The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor A six-figure windfall has given education officials more money to maintain and upgrade Creighton Community School. At their meeting last month, trustees approved an audited financial statement showing the Creighton School Division turned a surplus of $190,000 in 2011-12. The school board allocated most of the leftover funds, $150,000, to facility-related projects yet to be determined. Bob Smith, director of education for the division, said a provincial infrastructure official will be touring the school this October to provide direction on future capital projects. 'Until his visit it would be premature of me to discuss potential future capital projects,' Smith said. The remaining $40,000 of the surplus will go into the division's vehicle replacement fund, which will eventually buy a new minibus. Several years ago, the division purchased a minibus to transport school teams to tournaments. It will eventually need to be replaced at an anticipated cost of $70,000 to $80,000. 'The typical lifespan of one of these buses might be about 10 to 12 years, but that also depends on the mileage you are putting on the bus and the types of roads you are driving on,' Smith said. See 'CCS...' on pg.7 Con't from pg. 1 Also at their Dec. 12 meeting, trustees awarded a tender to replace all exterior doors and interior fire doors at the school. Jim's Custom Doors and Windows, a local company, will receive nearly $160,000 to complete the project. After support from the province is factored in, the division will dole out almost $56,000. 'The replacement of these doors is a priority for the division,' Smith said, 'as many of the exterior doors are from the original construction of the school, and they are not closing properly, creating a loss in heating efficiency.' It is anticipated the project will be completed over the next several months during evenings, school breaks and weekends. Other highlights from the meeting: Ryan Trumbley, physical education coordinator for Creighton Community School, presented an overview of extracurricular athletic programs. Students have an opportunity to participate in golf, cross-country running, volleyball, basketball, wrestling and a variety of track and field events. And staff will be resurrecting the cross-country skiing program. The emphasis on these activities is participation and sportsmanship. However, a number of teams and individual students have placed very well at conference and regional championships. A highlight this past year was the Senior A boys, who placed eighth provincially and were awarded the Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association sportsmanship banner. Discussion touched on the new report card process implemented at the school this school year. Teachers are now required to report specifically on the learning outcomes that are identified in the provincial curriculum. Feedback from parents indicates that while the report card looks significantly different, they are getting better quality information on how their children are doing at school and what they need to do to improve their achievement. It was noted that on Wednesday, Jan. 23, the school division will host its annual stakeholders' meeting. Parents and community members are invited to come to the school at 6:30 p.m. to learn how the students are doing compared to provincial norms and what strategies for improvement are planned.
