BTPS Newsletter

Celebrating the Women Who Inspire Us

Tomorrow, on International Women’s Day (March 8), we take time to honour the incredible women who have shaped our lives, our communities, and our world. In education, we are surrounded by strong female role models—teachers, support staff, leaders, and students—who inspire growth, resilience, and positive change every day. This is a day to reflect on the progress made toward gender equality and to recognize the women whose influence has helped us become who we are.

As I reflect on the significance of this day, I find myself thinking about my mother-in-law and the profound impact she had on me as a young adult and mother. Her kindness, strength, and wisdom shaped the way I approached both family and leadership, and I will always be grateful for the example she set. We all have women in our lives—mentors, colleagues, family members, or friends—who have left a lasting imprint, and International Women's Day is an opportunity to celebrate them.

I encourage you to take a moment to recognize an influential woman in your own life. Whether it’s through a simple thank-you, sharing their story, or reflecting on the lessons they’ve taught you, let’s make today a celebration of the women who have made a difference. Together, we can continue to uplift and empower one another, ensuring that the contributions of women—past and present—are seen, valued, and honoured.

Be Well,

Michelle

Check out the Board Highlights from the February 2025 meeting.

All highlights from previous meetings are also listed on our website for easy access—check them out here.

Information regarding our current labour relations with CUPE Local 1606 is posted on our BTPS website. Please note that as the process evolves, updates, correspondence from BTPS, and relevant information will be posted on the dedicated Labour Relations webpage. Staff will continue to receive direct email updates from the Superintendent as they become available, and BTPS is committed to keeping our school community informed throughout the process.

BTPS remains committed to reaching a resolution through negotiations and is pleased to be returning to mediation on March 14, 2025.

Any further inquiries can be directed to labourrelations@btps.ca.

Our BTPS Colony Schools are great places to learn, grow, and work! Our 17 Colony staff team members work tirelessly in 8 different schools that are spread across BTPS educating the students of our Hutterite families. Some may think that our colony schools are small, quiet places where things move along at a slower pace than in traditional settings, but they couldn't be more wrong.

Each of our colony schools are staffed by caring, effective, and creative staff members who work with as many as 26 English as an Additional Language kids who range in grade levels from grade 1 to 9. Our staff and students work very hard to prepare for life on the colony when the students are done with English school as the future success and life of the colony depends partly on the education that is provided.

Our school staff share many things in common with our BTPS friends who serve in “brick and mortar” schools, such as having literacy and numeracy as centerpieces and focal points for all that we do. We work very hard and present lessons to our kids in order that they can achieve the same high standards on the curricular outcomes other BTPS schools work towards. All of this is done without the use of Chromebooks, SmartBoards and other forms of technology in accordance with our Hutterite friend’s wishes. Everything we do is for the betterment of our students and their community while being respectful of the Hutterite culture, which helps spur creativity and forces us to think outside the box. Making lessons come to life may look like a trip to a dugout or to the barn for a science lesson - field trips are a breeze at a colony school.

For everything we don’t have access to as colony educators, there are multiple replacements that we love. There are no “typical” days in our service as a day may include being invited to the dining hall for a hot and delicious lunch, a delivery of fresh buns, newly gathered garden produce, and even “Hutterite KFC”, which is legendary. Each season provides unique and enjoyable experiences that fill our buckets such as a quick trip to the barn to see newly born lambs, riding down a country hill on a homemade toboggan, and celebrating the end of harvest with our colony families. Life in a colony school is challenging, but like in all of our BTPS schools, the rewards are amazing and can’t be found anywhere else.

Random Acts Of Kindness and Pink Shirt Day:

Amisk School came together to celebrate kindness and positivity in a big way! Students and staff wore pink shirts as a symbol of standing up against bullying, while engaging in activities that spread kindness throughout our school. From our Kindness Tree, to reading buddies, the book exchange and all of the generous donations, these encouraged a love of reading and giving. The daily kindness challenges inspired students to complete Random Acts of Kindness every day.

