Welcome to the second to last Board meeting of this Council’s mandate. Just two months ago, we were wrapping up the 2023-2024 school year, and tonight, on August 26, 2024 (did I already say it is our Director General, Dr. Cindy Finn’s birthday?) the Council is back again (on Zoom) with what feels like a blink of the eye in time, to begin to conclude the business of our mandate and to kick-start a new school year, 2024-2025. There are only a few days left until the first day of school which for most students and families is an exciting day, filled with both amazing energy and enthusiasm and a lot of nervousness, too. What will the new school year will bring? Within that question are many other questions, all which we hope will be answered exactly as you wish. We hope for the very best for everyone and that those first few days before the short rest on the long weekend will be positive and …. well … fun!

At our Council table tonight, we would like to welcome back from a year’s sabbatical, our Assistant Director General, Veronique Marin, and as well, would like to welcome, Stéphanie Stever, our new Assistant Director General, who many of our community know from her outstanding work as the Director of Student Services at the LBPSB.

Any new school year comes with challenges in preparing for the arrival of the staff and students, with our school and centre buildings, with staffing in all areas, with lesson, evaluation and activities planning, with providing the tools and resources to support learning, with transportation, with food services – the list is long, and I am sure we could all add to it easily. It seems that every year also comes with glitches (let’s not think about the pandemic, but it’s hard not to), and this year added a few. On August 9^th, many, many people in our community experienced terrible flooding, the result of the tail end of Hurricane Debby. My home shared the consequences of a lake of water and flooded streets with Beacon Hill School, so I understand first-hand the toll this kind of water damage can take on structures, and belongings, and on our well-being. The process to clean up after such a storm is tough. I would like to acknowledge the team at Facilities and Equipment Services for their quick response in immediately checking in to and visiting all of our schools and centres to assess possible and real damage due to the flooding. I know that also in the return to our schools and centres there were some soggy boxes and equipment to deal with. I also know that many of our families who were expecting a few more relaxing summer weeks or days before the start of the school year are still reeling and are exhausted. This has been a very difficult few weeks for a lot of people.

One last comment, on September 16^th, we will be holding our last Council meeting, also on Zoom, before November while we take a pause for English School Board elections. At that meeting we hope to be passing a budget, an EDDI policy, and will wrap up other important business. In the meantime, may the next few weeks be exciting and positive ones for all at the LBPSB, a school board we are so proud of. Please be patient, kind and drive safely and slowly near our schools and centres.

Thank you!