One Learning Community
As the new Superintendent of the Greater Victoria School District, it gives me great pleasure to welcome new and returning students for the 2018/2019 school year. I look forward to working with staff, students, and our community to continue to build on our tradition of excellence in education.
While serving as the District’s Deputy Superintendent for the past three years, I have come to learn how dedicated our exceptional staff are to the achievement of student success. Our teachers, support staff and administration work incredibly hard to serve more than 20,000 students in 47 schools across five municipalities in the capital region. We are a diverse organization that values inclusion and aims to provide enriching learning experiences for all. We strongly believe that each student should have the opportunity to reach their greatest potential.
Our vision is reflected in the work of our strategic plan.The District and Board of Education are deeply committed to ensuring that the best learning environments are created to support students’ success. In the past three years, we have worked hard to develop schools that embrace an accepting and understanding culture.We have implemented new policies and added supports in classrooms so that students can grow into confident life-long learners who pursue their passions in a continuously developing and advancing world.
This school year we will continue to make improvements to our facilities as a testament to our on-going commitment to provide the most optimal learning spaces.The Burnside Education Centre for adult learners will reopen and there will be more school upgrades, which will include the advancement of seismic projects throughout the District.
The District’s focused investment in technology and classroom resources will also continue. In addition to every classroom being equipped with technology packages—screens, projectors, and laptops—new media labs will be introduced into our secondary schools in support of the secondary curriculum developments. This will provide students with an opportunity to advance their skills in technology and help empower them to explore various career paths.
We will also continue to improve the way that we engage parents in their child’s learning. It is our responsibility to work with, and alongside, parents and guardians, as they are one of the most important factors in the educational success of their children.
We will see the greatest success for our children if we are one learning community working together with students’ best interests in mind.
When we collaborate each student has the chance to succeed.We very much look forward to working with you and the entire community for the 2018/2019 school year. We have a very busy and exciting year before us, and we eagerly await the arrival of our students and staff.
Until then, we hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer.