As Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district students show up for the first day of class, staff have taken steps to ensure students, regardless of financial background, have the tools to succeed.
Grade 1-12 students are back to school today, Sept. 4, and underprivileged students will be able to use school supplies ordered by teachers last June with assistance from the Nanaimo Ladysmith Schools Foundation.
“It’s a lot of the very simple things like having binders, pencils and paper,” said Brett Hancock, district principal of learning alternatives. “We do have support for technology through the schools foundation and it’s based on our student clientele in the month of June and working in learning alternatives in years past, we have to gear our lessons around student need and that comes first.”
A Greater Nanaimo Early Years Partnership report from last year stated the child poverty rate is 24.6 per cent, based on 2016 numbers.
Hancock says the student need is a little different each year and staff are good at working with the families and the students to identify what the needs are. Leah Pearson, Cedar Community Secondary School finance and records clerk, said there is a need for supplies at her school.
“There’s a high need of kids who definitely don’t come prepared and have what they need and that ranges from everything, pens to pencils to paper, calculators, backpacks. I think we bought three our four pairs of shoes for students last year,” said Pearson.
Kim Hart, Brechin Elementary School principal, said food and breakfast programs are available for students. Hart said the school works closely with the parent advisory council, the foundation, the Boys and Girls Club and Nanaimo Foodshare for a breakfast program.
“We know that food security is an issue and we know hungry kids cannot concentrate and we want to see an improvement in concentration and memory and we know food can do that, so our relationship with Nanaimo Ladysmith Schools Foundation and Nanaimo Foodshare, we can see an immediate improvement in student concentration and memory,” Hart said.
Hancock said it is difficult to supply techology because it is cost prohibitive and doesn’t always last for long, but a lot of the curriculum and the way students learn are becoming more technology based.
Facilities in the district, such as Dover Bay Secondary and district learning alternatives, have Chromebook computers available for loan, said Hancock.
“Kids need to have access to technology to be successful in the 21st century job market…” said Hancock. “I know [the] schools foundation has listened to us and we do have technology that we sign out for the day to students here.”
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