The Louis Riel School Board took to the national stage last August at the Canadian School Boards Association Annual Congress in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The theme, "Navigating the Waters" provided the perfect backdrop for Trustees Josie Landry, Sandy Nemeth and Tom Parker to share the work of the Board Community Connections Committee (CCC) with delegates from all over the country. Trustee Sandy Nemeth represented Community Connections Committee Chair and Trustee Louise Johnston at the event.
Sandy Nemeth is the Vice Chair of the Louis Riel School Board and the Vice-President of the Manitoba School Boards Association. "The Community Connections Committee was established because the School Board recognized the value of formalizing a mechanism by which we would connect with our community," she says.
The members of the Standing Committee, which was established in 2014, meet with parent councils, seniors, students, service groups, and other members of the community on an ongoing basis to seek feedback on the work of the Board, and to ensure the Board is accountable to, and reflects the viewpoints of the entire community, not just specific individuals, interest groups or geographic areas.
Current members of the Committee include Louise Johnston (Chair), Tom Parker and Josie Landry.
"We are probably the only Board in the province that has that type of standing Committee," says Nemeth. "We offered delegates at the Congress a template by which they could establish a similar committee as a way of making those grassroots connections."
Trustee Louise Johnston says presenting at the conference validates the importance of the Committee's work. "Boards from across Canada have been following our work. And now that we have other Boards modelling the [Community Connections Committee] work, we find that this Committee is looking to build on our work and continue growing."
One of the first things the Committee did was conduct a high school survey to find out how ready students felt for life after high school. This information fed into MyBlueprint, an online tool that helps students plan and manage their post-graduation and post secondary options. The Committee also sought feedback from parent councils and found that they shared similar values and wants with the surveyed students.
Nemeth says the LRSD community really values and takes advantage of opportunities to connect with the Board. In turn, the Board helps the community understand the challenges boards face every day. "Sometimes the waters are choppy," says Nemeth. "[This Committee] help[s] us establish priorities that are in sync with what the community finds important."
The Louis Riel School Division was the only board to present at the Canadian School Boards Association National Congress this year.
For more information about the Committee's work, view the Community Connections brochure.
Congratulations Louise, Sandy, Josie and Tom!
Posted by Michelle Lancaster, Communications Coordinator
