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Board News: Tuesday, April 25, 2017

April 27, 2017

Opening Presentations

Walnut Grove Secondary Senior Boys’ AAA Basketball Provincial Champions

The WGSS Senior Boys basketball team was recognized by the Board of Education for their recent accomplishments on the court at the Provincial Championship. Board Vice-Chair Megan Dykeman and A/Superintendent Gord Stewart congratulated those in attendance with a handshake and message from the Board of Education. Coach George Bergeron was praised for his continued leadership by Principal George Kozlovic, who also expressed his appreciation for his dedication to coaching at WGSS.

WorksafeBC Safety Video Contest Winners

Two WGSS film and video students have won awards and cash in this year’s WorkSafeBC Student Safety Video Contest. Ethan Eigenfeldt’s video, “Find your voice” is the BC Safety Authority Student Safety Video Contest Award winner and Kevin Kim’s video, “Speak Out” has won the Seaspan Student Safety Video Contest Award. The top two videos in the grade 11-12 category each win $2500 ($1500 for the school and $1000 for the student). In addition, “Find Your Voice” by Ethan, will be sent to the CCOHS (the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety) to participate in their national contest. To recognize the provincial winners, CCOHS also provides a $2000 prize for the entry we submit. As such, this video will also receive $2000 from CCOHS ($1000 for the student and $1000 for the school).

On hand to recognize these students and their outstanding work were Robin Schooley from WorkSafeBC, William Clewes from Seaspan and Kelly Moon of the BC Safety Authority. WGSS Principal George Kozlovic and Teacher Ryan Radford were also there to support their students and congratulate them on their win.

Presentations: Celebrating Diversity in Langley

Assistant Superintendent Claire Guy and Renge Bailie, District Principal, Student Support Services, presented to the Board an overview of the various actions over the last few years to support all school communities in regards to SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) education. The District has done significant work to support LGBTQ+ students, staff and families. The District continues to support SOGI education and awareness through the work of the LGBTQ+ Committee and Operation Rainbow, the District’s student group.

Superintendent’s Reports

Framework for Enhancing Student Learning: Career Education

Career Education has always been a priority in the Langley School District and the Career Ed department has continued to explore and provide authentic, relevant and meaningful learning experiences for all. The Ministry of Education recently introduced a re-designed curriculum with a new emphasis on career education for all learners K-12. In the Langley District, Career Advisors and Career Facilitators have been added to school staffs as part of career development teams. New Work Experience programs and additions to existing career programs have resulted in a number of new and exciting opportunities for students.

Information Items: Summer Session 2017

Summer Session programs have continued to grow year after year in the Langley School District and early indications are that the 2017 session will be successful as well. The Summer Sessions provide short-term educational opportunities for students in the District and have proven popular with students wishing to study music, theatre and the arts, science and a host of other explorations courses. Courses are also offered for those that wish to take a ‘for credit’ secondary course of the summer so that they may lighten their academic load in September or allow them to choose other electives. A number of courses are also available for students that need just a little more support in academic classes before starting the next grade in the fall.

Information Items: Simonds Elementary/U-Connect Transition Update

Assistant Superintendent Claire Guy and Principal, Simonds/U-Connect, Lori Thomsen, provided an update on the Simonds Elementary/U-Connect transition. In September 2015, the Simonds Elementary and U-Connect school communities came together to be located at the Simonds site. U-Connect students had been attending the Lochiel school site in rural southeast Langley for several years. In order to expand opportunities for the U-Connect students and to
extend the program to grade 12, the decision was made to look at moving the program to a different school site that had sufficient space and a more central location. The combining of two school communities to one site posed certain challenges and required significant work on behalf of school and District staff, parents, and students.

Action Items: School Calendars 2017/2018

The Board of Education passed a motion to approve the School Calendars for 2017-2018, as presented.

Included were the local school calendars:

  • Aldergrove Region Calendar (ACSS, BGMS, Parkside, Shortreed)
  • Elementary and Middle Calendar (except Parkside, Shortreed and Betty Gilbert Middle School)
  • Secondary Linear Schools (BSS, REMSS, WGSS)
  • Secondary Semester Schools (DWP, LSS, Vanguard)
  • Langley Fine Arts School
  • Langley Fundamental Middle Secondary School
  • Langley Education Centre

Secondary Treasurer’s Reports

Action Items: Annual Five Year Capital Plan 2017/2018 – Bylaw No. 17/18-CP-SD35-01

The Board of Education passed all three readings of the Annual Fiver Year Capital Plan 2017/2017 Bylaw No. 17/18-CP-SD35-01 which covers all the approved capital projects as set out by the Ministry of Education. Passing a bylaw of this type is new as of May 2016, where, prior to this change, each project had to have a separate capital bylaw passed by the Board for each project.

Action Items: Annual Facilities Grant 2017/2018

The Ministry of Education provides funding in the form of an Annual Facilities Grant for the purpose of maintenance and capital work on our facilities. The grant is provided on the basis of the Ministry’s fiscal year (April 1 to March 31). The Ministry allocates funding from both its operating budget and its capital budget to support the AFG grant to districts. The year’s approved grant is comprised of an operating portion ($680,178) and a capital portion ($2,518,579) for a total of $3,198,757. As in the past, $57,898 for
CAMS will be extracted from the operating component by the Ministry, leaving an operating balance of $622,280. The total AFG funding granted to the Langley School District for the 2017/2018 school year is therefore $3,140,859, the same as for 2016/2017.

Action Items: Board Meeting Schedule 2017/2018

The Board of Education passed a motion approving the Board Meeting schedule for the coming school year. The schedule for public Board meetings will be posted here.

Action Items: Policy No. 1204 – Bylaws of the Board

The Policy Committee reviewed the ‘delegation’ section of Policy No. 1204 – Bylaws of the Board and recommended the the number of delegations permitted at a Regular Meeting may be reduced from five to three. The Board of Education passed this motion.