PSS Report

SCHOOL SERVICES

Ambrose White, Coordinator

School External Review Process (May 7-10)

Mr. White was part of an external review team that worked with Caudle Park Elementary School in Sackville, NS from May 7-10, 2006. This was a very intensive three days, where all data collected for school improvement was reviewed, all SMART goals of the school were reviewed, as well as all staff interviewed. A report was drafted and recommendations were made, which was approved by the Accreditation Committee and then finally signed off by all parties. It was a very enlightening experience for all involved, particularly the Internal and External Review Teams.

School Awards Nights

It is that time of the year again where many of our schools host their annual 'Awards Nights'. These evenings recognize the hard work of students throughout the school year. Various 'Honors Awards' are presented and we congratulate all students who achieved a particular academic award and to all schools for their 'Nights of Recognition'.

Schools also recognize students for their contributions to co and extra-curricular activities. Again, we congratulate all students for their involvement and those who received special recognition for 'Athlete of the Year' or 'Student of the Year'. Well done everyone.

Community Partnership

A community partnership meeting on safety was held on May 24, 2006 at the Regional Hospital with parties representing the Health Department and the Police Department.

School Administration Association

The SAA retirement banquet was held on May 24, 2006 at the Brookshaven Recreation Centre at 7:00 PM. There were approximately 35 administrators honored at this banquet and we wish them all the best.

PROGRAM SERVICES P-6

Brenda MacIsaac, Coordinator

Literacy P-6 (Donna Robson, Consultant)

During the month of May, Primary Parent Fairs were held at three sites: Harbourside, St. Anne's and Jubilee Elementary Schools. The purpose of the Fairs was to provide information to parents of preschool children about the services that are available to children entering school in September, 2006. Information booths were set up by various departments within the School Board as well as the larger community, providing information and hand-outs. Parents were provided a positive and inviting atmosphere and it was reflected in the evaluations and comments. The events were well represented and provided us with ideas for next year.

The first edition of the P-6 parent newspaper, 'The Mirror: Reflections on Home & School', was published in May. This paper is intended to keep parents informed about their child's education program. It is very important that parents be involved in their children's education. This newspaper will keep parents informed and help to foster meaningful family-school partnerships to enhance the education of students in Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board.

The Early Literacy Initiative continues to inform future professional development experiences. In June, we will meet for one final time with the entire group. We hope to produce a video focusing on the strengths of schools taking on the initiative to create professional learning communities.

An early elementary team was sent to Halifax for the launching of the Department of Education's new document entitled 'Teachers in Action'. This document will act as a support to the English Language Arts Curriculum Guide. Miriam Trehearne was the keynote speaker and facilitated some small group sessions.

The 'Making Meaning' event took place on May 31 at Centre 200. This event, open to the general public, gave elementary students an opportunity to showcase their achievements in literacy, visual arts, drama, dance and music. It provided an opportunity to understand not only product, but process as well. Dr. Eric Favaro, Arts Consultant, Department of Education, was the M.C. for the evening.

Curriculum mapping is being reviewed by a small committee made up of teachers as well as administrators and consultants in the hope of reviewing the data from different vantage points. Our goal is to create an instructional plan for the fall.

Mathematics P-6 (Sharon Boudreau, Consultant)

May Review

Mentoring: A group of teachers at St. Agnes and Greenfield Schools have self-identified and were mentored. There appears to be a continued increase in teachers who want to be mentored as they realize how valuable the support is.

Teachers: Mary MacPherson, St. Agnes School, has been doing cross-curricular activities in art and math. One example of this is the students who built castles using geometric solid cut-outs. Evelyn Collins, a retired teacher, has graciously donated numerous materials to Brookland School for classroom use. These materials included art supplies, literacy, and math manipulatives, which she purchased on e-bay.

