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Agreement supports collaboration land-based learning in Meewasin Valley

June 09, 2022
A long-standing relationship relating to land-based education has led the Meewasin Valley Authority, Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) to create a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to reinforce and enhance this relationship and to further support intentional and strategic collaboration. The MOU establishes a working group with...

Board of Education approves 2022-23 budget

June 08, 2022
The Saskatoon Board of Education has approved its operating budget for the upcoming academic year, with expenditures of $297 million, an increase of $9.3 million over last year.
Provincial government operating funding for the school division increased 2.1 per cent ($5.2 million) for the year, which mainly covers the provincially negotiated...

Students share Indigenous learning through Wanuskewin exhibit

June 06, 2022
An experience that gave students the opportunity to unlearn and relearn the living history of Indigenous peoples is now sharing that learning with the wider community.
Reclaiming Heritage; A Good Life miyo-pimatisiwin, Wičoni kiŋ de waste is a pre-contact literacy and art project that offered Grade 7-8 students from the Nêhiyawêwin...

Project provides access to bikes, cycling education for elementary students

May 18, 2022
More Saskatoon Public Schools' students will experience the excitement of riding a bike thanks to the support of both community organizations and other students. As part of the division's Move to Grow initiative, a classroom set of 30 bicycles contributed by Bridge City Bike Co-op will be available to elementary classes...

Princess Alexandra School to close at end of school year

May 11, 2022
As plans progress for the new centrally located school, Princess Alexandra School will be closing at the end of June.  The site of Princess Alexandra School in Riversdale was previously chosen by the board as the location for the division’s next school. Referred to as the City Centre Project until it...

School-year calendar finalized for 2022-23; first day of classes Sept. 1

May 09, 2022
All Saskatoon Public Schools' students will begin the school year on Thursday, Sept. 1, according to the 2022-23 school year calendar.
The calendar represents a total of 184 instructional days for elementary students and 181 days for collegiate students, with 950 hours of instruction for both. The calendar has been finalized with...

Many school community councils holding annual meetings

May 05, 2022
Saskatoon Public Schools' school community councils (SCC) hold annual meetings to elect representatives for the 2022-23 school year.  Annual meetings are held in either the spring or fall of the school year.
The SCC acts in an advisory role to the school, the Board of Education and other agencies and organizations. The...

Indigenous Ensemble welcoming students after pandemic absence

May 03, 2022
The opportunity to share Indigenous culture through song and dance is returning after being sidelined for two years.
The Indigenous Ensemble, a division-wide extracurricular program designed to support youth through involvement in music, song, dance, storytelling, and traditional arts, will be reinvigorated for the remainder of the school year in preparation...

Community partnerships highlighted for Board of Education

April 28, 2022
The contributions to students and learning made possible by partnership organizations were shared with trustees during the April 10 meeting of the Saskatoon Board of Education.
The school division's Partners 2021-22 document highlights the community connections that enhance academic excellence, character, engagement, and well-being. Building partnerships within the wider community allows...

Pleasant Hill, Greystone Heights students receive Living in Harmony Awards

March 30, 2022
Messages that shared a belief in anti-racism and diversity have earned two groups of Saskatoon Public Schools' students recognition through the City of Saskatoon's Living In Harmony awards.
Three students from Pleasant Hill School — Travis Bird, Brooklyn Dreger, and Geordie Laliberte — received the award for Best Elementary Submission for...

Programs offer unique learning for high school students

March 15, 2022
Specialized high school programs that offer unique and hands-on learning experiences are inviting students to explore their opportunities for the 2022-23 school year.
Outdoor School, Media School, and the High School Carpentry Apprenticeship Program (HCAP) provide Grade 11 students (plus Grade 12 for HCAP) with the chance to join other students from collegiates across...

