DIRECTIONS NEWSLETTER

The Chinook Board of Education updated their goals for the 2026-2027 school year:

• The Chinook Board of Education will be accountable to the community by enhancing its visibility, engagement and accessibility within school communities, SCC events and meetings.
• The Chinook Board of Education will advocate for adequate funding for rural education.
• The Chinook Board of Education will focus on celebrating and promoting the great things happening within Chinook schools.
• The Chinook Board of Education will deepen understanding of FNMI culture and ways of knowing.
• The Chinook Board of Education will build an understanding of the division's focus on Mental Health and Well-being.

Actions and deliverables were identified and updated in order to meet the goals, which will be implemented by the board through the division and schools.

Over the past few years, several rural school communities have approached the division to inquire about the option of an alternate school calendar. In response to this interest, senior administration and board members met with School Community Councils (SCCs) near the end of the 2025-2026 school year to present factual data from other divisions, answer questions, and gather feedback on the process.

The choice to explore an alternate calendar is entirely a local, community-led decision driven by the SCC, not a division-mandated change. For communities choosing to move forward with this exploration, senior administration will support SCCs in hosting local community meetings this fall to help families review the practical implications. Following these balanced discussions, the SCC will conduct a formal, independent community vote using a standardized, secure survey.

To be considered for the 2027-2028 school year, the local exploration, community consultation, and voting process must be completed, and results submitted, by November 15, 2026. The Board will then review the compiled results to verify if the community has met the division’s required threshold of support. Final calendar approvals will be concluded in the spring of 2027 following the standard ministry review.

Valerie Gordon, Athletic Coordinator

The South West Athletic Conference (SWAC) has been in existence since 1951, with the purpose to plan, supervise and administer inter-school athletic activities in SWAC (boundaries match the Chinook School Division area) of Saskatchewan, including play-offs leading to section, district, conference, regional and provincial level championships. SWAC falls under the umbrella of the SHSAA (Sask High School Athletic Association), though we also include sport from grade 3-9).

SWAC is divided into geographical areas called “sections”. Each school with students in grades 7-12 has a person designated as Athletic Director. (volunteer position)

SHSAA Senior (high school) sports include: Golf, cross country, soccer, football, volleyball, basketball, curling, wrestling, badminton, and track and field. Junior programs offered within Chinook include volleyball, cross country, basketball, curling, badminton, and track and field, as well as some junior football in Maple Creek and Shaunavon.

SWAC includes approximately 275+ teams, 560+ coaches, and 75+ adult officials, as well as dozens of youth officials throughout the school year.

We continue to monitor and require coaching certification and criminal record/vulnerable sector checks for all coaches, and have a number of steps in place at the local, division and SHSAA levels to ensure the safety of student athletes.

GOLF

48 golfers participated from 9 schools

Second year of junior golf was a success (33 golfers from 9 schools)

CROSS COUNTRY

Over 220 participants in 10 age categories this year, which were record numbers

20 junior programs and 7 senior programs

SWAC is adding a grade 3/4 category for the upcoming school year

SOCCER

SCCHS Arden/Colt teams remain our only soccer programs

FOOTBALL

12 man: SCCHS Colts

9-man: Shaunavon, Maple Creek and Gull Lake (moved to 6-man for 2026-27)

VOLLEYBALL

27 junior teams

24 senior teams

9 girls teams/5 boys teams in the senior league

BASKETBALL

27 junior teams

15 senior teams

“March Madness” junior girls/boys playoff format was used this year for the championship, with 3 girls teams and 8 boys teams

CURLING

4 senior schools

14 junior schools

WRESTLING

SCCHS: 25 wrestlers, 18 qualified for provincials

Gull Lake: 1 wrestler, 1 qualified for provincials

BADMINTON

15 senior schools

17 junior schools

TRACK AND FIELD

All but 2 SWAC schools participated (Bantam - Senior), with over 500 athletes

• A new SHSAA activity was introduced: Female flag football (senior). Shaunavon and Gull Lake have started programs.
• Review of the weather/travel/sport document.
• Junior sections were revised (added a Swift Current city section). The result is bigger, more meaningful sectionals and smaller district championships (so now some of the smaller sites can host).
• Aboriginal Coaching Modules (all gr 9-12 coaches will need this course by September 1, 2028).

View SWAC 2025-26 year in pictures.

Follow SWAC on Instagram and Facebook for upcoming events, photos and results.

The Chinook Board of Education approved the renewal of the limited legal services retainer agreement with external legal counsel, effective September 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. These supplemental services ensure the division maintains robust legal coverage while the Saskatchewan School Boards Association’s (SSBA) new legal counsel continues to gain experience. This temporary arrangement effectively bridges any current service gaps during their transition period.

The Chinook Board of Education has authorized the renewal of its participation in the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) General Insurance Plan for the upcoming five-year period. This renewal continues the school division’s long-standing enrollment in the provincial pool, which dates back to the division's amalgamation.

In light of ongoing legal proceedings regarding the Stewart Valley School insurance claim, the Chinook Board of Education is actively engaging with the SSBA to identify improvements and provide formal recommendations aimed at improving the provincial insurance plan for all Saskatchewan school divisions.

The SSBA General Insurance Plan pools operational risk across all 27 Saskatchewan school divisions. This collective structure is designed to provide economies of scale, broad coverage terms, and administrative efficiencies that individual divisions would otherwise have to manage independently. The agreement satisfies mandatory insurance requirements under The Education Act, 1995 and SSBA Bylaws for physical facilities, equipment, fleet vehicles, and general liability.

The decision to renew the agreement was supported by several key financial considerations:

• Premium Rates: The division’s liability and auto insurance premiums for the 2026-27 fiscal year are set at $775,833.48. This represents a decrease from the $872,433.20 paid in 2025-26 and the $893,904.32 paid in 2024-25.
• Comparative Costs: Analysis indicated that securing standalone coverage through a private broker would result in estimated premiums two to three times higher than the provincial pool, ranging between $1.55 million and $2.33 million annually.
• Administrative Impact: Operating an independent insurance program would require the division to conduct a standalone Request for Proposals (RFP). This would unnecessarily duplicate administrative services and reduce overall operational efficiency compared to the centralized provincial model.

Following the Board’s approval, the formal subscription documentation will be executed and submitted to the SSBA prior to the September 1, 2026 deadline.