Department of Education: 'A Teaching Resource' for grades primary to two has been completed and distributed to teachers. This is an excellent resource as it includes sample yearly plans as well as lesson plans. In the appendices is a list of all the resources needed to achieve the outcomes in the curriculum document. Please note that this is supplement to, and not a replacement for, the curriculum document.

June Plans

Early Mathematics Literacy Assessment: There will be field testing of grade three students done across the province. On June 5, four classes at Harbourside and Cusack Schools will participate in the field testing.

Mentoring: Mentoring is completed for this school year.

Active Healthy Living (Mary Lou Andrea, Consultant)

Nova Scotia School Boards Associations held their annual AGM conference at the Inverary Inn in Baddeck. As part of the opening, Seton Elementary, under the direction of Paula Jane Francis, presented the Musical, ‘Get in the Game'. This upbeat musical for young performers shows that everyone can be a champion in some way, shape or form. It is a musical about the value of an active healthy lifestyle. The students did an outstanding job and were rewarded with a standing ovation.

The Active Healthy Living Committee held a meeting on May 10 to update the committee on the Health Promoting Schools funding. During this meeting, the committee passed a motion to create a no-cut physical activity policy at the elementary level. A working group was formed to establish this policy.

Arts Education (Cathy MacNeil, Consultant)

May has been, and June will be, very busy performance/display times for arts educators. Throughout the Board, school choirs, bands, and drama groups will be showcasing their work to appreciative audiences comprised of family and friends. Visual art teachers also utilize these opportunities to display student work.

The Glace Bay High Band, under the direction of Barb Stetter, gave a very impressive performance to a full house at the recently held ‘Tribute to Wendy Muise'. This is a highly skilled group, quite evident in their very technically precise musical presentation which was very well received by the audience.

One very interesting collaboration of drama, music, art and technology is the production of 'Graham's Nightmare', a Sydney Academy film which was shown at Empire Theatres on Thursday, June 1 and 2, to school audiences; and on Sunday, June 4, at 11:00 a.m. to the general public. This fifty-minute film has been developed over a ten month period by the Film/Video, Drama, Music and Art Departments at Sydney Academy and very successfully meets a large range of outcomes within each discipline.

Another arts event will take place at Cape Breton University's Boardmore Playhouse on the weekend of June 16. Students involved with the music department will be presenting an evening of Broadway on Friday, June 16, with the drama department presenting a number of plays on Saturday, June 17.

On June 6, the Glace Bay Elementary Band took their show on the road, visiting various elementary schools in the area. This is an important undertaking as it allows for students to display their skills for their peers while inviting students to participate in the program next term.

On June 7, the Northside Spring Band Concert was held at Memorial High School. It featured instrumental students from Memorial High School, Sydney Mines Junior High School, Dr. T. L. Sullivan Jr. High School, Elementary Feeder Schools: Memorial High Band, Northside Junior Band, and Northside Elementary Band.

On June 14, the spring recital of the students in the Northside and Southside String Program will take place under the direction of Winnie Chafe. The concert will take place at Jubilee Elementary, Sydney Mines.

These are but a few of the very many presentations that are occurring throughout the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board.

Historica Fair:

The 7^th Annual Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board Historica Fair was held on May 4 and May 5 at Cape Breton University. This regional fair involved 150 projects with over 200 presenters from grades 4-9 who underwent a judging process on May 4. On May 5, approximately 1,500 students from our schools travelled to the university to view these projects and view one of two performances: a choral presentation of Canadian Folk songs by Cusack Elementary Choir and the dramatic/musical production, Woodchuck and the Two Old Women, performed by students from Membertou Elementary. These visiting students also had the opportunity to view the Annual Art Exhibit of students' work, grades 4-12, which was on display in CBU Gallery 11. The Great Hall, Multi-purpose Room, cafeteria and corridors in between were filled with the sounds of project presenters sharing their research and discussing their chosen topics in depth.

