Latest news with #LouisRielSchoolDivision
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
School divisions stock up on naloxone
Some city school divisions are stocking up on naloxone kits and training teachers to administer the antidote to opioids. The River East Transcona School Division recently equipped all of its Grade 9-12 campuses with naloxone — a life-saving medication that temporarily reverses an opioid overdose — in its nasal spray form. Its neighbour to the south, St. Vital-based Louis Riel School Division is following suit in 2025-26. Superintendents elsewhere in Winnipeg are looking into doing the same. Naloxone kits — with the medication in its nasal spray form — are already stocked at the Grade 9-12 campuses in the River East Transcona School Division. Other city school divisions are following suit. (Mike Deal / Free Press files) The Manitoba government recorded 570 drug-related deaths in 2024. Ten of them involved a child or a person aged 19 or younger, provincial data show. RETSD spokesman Adrian Alleyne said all students and staff in its seven high schools in northeast Winnipeg were taught to recognize signs of drug poisoning this spring. Alleyne touted his employer's approach to student wellness as both 'compassionate' and 'evidence-based' in an email Friday. '(We set) a strong example in addressing substance use in schools,' he said, noting the division is the only one in Winnipeg that has, in partnership with Shared Health, two full-time substance-use counsellors working in its seven high schools. 'Much like the presence of EpiPens and AEDs (automated external defibrillators) in our schools, naloxone adds another layer of preparedness to protect the health and safety of our students and staff.'– Christian Michalik, superintendent of Louis Riel School Division A third professional is slated to join that team to do prevention work in younger grades. Also this fall, LRSD will begin handing out naloxone kits to high school teams in St. Boniface, Sage Creek and surrounding areas. 'Much like the presence of EpiPens and AEDs (automated external defibrillators) in our schools, naloxone adds another layer of preparedness to protect the health and safety of our students and staff,' said Christian Michalik, superintendent of LRSD. Michalik said in a statement that the initiative, to be expanded to elementary schools at a later date, reflects his team's commitment to community safety. It also responds to 'a growing need' to be prepared for medical emergencies related to opioid use, he said. The Louis Riel Teachers' Association was unaware Friday of any specific situations during which naloxone has been administered or required on an LRSD campus, its president said. Teacher Jay McGurran said the union local is supportive of what he called a 'proactive step,' as long as his members — of which there are approximately 1,200 — receive appropriate training so they are prepared in the event of an emergency. (RETSD has ensured at least a half-dozen staff members at each high school know how to administer naloxone, Alleyne said.) Divisions should use naloxone rollouts as a learning opportunity for students and staff alike, said Arlene Last-Kolb, a mother whose 24-year-old son died of fentanyl poisoning in 2014 and has since dedicated herself to harm reduction advocacy. 'If you don't educate the kids, what's the point in having it? You've got to actually go to each class and teach the kids what it's all about. They need to know they can go to the staff and ask for that kit.'– Arlene Last-Kolb of Moms Stop the Harm 'If you don't educate the kids, what's the point in having it?' said Last-Kolb, of Moms Stop the Harm. 'You've got to actually go to each class and teach the kids what it's all about. They need to know they can go to the staff and ask for that kit.' There will all but certainly be criticism about schools, especially elementary schools, keeping naloxone on hand, but the reality is these buildings are part of wider communities and preparation is better than the alternative, she said. Last-Kolb noted that children and youth may live with parents or grandparents who use substances. She suggested that learning about naloxone is no different than being taught about 911 or the Heimlich manoeuvre. Health Canada has deemed naloxone safe for all ages. The medication, which does not require a prescription, comes in both nasal spray and injectable forms. It has an expiration date. 'It works only if you have opioids in your system. It is safe to keep on hand because it cannot be improperly used and does not create dependence,' says a fact sheet on the federal agency's website. School trustees and senior administrators are engaged in discussions about stocking naloxone in the Pembina Trails School Division. 'Our school staff have advocated for this addition to their ability to provide first aid,' said Shelley Amos, the superintendent responsible for educating 17,500 students in south Winnipeg. Her counterparts at Seven Oaks and Winnipeg school divisions indicated they, too, are looking into securing naloxone for their respective campuses. The St. James-Assiniboia School Division has decided not to purchase kits for the coming year although a senior employee said the administration is 'committed to evaluating community needs.' Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trustees criticized for missing school board meetings
Manitoba's education minister is being urged to look into spotty attendance records among school trustees in southeast Winnipeg. Two elected officials in the Louis Riel School Division — both of whom represent residents of Ward 4 — have missed a third or more of all public board meetings in 2024-2025. A parent who lives in the constituency penned a letter to provincial officials on Tuesday to express concerns about 'alarmingly high' absenteeism and call for stronger accountability measures. Free Press Files Manitoba Education Minister Tracy Schmidt. 'School staff and administrators are held to strict attendance expectations,' wrote Sia Erlendson, a mother who is raising two children in the ward encompassing Southdale, Island Lakes and surrounding communities. 'Unfortunately, a governance loophole allows trustees to avoid consequences as long as they do not exceed the consecutive absences threshold, enabling some to accumulate high absentee rates while still receiving their indemnities or remunerations.' Meeting minutes show Pamela Kolochuk and Chipalo Simunyola, her two representatives on the nine-seat board, have sent regrets for seven and six meetings, respectively. Ward 1 trustee Cindy Turner and Ward 2 trustee Irene Nordheim have each missed four meetings. Ryan Palmquist, a representative for Ward 3, was absent once. The remaining active board members, Ian Walker, Chris Sigurdson and Sandy Nemeth, have perfect attendance records. There has only been full attendance at three meetings, or 17 per cent of them, since the school year got underway. 'Trustees unwilling or unable to meet their obligations should reconsider their position, step aside, or face termination by the board so that a more dedicated representative can take their place,' Erlendson wrote in her letter to Education Minister Tracy Schmidt and cabinet colleagues. The Public Schools Act requires a board declare a seat vacant only if an elected official is absent from four consecutive regular meetings or for a period of three months without authorization. Erlendson requested the minister's office intervene to ensure trustees are meeting their obligations to constituents and actively engaging in decision-making, be it by introducing legislation to adjust compensation based on attendance or otherwise. LRSD trustees earned a combined $246,883 during the 2023 calendar year. Winnipeg-area school board members are paid about $25,000 annually. Chairpeople and vice-chairpeople receive additional stipends. Schmidt indicated that representatives from her office reached out to division administration Tuesday to followup on attendance concerns. 'We trust school boards and board chairs to govern their boards accordingly, to develop policies and bylaws that would govern these types of concerns,' said the lawyer who practised labour and employment law before entering politics in 2023. The minister added: 'I would caution folks — and I'm putting on my lawyer and employment lawyer hat — that we don't always know why people are absent from their workplace.' Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. Simunyola, a rookie trustee and father of four, said public attendance data only sheds partial light on member activities, given the board has many in-camera meetings. The Ward 4 representative has missed recent meetings to care for sick children and do business travel related to his other job, he said. While saying he's proud of his track record as a trustee, Simunyola said he will do some self-reflection. 'You always have to find balance,' he said. Kolochuk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
