Author Archives: cgagnon

During this time, it is understandable for children to have questions or express concern about the COVID-19 virus.  As parents, teachers or caregivers, it is important to stay informed and communicate in age-appropriate ways that address children’s questions and helps them take steps to keep themselves and others healthy.

Here are some tips and resources to help:

• Don’t be afraid to talk about it: Convey the facts and set an emotionally reassuring tone.
• Be age-appropriate: Teens can process and handle a higher level of detail than five year olds. Focus on answering your child/student’s questions. Do your best to answer honestly and clearly; it’s okay if you can’t answer everything.
• Follow their lead: Invite your child or student to ask questions and share their perspective: Invite them to tell you anything they may have heard about the coronavirus and express how they feel.
• Check yourself: Feeling anxious?  Take some time to calm down before trying to have a conversation or answer your child’s questions.
• Focus on actions you can take: Emphasize safety precautions everyone can take to help keep themselves and others healthy: good hand hygiene, cough and sneeze etiquette, social distancing and staying home if you aren’t feeling well.
• Stick to routine: Structured days with regular mealtimes and bedtimes are an essential part of keeping kids happy and healthy.
• Keep talking: Tell kids/students you will keep them updated as you learn more.  Let them know the lines of communication are going to be open and as you learn more, you will share the information with them, too.

Resources:

• BCCDC Frequently Asked Questions on COVID-19 for Children and Students
• BCCDC COVID 19: Recommendations for Students, Parents and Guardians

A reminder that all schools within Coast Mountains School District 82 and the Board of Education Office will be closed on Good Friday, April 19 and Easter Monday, April 22.

All schools will be back in session on Tuesday, April 23 as regularly scheduled.

Wishing all our students and staff a safe and happy Easter long weekend!

MOE-CMSD82 Community Open House – Rural Education – Feb. 6, 2017  (PDF Poster)

In the summer of 2016, Premier Christy Clark tasked Parliamentary Secretary Linda Larson to work with the education sector, the public and community stakeholder groups, as well as Donna Barnett, the Minister of State for Rural Economic Development, to create a Rural Education Strategy by the summer of 2017. The purpose of this engagement is to explore rural school funding and educational practices, as well as the role educational programs and schools play in rural communities across the province.

The Parliamentary Secretary is seeking feedback from British Columbians and interested stakeholders to provide a range of different perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing rural school districts and communities for her consideration. Regional Community Open House sessions are scheduled in 9 locations throughout the province, including Terrace on February 6, 2017 hosted by Coast Mountains Board of Education School District 82, with the aim to gather feedback from families and community members through an open dialogue.

Everyone is welcome to attend the Community Open House session!  The first 30-45 minutes will be an Open House format, where light refreshments and snacks will be served.

The remaining portion of the meeting will be a more formal question and answer sharing session with Ministry of Education staff. You are invited to share your thoughts on the following discussion questions at the Community Open House session:

Discussion 1: What is your definition of a rural school?
Discussion 2: What are the positive impacts in the community?
Discussion 3: How are schools being used?
Discussion 4: Share your rural education story

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AT THE TERRACE COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE
… EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

DATE & TIME:  Monday, February 6, 2017, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

LOCATION:
Northwest Trades & Employment Training Centre, 3120 Highway 16 East, Terrace
(formerly Thornhill Junior Secondary School – https://goo.gl/maps/Mq3pZa8WxeR2)
Pre-registration or RSVP’s are not required for the community session.
Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Please contact Carole Gagnon, CMSD82 Executive Assistant at (250) 638-4401 or carole.gagnon@cmsd.bc.ca, should you have questions regarding the Terrace Community Open House.

All online comments, emails, technical surveys, stakeholder submissions and comments from Community Open House sessions will be reviewed and a final report, with recommendations for the future, will be released near the end of the 2016/2017 school year.

For more information, please visit the Rural Education website at:

http://engage.gov.bc.ca/ruraleducation/

A friendly reminder regarding the upcoming “General Voting Day” scheduled on Saturday, January 9, 2016 for the CMSD82 School Trustee By-election for Electoral Area 3 (Thornhill).