Schools welcome kindergarten registration for September

March 14, 2022
Kindergarten is a special time and place in the life of a young child and Saskatoon Public Schools is dedicated to welcoming every student to a safe and caring environment. All neighbourhood schools are accepting kindergarten registration for classes beginning this fall. If your child will be five years old by...

Elementary programs offer unique experiences to students

February 28, 2022
Five programs that offer Saskatoon Public Schools' elementary students specialized learning experiences are accepting applications for the 2022-23 school year.
Four Grade 8 programs — Creative Action, Ecoquest, ScienceTrek and Let's Lead-Nīkānētān — along with the iGen program for Grade 6 engage students in learning opportunities filled with unique, hands-on experiences. The programs are...

Montessori program expanding to Lakeridge School beginning September 2022

February 28, 2022
The Montessori program is growing at Saskatoon Public Schools. Starting in the 2022-23 school year, Lakeridge School will be the new home of a Montessori program for kindergarten to Grade 3 students. Lakeridge School will become dual stream – offering the regular K-8 school program parallel to the new Montessori program...

Schools hosting virtual kindergarten information nights in March

January 19, 2022
Kindergarten is a special time and place in the life of a young child and Saskatoon Public Schools is dedicated to welcoming every student to a safe and caring environment. In past years, schools have held in-person information nights to share details about kindergarten and the school with families. In-person events...

Centennial Collegiate graduate receives Award of Excellence

January 12, 2022
Jessica McBride is the recipient of the 2021 Award of Excellence, presented by the Saskatoon Board of Education at its Jan. 11 meeting. The annual award is given to a recent graduate who best exemplifies the vision and goals of Saskatoon Public Schools. McBride graduated from Centennial Collegiate with a 99...

Virtual open houses help Grade 8 students plan for high school

January 10, 2022
Saskatoon Public Schools' collegiates are virtually opening their doors to provide current Grade 8 students and their parents and caregivers with a glimpse of high school life.
Collegiate open house events usually give students and parents the opportunity to visit one or several schools. This year, schools are creating videos to highlight their...

Report to the Community highlights challenging year of teaching and learning

December 14, 2021
Saskatoon Public Schools' 2020-21 Report to the Community is a snapshot of an academic year filled with much joy and many triumphs and accomplishments, but also unprecedented challenges.
The report highlights the work done by staff and students as they continued to learn and celebrate community while facing the uncertainty of...

Mayfair, W.P. Bate schools see benefits of daily hot lunch thanks to USask research

December 13, 2021
A delicious smell greets lunchtime visitors to W.P. Bate Community School.
In the kitchen, carts are ready to roll with their cargo of steaming pots of chili and pans of rice. Along the hallway, tables hold stacks of plates, trays of colorful sliced vegetables, tubs of bananas, and glasses of milk....

Walter Murray teacher honoured for commitment to students, passion for physics

December 09, 2021
Murray Guest believes a knowledge of physics allows students to look at the world around them with a different set of eyes.
That belief in learning and teaching is one reason why the Walter Murray Collegiate teacher has been recognized with the CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics, presented...

Board of Education meeting recognizes bravery of staff, students

December 09, 2021
The quick reaction to keep students safe when a moose crashed into Sylvia Fedoruk School was recognized during the Dec.7 meeting of the Saskatoon Board of Education.
Two staff members of the Boys & Girls Club of Saskatoon ensured students were able to exit the building after the moose burst through...

Prekindergarten expanding at four schools in January

December 01, 2021
Prekindergarten classrooms are being added at more elementary schools to respond to the needs of children and families. Beginning in January 2022, a half-day prekindergarten program will be introduced at École Lakeview and Lawson Heights schools, while a second class will be added to existing programs at Buena Vista and École...

Student design featured on school division's Pink Shirt Day shirts

December 01, 2021
A Grade 8 student has created a Pink Shirt Day design that is out of this world. Ava Gee, a student at École Lakeview School, had her design chosen for the Saskatoon Public Schools Pink Shirt Design Contest. Gee's clean design features a ribbon wrapping around the earth proclaiming, "Kindness is...

