By Keith McNeill
During a school board meeting held in Clearwater Secondary School on Monday, May 28, trustees adopted school calendars for the next two school years — 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 – with two significant changes from previous years.
In 2019, the School District 73 Pro-D day in September will be on the Monday during BC Ag Expo in Barriere and Provincial Winter Fair in Kamloops, rather than the Friday.
During the school board meeting, Rhonda Kershaw, trustee for the Lower North Thompson, explained that having the Monday off would help students who are participating in either of the agricultural fairs, as the auctions for their products are held on that day.
Having schools being in class on the Friday also would help teachers who want to take their students on field trips to one of the fairs, as there would be more activity on that day, Kershaw said.
It was too late to make the change for this coming September, said associate superintendent Shayne Olsen. Speakers had already been booked for the various schools.
A Pro-D day in the spring of 2020 will not be held on April 20 but will instead be held on April 27 to avoid coinciding with the 4/20 celebration — pot-smoking gatherings across North America held on April 20 each year.
The change was the result of feedback received, said Olsen.
“Somehow we’ve gone through several iterations of the calendar without anyone bringing it up,” he said.
Staff are recommending the professional-development day be pushed back a week, to April 27, 2020.
Meanwhile, the proposed calendar for the 2018-2019 school year includes 185 teaching days, 44 weekend days, 13 vacation days, nine statutory holiday days and eight professional-development days.
Sun Peaks elementary, however, is on a four-day school week.
– with notes from Kamloops This Week
