Superintendent's Report to the Board | January 2025
This report highlights the past month’s updates and events, all grounded in our core values of learning, belonging, integrity, and equity.
Winter Concerts, Traditions, and a Season of Giving
Throughout the district, schools embraced the holiday season with concerts and special events that brought together staff, students, and families, strengthening connections across our school communities. In the spirit of giving, schools also organized holiday fundraisers, supporting both local initiatives and broader community causes, while fostering students’ ‘Social Awareness and Responsibility’ (Core Competency).
Nutcracker Experience
On December 13th, the district funded a special opportunity for two classes to attend the Waldorf Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker at Raven’s Cry Theatre. A district-wide lottery determined this year’s fortunate winners: Halfmoon Bay Elementary and Davis Bay Elementary.
North vs. South Hockey Game
The North vs. South Hockey Game at the GACC was a resounding success, with the South Team securing a 6-2 victory! Beyond the excitement on the ice, the event served a meaningful purpose, raising $1,166 for the local Food Bank through the duck toss, 50-50 draw, and door donations, with concession proceeds still to be tallied.
Special recognition goes to Principal Mr. Sauer and all the student and staff volunteers from the secondary schools who helped make this happen. In addition, thank you to Student Trustee Alexis Proust for her outstanding performance of O Canada, Lauryn Bychkowsky for introducing the District Student Leadership Team (DSLT) and to Trustee Ruth for officially launching the game.
Zoom Fest Success for Film & Television Production Students
Congratulations to our talented Film & Television Production students—Mervy Mingo, Atala Herrera, Nathan Perrins, Garnet Janyk, Morris Emmerson, and Hana Fraser—who showcased their creativity and teamwork in the BC-wide Zoom Fest 48-Hour Student Film Competition, organized by Mulgrave Secondary School.
Given a theme (Fortune Favours the Bold) and a prop (a button), the team wrote, filmed, and edited an impressive short film titled Benjamin’s Buttons. The film earned Best Performance (Supporting) for Morris Emmerson’s outstanding work, which also awarded him a $2,500 scholarship to New Image College’s Acting Program.
This accomplishment highlights the dedication and creativity of our students, and we are incredibly proud of their success. Their film, Benjamin’s Buttons, will also be featured at our very own Elphi Film Fest in the new year.
Foundry Outreach Presentations at Secondary Schools
On December 10th and 11th, Lisa Weitendorf from the Sunshine Coast Foundry engaged students at Elphinstone Secondary. Grades 8 and 9 were addressed on the first day, followed by Grades 10 to 12 on the subsequent day. The purpose of these presentations was to inform students about the services presently offered by Foundry, both virtually and at other Foundry locations. Additionally, these sessions aimed to capture the perspectives of youth on the desired services from our local Foundry, ultimately helping to shape its future vision and planning.
Students participated in a post-presentation survey to express their feedback, and also entered a raffle draw. Although our community is still waiting for our physical Foundry center, the Foundry Virtual App provides young individuals aged 12 to 24 and their caregivers access to immediate virtual services. These include virtual counseling, peer support, primary healthcare, employment assistance, as well as various groups and workshops.
Upcoming visits are scheduled in January at Chatelech Secondary and Pender Harbour Elementary-Secondary to continue this informative initiative.
PreVenture Program Update: Year Two of Pilot Implementation
We are currently in the second year of piloting the PreVenture Program, an evidence-based initiative designed to bolster mental health and delay substance use among adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. This academic year, the program is integrated at the grade 8 level across our schools.
PreVenture is a strengths-based, skill-building program that focuses on promoting self-efficacy and cognitive-behavioral skills. It is tailored to equip youth with the necessary tools to navigate developmental challenges such as academic stress, peer pressure, interpersonal conflicts, and identity formation. The program accommodates individual variability by addressing how youth perceive and tackle these challenges, helping them to develop adaptive coping skills, set and pursue long-term goals, and utilize their personality traits positively.
Implementation involves certified PreVenture facilitators, who are school counselors, delivering two 90-minute workshops targeting four personality dimensions: two internalizing (anxiety sensitivity and negative thinking) and two externalizing (impulsivity and sensation seeking). Workshops are designed for groups of 6-12 voluntarily participating students.
This December, all grade 8 students at Elphinstone Secondary were screened, with workshops commencing in January. Similar screenings and subsequent workshops are scheduled for grade 8 students at Chatelech Secondary and Pender Harbour Elementary-Secondary in the upcoming year. Additionally, SCAS is exploring potential implementation strategies.
This focused approach aims to empower our youth in making informed decisions and successfully pursuing their long-term goals.
Participation in CHART Lab-YDI Research Project
Inclusion Support Services is excited to announce our partnership with CHART Labs on the research project, titled “Activating Youth Engagement to Promote Social Connection and Belonging in School Communities.” Alongside three other school districts, this initiative will focus on enhancing youth well-being by fostering greater social connectivity in our schools.
The project commits to a multi-year learning cycle to develop and evaluate a comprehensive registry of evidence-based tools and approaches aimed at fostering social connections. Activities include integrating youth voices in decision-making, enhancing the skills of adults to collaborate effectively with young people, and building capacities among youth leaders to engage in governance processes. This will not only help in implementing these strategies but also in evaluating and scaling the successes to broader contexts.
Our participation aligns with our strategic goals of deepening connections and fostering a sense of belonging within our school communities, particularly focusing on supporting equity-deserving groups such as Indigenous youth, gender-diverse students, those with pre-existing mental health issues, and newcomer youth.
We are honored to contribute to this significant research, understanding its potential to transform our educational environments and outcomes.
Career Department Update
On Friday December 6, District Career Coordinator Cheryl Wilson travelled to BCIT’s Annacis Island Campus located in Delta, as part of the Lower Mainland Steering Committee bi-monthly meeting. The 142,000-square-foot facility is home to their motive power programs. These programs train heavy-duty mechanics, transport trailer mechanics, diesel mechanics, commercial transportation mechanics, railway conductors and forklift operators. We were given a tour of the facility, including outside on the Rail lines to discuss their Railway Conductor Program.
Collaborative Literacy Strategy Sparks Engagement and Learning in Science 10!
Teachers Jane Ostashek, Michael Sopow and Laura Clarke, recently collaborated to develop a series of science lessons which utilized a dynamic literacy strategy that can be applied to any subject area. This work showcased the power of co-teaching and creative planning! Using infographics, the lessons provided choice and multiple entry points for students, ensuring inclusivity and fostering engagement.
Students made exciting connections, including how Core Competencies, like Communication, extend beyond English and emerge across various strands of learning. It was inspiring to see how these concepts came to life in the classroom.
The success of these lessons was highlighted during a Lunch & Learn session, where teachers shared strategies and supported each other’s work. These Lunch & Learn sessions continue to be an invaluable resource for professional growth and enhancing student learning experiences.