Media Release: BRSD Leadership Starts the New School Year

BRSD Leadership Starts the New School Year

Battle River School Division (BRSD) is gearing up for another successful year of learning. On August 21, BRSD principals, assistant principals, and division leadership gathered for a day of preparation, inspiration and training. This collaboration marks the beginning of the 2024-25 school year and is rooted in the division's commitment to ensuring its vision: Every Student, Every Day, a Success.

The morning session set the positive tone for the new school year, as leaders prepared for a warm welcome to students and staff on September 3. The leadership team highlighted the importance of careful planning and collaboration around BRSD's key focus areas: Learning Success for All, Enhance High Quality Learning and Working Environments, and Well-Being.

A highlight was the Supporting Individuals through Valued Attachments (SIVA) training overview. SIVA is designed to equip school personnel with proactive tools, strategies and practical knowledge necessary to create safe and supportive learning environments. 

SIVA considers safe environments to be all encompassing of psychological, socio-emotional and physical aspects as well as spiritual core values and beliefs of the person/family and community. This combination is a pro-social, healthy and respectful part of everyday life.

This training is a critical component in BRSD’s ongoing efforts to enhance the well-being of both students and staff, offering the establishment of trust, empowering relationships and creating feelings of safety, collaboration and goal-direction in healthy, supportive environments.

The SIVA model stands out as a transformative approach to inspiring, encouraging and inviting opportunities for growth and change. 

Having tools and strategies to support student well-being, the SIVA program will help professionals and families to feel confident and secure in their interactions. The program will be rolled out across BRSD over the next three years.

During the afternoon of August 21, BRSD bus drivers, who play essential roles in the safety and success of students, gathered to engage in collaborative discussions. BRSD recognizes the importance of their work and aims to strengthen the support network for these key members of the educational team.

Rhae-Ann Holoien, superintendent of schools, highlights the vital role of BRSD bus drivers in ensuring safe travel to and from school. She sees them as the trusted faces of the division, often giving the students their first BRSD smile in the morning and their last in the afternoon.

"Our bus drivers are often the first and last point of daily contact for our students, and their roles in supporting the success of each student cannot be understated,” said Holoien. “Discussions with our drivers at the onset of the school year are a testament to our commitment to supporting each and every staff member, fostering a safe and positive environment for our students."

As BRSD prepares for the upcoming school year, the division is confident that the combined efforts of its leadership, staff, and bus drivers will continue to foster an environment where every student has the opportunity to achieve success.