MHPSD has funding for six of 14 projects
By RYAN MCCRACKEN on May 28, 2020.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken Medicine Hat Public School Division’s board of trustees unveiled a list of six projects funded by the province’s capital maintenance and renewal plan during Tuesday’s virtual meeting. Despite requesting funding for 14 projects in a call for proposals, secretary treasurer Jerry Labossiere says MPHSD will be only able to address six with the $2.949 million it received from the province to address infrastructure-based updates across the district – but those initiatives will still impact a dozen schools. “We’re going to be able to achieve six, which really multiplies into more,” Labossiere said of the plan. “Education encouraged us to spend it, not on nice-to-have things like a new gym or that sort of thing, but really to accelerate the (infrastructure maintenance renewal) projects in our buildings. We always have more projects than we have money – we have many, many years worth of projects sitting there – so when they asked us to submit, it wasn’t hard for us to find projects to request.” Crescent Heights High School will be receiving $1.5 million to fund a replacement chiller system and boilers. Crestwood will get $750,000 to replace its roof, and George Davidson will receive $100,000 for new flooring and $300,000 for a building controls upgrade. The list also earmarked $259,000 for fencing updates at Medicine Hat Christian School, Alexandra Middle School, Hat High and River Heights, as well as asphalt repair at Alexandra, Crescent Heights, Crestwood, George Davidson, Webster Niblock, Herald, Hat High, Ross Glen, River Heights, Southview and Vincent Massey. “Some of it is parking and some of it’s hard-surface play area. It’s dealing with the worst cases of all that,” said Labossiere. “In any other year (the CHHS chiller) would have been almost the only project we did. It sort of worked out well that we could still address other issues.” The board also saw three presentations to open the meeting. Jason Peters discussed optimal learning environments, particularly the involvement and importance of optimal learning coaches through the pandemic. Associate superintendent of student services Tracy Hensel and early learning co-ordinator Joanne Stockman then discussed the Circle of Security Parenting program, aimed at helping parents or caregivers learning to read the emotional needs and security of their children. Stockman says training will be offered to parent groups two or three times per year, as well as caregiver training for community partners through the Medicine Hat and District Child Care Association and training for MHPSD teacher and staff. Stockman and Hensel then presented on the kindergarten Play and Learn program, which offered half-day kindergarten students the option to receive a full day of programming in 2019-20. The part-time program focuses on engaging students in play-based activities through exploration and problem solving to develop literacy skills and physical well-being, and Stockman says more than 300 of the district’s 497 kindergarten students chose to access Play and Learn in 13 different schools. The program has been suspended until students are able to return to school full time without health restrictions. The board also approved a motion to extend locally developed courses in forensic science studies, forensic studies and musical theatre, then approved another to authorize the use of a high school driver training course. 12-11
