school | SMART In case you missed anything – a roundup of facts we picked up last month School Zone


UWinnipeg archivist Daniel Matthes holds a Wesmen Classic program from 1977. Photo courtesy of UWinnipeg Archives.


MANITOBA INCREASES PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING. Te Manitoba government will invest


$1.323 billion in public school divisions for the 2018-19 school year, an increase of $6.6 million, Minister Ian Wishart officially announced. Te Minister said in a news release,


“We continue to provide significant funding to give students the best edu- cation possible while we carefully steer Manitoba back onto a responsible fiscal track,” . Te minister suggested the province


intends to move to a streamlined, single provincial bargaining table for public school teachers from the exist- ing 38 collective bargaining units. Te last round of contracts is set to expire June 30 of this year. Manitoba is the only province where teacher collective bargaining is conducted exclusively at the local level, negotiated separately between each school board and its local teachers’ association. “We want to put teachers back in


the classroom, where they want to be and where students need them most, instead of being at the bargaining table,” said Wishart. “We want to give trustees more time to focus on the quality of learning for students and free up resources currently tied up by negotiations.” For the 2018-19 school year, the min-


ister directed school divisions to limit any increases to their local education property tax to two per cent. Wishart pointed out Te Public Services Sus- tainability Act wage freeze would al- leviate some expenditure pressure on divisions. As well, Wishart announced a 15


per cent reduction to the existing ad- ministration cost caps, effective July 1. School division administration costs, which include the board of trustees, superintendent’s and secretary treas- urer’s departments, have increased by $5.6 million or nine per cent in the past three years. “It is imperative we reduce adminis-


trative costs while protecting front line services,” said the minister. “Tis new approach does not unfairly penalize divisions who have already made the effort to streamline administrative costs, as budgets show all divisions were below their respective caps in the past three years, and many spent well below the limit on administration.” Manitoba will phase out the Tax


Incentive Grant (TIG) over the next six years. Te grant will be adjusted to en- sure school divisions do not receive less than 98 per cent of last year’s operating and TIG support combined. TIG was a voluntary program that ended in 2011, intended to assist school divisions that held the line on taxes. Intensive Newcomers Support Con-


March 2018


tingency funding will increase by $40,000 to help divisions with new ar- rivals of refugees and other high-needs English as an additional language students. Educat ion f inancing wi l l come


under further examination in early 2019, when the province launches its review of the kindergarten to Grade 12 education system, the minister added. Te process will include pub- lic consultation and consider a wide range of issues, such as the quality of education, role of school boards and taxation power.


PROVINCE ANNOUNCES TWO CLASS- ROOM ADDITION Students and families in East St. Paul


and the surrounding area will soon benefit from two new classrooms at Dr. F.W.L. Hamilton School that will add 1,720 square feet of learning space to the school, Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart recently an- nounced. “Quality learning spaces directly


impact student well-being and achieve- ment,” said Wishart. “We are making significant investments in upgrades to our public schools because we know how important it is to ensure all stu- dents have safe and healthy places in which to study.” Construction is set to begin in early


2018 with an anticipated completion date of September 2019, Wishart said. “We are pleased to support this


project to accommodate the needs of our growing community for years to come,” said Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler, who made the announce- ment on behalf of Wishart. Dr. F.W.L. Hamilton School is a Kin-


dergarten to Grade 5 English school with a September 2017 enrolment of 222 students. Te school also houses a licensed child-care facility for 30 school-aged children. Schuler noted the project is sup-


ported by more than $92.4 million in planned capital spending by the province in 2017-18 for public school infrastructure projects, prioritizing the health and safety of students and educators, and accommodating growth in enrolment. “We would like to thank the Mani-


toba government for their support on the two classroom addition at Dr. F.W.L Hamilton School,” said Col- leen Carswell, board chair, River East Transcona School Division. “We’ve seen significant growth in East St. Paul and the two new classrooms will help us to better meet the needs of our students, staff and school community.”