Trustees learn about science kit program, COVID-19 response

November 24, 2021
A connection to science and hands-on learning at Montgomery School is being shared throughout the school division, trustees were told during the Celebrating Excellence portion of the Board of Education's Nov. 23 meeting.
The school's maker's lab offers learning activities in three forms: tinkering to learn, making to learn, and application...

Marion Graham teacher receives Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence

November 23, 2021
A teacher who elevates mathematics learning by building relationships with and among students has been recognized as one of Canada's top educators. Nat Banting, a teacher at Marion M. Graham Collegiate, received one of two Teaching Excellence in STEM certificates presented nationally as part of the Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence....

Students share water conservation message in prize-winning films

November 15, 2021
​ A student-created animated tale of a person caught in their water-wasting ways and a video highlighting the reality of abundance versus scarcity delivered prize-winning messages about water conservation and security.
Bottle , a short video produced by students Arbe Chumala, Victoria Hansen, Sophie Stevens, and Caroline Zhang as part of...

MacPherson to serve third term as Board of Education chair

November 09, 2021
The challenge of educating students during a global pandemic has highlighted the strength of Saskatoon Public Schools, according to the Saskatoon Board of Education's chairperson.
Colleen MacPherson, who was acclaimed to a third term as chair during the board's inaugural meeting Nov. 9, said the past year has shown that Saskatoon...

Flag raising honours partnerships with First Nations, Métis communities

November 03, 2021
The sight of the Treaty 6, Whitecap Dakota First Nation, and Métis flags flying above Saskatoon Public Schools' Board of Education office was a welcome sign for Chief Mark Arcand.
Arcand, chief of the Saskatoon Tribal Council, joined representatives of the school division and Whitecap Dakota and Métis communities on Nov....

Division shares design options for City Centre Project

November 01, 2021
Saskatoon Public Schools is sharing preliminary design options for the new centrally located school. The two designs were developed following consultations with students, staff, stakeholders, an Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers advisory group, and feedback gathered through a public survey. The designs provide different options for the layout of...

Students, teachers embrace the opportunity to learn outdoors

October 19, 2021
​ Spending hours outside with a busy group of three- to six-year-olds may sound like a recipe for chaos. But for teachers and students at Buena Vista School, a morning spent at Gabriel Dumont Park, or their schoolyard, or other locations in the neighbourhood offers lessons in how being outdoors and...

Board of Education hears how outreach workers help students Reconnect

October 18, 2021
The creation of six outreach worker positions designed to support staff in re-engaging students and supporting student mental health was highlighted during the Celebrating Excellence portion of the Board of Education's Oct. 12 meeting.
The primary work of an outreach worker is reconnection with families and support school staff and the...

Help students make music by donating band instruments

October 04, 2021
Saskatoon Public Schools gratefully accepts donations of gently used band instruments for use in elementary and secondary school band programs. To donate instruments such as flutes, clarinets, trumpets, trombones, saxophones, or other instruments, contact the band teacher at your neighbourhood school or the Board of Education office. If you wish to...

Embedded literacy approach puts focus on individual student learning

October 04, 2021
​ An initiative that saw teachers tailor literacy instruction to fit each student's unique learning needs had a big impact on Grade 2 students at École Forest Grove School.
When classroom teacher Laura Kalinocha and resource teacher Mirissa Dimnik identified early in the 2020-21 school year that a number of Kalinocha's students...

School division will require staff to show proof of vaccination or test status

September 30, 2021

Saskatoon Public Schools is committed to protecting the health and well-being of our students and staff members. As such, the school division is currently developing an administrative procedure on employee vaccinations. This administrative procedure will require all staff members to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or provide...

