<p>Additional information can be found in the June 10, 2025, Board Meeting Agenda package: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HfRXmYRN31Yy48zdOOPpe6chhOgPLu--/view?usp=drive_link">https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HfRXmYRN31Yy48zdOOPpe6chhOgPLu--/view?usp=drive_link</a></p><p>------</p><p><strong>Parkside School Presentation</strong><br>Parkside School administration provided an overview of the school’s programs, emphasizing elective options available to students, school-wide activities such as “undercover spirit days,” and the&nbsp;<i>Community Character</i> initiative that connects students with local seniors. The school also noted the addition of the new SAHA U15 hockey team next year, and shared that the school had seen improvement on recent Provincial Achievement Test (PAT) results. A scene from the school’s&nbsp;<i>Mamma Mia</i> musical theatre performance was presented by several students. For the upcoming school year, the school will be focussing on strengthening parent involvement.</p><p><strong>First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) Education Update</strong><br>Student Experiences Coordinator Carol Carlson presented the annual report on First Nations Metis Inuit education in Prairie Rose Public Schools. In the 2024-2025 year, 133 students self-identified as Indigenous within the division, with a total of 241 when including students from Coulee Collegiate and South Alberta High School. PRPS Indigenous students continue to exceed the provincial average in high school completion rates (78% compared to 58.6%). Other highlights of the report developments included:</p><ul><li>Tipi donations (10 in total) from Saamis Employment and Training Association</li><li>New resources such as 4Canoes Digital Library</li><li>Monthly Truth &amp; Reconciliation content for teachers</li><li>Hands-on learning kits (dreamcatcher, soap carving, drum kits)</li><li>14 Indigenous students are graduating this year</li><li>Indigenous Peoples Day will be observed on June 21.</li></ul><p><strong>Occupational Health &amp; Safety Report</strong><br>The annual Occupational Health and Safety report indicated 106 student and 15 staff injuries during the 2024–2025 school year. The majority of student accidents occurred in gymnasiums and on playgrounds. Staff injuries were primarily due to slips/falls. Increased WCB claims have resulted in a 10.17% surcharge. An external consultant will be hired to conduct an audit of WCB claims. Emergency preparedness remains a focus, with Hour Zero training and site compliance audits showing most schools at or near full compliance. Forty-four staff received Standard First Aid training, and bus drivers will receive training in August.</p><p><strong>Financial Update 2024-2025</strong><br>The fiscal financial update for the 2024-2025 school year as of May 31, 2025 included:</p><ul><li>Revenues totaled $62.2 million, $2.1 million above budget</li><li>Expenses totaled $62 million, $1.6 million over budget</li><li>The year-to-date result is a surplus of $213,830, an improvement from the previously projected deficit of $281,086</li></ul><p><strong>2025-2026 Budget Approval</strong><br>Prairie Rose Public Schools has approved a balanced budget for 2025–2026 which is the first in more than a decade. The total budget is $83.29 million, a 38.5% increase over the previous year, largely due to the addition of two Calgary schools (AJ and OBK) and over 1,600 new students.</p><p><i>Revenue and Grants</i><br>PRPS receives 94.4% of its funding from Alberta Education. Key changes include:</p><ul><li>A $20.4 million increase in instructional funding</li><li>A $1.18 million Supplemental Rural Allocation</li><li>A new $100,000 School Technology Grant</li><li>Increases to Supports &amp; Services (2.32%) and Classroom Complexity (20%)</li><li>Transportation revenue will decrease slightly due to changes in funding formulas and fuel subsidies.</li></ul><p><i>Program Allocations</i><br>Total funding by program area:</p><ul><li>Instruction: $65.95 million</li><li>Operations &amp; Maintenance: $9.78 million</li><li>Transportation: $4.61 million</li><li>System Administration: $2.68 million</li><li>External Services: $262,630</li></ul><p><i>Staffing and Wages</i><br>Staffing will increase by over 90 FTE to support enrollment growth. The budget includes projected wage increases for both teachers and support staff, with teacher salary adjustments expected to be funded by the province.</p><p><i>Reserves</i><br>Operating reserves are projected at $2.66 million (3.19% of expenditures), with capital reserves estimated at $868,000.</p><p><strong>Redcliff School Project</strong><br>A site assessment meeting with the Alberta Education/Infrastructure designated contractor is scheduled for June 17, 2025. The assessment will confirm if the selected location meets compliance requirements. Utility design is also complete, and next steps depend on the outcome of the site assessment.</p><p><strong>Student Services Report</strong><br>The Board received the Student Experiences Accountability Report, which outlined the range of supports provided across Prairie Rose Public Schools. The division employs a diverse team that includes 124 educational assistants, 11.125 inclusion support teachers, 7 student wellness counsellors, a psychologist, two therapy assistants, and a part-time resilience strategist. Additional supports are accessed through contracted services for occupational therapy, physical therapy, and vision supports.</p><p>Over the past year, 445 students accessed wellness services, with the most common concerns related to emotional regulation and family issues. A total of 162 Early Childhood Screenings were conducted for incoming students. Five students participated in the division’s hippotherapy program, which is available by referral. Prairie Rose also continues to support the use of trained service dogs in schools, with two dogs—Ian and Taija—currently working with students.</p><p>The report emphasized the growing complexity of student needs across the division and identified increasing challenges in programming and service delivery for students requiring specialized support. Educational assistants were acknowledged as essential members of school-based teams in meeting these needs. A new website and monthly newsletter have been developed to improve communication about the services provided and to support staff in accessing available resources.</p><p><strong>Executive Report</strong></p><ul><li>Two students are graduating with Veterinary Technician credentials from Senator Gershaw and Foremost schools</li></ul><p><strong>Other Items:</strong></p><ul><li>The board approved a new school code for Rosebank Colony School</li><li>The Board approved the 2025-2026 Board Monitoring Schedule</li><li>The Board passed three readings of Bylaw 1-2025 to allow for more than one voting station in a subdivision at the upcoming municipal trustee elections</li><li>The board approved locally developed courses Forensic Studies 25/35, Design Thinking for Innovation 15/25/25, Developing Personal Integrity 15/25/35, and Religious Studies Islamic Studies 15/25/35</li><li>The board approved K-9 Biblical Studies (a PRPS locally developed elective course for Burdett School)</li><li>Cathy Hogg (12 years), Lois Bedwell (8 years) and Pam Cursons (8 years) received awards for years of service from the Public School Boards Association</li></ul>

