Tuesday, August 20, 2019 ~ LANGFORD
by Mary P Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
With 11,300 students at 27 schools come September, Sooke School District 62 (SD62) is the fastest growing school district per capita in BC. The driving force for the population increase is the demand for housing that is considered to be relatively affordable for families in the west shore region. For the past few years about 500 new students have joined the SD62 community each September.
SD62 delivers public education for families in the fast-growing areas of Langford, Sooke and Colwood, as well Metchosin, Highlands and parts of View Royal as well as East Sooke and Juan de Fuca out to Port Renfrew. Four schools in the west shore are requiring in total five more portable classrooms to accommodate the rapid increase in student numbers.
Belmont Secondary got its third portable last week, which was set up next to the two existing portables on the Glen Lake Road side of the school. The other new portables will be at Wishart Elementary in Colwood (2), Millstream Elementary in Langford (1), and Spencer Middle School in Langford (1). There is also a new crosswalk being installed this week on Goldstream Avenue in front of Spencer Middle School.
SD62 Superintendent Scott Stinson says all aspects of the school district activities are in keeping with the goals outlined in their Strategic Plan. “We will continue to focus on the areas of learning, engagement and growth,” he said this week.
The Learning goal is to develop adaptable learners who are creative, critical and social thinkers with the capacity to be global citizens. The Engagement goal is to foster a collaborative and healthy environment through effective engagement and communication. The Growth goal is to accommodate growth and changing demographics by creating safe and respectful environments that inspire learning.
In particular, there was a significant boost in the budget for Information Technology (IT) upgrades and strategies. “This year we begin the first phase of our IT plan,” says Stinson. “This involves increased wifi capability, classroom technology, including digital projectors and laptops for teachers to be able to support students through planning and on-line student information including attendance.”
SD62 will also be extending their work in Comprehensive School Health, early intervention services (e.g. Reading Recovery and our ECE pilot project), and curriculum and assessment transformation.
An ‘All Staff Day’ is coming up in September. “The District hasn’t had one in many years so we are pleased to have the opportunity to not only get together as one large group, but also to present an internationally acclaimed key note speaker in Dr. Ross Greene,” says Stinson. Dr. Greene is a child psychologist and author who pioneered the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions Model.
As Stinson heads into his second year as the top administrator for SD62, he says the school district is busy getting the schools ready for students arriving back on September 3. That would involve trustees, administration, facilities, and classroom preparations. “We are looking forward to welcoming staff and students back for what will be another exciting year in SD 62.”
The first 2019-2020 public board meeting of SD62 will be on Tuesday, September 24 at the school board office in Langford.