September 24, 2019
Dear Parents,
As teachers, it is our role to support our students to have the knowledge, skills and attitudes to face their futures confidently. Helping our students to have an informed voice for the biggest issues they will face is an important part of their education.
Climate scientists around the globe agree that we are in an era of climate change and that conditions are deteriorating. Northern ice packs are melting, animals are suffering, dramatic and dangerous weather events are becoming more frequent, and global food security is being threatened. The lives of our students are impacted by climate change now and will be into the future.
School districts across Canada are making statements about climate change rallies and potential student participation. On the Sunshine Coast, when parents inform their children’s teachers or principals that they wish to have their children away from school for a rally, the district will follow our normal practices of marking students as “excused” for the day. Any excused students would be provided the opportunity to complete any missed assignments or assessments without penalty.
Climate change and environmental issues are deeply embedded in the BC curriculum. The teachers who collaborated in writing the curriculum did so with full awareness of the challenges ahead. Student leadership initiatives, informed and passionate discussions in classrooms, community gardens, outdoor learning spaces at our schools, numerous recycling efforts and many other initiatives demonstrate how teachers embrace issues related to our planet and the environment every day. Further, teachers are experts at presenting information at the appropriate developmental level for their students. Our youngest students learn about the wonder of the natural world, rejoice in their outdoor surroundings and learn how everything is connected. Our older students engage in research, projects, and discussions that teach them to separate fact from fiction, to communicate effectively and to make a difference in their worlds.
The SD 46 Board of Education has ambitiously supported significant efforts to reduce the carbon foot print in our operations. In the past few years there have been extensive solar arrays added onto three of our schools. Lighting, insulation, window, boiler and other upgrades have made a dramatic and positive impact on reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Vehicle upgrades have focused on fuel efficiency. The Board’s 2019-2023 Strategic Plan deepens its commitment to making a difference in how we operate and in the education of our students.
Our Board believes strongly that student engagement is important and that student voice must be heard in the classroom, at the school, district and community level. Our Student Trustee has made climate change a critical component for her focus with her fellow students. Parents discuss these issues with their children when they are old enough to grasp the implications. Sunshine Coast Schools are united as a team of students, staff and the community to continue doing our part for the future and for the environment.
Sincerely,
Patrick Bocking
Superintendent, Sunshine Coast Schools
PB:sm
CC: Trustees, Board of Education