Chair Marieze Tarr holds cheque for $1000 – a gift from Osoyoos Rotary to help fund the “Roots of Empathy” programme in School District 53.

Other news:

The school district will have to shuffle expense categories and numerical values around next year to find a half million dollars in expected increases in staff benefit costs.

The school district is starting that budget process early as it is just adopting a final budget for this year ending in June of 23 million dollars – most of which comes from Victoria.

The School District is giving “early warning” to parents that next year class time may be reduced one hour every two weeks so that teachers can collaborate in a programme called “Team Inquiry Time”.

Students of all ages would be released one hour early on the day chosen for such sessions. Superintendent Bev Young says “we want to be an innovative district” and one way is to have all teachers help solve the problems and concerns of anyone of them. But to do that they must meet and collaborate within instructional time. The time would be made up says Young so that the district is in compliance with ministry standards.

The district will also launch a visioning process to gain a shared vision – a road map to guide the organization for the next 5 to 8 years – something that is revised and updated each year. The process would involve parents, staff, teachers, administrators and the community.

On pupil numbers since last report – 35 high school students have left the system and a corresponding number have taken up the “YouLearn.ca” classrooms in the district.