Strength in community school status

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This article was published 15/10/2019 (2441 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Families coming through the door of General Byng for their first parent-teacher conference of the school year can get more than an update on their kid’s progress.

After parents go over the report cards with teachers, they can head down the hall to the gymnasium, where the kindergarten to Grade 9 school is hosting nearly 30 service agencies and community service providers on Oct. 22 from 4 to 8 p.m.

The community expo is a project of Grade 9 teacher Alison Giasson and a planning committee at General Byng School (1250 Beaumont St.).

By bringing service providers into the school, Giasson said families can access resources in a setting close to home, and when it comes time to send their child to class, perhaps have a little less to worry about.

“We’re familiar with some of the challenges that are facing our community,” Giasson said. “Our hope is that making those links and having our families flourish will help with how the kids do in school.”

As part of her master’s studies about three years ago, Giasson examined data from Manitoba, Canada, and internationally and studied links between socioeconomic status and academic achievement.

“What resonated with me was the role that a school can play,” Giasson said. “We do all sorts of things to improve the academic achievement of students. We work at their reading skills, at their literacy, their numeracy. This is another approach.

“How can we help families get a little bit of a leg up, because we know if the families are thriving then our students are going to do well in school.”

In this particular part of Fort Garry, some necessary services aren’t always within walking distance, principal Colleen Roberts said. By opening the doors of General Byng to the community at large, people can meet with experts from financial counselling agencies, dental offices, employment agencies, housing providers and more without spending their scarce time and resources commuting or worrying about finding childminding.  

The community is also diverse in its needs, Roberts said, and the school is seeking ways to make up for gaps in the neighbourhood.

“Our doctor clinic shut down over here, and the pharmacy, so resources that people were familiar with and used to accessing moved farther away,” Roberts said. “We’ve established a beautiful relationship with the Access (Fort Garry) centre, and those folks come into our school and we send kids and families down there to access the teen clinic and other resources.

“It’s about helping families know the supports are out there and resources are out there. Here’s a way to make them connect — through the school,” she said.

The community expo also fits into General Byng’s mandate as a designated community school affiliate. The designation is given out by the province of Manitoba and there are fewer than two dozen participating schools within Winnipeg. According to the province, community schools offer integrated education, public health, and social programs to promote student and family well-being. General Byng is the first school in Pembina Trails to receive the affiliate designation.

While designated community schools get a bit of additional funding from the province, as an affiliate General Byng doesn’t receive any more cash for programs and is working within its existing budget.

“We do have a lot of resources happening already,” Roberts said. “We absolutely have enhanced that and put more into it being a community school, but for us it means our strength is truly in the community of the school.

“That community school designation is a real sense of pride,” she added.

Giasson said the expo is also a chance for staff within General Byng to connect directly with community service providers so going forward they can help make first introductions, when necessary.

“A lot of times as classroom teachers, we’re on the front lines and we know our students well and get to know the families,” Giasson said.

In addition to the local agencies tabling at General Byng, there will also be musical entertainment from students and staff and prize draws for those who attend. The planning committee includes Trevor Pfahl, Marsha Barter-Cook, Michelle Brown, and Angela Fey. The event is open to all.