Category: Chair’s Update

Respect and responsibility are the values we focus on in May. At SD46 this means “we support a culture of mutual respect and shared responsibility through individual and shared growth”. I have taken some time to think about how we do this as a board and as a district. I am pleased to note there are many examples to share.

In April the Board and District focus in on innovation. Innovation is about finding new ways to do things, particularly by looking at current challenges and exploring different ways of tackling them. When I consider this topic, I think it can be easily argued that in the last year we have seen innovation and ingenuity like we haven’t seen in years before!

Collaboration & Equity: We create meaningful connections through our work together. This month we focus our work and attention as a board on our values of collaboration and equity. March is full of many important days that focus on equity such as, International Women’s Day, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and International Transgender Day of Visibility.

In February our board’s focus is on inclusion. Inclusion means being and feeling accepted. It means ensuring equal access, resources and opportunities to those that might otherwise not be able to participate due to a variety of barriers.

Welcome back to all staff and students! It is wonderful that we are able to return to in person learning again. In January our focus is on ethics and as 2020 came to a close I reflected on the challenges and complications the year provided in the context of ethics.

November saw increased COVID cases and the board returning to virtual meetings only. On a positive note transmissions rates and cases in schools are low allowing us to continue to deliver face to face education to our learners. We feel privileged to continue to have our schools be safe places to learn.

At the time of writing, we still do not know 100% the results of the provincial election. It is safe to say however, that the NDP has won a majority government. It is the hope of many districts throughout the province that our co-governance relationship will remain intact, and that our agreements and funding during this pandemic will continue.

The last few weeks have been a time of transition. Students transitioning back into the school system after, for some, the longest Spring Break ever; Teachers and Educational Assistants transitioning back into the classrooms with new health and safety guidelines, as our students work through the usual back-to-school sniffles and sore throats, but now with enhanced attention.

Having spent the majority of my summer watching in awe as our district staff hustled to ensure a safe and welcoming school year, I must begin my report by showing my appreciation to all staff for their efforts. For those who worked on the preparation as well as those who will be working in the schools with our students tomorrow and onward, I commend you and I thank you!

I would like to begin this report by once again thanking those in our district who have gone above and beyond in keeping our education system moving through-out the last few months. Hopefully many have seen the ‘Thank You’ that we Trustees placed in the Coast Reporter last week as a token of our appreciation.