Project presenters had the opportunity to attend one of five workshops of a historical nature on May 5. Topics presented were: Fossils, Early Records, Fortress Louisbourg, Cultural Diversity, and Sydney Steel Plant. During the afternoon of May 5, students were piped to the Canada Games Complex, CBU, for the Closing/ Award Ceremony. Mayor John Morgan, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, and John Astephen, Director of Programs and Student Services, Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board, were in attendance to present the many awards that day. In all, twenty-one Awards of Excellence were announced. These students participated in an interview process with two projects/students selected to represent the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board at the National Historica Fair. Three projects were also selected to represent the Board at the provincial Heritage Day Display at Citadel Hill, Halifax, in February, 2007. Also, during the award ceremony six students received Laurier LaPierre medals for demonstrating enthusiasm for learning about history, and recipients of the Hbc Explorers Award, CN Veterans Award, and RBC Aboriginal Heritage Award were announced.

Jody MacKenzie, grade nine student at Rankin Memorial (Project: A Century of Change - Christmas Island Parish) and Emily Rosta, grade six student at Gowrie School (Project: Broughton) have been selected to attend the National Historica Fair which will take place July 10-17 in Halifax. During this week, students representing all provinces and territories will take part in sightseeing, historic tours, hands‑on workshops, and special events. The National Fair is a unique opportunity for students to learn about a specific region of Canada and to interact and establish friendships with young people from a diversity of backgrounds. The public viewing of the 175 projects from across Canada will be on July 16, at Citadel Hill.

Library Support Services (Carmelita Cousins, Consultant)

Library Committee:

The Collection Development Policy has been finalized within the boundaries of the Board Library Committee. It will be distributed in print format to committee members at the next meeting in June for revision and corrections. Then it will be submitted to the appropriate committee for recommendation. Also included will be a 'Challenged Resource Form' which will be standard for all school libraries in dealing with a challenged book/resource. The next and final meeting for this school year was June 7.

Parent Fairs:

The library program was spotlighted at the recent Parent Fairs at Jubilee, Harbourside and St. Anne's Schools. Library Technicians and Carmelita Cousins dressed in Disney Costumes and provided the parents with bookmarks, stickers and a book to help promote reading to the children. Parents were

also able to sign a list stating their wish to become parent volunteers in their child's school. A door prize of books, videos and other school related items was also given at each site.

Resource Centre Upgrading:

A tentative meeting is scheduled for early June with representatives at Cape Breton University for some possible partnership and initiatives with Cape Breton culture resources. More information will follow. This will coincide with weeding currently being done at the centre.

School Highlights:

Cape Smokey and North Highlands: On Friday May 26, the grade one classes at North Highlands and Cape Smokey received their books from the TD Financial Book program. Each year, TD Financial provides every grade one student in Canada with a copy of a children's book written by a Canadian author. These books were distributed in the late fall to other schools within the Board. The two elementary schools north were selected to have some of the poems from this year's book read to them by Carmelita Cousins. Each year, different schools will be given their book in person during a read session. Mrs. Cousins dressed in the Disney costume 'Daisy' as part of the reading session. The students listened to the poems as they were read, and students read to her as well. Bookmarks and stickers were also distributed to the students to promote the love and joy of reading. (See attached pictures)

Statistics:

During May, 335 books were catalogued for the various schools and resource centre. New kits are in the process of being developed and will be ready for the fall. The 2006-2007 selection guide is currently being compiled and typed for distribution to all principals and library technicians in late August and early September. Over 163 notices were sent to Board staff requesting borrowed resources be sent back to TRC for the year-end inventory; this is a concern because many of the staff have on an average 3-4 items each, which would be a large number of items to be returned. It is hoped that all the items are returned before the end of June. With high circulation statistics for the centre, it is to be expected that returns will also be high on year-end. Overall, circulation over the past year has almost doubled; this is perceived as a positive reflection on the Centre and the sharing of resources.

