Submitted by Chair Amanda Amaral
April 8, 2026
Welcome back from Spring Break. We hope you’ve had time to rest, recharge, and reconnect with the people who matter most, and that you are feeling ready for the journey as we paddle toward the end of the 2025/2026 school year.
As we continue advancing the priorities outlined in our Strategic Plan, the Board would like to highlight our ongoing commitment to strong governance—work that supports effective, equitable, and consistent school operations across the district. At its heart, this means being intentional about how our decisions, presence, and engagement at the school, district, and system levels shape the experiences of students, families, and staff.
We remain committed to being both visible and connected across the district, while modelling good governance by staying grounded in the voices and lived experiences of those we serve.
When reflecting on our Strategic Plan, three strands stand out in relation to governance in action:
Personalized Learning- empowering student voice, choice, and confidence within a connected learning community,
Experiential Hands-On Learning- learning that builds creativity and problem-solving and,
Flexible Learning Environments– learning spaces that promote connection, creativity, and collaboration.
These are not simply aspirational ideas; they are actively reflected in the opportunities we create for students every day.
These priorities directly influence how we allocate resources, support programs, and design learning experiences across the district. Increasingly, we are seeing the impact of this work in the confidence, engagement, and leadership of our students.
Front and centre is the work of our Student Trustee and District Student Leadership Team (DSLT), which is closely aligned with how we demonstrate good governance as a Board. These opportunities bring the three strands to life through leadership and voice. Student involvement in governance represents a unique form of Experiential Hands-On Learning, offering authentic insight into decision-making processes. It also reflects Flexible Learning Environments, where learning extends beyond the classroom into spaces of collaboration, leadership, and shared responsibility. Most importantly, it embodies Personalized Learning by elevating student voice, choice, and agency in shaping their educational experience.
Another strong example is the Firefighter Academy offered over Spring Break. This program is a powerful illustration of Experiential Hands-On Learning, with students engaging directly in real-world situations and building skills through active participation, problem-solving, and thoughtful risk-taking. At the same time, it supports Personalized Learning by allowing students to explore their interests, strengths, and potential career pathways in meaningful and relevant ways.
Finally, our outdoor education programs are another powerful example of where these strands come alive. They create Flexible Learning Environments that extend learning beyond traditional classroom walls and into outdoor settings such as shorelines, forests, mountain peaks, and watersheds. In these spaces, students engage in Experiential Hands-On Learning through direct interaction with the natural world, building skills through exploration, observation, and collaboration. Just as importantly, these programs foster Personalized Learning, as each student navigates their own growth—developing resilience, confidence, and a deeper understanding of themselves as learners.
Together, these examples demonstrate that our Strategic Plan is not simply guiding our work in theory, it is lived through the direction and spaces our governance creates.
Amanda Amaral
Chair