Every Child Matters flag flies over board office

September 28, 2021
On a sunny September morning, a small group of school division employees gathered on a rooftop to make history.
In a ceremony led by Don Speidel, the cultural resource liaison for Saskatoon Public Schools, the school division raised the Every Child Matters flag atop the Board of Education office. Located at...

Saskatoon Public Schools recognizing National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 09, 2021
Saskatoon Public Schools is committed to recognizing the importance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. The school division is moving the professional development/planning day for teachers scheduled for Oct. 8 to Sept. 30. This means there will be no classes for all prekindergarten to Grade 12...

Saskatoon Public Schools releases back-to-school handbooks

August 23, 2021
Saskatoon Public Schools has released its plan that outlines the school division's commitment to providing safe learning and working environments for our students and staff members. "Guidance from local public health officials continues to provide necessary guidance for our operational decisions at both the elementary and collegiate levels," said Director of...

Schools working to ReConnect with students, families

August 23, 2021
Back to school is an opportunity for schools, students, and families to ReConnect.
As schools begin 2021-22 school year, Saskatoon Public Schools is offering additional resources and supports to help students reengage with their learning following a challenging year of learning. The COVID-19 pandemic saw many students and families lose their...

A growing concern: Students aid restoration of prairie ecosystem

August 18, 2021
Helping restore the prairie ecosystem was a growing concern for Outdoor School students during the past school year. Students grew native prairie plants in their classroom at Walter Murray Collegiate last spring and then planted them at the Restoring 71 project site east of Saskatoon in June.  The project originated during...

Student projects share conservation methods, message

August 18, 2021
Projects from Saskatoon Public Schools students designed to share the message of watershed conservation and environmental responsibility took top spots during the Caring For Our Watersheds program held during the spring of 2021.
The annual competition, sponsored by Nutrien Ltd. with support from community partners Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin...

Online learning for elementary, collegiate students available for 2021-22

July 22, 2021
Online learning delivered by Saskatoon Public Schools teachers will be available for kindergarten to Grade 12 students during the 2021-22 school year. The school division has expanded its programming to accommodate families choosing online learning. Programming is developed by SPS teachers and is available is at no cost to families and students under...

Elementary, high schools welcome back students

July 20, 2021
Students in Saskatoon Public Schools' elementary schools and collegiates begin the 2021-22 school year on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. Many elementary schools will welcome back kindergarten to Grade 8 students with a staggered start schedule to support a smooth return to classes. Additional information about school-specific operations for back to school will...

Board presents top awards to graduating students

June 25, 2021
​ Every year at collegiate graduation ceremonies, trustees from the Board of Education hand out three of the top awards – the Governor General's Medal, the Perseverance Award, and the School Board Proficiency Scholarship.
For almost 150 years, the Governor General's Academic Medals have recognized the outstanding scholastic achievements of students...

Art guides students in exploration of mental health, wellness

June 21, 2021
​ A project to engage students in understanding their own mental health and wellness through art has had a positive impact on students at three elementary schools. The Mental Health, Regulation and the Power of Art Project was a creative, fun, safe, and strengths-based approach to exploring mental health and wellness...

Board of Education approves operating budget for 2021-22

June 16, 2021
The Saskatoon Board of Education has approved its operating budget for the upcoming academic year, which will see expenses of $287.7 million, an increase of $9.4 million over last year.
Provincial government operating funding increased two per cent ($4.6 million) for the year, which mainly covers the provincially negotiated salary increase...

Collegiate science labs new home for donated USask microscopes

June 08, 2021
​ Learning will have new focus for hundreds of Saskatoon Public Schools' high school students thanks to a significant contribution from the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.
Eighty-four microscopes that were once used in undergraduate teaching labs now have new homes in the school division's classrooms. Although used, the...

Work of student writers selected for Windscript anthology

June 08, 2021
​ Everyone has a story, and for a group of Saskatoon Public Schools students telling their stories has resulted in their work being chosen for Windscript, the annual compilation of high school literature published by the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild. Eight students from five collegiates were among the 28 writers selected for...

