|
CALL TO ORDER:
Chairperson Smith called
the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
2010:R-021
MOVED: Trustee Johnson, SECONDED: Trustee Hanson
AND RESOLVED:
“TO approve the agenda with the
following addition: 11.e. District Programs Report.”
ADOPTION OF MINUTES:
2010:R-022
MOVED: Trustee Johnson, SECONDED: Trustee Hanson
AND RESOLVED:
“TO adopt the minutes of the Regular Board meeting of
February 9, 2010.”
BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES:
Nil.
PUBLIC INQUIRIES AND PRESENTATIONS:
a. Arlene
Fehr, Principal, Gold River Secondary School
Mrs. Fehr provided an interesting and informative PowerPoint
presentation about life at Gold River Secondary School -
“Taking Care of the Whole Student”.
Mission
·
To become a strong example of rural education.
·
To provide quality education to lead students toward
success.
Vision
·
Meet the educational (all) needs of students for on-going
success.
·
Model and encourage a passion for life-long learning.
·
Provide a respectful nurturing and safe place for all
students to succeed.
Values
·
Respect: Empathy, Responsibility, Consideration of Others,
Integrity, Work Ethic, Environments
·
Supportive Environment
·
Perseverance and Creativity and Humour
·
Participation
·
Make Healthy Choices (Decisions)
·
Challenge Yourself (Embrace Challengers)
·
Staffing has been in pencil this year due to leaves, etc.,
and staff members have tried their best to reduce the impact
on student learning. Special appreciation was expressed to
some of the very dedicated Teachers On Call in Gold River.
·
The new school sign welcomes everyone in two languages:
kli ya how ut and welcome. The Code of Conduct
is reviewed annually, based on the word “Respect”, which is
one of the seven sacred teachings. Student learning is first
at Gold River Secondary. The mission/vision/values have
been developed and the school letterhead now reflects this
process. The last step is to take it to the students for
final input.
·
The School Planning Council is currently working on the
2009-10 School Growth Plan. There are two student members
actively involved and are responsible for the annual
Anti-Bullying survey.
·
A continual landscaping of grounds and updating of the
school physical plant is part of the Social Responsibility
school goal, and students are commenting on the new colours
in the hallway.
·
Student programs are always being evaluated to meet the
needs of students.
·
Work is underway on next year’s timetable which will include
music for all grades, possibly Outdoor Education and other
electives based on student feedback by the end of March,
using BCeSIS Student Assistant to make their course
selections for 2010-2011.
·
The Nootka Discovery School (NDS) is evolving, which is a
fluid program designed to meet the needs of students who are
integrated into the regular timetable as needed during the
year. A cooking program has been added this year, the
results (especially the pizza!) of which are enjoyed by all.
·
The Transition Program has been successful for students who
are below grade level but can achieve a Dogwood diploma.
·
There are 32 students taking a total of 43 Distributed
Learning courses, with the help of a teacher who monitors
and paces the students’ completion of courses.
·
The Student Leadership Group (SLG) met in the Board Office
in October to plan the entire year and then meet again the
week before each activity to do final planning.
·
The new whiteboards with Mimio and tablets and the two smart
boards are being enjoyed by all.
·
The Espirit Team is going to Ottawa in May, and six students
have attended the “Encounters with Canada” Program in
Ottawa.
·
Gold River Secondary will be hosting the District Basketball
Jamboree this year and, between games, students will be
treated to a movie night in the gym on the large screen,
pancake breakfast, and a barbeque lunch.
·
Staff and students enjoy the ArtStarts performances that are
provided by the District.
·
Last but not least, the PAC has a full executive and will be
organizing another Flea Market this year (May 1 and 2) to
raise funds to purchase lighting for the gym. Thanks to
last year’s PAC-sponsored Flea Market, equipment was
purchased for the shop and music programs.
