The Renfrew County district School Board met in Pembroke on Tuesday.
A variety of topics were covered and reports were given by the Superintendents and Board Trustees. Board Director Pino Buffone announced that there would be a community consultation on expanding French as a Second Language to the Madawaska Family of Schools. The consultation will be held at Madawaska District High School on Monday June 13th from 6-8 PM. There also will be a Parent Involvement Committee session at the High School on Monday June 27th from 6-7:30 PM.
Board Chair Susan Humphries said the board met with MPP John Yakabuski with concerns about budget cuts, class sizes, e-learning and hiring practices in rural communities. They urged the MPP to speak with the Minister of Education to let the Board know about the Task Force on Education. Humphries said she nor other board members have been included in the task force. The Board also plans to write a second letter to the Minister of Education to offer alternatives cost-saving measures.
A major presentation was given the the board by a group of public school teachers who were running a pilot on Level Literacy Intervention (LLI). The program identifies students struggling with reading skills and aims to boost their comprehension. The pilot, being tested at Highview Public School in Pembroke, has already seen a major improvement among students there. The team was headed by Debbie Klatt, a special education resource teacher.