Circulation Table:

For June:

Complete the upcoming year selection guide in preparation for the final budget figures in September; continue with the weeding and revamping of TRC; submit the 'Collection Development Policy' after final Library Committee meeting; visit schools as necessary; meet with CBU staff on some partnership ideas; prepare for upcoming school year; order curriculum guides for the fall; and any other business that arises.

Reading Recovery (Linda Neville, Lead Teacher)

On June 2, graduation exercises for the Teacher Leaders in Training were held at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax. Susan MacDonald, from this Board, received a Teacher Leader Certificate at these exercises.

Reading Recovery professional development continued on June 9 & 12 (Groups 1 & 2); they met to review and complete the year-end reports. The meetings took place at the Reading Recovery Training Centre from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

In addition to the highlights listed above, the Teachers Leaders are to:

- Work with children daily

- Provide continuing professional development and support for Trained Teachers through visits and inservices

- Monitor the progress of children

- Support the development of schools teams

- Disseminate information and participate in the Reading Recovery network to maintain their own professional development

- Work closely with district administrators to achieve effective program implementation, operation and evaluation

Reading Recovery (Paula Muise, Lead Teacher)

Reading Recovery Teachers in Training

On May 11 & 25, two Training Inservice Sessions for teachers in training were held.

In addition to visiting a number of schools, Paula Muise attended a Teacher Leader meeting in Truro on May 12. End of year data collection forms were distributed to Teacher Leaders.

Course Completion cards were ordered for the three teachers who have completed training and hours of teaching this year, as well as for the four teachers trained by Paula Muise last year who also completed the required teaching hours during this school year.

The Teacher Leader meeting for Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board, originally scheduled for May, is tentatively rescheduled for Friday, September 29, pending Department of Education approval.

New Guide Books have been purchased and will be distributed to Reading Recovery teachers during a 'Book Launch' at the Staff Development Centre, North Sydney on June 15. Both Teacher Leaders for next year will be present. Teachers will have the opportunity to become familiar with the new texts before September. Two days have been set aside, September 6 & 7, to begin inservice training for teachers with the new books.

In June, there will be two training Sessions for teachers: June 8 and June 23, when end of year data will be submitted to the Teacher Leader for analysis. All results are reported to the Canadian Institute of Reading for additional analysis. Using this data, a Site Report will be written by the Teacher Leader and presented to the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board as well as CIRR.

PROGRAM SERVICES 7-12

David Crane, Coordinator

Mr. David Crane continues to take part in regular meetings of the Professional Development Fund Committee. He attended the opening of the Nova Scotia School Board Association's Annual General Meeting, in Baddeck, at the Inverary Inn as well as participated in Principal Visitations and Evaluations and in the interview process of many secondary school Vice-Principals and Department Heads.

Literacy Support (Susan Kelley, Consultant)

During May, work continued with individual teachers regarding updating Literacy Support Plans. A Professional Development session was held with the staff of Dr. T. L. Sullivan around the Literacy Support Plans. Discussion included the assessment resource and reporting student progress. An additional two days were spent with the Co-Chairs of the Internal Review Team of Dr. T. L. Sullivan, working on their Internal Review Report as part of their School Accreditation Process.

Work continued on the Literacy Support Web Page and weekly literacy strategies were distributed to over 200 teachers and administrators at both the elementary and junior high levels.

Professional Development opportunities for Ms. Kelley, included participation in the Writers In Action 8 Lead Team workshop in Chester; attendance at the Professional Learning Communities workshop in Halifax; and participation on two External Review Teams as first a team member, and then as the chair of a team, as part of the Accreditation and School Improvement Process.

Preparation of a Newspaper for parents of elementary students was carried out with the help of an editing/writing team. Articles were contributed from elementary curriculum consultants. This paper is now being prepared for distribution.

Breakfast for Learning Program (Debbie Madore, Nutrition for Learning Coordinator)

New start-ups include Marion Bridge, and we are in the main school of Glace Bay Elementary. We were serving only grades Primary and one, now we are serving all grades!