Gator of the Week - Celebrating student character and leadership! Gator of the week is Anthony. Anthony is a leader in the greenhouse class this year. He researches plant issues, experiments to find the right mix of fertilizers to alleviate issues, and is consistently helping out classmates. Anthony also helped lead a group in designing a portion of the outside garden and helped design our updated landscaping in the front of our school. Great job Anthony! #kindlehearts

<p>Due to smoke from nearby forest fires, air quality levels across our school division may vary throughout the day. Prairie Rose Public Schools is closely monitoring the situation to ensure the health and safety of all students and staff.</p><h4>How Decisions Are Made:</h4><p>Each school uses trusted weather sources to check the <strong>Air Quality Index (AQI)</strong> in their local area. Based on these readings, schools will adjust outdoor activities and follow safety protocols when needed.</p><ul><li><strong>If air quality is rated high risk</strong>, students will <strong>remain indoors</strong>, and the <strong>Shelter in Place</strong> protocol will be activated.</li><li><strong>If conditions fall in the moderate range</strong>, schools may limit outdoor activities, especially for students or staff with health concerns.</li></ul><h4>Monitoring Tools:</h4><p><strong>The Weather Network</strong> is used in some locations to access the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI). A rating of <strong>7 or higher</strong> triggers Shelter in Place.</p><p><a href="https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/weather/alberta/medicine-hat">Check AQHI for Medicine Hat</a></p><p><strong>AccuWeather</strong> provides data for many of our rural areas. If air quality is listed as <strong>Poor or Unhealthy</strong>, the same indoor protocols apply.</p><p><a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/medicine-hat/t1a/air-quality-index/46928">Check AccuWeather for your area</a></p><h4>What This Means for Your Child:</h4><ul><li>Outdoor recess, PE classes, and other outside events may be moved indoors depending on air quality levels.</li><li>Students with asthma or respiratory conditions may be given additional precautions.</li><li>Principals and staff will continue to monitor conditions throughout the day and adjust as needed.</li></ul>

