Regina, January 23, 2016 - The Conseil des écoles fransaskoises (CÉF) - Saskatchewan's Francophone school division - wishes to express its solidarity with the people of La Loche, victims and families affected by the sad events that took place yesterday in this beautiful northwestern Saskatchewan community.

"On behalf of the Fransaskois School Board, I would like to share with our counterparts at the Northern Lights School Division that we pray for them and the school community of La Loche, hoping they find the strength to begin the long process of healing that lies ahead."

Regina, Friday November 20, 2015 – The Conseil des Écoles Fransaskoises (CEF) --  Saskatchewan’s Francophone school division -- expressed disappointment following the publication of the ruling today by the Supreme Court of Canada in the Caron-Boutet case.

"The CEF will continue to seek a negotiated settlement out-of-court in its current dispute with the Province, a process initiated last year"

Regina, Friday October 23, 2015  -- The Conseil des écoles Fransaskoises (CÉF) – Saskatchewan’s Francophone school division –  announced today that École Secondaire Collège Mathieu will now be known as the "École Mathieu de Gravelbourg."

"The CÉF formally adopted the new name of Gravelbourg’s Francophone high school, after receiving the consent of the Collège Mathieu. The College had expressed concern at the confusion entailed by the use of the word "Collège" in the name of both institutions."

Regina, Monday September 21, 2015 - The Conseil des écoles fransaskoises (CÉF) - Saskatchewan's Francophone school division, announced today the appointment of Marcel Lizotte to the position of Human Resources Coordinator.

"A seasoned HR professionnal familiar with Francophone and Anglophone education environments in Western Canada, Mr. Lizotte has managed the human resources sector in two French-language school boards in Alberta. He has just completed a 5-year term as Director of Education at the Conseil Scolaire du Nord-Ouest in Alberta."

Regina, Friday August 28, 2015 - The Conseil des Écoles Fransaskoises -- Saskatchewan's Francophone school division -- announces the appointment of Julie Lemire as School Principal at École Père Mercure in North Battleford.

"Originally from the Prince Albert area, Ms. Lemire is a veteran educator who spent her entire career in Saskatchewan and became a leader in the advancement of industrial arts education in Saskatchewan. She taught several years in the Regina area at Archbishop O'Neil and Miller Comprehensive Schools in Regina. She had previously taught in immersion schools, as well as in Debden and Saskatoon schools. She became an official languages instructor at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a French instructor at the University of Saskatchewan' Centre For Second Language Instruction."

Regina, Thursday July 9, 2015 - Saskatchewan's Francophone school board, the Conseil des écoles fransaskoises, names Michel Pelletier school principal at Zenon Park's École Notre-Dame-des-Vertus.

"Mr. Pelletier spent 30 years working for school boards in Quebec. A veteran teacher who is familiar with the inner workings of education, he taught high school for 10 years; has 20 years of experience as an educational consultant at primary and secondary levels; in addition to having been called upon to assume acting vice-principal duties."

Regina, Thursday July 2, 2015 - Donald Michaud, Director of Education at the Conseil des écoles fransaskoises (CÉF), is pleased to announce the appointment of Luc Handfield as Deputy Director of Education.

"Luc Handfield has worked in the education sector for over 25 years, first as a teacher, then as school principal in New Brunswick. He is later appointed to the Ministry of Education and Early Childhood Development, where he becomes head of Strategic relations initiatives and international education. This leads to his appointment as Assistant Deputy Minister of Francophone Educational Services, looking after all Francophone school districts in New Brunswick. Mr. Handfield will soon leave these duties for a new chapter in his career, in Saskatchewan."

Regina, Wednesday June 24, 2015 - André Denis and Denis Marchildon were re-elected respectively Chair and Vice Chair of the Conseil Scolaire Fransaskois (CSF) Francophone school board of trustees by acclamation today. The election occured during the CSF's annual organizational meeting, which precedes the last regular Board meeting of the school year.

