Data compiled by the Yellowknife Education District No. 1 administration suggests current epipen procedures will stay as is despite a request which would cut down costs for parents.
Epipens are used to combat severe allergic reaction and in some cases can prevent death.
Currently students are required to have three epipens: one for home use, one for school hours and one for after-school programs.
During a board meeting on May 8. trustee Tina Drew asked for an update on whether YK1 had considered allowing students to use their use their school epipen during after-school programming to cut costs for parents.
“The epipens cost $200 each and are only good for up to one year,” said Drew. “Over time it gets to be very expensive for parents.”
Director of corporate services Tram Do said that wouldn't be allowed.
“It's a very difficult topic because we want to mitigate the risk of a child not getting their epipen when they need it,” said Do. “The issue with after-school programs is they are a separate legal entity so legally we cannot share practices in medication.”
Doalso said all faculty and students should be aware of what a serious allergic reaction looks like in order to help the student in a timely manner.
Grade school focus groups addressing boys' culture
Brad Steyn, the Yellowknife Education District No. 1 community liaison counsellor, along with other counsellors at two YK1 schools are developing boys and girls focus groups to address the developmental changes students face in school.
Some students at Range Lake North and N.J. Macpherson school will be talking about their personal experiences with peer pressure and anger to counsellors while learning about other topics such as boys' culture and the media.
At the May 8 YK1 board meeting, plans for the focus group were questioned by trustee Terry Brookes, who asked for clarification on how learning about issues – particularly boys' culture – in these programs could impact an individual student and a school as a whole.
“We know boys are developmentally different than girls and certainly can have different behaviours,” said assistant superintendent Ed Lippert. “We want boys to feel appreciated. We want them to feel a part of our school, a part of our community, we want them to learn appropriate behaviours toward their classmates, family and their community.”
Brookes said he sees these programs as positive steps toward promoting citizenship in YK1.
Recognizing impact of mental health
Yellowknife Education District No. 1 trustee Jay Butler opened last week's board meeting agenda with a statement on the increasing need for mental illness awareness.
Butler noted it was Mental Health Week across Canada.
During the annual super soccer tournament, the Sir John Franklin High School Magnanimous Advocates Generating Mental Awareness (MAGMA), ran its blue laces campaign to promote mental health awareness.
“Everyone deserves to feel good about themselves and even the most cynical would recognize the world would be better if mental health was overall, better,” said Butler. “It is interesting that mental health and workplace safety week coincide, I believe more awareness about mental health can be as beneficial as safety awareness."
In the future, Butler hopes the board will become prime examples of promoting a healthy environment for students who have difficulties dealing with their health.
As previously announced, the GNWT plans to give students the resources they need by rolling out 42 child and youth care counsellors across school districts in the territory over the next four years.