president reports

Meetings Attended:

• Met with Tracy Young, Director of Education
• ALAC Committee Meeting
• President/Vice President Connect
• Met with Shawn Olson, CUPE 4254 President
• PSTA/PSSD Professional Development Committee Meeting (two meetings)
•  Met with LINC Chair to discuss Governance review and planning
• Met with Fay Cassidy, HR Superintendent
• Governance Committee meeting
• Executive Meeting
• Brought greetings to the Superannuated Teachers of Saskatoon Brunch
• Representative Assembly
• Wellness Committee Meeting
• New Teacher Orientation
• LINC Implementation Committee Meeting
• Attended Fall President’s and LINC Gathering Hosted by STF

School visits:

• Aberdeen School Visit
• Pike Lake School Visit
• Delisle Elementary School Visit
• Laird School visit
• Rosthern School visit
• Riverbend Colony School visit
• Riverview Colony School Visit

Overview of Activities:

Relationship Building and Member Engagement

• General Assembly: The Governance committee developed six options for future General Assemblies; SSLs are currently gathering staff feedback.
• Retiree Relations: Connected with Prairie Spirit retirees at the STS Brunch. Maintaining these relationships is vital for future bargaining and election support.
• Representative Assembly (RA): The first RA in September had 63% attendance. Reps are collecting staff feedback on PD Funds, the General Assembly’s business portion, and superannuation gifts.
• School Visits: In-person visits will increase in October following a busy September meeting schedule.
• Social Media: Instagram and Facebook are regularly updated, including a “President’s Week in Review.” Watch for contests celebrating World Teachers’ Day (Oct 5) and Education Week (Oct 18-24).

Advocacy

• ALT Meetings: Advocated for the PSTA President to attend the Director’s Message at ALT meetings, but the request was denied.
• Collaboration: Met with CUPE 4254 President Shawn Olsen to discuss joint advocacy efforts.
• Funding Advocacy: Seeking STF Executive approval to meet with local MLAs regarding the underfunding of Prairie Spirit compared to neighboring school divisions.
• Board Liaison: Requested a board liaison meeting to occur this fall. 

Strengthening our Organization

• Constitution: The approved Constitution has been submitted to the STF Executive for review.
• Rep Assembly: The RA is over 90% filled, with every school represented. Eligibility has expanded to include Colony and Substitute teachers (please reach out if you know interested substitute teachers!)
• Communications: The PSTA website and email lists are actively being updated to ensure accuracy.
• Appointments:
  • Hali Hamel (Professional Development Committee), Natasha Cochran (LINC), and Jen Green (Secretary).
  • Nicole Anderson, Lisa Kuchler, and Karen Tokar (Scholarship), and Justin Sauer (Chief Electoral Officer).

Belonging, Diversity and Reconciliation

• September Meeting: Thank you to Amanda Nelson for leading the PSTA Executive in a smudge to start the year.
• Reconciliation Training: To better embed actionable reconciliation into the PSTA, the President is completing courses through the First Nations University of Canada and the Outdoor Learning School.

Meetings Attended

End of School Year / Over the Summer:

• Attended the May and June Executive meetings as a guest
• Attended the May Representative Assembly as a guest
• Met with the Past President
• Met with the LINC Chair
• Met with the Vice President

August:

• Executive Meeting – August 24, 2026
• PSTA/PSSD Joint Professional Development Committee Meeting
• General Assembly
• Met with the HR Superintendent
• Met with the Director of Education

Overview of Activities

Relationship Building and Member Engagement

The summer provided some much-needed time to slow down and enjoy some vacation time, but it was also an opportunity to begin getting ready for the year ahead. I connected with several Committee Chairs, both in person and by email, to learn more about their work and prepare for the start of the school year.

I also had the opportunity to informally connect with both new and returning PSTA members at community events, including Jazz Fest and various children’s activities. These informal conversations have been a great way to get to know members outside of the workplace and to hear what is important to them.

It was fantastic to see such strong engagement at the General Assembly. Seeing members participate, ask questions, and contribute to the conversation was very encouraging. I believe this is a positive sign for our organization and an important opportunity to continue strengthening member participation and involvement.

The Governance Committee will be using 1.5 Executive Release time to meet and begin its planning work. We are also planning to apply for an STF Local Association Grant to help support this work.

A large part of my first two weeks back was focused on preparing for and supporting the General Assembly, including helping with setup. I have also spent a significant amount of time meeting with Division Office staff and completing the start-of-year administrative work associated with the PSTA. This has included updating staff email lists, recruiting school representatives, and making sure our systems and communications are ready for the year ahead.

Advocacy

There are no advocacy updates at this time. 

Strengthening Our Organization

One of my priorities over the summer was taking time to better understand the work of the PSTA. I reviewed the past two years of meeting minutes, several months of emails, and documents related to LINC, the Wellness Committee, and Governance. This has given me a much better understanding of where we are as an organization and the work that has already been done.

I am also spending time becoming familiar with our Google Workspace, MailerLite subscription list, and WordPress website. Having a strong understanding of where our files, information, and communication systems are located will help me ensure that we are organized and able to maintain continuity moving forward.

I plan to bring a President Transition Plan forward to the Executive for consideration, with the goal of incorporating it into policy. The intention is to make transitions between Presidents smoother and to ensure that important organizational knowledge is not lost when leadership changes. The plan would outline key topics that should be discussed between the outgoing and incoming Presidents, including:

• An introduction to all organizational and technology accounts
• Preparation for the General Assembly and the agenda for the business portion of the meeting, including Constitutional amendments
• A strong understanding of member email accounts and communication systems
• An overview of organizational files, documents, and where they are stored
• Key ongoing projects, committees, and organizational priorities

The goal of this transition plan is to support continuity, preserve organizational knowledge, and ensure that future Presidents have the information and resources they need to begin their terms with confidence.

Looking Ahead

It has certainly been a memorable start to my first few weeks in this role! There has been a steep learning curve, but I am genuinely enjoying the experience and learning something new every day.

I am especially looking forward to getting out to schools over the next couple of weeks and meeting with members in their schools. Building relationships, listening to members, and understanding their experiences will be an important part of my work as President.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to welcome me, share information, answer my many questions, and help me get settled into the role. I am excited about the year ahead and look forward to working together to continue strengthening our organization and supporting our members.