Operations – MacGyver Award Winner
The SD8 Operations crew showed great ingenuity this month when they received a request from L.V. Rogers staff asking for a pickup at the Harrop ferry landing near Highway 3A after a successful day of student canoeing on Kootenay Lake. It turns out the canoe trailer L.V.R. borrowed from another school to transport the boats had to be returned before the students got back from their paddling trip, and the spare trailer in the Operations yard was undergoing repair. No problem! Lead Hand Mechanic Gary Peterson and Transportation Coordinator Pat Thast put their heads together and improvised a solution: staff pulled the axle and leaf springs off the existing canoe trailer, placed it on top of a flat deck trailer in the yard and attached it securely to the deck. Voila! A functional canoe trailer! A bus was dispatched to pick up the students and Operations delivered the canoes back to the school, on time and on budget!
Aboriginal Education - wuqanqankimik
From June 6-10, schools across SD8 participated in the 2022 wuqanqankimik Run Walk Wheel for Reconciliation. District Indigenization Coordinators Jesse Halton with support from District Indigenization Coordinator Danica Weager held an eight-week virtual and in-person training program for anyone participating in the event, sharing lesson plans, weekly videos and reflection questions online with students, teachers and others.
For example, in week one, the Reconciliation reflection question was, “what does the word wuqanqankimik mean to you? What does it mean to ‘take long strides…to take big steps’ toward reconciliation?” This question remained at the core of preparation and participation for everyone involved.
Thanks to all those who took long strides and big steps in 2022, and we look forward to continuing our journey toward reconciliation every day forward.
Early Learning Profile
Brent Kennedy Elementary primary teachers have been busy this year and last working through the Early Learning Profile assessment that is being used district-wide. This assessment provides a concise snapshot of students' strengths and stretches which then informs teaching practices and interventions, if needed.