Board confirms Princess Alexandra site for new school

June 02, 2021
​ The Saskatoon Board of Education has approved the site of Princess Alexandra School as the location for the City Centre Project. At a meeting held June 1, trustees rescinded a motion passed on May 11 that called for further consideration of the Optimist Park site for the City Centre Project....

Bedford Road, Mayfair receive $10,000 boost to nutrition programs

May 11, 2021
Nutrition programs at two schools received a major boost after being chosen as one of 10 recipients of the Mosaic School Nutrition Challenge. Bedford Road Collegiate and Mayfair Community School each received a $10,000 grant to support student nutrition programs and facilities. Bedford Road will use the funds to enhance its...

Full-day prekindergarten, kindergarten programs coming to many schools

May 05, 2021
Students at many schools will receive a boost to their learning with the introduction of full-day prekindergarten and kindergarten classes beginning in September.
Thanks to the support of Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation's Early Learning Equal Start initiative, a full-day prekindergarten class will be offered Monday to Thursday at 13 schools. For...

​Division's pandemic response highlighted for Board of Education

April 27, 2021
Information about the school division's ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic was shared with trustees during the Board of Education meeting held April 20.
Senior administration continues to meet regularly with medical health officers regarding the pandemic and its impact on learning and school communities. The division is in possession of...

School community councils holding annual meetings

April 22, 2021
Saskatoon Public Schools' school community councils (SCC) hold annual meetings to elect representatives for the 2021-22 school year.  Annual meetings are held in either the spring or fall of the school year.
The SCC acts in an advisory role to the school, the Board of Education and other agencies and organizations. The...

Virtual event brings students together to discuss racism, community

March 23, 2021
​ A global pandemic couldn't derail an opportunity for students from across the city to come together, share ideas, and work toward building an inclusive community. Seventeen classrooms — 10 from Saskatoon Public Schools, six from Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, and one from Lloydminster — gathered virtually on March 19 to...

Ribbon Skirt Day provides opportunities for learning

March 23, 2021
​   A young girl's ribbon skirt has become a powerful opportunity for schools to connect current events and issues with curriculum and citizenship education.
During February, many of the division's elementary and secondary schools held a Ribbon Skirt Day that shared learning of Indigenous cultural teachings through the creation and...

Students, school recognized with Living in Harmony Awards

March 23, 2021
​ A commitment to foster an inclusive community and contribute to the elimination of racial discrimination resulted in three schools receiving recognition as part of the City of Saskatoon's Living in Harmony Recognition Awards. A Grade 8 classroom at Greystone Heights School, a Grade 6 student at École River Heights School,...

Tommy Douglas Collegiate graduate wins Award of Excellence

January 13, 2021
Jordan Friesen is the recipient of the 2020 Award of Excellence, presented by the Saskatoon Board of Education. The annual award is given to a recent graduate who best exemplifies the vision and goals of Saskatoon Public Schools. Friesen graduated from Tommy Douglas Collegiate with a 98.4 per cent average, but...

Kurpjuweit recognized for contributions to band, music education

January 05, 2021
A Saskatoon Public Schools teacher who was instrumental in making band programs more accessible to elementary students has received the Canadian Music Educators' Association (CMEA) Builders Award for Saskatchewan in recognition of her work to advance music education. Yvonne Kurpjuweit of W. P. Bate Community School has taught elementary band and...

Schools welcome kindergarten registration for 2021-22 school year

January 05, 2021
  Kindergarten is a special time and place in the life of a young child and Saskatoon Public Schools is dedicated to welcoming every student to a safe and caring environment.
If your child will be five years old by Jan. 31, 2022, they can start kindergarten in the fall of...

Students share letters, art with health-care workers, care home residents

December 16, 2020
​ A classroom discussion about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on others saw students in the Grade 8 class at Lawson Heights School share their feelings and support for others through words and art. "As a class we have been discussing how the pandemic is affecting families and students locally...

