MINISTER KRAWETZ WRAPS UP EDUCATION WEEK WITH YORKTON STUDENTS

At the conclusion of Education Week, Deputy Premier and Education Minister Ken Krawetz read to the Grade 5 class at Columbia School that accumulated more seconds of reading per student than any other class in the school during the Good Spirit School Division's Book'n it to a Billion reading celebration. The program encourages students, families and friends to read for a combined total of a billion seconds. Students and families of the Good Spirit School Division have read for a combined total of 540,484,411 seconds so far this school year.

"I'm glad to have the opportunity to celebrate Education Week with Yorkton students at one of the many events that took place in schools across the province," Krawetz said. "The variety of events throughout the week highlights the different types of learning that occur every day in Saskatchewan. I am pleased that the technology funding I announced at the beginning of Education Week will add to the strength and diversity of our education system."

"We are extremely pleased to host Minister Krawetz as he acknowledges and supports the important work being done in our schools not only during Education Week but throughout the school year," Good Spirit School Division board chair Raymond Sass said.

Christ the Teacher Catholic Schools also took part in Education Week with activities such as read-a-thons, book exchanges, guest readers, and on Friday, October 31, elementary schools will have a parade of costumes in the afternoon. Donations from some of the activities will go to the division's fundraising efforts that will support building St. Francis School, a primary school in Kamuwongo, Mwinga, Kenya.

To launch Education Week, Minister Krawetz announced nearly $10 million in funding to enhance technology infrastructure in Saskatchewan's public library systems, schools and regional colleges. The province is investing $5.2 million over four years to implement a Single Integrated Library System (SILS). This includes $1.3 million for purchasing local branch library computers. SILS is a cost-effective, sustainable computer platform that allows the 317 local public library branches in the province's 10 public library systems to share their resources. In addition, the education technology infrastructure funding of more than $4 million will improve and enhance the LIVE Satellite Network, CommunityNet and the Blackboard Learning Management System.

This year's Education Week theme, Reading More into Education, highlights the many aspects of education undertaken in Saskatchewan schools. The theme also emphasizes fundamental skills, such as reading, that are essential for student achievement and future success. Education Week is celebrated through various events and public activities in schools throughout Saskatchewan, demonstrating the quality of our public education system.

The co-ordinating committee for Education Week is comprised of partners from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education, the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA), the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF), League of Educational Administrators, Directors and Superintendents (LEADS), Saskatchewan Association of School Councils (SASC), Conseil des écoles fransaskoises, Regina Catholic Schools and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN).

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For more information, contact:

Jacquie Mclean
Education
Regina, Phone: 306-787-5609
Email: jacquie.mclean@gov.sk.ca