PRINCE ALBERT — The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division is introducing a new credit that will help students who are already assisting the community.
During the board of education's regular meeting on Monday, trustees approved a new volunteerism credit for high school students in Grades 10-12.
According to Director of Education Neil Finch, the new administrative procedure was developed to follow Ministry of Education direction regarding volunteerism credits.
"This is to make sure that all of our schools know that in Grade 10 to 12 — it can't start any sooner than that — if any student gets the required minimum of 100 hours of volunteering they can achieve this credit,” Finch explained.
The procedure outlines how high school students can work with their school to complete a volunteerism plan before they embark on their volunteer work and shares the process of how the Volunteerism 30 credit can be attained using the provincial Volunteerism Policy document.
Finch said the credit will encourage volunteerism, and encourage students to be part of the community and give their time. He added that it will also be a benefit for students who are already volunteers.
The division will recognize a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer time for not-for-profit organizations and other approved organizations for one or more community service activities. These hours must be completed outside of regular school hours. All volunteer hours must be completed with permission from a parent and with the principal endorsing the hours.
Students will be asked to complete a learning plan for Administration signed by a parent.
The course's name is Volunteerism 30.
One credit may be granted upon successful completion of the elective requirements for graduation.
The Prince Albert Catholic School Division approved a similar Volunteerism Credit in December 2023 retroactive to September 2023.
City and school boards will not meet in 2024
The City of Prince Albert will not be scheduling a meeting with the City/School Board Liaison Committee for the year 2024. Board chair Darlene Rowden notified the Saskatchewan Rivers Board of Education about the decision at their regular meeting on Monday.
A letter from the City Clerk cited the upcoming municipal elections as the reason for the cancellation.
Education Director Neil Finch said that it was not the board’s decision to cancel the meeting. “The city has made their decision that it's not the right timing, and so they would have their reasons for doing that,” Finch said.
The city did say that they were open to have a meeting if there were emergent items that concerned school boards. The meetings are to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern to all parties and make recommendations to City Council and/or the respective School Boards. The City’s committee is made up of Mayor Greg Dionne, Coun. Tony Head and representatives from the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division and Prince Albert Catholic School Division. The last time the committee met was on May 10, 2023
