Avon Maitland District School Board

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Bluewater-South Huron 2012

Prezi Presentation by Kerry Carlyle from the Transition Meeting of April 18, 2012

Minutes of the Transition Meetings

December 8, 2011 Bluewater-South Huron Transition Minutes
November 2, 2011 Bluewater-South HuronTransition Minutes
September 28, 2011 Bluewater-South Huron Transition Minutes
June 26, 2011 Minutes Bluewater-South Huron Transition Meeting

Video Highlights of the First Bluewater-South Huron Transition Committee on June 22, 2011 at SHDHS

Transition Process for School Accommodation

Background

This process is designed to facilitate discussion between school staff, board staff and community members around the transition of students and staff as a result of an accommodation review decision. This framework is intended as a guide and, based on the needs of the schools and communities involved, it may be modified. The ultimate goal of the transition process is the successful integration of students, parents, community members and staff into a new school setting or configuration.

Outcomes of This Process

Students will:

Feel welcome and are welcoming in the new setting;
Feel safe and comfortable;
Develop a sense of belonging and ownership;
Get involved in all aspects of school life – curricular and extra curricular;
Continue to reach high levels of academic achievement.

Parents will:

Feel welcome and are welcoming in the new setting;
Have a sense of belonging to the school community, a sense of ownership;
Feel that they have been treated fairly;
Understand the roles played by various groups such as trustees, board administration, school staff, students, parents and community members;
Understand the policies, procedures and timing that govern certain decisions i.e., transportation, staffing, facilities, etc.

Staff will

Feel welcome and are welcoming in the new setting;
Have a sense of belonging to the school community, a sense of ownership;
Feel that they have been treated fairly with respect to placement;
Understand the policies, procedures and timing that govern certain decisions i.e., transportation, staffing, facilities, etc.

Committee Structure

The principals of the school transition teams shall co-chair the Transition Committee.
In September of the year prior to the date of the actual transition of students, the Superintendent of Education (Operations) will, in consultation with the school principals, the superintendent and the local trustee for that school, establish the date of an information session around the transition process. This meeting should be held prior to the end of October of that school year.

Prior to the information session, school principals will identify members of the school’s transition team. Membership of this team must include:

School council chair or designate;
A second parent representative, not necessarily a member of school council;
2 Student representatives – grades 5 through 12;
Community representative – possibly a member of municipal council;
Teaching staff representative;
Non-teaching staff representative;
School administration – principal and, where applicable, the vice-principal
Area trustee;
Area superintendent;
Area student trustee.

Following the finalization of Committee Membership:

The co-chairs of the Transition Committee will send a written invitation to the local municipal councils to send a representative(s) to observe the transition process, provide input and report back to their respective councils. These municipal representatives are ex officio members of the Transition Committee. The co-chairs will also provide municipal councils with an outline of the transition process.
The Transition Committee will be comprised of the school transition teams of all schools impacted by the accommodation review decision for the particular school community.
All Transition Committee meetings will be public meetings.
The members of the Transition Committee will determine whether they will establish sub-committee(s) to accomplish specific tasks. All sub-committee work must be presented at a public meeting of the full Transition Committee.
In cases where the decision of school closure is more than one school year away from the date of implementation, Education Centre staff will work with the school principals to provide periodic updates to the members of the affected communities. This may take the form of website postings, emails, newsletters, stories in the local media and, where deemed necessary by staff, public meetings.

Roles and Responsibilities

This list of responsibilities is a guide and it is not all-inclusive.

Board Staff

Facilities planning and construction
Finance direction on school budgets, bank accounts, signing authorities, purchasing requirements
Appointment of principal and other staff (per the provisions in the various collective agreements)
Facilitate the movement of supplies and equipment to a new location
Act as a resource to the Transition Committee
Publish of minutes and agenda for the Transition Committee
Establish and publish a document that outlines roles and responsibilities of committee members and timelines for completion of major transition tasks

School Staff

Maintain as much normalcy as possible for students during the transition process
Communicate ideas and concerns regarding the transition through the school principal
Act as a resource to the Transitions Committee
Plan and implement orientation programs for staff, students and parents
Plan and implement celebrations to acknowledge closing school(s) prior to the end of the school year
Plan and implement celebrations at the beginning of the school year for the new school or school configuration
Assist in the process of identification and packaging of materials to be moved from one school to the other
Assist in the receiving and locating of materials received from another school
Provide input to the school administration for timetabling and class allocation as per the collective agreement

Transition Committee

Recommendation of the school name to board of trustees
Recommendation of school team name and colours
Recommendations with respect to the disposition of school memorabilia
Assist in the development and delivery of orientation programs for students and parents
Assist in the development and delivery of celebrations prior to the end of the year for closing school(s)
Assist in the development and delivery of celebrations at the beginning of the school year for the new school or school configuration
Identify, discuss and make recommendations to school and board staff regarding issues of concern with respect to the transitions process

Suggested Timelines

September

Establish date for information meeting
Identify members of the school transition teams

October

Information meeting
Begin Transition Committee meetings

November

School Administration meets with Finance re: bank accounts, signing authorities, etc.

January

Merge school councils into one entity with representation from all consolidating schools.

February

Interim report to the senior staff and director's information reports to trustees regarding the Transition Committee meetings and recommendations

May

Final report to senior staff and director's information report to trustees regarding the Transition Committee meetings and recommendations

June

Celebrations for closing school