Cornerstone board members were able to do a little absorbing themselves as they took in a presentation from Jacqueline Gibbs, coordinator of Early Learning in the public school division that caters to approximately 8,300 students from pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. This was during general business meeting, which was held virtually on May 19. Gibbs noted there are 14 educators and consultants on the team, many with advanced degrees in their respective domains of delivery in the early learning environment. She began by noting there is even a financial return on early learning practices since it has been determined that for every dollar invested in this area, there is a return of between $1.50 to $1.80 once the student advances to higher grades and assumes positions of importance in communities.
Two key personnel figures in the South East Cornerstone Public School Division’s (SECPSD) communication and connection system, delivered some key connectivity information to the board members . . .
With that mandate in mind, two key personnel figures in the South East Cornerstone Public School Division’s (SECPSD) communication and connection system, delivered some key connectivity information to the board members attending an online version of their monthly general business session on May 19. Calli Cugnet, who is advancing the division’s social media presence, and Carolyn Thompson, executive assistant to the director of education/CEO, made the presentation following an introduction to System Goal 4 by director of education Lynn Little. Cugnet referred to the division’s social media outreach through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. She said all these platforms are used by SECPSD with Facebook getting the most engagement.
The mandate was initiated when it was decided it was reasonably safe to send students back to classrooms this past academic year as long as a number of health and safety protocols were being adhered to for their protection. The need for masking children to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus is now being challenged. The first of two presenters to the board, Jenn Deglau, referred to the medical styled masking as “inhumane” while reciting from a series of articles that stipulated there was little evidence of the mask routines actually working and that “kids as super spreaders of the virus, is a myth.”
The school division has reviewed the current trends and risk levels with the local medical health officer and has determined that a return, following all safety guidelines and processes, is appropriate. Little noted several families have reached out to either the system or the school inquiring about the challenges of returning within the current health practice of identifying full classes as close contacts and then subsequent self isolation. “We understand that concern and will monitor the impact,” Little wrote. “We have received correspondence from several graduating students and their parents/guardians sharing concerns of returning to in-class learning and the possible impact on attending graduation ceremonies on June 19.