ATM: Staff Advisory Council Advances Wellness & Well-being

Staff Advisory Council engages participants in presentations and discussions around key topics that support staff effectiveness in their roles. Staff representatives from each Foothills School Division school and work site participate in the FSD Staff Advisory Council. The Superintendent, representatives from the Executive Team, and Board of Trustees also attend. The committee meets several times a year to learn together and have a voice in decision making that positively impacts our system’s working and learning environments.

Advancing wellness and well-being is, and has been, a consistent focus for Foothills School Division. On a continual basis, colleagues share stories, discuss challenges, and plan forward to foster the conditions for a flourishing community. FSD School Board Trustees attend these gathering; gaining insights into how the Education Plan is being lived throughout the division; gaining deeper understanding of the challenges staff are facing in their day-to-day practices and hearing the conversations leading to thoughtful actions that will continue to cultivate learning environments that support student achievement and well-being. What we learn guides our decisions that benefit the school division. It is always a privilege to be in the company of so many staff members working together to enrich student learning experiences.

Trustees see the goal of Advancing Wellness and Well-being outlined in the Education Plan taking place when staff members gather to share stories of the strategies that support them in their work as they engage with others in creating the conditions that advance a culture of mental health, wellness, and well-being for our students and all who support them. We also see how actions developed through this collaborative process are lived out in each school in the Division. In school hallways and staff rooms kindness messages are crafted and displayed, letting others know they are cared for and valued. A variety of activities that build connection with others, amplify caring relationships, and provide a sense of belonging are imbedded into the rhythm of the weeks in schools and classrooms. When you are amongst division colleagues, you see how each person listens with understanding; each voice that speaks kindness and compassion; each action that lifts others, and each gesture that conveys welcome and a sense of belonging strengthens all of us.

As educators, we appreciate the role the Staff Advisory Council plays in advancing our flourishing culture of wellness and well-being. We see this work taking place when staff members gather to learn more about wellness, to share stories of the strategies that support them in their work and that positively impact student learning, and to engage with others in creating the conditions that advance positive mental health, wellness, and well-being for our students and all who support them. This systemness is developed through this collaborative process and lived out in each school in our division. 

A variety of beliefs, actions, and activities that build connection with others and provide a sense of belonging are explored, developed, shared, and adopted throughout the system with the support of the Staff Advisory Council members. We see how each person listens with understanding; each voice that speaks kindness and compassion; each action that lifts others, and each gesture that conveys welcome and a sense of belonging strengthens all of us.

Yours in learning, 

Sharon Nichols
Trustee, Ward 4

Monica Crane
Principal, Cameron Crossing School, Foothills Digital School
Division Coordinator, Outreach Services; Student and Staff Well-Being