Submitted by Chair Amanda Amaral
February 12, 2025
In February, Trustees will commence annual school tours and review of school growth plans for each of our fourteen schools. Building on our experiences and learning from previous years, we have slowed down the tours. We have shifted to spread out tours over four days instead of three, and instead of the tour days running consecutively, they now take place from February all the way to June. This provides room for trustees and schools to meaningfully prepare and stay focused on each visit. Trustees will also not travel as an entire board to each school but instead in smaller groups of trustees and senior staff. We work together as a Board, and trustees will participate in school tours similar to how trustees work on committees. These improvements allow for the Board to engage with the growth plans and explore how the strategic plan is being applied and supported in each school with more energy, enthusiasm and effort.
As a Board, we acknowledge how much work each school invests in preparing their school growth plans and for the trustee school tours to share their plan with us. Thank you to the principals, teachers, staff, and students who put thought, care and attention into hosting us. Each visit is unique, with the culture and spirit of the school beautifully presented. These visits provide a valuable opportunity to celebrate successes, acknowledge challenges, and offer support where needed. We hold close these experiences, and the visits inform our decision making more than you may think.
We are so thrilled as we listen to our learning community share how the strategic plan is showing up for them and what they are doing is being directly linked to the nine strands, four values and one aspirational learning goal. The effort to align with the strategic plan shows a deep commitment to fostering positive and lasting change. With what we have witnessed since the September launch, we eagerly anticipate the presentation of each school growth plan and the rich dialogue that will no doubt transpire.
Amanda Amaral
Chair