1. Report cards for School District #53 (Term One) will be going home prior to December 2nd. This will include confirmation of the teacher names and courses – detail on attendance and punctuality along with contact information. Marks from administrators will be contained in the report but due to the management/labour situation – teachers will not be involved in report card preparation.
2. Six year completion rates (what percent of students starting in grade 8 graduate in 6 years). SD #53 completion rate is 73% up 3 percent year to year comparing last year to the 2009-2010 year. Some disturbing trends were observed by trustees with female students dropping from 87 percent to 71 percent in five years. Male students’ rate is on the increase.
3. The board has approved in principle a field trip for two schools in February. SESS, SOSS, OSS (Osoyoos, Keremeos and Oliver) will join together and attend the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, Idaho – Feb. 23-26.
4. The district is awaiting word from Victoria on a $20 million dollar plan to reconstruct burnt out portions of SOSS. No details on what the school will look like is being released to the public.
5. The district could enjoy a $25 thousand annual saving by signing with a special program with Telus voice services. This would mean that costs would be the same in Oliver as they are for Burnaby.
6. The board endorsed four recommendations from a management committee meeting November 9 (closed to public) with no debate. One item the acknowledgement of the fact that the meetings are held on the traditional territory of the Okanagan Nation was delayed as not all trustees were present at last night’s meeting even though the subject had been discussed away from the public by all trustees two weeks prior.
7. The school board also discussed fund raising for high school transportation and field trips and the condition/cost of maintaining playing fields in the district to enable public/school sport activities. A policy of use and cost of use will be reviewed in the new year.