CORRESPONDENCE:
|
·
Coalition for Music Education in BC |
·
Students’ Access to the “Three A’s”
– Arts, Athletics and Academics |
|
·
Chair, SD 73 (Kamloops/Thompson) |
·
Copy of Letter to the Minister of
Education, re Recent Funding Changes and Ongoing
Funding Challenges |
|
·
BC School Trustees’ Association |
·
e-Alert: Provincial Government
Delivers 2010 Throne Speech |
|
·
Ministry of Education |
·
News Release: Seycove Secondary
Strikes Gold |
|
·
Chair, SD 85 (Vancouver Island North) |
·
Copy of Letter to Minister of
Education, re Closing Three Elementary Schools Due
to Budget Shortfalls |
|
·
Chair, SD 48 (Sea to Sky) |
·
News Release: New Plan Offers Full
Day Kindergarten to ALL Students in January 2011 |
|
·
Chair, SD 63 (Saanich) |
·
Copy of Letter to Minister of
Education, re Strain on Finances Due to New
Administrative Systems and Reporting Requirements
|
|
·
Office of the Auditor General of BC |
·
Appointment of Financial Auditors
for Government Organizations and Trust Funds |
|
·
BCSTA |
·
eLearning Reminder: Conflict of
Interest, February 22, 2010 |
|
·
BCSTA |
·
e-digest: Throne Speech Includes a
Commitment to Focus on Individual Needs of Children
….. |
|
·
Deputy Minister of Education |
·
Report on Education: Speech from
the Throne, Full Day Kindergarten, Neighbourhoods of
Learning, Anti-Bullying Day, International Congress
on School Effectiveness and Improvements, Education
Week, 2010 Fever |
|
·
Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier |
·
Public Sector Accounting Board’s
Revision to the Introduction of the Public Sector
Accounting Handbook |
|
·
Chair, SD 23 (Central Okanagan) |
·
Copy of Letter to Minister of
Transportation, re Movement of Aggregate on Public
Roads During Times When Students are Moving To and
From School |
|
·
Chair, SD 67 (Okanagan Skaha) |
·
Copy of Letter to Minister of
Education, re Finding a Resolution to the FSA
Dispute |
|
·
BCSTA |
·
Last Call for BCSTA Annual General
Meeting Motions |
|
·
BCSTA |
·
e-digest: Elections Task Force:
Share Your Views …. |
|
·
BCSTA |
·
February 2010 Provincial Council
Evaluation Survey |
|
·
BCSTA |
·
VISTA Branch General Meeting Agenda,
February 28, 2010 |
|
·
ArtStarts in Schools |
·
Arts and Culture Week, April 18-24,
2010 |
|
·
Chair, SD 23 (Central Okanagan) |
·
Copy of Letter to Minister of
Education re 2010/11 Annual Facility Grant |
|
·
BCSTA |
·
e-digest: Auditor General’s Office
Discusses Report on Boards of Education, Corporate
Boards |
|
·
Chair, SD 68 (Nanaimo‑Ladysmith) |
·
Copy of Letter to Chairman, Fraser
Institute, re Board Motion to Not Recognize the
Garfield Weston Awards Based on the Fraser
Institute’s Report Card |
|
·
Ministry of Education |
·
News Release: Oliver Unveils Plans
for Neighbourhood Learning Centre |
|
·
Ministry of Education |
·
News Release: Central Middle School
to Receive Seismic Upgrade |
|
·
BCSTA |
·
e-Alert: 2010 Provincial Budget –
AFG Restored and Other Highlights |
|
·
Ministry of Education |
·
News Release: District Signs Third
Aboriginal Education Agreement |
|
·
Chair, SD 68 (Nanaimo‑Ladysmith) |
·
Copy of Letter to Minister of
Education, re FSA |
|
·
Chair, SD 68 (Nanaimo‑Ladysmith) |
·
Copy of Letter to Minister of
Education, re Release of School-Level FSA Results |
|
·
Encorp Pacific (Canada) |
·
British Columbia’s Recycling
Handbook |
|
·
BCSTA |
·
e-digest: Rick Hansen Knows How
Important Public Education Is – Read His Story in
the Leader …. |
|
·
Ministry of Education |
·
News Release: Prince George
StrongStart BC Now Open for Preschoolers |
|
·
BCSTA |
·
Ministry/Board Meetings at the BCSTA
AGM |
|
·
Ministry of Education |
·
Information Bulletin: Education
Funding to Increase for Tenth Straight Year |
2010:R-023
MOVED: Trustee Johnson, SECONDED: Trustee Hanson
AND RESOLVED:
“TO receive and file the
correspondence.”
REPORT OF THE CLOSED MEETING:
Chairperson Smith reported on the following: the Children’s
Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Children
and Family Development, Vancouver Island Health Authority
and Vancouver Island School Districts which was signed five
years ago, will be signed again at the upcoming BC School
Trustees’ Association AGM; a very welcome visit from the
Superintendent of Achievement provided the District with
some interesting data; and, the upcoming year’s
enrollment-based funding will be approximately $6,770,302.
