(Vernon Matters photo)

By Liam Verster

Classes Resume Sept. 5

SD22 facilities upgraded and programs enhanced for new school year

Sep 5, 2023 | 5:00 AM

School District 22 students will be seeing some new programs and benefiting from facility improvements as the new school year gets underway.

Dr. Christine Perkins, superintendent for the Vernon School District, said there are several initiatives that are new, or just out of the pilot stage, being implemented for 2023-24.

“We have a new K-12 Anti-Racism Action Plan that will be launched this year under the guidance of Kim Tyson, one of our teachers, and that will be district-wide,” Perkins told Vernon Matters, adding there are two other new programs that are very important for students.

“Feeding Futures School Food Program funding is a a three year program to make sure all students are fed and ready to learn, and what that means is that we’re expanding our existing school food programs in the district and making sure no one goes without.”

SD22 has received $1.1 million in provincial funding for the food program.

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“Another new piece that we’re doing is around mental wellness district-wide, and that will be under the leadership of Natashia Bacchus. Natashia is a clinical councillor, she has a PHD in psychology, and she’s going to be working on expanding our mental health and mental wellness throughout the district for students, staff, everybody,” Perkins said.

Also, effective Friday, September 1, the new Accessibility Act came into effect, and SD22 has created an Accessibility Committee to evaluate the school facilities to ensure any barriers are identified and addressed.

SD22 also has a new assessment and reporting system for parents, the Communicating Learning Policy. The Vernon School District was a part of the pilot for this system and Perkins said information on how it functions would be provided to parents in the near future.

The superintendent stated these initiatives and programs all aim to meet SD22’s goal of “student success at all levels.”

Additionally, students will also be benefiting from some facility upgrades this school year.

“We’re on the third year of a major renovation of Charles Bloom Secondary, so students returning there are going to see great things out in Lumby,” Perkins said.

“We have new modular classrooms in Bearisto Elementary, Vernon Secondary and at ALPS [Alternative Learning Program Schools], and that’s for expanding programs.”

Additionally, new classrooms have been converted at W.L. Seaton and ALPS to accomodate the growing student population.

There is also new accessible playground at Ellison Elementary, and Perkins said plans are to build a new playground at Okanagan Landing Elementary starting sometime in September.

Perkins added there was also some upkeep work on the other schools, noting crews will be working through the long weekend to ensure the classrooms are ready for students when school resumes Tuesday, Sept. 5.

SD22 had approximately 9,000 students enrolled in area schools in the 2022-23 school year, and while Perkins said they would not have an estimate on the number of enrolled students this year until late September, she did expect the number of students to be increased this year.

However, she remained confident SD22 would have a good student to teacher and staff ratio this upcoming school year.

Perkins told Vernon Matters that, along with moving into a year-round recruitment model, SD22’s location in the Okanagan has helped draw in and retain school staff

“When you hear around the province that there’s a teacher shortage, certainly up north I’m aware of my colleagues who are struggling to recruit, and now that’s impacting the Lower Mainland, and I think one of the areas of [teaching locations] is us,” Perkins said.

“We’re lucky, people are coming to us as opposed to leaving us, and we’re doing quite well.”

With classes resuming Tuesday, Perkins advises people be cautious and safe when travelling through school zones.

“Slow down in school zones. Do not pass busses in either direction when lights are flashing. Look in both directions for children crossing the roads.”