121 Dufferin Street West, Swift Current, SK.
S9H 0R2
Telephone #: (306) 778-9255
Fax #: (306) 773-6960


Principal: Mrs. S. Mayall
Vice Principal: Mr. Q. Robertson
Secretary: Mrs. J. Desmet
Youth Worker: Mrs. S. Winter

If you wish to contact your child's teacher by email, simply type his or her first initial and their last name followed by @chinooksd.ca
For example, John Smith's email address would be jsmith@chinooksd.ca


To view additional information regarding the Chinook School Division, log onto www.chinooksd.ca


Central School History

Central School is a beautiful three level building that is a Saskatchewan Heritage Site. Our school was built in 1914 and over the years has served the needs of many thousands of students. In the early years students from grades one to eight were taught here. This was eventually changed to grades one to seven, then to grade six with it now having approximately 275 students from kindergarten to grade five. At times the enrollment was as high as 460. Our school at one time had a room which housed a teacher-training program and during its early years was truly a community centre in which theatre and stage productions were held.

Attendance Area

Central is unique in the city of Swift Current in that it has some students who attend from the surrounding farms. Some of these farm students represent the fifth generation of their family to attend Central. It is also interesting to note that in its over eighty years of existence, it has only had seven different principals including the present principal, Mrs. S. Mayall.

Character of the Building

Our school was upgraded through renovations in 1982-83 but the character of our school with its wide hallways and oak woodwork has been maintained which makes it not only a great place in which to learn but also a great place to visit.

Central School Community Council
Central School Library
Chair: Deb Steinley




1. Call to order

2. Previous Meeting Minutes

3. Treasurer’s Report – Shelley

4. Correspondence

5. Committee Reports
a. Fundraising – Jenise

6. Old Business
a. School Money update - reflect
b. Christmas Concert/Carnival/Spring Production Reflection
c. Names of Organizations – continue to gather
d. Welcome Breakfast
e. Take Home Reading – update of what teachers thought, and program ideas and costs
f. Well Being goal – input from teachers

7. New Business
a. Moral Intelligence Night – set/start committee
b. Monthly Virtues Project – set/start committee


8. Next Meeting – Sept. 16/08

9. Adjournment

Retirement Tea and Farewell Assembly

We will be hosting a special assembly on Friday, June 20th to honour our retirees Mrs. Desmet, Mrs. Booth and Mrs. Newton Brown at 10:00 am and other staff who are leaving Central School. Following the assembly, we will have a tea for our retirees and their guests in the Library. Parents are welcome to attend this special event.

May and June are always interesting times as staffing is finalized in Chinook School Division. Central School will be having some changes on our staff for 2008/2009.
- Mrs. Newton Brown is retiring from teaching and Tanya Hansen will be replacing her as the new grade one teacher.
- Mrs. Desmet is retiring as our Office Manager and Heather Rijvers will be replacing her in the main office.
- Mr. Robertson has accepted a new position in the Chinook School Division as a Special Education Coordinator and will be replaced by Kevin Regier as our new Vice Principal.
- Mrs. Booth, an Education Assistant, is retiring after 26 years at Central School.
- We will be adding another teacher to our staff for resource and kindergarten.
We would like to welcome our new staff and also extend our best wishes to our staff who are leaving Central School to pursue other vocations and interests.

Family literacy is many things
The Central School Community Council has been working to develop a plan to support the literacy goal at Central School. At the last meeting, representatives from the Southwest Literacy Committee made a presentation, educating our committee about family literacy. Below is a definition of family literacy: Family literacy refers to the many ways families develop and use literacy skills, from enjoying a storybook together at bedtime and during the day, to playing with word games, singing, writing to a relative or friend, sharing day-to-day tasks such as making a shopping list or using a recipe, and surfing the Internet for fun and interesting sites. (Family Literacy in Canada: Profiles of Effective Practices, Adele Thomas, Soleil Publishing Inc., 1998).

The presentation brought to our awareness the many ways that parents can encourage their children to read. The Southwest Literacy Committee encouraged us to consciously plan activities that allow our children to read regularly in a purposeful and motivating way.
For example; reading instructions or a recipe; doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku puzzles with your child; playing cards, reading calendars or schedules; writing in a daily journal or creating poems or stories about your holidays; visiting the library regularly to learn about a new topic or to pick a book to read aloud together. The Chinook Regional Library offers many programs over the summer to encourage and support literacy in our community.