The Superintendent of Schools/Secretary-Treasurer reported
that the Superintendent of Achievement was pleased with
SD84’s progress. There are two such Superintendents whose
mandate is to ensure that all districts in the Province are
working towards improving student achievement. Mr. Allen
went away satisfied, noting that SD84’s graduation rates are
average when compared to comparable districts, with a 67.8%
six-year graduation rate. The Superintendent of Achievement
spoke positively about SD84’s areas of success.
TRUSTEE REPORTS:
a. School Reports
Trustee Hanson reported on the following highlights from
Kyuquot School:
·
“Hearts for Haiti”, steered by Ms. Coccolla, raised just
over $2010 as a result of a bake sale, sushi sale (over $600
in one hour!), homemade donut sale, family fun night, and a
movie night.
·
There will be three graduates this year and fundraising is
well underway for the ceremony which will be held on June
19, 2010.
·
Mr. Daniel Blackstone provided a workshop for junior and
senior students on Career Building and Employment Skills
which was enjoyed and appreciated by the students.
·
Eight KESS reps were invited to Captain Meares School to
share ideas and discuss the upcoming potlatch.
·
The elementary classes enjoyed a sleepover at the school,
playing games, watching a movie and having homemade pizza.
·
Ms. Toth’s father, who is a Chemical Engineer/Scientist,
recently visited the school and offered a $100 prize to the
student(s) who create a Perpetual Motion Machine.
·
Earthquake and fire drills have successfully taken place,
and a lock-down drill will be held in the near future.
·
Four new students have joined the Primary class, which is
now up to 18 students.
·
Spirit Week was enjoyed by all, with activities including
Crazy Hat/Hair Day, Blast from the Past Dress-Up Day, Twin
Day, Math Day, Dress in House Team Colour Day, and many
lunchtime activities – all of which earned points towards
house teams.
·
First Nation Day is March 19 to include breakfast, various
culture activities, craft making (all crafts towards the
June potlatch), and a traditional lunch.
·
The Intermediate class will be starting a digital sharing
project with the Tahltan Youth Nation in the Stikine-Dease
Lake area. Students will be sharing information back and
forth on topics such as culture, housing, economics, etc.
·
At the last staff meeting, the Principal acknowledged all of
the staff with certificates which stated what he valued from
each staff member.
·
The canoe log is underway! Elders Alex Short and Kelly John
along with some of the local residents have begun the
process of preparing the log by stripping the bark and
cutting it to size. It will eventually be transported to
the school site so that students can be involved in carving
the canoe.
Chairperson Smith reported the following highlights from Ray
Watkins Elementary School:
·
Paint the Town Red – A successful school and community
event took place on February 16th, with the
students and staff parading to the Village Square for a
program to help all get into the Olympic/Paralympic spirit.
·
Olympic Sports Day on February 17th was a
successful day of modified winter sports activities in the
gym, hallways and the arena, with ceremonies that included
the anthem and the Olympic oath.
·
Other events this month included the issuing of report
cards, parent/teacher interviews at Tsaxana, an overnight
trip to Camp Homewood sponsored by Mrs. Sine for Grades 3-6,
a ski trip sponsored by Mr. Cooper, and a visit from Rayna
Rumley who is a teacher of the hearing impaired contracted
to assess several students and to give some welcomed
advice.
·
On March 19th, PAC will be sponsoring a “Round
Trip to Italy” fundraiser at the Community Centre.
b. Working Relations Committee Report
Chairperson Smith reported that this Committee met on March
15, 2010 to discuss on an ongoing basis matters related to
the teaching staff. The topics of this meeting included:
staffing, budget process, employment equity, discretionary
leave, FSA, technology plan, professional development,
District assessment framework, VISTA Conference, 2010/2011
school calendar, Union travel requests, Beginning Teachers’
Conference, WorksafeBC inspection reports, and all-day
kindergarten. The discussions were harmonious and
productive and the point was made that the teachers were
finding the technology plan a bit overwhelming, and
appreciation for the VISTA Conference was expressed by the
Union President.
c. District Policy Review Committee
Report
2010:R-024 MOVED: Trustee Hanson,
SECONDED: Trustee Johnson
AND
RESOLVED:
“TO
adopt Policy E.18, Sickness and Accidents (Students),
as amended.”
