Board Meeting: October 22, 2024
October 21, 2024
The Regular Meeting of the Langley Board of Education was held in-person and streamed online.
Agenda
*Meeting starts at the 7:40 mark.
Superintendent’s Reports
English Language Learners (ELL) and Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS)
District Principals Joanne Neveux and Beth Cairnie gave a presentation on the English Language Learners (ELL) and Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) programs. Neveux noted that the ELL department, and its students, is supported by provincial funding and the SWIS department is funded by the federal government, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
As part of their presentation, the pair shared videos to highlight and demonstrate the work of staff and their impact on students. The first video featured a Langley Secondary Career Facilitator/Teacher who talked about the importance of ELL teachers and their role in schools. As mentioned in the video, ELL teachers help students integrate and feel welcomed in the school.
Neveux said that the SWIS department provides wrap-around supports for many students, many of whom come to this country as newcomers with needs. She gave an overview of the breakdown of staff.
Cairnie talked about how ELL teachers are specialist teachers in Language Acquisition Teaching and Learning, many of whom have varied experiences, and some have experience as ELL learners themselves. There are nearly 150 teachers in the District’s system.
Neveux shared general information about the students and families they serve, which collectively speak many different languages. The number of students in the school district has grown tremendously. Currently, there are more than 2,500 students in the SWIS program that they support, a number that has tripled in the last 8 years. She explained the families come from all over the world. Some arrive as refugees, or on a work or study permit, among other reasons that bring these newcomers to Canada.
The pair explained how ELL teachers are working hard to not just teach English but to provide social emotional learning. The department uses the District’s Framework for Teaching & Learning three-block model: social & emotional learning, instructional practice, and systems and structures. Teachers work with students to welcome families and assist them with their identities, which was demonstrated in video with an ELL teacher from Nicomekl Elementary.
Neveux said that teachers make use of inclusive learning to support students. They showed a video from an ELL teacher that demonstrated an interactive activity for students to help students feel connected and promote intercultural development.
Neveux explained the department’s work on establishing systems and structures. The SWIS department has a Welcome Centre at the school board office, and there is program space available at Yorkson Creek Middle School and Douglas Park Community School. They shared other examples of SWIS-led structures to support newcomers such as Conversation Circles, Immigrant Family Learning Circles, Employment Support, among other programs.
They closed the presentation with a powerful video demonstrating the work of staff at H.D. Stafford Middle School.
Recommendation: That the Board of Education receives the update on English Language Learners and Settlement Workers in Schools for information, as presented.
The Board approved the report as presented. The video above will begin on this agenda item.
Secretary-Treasurer’s Reports
Amended Annual Five-Year Capital Plan 2024/2025 – Capital Bylaw No. 2024/25-CPSD35-03
Secretary-Treasurer Brian Iseli presented the Board with the annual five-year capital plan bylaw 2024-2025. He explained the process of the Ministry of Education and Child Care, which includes a letter to the District outlining the approval of projects. Among those approved by the Ministry included an 8-classroom modular at Nicomekl Elementary and a 6-classroom modular at Lynn Fripps Elementary.
Recommendation: That the School District No. 35 (Langley) (Capital Plan 2024/2025) Capital Bylaw No. 2024/25-CPSD35-03 be given first reading.
Recommendation: That the School District No. 35 (Langley) (Capital Plan 2024/2025) Capital Bylaw No. 2024/25-CPSD35-03 be given second reading.
Recommendation: That the Board of Education of School District No. 35 (Langley) approves having all three readings of the (Capital Plan 2024/2025) Capital Bylaw No. 2024/25-CPSD35-03 at tonight’s meeting.
Recommendation: That the School District No. 35 (Langley) (Capital Plan 2024/2025) Capital Bylaw No. 2024/25-CPSD35-03 be given third reading, passed and adopted on this 22nd day of October 2024.
The Board approves the above motions. The video above will begin on this agenda item.
Funding and Enrolment Update
Secretary-Treasurer Brian Iseli provided an overview of the funding and enrolment update. He shared a slide that had a list of all the enrolment projections according to category of students.
He stated the District is close to its projection in the category of regular students and noted that the number is up slightly. He said there is a slight decrease in students in the continuing education, online learning, and adult education categories. He explained that the District has exceeded the projected enrolment for Inclusive Education. Also, in the category of ELL learners, that has also increased more than projected. Iseli summarized that the District’s head count is 25,753 students in September 2024, which is 860 students more this year compared to last year.
Recommendation: That the Board of Education receives the Funding and Enrolment Update for information, as presented.
The Board approved the report as presented. The video above will begin on this agenda item.
Notice of Motion – Policy 7: Board Operations
Recommendation: That the Board of Education serves Notice of Motion to the District’s education community and its education partner groups that it intends to adopt the revisions to Policy 7: Board Operations at the December 10, 2024 Regular Board Meeting.
The Board passed the following motion:
That the Board of Education make a motion to refer this back to the Policy Committee for consideration of all comments made in the meeting of October 22.
New Business
No new business.