Board News: Tuesday, November 29, 2016
November 30, 2016
Presentation: Brookswood Secondary, The Addams Family
Brookswood’s musical theatre group started off the Board meeting with song and dance as cast members provided a preview of The Addams Family. The show promises to be entertaining and from early indications should provide a lot of laughs as well as the great musical performances Brookswood is so well known for. The show runs February 8-11 and 15-18 in the Brookswood Secondary Theatre. For more information, including how to purchase tickets, visit www.brookswoodsecondary.com.
Nomination and Election of Chair and Vice-Chair
The Board of Education is required to hold mid-term elections for the Trustee positions of Chair and Vice-Chair. Trustee Rob McFarlane will continue as Board Chair and Trustee Megan Dykeman will continue as Vice-Chair. Both elections were won by acclimation.
Superintendent’s Report: Framework for Enhanced Student Learning
Website Review
Acting Superintendent Gord Stewart provided a preview of how the Framework for Enhanced Student Learning (FESL) will look once it is prepared and ready to post on the District website in the New Year. This Plan incorporates District strategies supporting student learning as they relate
to the District Mission and Vision. Parents that access the website will be provided a brief intro to assist
their understanding of the District Mission, Core Values, and the Learning Plan as it relates to the four
quadrants of the District’s Vision. By accessing different sections of the Plan, parents will be informed of District goals, strategies, and updates in support of student learning. Monthly updates will capture staff and student work that exemplify these goals.
District Literacy Plan
The District Literacy Plan has been put in place to support all students in their ability to read and write
proficiently by the end of Grade 3. The primary years are foundational for students to acquire the necessary skills in literacy. The District’s approach is to scaffold the implementation of different strategies to support schools based on their past five years of reading results. The support for each elementary school will be provided by the Instructional Services Team. Lynie Tener, Instructional Services Coordinator, and Sam Muraca, District VicePrincipal, provided an overview of the District Literacy Plan. At the heart of the Plan is the common language being developed as a District around Literacy. The key structures in place for all teachers to be successful are embedded in the scaffold or tiers that are being provided. Listed below are the different levels of support:
Tier Three Support
- Working in classrooms alongside teachers to support classroom practice with reading and
writing - Supporting staff with Book Club at school, based on School Action Plan
- Attending staff meetings to present short in-services around literacy/performance-based assessment
Tier Two Support
- Primary team (all Grade 1, 2 and 3 teachers on staff)
- Meet four times during the year after the Faye Brownlie presentation dates (September 28,
October 18, January 19, April 12) - Will have ½ day release days
- Changing Results for Young Readers style: What can we do to support a struggling reader/writer in the class? What strategies, ideas, etc. will make a difference? (Spirals of Inquiry) Wonder, try, reflect, change. Format of these sessions:
- Have you tried any of Faye’s ideas?
- What have you noticed about the student(s) you are focusing on?
- Is what you are trying making a difference?
- What will you try next?
Tier One Support
- Literacy coaches in place to work with and support classroom teachers in using best practice
- Based on school and teacher needs
At all three tiers, the Instructional Services Team work with each staff to build a common language around a District Balanced Literacy Program. This will include the key strategies used to teach reading and writing as well as common practices in assessing literacy.
Superintendent’s Report: Information Items
Outdoor Education Program
In September of 2016 a distict team was formed to build on the previous work around outdoor education and focus on the establishment of an Outdoor Education Program in Langley to commence in September of 2017. The program will Kindergarten to Grade 2 initially but there is hope that the program will grow to include more grades once established. Outdoor education fits well with the re-designed curriculum the Ministry of Education has prepared for BC schools as there is more emphasis on environment and nature as well as the inclusion of Aborginal worldviews and perspectives. The main focus of the Outdoor Education Program will be to provide children with large amounts of time outside in frequently visited natural environments where they can play, explore and experience natural systems and the materials found there. In all sorts of weather, students and educators will investigate natural phenomenon and learn about the place in which they live. Curricular outcomes will be weaved together through engaging and meaningful experiences.
Emergency Preparedness Update
In February 2016, a District Committee for Emergency Preparedness was created that includes representation from the District Parent Advisory Council, the Langley Teachers Association, the Langley Principal and Vice-Principals Association, District Maintenance Staff, and the District Leadership Team. The committee has met six times since being established in February 2016. The committee was established to support the efforts of the District to create a unified and consistent approach to supporting schools with emergency supplies, particularly for the possibility of an earthquake. The District Leadership Team made a financial commitment to provide start-up funding over two years. In the first year, a “Principal’s Bag” (valued at $450) has been provided to the main office of each Langley school. Also, all schools with students K-8 have been equipped with “Classroom Bags” that contain general emergency supplies.
Secretary Treasurer’s Report: Action Items
Budget Process and Timeline (2017/2018 Preliminary Operating Budget)
The Board of Education approved the budget process and timeline at the November meeting in order to provide more time for all stakeholder groups to provide feedback. The District always focusses on producing a balanced budget but also provides for stakeholder feedback and leaves the final decision-making to the elected Board of Education. It is important to consider flexibility in allocation of financial resources so that individual schools can make local decisions while balancing elements that are best controlled centrally.
Policy No. 1204 – Bylaws of the Board
The revised Policy No. 1204 – Bylaws of the Board was presented to the October 4th Policy Committee meeting where a request was made for it to be sent out as a Notice of Motion. The Notice of Motion was carried at the October 25 Regular Board Meeting. The motion addressed changes to the Policy requiring delegation requests be made 2 weeks in advance and written materials, including PowerPoint presentations, be submitted 1 week in advance. You may view Policy No. 1204 here.
Secretary Treasurer’s Report: Information Items
Final Enrolment Report
The end of September 2016 1701 data collection shows headcount and full time equivalents (FTEs) have increased since the September 2015 data collection in various categories of our enrolment:
The District is up about 708 Ministry Funded students from 2015.