Letter to parents of students attending Tuc-el-nuit Elementary School from Principal Dave Foster

Dear Parents:

Re: S.D. 53 Team Inquiry Model and Time

 As discussed at our March PAC meeting, School District 53 is exploring the concept of implementing Team Inquiry time. This is time during the school day for teachers and principals to study and learn together in order to improve their teaching practice, learn new ways to meet student needs and increase student success. The proposed Inquiry Time is different from professional development or collaborative time. It focuses on a tough issue or question and the outcome of this process is proven to help produce better results for students.

At Tuc-el-Nuit Elementary School, the current proposal is to dismiss students at 12 noon on the last Wednesday once a month (September, October, November, January, February, April & May) so teachers can meet for 2 hours of team inquiry time – beginning in September, 2013.

The instructional time will be reduced by a total of 10.5 hours over the school year (instructional time still remains higher than the Provincial minimum). We will be working with Parks and Recreation to provide programming for these afternoons and busses will run at 12:05 pm.

We discussed the proposal at our March 11 PAC meeting and will again be discussing it at the PAC meeting on Wed., April 17, at 7:00. If you have any questions or concerns about the Team Inquiry proposal, please contact Dave Foster (dfoster@sd53.bc.ca) or you are also welcome to call our Oliver School Board trustee, Mr. Rob Zandee (rzandee@sd53.bc.ca). The S.D. 53 Board of Trustees will be discussing the proposal at their April 17 meeting.

Further information on the Team Inquiry proposal is available on the District website (sd53) and in the School District Board Reports published each month.

Mr. Dave Foster,
Principal

Note from Publisher: The School District #53 Board of Trustees has not yet adopted the plan but may do so at its next regular meeting.