BTPS Newsletter
December 1, 2023
Superintendent's Memo
As we step into the festive month of December, it's hard to believe how swiftly this school year has unfolded. Perhaps it's the unseasonably warm weather embracing us, or maybe it's the contagious positive energy radiating from both our dedicated staff and enthusiastic students. Whatever the reason, it's undeniable that our journey through the academic calendar has been filled with learning and happiness.
As I have visited our schools, I have noted a buzz of positivity. It has been heartening to witness the collective efforts of our incredible staff and the vibrant energy our students bring to the learning environments. As we reflect on the months gone by, it's evident that the commitment to excellence and the connections with families and our community has played a pivotal role in making the start of the year truly special.
The positive atmosphere within our schools has undoubtedly contributed to the swift passage of time, as each day has been filled with shared moments of inspiration, collaboration, and success.
I realize this is a busy time of the year, and I would like to thank you for your dedication, hard work, and the positive spirit you bring to students.
Over the next three weeks, take time to enjoy learning, celebrating, and supporting each other!
Check out the new scavenger hunt form for your chance to win BTPS swag!
Be Well,
Michelle
Board Highlights
Some of the highlights of the November meeting were the acceptance of the following motions;
- To accept the Annual School Review 2023-2024 for information as presented.
- To approve the Annual Education Results Report 2022-2023 to be submitted to Alberta Education.
- To approve the Audited Financial Statements as of August 31, 2023 for the 2022-2023 fiscal year end.
- To support a new collective agreement with the CUPE staff effective September 2022 to August 2024.
The Board would like to thank all staff who worked towards the final presentations of these documents.
Media Release
Buffalo Trail Approves New Collective Agreement
On Wednesday, November 29 the Board of Trustees for Buffalo Trail Public Schools voted unanimously to support a new collective agreement with their CUPE staff effective September 2022 to August 2024.
The two-year agreement provides one-time market corrections ranging from 15% for educational assistants to 9% for maintenance staff, and generally provides a $3 per hour increase for most staff as of September 2023. As well, there is a 1.5% general wage adjustment that will be provided at the end of the 2023-24 school year. CUPE staff have not received increases in compensation for several years in alignment with public sector workers across Alberta.
CUPE staff with Buffalo Trail Public Schools includes school-based support staff, central services support staff, maintenance and custodial staff, and technology system analysts.
The new agreement was done in coordination with CUPE and Buffalo Trail’s bargaining committees that reviewed information from across Alberta and data from other rural school divisions. In the review of information, the market correction will see Buffalo Trail staff be paid similarly to other education staff in similar positions.
Under the Public Sector Employers Act, school divisions with collective agreements are required to adhere to bargaining directives issued on behalf of the Minister of Treasury Board and Finance. Buffalo Trail’s leadership worked with the provincial government to ensure support for this market correction, with the final agreement seeing local staff being paid similar to other rural school divisions.
“We are proud to be able to come to an agreement that benefits our staff and will also benefit students of Buffalo Trail Public Schools. By bringing our pay to what is similar to other school divisions we are making sure to attract and retain the best staff for our students, and allowing us to continue to build on our successes.”
- Board Chair Kara Jackson
In addition to the increase in compensation, the collective agreement also recognizes Easter Monday and the National Truth and Reconciliation Day as recognized holidays, and provides new language on protecting staff in schools and worksites.
The increase in compensation will be addressed for 2023-24 through unspent dollars from the prior year and in-year dollars and will not impact services already in place for this year. For 2024-25, the compensation increases will be considered as part of the annual budget cycle.
A copy of the revised agreement is being drafted and will be available on the Buffalo Trail website in December.
Any questions, please E-mail us at buffalotrail@btps.ca
BTPS Learning Hub
The Learning Hub is a technology-rich learning environment with both in school and online components. We currently support over 230 students from a variety of backgrounds, many who are seeking a course not offered by their school or are seeking an alternate environment and/or delivery method. This includes students with timetable conflicts from other BTPS schools, students learning from home or afar, adults wanting to complete courses towards their high school diploma, and parents who are wanting to home educate their children.
Our proud Learning Hub Staff with our new sign at our entryway.
We appreciate our community partners. Here Madi Chase of the Cornerstone Co-op presents the Learning Hub with a cheque for our breakfast program.
We recently helped Neema complete her last requirement for an Alberta High School Diploma!
We look forward to visits from our Board members, Darla Yonkman and Jim King.
We engage our students with hands-on activities.
Foods class is both valuable and fun!
Irma School
Irma Highlights!
The Grade 8's and 9's had a special afternoon in Home Ec when Jenni Wagner came in to teach them all about decorating cookies. The results were amazing and we are proud of the work and effort shown by our students. Great work, everyone. A huge thanks to Jenni for making time in her day to help us learn this extremely fun skill.
Battle River - Crowfoot MP, Damien Kurek stopped by to talk about democracy and the roll of our MP! He also presented the Prime Minster's Award to Mrs. Sinclair!
Our Senior band spent a night in Edmonton, enjoying a performance at Jubilations, prior to attending a clinic at the UofA. Below is a video of their Jubilations experience:
Learning Services Department
Need a Google Form alternative for quick feedback? Try Formative, an online assessment tool that allows you to continuously assess learning gaps and depth of knowledge, providing the data you need to guide classroom instruction.
