Board News: Tuesday, January 24, 2017

January 26, 2017

Presentation: DW Poppy Secondary, Sister Act

The Musical Theatre Academy at DW Poppy has chosen Sister Act as its year-two production and if the preview that was provided to the Board of Education is any indication, the show will be a hit! Principal Balan Moorthy introduced teachers Wayne Ablitt, James Howard and Stephanie Rivera and their students to perform a number from the show. Enjoy the ‘sneak peak’ below:

Superintendent’s Reports

Framework for Enhanced Student Learning – District Literacy Plan

A/Superintendent Gord Stewart and Assistant Superintendent Woody Bradford introduced Teachers Shelley Hegedus, Bev Donald and Laurel Costello who outlined the goals of the balanced literacy program:

1. Common knowledge and language.
2. Research based examples of effective literacy instruction.
3. Literacy rich environments.
4. Hands-on learning ideas that support the big idea that “Language and Story Can be a Source of Creativity and Joy” and reinforce the importance of reading comprehension.

So far results have been positive and there is a ‘buzz in the air’:

1. Collaboration amongst teachers has increased.
2. Teachers are using multiple sources to build their programs.
3. More kids are experiencing more eyes on text…kids are choosing books and learning about ‘just right books’.
4. students are so excited to go to the ‘Word Work’ centre instead having spelling lists to copy out.
5. Formative assessment is starting to be understood as an important part of teaching so we can move kids’ learning forward.
6. There’s a ‘buzz’ in the air…teachers are talking about literacy…

Community Consultation on Middle School Programming

Superintendent Gord Stewart and Secretary Treasurer David Green provided a verbal update on the progress of the middle school consultation process to date. So far, the DW Poppy and Brookswood families of schools have both participated in the first of the scheduled meetings. A summary of those meetings and some initial feedback from those meetings was shared.

Secretary Treasurer’s Reports: Information Items

Revised Grandfathering Process for Policy No. 5084 – Admission to Choice Programs

In October of 2016 a new online system was introduced for registration in District Programs of Choice for September 2017. Once the online system closed, the pool consisted of those that had applied online and those that had applied in previous years. With respect to those who have applied online, the District proposed to maintain the integrity of the District’s practice of sibling priority regardless of the date of application.

The original grandfathering process that was put in place for the 2017/2018 year therefore was:

1. Applicants will be offered seats in the following order:
   • All students on the central master waitlist maintained at the School Board Office who have siblings in the same program will be offered seats in their first or second choice program regardless of the date of application for others on the central master waitlist who do not have siblings in the same program;
   •  Applications made under the new online registration process who have siblings in the same program will be offered seats in their first or second choice program;
   • All Langley resident students on the central master waitlist will be offered seats, as availability exists, into their first or second choice program based on original application date; and,
   • Remaining seats, if any, will be offered to Langley resident students by random draw.
2. Those on the revised master waitlist who will not have been offered a seat at this point in the process will be assigned a waitlist priority number based on original application date. These students will either fill seats that have been offered and not accepted, or be transferred to the school waitlist for the respective program.
3. Students on the revised master waitlist who are seeking entry to a program in years after 2017, will be asked to reapply in the respective fall online registration that is 11 months prior to the year of entry to the program.
4. The new Policy will be fully effective for the 2018 program entry and beyond.

There was significant feedback on this process from applicants who were on the central master waitlist who strongly felt that having to reapply every year did not represent a grandfathering process. As a result, the Board of Education reconsidered the process and has decided to continue with the grandfathering process that was used for 2017/2018 for those applicants who had applied under the The Board of Education of School District No. 35 (Langley) previous process and who had responded to the District’s request in early 2016 to prioritize their first and second choices as contemplated by the Policy.

They will need to have an account in the online application system, but their place on the master waitlist will be honored as per the following:

1. Applicants will be offered seats in the following order:
   • All students on the central master waitlist maintained at the School Board Office who have siblings in the same program will be offered seats in their first or second choice program regardless of the date of application for others on the central master waitlist who do not have siblings in the same program;
   • Applications made under the new online registration process who have siblings in the same program will be offered seats in their first or second choice program;
   • All Langley resident students on the central master waitlist will be offered seats, as availability exists, into their first or second choice program based on original application date; and,
   • Remaining seats, if any, will be offered to Langley resident students by random draw.
2. Those on the revised master waitlist who will not have been offered a seat at this point in the process will be assigned a waitlist priority number based on original application date. These students will either fill seats that have been offered and not accepted or be transferred to the school waitlist for the respective program.

Capital Projects Update 2016-2017

In 2016, the District was successful in receiving approval for three capital construction projects:

• The seismic upgrading and partial replacement of Langley Secondary;
• The eight-room expansion of RC Garnett Demonstration Elementary; and,
• The Willoughby Area Secondary.

Secretary Treasurer David Green provided an update on the above capital projects and remarked that the Willoughby Secondary project “…could be the fastest timeline of a secondary school built in BC” to the best of his knowledge and expressed appreciation for the work of staff and partners.

Committee Reports: Education Committee

The Board of Education discussed moderate increases in two Specialty Academies, Hockey and Grade 8 Visual Arts at LFAS. Other academy fees will remain the same. You may read more about specialty academies and their fees here.

The  fees for the International Baccalaureate will remain the same as the Board passed a motion to that effect.

Committee Reports: Policy Committee

The Board of Education passed a Notice of Motion indicating that it intends to pass Policy No. 5004 – Vaccination Records at the March 7, 2017 Regular Meeting of the Board of Education. The Notice of Motion is posted on the District website here: https://www.sd35.bc.ca/the-board/policiesregulations/. Information on how you may provide feedback is included at the above link.

The Board of Education passed a Notice of Motion indicating it intends to pass Policy No. 3840 – New School Sites at the March 7, 2017 Regular Meeting of the Board of Education. The Notice of Motion is posted on the District website here: https://www.sd35.bc.ca/the-board/policiesregulations/. Information on how you may provide feedback is included at the above link.