DIRECTIONS NEWSLETTER

Regular Meeting of the Board: March 16, 2026

Elder Teaches Beading to Cabri Students

Elder Sylvia Thorburn visited the K-5 students at Cabri School and taught them the basics of beading. The Kindergarten to grade 3 students beaded bracelets and necklaces inspired by the Medicine Wheel, and grades 4 and 5 made pins that they will wear on Orange Shirt Day. They had lots of fun learning and creating with Elder Sylvia!

Leader Students Learn About Limnology, Fish and Filleting

The grade 11 and 12 students at LCS participated in a presentation delivered by local conservation officers, including lessons on the ecology of Saskatchewan lakes and rivers, and the biology of Saskatchewan game fish. They filleted donated walleye to learn about the anatomy, then cooked their fillets and enjoyed a fish and chip lunch with the officers. This was an amazing learning experience!

Student Market at Wymark School

Wymark School’s Grade 7/8 class put on an excellent market for students, staff and families in the school gymnasium. They offered food, games, crafts and services: including everything from pet treats to fish pond games; baking, face painting and lawn care. There was a fantastic turnout from the school community to support the students and their entrepreneurship endeavours!

SCCHS Meistersingers Experience Chorfest

The SCCHS Meistersingers participated in Chorfest in Regina for Saskatchewan Choral Week! The students performed in the festival, received feedback and participated in workshops from three highly knowledgeable and engaging clinicians as well as witnessing performances from two other high school choral ensembles. Performing for new audiences and hearing other high-school singers is always an amazing learning opportunity! To conclude the day, the singers attended the Globe Theatre’s production of Frozen the Musical.

The Chinook Student Leadership Council (CSLC) attended the Chinook Board Meeting on Monday, March 16 to present an update on their work. High school students from around the division were selected by their schools to join the CSLC for its fourth year, as part of the Board of Education’s goal to facilitate opportunities for student voice to inform board decisions and identify current issues and areas of focus.

A group of students stands at the front of a boardroom, giving a presentation to school board members seated at a large wooden table.

The CSLC consists of students from Fox Valley School, Maple Creek Composite School, Gull Lake School, Leader Composite School, Shaunavon High School, Eastend School, Val Marie School, and Swift Current Comprehensive High School. Facilitated by Deputy Director, Angela Hermanson, and school superintendents, Steve Michaluk and Duane Regier, the CSLC provides the opportunity for the students from across the division to come together as students and to share the different perspectives from their schools.

A group of nine smiling students stands in a row in front of a yellow Chinook School Division bus, several wearing reflective safety armbands and giving thumbs-up.

This year, the CSLC is focusing on student supports, social belonging, and addiction, which align with the school division’s current priority of mental health and well-being. Throughout the year, the students spent time reviewing past work of the CSLC, learned about the division’s mental health and well-being priority, reviewed the OurSCHOOL student surveys, connected with the Director of Education to provide feedback, participated in leadership activities connected to “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens”, heard updates from the Provincial Student Leadership Council, toured the Chinook bus garage in Swift Current, and selected projects related to mental health and well-being.

As part of their action plan, the CSLC developed a student support site to provide information and resources to contribute to student mental health. The site will be launched soon, and will be open to students through their Chinook accounts. It houses quick supports, information & strategies, resources, daily positivity and habit tracker, and study timers to assist with studying and test anxiety.

A group of students sits at a U-shaped table arrangement in a conference room, listening to a presentation displayed on a projector screen at the front.

The students also developed a survey to collect data from 245 students in grades 7-12 at two sample schools. The students answered questions about mental health and addiction. They generated graphs with the results, and picked two main areas to focus on and find ways for schools to help students deal with: screen time and nicotine.

They are also creating another survey and video that will be shared with a sample group of students in March. This survey will ask students various questions about social belonging within the school environment. The CSLC will present again at the SCC Spring Forum on April 1, 2026, to member representatives of School Community Councils from across Chinook School Division, which includes parents, school administrators and teachers.

The Chinook Board of Education is pleased to announce the new Director of Education, Angela Hermanson, effective August 1, 2026. Following a comprehensive and thorough executive search process, the Board selected Angela due to her extensive operational expertise, her proven track record of nurturing collaborative relationships across the division, and her unwavering "students first" philosophy.

Having served as an educator and administrator within Chinook for the majority of her 22 year career, Hermanson brings an unparalleled understanding of the division’s unique needs and strengths for both the urban and rural schools. Read the full release on our website.

Nominations for Board of Education Member, Subdivision 5 (one position) will be received starting on March 3 until April 1, 2026. Nomination forms and submission details are available on our website.

Subdivision 5 includes Consul and Maple Creek schools, Box Elder, Cypress, Downie Lake and Spring Creek Hutterian schools. By-election day is May 6, 2026.

The existing boiler at Frontier School has reached end of life and requires replacement. Sound, well-maintained boiler systems are essential to ensure continuous school operations and provide comfortable learning environments for students.

The Chinook Board of Education approved the awarding of the tender to Swift Plumbing and Heating, a Swift Current-based company, for the replacement of boilers at Frontier School at a cost of $253,500 plus applicable taxes. This project has been included in the Division’s 3-year Preventative Maintenance and Renewal (PMR) plan.

The Board approved the motion to ratify the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Board of Education of Chinook School Division No. 211 and SEIU West for the period September 1, 2025 - August 31, 2029.

The Chinook Board Member Spotlight Series features the dedicated trustees who champion rural education across Chinook School Division. Each post highlighted one trustee and shared a glimpse into who they are, what motivates them, and why their work matters to education in southwest Saskatchewan.

Our board members play an important role in shaping the learning experience of students across our division. They bring the voices of families, communities, and schools to the board table, and they work together to support strong, vibrant schools.

Read the spotlights below (click the expand button to enlarge each image) and follow Chinook SD on Facebook or Instagram to learn more about their stories, passions, and the heart they bring to our schools.