The Central School Community Council will be promoting literacy in the 2008/2009 by planning events and raising awareness about the importance of literacy. Please set a goal to plan fun and educational literary opportunities for your child this summer and to become involved in our literacy initiatives in the new school year.
“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” - Dr. Seuss, "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!"
“So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install, A lovely bookshelf on the wall.” - Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Sharon Mayall Quintin Robertson
Principal Vice-Principal

Central School Community Council
May 20, 2008
Central School Library

Chair: Deb Steinley
Secretary: Kim Kirkpatrick

Present: Quintin, Sharon, Peggy, Jody, Jenise, Barb, Kim, Deb, Tim Ramage

Absent: Shelley



1. Call to order
2. Presentations –
- Bula Gosh – SouthWest Family Literacy Coordinator
- Val Choo-Foo - Central School Staff – Moral Intelligence
3. Previous Meeting Minutes
-read by Quintin
4. Treasurer’s Report
-not given – same as last month
5. Correspondence
-none
6. Committee Reports
a. Fundraising – Jenise
-some new members have joined the fundraising committee, Rhonda Kurtz will become treasurer, Jenise Tisdale will chair
7. Old Business
a. School Money update
-continue to track
b. Christmas Concert/Carnival Reflection
-tabled until June’s meeting as to be able to discuss Spring production Alice
8. New Business
a. Parent Names
-collected from Quintin as people that the teachers recognized as being involved with their classroom (as possible parents to contact in the fall as possible new members to SCC)
b. Organization Database
-Deb will put into a database
c. Reading Goal – Sharon/Quintin
-School is almost done setting their reading goal
-according to Jerry Elliot the SCC does not have to set a SMART goal, just an action plan
-Action Plan for the reading goal: 1) purchase Take Home Reading programs for classrooms – Quintin will poll staff to see where greatest need is, and what type of program they would like purchased. Quintin/Sharon will look into costs of programs. 2) promote literacy and library programs – through newsletters, etc
d. Set Well being Goal
-Action Plan for Wellbeing Goal: 1) Moral Intelligence Night for Families in conjunction with staff 2) Promote Virtues throughout community –a different activity each month/6 weeks ish
-Quintin will write up in form to send to Jerry (will email to SCC to be approved next month)
e. Other goals – ideas for including ESL families; welcome breakfast
-Welcome breakfast tabled for June
f. Fundraising – what direction should the committee being going in
-Will help with purchasing THR programs as well as continue with past projects (grad, field trips, etc)
9. Next Meeting
-June 17th at 5:00pm at Central School Library
10. Adjournment

5 August Aug 25 – Chinook Professional Development Day
Aug 26 – Local Professional Development Day
Aug 27 – Local Administrative Day
Aug 28 - Students begin

21 September Sept 1 – Labour Day
Sept/Oct - Chinook Cluster PD * *

22 October Oct 13 – Thanksgiving Day
Oct 14 – Teachers’ Convention (Swift Current)

19 November Nov 11 – Remembrance Day Holiday
Nov – Parent Teacher Interviews

15 December Dec 19 – Last day of classes
Dec 22-31 – Christmas Holiday

17 January Jan 1-2 – Christmas Holiday
Jan 5 – Classes resume
Jan 22-27 – Provincial Exams

99 Total days in Semester 1

3 January Jan 28 – Administrative & Professional Development Day
Jan 29 - Semester 2 classes begin

15 February Feb 16 – Family Day
Feb 17 - 20 – No School

22 March Mar/Apr – Parent Teacher Interviews
Mar 23 - Chinook PD

16 April Apr 10 – Good Friday
Apr 13-17 - Easter Holiday
Apr 20 – Classes resume

20 May May 18 – Victoria Day
May 19 – Teachers’ Convention (Shaunavon)

22 June June 23-26 – Chinook Exams (June 19-24 – Departmental Exams)
June 29 – Administrative Day
June 30 – Report Card Day

MORNING:
8:45am Warning Bell
8:50am Classes Commence
8:55am Morning Announcements
10:35 to 10:50am Recess
11:20am Kindergarten Dismissal
11:50am Class Dismissal
11:50 to 12:50pm Lunch Break

AFTERNOON:
12:50pm Classes Commence
2:20 to 2:35pm Recess
3:20pm Dismissal (including Kdn.)
3:20 to 3:35pm Bus Pick-up

SCC Central School Annual Meeting
April 15, 2008
Central School Library
7:00pm

Present: Sharon, Quintin, Jenise, Kim, Shelley, Jody T., Jody D., Barb, Deb, Dan
Knutson
Absent: Peggy

