Many reasons to celebrate
It’s that time of year again, when we celebrate with family and friends and count our blessings.
Here at Central Okanagan Public Schools, schools are having many events that not only celebrate the season, but also provide opportunities for students to share their accomplishments and to reach out to their communities.
At a recent board meeting, trustees met an enthusiastic group of Rutland Senior Secondary students who were involved in field study trips to the opera in Vancouver.
Their presentation was an example of how teachers are encouraging students to move beyond the traditional classroom environment, to try something new, to challenge their perceptions and, in doing so, to learn and understand so much more. One thing they learned is that opera isn’t just for old people!
Throughout the school district, innovative teaching and learning practices are evolving as we embrace the Ministry of Education’s Core Competencies, Communication, Thinking, and Personal and Social, along with numeracy and literacy skills.
Learning is more exciting, relevant, and interesting, and students are becoming more confident in their own abilities.
Teachers are working collaboratively by combining classes when appropriate and having older students work with younger students as mentors.
Often classrooms look different than they did only a few years ago, with students sometimes working in groups rather than sitting in rows of desks.
The main thing is that teachers and students are much more flexible than in the past and this is leading to students enjoying learning and accomplishing more.
The British Columbia Kindergarten to Grade 12 education system has been recognized as one of the best in the world, and we must work to keep it that way.
So, we do have much to celebrate, and at this special time of year the Board of Education wishes everyone Season’s Greetings — whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Dhanu Sankranti, or just Winter, we wish you Happy Holidays and all the best in 2018.