School trustees are making a push for public input as they devise a plan for Flin Flon education over the next four years.
Trustees will host a public forum this coming Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 6:30 pm at the Hapnot Collegiate theatre.
“We want a packed house. We want to hear from the people of Flin Flon,” trustee and board chairman Murray Skeavington said at Tuesday’s board meeting.
“This is their opportunity to let us know what they think of the education system in Flin Flon. We want to hear their good points, their bad points, what they think we maybe can be doing better or what we’re doing really good on.”
A babysitting service will be provided for children of those attending the forum. Parents and all members of the community are invited to take part.
In addition to the forum, the school division has created an online survey. Participants are asked to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the education system, among other questions.
The survey is on the Flin Flon School Division website at www.ffsd.mb.ca. Paper copies are available at any Flin Flon school or the school division office. Surveys are due by Thursday, Jan. 21.
Skeavington said public input will help guide trustees in formulating their strategic plan for the four years beginning this fall. The plan will be outlined in a public document.
Medical bursary
Trustee Angela Simpson told the board she would like to address other northern Manitoba school divisions about the idea of offering a return-for-service bursary for medical students.
There was talk a few years ago of the Flin Flon School Division and the City of Flin Flon jointly offering a bursary for medical students who pledge to practice a certain number of years in the community upon graduation.
The concept fizzled locally, but now Simpson hopes to speak about it at an upcoming teleconference involving northern Manitoba school divisions.
“I just don’t want to let it die,” she said.
Simpson said that when she mentioned the idea at the Northern Health Region’s annual meeting in Flin Flon last fall, people from other rural areas expressed interest.
Skeavington told Simpson he would contact the appropriate individual to see whether her request could be accommodated.
As for his own board’s position, Skeavington said that when the bursary concept was discussed, “the feeling was the support’s not there from our board.”
“[I’m] not saying that you wouldn’t have it from the [rest of] the North,” he told Simpson.
We Day
A delegation from Hapnot shared the highlights of a “youth empowerment” event attended by 17 students from the high school in November.
Teacher Daniel Dillon, along with teacher Natalie Milligan and student Lalain Bashir, delivered a PowerPoint presentation on We Day, held at Winnipeg’s MTS Centre.
A total of 16,000 students attended. Among the guest speakers: Henry “The Fonz” Winkler, musician Tom Jackson and Rinelle Harper, a Winnipeg teen who survived a 2014 murder attempt.
In order to attend We Day, students must earn tickets by participating in events such as “Random Acts of Kindness Week” and a voluntary famine to fight child hunger.
Dillon said Hapnot is looking to take perhaps 40 students to next year’s We Day.
Last November, the Hapnot students also visited the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, with participants calling it “amazing” and “peaceful,” among other positive adjectives, according to Dillon’s presentation.
Recognized
During his regular report to the board, Skeavington spoke on Hapnot student Brandon Kolt’s participation at the Youth Parliament of Manitoba, a mock parliament, over the Christmas break.
“I did talk to him briefly,” he said. “He really enjoyed himself. He’s looking forward to hopefully getting to do it one more year next year, and we wish him all the best.”
This marked Kolt’s second time at Youth Parliament, and his first as a cabinet minister. This year he was appointed parliamentary secretary to the minister of rural development.
New hires
Trustees voted to hire three teachers and sign a personal contract with another employee.
Jamie Wellwood is now a full-time teacher for the period of Jan. 13 to June 30, or until such time as the regular teacher Wellwood is filling in for is able to return.
Those are virtually the same terms for teacher Neal Fense, only Fense’s contract took effect on Jan. 11.
Trustees placed Darinel Rivera Perez, a non-certified teacher, on a substitute teacher agreement for the remainder of the school year, subject to his successful application for a limited substitute-teaching permit.
The board also signed off on a personal contract with William Reid, effective Feb. 8 to April 22.
