toonie today to help support the Special Olympics that are going to be held in Medicne Hat! Thank you!

Any adults looking for a walking 🚶‍♀️ buddy? Check this out !!!!

Come and join our team!!!

Thank you to all the friends and family that donated to the food bank on our Missoula Theatre performance day! We raised $200 for a donation and a few bags full of good items! Thanks again!

<p><strong>Bring a toonie to school on May 5, 2022 to support the 2026 Special Olympics!</strong></p><p>The City of Medicine Hat is pleased to confirm Special Olympics Canada has approved Medicine Hat as the host city for the 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games.&nbsp;The <a href="https://www.specialolympics.ca/">Special Olympics Canada Summer Games</a> is a national sporting event for Canadian athletes with an intellectual disability.&nbsp;</p><p>From 2022 to 2026 school divisions in Medicine Hat have been asked to participate in a small annual fundraiser to support the 2026 Special Olympics. Each student is asked to bring a toonie to school on May 5 as an act of kindness for this worthy cause. The organization will collect coins directly from schools the following day. This fundraiser will continue in the first week of May for the next five years.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.medicinehat.ca/en/news/city-of-medicine-hat-eager-to-host-2026-special-olympics-canada-summer-games.aspx#:~:text=Medicine%20Hat%20%E2%80%93%20The%20City%20of,impacts%20resulted%20in%20a%20cancellation.">City of Medicine Hat eager to host 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games</a>&nbsp;- Media Release</p>

If you have a little who turns 3 or 4 prior to December 31st and you are interested in our Junior Kindergarten program, NOW is the time to register! Our program runs Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 12:15pm-3:00pm and we will pick-up/drop-off at the daycare if needed! If you have any questions, please contact Mrs.Smigelski! Please follow the link below https://www.myprps.com/register

<p>Prairie Rose Public Schools would like to congratulate Jason Duchscherer who will assume the role as principal of both Oyen Public School (OPS) and South Central High School (SCHS) in Oyen, starting fall 2022. The announcement comes following the retirement of Jean Kimber at the end of the current school year as principal of South Central High School.</p><blockquote><p>“Combining the leadership roles allows the two schools in Oyen to continue forward on the path towards a future of one amazing K-12 school,” says Duchscherer. “Both OPS and SCHS have already made steps to connect and build programming that enables a smooth transition for students as they move from elementary to junior high and onto high school, so this further supports that work.”</p></blockquote><p>The move towards a unified school community is something both OPS and SCHS have been working towards for the past few years. Following a community consultation in 2019, the Board of Trustees added a new K-12 school in Oyen to the Prairie Rose Public Schools Capital Plan. Last spring, both schools collaborated on their school rebranding projects and established a single vision statement of developing confident, engaged and caring citizens. Both schools have also focused on building opportunities where students are learning alongside each other through programming such as the South Alberta Hockey Academy and the Badlands Junior Badgers program.</p><blockquote><p>“I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Jean Kimber who has contributed tremendously to the education of countless students and wish her well in her next adventures. Jason Duchscherer takes on this newly structured role with a breadth of experience and a passion for rural education,” says Superintendent Weeks. “We have other schools in the division that operate under a similar model and it has worked very successfully in building a community of one school, despite being in different buildings. To further support the transition to one administrative position, a vice principal role will be added in Oyen to ensure leadership resources are maintained.”</p></blockquote><p>Duchscherer will officially assume the role of principal of both OPS and SCHS at the start of the 2022-2023 school year. The vice principal role will be posted later this spring.</p>

The Parent Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday, May 3) is going to be moved. Once the new date is set details will be provided.

Do you have a little that turns 5 before December 31st and will be attending our Kindergarten program in September? If so, we want to hear from you! Please fill out the following survey by Friday! If you have any questions, please let Mrs. Smigelski know:) Thanks!