The following items were compiled from the November 26, 2024 Board meeting.

Annual election
The Board held its annual election for the positions of Chair and Vice-Chair and for the trustee representative positions for BCPSEA, BCSTA Provincial Council and committees. Rob Zandee was re-elected to the position of Chair and Casey Brouwer was re-elected as Vice-Chair. 

Rob Zandee was re-elected as BCPSEA representative and Sholeh Pickell was elected as alternate. Casey Brouwer was elected as BCSTA Provincial Council rep and Deb Marten was elected as the alternate. Committee appointments will be made in the coming days.

Indigenous education
District staff reported that the Indigenous Education Council (IEC) held its first meeting of the year and successfully reviewed and updated its terms of reference in a nation-led process to closely align with new Ministry requirements for all Indigenous Education Councils across the province.

World Teacher Day
In recognition of World Teacher Day this October, SD53 and South Okanagan Similkameen Teachers’ Union (SOSTU made a joint donation of $500 ($250 from each) to KinSHIFT. 

KinSHIFT offers experiential, arts-based workshops and programs allow participants to learn, practice and ask questions all while building a foundation for engaging meaningfully with Indigenous peoples.

Early learning
November was busy for the early learning team. The various “Come Count With Me” and “Come Read With Me” sessions held in Oliver, Okanagan Falls, Osoyoos and Cawston have seen strong and growing engagement from children and families. 

In addition, our district has been invited to participate in a StrongStart pilot project with Child Health BC. Cindy Garnham from Osoyoos StrongStart has agreed to participate and will receive training in programs focused on healthy eating, physical activity, and social-emotional development.

Career program
Our district’s career programs continue to expand, with additional non-trades dual credit opportunities now available through Okanagan College. 

Within this, our Early Childhood Education (ECE) students have all completed one course, our health care sampler students have completed 50 per cent of their modules and our tech sampler students all lead the class.

The district’s trades programs are well on their way to reaching their targets with a current total of 67 students across the district currently enrolled. There are also currently 78 students across the district enrolled in Work Experience (WEX) programs. 

Due to this high demand, the district is working to develop new community partnerships for WEX placements, though this has been challenging due to the demand for support and program expansion. 

New agreements have also been established with retirement homes and Fortis, and staff are exploring partnerships with medical labs.

Submitted by Rob Zandee, Chairperson School District No. 53 (Okanagan Similkameen).