Valley Ski Hill Field Trip:

Amisk School had a fun day at the ski hill! We are very thankful for the parent volunteers who joined us, as well as our PAC for helping to cover the bussing and some of the skiing costs.

Skating and Snowshoeing:

Over the past few weeks, Amisk School students have been embracing the winter season with exciting outdoor activities! They laced up their skates for some fun at the Amisk Arena and explored the snowy landscape on snowshoes, making the most of the winter weather.

Valentine’s Day Grandparents Tea and Dance:

The halls, classrooms, and gym were filled with love and excitement during our Grandparents Tea and Dance. We had many visitors join in on the fun, and it truly brought smiles to our faces! We had a generous family who donated the beautiful flowers shared at the celebration.

AR Store and Bingo:

Amisk School’s AR store was busy, with the students in grade 1-3 spending their hard earned cash! Students who reached their AR goals this quarter received $20 to shop or save for even bigger purchases! We also celebrated with BINGO! It was a lovely afternoon celebrating the student’s literacy successes!

Book Character and Freedom to Read Day:

What a fun day celebrating the joy of literacy! Our students and staff kicked things off with a fantastic costume parade in the gym, showcasing their favourite book characters. Throughout the day, we were joined by amazing community members, parents, and even our Superintendent, Mrs. Webb, who shared their love of reading with our school.

Teacher’s Pet:

Teacher’s Pet Educational Services was in Amisk School classrooms this week. It was a fun two days of creating and learning! The students were engaged in fun and interactive activities that targeted many learning outcomes. A big thank you to our PAC for sponsoring this incredible event!

Wildcat Wednesdays Bring Fun and School Spirit!
Wildcat Wednesdays, planned by our Grade 9 Leadership Class, run at least twice a month. Featured here are our Grade 5 students enjoying Beach Day!

Elementary Ski Trip
Our elementary ski trip felt more like spring skiing, and our students took full advantage of the sunshine and great conditions at Alliance Ski Hill.

Pink Shirt Day – Kindness Connects Us All
Leadership 9 took charge of planning activities for Pink Shirt Day. Featured below is the Grade 4 project, "Kindness Connects Us All," where students upcycled an old puzzle, painted it pink, and wrote their names alongside kind messages for one another.

Teachers’ Convention Takeaways
Our teachers are back from Convention, refreshed and ready to bring new ideas into their classrooms.

Collaboration at HPS
There has been fantastic collaboration happening within our school! Tyler Pearse has been working with teachers to enhance student learning, and we’re excited to continue this momentum as we welcome Lana Lane into our classrooms in the coming weeks.

BTPS Learning Day - March 14, 2025

We’re excited to welcome our teachers as they gather for a day of collaboration and learning at the BTPS Learning Day on March 14 at J.R. Robson School! This is a great opportunity to connect, share ideas, and grow together.

The day will feature engaging workshops, collaborative discussions, and valuable insights to support instructional practices and student success. A highlight of the day will be a session with Dr. Greg Wells, who will share his expertise on optimizing health and performance.

If you have any questions about transportation or getting to the event, please check in with your principal.

We had an amazing time collaborating at our Indigenous Learning Leads meeting last week! It was a fantastic day filled with meaningful conversations, connections, and shared learning. Together, we explored ways to deepen our knowledge and understanding of Indigenous education, working towards meaningful integration in our classrooms and schools.

One of the highlights of the day was the opportunity to explore new online resources designed to support the infusion of Indigenous perspectives in teaching. It was inspiring to see everyone engaged in finding new ways to bring Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing into their learning spaces.

Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to such a rich day of learning! We’re looking forward to continuing this important work together.

Schools across the division brought stories to life this Literacy Month with an incredible lineup of creative and engaging activities! From read-aloud relays to literary trivia, book swaps, and door decorating, students and staff went all-in to celebrate the power of reading.

