​A Note From Our Superintendent:

The K to 12 Education Review has the potential to shape the direction of education in Manitoba for years to come.

Now is the time for us to speak up and have our voices heard. If we don’t participate in this review to the fullest extend possible then the commissioners conducting the review and the provincial government will make changes, possibly quite substantial ones, without us.

We have a lot to be proud of and a lot to say. We have strong values and we enact those values in our schools and classrooms every day.

We value inclusion. We know that the best place for our children is in a regular classroom with healthy peers and a skilled and caring teacher. We keep class sizes low so teachers know their students well and give them the attention they deserve.

We value relationship and recognize the power of relationship. Teachers often hold on to their students for a couple of years. We follow an elementary model through middle years. Every high school student has a teacher advisor who knows them and really cares about their progress.

We value equity. We give more to those who have less. We extend the school day and the school year with programs like Wayfinders, Settlement Services, Sistema, BEEP, MYAC, KYAC, Heritage Language and more. We keep expectations high. We’ve eliminated cost barriers with no charge lunch supervision, musical instruments and field trips and lowered the cost of school supplies.

We believe in our kids. We believe that we can make a difference in their lives today and in their future prospects. We build on their strengths, pique their curiosity and fuel their passions. We look for the good in each and every kid.

We’re different than most places. We enact our beliefs in ways that benefit large numbers of kids. For example, another division will select students for a divisional honour choir. We have ten thousand kids performing at Arts in the Park.

Another division sends kids with additional needs home early at 2:30. We extend their day and give them a summer program.

Another division has kindergarten classes of thirty plus. Our class size average from kindergarten to grade 3 is 19.

We don’t spend more than others. We simply put our resources where they do the most good - in our schools and classrooms.

We’re successful.

Our grad rate is high. Attendance is high. Engagement is high. We’re cost effective. Students that might start behind catch up and finish strong. I’ve attached “Seven Oaks by the Numbers​” a document that reviews our indicators of success so you can see how well we do for yourself.

We can only do what we do because we have an elected ​Board that is responsive and responsible to our community. They’ve taken initiatives like SOPAC, the Aki Land Based Learning Centre and our high school commons spaces. They’ve fostered a culture that believes in our kids, our community and our staff.

So take the time to participate in the K to 12 Education Review.

• Write to the commission (follow the link).
• Fill out a survey - there is one for parents and one for teachers (again follow the link).
• Write up on exemplary practice (follow the link).
• Talk to your students and parents about the review. Get them to participate. We’ll be sending postcards home to encourage this and be posting a link on our website.

Click on this link​ to get to the Manitoba Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education website.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and thanks for all you do. Let’s keep Seven Oaks Seven Oaks.

Brian O’Leary
Superintendent
Seven Oaks School Division
830 Powers St.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R2V 4E7

204-586-8061