Minutes of the Meeting:

1. Reports given:
Overall – Deb
Treasurer – Shelley
Fundraising – Jenise
School – Sharon/Quintin
2. Nominations received by Barb Hess, Jenise Tisdale and Kim Kirkpatrick
3. Elections of officers – Chair – Deb Steinley
-Vice Chair – Jenise Tisdale
-Secretary – Kim Kirkpatrick
-Treasurer – Shelley Fritzke
-General Members – Jody Tonnies
-Barb Hess
4. Next Meeting – May 20, 2008 Central School Library 5:00 pm


Other Items Discussed:
1. Quintin will collect two names from teachers of active parents in each classroom for SCC to call in the fall as possible new recruits
2. Quintin will invite a staff member to our next meeting to give a presentation on the Moral Intelligence/Virtues
3. SCC members will collect names of Swift Current organizations/groups that may be possible supports/outreach
4. Sharon is going to a Kiwanis focus group meeting on April 16th at 7:00pm at the Entrepreneurial Centre – open to SCC members as well
5. Read through bullying survey with caution as some questions weren’t answered – use as a focus/ideas for our SMART goal
6. Central Staff is working through their reading goal on April 21st

Cold Weather Procedures:
1. All students will be dismissed at 3:15pm.
2. Student who generally walk will be required to contact their family to arrange a ride.
3. If this is not available, staff will determine if they are dressed appropriately to walk.
4. All remaining students will proceed to the basement of the school.
5. Supervisors and administration will have students form lines according to their bus number.
6. A staff member will call out the busses as they arrive.
7. Students will be allowed to leave only when their bus &/or their ride has arrived.

Track & Field - Mr. Reiter, Mrs, Mayall, Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. Blackmer

The order of the strategies can be adjusted depending on the individual needs of the student. The number of students involved at each level should diminish as intervention strategies approach the apex.

1. Implementation of the Adaptative Dimension within the classroom.
2. Individualized adaptations within the classroom – documented on the Adaptations Checklist.
3. Referral for specialized programming &/or assessment out of the classroom: Speech Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Educational Psychologist, Youth Worker, etc….
4. Learning Assistance Teacher support for programming &/or instruction.
5. Significantly adapted program with/without educational assistant support and a personal program plan
6. Individualized programming with educational assistant support and a personal program plan

• The Student Services Department will follow the Chinook Identification, Referral and Intervention Process.
• All referral forms to outside agencies will be directed through and be signed by Mr. Robertson (Vice Principal). A Student Support Team meeting will be held for all referrals to the Educational Psychologist, Mental Health, etc…. The Chinook School Division Identification, Referral and Intervention Process must be followed before any outside referrals can be made. Documentation of this process must be completed on the Referral Float Chart.
• A copy of the referral form will be kept for that school year.
• Documentation of the referral will be kept in the Central School At Risk List. Students that are struggling/not achieving success on their report card will also be placed on the At Risk List.
• The Youth Worker, SST teachers, and Principal will be given a copy of the At Risk List every month.
• The SST working on that file will keep resource files up-to-date. The file will be housed in the cum. record.
• Personal Program Plans (P.P.P) will be developed for all students with intensive needs.
• TIPPS Forms &/or behavioral plans will be developed for all other students receiving services from a SST.
• The Youth Worker will send a letter out in September to all Central School families outlining her role and responsibilities in the school.
• If additional services are provided, the Youth Worker will send out a formal permission for services form.
• Team meetings will be held for all students with intensive needs. Additional team meetings will be scheduled for other “at risk” students. A substitute teacher will be hired on the day of the meetings to accommodate for the classroom teacher.
• The notice of these team meeting will be sent out by Mr. Robertson in advance of the meeting dates.
• The administration &/or the Youth Worker will conduct a school tour for all new students in the school.
• The Youth Worker will monitor all new students to Central School. Students will be placed into Family Groups.
• If the classroom teacher suspects learning difficulties, the SST teacher will become involved.
• Student Support Team meeting will be held at 8:55am every Thursday to discuss at risk students. Meetings with the Youth Worker and Child & Youth Services personal will be held every Tuesday from 8:55 to 10:05am.
• The Identification, Referral and Intervention Process will be followed and documented by the SST teacher assigned to grade level. Planning meetings will be held in May to complete PPP for the upcoming year.
• The SST will outline the PPP with the receiving teacher at the June transition meetings. Teachers will receive the Cum. Packages for the incoming students.
• Identification and referral meetings will be held after each reporting period to complete and modify the referral process.

