Mike Safek, principal of Osoyoos Secondary School, is getting ready for the return of students. (Lyonel Doherty file photo)
As students across Canada savour the final days of summer break, the community of Osoyoos is relieved that students won’t have to leave town to start the new school year.
Efforts to avert the closure of Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS) had been fully exhausted by the end of the last school year. The shutdown seemed imminent, but a day before the school board’s deadline to pass this school year’s budget, the provincial government bent to public pressure and subsidized the school’s financial shortcoming.
Even though the school was prepared to shutter just months ago, OSS Principal Mike Safek said the upcoming school year won’t be affected by the closure process.
“Our focus continues to be on providing high-quality learning and extra-curricular opportunities for our students,” he said in an email.
However, timetables for students were postponed because of how late in the year the closure was reversed, Safek said, adding that they’re normally sent out to students in July.
“We continue to work on this – our main task is to finish building student timetables in order to have those ready for the first day of school.”
Asked what he’s looking most forward to on the first day of school, Safek said it’s all about the community.
“Seeing the excitement of students return, getting reacquainted with other students and staff, and just resuming the work of supporting students in their learning and staff in their work with our students.”
He said expectations of students on the first day will be similar to years past.
“We start with a homeroom and then move into a school wide assembly, followed by a rotation through semester 1 courses for students to meet teachers and get course outlines.”
There will be 28 staff members over the 2016-17 school year; 15 teachers, two administrators, two secretarial staff, five educational assistants, one aboriginal support worker, one child care worker and two custodians.
The closure of Good Shepherd Christian School in Osoyoos, announced in July, has had an impact on Osoyoos Elementary School (OSE).
A few students and one teacher, who would have gone to Good Shepherd, will be going to OSE instead.
“We’re lucky to have hired one of the teachers from Good Shepherd, Patricia Pearson,” said OES principal Dave Foster. “She’s an excellent teacher and highly qualified.”
Another new teacher at OES will be Roberta Snow from Oliver, who will be teaching Grade 1. Rebecca Campbell has also been added onto the team, and will teach learning support, English Language Learners (formerly known as English as a second language), and prep for Grades 5, 6 and 7.
There will be 14 classroom divisions at OES this year, up one from last year, and enrolment is also expected to increase with an anticipated student count of 340.
Foster said the biggest change from this year over last will be the implementation of the province’s revised curriculum, which will be fully implemented following a pilot run last year.
“It’s fantastic for our students around B.C,” he said.
Aug. 29 was Curriculum Day for teachers, marking their first full day back at school after the summer break for them to plan the best implementation of the new curriculum.
Foster said he had a terrific summer and spent lots of time with family, and after the last day of break on Labour Day, he’s looking most forward to seeing all the kids excited to come back to school.
DAN WALTON
Regional Reporter
