Susan Kelley discusses school cancellations

SYDNEY — Capebretonpost.com hosts a weekly hour-long morning chat called Sound Off, Cape Breton! Each Monday morning, we welcome a guest. This week, it was Susan Kelley, director of programs and student services with the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board. The board has seen 15 region-wide cancellations this school year, most recently five cancellations in six days. The story is even worse north of Smokey where there have been some additional school closures. Sound Off, Cape Breton! takes place each Monday from 8-9 a.m.

Cape Breton Post: Has this been the worst year on record in terms of school cancellations due to poor weather conditions?

Kelley: I am not sure if it has been the worst but certainly one of the worst, and I don’t recall any that were worse.

Cape Breton Post: What kind of discussion goes on at the board level about trying to make up for lost time?

K elley: Around the programs and student services table we talk a lot about what we can do to support schools as they work to ensure that students have the knowledge and skills they need to move to the next level.

Cape Breton Post: How much do those decisions take place at the individual school level?

Kelley: Teachers know their curriculum and use their professional judgment as to how to work with their students. School administrators keep an eye on the schedule and minimize disruptions while programs staff oversees and supports.

Cape Breton Post: What are some measures that are being undertaken to try to make the most of the time that’s left in the school year? K elley: Schools will focus on time on task, try to minimize disruptions and use strategies such as ompacting curriculum to ensure that students are ready to transition to the next topic and in June to the next grade. Attendance is a concern and we are looking at it to see what we can do to improve it. At the high school level we have a pilot project that is in its third year.

Cape Breton Post: The Cape BretonVictoria Regional School Board had intended to cancel a professional development day last Monday but school ended up being cancelled. Had the board ever made a decision like that before?

Kelley: Not to my knowledge.

Cape Breton Post: You’re also going to the opening (Monday morning) of the early years centre on the northside. Can you tell us a bit about the services that that centre will offer? Kelley: This is also a pilot project that has a preschool centre in a school where fouryear-olds are registered. It is very exciting for us to be part of this provincial pilot.