Board of Education Highlights
Report from Monday, April 23, 2018
The Board of Education Highlights provide updates on presentations and decisions made during the Board Meetings. For more information, please visit our District website where you can view the full agenda and video stream of the meeting: www.sd61.bc.ca/board-of-education/meetings/
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Music in the Air, Music Everywhere
The founders of the Cooper Smith Music Library (Eileen Cooper and Bonnie Smith) revealed details about the District’s upcoming music festival, “Music in the Air/ Music Everywhere” with the Board of Education. Students will be performing pop-up concerts all across Greater Victoria between May 6-16th, 2018. The 11-day festival will provide Greater Victoria School District music students the opportunity to share their diverse musical talents with the broader community.
There will be more than 30 performances that will take place in city parks, senior residences, shopping centres, and formal concert venues. Students will also perform in the Buccaneer Days Parade.
Festival details to follow.
New Secondary Courses at Victoria High
Three new Board Authority Authorized courses will be introduced at Victoria High for the upcoming school year. Trustees voted in support of implementing: Introduction to Electronics/Electrical 10, Introduction to Auto Body 10 and Junior Art Metal at the secondary school.
The electronics and electrical class will offer students an introduction to electronic and electrical theory, processes and skills development. The auto body course will give students an opportunity to participate in hands-on activities such as welding, panel and dent repair, auto detailing and painting labs. The art metal course will focus on how to create jewelry and unique personal items.
Dress Code
The Board of Education approved Policy 5132 Student Dress Code and Regulation 5132 Student Dress Code. In December, The Board of Education directed the Superintendent to develop a draft dress code policy and regulation to bring back to the One Learning Community Ad Hoc Committee and all stakeholders. There have been 16 public meetings about dress code since June 2016.
Policy 5132 Student Dress Code will be reviewed annually. For more details about the policy and regulation passed, please review Board Agenda (pages 74-77):
Use of Digital Technology
The Board of Education approved updates to Policy 1300 Acceptable Use of Digital Technology, revised Regulation 1300.2 Employee Acceptable Use of Digital Technology and Regulation 1300.3 Student Acceptable Use of Technology, with a few recommendations.
For more details about the policy and regulations, please review Board Agenda (pages 113-145):
Amended 2018-2019 School Calendar
The amended calendar for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year was passed. The amendment includes the new Family Day on February 18, 2019 and a Curriculum Implementation Day on April 12, 2019 as mandated by the Ministry of Education.
School Calendars: www.sd61.bc.ca/news-events/calendars/2017-2018-and-2018-2019-school-calendars-2/
Childcare partnership opportunities
The Board of Education is supporting the Superintendent to have conversations with child care providers to help them apply for funding from the Ministry of Children and Families to preserve or expand childcare at a number of sites across the District.