Fellow Trustee and re-elected Vice Chair Denis Marchildon was keen to stress the leadership André Denis has shown during his last term as President : "André has demonstrated his ability to act as a unifying force, particularly during relationship-building efforts over the last year between the CSF and the Province."

Regina, Friday May 8, 2015 - Saskatchewan's Francophone school board trustees have extended Donald Michaud's mandate for an additional year as head of Conseil des Écoles Fransaskoises (CÉF), Chair André Denis announced today.

The Board had been recruiting for a new Director of Education in recent months, but felt circumstances required that Director of Education Donald Michaud continue his work for an additional year, Board Chair André Denis explained :

"As the recruitment process unfolded, the Board came to the realization that not all winning conditions were yet in place to ensure the success of a smooth transition to a new Director of Education appointee who would have to hit the ground running in the midst of a financial and operational recovery exercice that is not yet completed," Denis said.

St-Isidore-de-Bellevue, March 4, 2015 - The Conseil scolaire Fransaskoises (CÉF) - in particular the school community of École St-Isidore in Bellevue - is mourning the death of one of its students earlier today, as reported in the media. Students, parents and staff at the school and in our Francophone schools across Saskatchewan are shaken by what is evidently a tremendous loss in a typical rural Saskatchewan community, where everyone helps each other in times of need.

"That is precisely how the response to today's tragedy unfolded. The school board immediately dispatched a team of counsellors from the CÉF's Student Services to the school, to assist in supporting students and staff. These individuals will continue to provide support the school community as long as they are needed. Parents may contact the school for further information or to request assistance."

Regina, January 16, 2015 - Three Fransaskois schools recently learned they are among the latest recipients of grants from the Saskatchewan Arts Board (SAB). Three of the five projects selected for financial support by the ArtsSmart Saskatchewan program the SAB runs are Francophone school initiatives. Evidently pleased with the outcome, Acting Director of Education at the Conseil des écoles fransaskoises, Donald Michaud, suggests the cultural and community realms at the heart of the educational mission of Francophone schools in Saskatchewan gave them an edge:

"This important recognition demonstrates the level of commitment from school staff with community stakeholders, engaged in a common quest for beneficial multidisciplinary approaches to learning that generate lasting interest in a broader range of areas that include the Arts," he noted. The ArtsSmart program does aim to increase student engagement through artistic endeavours.

Regina, Wednesday December 3, 2014 - Conseil scolaire fransaskois (CSF) -- Saskatchewan's Francophone School Board -- welcomes and is already implementing recommendations made by Provincial Auditor Judy Ferguson in her report tabled today. Over a year ago, CSF began a lenghty recovery process, requiring the implementation of improved financial management and governance practices. These practices are in line with the recommendations made by the Province's Auditor, says CSF Board Chair, André Denis :

"The provincial audit and collaboration with the Ministry of Education that ensued, have helped the CSF guide the Conseil des Écoles Fransaskoises" (CÉF) efforts to that end. The audit was useful. On behalf of the CSF, I wish to thank the Provincial Auditor Ms. Ferguson and her team for their approach, adapted to the French-speaking environment in which the CÉF conducts its day-to-day operations. Their patience, especially during the hectic September-October back-to-school period, were matched only by the collaboration and commitment of CÉF staff in supporting the Auditor and CÉF team needs."

Regina, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014 - The Conseil des Écoles Fransaskoises (CÉF) and the Coopérative des publications fransaskoises (CPF) are launching a campaign to help finance school projects by selling subscriptions to Saskatchewan Francophone weekly l'Eau Vive. Starting today, participating local boards will receive ten (10) dollars for every sale of one-year subscription to the Fransaskois paper made under the program.

"This new partnership is a resolutely Fransaskois solution to the challenge of financing the projects put forward by local school councils," says the Acting Director of Education, Donald Michaud. "We consulted the local boards to gauge the support an initiative like this would receive from school communities, and have offered it to all our local Boards of Trustees. Several of them are taking advantage of the opportunity."