2010:R-025 MOVED: Trustee Hanson,
SECONDED: Trustee Johnson
AND
RESOLVED:
“NOTICE OF MOTION to amend Policy E.5, Child Abuse.”
2010:R-026 MOVED: Trustee Hanson,
SECONDED: Trustee Johnson
AND
RESOLVED:
“NOTICE OF MOTION to amend Policy E.11, Inspection of
Student Lockers.”
2010:R-027 MOVED: Trustee Johnson,
SECONDED: Trustee Hanson
AND
RESOLVED:
“NOTICE OF MOTION to amend Policy E.14, Police
Interrogation of Students.”
2010:R-028 MOVED: Trustee Johnson,
SECONDED: Trustee Hanson
AND
RESOLVED:
“NOTICE OF MOTION to amend Policy E.23, Special
Education Services.”
2010:R-029 MOVED: Trustee Johnson,
SECONDED: Trustee Hanson
AND
RESOLVED:
“NOTICE OF MOTION to amend Policy E.32, Admission of
International Students.”
A review of the following policies was postponed to next
meeting: Policy E.28, Student Safety in the Woods,
and Policy B.9, Transportation Assistance.
d. Provincial
Council Report
Chairperson Smith reported on the meeting which took place
in Victoria on February 27-28. The evening session was both
a success and a failure. Deputy Minister Gorman was
scheduled to speak and to take questions but did not appear
owing to “Olympic obligations”. Instead, a very interesting
session was substituted whose theme was parental involvement
in education, and present as guests were executive members
of the BCCPAC (BC Confederation of Parent Advisory
Councils). Trustees had designated tables and each table
dealt with a series of questions pertaining to parents and
their role in schools. On the second day, a very
informative presentation was given by four members of the
Auditor General’s Office which is watchful of school
districts’ activities. The Council then dealt with business
matters such as the reports of President Denesuik, the
Aboriginal Committee, the Finance Committee, and the
Education Committee. The motions that Chairperson Smith
reported on at the last Board meeting were all carried.
Although Deputy Minister Forman’s absence was frustrating,
the meeting was productive and the sessions well-worth
attending.
e. Vancouver Island School Trustees’
Association Conference: “Sustaining Public Education –
Values, Vision and Action”
Trustee Hanson reported on this conference that was held on
February 27, 2010 in Nanaimo. A portion of the day was spent
in group sessions and Trustee Hanson’s group focussed on
technology and how it is and can be used in education, and a
Courtenay student provided good input into that discussion.
A highlight of the day was an improv by students from one of
the Nanaimo schools, which was most enjoyable.
Chairperson Smith was unable to attend the Conference but
attended the VISTA business meeting held the following day.
Both motions from SD84 were endorsed by VISTA and will now
be brought forward to the Annual General Meeting in April.
The Chairperson of the BCSTA Aboriginal Committee was
particularly pleased with SD84’s motion pertaining to adult
education.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
a. District Mission/Vision/Values Process
The Superintendent of Schools/Secretary-Treasurer reported
that there is a link on the District’s website (www.sd84.bc.ca)
for people to provide their comments on the District’s
mission statement. The responses to date were brought
forward to the Board, and were over 80% positive, including
some interesting comments made by students, staff and
community members. A common response was that the mission
statement is too long to remember; however, it is important
that it values all input from the communities in terms of
community, academics, preparation for the future, etc. The
Board is considering a slogan to accompany the mission which
could be incorporated into the District logo; for example,
“learning for success”. The values and goals will then be
developed, and it is hoped that the upcoming community
consultation meetings will provide more valuable input into
this process which will shape the District and its ways of
conducting business. The aim is to complete this project by
the end of the school year.