WESMEN DONATE MEMORABILIA TO UWINNIPEG ARCHIVES Te University of Winnipeg Archives


The Wesmen Women’s Basketball team faces off against the University of Manitoba Bisons in the 1990s. Photo courtesy of UWinnipeg Archives.


and Record Centre is sporting a new collection of Wesmen memorabilia thanks to a large donation from the Athletics Department. “I felt that if the archives had it, this


would allow access to the our Wesmen history to those who were interested in it,” said Dave Crook, Wesmen Athletic Director. “I also knew that the archives had the skill set to properly handle and look after and care for things that are part of our history and history of the institution.” Last year, Crook donated more than


a dozen boxes of game programs, pho- tographs, newspaper clippings, and videos to the Archives. “Prior to this we had real paucity


of athletic records, so this fills a big gap,” said Daniel Matthes, Archives Technician. The new collection includes items


from 1966 to 2012, and builds on the athletic records from UWinnipeg’s founding colleges, which date back to 1900. Matthes says the Wesmen hold- ings are the most complete in the 90s, making the collection an “antique of the future.” “Most people want to look at the stuff


from the 60s and 70s because it seems more interesting,” said Matthes. “I look forward 50 years and I think people will find this collection very interesting.” For Crook, one of the most impor-


tant features in the collection is the complete series of Wesmen Classic programs — including one from the very first tournament in 1967. Te an- nual event recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and changed its format to include women’s teams and volleyball. “I have coached in 24 Wesmen Clas-


sics, was a fan at numerous others and worked at another 8, so I have actively been part of 32 of the 51 and was a fan at 6 more and I guess I was the catalyst for the change in formats so I have invested a great deal of my life in this event,” said Crook. Tere’s also record of some lesser-


known historical figures — like the Wesmen Wizard, who enjoyed a short stint as the University’s mascot in the 1980s. Te breadth of material holds a lot


of information for someone interested in researching specific Wesmen teams and players, and substance for an Ar- chives exhibit, says Matthes. Te Archives has also recently pro-


cessed records from the University Club and former faculty member Kaye Kerr, whose studied the status of women, child psychology, and child care on campus. Te Archives and Record Centre is


open from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Monday to Friday and is located in the UWinnipeg Library in Room 5C02.


www.smartbizwpg.com


IMPACT 2020 CAMPAIGN GOAL BOOSTED TO $16.5 MILLION Providence University College &


Teological Seminary’s IMPACT 2020 campaign has boosted its target to $16.5 million. Already the biggest fundrais- ing initiative in the institution’s history at the previous goal of $12.5 million, the $4 million increase represents an opportunity for further support follow- ing a June 2017 fire that destroyed the Bergen Hall residence. Te Board of Governors unanimous-


ly approved the new financial objective at a special session on January 18. Te time frame of IMPACT 2020 will re- main unchanged, with donations and pledges to be received by April 30, 2020. Advanced into its publ ic phase


and officially launched in September 2016, IMPACT 2020 has so far raised more than $11.3 million in gifts and pledges. This support has already yielded new science programming and laboratory facilities, the Buller School of Business, a Welcome Centre that houses student services, a landscaped courtyard, enhancements to employee compensation, faculty recruitment and an endowment fund to serve students through scholarships and bursaries. Additionally, a campus accessibil- ity project is ongoing, and Providence looks forward to being barrier-free. All initial IMPACT 2020 projects will


also be completed, positioning Provi- dence to be identified among Canada’s foremost Christian universities. Plans to construct a new, state-of-


the-art and environmentally friendly residence facility are also underway. The loss of Bergen Hall left Provi-


dence needing residence space, par- ticularly given consecutive years of enrollment growth. The upcoming Living and Learning Centre will house 130 beds and provide an innovative, holistic program of spiritual, social and academic growth for Providence students. Te increased IMPACT 2020 goal will


allow Providence supporters to partner with the institution in developing a residence that furthers a vision to be “a learning community that transforms students into leaders of character, knowledge and faith, to serve Christ in a changing world.” Providence President Dr. David H.


Johnson says: “We are overwhelmed by the generous support of our Providence friends. I thank God every day for the provision of these added resources. Te success of the IMPACT 2020 campaign has generated a new spirit of service on campus, and it has caused more students to look at Providence as a viable alternative in their choices of post-secondary education.” For more information go to http:// www.providenceuc.ca


Smart Biz 11


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16