Gator of the Week - Celebrating student character and leadership! Gators of the week are Foster, Loki, Lucas, and Aiden. These 4 boys helped out Bow Island Elementary with their day of baseball on a cold May day. They helped lead the high school baseball team throughout the year and have been a positive influence on baseball coming back to Senator Gershaw School. Great work gentlemen! #kindlehearts

Senator Gershaw is pleased to welcome Mrs. Terryn Gutfriend to our school for the 2025/26 school year. Mrs. Gutfriend will be teaching primarily Grade 5!

Gator of the Week - Celebrating student character and leadership! Gator of the week is Anna. Anna took it upon herself to pick up some garbage found on our school grounds on her way to school. Anna is consistently looking to help out wherever she can, great job Anna! #kindlehearts

This week's parent/guardian update. Have a great week!

⚽🌞 Final Kickoff for After-School Soccer! ⚽🎉 Wednesday marked the last day of after-school soccer for Bow Island Elementary and Senator Gershaw School students — and what a great season it’s been! Over the weeks, students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 have been learning the fundamentals of soccer and the basic rules of game play while having a ton of fun and staying active. 🥅⚽🙌 We were fortunate to have beautiful weather throughout the program, and a huge thank you goes out to all our volunteers who came out each week to coach, support, and cheer — we couldn’t have done it without you! 💛👏 #kindlehearts

🛍️💪 Grade 10s Lend a Hand at the Bow Island Hospital Garage Sale! 🏥🙌 Our amazing Grade 10 students from Senator Gershaw stepped up this week to assist with the set-up and clean-up of the annual Bow Island Hospital Garage Sale! This event is a massive undertaking, but with so many helping hands and positive attitudes, our students made a big difference in supporting this important community fundraiser. 🧹🧺💛 We’re proud of their contribution and commitment to giving back. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making this such a success! #kindlehearts

🏃‍♂️💨 Junior High Athletes Shine at South Zone Track & Field! 🏅🌞 On Tuesday, our Senator Gershaw Junior High students represented our school with heart, hustle, and determination at the South Zone Track & Field meet in Medicine Hat! From sprints to long-distance races, throws to jumps, our athletes stepped up to the challenge and showcased their skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship all day long. 💪🔥 We're so proud of their efforts and how they cheered one another on through every event. Way to connect, compete, and give it your all! 🎽👏 #kindlehearts

Reminder today is Grade 4-6 Track and Field this morning and Grades 4-9 students are going swimming this afternoon! Please remember bathing suits, towels, and water bottles!