Ms. Madore attended a Provincial meeting on May 4^th in Halifax which had information on group-purchasing, safety and sanitation, and menu planning.

Policy : A meeting was held in Halifax with the Policy group on May 5. Michelle Amero stated that the 'process' to approve this policy is long, and is not different from the process for any other policy. The change in Minister of Health Promotion and Protection also delayed things. The Food and Nutrition Policy is awaiting final approval and our group does not know when this will happen! Implementation continues to be planned for 2006.

Health Promoting Schools: Ms. Madore continues to meet with the HPS sub-committee and we have been reviewing applications as they come in for funding. We are now working on our proposal for September 2006 funding.

A Cafeteria Inservice was held on May 2^nd, and was very well received. Cafeteria Staff are encouraged to move forward on new menu ideas that will fit the new policy. Schools have made several changes in their menus. A Food Safety and Sanitation workshop needs to be addressed.

As a follow up, a group meeting was held with representative from Ideal Wholesale to review product availability for healthy menu choices.

Funding for Breakfast: Sydney Rotary came through with their adoption of Riverview, with a donation of $3500

Golf Tournament: Registration forms were sent out in early February to attract teams for the June 23 tournament. Twelve teams have confirmed, and advertising has been sold for 21 signs @ $200.

The Annual General Meeting of the Nova Scotia School Boards Association was held in Baddeck on May 25 & 26. Ms. Madore presented at the conference. It went very well, and all Nova Scotia School Board Association delegates gave positive feedback.

English Language Arts (Secondary) (Diane Brennick, Language Arts Consultant, 7-12)

The Writers in Action 8 Lead Team went to Oak Island for three days of implementation training. The days were very informative, practical and useful. The team has prepared a plan for implementation at the local level. Two days are being prepared for presentation sometime in the Fall. Active Readers 9 will be having a debriefing session in Halifax next week and the Lead Team for Literacy Success will have their first meeting in Halifax next week as well. Writing centres (Packages sent by the Nova Scotia Department of Education, including dictionaries, and other resources) are being distributed to the junior high schools shortly. Ms. Diane Brennick, English Language Arts Consultant, attended the Professional Learning Communities conference in Halifax last week. It was a very interesting and thought provoking session.

English Second Language (ESL) (Jen Kokoska, ESL Teacher)

The English Second Language Program has been very busy this month. Students are steadfastly preparing for projects, tests and examinations. The increase of contact time has been beneficial during this preparatory period. Ms. Jen Kokoska, English Second Language Teacher, notices an increase of confidence in both spoken and written English with most students.

There has been one new arrival and one student returning home this month. A young girl from France arrived in the middle of the month and is attending Holy Angels High, and the young German girl previously attending Marion Bridge School has returned to Germany for the summer months.

A flexible schedule in June will accommodate those students preparing for and writing exams. Students who need help studying and encouragement during the exam period will be given first priority.

Mathematics (Secondary) (Ron MacLean, Mathematics Consultant, 7-12)

Dynamic Classroom Assessment for junior high teachers was completed on May 19^th. This program will continue next year with some minor changes. Since this was the first year for this program in Nova Scotia, provincial consultants will assess and make minor alterations to the program. The intention is to expand the Dynamic Classroom Assessment to high school.

Texas Instruments: Final sessions for T3 training modules will be held on June 27^th and 28^th at the Staff Development Centre. Teachers in the program will be making presentations on their course projects at this session.

Two teams from Sydney Academy and one team from Glace Bay High placed in the bronze division in the provincial high school math league finals in Truro.

The theme for the presentations by math leaders for the next school year will be mental math in the classroom. These presentations are given during school professional development events. There will be a series of three forty-five minute sessions to be delivered by the math leaders during the year. This falls under the Math Strategy (P-9).

Work is continuing on the Grade Seven Core Mathematics Resource (text) which should be ready for implementation next spring.

