The accelerated reader program offered by Weyburn School Division No. 97 will be among the hopeful candidates for an award recognizing educational achievements from the provincial government.

Director of education Jan Chell told the board at its meeting on Oct. 9 that she has encouraged schools to apply for the Premier's Board of Education Award for Innovation and Excellence in Education.

Chell said a nomination had been submitted once before for the accelerated reader program, but a number of noteworthy changes have been undertaken in the program, such as now encompassing the whole division rather than being offered in one or two schools.

"It's become a very popular program," said Chell, adding that significant advances have been made by students entered into the program.

Chell also said the board should be working on long-term tracking of some of the students who have entered the program to see if their progress sticks with them.

The board received a letter from Weyburn Central School Division No. 73 outlining the guidelines and implications of switching to a four-day school week.

Anne Lazurko, a Weyburn Central School board member, was also present at the meeting. She said there is a lengthy process needed to switch to a four-day week, and any application for changes must be submitted by November of this year.

A big factor in the decision, said Lazurko, is how it would affect buses; it would admittedly cut down on costs because there would be one less day in the schedule, but there would have to be changes for schools who depend largely on students being bused in, such as at Queen Elizabeth School.

Lazurko also noted that switching to a four-day week is involved more in taking time away from recesses and lunch hours than in extending school hours. "It isn't so much a longer day," she said.

Board member Justin Brown asked if switching to a four-day week would be implemented division-wide or just at a few schools. Lazurko noted the discussion over the switch is still ongoing, and the public board will be kept informed.

Weyburn will play host to a conference of teachers' assistants, para-educators and special ed. instructors on Friday, Nov. 16.

Chell said that, to her knowledge, this event has only been put on twice before. The conference will draw a range of educators, including special education instructors within Weyburn, from all over Region One West Shared Services, the shared services area encompassing Division No. 97 and more than a dozen other school divisions.

Topics discussed at the conference will include dealing with misbehaviour and special education. Chell said this conference has gone over extremely well when it was held in the past, and it should again prove to be a success.

"We're really pleased to have and to host the event here," said Chell.

Concerns over 50/50 tickets being sold at Family Fun Nights was heard as a concern in a report from the Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) during the meeting.

Mary Shirkie, president of the PAC, said she had received a call from a parent concerned over the legality and even the ethics around selling 50/50 tickets, since a cash prize is offered to the winner and therefore it borders on gambling.

Shirkie admitted to the board it was a "gray area" for herself, but based on some research done by the PAC, Shirkie noted a licence is legally required to sell 50/50 tickets, and children themselves can sell the tickets but cannot buy them.

Shirkie also noted the board currently has no regulations preventing the selling of such tickets. She added that she brought the issue forward for the board to consider further.

Board member Tim Wagner said the board would consider it in time for next meeting.

Shirkie also read off several other items of concern from the committee, such as classroom temperatures in some schools.

New student population numbers calculated as of Sept. 30 continue to show a slight drop at most schools in the Public School division, but overall little deviation from earlier projections.

The total number of students in the division, which includes Assiniboia Park, Haig, Souris, Weyburn Junior High and the Comp, is 1,462 students. The projection for 2001-2002 was 1,468 students, a difference of only six pupils.

The only significant differences in student populations and projections for each school was seen at the Weyburn Junior High, which has 15 students less than the projection, and Souris School, which has six students more than the projection.

"There aren't too many surprises," said Chell.

The board was requested by the Saskatchewan School Trustees Association (SSTA) to give input on its "Vision for the Governance of Public Education in Saskatchewan" statement.

The document, said Chell, is basically a vision statement applying to all school boards in Saskatchewan, outlining their roles and some of the powers they exercise.

Chell said the document's resolutions were similar to what is contained in the Role of the Schools report, and already in line with what the school division is doing now.

Board members gave their support of the document, although there was some discussion over the lack of language pertaining to the size of areas governed by school boards, as well as size of boards.