NEW BUSINESS:
a. Community
Consultations
The Superintendent of Schools/Secretary-Treasurer and the
local School Trustee will be holding community consultation
meetings to give people an opportunity to provide feedback
on the mission/vision/values process as well as on
educational issues, and to receive information on the budget
process. The schedule is as follows:
·
Monday, March 22, 7:00-8:30 pm, Captain Meares School;
·
Tuesday, March 23, 7-8:30 pm, Zeballos School;
·
Monday, March 29 – 7-8:30 pm, Kyuquot School;
·
Tuesday, March 30, 7-8:30 pm, School Board Office.
b. School Calendar 2010/2011
The Superintendent of Schools/Secretary-Treasurer reported
that a standard school calendar has been adopted for
2010/2011 and will be distributed to schools to share with
staff and parents. He expressed appreciation to the
teachers for their early submission of aligned professional
development dates. The calendar is as follows:
|
·
Days in session: |
192 |
|
·
Days of instruction: |
185 |
|
·
School opening day for students: |
Wednesday, September 8,
2010 |
|
·
Thanksgiving Day: |
Monday, October 11, 2010 |
|
·
Remembrance Day: |
Thursday, November 11,
2010 |
|
·
School closes for Winter Vacation: |
Friday, December 17,
2010 |
|
·
Winter Vacation: |
Monday, December 20 to Monday, January 3, 2011
(inclusive) |
|
·
School reopens after Winter
Vacation: |
Tuesday, January 4, 2011 |
|
·
School closes for Spring Vacation: |
Friday, March 18, 2011 |
|
·
Spring Vacation: |
Monday, March 21 to Friday, March 25, 2011
(inclusive) |
|
·
School reopens after Spring
Vacation: |
Monday, March 28, 2011 |
|
·
Good Friday: |
Friday, April 22, 2011 |
|
·
Easter Monday: |
Monday, April 25, 2011 |
|
·
Victoria Day: |
Monday, May 23, 2011 |
|
·
Administrative Day – school closed: |
Thursday, June 30, 2011 |
|
Non-Instructional Days: |
Purpose: |
|
·
September 7, 2010: |
School Planning |
|
·
October 21, 2010: |
Professional Development |
|
·
October 22, 2010: |
Professional Development |
|
·
February 14, 2011: |
Professional Development |
|
·
April 8, 2011: |
Professional Development |
|
·
May 24, 2011: |
Professional Development |
SUPERINTENDENT OF
SCHOOLS/SECRETARY-TREASURER’S REPORT:
a.
Staffing
Update
The District is fully staffed at this time.
b.
Finance
Warrants
As of February 28, 2010, eight months or 67.0% of the
2009/10 fiscal year, and six months or 60.0% of the school
year has elapsed. The budget amounts shown in this report
are the 2009/10 Final Budget amounts based on the September
30, 2009 final enrolment figures.
At the end of June 30, 2009, the District carried forward an
Operating surplus of $972,000 of which $608,000 has been
allocated, and $364,000 is unallocated or contingency. To
the end of February, $2,759,000 (eight months) or 62.5% of
the Ministry Operating Grant was received. On a prorated
analysis this Operating Grant is <$185,000> in arrears.
This is due to the Ministry deferral of $300,000 to be
forwarded to SD84 in June 2010.
To the end of February, $1,170,000 (LEA) Local Education
Agreement funding has been recorded. On a prorated
analysis, the LEA is approximately <$390,000> in arrears.
This will be corrected in the next few months as the
September 30 enrolments and Nominal Roles have been
confirmed by INAC.
To the end of February, salaries/benefits are trending
favourably $234,000 to budget. Substitute salaries are
slightly overspent <$22,000> and teachers’ salaries are
slightly underspent by $108,000.
To the end of February, service/supplies expenditures are
trending favourably $294,000 to budget. There were no major
expenditures made during the first eight months.
At the end of the 2008/09 fiscal year, there was an AFG
(Annual Facilities Grant) surplus of $1,692,000 being
brought forward to 2009/10. At the end of February a
surplus balance for AFG is at $1,419,000 and $272,000 of
expenditures have been incurred as follows:
·
$13,000 kitchen upgrade
GRSS;
·
$10,000 flooring upgrade
GRSS;
·
$9,000 paving upgrade
GRSS;
·
$20,000 building upgrade
GRSS;
·
$8,000 landscaping upgrade
at CMESS;
·
$159,000 transfer of
maintenance staff salary and benefits from Operating fund.
c.
Enrollment
Report
There are currently 467 students in School District 84, for
a total of 422.6564 FTE – a slight increase from last
month’s total of 420.2814 FTE but a decline from the
September 30th enrollment of 437 FTE.
d.
Operations
Report
The Operations Report provided information on the current
maintenance, teacherage, building envelope, and AFG
projects. Many projects were completed during the month,
including the Breakfast Program Room at Zeballos School
which is now operational.