Eligible voters must reside in Trustee Electoral Area 3 (Thornhill) (Area E of Kitimat-Stikine Regional District and the South and East portion of Area C of the Kitimat-Stikine Regional District including Copperside, Gossen, Kleanza, Usk, Jackpine Flats, Old Remo and Lakelse Lake).

Details regarding the General Voting Day are provided as follows:

General Voting Day
CMSD82 School Trustee By-election Electoral Area 3 (Thornhill)
Saturday, January 9, 2016 – 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Northwest Trades & Employment Training Centre
(former Thornhill Junior Secondary School)
3120 Highway 16 East, Terrace

The persons nominated as candidates at the By-election by Voting and for whom the votes will be received are listed below:

Ms. Barbara A. Johnson, #2 – 4717 Walsh Avenue, Terrace, B.C. V8G 1Y7
Ms. Diana Penner, 5418 Hepple Avenue, Terrace, B.C. V8G 4P7
Ms. Sandy Watson, 5221 Skeena Drive, Terrace, B.C. V8G 0A6

Please find a link to the Notice of By-election by Voting that provides additional information regarding the General Voting Day on January 9:

CMSD82 Notice of By-election by Voting – Trustee Electoral Area 3 (Thornhill)

Should you require further information or have questions, please contact Cathy Jackson, Chief Election Officer at (250) 635-1907.

Notice of Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement Public Consultation Meetings, Terrace & Kitimat (PDF Format)

Coast Mountains Board of Education School District 82 is holding a series of Public Consultation Meetings to discuss student learning in our Terrace and Kitimat schools.  Of particular focus will be the success of our Aboriginal learners.

The Public Consultation Meetings will take place as follows:

Wednesday, December 9, 2015 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Suwilaawks Community School (Library) – Terrace

Tuesday, December 15, 2015 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Haisla Community School (Community Room) – Kitamaat Village

All members of the public are invited to attend.

A summary of feedback received from the Public Consultation Meetings will be provided to the District Aboriginal Education Committee for their consideration and review for the Aboriginal Enhancement Agreement.

For further information or to provide a written submission prior to the meeting, please contact:

Carole Gagnon, Executive Assistant that the Board of Education Office
Tel: (250) 638-4401 or 1-855-635-4931, Ext. 4401
Email: carole.gagnon@cmsd.bc.ca

CMSD82 Amended 2015-2016 School Calendar & Backgrounder

CMSD82 Letter to Parents-Guardians re Amended 2015-2016 School Calendar

School districts across the province are involved in calendar amendments related to the new Ministry of Education Curriculum Implementation Plan that has recently been announced.  The Ministry of Education and the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF), supported by provincial partners in education, announced a plan to support the implementation of the new curriculum.

As part of this plan, school districts have been asked to add 10 hours of non-instructional time to this school year which will reduce instructional hours equivalent to two regular school days.  The time will be provided for teachers to familiarize themselves with the new curriculum and to plan for its implementation in the coming year.

Coast Mountains School District in collaboration with the Coast Mountain Teachers’ Federation has selected Friday, January 15, 2016 and Friday, April 29, 2016 as the two non-instructional training days.  Both days were selected with a mind to minimizing the impact on families and student learning.

On November 25, 2015 the Board of Education approved a motion to amend the 2015-2016 School Calendar reflecting Friday, January 15, 2016 and Friday, April 29, 2016 as non-instructional days.  The addition of these two non-instructional days will support Coast Mountains School District’s teachers as they learn the new Ministry of Education curriculum.  For clarity, students will not attend school on January 15 and April 29, 2016.  Please view the amended 2015-2016 School Calendar as provided above.

In response to the rapidly changing world that students are entering, the new Ministry of Education curriculum is being redesigned to help teachers create learning environments that are both engaging and personalized for students.  The redesigned curriculum focuses on core competencies, essential learning and literacy and numeracy foundations.  More information for parents can be found at https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca.

We are looking forward to the exciting times ahead in our classrooms as we help our students succeed in this changing world.

Sincerely,

Katherine McIntosh
Superintendent of Schools

Should you have questions or require additional information, please contact Carole Gagnon, Executive Assistant at the Board of Education Office as follows:

Tel:  (250) 638-4401 or Toll Free 1-855-635-4931, Local 4401
Fax: 1-888-290-4786
Email:  carole.gagnon@cmsd.bc.ca