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Elected School Trustees

Yellowknife

Marie-Ève Martel

 

I came to Yellowknife from Quebec nearly six years ago to be with my spouse. Both of our daughters were born in Yellowknife. I have served on various boards of directors since 2015. My first stint was as a board member at Garderie Plein Soleil, followed by the Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife. I want for École Allain St-Cyr to make it possible for all of its students to succeed both academically and personally. I want to see more emphasis on the world, other cultures, art, history, and so on. I believe that the time has also come to take a look at successful programs at other schools inside and outside Canada so that we can better understand how they have managed to create the conditions whereby their students are now doing better academically, feel better about themselves and tend to stay in school. I hope that our school will also be able to implement such programs. Finally, I would like to work on getting more parents involved in our school. 

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Simon Cloutier

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I came to Yellowknife from Quebec seven years ago with my wife Christine and our two children, Daphné and Louis-Philippe. I served as trustee from 2013 to 2015, and then again from 2015 to 2018. I was elected Chair of the Board of Trustees each year. My colleagues and I were involved in several major files: the announcement concerning the new Ministerial Directive on Enrolment of Students in French First Language Education Programs, to which Minister Moses added three new streams of eligible parents in 2016; construction of the new spaces at Allain St-Cyr and their official opening one month from now; and a policy review and implementation of rules of procedure to promote more effective and transparent governance of the school board. My priorities as trustee during this next term will be as follows:

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  1. Maintain strong linkages with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment (significant staff turnover, new minister, territorial election next year, etc.; all of these factors could affect our working relationship.)

  2. Finish implementing our strategic plan and begin working on the next one.

  3. Begin efforts and lobbying for new gymnasium and space for secondary wing in Hay River.

  4. Continue working with our local partners to enhance early childhood services in the two communities we represent.

  5. Ensure that we receive our fair share from the next Official Languages in Education Plan. 

  6. Continue lobbying for full control over admissions to our schools.

  7. Continue working closely with our colleagues nationally on amendments to the Official Languages Act. 

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Jean de Dieu Tuyishime

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Jean de Dieu Tuyishime: I am married and have three sons, and I have been living in Yellowknife since 2004. We have seen our children thrive in the French school system, receive never-ending support and guidance from teaching and support staff, and succeed after high school. As a parent, I think I have some good ideas about how we can improve student retention, recognize staff and prepare our future graduates for the other challenges in life that await them.

Furthermore, I was a CSFTNO trustee from 2013 to 2015. That role taught me about how the school system in the Northwest Territories works, about funding, about working with our partners, and about setting priorities for our students and schools in line with available financial resources. If elected, I will be sharing those valuable experiences with my fellow trustees. 

 

In addition, my experience in the French-speaking community as a board member (AFCY) and executive director (FFT) has enabled me to forge strong ties with the French schools and French school board. If I am elected CSFTNO trustee, my community experience will be an asset in strengthening Francophones’ pride in their schools. 

 

My priorities will be as follows:

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   1. Recruit and retain students in the French school system. I would like to see enrolment at our schools increase to

   251 students by September 2020.

   2. Provide an orientation program to our graduates to better prepare them for the many choices awaiting them.

   3. Maintain stable teaching and support staffing levels in our schools.

   4. Get everyone who is involved in our children’s education—parents, students, staff, community, partners—to

   share their ideas, with a view to developing stronger partnerships.

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Hay River

Nicole Fournier

 

I lived in Yellowknife for 17 years. My children attended Allain St-Cyr. They are both bilingual. I returned to Hay River in August 2018. I am looking after my daughter’s children full time. Her son is attending École Boréale, and her daughter will be starting there next September. French continues to be the language spoken at home. I served on the Parents’ Committee in Yellowknife 20 years ago, and I am delighted to see the progress being made by the city’s French-speaking community. I have been a trustee in Hay River for a year now, and my goal is to continue promoting the French language and culture in Hay River.

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Sarah Poitras

 

My name is Sarah Poitras. My parents were born in Quebec. My father was in the Canadian Forces so we’ve lived in several areas of Canada, however, they insisted on passing on the French language to their children. I’ve lived in Hay River for almost 10 years.  I’m the mother of three young daughters.  My eldest daughter attends École Boréale’s kindergarten class.  I am presently on maternity leave, but I will be returning to work in January 2019.  I am a social worker employed by the Government of the Northwest Territories.  I love my work and I hope that my training will assist me in my work as a school board trustee.  My priorities for the next three years are to help develop a francophone daycare service at École Boréale as well as to work collaboratively with the school community and the City of Hay River to ensure the construction of a community gymnasium at École Boréale. I look forward to meeting you soon.

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