The installation of the new white boards went smoothly at
Gold River Secondary, which was aided by a schedule being
supplied as to the access for workers during operational
hours.
Currently an RFP (Request for Proposals) has been posted on
BC Bid for the re-cladding of Kyuquot School, to be
completed during the summer break. It is hoped to appoint a
Construction Manager in the next month.
Also taking place currently and ongoing is the installation
of a new computer network through the District. To date the
School Board Office and Gold River Secondary have been
“rough-wired” and the next stop will be Captain Meares, and
then probably Zeballos and Kyuquot. Ray Watkins School will
be last due to logistical reasons and will happen at the
beginning of the summer. Before the end of the school year,
a few test sites will be set up for staff and students to
try the new Linux operating system, with “Thin Client”
technology, before it becomes fully operational by
September.
The Superintendent of Schools/Secretary-Treasurer expressed
appreciation to the Computer Technician, the Operations
Supervisor and the Maintenance Department for their
diligence in using Spring Break to do much of the work to
date. All of the monitors and half of the new computers
have been received, and the servers are on order, so the
project is on schedule to have everything in place by
September.
e.
District
Programs Report
Student
Support Services
In order to improve the life opportunities of every student,
each student must have the resources needed to access the
curriculum and learn effectively. To this end, training has
taken place for most teaching staff to access ARC-BC.
ARC-BC, the Accessible Resource Centre of British Columbia,
is an online repository of BC curriculum materials in
formats accessible for students with perceptual
disabilities. Students with visual, physical, or
comprehension difficulties, and the adults who work on their
behalf, are eligible for these accessible resources free of
charge. Materials in ARC-BC come in a variety of digital
formats, including Word documents, Kurzweil 3000 files, and
MP3 audio books. By using these resources, many students
have a way to access curriculum which otherwise might have
been unattainable. For example, a student who cannot read
the novel being studied in class might listen to it as an
audio book and thus participate in the learning activities
for language arts; a student with a visual impairment who
cannot see the text in a textbook clearly can enlarge the
digital copy of the textbook on a computer. ARC-BC materials
make the curriculum more accessible for many students, and
allow teachers to search and download these resources
without having to create the materials themselves.
We have also recently had the pleasure of having Mr. Paul
Hamilton (from SET-BC) present workshops for teachers on the
use of Kurzweil 3000, as well as a variety of other free
assistive technology programs to support student learning.
These computer resources present alternate methods for
teachers to present information and for students to show
their learning, and can be motivating for struggling
learners. Mr. Hamilton is passionate about the power of
technology to allow all students to learn, and shared that
enthusiasm with staff. Kurzweil 3000 training has recently
taken place at GRSS, ZESS, and KESS, with additional
assistive technology sessions and student consultations at
ZESS and KESS. Through the use of assistive technology, as
well as the resources of ARC-BC, the needs of many
struggling learners will be better met.
The District has been pleased to obtain the services of a
certified Hearing Resource Teacher. Ms. Rayna Rumley has
visited SD84 twice to work with students who are Deaf/Hard
of Hearing and the teachers and Special Needs Teacher
Assistants who support these students. Ms. Rumley has helped
to develop individual support programs, ensure that
necessary equipment is in place and functioning, and support
the SNTA’s in administering the programs. Staff members have
been impressed by the level of service that Ms. Rumley has
provided.
Plans are underway for a group of teachers and
administrators to attend a workshop on Precision Reading
hosted by the Port Alberni School District. Precision
Reading is a program designed to increase reading fluency
and comprehension; it has proven to be a successful
intervention for many struggling readers in Western Canada.
Mr. John Levering, teacher at GRSS, has had success using
Precision Reading with his students, and we are hoping to
learn how this program might benefit more students in the
District.
