The Board of Directors of the Public Schools Branch will hold a regular meeting on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 4:00 p.m.
Members of the public are welcome to attend via Webex virtual platform. If you wish to attend, please contact sxgauthier@edu.pe.ca or 902-368-6850 to receive the link to join the meeting.
The stories brought forward of events this week at East Wiltshire are deeply upsetting and unacceptable. In our province, we recognize and support the right of all people to celebrate who they are and that extends to our school communities. The Safe and Caring Learning Environments policy outlines the rights and responsibilities of both students and staff to create an inclusive, welcoming environment. The events at East Wiltshire are being investigated and those who engaged in this harmful activity will be dealt with appropriately as outlined in the policy. The Public Schools Branch has recently contracted a Diversity Consultant to work with our education system and we continue to partner with PEERS Alliance to best support 2SLGBTQ+ students and staff.
It is important that we not lose focus on supporting those who were harmed by these actions. Additional counselors will be available at the school on Monday to support these students. If any student is struggling and requires immediate support, please call the Kids Helpline at 1 800 668 6868 or the Youth Project at 902 429 5429.
The Department of Education and Lifelong Learning, in cooperation with the Public Schools Branch, the Commission scolaire de langue francaise and the Inter-ministerial Women’s Secretariat, has developed the draft Guidelines for Respecting Accommodating and Supporting Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sexual Orientation in our Schools.
To create an environment where students and staff feel safe, respected and supported, an understanding of issues related to diverse gender identities, gender expression and sexual orientation is vital. This understanding will ultimately ensure that staff and students with diverse gender identities, expressions and sexual orientations are afforded equal access and opportunities as their cisgender and heterosexual peers and colleagues in all aspects of school life.
In preparation for the introduction of this guidelines for the 2021-2022 school year, the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning is seeking feedback from students, parents and the public on the content of the document. All comments are to be received by July 2, 2021 and comment scan be sent to dwilson@gov.pe.ca. If you wish to speak to an individual about the content of the guide, contact Erin Docherty at 902-368-5805.
Our thoughts are with the family of Austin Keough, the students and staff of M.E. Callaghan Intermediate and the community at this time of loss. Funeral arrangements have been finalized and details can be found at www.rooneyfh.ca.
Please note that there will be no classes for all M.E. Callaghan students on Friday, June 4th, but the school will be open following the funeral until 2pm to provide students with a place to come together and access counselling services.
We’re hiring! Join us Saturday, June 12, from 10am to 2pm, for the Public Schools Branch Bus Driver Job Fair. We’ll be at three locations across the Island:
Bus drivers are an essential part of the Island education system. Thanks to our school bus drivers, 17,000 students are transported via 14,000 bus stops to and from 56 schools across the Island every day.
What you get as a PSB bus driver:
Qualifications include:
Please note: Provided you can demonstrate an ability to do the job, you do not need your Grade 12 to join our team.
Learn more at the job fair. Just look for the yellow school bus at the location nearest you!