Fauquier School property update
Eight community members attended the meeting held at the Fauquier School on Dec. 1. The community expressed strong support for the district’s efforts to rezone and subdivide the property, with the goal of ensuring the school building remains as an asset to the community. A Registered Onsite Water Professional (ROWP) has started the assessment of the land for sceptic field layout. This will inform proposed plot lines for the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) application. The Education Partnership Committee (EPC) expects the application for the exclusion from the ALR in January.
Numeracy focus continues
The EPC has received very positive feedback from teachers concerning the district numeracy initiative. The consultant hired to work alongside educators has a strong focus on improving problem-solving, critical and creative thinking in math, and integrates math into real world, problem-based learning. The next sessions with the consultant working in classrooms with teachers are scheduled for Jan. 7-8, Feb. 11-12, March 10-11, and April 14-15.
Students to take part in International Hour of Code event
Four students from NSS and two students from Lucerne Elementary Secondary School will be six students of one hundred students from across the interior participating in one of four events across B.C. They will learn hands-on computer coding skills with over 20 volunteer coding mentors at UBC-O’s Innovative Learning Centre. The Hour of Code is an international grassroots event, exposing students to global computer science and digital literacy awareness. Tens of millions of students from across the world will participate on Jan. 23.
Trustee by-election
There are two trustee vacancies on the Board of Education, one in the central zone (Nakusp area), and one in the eastern zone (New Denver area). The by-election for the central zone will take place on Saturday, Jan. 16. Two candidates have handed in nomination papers so far, and nominations remain open until Dec. 11.The by-election for the eastern zone will take place on Feb. 20. Nomination packages can be submitted to the Chief Elections Officer from Jan. 5 to Jan. 15, 2016.
Solar Energy Challenge
Students and classrooms across the district will be invited to participate in the SD 10 Solar Monitoring Challenge, which starts in the new year. Students will be able to access graphs and data digitally connected to the solar grid panels, and can integrate their math, science, and social responsibility skills while tracking the systems at both schools. They will be able to see daily, weekly, and monthly offsets earned, and the power generated back into the grid. Comparison of this data, of climate data for the area, and of BC Hydro energy bills will be made available to any students who are interested. Culminating presentations made by all classes involved will be presented to the Education Partnership Committee of the board in June. Students will be able to examine renewable energy systems, and make recommendations to the board on the next steps in energy savings, and investigate the costs and benefits of solar energy dependent on the amount of kw solar panels installed.