Nova Scotia International Student Program (Tammy Sampson, Program Manager)

Tammy Sampson, Nova Scotia International Student Program Manager for the Board, and ##### #######, Program Services (7-12) Secretary, attended a two-day training session in Truro, May 15-16, in preparation for the new student database being implemented by the Nova Scotia International Student Program Head Office.

The host parent appreciation dinner held May 18^th was a great success. Brian Dwyer, Principal, Sydney Academy, said a few words to honour the host parents. The staff of the Nova Scotia International Student Program also presented Brian with a gift as a token of our appreciation for his years of support and dedication to the program.

The Spring Halifax shopping trip May 11^th-13^th, 2006 was a success. Twenty-nine of our students enjoyed a great weekend of shopping, eating, and socializing.

The Student Conference held on May 4^th-6^th, 2006 was also a huge hit with all students who participated. The guest speakers were inspiring and the students thoroughly enjoyed the weekend.

We continue interviewing families for September's student intake.

Many of our students are concluding their year with awards and honour banquets for achievement in sports and academics.

Many of our students are beginning preparations for proms and graduation. The excitement is in the air as most do not get these experiences in their home countries. Several students will have parents and family coming from their home countries to watch them graduate.

Our students are beginning to think about their departures. Several of them will be met by parents to do some touring of Nova Scotia and other parts of Canada before their return.

Schools will soon be presenting students with their Nova Scotia International Student Program leaving certificates and pins. They will also receive various school memorabilia. Many of our schools are also planning end of year activities with students including the Miner's Museum and Louisbourg.

The Nova Scotia International Student Program end of year activity will take place June 10^th, 2006. It will include a day trip to Baddeck, a bird watching tour from Englishtown, and conclude with a group picture and a cultural potluck for students and their host families.

Science & Technology Fair (True Burke, Chair, Science & Technology Fair Team)

Four students from the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board attended the Canada Wide Science Fair in Saguenay, Quebec from May 13^th - May 22^nd. Sheralynne Deveaux and Gary Hood, both students at Riverview Rural High School received bronze medals, cash prizes and scholarships in their respective categories. Sheralynne's project was a study on the fish population in the Sydney Tar ponds. Gary's project was on winterizing bio-diesel. Gary also received an honourable mention for his project in the automotive special awards category.

The committee will be starting up a web site for the fair this month. This will give other schools and the public information on the Regional and National Fair. A meeting is planned for late June.

Fundraising efforts will begin once again this summer in hopes of raising the necessary funds for a successful fair next year and for entering four finalists in the National Fair to be held in Truro, Nova Scotia in 2007. Due to equalized payment, the cost will be the same to send four students to the fair in Truro.

Sports Animator (Jim MacEachern)

Jim MacEachern, Sports Animator, attended the bi-monthly Animators' workshop in Halifax to share experiences and view presentations from various sports resource groups.

He continued his work on the Health Promoting Schools Committee, encouraging schools to make application for physical activity programs. He continues to assist in screening applications.

Mr. MacEachern assisted the Glace Bay / St. Anne's Girl Guide Troop and Glace Bay Elementary School in securing funding for an elementary bike rodeo and physical activity day.

He also assisted in organizing the first annual Sherwood Park Education Centre Boys' and Girls' Baseball/Softball Jamboree.

Mr. MacEachern worked on facilitating the upcoming Elementary Track & Field meet for June.

Vocational Education (Fred Martell, Consultant)

Fred Martell, Vocational Education Consultant, was in Halifax last week at the National Skills Competitions. Provincial gold medal winners from across Canada participated in the 12th National Skills Competitions, hosted by our board in Halifax. We had five students on our Skills Nova Scotia team: Steve Outelle in Motor Vehicle Repair, Travis Collier and Mike MacDonald in Radio TV, A.J. Ford in Carpentry, and Matthew LeBlanc in Graphic Design. We also had staff bring students to view the national event: Ken Collier, Janice March, George Gregory, Milton Bonnar, and Arno Raymakers. Hopefully, after seeing the National Skills Competitions, more students from Memorial will compete at the provincial level.

