September 27, 2012 Board Highlights

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Wednesday, September 27, 2012
Declarations:
1. International Walk to School Week – October 8-12, 2012
The Board of Education declared October 8-12, 2012 as “International Walk to School Week” in School District No. 23.
2. World Teachers’ Day – October 5, 2012
The Board of Education declared October 5, 2012 as “World Teachers’ Day” in School District No. 23.
Introduction:
1. The following new Principals, Vice-Principals and COSBO members were introduced:
  • Jordan Kleckner, Vice-Principal, North Glenmore Elementary School
  • Barb Leclair, Vice-Principal, Springvalley Elementary School
  • Maris Schoepp, Homestay Coordinator – International Education
  • Jennifer White, Homestay Coordinator – International Education
Action Items:
1. Board Bylaw No. 15, School Site Acquisition Charge
The Board of Education gave first, second and third readings, passed and adopted School District No. 23 Board Bylaw No. 15 School Site Acquisition Charge.
2. Capital Project Bylaw No. 115779, Okanagan Mission Secondary School Addition
The Board of Education gave first, second and third readings, passed and adopted School District No. 23 Capital Project Bylaw No. 115779, Okanagan Mission Secondary School Addition, in the amount of
$17,499,893.
3. Capital Project Bylaw No. 115780, Mar Jok Elementary School – New
The Board of Education gave first, second and third readings, passed and adopted School District No.23 Capital Project Bylaw No. 115780, Mar Jok Elementary School – New, in the amount of $14,759,493.
4. SD No. 23 Grant of $5,000 to the Central Okanagan Parent Advisory Council (COPAC)
The Board of Education passed a Motion that pursuant to a presentation of the 2012/2013 COPAC Budget to the Secretary-Treasurer, and the changing of signing authority to the new COPAC Executive,
the Board of Education will grant $5,000 to the Central Okanagan Parent Advisory Council for the 2012/2013 school year.
5. Audited Financial Statements Fiscal Year 2011/2012
The Board of Education received and approved the Audited Financial Statements Fiscal Year 2011/2012.
Information Items:
The following items were reviewed by the Board:
1. Superintendent’s Emergent Issues
Updated Enrolment Numbers
The Superintendent provided an overview of the ways in which the Ministry of Education provides funding for particular cohorts of students (eg., adult students, international students,
non-resident students, students enrolled in distributed learning, and secondary course-by-course funding). Based on today’s enrolment, the Superintendent predicts that enrolment will
be down approximately 178 students from projection.
District Website
The District will be updating the Central Okanagan School District No. 23 website to improve online access to district information.
Early Learning Report – SD No. 23
The District has been featured provincially for spearheading early learning initiatives over the past dozen years. The District’s efforts to decrease vulnerability has been captured in a report,
written by Dr. Janet Mort, titled: “An Early Learning (birth to age 8) Program Review – Vulnerable Children Becoming thriving Primary Readers”. This report will be reviewed at the
Education and Student Services Committee Meeting (October 3, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. at the School Board Office). Director of Instruction, Clara Sulz, was recognized for her leadership in
this area.
Provincial ERASE Bullying Strategy
The Ministry will be providing three-day regional training sessions throughout the province for school teams on anti-bullying and threat/risk assessment initiatives. Following a “train the
trainer” model, teams will be asked to coordinate and lead anti-bullying initiatives in their schools.
Graduation Requirements Dialogue – Community Forum October 9, 4:30 pm at Central School Gym
On behalf of the Ministry of Education, each District will be hosting a community forum to gather input prior to developing future graduation requirements.
2. Annual Report on Special Program: Hiring Exemption
The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal approved a Special Program for the Central Okanagan School District granting preferential hiring for Teachers of Aboriginal ancestry. Aboriginal teacher role
models will provide students the ability to take pride in their heritage, give them a positive sense of belonging, and support their commitment to stay in school and graduate. As the Central Okanagan
School District enters into the second year of the Special Program, the District’s Human Resources Department will continue to support the hiring of teachers of Aboriginal ancestry.