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An exemplary teen, a math lesson and a look at next year's academic schedule highlighted the latest Flin Flon School Board meeting. Trustee Murray Skeavington, board chair, opened the April 23 meeting by presenting Hapnot Collegiate student Amber Klause with a certificate. The certificate of merit from the Manitoba School Boards Association recognized Klause as a northern nominee for its Student Citizen Award. Though another student received the award, Klause still earned the certificate, a $100 cash award and high praise from Trustee Skeavington. 'If you ever go in the school and there's something going on, Amber's at it,' said Trustee Skeavington of the Grade 12 student. Another order of business saw Rick Hall, a numeracy consultant for the school division, present the findings of a recent research project. Hall, a retired math teacher, tested students in grades 4 to 8 to gauge how well they know their mathematical times tables. 'The state of affairs are pretty good,' he said in summary. After initially testing all of the students, Hall said both students and teachers were pushed over the next two months improve. At that point select students were re-tested, and every one of them got better, he told the trustees. Hall said students fell into one of three categories: those who have memorized the times tables, those who have not memorized them but still know strategies to solve problems, and those who are developing their skills. He stressed the importance of every student memorizing the times tables, saying this 'absolutely has to happen.' Hall said he was impressed by the fact that all students tested tried to answer the questions. None of them approached him to say, 'I don't know how to do this.' He began his presentation to the trustees with a math problem, clearly relishing the chance to get back in front of a whiteboard. In another matter, Superintendent Blaine Veitch unveiled the 2013-14 school division schedule. It includes 194 teaching days _ 77 before Christmas and 117 in 2014. The last teaching day before Christmas will be Friday, Dec. 20, 2013 with classes resuming on Monday, Jan. 6, 2014. Spring break in 2014 will run from Monday, March 31 to Friday, April 14 inclusive. The last teaching day before summer vacation will be Friday, June 27, 2014. Other highlights from the school board meeting: Veitch noted that standardized testing of students will begin this week. He stressed the importance of students attending school on time. The test will be one of the measurements used to track student achievement in English language arts and math, he said. The goal of the schools is to have each student achieve one year's growth over last year in both literacy and numeracy. Trustee Skeavington encouraged attendance at Hapnot's upcoming Fashion Show grad fundraiser, slated for May 9 in the school gym. Motions carried to sign teacher agreements with Amy Olenick (full-time starting Sept. 3) and Olivia Winder (half-time from April 16 to May 31). Trustees learned via letter that Michael McEvoy, a former Manitoban now living in B.C., has been elected president of the Canadian School Boards Association.