Regina, Wednesday, September 3, 2014 - Le Conseil des écoles fransaskoises (CÉF) is announcing the nomation of Rosalie Lizée as principal of Beau Soleil and of École secondaire Collège Mathieu (ÉSCM) in Gravelbourg.

"Ms. Lizée is a well-known figure in the Fransaskois educational network, a path that she began as a teacher at Monseigneur de Laval school in 1991. In turn, she became the coordinator of CÉF's recent immigrant program, vice-principal of Monseigneur de Laval, and then a curriculum consultant. She developed her expertise in mentoring school leadership, teaching and special education staff, particularly in literacy, francisation, curriculum mentoring for immigrant students, and language, identity and cultural construction."

Regina, Monday, August 18, 2014 - The Conseil des écoles fransaskoises (CÉF) is announcing the nomination of Dolorèse Nolette as Acting Deputy Director, Education, and of Claude-Jean Harel as Communications Manager.

"Dolorèse Nolette has extensive experience in school adjustment, educational programming (French as a first language), change management and governance. Over the last 36 years, she has held positions as a teacher, director of a French-language school board and director of Academic Affairs and Governance, at Campus Saint-Jean at the University of Alberta."

Regina, Monday, August 18, 2014 - Today, the Conseil des écoles fransaskoises (CÉF) is revealing its restructuring of its Educational Services. A measure that is necessary in order to better address the challenges resulting from the budget cutbacks announced in June 2014. The result of a review that takes into consideration intervention approaches adapted to the context of an organizational overhaul, the reorganization of Student Services will allow for the encouragement of student success and mentoring by workers in schools.

"At the heart of this measure, the CÉF is looking to encourage collaborative approaches," explains Acting CÉF Director of Education, Donald Michaud. "Firstly, it aims to influence, in a constructive manner, the development of work processes, while mobilizing the teams in the school setting. Secondly, it will allow to better respond to the specific needs of workers and students in the school setting, in order to effectively meet challenges, whether they be related to education or communication with CÉF employees or with parents."

Regina, July 1, 2014 - During a special meeting on Thursday, June 26, 2014, at 7:00 p.m., the trustees of the Conseil scolaire fransaskois (“CSF”) decided that it had no choice but to return to court in order to obtain supplementary funding.

"The morning of Friday, June 27, 2014, at 9:00 a.m., the CSF asked Roger J.F. Lepage, of Miller Thomson LLP, to appear in court before Justice Barrington-Foote, to advise that the CSF had to return to court to obtain supplementary funding prior to the start of classes in September 2014. The CSF made this decision in order to ensure that the students of the Conseil des écoles fransaskoises (“CÉF”) had the full services to which they are entitled."

Despite the fact that the Conseil was audited by the province in 2012-2013, if the Provincial Auditor accepts, we will cooperate fully with her and her team.

"The Ministry of Education has confirmed that the Provincial Auditor will be assigned to the Conseil scolaire fransaskois (CSF) to review its gouvernance and financial situation. Despite the fact that the Conseil was audited by the province in 2012-2013, we will cooperate fully with the Provincial Auditor."

Regina, February 14, 2014 - The Conseil scolaire fransaskois (CSF) is pleased to announce the interim nomination of Mr. Donald Michaud as Director of Education for the Conseil des écoles fransaskoises (CÉF).

"Originally from Saskatchewan, Donald Michaud springs out of semi-retirement to serve as Director of Education for the Conseil scolaire fransaskois.  The position had become vacant after its outgoing director, Mr. Bernard Roy, had stepped down for health reasons."

Regina, February 14th, 2014 – The Conseil scolaire fransaskois (CSF) is announcing today that, for health reasons, Mr. Bernard Roy will be stepping down as Director of Education for the Conseil des écoles fransaskoises (CÉF). Mr. Roy has decided to submit his resignation after 15 years with the Fransaskois schools, including six years as Director of Education.

"The CSF would like to recognize his important contribution to the advancement of the CÉF.  He has spent many long hours and shown great commitment and devotion in the various matters that were entrusted to him as school principal, Superintendent of Education and later as Director of Education."