<p>While Mattias Radke loves playing hockey and is a goalie on the U18 hockey team with the South Alberta Hockey Academy, he is aware it is a career that will eventually end. “It's nice that I found a program like this that supports the hockey side with the school side. I have two classes a day on top of the hockey and I’m still able to get all my work done,” said Radke.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>For his last semester at Eagle Butte, Radke is taking Chemistry 30 and Physics 30 and says he gets his homework and studying done after school and when the team is on the bus travelling to an away game. He still needs to take calculus but plans on taking that course online next year when he is plays Junior A hockey for the Kindersley Klippers.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>He’s been playing hockey for as long as he can remember. “I probably started playing organized hockey when I was six or seven and became a goalie when I was ten years old. I like the brotherhood I get from being on a team and appreciate both the high and low moments that come with the sport. When we win, it’s the best feeling ever and it’s crazy the contrast from winning and losing. Feeling the joy of winning a big game is why I still play, and I love being competitive,” stated Radke.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>He’s excited to be going to Kindersley to join the Klippers and plans to play junior hockey a few years before pursuing a post-secondary education in biomedical engineering while hopefully continuing to play hockey. “For me, hockey will end eventually, and I need a backup plan,” said Radke.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Currently recovering from knee surgery, biomedical engineering holds an interest for Radke due to many injuries he’s sustained over the years. “With biomedical engineering I wanted to develop certain things that are going to help people with injuries to keep playing. If someone hurts themselves, I’d like to develop a way they can keep doing what they love. I wanted to do medicine, and I also wanted to be an engineer, so that’s why I chose biomedical engineering,” concluded Radke.</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p>Alayna Martens enrolled in a dual-credit program for her Grade 10 year at Senator Gershaw School rather than taking any of the traditional options available. With a love of animals and an interest in veterinary medicine, the Veterinary Technical Assistant Certificate will allow Martens to work in a vet clinic as a non-registered member.</p><p>The last of her exams will be written in May, allowing Martens to attend the Olds College convocation in June and walk across the stage. She has sent out resumes to volunteer at a clinic over the summer and plans to continue volunteering or applying for paid positions for the next two years.</p><p>While Martens could fast-track to become a veterinary technician after graduating high school, her goal is to take a Bachelor of Science degree and then enrol in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program at either the University of Calgary or the University of Saskatchewan. The dual-credit program allowed Martens to try some courses and get some practical experience working in a veterinary setting to see if it would be a viable career for her.</p><p>Martens completed five courses to complete the requirements for the certificate. The first she took in the summer prior to beginning her Grade 10 year, followed by two courses in the fall semester and the final two courses this semester.</p><p>“I had to be at Olds College on some weekends, five times last semester and four times this semester. It’s definitely busy but lots of fun,” said Martens. “I carpooled with another student from Lethbridge. We would drive up together and sleep there Friday night. Saturday was a full day and, depending on the course, we would either participate in a lab or handle live animals. We’ve been practicing different restraints for animals and their behaviours this semester. Last semester was a focus on surgery, so we learned about surgical instruments and practicing clinical procedures.”</p><p>Martens was also able to spend a day at a vet clinic as part of the course, which she enjoyed. Having grown up around horses and other large animals, she didn’t have much experience with smaller animals until her weekends at Olds College. Although her focus is getting a position in a clinic, she could also work in another animal-related area, such as at the SPCA.</p><p>“I’ve wanted to be a vet since I was quite young. To be able to try it out has been a great experience. I have lots of first-hand experience with animals and wanted to find a career where I could mix my passion with animals and be able to make a living,” stated Martens.</p><p>Martens used her experience in the Veterinary Technician Assistant dual-credit program for her 4-H speech this year as well as for the project she completed for the Senator Gershaw exhibition of learning.</p><p>“I would say it was a great experience if one isn’t sure what career they want to pursue because it is only one year,” concluded Martens. “It is a fantastic program. The professors are amazing and I got to learn lots and meet new people. If students want to try something new, this is a good course to look at.”</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prairie Rose Public Schools is pleased to announce that Candace Robins has accepted the position of Principal at Bow Island Elementary School (BIE). She will step into the role as part of the school’s transition to a full-time principal position this upcoming fall.</p><p>Candace has been a dedicated educator with Prairie Rose since 2007, teaching across all lower elementary grade levels at Isabel F. Cox School in Redcliff. Much of this work has placed a strong emphasis on early learning skills, helping young students build a solid foundation for future success. Her approach centers on creating inclusive, engaging classrooms, fostering a culture of respect and cooperation, and encouraging leadership in her students from an early age.</p><p>Candace holds a Master of Education in Leadership and Educational Research from the University of Calgary, along with Bachelor degrees in Education and English. She has also completed additional training in leadership and literacy, including the Leadership Quality Standard, SIVA training, and courses through the Writing Revolution.</p><p>Please join us in congratulating Candace on her new role. We are confident she will bring her experience, dedication, and passion for student success to the Bow Island Elementary School community.</p>