Early Learning
Full-Day Kindergarten
- As the School District will be launching full-day
Kindergarten in all four communities next September, plans
are underway to support teachers in delivering a stimulating
full-day Kindergarten experience. The Kindergarten teachers
from SD84 will be travelling to North Vancouver School
District 44’s full-day Kindergarten workshop. At this event,
teachers from SD84 will be able to build connections within
our District, learn new ways to engage young children in
learning, and meet and learn from Kindergarten teachers
around the Province. Teachers will attend a workshop on, and
receive a copy of, NVSD 44’s resource Inspirations 44:
A full-day Kindergarten resource of play-based activities
and instruction. Fully aligned with the goals of the Primary
Program and Early Learning Framework, Inspirations 44
provides a rich array of classroom experiences to deepen and
extend the learning outcomes for a full-day Kindergarten
program. Developing curriculum, language, social and
community connections are at the heart of a child’s
exploration and practice. The framework is structured to
meet the needs of a diverse population of students in a Full
Day Kindergarten program. (Source: NVSD 44 Website)
StrongStart
-
StrongStart is a free
early learning program for preschool aged children and their
caregivers. Led by a qualified ECE facilitator (Catherine
Gordon), activities in the StrongStart include stories,
music, art, and play. By accompanying their children at
StrongStart, parents and caregivers discover new ways to
support their children’s learning at home and make valuable
connections to other parents and supporting agencies.
StrongStart is open for three hours per day, Mondays and
Tuesdays at CMESS, Thursdays and Fridays at ZESS, with
Wednesdays alternating between the two locations. Informal
reports indicate that StrongStart is having a positive
impact on school “readiness,” as students entering
Kindergarten from StrongStart are adapting well to the
school environment. As the program develops, the focus is on
ensuring access to the program for all children in both
communities, and aligning the program with the provincial
Early Learning Framework.
Zeballos StrongStart recently welcomed a visit from the
local health authority. Developmental screenings were
completed by members of VIHA’s Early Intervention Team in
the hopes that any concerns about individual children can be
recognized and addressed as soon as possible. One of the
additional benefits of StrongStart is that it provides a
point of contact between families and health services.
Early Development Instrument (EDI)
- School District 84 once again participated in the
Early Development Instrument Survey. This population-based
measure of Kindergarten children’s school readiness is part
of an ongoing research project by the Human Early Learning
Partnership (HELP) at the University of British Columbia.
Kindergarten teachers completed the surveys in February, and
regional results should be available in the spring. The EDI
maps children’s vulnerabilities across the domains of
language and cognitive development, communication skills,
social competence, emotional maturity, and physical health
and well-being. Results are not collected for individual
students; rather, the data is combined to present a picture
of the overall development of children in a community.
Assessment
FSA marking has been completed in the District. A team of
markers completed the scoring on a Saturday; the process
took approximately six hours (about half of which was
training). Scores are now being uploaded to the Ministry
website and results will be available for distribution
shortly.
BCeSIS
The District is now “live” with BCeSIS, as all schools are
now using the BC Enterprise Student Information System.
Student demographic information, timetables and programs
have been successfully entered into the system. We are now
using BCeSIS for Ministry data submissions, including 1701,
SADE (Student Achievement Data Exchange), and TRAX. Report
cards have now successfully been run at GRSS, RWES, CMESS,
and ZESS. Staff members (including administrative
assistants, teachers, and principals) seem to be learning
the system quickly and are adapting well to the challenges
of learning to use a new information system. Training has
been completed for teachers to take attendance and enter
report card marks and comments. As can be expected with
learning any new system, the implementation path has
included a learning curve and a few minor bumps on the road.
However, most staff members have learned the program
quickly, having received individualized training and
support. Refresher training sessions will be offered as
needed.
Recent activities involving BCeSIS has included the
inputting of historical credit details so that student
graduation credits can be managed on the system, as well as
early preparation for student course selections for the
2010-2011 school year.
TRUSTEE INQUIRIES:
Nil.
PRESS AND PUBLIC INQUIRIES:
Public inquiries addressed the following:
·
full-day kindergarten, which will be funded as full-day
students;
·
the teachers’ agreement to align professional development
days as a cost-saving measure for the District;
·
the lack of adequate funding for education, and an inquiry
about how this District is getting that message out to the
public; Chairperson Smith stated that the Board holds public
Board meetings and community budget consultation meetings,
and also uses The Record newspaper to distribute
information; and,
·
the September 7th, 2010 non-instructional day, which will be
a school-based planning day.
NOTICE OF MEETINGS:
The next public meeting of the Board of Education will be
held on April 13, 2010, at 7:00 pm, in the School Board
Office. Any requests for inclusion on the agenda should be
submitted to the Board Office two weeks prior to the
meeting.
ADJOURNMENT:
At 8:07 pm:
2010:030 MOVED: Trustee
Johnson, SECONDED: Trustee Hanson
AND RESOLVED:
“TO adjourn.”

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