In attendance: Teena Kasha
Wes Wilson (Principal)
Deanna Maertz
Jenni Thomas (Assistant Principal)
Amber Erickson
Alison Eshpeter
Shannon Wasilenkoff
Cassidy Lindseth (via google meet)
I. Teena Kasha called to order the regular meeting of the Daysland School Council at 7:03 pm.
II. Open Floor Shout Out – Big thanks to Cristin Zimmer for spearheading Staff Appreciation Week! Shout out to Teena for also helping set up and bring in supplies.
III. Review of Agenda – Deanna asked to add Trustee report to the addition. Alison moved to accept the agenda. Shannon seconded. All in favour. Motion carried.
IV. Approval of minutes from last meeting –January 21st, 2026, minutes were circulated prior to meeting. Kirby moved minutes accepted as circulated. Teena seconded. All in favour. Motion carried.
V. Correspondence –No new correspondence.
VI. Reports
a) Administrator (Mr. Wilson/Mrs. Thomas)
(i) Admin Report – See attached report provided by Wes Wilson.
1. Thank You
2. Staffing Update
3. Mini-Olympics
a. Planned for this Friday
b. Beginning at 10:00 in the gym with our Opening Ceremonies
c. Ending at 3:00
d. Special guests - Adam Enright (Olympic Medalist), Brad Rabbit (local elder), Rachel Ardiel (BRSD - FNMI Coordinator)
e. We will be competing in our Squads
4. Parent Teacher Interviews (Gr. 7-12)/Student Led Conferences(K-6)
a. Thursday, March 26th
b. The online link to book a time will be shared early in March.
5. Gr. 4-9 Ski Trip
a. March 12th
b. Possible parent volunteer to drive
c. Hot lunch changes (kindergarten to remain the same, everyone else will be moved to the following Tuesday.
6. 2026-27 School Calendar Highlights
a. Start Start August 31st - before the long weekend
b. November Break is November 9th-13th, back to a full week
c. Christmas Break - December 21st-January 3rd
d. Spring Break - March 26th -April 6th (PD Day)
e. May Long weekend will be 4 days (Friday & Monday off)
f. Last Day for Students (Monday, June 28th
7. Theme Day - Friday, March 6th
a. Mismatched Day
8. Field Trip Support
a. Checking whether Friends of will be supporting field trips again this year?
9. Pink Shirt Day
a. No specific plans this year - being mindful of class time
b. Students are encouraged to wear pink and teachers may have planned Pink Shirt specific activities, should they choose
10. Book Fair
a. April 13th-17th - Book Fair
11. Survey Season
a. Alberta Education Parent Surveys were shared earlier this month for parents/guardians of Gr. 4, 7, 10 parents
12. VENTASTIC - Presentation @ the Daysland Theatre
a. Presentation for our Gr. 1-6 students
b. March 25th - 1:30-2:30
c. Michael Harrison is an award-winning ventriloquist and puppeteer based in Victoria, BC Canada. He tours worldwide with his incredible show Ventastic. Michael turns ventriloquism upside-down with his original puppets and creative routines that have amazed audiences of all ages for over 30 years.
13. Ministerial Order #034/2025
a. Must communicate with parents if you have one and if you do, they are invited to take a look if they wish to
b. This will be communicated in our Parent Teacher Interview communication
14. Grad Planning Underway
a. Scheduled for May 1st
Key topics: Thank you for Staff Appreciation week, staffing update, mini-Olympics, parent teacher
interviews, Grade 4-9 Ski Trip, 2026-27 School Calendar Highlights, Theme Day Friday March 6th ,
Field Trip Support, Pink Shirt Day, Book Fair, Survey Season, VENTASTIC, Ministerial Order, Grad
Planning Underway.
Room Rep Reports:
Kindergarten (submitted by Cassidy Lindseth): Mrs. Tanton – Everything is under control in kindergarten. We had our Teddy Bear Picnic at the end of January, which included literacy and numeracy “bear” themed activities and snacks. We wrote our very own classroom version of the book “Brown Bear, Brown Bear” and we had some fun reading different variations of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”. Lately the kinders have been busing enjoying skating and enjoyed a sharing and caring Valentine’s Day with our grade five buddies. Our grade five buddies helped us put our Valentine’s into our friends mailboxes and then we split into groups and cycled through five different Valentine themed literacy and numeracy centers. It was a great time and everyone left with sunshiney smiles and full hearts. Next up on our fun list is our schools mini Olympics! I’ve been prepping my Kinders in gym to be Olympians, so no big deal!
Grade 1 (submitted by Shannon Wasilenkoff): Mrs. Reber – We are almost at 100 days of school, and we are eagerly counting our way up to celebrate this very special day! We are especially glad we are past 67 days…In gym, we are learning about different Winter Olympic events inspired by the Winter Olympic Games. Each week we try a few new events. So far, luge and speed skating have been our favorites! The Gr.1 students worked on their writing skills last week to write about which event they would like to compete in if they could be in the Winter Olympics. We have also been having fun challenging the Gr.2 class in Top to Bottom during our Tuesday morning literacy time. So far, the Gr.2's are beating us by one word in their total count. In Math, we are excited to try some new hands-on math games that were learned at Teachers Convention. It has been a busy time in Grade 1 and we are loving all the growth that takes place in Grade 1 during this time of year.
Grade 2 (submitted by Amber Erickson): Mrs. Schlaut – All is well in Grade Two! We are looking forward to the Mini-Olympics this Friday. Thank you to the organizers as it will be a fun day. A reminder we will be going skating on Tuesday, March 17. We're looking for parent volunteers to come and tie skates. Please let me know if you are available to help.
