COSL: Where are We Now? Leading in the Present

Register here: https://memberlink.mbteach.org/Event.axd?e=2953

Conference Schedule:
09:00 am - 09:05 am: Welcoming Remarks
09:05 am - 10:15 am: Sandra Herbst, Superintendent, RETSD - Leading with Alignment – Modeling the Way Forward
10:15 am - 10:45 am: Break
10:45 am - 11:50 am: Chimwemwe Undi - Creativity is for Everybody
12:00 pm - 01:00 pm: Lunch Break (on your own)
01:15 pm - 02:15 pm: David Larocque and Joёl Ruest - AI and School Leadership: The Good, the Bad, and the Possible
02:15 pm - 02:30 pm: Break
02:30 pm - 03:30 pm: Continued - David Larocque and Joёl Ruest - AI and School Leadership: The Good, the Bad, and the Possible

All sessions will take place virtually and registrants will be provided with a link and any accompanying handouts by email prior to
October 24.

$50 for COSL members
$75 for non-members
$25 for Students
(5% GST is included in the pricing)

Payment must be made through our online payment system.

If you have any questions, please contact Chris Hicks, Chairperson, Council of School Leaders directly at cosl@mbteach.org

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Sessions - 9:05 AM-10:15 AM

Leading with Alignment – Modeling the Way Forward

Session Description:
What’s on the horizon for education? From life-worthy learning to artificial intelligence, the future calls for leaders who model the very dispositions and practices they expect of staff and students.
In this session, Sandra Herbst explores the power of alignment in instructional leadership and how coherence between vision and action builds trust and shapes schools that embody the learning futures we seek for young people.

Presenter’s Bio:
Sandra has cultivated through her work in communities across Canada and around the world. She has served as coach, mentor, teacher, facilitator, keynote speaker, and collaborator with Ministries of Education, school boards, universities, and educational organizations. At the core of Sandra’s work is a belief in the power of relationships. Whether sitting on the floor with a four-year-old, learning with Elders in northern communities, or working alongside teachers and leaders, she is guided by the conviction that the student–teacher relationship must flourish for education to thrive. She now serves as Superintendent/CEO of River East Transcona School Division in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where returning to her roots grounds her in the belief that every person deserves to be wrapped in care, dignity, and love.

Sessions - 10:45 AM-11:50 AM

Creativity is for Everybody

Session Description:
In this session, Chimwemwe will speak to the importance of remaining creative throughout your life, and the benefits of creative thinking for any person's profession, personhood and civic engagement.

Presenter Bio:
Chimwemwe Undi is a poet and lawyer based on Treaty One territory in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her debut collection, Scientific Marvel (House of Anansi, 2024) received the 2024 Governor General's Literary Award in Poetry and the 2025 Raymond Souster Award from the League of Canadian Poets. She is Canada's Parliamentary Poet Laureate for 2025/26, having previously served as Winnipeg Poet Laureate for 2023/24.

Sessions - 1:15 PM-2:15 PM

AI and School Leadership: The Good, the Bad, and the Possible

Session Description:
Joёl and David have designed and continue to explore the importance of AI and its place in education. There are many challenges as there is immense potential. They will spend the better part of the afternoon providing their insight as they could be applied to school leadership. The session will also allocate time for engagement with participants, owing to the fact that the reality of AI is open to many perspectives, interpretations, and questions.

Presenter Bios:

Joël Ruest is an instructor at the Faculty of Education at Université de Saint-Boniface. He has over 20 years of experience in the public school system, having served as classroom teacher, vice-principal, and curriculum consultant. He holds a Master of Education degree with a specialization in educational administration from Université de Saint-Boniface and is currently pursuing a PhD in educational administration and policy at Université Laval.

Joёl’s academic work and interests are in the areas of Education in a minority context, French immersion, Teaching of human sciences, and Psychology of learning. He has recently taken on the growing impact of technology in teaching and learning and has presented publicly to groups looking for guidance in the areas of AI and virtual technology.

David Larocque - M. Ed. - Open, Digital, and Distance Education/Athabasca University.
David is an educator with 25 years of faculty experience in the Communication multimédia program at l’Université de Saint-Boniface’s, École technique et professionnelle. He has served as a consultant and instructional designer for numerous organizations, including: l’Université Saint-Boniface, la Division scolaire franco-manitobaine, DSFM; le bureau de l’éducation française, BEF; and le Réseau Compassion Network.

David is actively involved in distance learning communities, contributing as an organizer and presenter to conferences such as MADLaT, MERN, Campus MB, and eCampus Ontario.
In addition to his educational career, David is a professional musician with over 30 years of experience, having performed with the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, CBC as a music director and performer, and the APTN Television Network. He is also the founder of "Tacit Knowledge," an educational consulting and instructional design enterprise.

Sessions - 2:30 PM-3:30 PM

AI and School Leadership: The Good, the Bad, and the Possible - Continued