<p>Prairie Rose Public Schools was a hosting partner for the Aerial Evolution Association of Canada’s (AEAC) National Student Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Competition that started on May 9 and ran through till May 11th. Students from 15 universities across Canada arrived in Medicine Hat on the Thursday to compete, unloading all their equipment and drones at the South Alberta Collegiate building.&nbsp;</p><p>“Helping to assist in hosting this event was a wonderful opportunity for Prairie Rose School Division,” said Superintendent Reagan Weeks. “Utilizing our building and bringing in students from 15 universities across the country gave us a chance to interact with students pursuing various engineering programs. It also provided us with an opportunity to look at some advanced drones and allowed our flight academy to interact with post-secondary students who they may aspire to emulate in the near future. I am very grateful to our staff who were able to pitch in to support the community as a whole and to support the competitors in their pursuit of addressing a problem that is very real in our area. One of the most exciting things was the competition challenge was designed around a very tangible problem our families face across Prairie Rose. It’s very exciting to see the cutting-edge work being done to address prairie fires.”&nbsp;</p><p>The competition, which has been held for the past 15 years, provides teams with real-world challenges they must address using UAS technology. Teams were responsible for designing and building their own UAS system prototype to demonstrate during the competition and the task for this year was wildfire detection and response. Teams are comprised of students from various academic programs, providing them with the expertise needed to successfully design, construct and operate their UAVs.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>2025 marks the first year the competition was held in Western Canada and, with over 170 students competing this year, the first obstacle was transporting the team members and equipment. The Universite de Sherbrooke Miniature Aerial Vehicle team chose to drive their UAV and equipment to Medicine Hat, driving 24 hours on the first day and completing the trip after stopping in Kenora, Ontario for the night.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>On Friday, each team gave an oral presentation where they introduced their team, outlined their design process and introduced the UAV’s they would be using to complete the two tasks. On Saturday, the task was wildfire surveillance where the teams needed to find hot spots, simulated by LED emitters. On Sunday, after all teams were provided with the location of the hot spots, the task was to transport water to each one. The flying was all done at the Len Holden Memorial Airfield, home of the Medicine Hat Rc’ers.&nbsp;</p><p>The Queen’s Aerospace Design Team’s presentation closed with Jake Campbell explaining to the audience the large number of crashes their fixed-winged UAV, the one they were going to use for wildfire surveillance, had sustained. The final crash, into a tree, resulted in the drone being destroyed. On Friday of the competition, the team was testing their water-drop UAV, which also crashed and wasn’t repairable, resulting in the team being unable to fly over the weekend.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Campbell, who is entering his final year of electrical engineering at Queen’s University, said, “we spent the year designing two drones, so we had a fixed-wing drone and a few videos of it flying very well. When we initially started testing, our motor was undersized, so we weren’t getting enough lift. Our last crash put our airplane into a hundred pieces, it pretty much exploded. No fires or anything, we tried to prepare for that.”&nbsp;</p><p>The general consensus amongst the judges was the wildfire surveillance task would be the easier of the two, but this didn’t end up being the case. There were three hot spots in the field, but the teams who did find hot spots only managed to find false ones.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“Our day 1 survey task proved exceptionally difficult,” said lead judge Katrina Cecco at the awards banquet. “I never imagined when we were developing this con ops (concept of operations) over the summer as a team that the water bucket transport by drone would be easier than the basic aerial survey for which we gave you very obvious red balloons, visible from the flight line.”&nbsp;</p><p>Several teams received awards at the banquet, with the energy in the room celebratory and enthusiastic throughout the evening. The winner of the competition was the University of Waterloo Robotics Group (WARG) who brought three drones to the competition and, in the words of one of the organizers, knocked it out of the park on Sunday by using two drones in sequence to transport water to the hot spots. Many of the teams are reforming after dissolving during the pandemic and WARG is no exception. Started in 1997, they are now in their fifth year as a renewed design team.