The friendly competition saw schools earning points for participating in activities like "Who’s Behind the Book?" (a fun guessing game featuring staff members’ favorite reads), Bookish Acts of Kindness (leaving surprise notes in library books), and Community Reader Days (welcoming special guests to share their love of literature).

Drum roll, please… 🥁After an amazing month of literacy fun, Provost Public School claimed the top spot! But it was a tight race, with VES, WES, and Mannville coming in very close behind. A huge congratulations to all the schools that participated—you made literacy come alive for students in the best way possible!

Let’s keep the momentum going! Literacy doesn’t stop at the end of the challenge—schools can incorporate fun reading and writing activities all year long to keep students engaged. Want ideas? Try a school-wide storytelling challenge, student-led book clubs, or a monthly "Mystery Reader" event! However you choose to implement literacy year-round, have fun with it! 💙

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this Literacy Month one for the books!

As per the email you should have received on March 3, our Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) provider, Inkblot by GreenShield, will be rebranded as GreenShield Health effective March 17.

New & Improved EFAP Features

• Children’s Mental Health – Access Mightier, a clinically validated, game-based program that helps kids explore emotions and develop coping skills.
• Noojimo Health Partnership – In collaboration with GreenShield, Noojimo Health offers virtual, culturally safe mental wellness support for Indigenous individuals and families.
• Digital Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – Self-paced online programs for managing anxiety and depression.

What You Need to Know

• If you’re registered with Inkblot, expect a migration email on March 13 announcing the transition.
• On March 17, you’ll receive a welcome email from GreenShield with an organization code for sign-up (your dependants won’t receive this email, but you can share the code with them).
• You’ll need your ASEBP ID number to sign up, but your dependants won’t.

You can refer to this reference developed by GreenShield when migrating your EFAP account from Inkblot or when registering for a new EFAP account. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to a benefit specialist at benefits@asebp.ca or toll free at 1-877-431-4786.

Buffalo Trail Public Schools extends a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of our incredible substitute teachers who step into classrooms and make a difference every single day!

Your dedication, flexibility, and commitment to student success do not go unnoticed. The impact you have on our schools and students is truly invaluable, and we are so grateful for everything you do.

This Substitute Teacher Appreciation Week (March 10-14, 2025), we celebrate you and recognize the important role you play in our school communities. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being an essential part of our team!

Buffalo Trail Public Schools is proud to celebrate the International Day of Happiness on March 20, 2025, recognizing the importance of well-being in our schools and communities. This day, established by the United Nations, reminds us to spread kindness, joy, and positivity.

Let's take a moment to appreciate what makes us happy and share that joy with others!🌟 Learn more: un.org

Kids Have Stress Too! This program will be running virtually on Wednesday afternoons for three, 1.5 hour sessions. Families will have to contact the MFC Ages & Stages office to register and get the Zoom link. This program is FREE and available to all families, strategies target parenting 4-12 year olds.

ICC Positive Solutions for Families has been running since January and the final few sessions will be wrapping up in March. Families were encouraged to attend all sessions as they build upon each other, but are still welcome to join in on the last few sessions. They must contact the MFC office to register so they can receive the Zoom link. Again, the sessions are free and open to all families. These strategies target parenting children 0-6 years old, but strategies can still be applicable for older ages too.

Family Connect & Play runs in Vermilion at Kiddie Oasis as a partnership, hosted by members of the Vermilion Wellness Coalition (Recovery Alberta, VIBE, Vermilion FCSS & AB Family Resource Networks). This free program runs Wednesday mornings in March from 10:00-11:30 for drop-in play. MFC will be hosting the sessions on March 19th & 26th, where we will bring along Connecting Play Activities, Ages & Stages Developmental Questionnaires and more information about our programs for families. There are door prizes available at each session too!

Kitscoty Elementary School Artwork on display at Central Office