Holiday 2024 Trustee Newsletter

Message from the Board

École Bellevue School annual Christmas Concert.	École Beau Meadow School Choir performing at the Royal Hotel – Edmonton International Airport

The Holiday Season holds manifold meanings and traditions for our students and families, and within our schools this diversity shines brightly. From festive concerts, drama performances to cultural celebrations and acts of kindness and generosity, our 32 schools embrace the season in ways that reflect the rich tapestry of our rural and urban communities, and the many and diverse cultures represented in our classrooms.

Our schools work to create inclusive environments by acknowledging various cultural and religious observances taking place during this time of year, such as Diwali, Orthodox Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and more through educational initiatives aimed at fostering inclusive and respectful learning environments.

^{2024 Culture Week at École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School.}

This time of year also aligns with our commitment to Visible Learning, an evidence-based approach that makes student progress and teaching impact clear and measurable. Every day, we get to witness the hard work, curiosity, and achievements of our students and staff.

The joy of learning, the excitement of discovery and understanding, and the celebration of progress—these are gifts we see in abundance in our schools.

This year’s Annual Education Results Report saw the Division meeting or exceeding provincial standards overall across the board. These successes reflect the efforts of students, staff, and families working together.

As we close out this calendar year, we also celebrate the collective successes of Black Gold employees. From classrooms to buses and school facilities to the Division Office, the dedication and passion of our hardworking staff help inspire success for every student. Their many contributions—big and small—make a lasting difference, and for that, we are deeply grateful.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we wish you a Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, and for those who celebrate, Happy Hanukkah and a very Happy Kwanzaa filled with warmth, celebration, and well-deserved moments to refresh and recharge.

Happy Holidays, from the Board of Trustees!

Culture Week at ÉSBCHS

In late November, École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School hosted a Culture Week to celebrate the different cultures present in their school, and to support students’ identities. They had different activity booths for students to explore during the lunch hours.

“We had a henna booth, face painting, a Swedish snack booth, an Inuit booth, and much more,” said Learning Supports/RISE Teacher Katie Deboer. “We also had a number of performances: Ruvilyn from the Division Office, represented the Philippines as a singer, a group of students represented different African countries, we also had Scottish Highland Dancers, and a cultural potluck.”

Trustee Holiday Messages

Mental Health During the Holidays

from: Primary Care Network Edmonton Southside

The holiday season is a time of joy and relaxation. However, for many reasons, the holidays can also be overwhelming or a source of stress. For some people, this time of year comes with feelings of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Fortunately, there are simple strategies to help manage our mental health this holiday season.

Here are a few ideas for strategies to manage your mental health:

• Stay in touch with your feelings. You may find yourself feeling sad, anxious, or lonely, and that is okay. Think about productive ways to manage these feelings that can help you feel better long-term. You can try journaling, talking to a friend or family member, or joining a group (in-person or online).
• Plan ahead and ask for help, especially when hosting holiday gatherings. Make a list of what you need to get done and identify which tasks you can get help with. For example, if you are hosting a holiday dinner you can ask a guest to bring dessert or a side dish to help take something off your plate. You can also delegate tasks to help lighten your load (kids love to help decorate!)
• Stick to your budget. Financial concerns are a source of stress for many people. Find creative ways to stay in your budget, like family gift exchanges instead of purchasing gifts for everyone. You can also write a heartfelt letter or email to connect with people you care about. For many people, a visit, phone call, or other forms of quality time are more meaningful than a purchased gift.
• Learn ways to manage your stress year-round. From free classes to appointments with mental health specialists, Primary Care Networks can help you find strategies that work for you. A list of free ESPCN classes is available at https://www.edmontonsouthsidepcn.ca/workshops/. If you prefer a one-on-one approach, ask your family doctor about meeting with a Behavioral Health Consultant or Social Worker.

Resources

For more resources, check out:

• Five Ways to Protect Your Mental Health From Holiday Stress
• 211 Alberta
• AHS Resources
• Canadian Mental Health Association – Alberta
• Managing Mental health During the Holidays

Board Advocacy Update

ASBA Zone 2 3 MLA reception	Board meeting with Minister Rick Wilson and MLA Brandon Lunty.	Board Chair Eckert with MLA Lunty and Trustee Robyn Steed.
Trustees meeting with Leduc County Council.	Trustee Barb Martinson and Trustee Gary Hansen speak with residents at the Leduc schools reconfiguration open house.	Beaumont trustees meeting with Maskwacis Education Schools Commission.