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>WARG faced some tough issues on Saturday with interference and were unable to get all three drones in the air at the same time. The first drone went out and got lost and needed to be retrieved by truck. The team tried to get the other two going but only managed a short flight with the third drone. On Sunday, the team put one drone in the air, and had it hover in a waiting pattern while the second one lifted off, collected water, and took it away. Once it was clear of the water barrel, the waiting drone came in to collect water and this pattern was repeated multiple times until one of the drones decided to remain at the barrel, causing a congestion problem with the other drone.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>Second place went to the University of British Columbia Uncrewed Aircraft Systems design team. This team’s drone sustained a fire on Friday during a test flight, but they managed to still fly on Saturday, recording numerous hotspots, although all were false. On Sunday, they were the first team to fly and managed to make one successful water drop. Their UAV managed to fill with a second load of water before the drone toppled off the top of the barrel, causing it to lose all propellers and a camera.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>The Blackbird UAV team from Carleton University took third place. On Saturday, their UAV flew well, but the team only took it halfway across the field before circling to look for hotspots. On Sunday, they picked up water a couple of times before deciding to play it safe and brought their drone back for a successful landing.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Phase 1 of the competition involves each team submitting design reports. The rules for the competition are set in the summer, student teams register in November, and the design reports are submitted in mid-January, providing a checkpoint for judges to see the progress teams have made. The reports are scored on different criteria, one being how they plan to attempt the two tasks. “The designs continue to evolve throughout the year and sometimes teams show up with drones that don’t quite look like what was in the report,” said lead judge Katrina Cecco. For Phase 1, first place went to the University of Victoria AERO team, second to the University of Waterloo Robotics Group third to the University of Toronto Aerospace Team.&nbsp;</p><p>The Innovation award also went to the University of Toronto Aerospace Team, who made much progress in autonomous mode and impressed the judges with their display of intention and the great design they had for payload.&nbsp;</p><p>McGill Drones and Vertical Flight Society took home the award for perseverance. When flying UAVs, a perfect flight plan rarely comes to fruition due to a variety of reasons, such as wind gusts, hardware fails, and software bugs. The judges saw all teams displaying impressive technical skills, creative problem solving and engineering excellence. The judges found McGill’s ability to adapt, improvise and overcome adversity made them exceptional and while the team didn’t have the smoothest journey throughout the competition, they kept persisting rather than giving up.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The Judges Award went to the University of Victoria AERO team. The Judge’s Award is given out for any criteria, which changes from year to year, the committee has been impressed with on a particular team. “This year it goes to a team that excelled for many reasons,” Cecco told the audience at the banquet.&nbsp; “They didn’t have an optimal flight performance as planned, but they were some of the most impressive in terms of preparation, organization of operations, including the use of checklists, safety features, modular and transportable design of their UAV, along with cool design innovations. Their water collection system was very fast and was suspended under the drone but could detach to allow for emergency landings. The amount of forethought and planning that went into this system and its operation was truly impressive for a team founded in 2022.”&nbsp;</p><p>Polytechnique Montreal Zenith team took home the award for team spirit, which acknowledges a team’s impact on the overall spirit of the competition. The Zenith team stood out as keeping their spirits up and boosting the energy of all present after their drone crashed and damaged the water collection system. On Sunday, the team showed up with an improvised water collection system consisting of a water bottle and a golf ball. Following this success, they proceeded to keep the entire crowd out at the field energized, enthused and engaged.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