 Principal – the role of the principal at Central School can be grouped under four general categories. 1.) Educational leader; 2.) Administrational leader; 3.) Liaison/political role; 4.) Crisis manager.
 Vice Principal – as above for principal; coordinator of special education referral process; sit on support team; assist principal in any other duties.
 Sports Coordinator(s) – distribution and monitoring of equipment, sports club organization and supervision.
 Student Support Team – refer Student Services Procedures.
 School Learning Assistance Teacher(s) – to help implement and facilitate the hierarchy of intervention process; to assist in referral process; assist in the development of the monthly at risk list; coordinate programming for students with intensive needs within the school; to sit as a member of the student support team; to assist the administrative team with the supervision and scheduling of teacher aides within the school; team teaching; member of the guided reading team, etc….
 School Librarian – guided reading instruction; book fair; promote literacy; team teaching; assist staff with resource based learning and technology integration; aide in supervision of students in the library.
 School Secretary – general administration and office management; public relations liaison; assist teachers in secretarial work when time permits; phone calls.
 Caretakers – under the supervision of Kevin Jones and school administrative team (refer to janitorial outline in the appendix).
 Youth Worker– refer to the youth worker service outline below
 Educational Assistant – under the direction of the classroom teacher, he/she is one of the people who can support the classroom teacher in making sure that all students are able to participate and experience success. The educational assistant is there to support the classroom teach in achieving the goals of the classroom. Although an educational assistant may be assigned to a classroom because there is a particular student with a need there, the educational assistant is not necessarily the one responsible for that particular student. Instead, think of the educational assistant as a support. For additional guidance, refer to the Role of the Educational assistant/Associate Document.
 Classroom Teacher – think of the classroom teacher as a manager of a learning environment. By manager we mean a person who oversees a part of the organization and makes sure that it is functioning effectively. In an organization such as a school, the manager/teacher is responsible to assure that the organization/class produces the results that it was intended to produce. In short, the classroom teacher must ensure that all students have an opportunity to participate and experience success in learning so that they can develop the competencies that are needed for them to participate in society. When an educational assistant is placed in a classroom it is the responsibility of the teacher to supervise the paraprofessional. The teacher will set the tone and expectations of the classroom. Administration and the learning assistance teacher will assist in formal evaluation and job assignments.

 Regulations under the Provincial Fire Prevention Act requires ten school fire drills to be held each school term. Six of these fire drills must be conducted before November 15th. The record of fire drills shall be kept and shown to the Provincial Fire Prevention Office on request. It is the duty of the Principal or someone assigned by the Principal, to ensure that these fire drills are properly executed and discipline maintained throughout.
 Fire drill shall be referred to as CODE RED.

GENERAL RULES FOR SCHOOL FIRE DRILLS:

1. Any plan designed to evacuate a building or relocate within the building in the event of a fire emergency must be suited to everyone, the strong, the weak, the big, the small, the healthy, and the handicapped.

2. A different fire alarm sending station should be used for each fire drill (to ensure each station is working properly).

3. Conduct fire drills at different times of the day, including recess, class change, lunch, and gym class.

4. Identify all the exits in the building to the students.

5. Make sure students (and teachers) know to evacuate/relocate by the closest and safest exit/route.

6. Do not exit through smoke unless absolutely necessary (remember that smoke will contain varying amounts of carbon monoxide gas and inhalation of carbon monoxide gas can be fatal).

7. If classroom door is closed at the time the fire alarm sounds, have someone check the hallway for smoke and/or fire before exiting from the classroom.

8. If smoke is present in the corridor, close classroom door and seal off all openings through which smoke can enter and remain in the classroom until help arrives.

9. Do not use windows as exits unless it is absolutely necessary. In the past, school occupants have been seriously hurt by jumping out of windows and by broken glass from windows.

10. If you wish, you can use a watch to time a drill, but the students should not see you doing this. Fire drills should not be turned into a foot race. Concentrate on maintaining order and discipline.

11. Assign a meeting place outside/inside the building where everyone will be safe from the fire and will not obstruct the fire fighting operation.

12. Each teacher is responsible to make sure all students under his/her care are accounted for. If someone is missing, it should be reported immediately to the person-in-charge. Do not re-enter the building or leave safe area until ALL CLEAR is sounded.

13. Arrange an ALL CLEAR signal to be given by the Principal or the person assigned responsibility for conducting fire drills.