The Board of Trustees holds advocacy for public education as one of their key responsibilities. We conduct advocacy efforts through MLA and municipal partner meetings, and through partnerships with other school boards and the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA), to seek the necessary support and funding from the Province to serve the best interests of our students.

Over the past number of years, we have been advocating to the province on a number of fronts, seeking a more sustainable and equitable funding model for school authorities, support for growing communities, as well as better inclusive education and mental health supports.

The Board was encouraged to hear recently that as a result of our ongoing, sustained solo and joint advocacy efforts, the Premier and Education Minister have both publicly acknowledged the limitations of the current Weighted Moving Average (WMA) funding model, especially for rapidly growing school divisions like Black Gold.

Minister Demetrios Nicolaides has said that he has initiated discussions with the Treasury Board to develop a new funding formula, aiming to implement it by the 2025 budget. The goal is to create a model that better accommodates the diverse needs of all school divisions, ensuring more responsive and equitable funding.

MLAs Lunty and Boitchenko joined trustees to check out the overcrowded conditions at École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School.

The Board has also been meeting with our area MLAs Brandon Lunty and Andrew Boitchenko, and the City of Beaumont, to discuss the urgent need for a another high school in the rapidly-growing community. École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School, the city’s only high school, is now at 101% utilization and is projected to reach 126% utilization by September 2026. Ancillary spaces such as libraries, student services, etc., are too small for the size of the student population.

Beaumont City Council has committed a shovel-ready school site in the Azur/Lakeview neighborhood for a new high school, and we are waiting for a funding announcement from the Province. Minister Nicolaides recently announced the $8.6 billion School Construction Accelerator Program, which aims to address rapid population growth and increasing student enrolment by funding up to 30 new schools and eight modernization projects annually for the next three years. We are hopeful that a new Beaumont high school will be among those announced in Budget 2025.

The Board will work on the following advocacy initiatives this year:

• Addressing Classroom Complexity: Due to a sharp increase in coded children needing specialized support, the Board is advocating for a province-wide standard for student services, and a focus on providing appropriate levels of service – not just dollar amounts – to address classroom complexity. This funding is crucial to meet the needs of a growing number of students with complex needs – learning disabilities, behavioral challenges, language barriers, and special education requirements.
• Sustainable Dual Credit Program Funding: The Board will advocate to the Province for a more sufficient, sustainable, and equitable funding structure – in addition to the existing start-up grants and enhancement grants – for Dual Credit programming to support proven success for students in pathways to post-secondary education and workplace training.

We invite you, our school community members, to support these advocacy efforts. You can speak up for public education by sharing these advocacy topics with your provincial elected officials.

Reach out

Your voice is important – trustees value hearing from you! You can reach out directly to the Board of Trustees with your questions, concerns, and suggestions:

Esther Eckert (Ward 4), Board Chair: [email protected]

Angie Charpentier , Vice Chair (Ward 3): [email protected]

Michelle Martin (Ward 1): [email protected]

Devonna Klaassen (Ward 2): [email protected]

Gary Hansen (Ward 3): [email protected]

Barb Martinson (Ward 3): [email protected]

Robyn Steed (Ward 4): [email protected]

2nd Annual BGSD Trades & Career Fair

On November 20, grade 10 to 12 students from Calmar Secondary School, New Sarepta Community High School and John Maland High School travelled to École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School for our second annual Trades and Career Fair. Over 300 parents, students, and community members attended the evening portion of the event, which boasted booths hosted by 23 skilled trade companies and related organizations.

Check out the video highlights from the event:

Student Creativity on Display

The Black Gold School Division was proud to partner again with the Leduc Art Club in June for the 2024 Aspiring Young Artists’ Competition to present a broad range of art created by talented grade 9 – 12 Black Gold students.

The event also provided the Board of Trustees with an opportunity to purchase artworks from students for the Division’s permanent student art collection.

Read More

Click the image to view the Board Meeting Highlights. The highlights are a summary of the Board of Trustees Regular, Organizational, and Special Meetings.

Members of the public can continue to participate in public meetings by watching the live-stream on our YouTube channel.

Follow the links to find out about specific meeting dates and times and meeting agendas

Calmar Collegiate School Update

Progress is underway at Calmar Collegiate Secondary School as construction moves full steam ahead toward its Fall 2025 opening, and with programming plans nearly finalized, the school is on track to become a hub for hands-on learning and career preparation for students to thrive in Alberta’s booming trades sector.

Read More

Notices

Big news for Leduc and Beaumont families! Did you know your child can start learning French in Kindergarten or Grade 1, regardless of their language background? No prior French skills needed! Registration opens Jan 6, 2025.

Discover the benefits of our French Immersion Program.