Judi Hunter – Ward 5 Trustee
Best wishes for our winter break and for the new year.
Good news … The Board has received $908 000.00 to expand the Stepping Stones mental health program that is currently operating in our schools. This funding will provide more service in all our schools with grades 5 to 9. Thank you to Lori Meyer, Sherri Black, and Jodi Neetz for their successful application!
The funding is in addition to:
- $1.4 billion in Learning Support funding to meet the specialized learning needs of students and provide them with additional supports, such as student wellness programs.
- Alberta’s recent announcement of $87 million over three years to help support the development of a school based services model to integrate and expand access to addiction and mental health services for children and youth from elementary to high school.
- The expansion of the Integrated Schools Support Program to provide children and youth with prevention and early intervention supports that improve their health, wellness, and quality of life by building strength and resilience.
- It is encouraging to see, government ministries working together. The ministry of Health link contains many connections to education Child and Youth Well-being Action Plan I would encourage community groups and schools to read this plan as there maybe opportunities for funding local initiatives.
Rocky View Schools applied for and received $384 306 learning disruption funding to provide between 12 and 16 weeks of targeted programming during this school year. School authorities will have the flexibility to design this programming to best meet their local needs.
At the recent Alberta School Boards Association, Minister of Education LaGrange announced that the first option for new school builds will no longer be Public, Private Partnership (P3s). This news was welcomed by Boards across the province.