Registrations are on going with letters of acceptance in the mail by the 16th of June.

There are two grade nine tours of Vocational Programs left and both are from Breton Education Centre.

Grade twelve Vocational students finished their community-based work experience last week. Many students are hired for part-time and full-time work, as a result of the work experience.

Students in the Co-op program finished their placements and had the opportunity to enjoy a luncheon last Thursday in Memorial's dining room. A congratulatory luncheon was held on Thursday, May 25, 2006 in honour of the student's of the Co-op Education Program. This lunch was to celebrate the overwhelming success of this year's program and the accomplishments of the students. All students in the program were given small awards (prizes) for their participation and volunteer time spent in their work places. Many of the prizes were donated by the local business as a 'Thank You' to our students. We feel the students of this year's program represented themselves, as well as our school in a very positive manner. The interest and enthusiasm of the students in their work placements was indeed a bonus for all.

Workshop Program: Under the direction of the Home Maintenance instructor, Charles Colson, the workshop students designed and made form-figures as a classroom project. These figures were entered as an exhibit at the Cape Breton University, Gallery Art Museum, for the month of May, 2006. Several students, along with their instructor, Mr. Colson, and the Student Coordinator, Anita Harris, visited the museum to view the art exhibit. The pride in a job-well-done by the students is something they will always take with them. Students participating were Josh Walker, John Robinson, Jay Erickson, and Stella Rudderham.

This will be Fred Martell's last report and he would like to take the time to thank Senior Administration and our School Board for all of their support over the years. With the influx of new money this year, Memorial's Vocational Programs will be revitalized and he expects their enrollment to increase for several years to come.

Model Legislature 2006

The 2006 Nova Scotia Model legislature was held in Halifax from May 26th-28th. Seven students from across the region represent their schools, their school board, and their constituencies by debating the topics of low fuel emissions and youth labour laws on the floor of the Nova Scotia Legislature.

Mathieu Maxwell from Memorial High School represented Cape Breton North and acted as the Speaker of the House. Other students attending this legislature included Adam MacPhee From Glace Bay High School (Glace Bay), Griffen Chezenko from Riverview High School (Cape Breton West), Jacelyn White from Breton Education Centre (Cape Breton Centre), Breagh Redden from Rankin Memorial School (Victoria the Lakes), Liam Gillis from Sydney Academy (Cape Breton Nova), and Victoria Brown from Holy Angles High School (Cape Breton South).

Chris Nicholson, Principal of Rankin Memorial School, was the co-ordinator, facilitator, and chaperone for the trip. Kathleen Brown and Alan Brown, parents of Victoria, were also chaperones for this event.

French Second Language (Laurie MacIntosh, Consultant)

Leah Hopkins (St. Michael Jr. High), Marilyn McGillivary (Breton Education Centre) and Laurie MacIntosh (French Consultant) will be trained by the NSELC and Department of Education in 'Coaching and Mentoring' (LeMentorat) in Halifax on August 21-25.

Laurie MacIntosh, French Consultant, attended a three day training session on FSL Oral Proficiency Interivews on May 29-31 in Truro.

Laurie MacIntosh, French Consultant, will meet with the Integrated Core French (Gr. 7) provincial committee in Baddeck on June 7. The committee is writing the transition unit which will be distributed in the fall 2006.

Plans are underway for a musical performance by Yves Rossignol on June 16^th at the Savoy Theatre for elementary Core French students.

PROGRAMS (INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT)

Rick Simm, Coordinator

The Provincial initiative for SIS (Student Information System) has hit a major snag that puts plans on hold. There was a recent announcement that provincial funding has not been received for this year. As things had been progressing well, this is a big disappointment.

As a member of the Working Committee, Rick Simm had been representing CBVRSB in biweekly meetings held by way of videoconference. On June 7^th there will be a meeting to determine the next step.

