Superintendent’s Report to the Board | December 2024

This report highlights the past month’s updates and events, all grounded in our core values of learning, belonging, integrity, and equity.

Strategic Plan Launch and Implementation Update

Over 60 staff members from the Custodial, Facilities and Maintenance, and Technology departments, along with Diversified Transportation bus drivers, participated in Strategic Plan launch events last month. These sessions marked a significant step in engaging all departments in the district-wide implementation of the Strategic Plan.

Two teachers from each school were selected through a submission process to serve as Learning Guides. These guides, in collaboration with their school principals, will support the Strategic Plan and alignment with the School Growth Plans within their school communities. They have joined the Education Leadership Team for half-day sessions during monthly meetings to deepen their understanding and advance the plan collectively.

FSA Marking

The local marking team has completed our district’s evaluations for the FSA assessments administered to Grade 4 and 7 students across BC. This data plays a critical role in identifying areas where resources are needed to support better learning outcomes for all students in our district.

Egg Drop Challenge Events

Students from Davis Bay, Roberts Creek, and West Sechelt Elementary showcased their creativity and problem-solving skills in an exciting egg drop challenge! Using STEM knowledge, students designed structures to protect raw eggs dropped from a fire ladder truck. The event highlighted key Core Competencies such as Collaborating, Creative Thinking, and Critical & Reflective Thinking. A big thank you to the Technology Festival Association of BC, the Sechelt Fire Department, and John Leech for making this event possible!

Chatelech Theatre Program Presentation

The talented students of Chatelech’s Acting 11/12 class and Music Theatre Ensemble recently presented a double bill performance: Murder in the Knife Room and Scenes from Favourite Musicals. Congratulations to the performers for a fantastic showcase!

November 18th Professional Development Day

Staff participated in a variety of professional development offerings on November 18th, both at school sites and district-wide, supporting ongoing learning and collaboration. 

BCSSA Conference and Learning for Leadership

Members of the Education Leadership Team attended the BCSSA Fall Conference, where they engaged in insightful learning sessions with peers. Featured speakers included Andy Hargreaves, Andrew Stobo Sniderman, Douglas Sanderson, and Dr. Gwendolyn Point, offering valuable insights into educational leadership.

Elementary Triple ball and Volleyball District Events

On November 26, eight Grade 4/5 teams participated in a triple ball round robin event. The athletes demonstrated impressive growth, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Special thanks to Jamie Mani and his athletic leadership team for their support.

On November 29, 18 teams from across the Coast competed in the Grade 6/7 volleyball/triple ball jamboree at Elphinstone Secondary. Special thanks to Owen Schutz and his student leaders at Elphinstone for hosting this event.

Also, gratitude for all coaches, parents, and volunteers for their contributions.

Senior Girls Volleyball Team Achievements

Congratulations to the Chatelech Senior Girls Volleyball Team for finishing 3rd at Tier 2 Provincials! A special shoutout to Justine Hoehne for being named a Tournament First Team All-Star. Go Eagles!

Written Learning Updates and TidePools Aquarium Offering

This past month, Written Learning Updates were distributed to both elementary and secondary students across the district.

In the elementary student packages, our community partner, TidePools Aquarium, included a complimentary one-day admission for school-aged children on the Sunshine Coast. This generous offering was made possible through the support of Len Libin and his family, in partnership with the Judi Libin Giving Fund.

For secondary students, schools have the option of distributing free admission tickets either individually or as part of a class field trip, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to benefit from this enriching experience.

This initiative supports Sunshine Coast School District 46’s vision of a thriving and inclusive community of lifelong learners and our work with families. The district values the learner’s growth through holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, relational, and personalized learning. This partnership with TidePools Aquarium furthers the school district’s motto “paddling together to irresistible futures.”

Career Department Updates

November was a month of learning and collaboration for the Career Department!

On November 7th and 8th, the Career Education Society hosted their 47th annual Career Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver. The Keynote was Dr. Candy Ho – an international award-winning career development educator and scholar. “As career educators tasked with guiding the next generation, we consider the skills, strategies, and mindsets our students will need to navigate and thrive in this dynamic new world of work.”

Workshops included: WorkSafe BC, Ministry of Education and Childcare and Education Planner BC, among many others. It was an excellent opportunity to network with other school districts in the province and with members from a variety of industries and post-secondaries that were in attendance.

On November 18th, a new Career LSA was created at the District Professional Day workshop. We are currently four members strong, and new members are always welcome. We will be meeting four times per year to discuss pertinent career related topics, to share resources, to collaborate and to infuse inspiration into our practices. Our next meeting will be February 2025.

Building and fostering community partnerships are integral for the continued growth and evolution of our Career Programs. This month District Career Coordinator Cheryl Wilson met with two members of the WorkBC team (Open Door Group) in Sechelt to brainstorm ways that our two organizations can assist each other with supporting youth in developing their career readiness and job search skills, among the other services they offer. They will be presenting to the students in the Horizons’ program at the Sechelt Alternative School in January.

We continue to add new companies to both our Work Experience program and the Work in Trades apprenticeship For example, the Sunshine Coast Community Services Youth Outreach team is sponsoring a student from the Oasis program at the Gibsons’ Alternative School for her work experience placement. As this student’s career goal is to become a youth worker/counselor, this opportunity will prove to be invaluable for her as she begins her journey toward this goal. Employers are seeing the benefits of sponsoring our students and students are experiencing the benefits of working in the community.