This week's parent/guardian update. Have a great week!

Senator Gershaw Graduation Banquet & Grand March – Class of 2025 What an unforgettable evening celebrating the Senator Gershaw School Class of 2025 at the Graduation Banquet and Grand March! Surrounded by family, friends, and our supportive community, our grads were honoured in style—with laughter, heartfelt speeches, great food, and a celebration of the journey that brought them to this moment. It was truly a night to connect, care, and celebrate the incredible individuals these students have become. Thank you to all who made this event so special—your contributions created lasting memories for our graduates. Congratulations again to the Class of 2025! #kindlehearts #forgefutures

“Always Stay Humble and Kind” – Senator Gershaw Graduation 2025 Last night we celebrated the incredible Senator Gershaw School Class of 2025! The gym was filled with pride, excitement, and laughter as our grads walked the stage under the powerful theme "Always Stay Humble and Kind." Thank you to the families, staff, and community members who joined us to mark this milestone. The ceremony reflected the spirit of our graduates—grounded in kindness, strong in character, and ready to ignite minds, kindle hearts, and forge futures wherever their next chapter takes them. Congratulations SGS Graduating Class of 2025! #kindlehearts #forgefutures

<p>There were a couple top students in this year’s graduating class at Senator Gershaw and Mary Reusser was somewhat nervous if she was going to be the one to come out with the highest grades.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“There is always a chance, you never know if someone else is going to sneak in there,” said Reusser. “It was a really good feeling when I was told. As much as grades aren’t an accurate representation of someone’s intelligence, it’s the only thing universities look at and I wanted to get into a good university. I also love learning, so working hard at it isn’t difficult. Learning is fun.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Reusser received early admission into the University of Calgary engineering program and her goal is to pursue biomedical engineering. “It’s building robotic limbs or organs for people,” explained Reusser. “I have an older brother who is disabled, and I’ve seen first-hand how we need more advanced technology to help him live better. My friend’s younger brother had some biomedical engineering students work with him, and I saw the good it did. I’ve always been interested in creating and building along with the maths and sciences. I thought it was the perfect mixture of all of that.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Aside from concentrating on her schoolwork, Reusser loves track and field, particularly discus and shotput, which she said require different mindsets to excel in. “It’s hard to explain, it almost exhilarating in a calming way. Once you get good at discus, it’s mostly muscle memory and the movements are going so fast. Shotput is a different mindset, for discus you need to be as loose as possible but also strong, which is really hard to do because as soon as you try to do something hard or fast, you tense up. As soon you tense up in discus, it goes straight into the ground. You need to be loose and fast and throw it as hard as you can and once you get to that point, it’s relaxing,” stated Reusser.&nbsp;</p><p>Another sport she finds relaxing is swimming and while she was never on a swim team, she and her brother competed as independents in the Alberta Summer Games a few years ago. She said swimming came easy to her and one of her summer jobs is as a lifeguard at Foremost Pool, which has taught her how to cope with stress under pressure, extensive first aid and to manage rowdy teenagers.&nbsp;</p><p>Additionally, she and her two brothers played sledge hockey for several years in Medicine Hat. “My older brother wanted to join. Me and my other brother thought it would be nice to play a sport all together where we are all on equal footing, so we all joined the team. We played that for around six years. We convinced my friend’s family to join and brought in another family, so brought a bit of Bow Island to Medicine Hat to play sledge hockey. When I first started, we were a small team that lost at every tournament. Last year, we were in a tournament in Calgary against higher ranking teams and did well.”&nbsp;</p><p>Her other summer job is at the same still her father works at. She completed her class 4 power engineering certificate before starting Grade 12 last year so she would move beyond being only a general labourer. Both lifeguarding and working at the still are good summer jobs and she was hoping that was how she was going to spend the next two months. However, she found out last week she will be having knee surgery next week, which has a 16-week recovery time. “By the time I enter university, if all goes well, I will be into the sport readiness phase. That’s probably the best timing so I’m not hobbling around the campus.”</p><p>By Samantha Johnson, Prairie Rose Public Schools Content Writer&nbsp;</p>

It's Graduation Time! Ceremony, tonight, is by invitation only. Grand March, tomorrow (Friday), is open to the public. If you'd like to tune in via our Live Stream, go to YouTube and search PRPS Livestream.