Assistive Technology (Liz Mahoney)

The work orders for the Secondary Student Service Project have been entered into megamation. Sixty one computers have been placed in Learning Strategies rooms, Learning Centers, Resource and Integrated Resource rooms, Steps to Success rooms and Learning Disability rooms in Baddeck Academy, Breton Education Centre, Bridgeport, Cabot, George D. Lewis, Holy Angels High Memorial High, Morrison, Riverview, St. Mike's Junior High, Sydney Academy and Whitney Pier Memorial High School.

Assistive Technology equipment has been ordered for some students who will be entering our system in the fall. Software and hardware has also been ordered in light of recent assessment. These devices and software will be ready for the beginning of the new school year.

Kurzweil 3000 is presently being tested at the Staff Development Centre to ensure proper installation will occur when it is distributed to the schools.

IEIE Facilitator (Peter MacKinnon)

IEIE-9 plans for 2006-2007 have been completed and sent to Halifax for approval. The budget for next year may have a slight increase but figures are only draft because of the June election.

School Visits:

School visits have been completed at the junior and senior level. All grade nine classes were assessed for infrastructure and equipment needs for the IEIE rollout next year.

Meetings:

Mr. MacKinnon attended the provincial standardized report card meeting in Halifax, where minor changes were made to the template and a provincial policy discussed. The pilot plan will continue next year at Jubilee Elementary. A conference call was also held May 24^th, where final preparations were made for the June report.

Mr. MacKinnon also attended a meeting at Sydney Academy where the needs of the music program with regards to technology equipment were discussed. A proposal will be sent from the music department to board co-coordinators.

PD Consultant (Bill Tennant)

During the month of May, several workshops were organized and implemented for teachers from P-12. FrontPage 2003, Digital QX5 microscope and multimedia productions were the hot topics during this month. Technology and the use of different grade level software, multimedia techniques and teaching strategies to achieve the curriculum outcomes was the main focus.

Plans for the upcoming Technology Summer Institute are in place with expectations of sending 13 teachers to engage in problem-based projects. Also, in the month of June, more workshops are planned for Writer's Companion and other programs that will enhance and achieve curriculum outcomes.

STUDENT SERVICES

Cathy Viva, Coordinator

The provincial co-teaching video was viewed at the May 10, 2006 elementary principals' meeting. It was well received by the principal, and a question period followed where suggestions for implementing and increasing the use of the service delivery model were discussed. The principals were impressed with the quality of the video and took pride in the fact that it was made in our region. Suggestions for use of the video in school-based professional development were also shared.

A presentation on the provincial transition guide was given in the afternoon of the elementary principals' meeting. The role of the district's transition teachers was also discussed. Principals have been using the transition document and welcomed the assistance of the transition teachers. The power points on transitioning that were distributed to Student Services teachers at the April 28^th in-service day were reviewed and suggestions for the use of the power points at staff meetings were shared.

The co-teaching video was also shown at the Central Office staff meeting on May 26. It was very well received and discussion concerning how the video will be used in schools and the importance of the service delivery model to our students and teachers followed the viewing.

Four members of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder Team from our region traveled to Halifax to participate in four days of training with the STARRS program. The STARRS program is a curriculum developed for students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. The Department of Education supplied three STARR kits to each region in the province. The team members who are receiving training this month will be able to train teachers in the use of the curriculum. The exposure of the team to the kits has generous interest at schools and teachers are waiting for the training at the school level.

Student Services staff participated in the three parent fairs held May 16^th, 17^th and 18^th at Jubilee Elementary, Harbourside Elementary and St. Anne's Elementary. Information sheets were distributed and the co-teaching video was shown during the evenings. Small pencils with pencil grips were given to parents. Chopsticks were used to demonstrate activities to develop fine motor control. Parents had many questions and there was lots of discussion about students' social, emotional and learning growth. The process was very positive for the staff members involved, and it is hoped that the parent fairs will continue in future years.