Awesome Formative options:
Adding rubrics to each question or Formative (newly created or ones you've saved)
Each Formative can include audio, embedded code (or Google Drive share link), emoji, image, math formula, video, or file.
Students can "show their work" by drawing, using calculators, rulers or protractors, as well as text boxes, images, or files. This is one thing Google Forms doesn’t offer, and it’s a game changer.
Tag Alberta curriculum standards and outcomes to each question (you can search the Formative inventory or add the ones you need)
And, as always, check out the BTPS Resource Site for more EdTech tips!
Technology Department
USB Drive Changes
If you are using an external USB drive to store data it may take a bit longer to load on our desktops. For security purposes, we scan all the data on the drive before we allow it to open. This keeps our network and your data more secure. We do not recommend storing your data on an external drive, we have your network H drive and Google drive available to store all files as needed. For large-capacity drives, it may take a while to do the security scan, so plan accordingly. If you MUST use an external USB drive you may want to use several smaller drives than one large drive. This will speed up the security scan and also limit the loss of data.
Below are some reasons why NOT to use external USB drives.
1. Security Concerns: USB drives can pose security risks if they are used across multiple systems. They can carry malware or viruses from one system to another, potentially compromising the integrity of the data
2. Risk of Data Loss: USB drives can be easily misplaced, lost, or stolen due to their small size, potentially resulting in the loss of large volumes of critical data.
3. Durability and Lifespan: USB drives are more susceptible to physical damage, such as bending or moisture exposure, which could result in data corruption or loss. Additionally, the constant read/write operations can shorten the lifespan of USB drives, making them less reliable for the long-term storage of large datasets.
Tis the Season to Spam, Spoof and Phish.
Email cybersecurity is always important but at this time of year, it seems to be even more important. Tis the season of giving, but most hackers want to take by spamming, spoofing, and phishing.
Phishing: a scam by which an Internet user is duped (as by a deceptive e-mail message) into revealing personal or confidential information that the scammer can use illicitly
Spam: unsolicited usually commercial messages (such as e-mails, text messages, or Internet postings) sent to a large number of recipients or posted in a large number of places
Spoofing: is the creation of email messages with a forged sender address. Because the core email protocols do not have any mechanism for authentication, it is common for spam and phishing emails to use such spoofing to mislead or even prank the recipient about the origin of the message.
Please use good judgment when deciding whether to open unwanted messages. If it looks suspicious, it may be malicious spam. Unfortunately, there is no way to know for sure whether or not a message is safe. The best you can do is reduce your risk by thinking carefully and following these tips.
If an electronic message seems at all suspicious, don't respond. Never reply to or click on a "remove" or "unsubscribe" link in a suspicious spam message. If you do respond, it can confirm your address and cause your business to receive more spam.
Beware of clicking on the links in suspicious emails. Such links may take you to an unsafe website without realizing it.
Attachments included in emails may contain software that could harm your computer, or the BTPS network or steal confidential information. Malicious software can corrupt our network and computers, block access to your data, or take over your email account and use it to send viruses to other people.
Please do NOT forward any suspicious emails (in full or in part) to anyone else. If you feel it is spam, it probably is. Mark the message as spam and delete it. If you feel that you may have clicked on something within the email that is harmful please contact the Tech Department at techhelp@btps.ca (start a new email, do not forward the suspicious email). We will need your email address, the time of the email, and the subject line. We can then search your spam and deleted folder to retrieve more information if needed. This will also allow us to block the suspicious email address.
Can you spot when you’re being phished?
Identifying phishing can be harder than you think. Phishing is an attempt to trick you into giving up your personal information by pretending to be someone you know. Can you tell what's fake? Take this quick quiz to test your “phishing” knowledge.
Tech problems?
For all problems technology-related please use the email addresses below. Big or small, a help desk ticket needs to be started. Please do not “save” your issues for when a tech member is in your school. We use the tickets to prioritize and plan for the best and most efficient solution. At least one member of our technology department is on call to assist you, by phone or email. Most issues can be dealt with remotely. PLEASE start tickets as needed, the sooner a ticket is started the sooner we can look for solutions. Remember your asset tag number on all tickets.
For Tech problems email techhelp@btps.ca
For PowerSchool or Power Teacher problems email sishelp@btps.ca
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame - Beyond the Classroom
Please visit the PDF below for full information and details
2024 Prime Minister’s Award! Nominate an educator today
Submit your nomination electronically or by mail by January 11, 2024.
Consider nominating an educator for a 2024 Prime Minister’s Award! Download your nomination package and poster today by visiting the website.
Celebrate those who go above and beyond to create safe spaces for their students, continue to work hard to make learning fun and inspire the next generation to be bold innovators and creators.
Prime Minister’s Awards recipients for Teaching Excellence, Teaching Excellence in STEM and Excellence in Early Childhood Education can receive:
• A certificate from the Prime Minister
• National recognition and promotion of their best teaching practices
Follow BTPS on Social Media!
BTPS is excited to connect with our students, staff, families and communities on social media! Follow for updates and information on what is happening in BTPS and a glimpse into our school communities.