Portage la Prairie schools are welcoming students back with a series of upgrades and staffing updates across the division, Superintendent Pamela Garnham says.
Garnham notes, “This year our operations department had a busy summer. We have some major construction projects happening in Portage Collegiate. We're actually tearing down the male and female washrooms and we're making eight inclusive stalls. We've been working on that and we're expecting completion of that by the end of beginning to middle of October.”
At Fort la Reine and La Verendrye schools, she adds, the division is upgrading technology and security.
“We are pulling new cable to help with the internet and we're also replacing all of their security cameras... that should be done before the students get back.”
Fencing improvements were completed over the summer at La Verendrye and North Memorial schools.
Student washrooms are also getting attention.
“The division's working on refreshing all of the student washrooms across the division. Last spring we started with Yellowquill School and they were all completed this summer and we're moving on to North Memorial School next,” she mentions.
Portage Collegiate will see an expansion in vocational learning.
Garnham remarks, “At Portage Collegiate, we're creating a second alternate hairstyling lab. We received a grant from the province and we're using our local division funds to create the second lab for student use. That'll be really good because the program is growing so much. We needed another location for the students to learn about the hairstyling program.”
Meanwhile, Crescentview received community support for a new sports court.
She notes, “Crescentview's been fundraising a lot and they received a grant from the Community Foundation for a new basketball/pickleball court. The asphalt there has been laid and we'll be adding the lines, the fencing and the basketball hoops to that eventually, and hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, we'll get that done.”
The cost of the project is approximately $80,000.
Oakville’s gym floor was also replaced. Garnham adds, “The upgrades there are great, and the floor looks wonderful.”
Staffing and new hires
"Right now, we have approximately 14 new professional staff," noted Garnham. "Those are the staff who are on the MTS (Manitoba Teachers' Society) collective agreement. We're introducing our new staff next week. We're having a half day where they come and learn about the division and different things that are happening in the division."
The division is also hiring educational assistants and bus drivers.
Back-to-school dates and orientation
All staff return to work on September 2, Garnham notes, with school-based professional development and administrative tasks.
The next day continues with additional PD and educational assistant training.
She adds, “September 3 is our teacher meet and greet. It starts at approximately 1;30 PM at all of our schools where parents can come in, meet a teacher, drop off their supplies. At the high school, they'll do an orientation that afternoon for all new students that are attending PCI. It's a great way for the kids to ease into the school year. They meet their teacher, and they have their supplies there.”
The first official day of classes is September 4.
Transportation information
For parents using in-town shuttle buses, Garnham adds, “If any parents need to sign up for any of the in-town shuttle buses, please contact Adam Thompson at the Operations Department. We have posted on all of our social media sites, the bus times and routes for our in-town shuttles."
The Operations Department can be reached at 204-857-5841.
The division encourages families to review bus schedules and check school social media for updates ahead of the new school year.
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