Trustees hear about creative approaches to mark Remembrance Day

December 15, 2020
Honouring those who served took on a unique look in schools this year.
All schools typically observe Remembrance Day prior to November 11, however due to COVID-19 health guidelines and a significant winter storm, school ceremonies in schools looked different this year, trustees heard during the Celebrating Excellence portion of the...

Report to Community highlights year of learning, challenges

December 14, 2020
Saskatoon Public Schools' 2019-20 Report to the Community is a snapshot of an academic year that was filled with much joy and many triumphs and accomplishments, but also unprecedented challenges.
The division's highlights the work done by staff and students to continue to learn and celebrate community while facing the uncertainty of...

Three new trustees join Board of Education; MacPherson named chair

November 16, 2020
​ Three new trustees were welcomed to the Saskatoon Board of Education during the inaugural meeting held Nov. 16. New trustees joining the board following the recent civic and school board elections are Michael Pidwerbeski in Ward 1, Kim Stranden in Ward 4, and Angela Arneson in Ward 10. Incumbent trustee...

Saskatoon Public Schools recruiting educational assistants

November 04, 2020
Saskatoon Public Schools has an exciting opportunity for individuals who are passionate about supporting the school-day experience of students with special learning needs. Substitute educational assistant positions within Saskatoon Public Schools are well suited to individuals who are looking for opportunities to support the delivery of educational programming and work closely...

School division, First Nation renew historic partnership supporting students

September 29, 2020
A renewed agreement between Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS), Whitecap Dakota First Nation (WDFN), and the Government of Canada will continue to support a historic education partnership agreement between the first nation and the school division. The agreement signed Sept. 26 establishes a sustainable, predictable, and flexible funding model to support student...

wâhkôhtowin chosen as new name for Confederation Park School

June 16, 2020
Following extensive community collaboration and direction, the Board of Education approved wâhkôhtowin as the new name for Confederation Park Community School at its June 2020 meeting.
Through a traditional naming ceremony that followed appropriate Cree culture protocol, wâhkôhtowin (pronounced Wah-KOH-toh-win) was chosen. The word is a Nêhiyaw (Cree) word that means "relations/relationships/being related"....

Agreement supports collaboration land-based learning in Meewasin Valley

June 09, 2022
A long-standing relationship relating to land-based education has led the Meewasin Valley Authority, Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) to create a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to reinforce and enhance this relationship and to further support intentional and strategic collaboration. The MOU establishes a working group with...

Board of Education approves 2022-23 budget

June 08, 2022
The Saskatoon Board of Education has approved its operating budget for the upcoming academic year, with expenditures of $297 million, an increase of $9.3 million over last year.
Provincial government operating funding for the school division increased 2.1 per cent ($5.2 million) for the year, which mainly covers the provincially negotiated...

Students share Indigenous learning through Wanuskewin exhibit

June 06, 2022
An experience that gave students the opportunity to unlearn and relearn the living history of Indigenous peoples is now sharing that learning with the wider community.
Reclaiming Heritage; A Good Life miyo-pimatisiwin, Wičoni kiŋ de waste is a pre-contact literacy and art project that offered Grade 7-8 students from the Nêhiyawêwin...

Project provides access to bikes, cycling education for elementary students

May 18, 2022
More Saskatoon Public Schools' students will experience the excitement of riding a bike thanks to the support of both community organizations and other students. As part of the division's Move to Grow initiative, a classroom set of 30 bicycles contributed by Bridge City Bike Co-op will be available to elementary classes...

Princess Alexandra School to close at end of school year

May 11, 2022
As plans progress for the new centrally located school, Princess Alexandra School will be closing at the end of June.  The site of Princess Alexandra School in Riversdale was previously chosen by the board as the location for the division’s next school. Referred to as the City Centre Project until it...