Grade 3 (submitted by Shyanne Lindballe): Mrs. Schmidt-Teigen – All is well in Grade Three! Please remember to dress for the weather, especially as the temperatures have once again dipped. We are looking forward to the Mini Olympics coming up on Friday. Skating was a blast last week; we look forward to going again on March 17th.
Grade 4 (submitted by Kristie Nahajowich): Miss Pfeffer- Grade 4 students have been working hard in all subject areas. In Language Arts, we’re enjoying our novel study, James and the Giant Peach. In Math, students are learning about prime and composite numbers. In Science, we’re exploring gravity and magnetism, and students have loved hands-on experiments with magnets. In Social Studies, we’re learning about Canada’s journey to becoming a country and the fur trade. Students are also enjoying learning to play the recorders. February is Kindness Month, and we’re having fun with our “Secret Agents of Kindness” challenge.
Grade 5 (submitted by Jenni Thomas): Mrs. Thomas/Mr. Wilson - Grade 5- Grade 5s have recently finished their first read-aloud novel, “A Rover’s Story” about a Mars rover and have started their next novel, “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind”, which is a true story about a young boy who built a windmill from scraps and changed the lives of people in his village in Malawi. Both novels include connections to our Science and Social Studies curriculums and have resulted in some great learning and conversations! In ELA, students have been working on a poetry unit, learning about structure, format and figurative language. In Math we are currently working on multiplying large numbers and will be wrapping that up soon and moving on to division. In Social Studies, we have been learning about various trade routes that were used by ancient societies and their impact on economies and cultures. We have been continuing our study of weather and climate in Science class, building our own weather stations and tracking and graphing local data.
Grade 6 (submitted by Brenda McKay): Mrs. McKay – Everything is great in grade 6!
We are nearing the end of units in each subject and can expect some assessments in the near future. In ELA, we are just about finished our study of the novel, Hatchet, and will be focusing on more writing in the next little bit. When we complete the Variables and Equations unit in Math, we will start our patterns unit on Functions. In Social Studies, the class has enjoyed learning about English History, and we will pivot to provincial government next. In Science, we are wrapping up the Space unit, and will move onto Particles and Temperature. Everyone is enjoying going skating and we are looking forward to our ski trip to Alliance in March.
Grade 7/8 (submitted by Cristin Zimmer): In Social, we are studying for our upcoming test on Chapter 6 and finishing up our map projects. In Science, we are learning about WHMIS. In ELA, we are doing Olympic writing booklets and are looking forward to the Olympics on Friday. The Grade 7/8s are looking forward to skating in outdoor ed.
Grade 9 (submitted by Alison Eshpeter): Mrs. Walker (Science 9) - In Science, students are working on their understanding of environmental chemistry and how chemicals affect air, water, and soil. We’re studying how human activities impact the environment and how we can reduce pollution and make responsible choices. Mrs. V Zimmer (Social 9) - In Social Studies, the Grade 9's are learning about Canada's immigration laws, policies, and history, keeping both past and present concerns in mind. It's very interesting to explore personal histories around immigration in our little classroom! Mrs. M Zimmer (Math 9) - In Math 9, we are currently partway through Unit 4, which focuses on Measurement and Symmetry. We are now over halfway through the Grade 9 curriculum, as this is Unit 4 out of 7. We will continue to do non-calculator practice throughout the rest of the year as well.
Grade 10 (submitted by Jenni Thomas): Grade 10- Grade 10s have switched over to their Semester 2 classes now, which include Math, Social, Options and Home Ec. A number of students are also enrolled in Work Ex. In Math, students have completed their first quiz in an Algebra & Number unit. In Social, they have started their study of Globalization. In options, students have chosen their courses and are well underway with those. Most have also wrapped up the bookwork for their FOD 1010 course and are ready to start cooking in Home Ec.
Grade 11 (submitted by Carrie Carriere) – Mrs. M. Zimmer- In Math 20, we are currently partway through our first unit. For the first four units, I will be teaching the Math 20-1 and Math 20-2 outcomes simultaneously, as there is significant overlap between the courses. These units include
Quadratic Functions, Quadratic Equations, Radicals, and Trigonometry, and will take us until approximately mid-April to complete. Students who are unsure whether to remain in Math 20-1 or move to Math 20-2 are welcome to let me know. During this time, I can include a Math 20-2 mark in the comments of their Math 20-1 assignments so they can better understand how they are performing in each course. After the first four units, students will need to decide which course they will continue with for the remainder of the semester. I have explained that Math 20-1 provides stronger preparation for both Math 30-1 and Math 30-2, but ultimately the choice depends on each student’s goals and comfort level.
Grade 12 (submitted by Teena Kasha) – Mr. Pastachuk – In Social 30 we have been reading Ayn Rand's, "Anthem" a dystopian novella in which a young man in a rigidly collectivist society rediscovers individual identity, freedom, and the power of the self. Once finished, students will begin their first Essay using this as their main source for the paper. Mrs. Walker- In Biology 30, students are learning about the nervous system. We have discussed parts of the brain and how signals are sent in neurons. We will finish this section by looking at the structure and functions of the eyes and ears next. In Chemistry 30, students are developing their understanding of thermochemistry by studying the energy changes of different reactions.
Report from Deanna Maertz: updates from school councillors. Went over how to give advice and support, not to direct. Working on community engagement. Joint use and planning agreement with Daysland School needed to be updated. Board policies have been updated. Budget- stabilization funding has been continuously decreased, will be cut by another 25% next year. Operating reserves to subsidize our teachers have been used up. Unless there are changes cuts are going to happen in staffing. There is going to be a major deficit once again.
New business:
VII. Adjournment adjourned the meeting at 7:53 pm.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 18th , 2026, 7:00pm at Daysland School.
