We have a lot to be proud of in School District 22 (Vernon), most of all the continuous support for public education that we receive from our students, families, and staff. School District 22 values diversity, inclusion and accessibility for all.
First, my personal thanks to the board of education for the warm welcome I have received as your new superintendent. Congratulations to both board chair, Gen Acton, and vice-chair, Tom Williamson, who were re-elected to their roles.
We had an incredible response for Orange Shirt Day and our district-wide Truth and Reconciliation professional learning day. We are proud to work with our partners in education from the Okanagan Indian Band, the Metis Association and the Vernon Friendship Centre and commit to continue our work towards reconciliation.
We are thankful for all the support we receive from our partners: District Parent Advisory Council, our many Parent Advisory groups (PACs), Principal and Vice Principal Association, Vernon Teachers’ Association and CUPE 5523. We thank all our school-based staff, as they mean the world to us, and our incredible students for engaging in their learning. In addition, we appreciate all the contributions from our International Program, IT Services, Transportation, Career Education, Curriculum, Student Support Services, Indigenous Education, Maintenance and Facilities, Finance and of course, Human Resources. Believe it or not, in the 2021 calendar year, School District 22 will have hired over 225 new employees! Welcome to all.
The board is also pleased to have supported staff wellness during these difficult times and are so proud of how well our custodians, enhanced cleaners, and HVAC team have done in keeping our schools healthy and safe.
Our Student Voice leaders have met and are being most informative as to what direction they want the district to take moving forward.
We need to hear your voice, too!
This year the district is embarking on an update and revision to our strategic plan. We want to personally invite each member of the community to offer their feedback and thoughts. This feedback can be provided virtually, and during in-person focus groups, subject to COVID-19 restrictions. We invite you to participate at sd22.bc.ca. Open Friday, Jan. 21 to Feb. 4.
The focus is to determine a pathway that best meets the needs of our students and the provincial academic requirements. Our schools should reflect our values, which is why it is essential to hear from members of the community.
To that end, we have hired Public Consulting Group as a consultant to help us initiate a collaborative effort which will involve district staff and the entire community in a meaningful manner.
We hope you will consider providing feedback via the website and participate in the initial focus groups. We were pleased to be able to kick-off the process with partner group leaders, the board and district staff on Dec. 10. Larger representation of partner, and community groups, were interviewed this week, and all staff and community members will be able to participate via an online survey from mid-January onward.
An iterative process will continue all spring until a draft is presented to the board of education in June 2022.
Dream big! We look forward to hearing from you and your great ideas for the future of learning for our students. Thank you all in advance for your participation.
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