The task force is nearing completion of its public consultations. While all the feedback hasn’t yet been analysed, some common themes are emerging.

Islanders are telling us that our system is very focussed on the 30 per cent of students who go on to higher learning.... and that we must provide more opportunities for all students to succeed.

They are telling us that they want more consistent measurement and reporting on how our schools and our students are doing.

And, they are telling us that our early literacy programs are working well... that they must be maintained and enhanced... and even extended to areas like mathematical literacy.

These comments are an excellent reflection of how important the work is that you do.... and the very valuable contribution you make.

The other major initiative that we began this year to improve student achievement is the new School Improvement Planning initiative.

Through this initiative, principals, teachers, parents and others will come together each year to set goals to improve their school. Ten schools will pilot the program this year.

The department is providing resources to develop the model and to help the schools evaluate their results.

In doing so, we hope to engage a wider group of people in planning and implementing initiatives that will make our schools the best that they can be.

This approach is the one being recommended in the latest effective schools research.

Rather than simply ranking schools against each other or gathering and reporting on raw data, the School Improvement Planning Model brings people together to plan, implement and evaluate.... based on the unique needs of each individual school.

I hope that School Improvement Planning will increase parent involvement in our schools and provide greater opportunities for people like Project L.O.V.E. volunteers.... to provide greater input as part of the school team.

The past year was not without its challenges in education.

Like other departments, we were required to participate in government’s efforts to reduce expenditures...... so that the high quality services we enjoy today are sustainable for us, and for future generations.

We are confident that the cost savings we found will have a minimal impact on front line services.

The bottom line is that the education budget did increase from approximately $224 million last year to $227 million this year.

We look forward with enthusiasm to the coming year when we will receive the report of the Task Force.... and then to working with parents, volunteers and educators to improve student achievement.

I am sure that we can all learn a lot from your experience and wisdom and I hope you will be very involved in these exciting initiatives as they roll out.

In the meantime, we are very pleased to continue to support Project L.O.V.E.

Thank you again for your generous contributions and very best wishes for another successful year.

Another great group of 10- year Volunteers!

In 2003, Project L.O.V.E. instituted an award program for volunteers who have been with the program for ten years. Each year we are amazed at how many volunteers have been with us for this period. This year seven wonderful people have been working with students in their communities for ten years.

The 1995-2005 awardees are: Peggy MacRae, Belfast Consolidated School; Helen Rose, Eastern Kings Consolidated School; John Yeo, Montague Consolidated School; Betty Shaw, Parkside Elementary School; Beth Clements, Southern Kings Consolidated School; Georgia MacKenzie, Vernon River Consolidated School; and Geraldine MacDougall, Vernon River Consolidated School.

Winners were presented with a plaque by the Minister of Education at the Annual General Meeting, and their photographs will be found in this issue of the newsletter.