Superintendent's Update to the Board on activities happening in the Vancouver School District.

1. Report to Board [June 18, 2012]
School visits:
MaquinnaElementary
Maquinna Annex
Weir Elementary
Champlain Heights Elementary
Cook Elementary
News items
June 18: Attended Pow Wow at MacDonald Elementary School
today – first one!
June 15: The Labour Relations Board (LRB) issued a one-page
rulingwith respect to the application filed byBCPSEAregarding
extra-curricular activities and teacher employees.
The LRB found that the union has not declared or authorized an unlawful strike by directing
its members to refrain from the following:
Activities such as coaching
Instructing or supervising student performances
Sports teams, clubs or field trips
Attending grad or awards ceremonies
Activities which are not related to a course or undertaken for marks
However, the LRB ordered the BCTF to cease and desist on declaring or authorizing their
members from withdrawing activities which, although occur outside instructional hours,
are part of their work duties. These include:
Participating School Based Team meetings,
IEP meetings,
Parent-teacher meetings,
District committee meetings, and
BC Ministry of Education initiatives such as Ready Set Go (Learn) and Kindergarten
orientation.
June 6: Attended UBC External Advisory Committee meeting.
Discussed new Ponderosa Commons North (Phase Two): The
building is presently in the design stage. Floor plans for the 283,000
square foot building and more specific space layout design are
being created this summer. It is scheduled to break ground in
Spring 2013 and will open in 2015.

2. Ponderosa Commons North Phase Two is the second of two buildings within the Ponderosa
Commons development. Phase one is presently under construction and houses programs
from the Faculty of Arts. The entire building presently includes a student housing tower, a
daycare, student lounges (including a collegium), an indoor outdoor events space, and
various amenities including coffee stations and a grocer; Faculty of Education space
includes two departments (LLED and EDST), faculty office spaces, the Dean's
Administration Offices, lecture halls and seminar rooms, a Research and Learning Commons
with both formal and informal teaching/ learning space and research "cluster" rooms
designed to meet the needs of integrated research teams.
June 6: Attended and spoke at Associate Superintendent, Valerie
Overgaard’s retirement event.
June 7: Attended meeting of BC College Admissions and Transfers
Council (BCCAT) to discuss entry and transfer processes for high
school students going to post secondary.
June 7: Attended and spoke at the Aboriginal Education
Celebration of Achievement.
June 8: Met with the Don Wright, President of BCIT to discuss
possible opportunities to expand our career programs and
trades/apprenticeships opportunities.
June 14: Attended VEPVPA retirement function – a good time was
had by all! Liz Kloepper was welcomed as the new President by
outgoing President Chris Gilmour Lammerse.
June 20 (7 pm at VSB): Adult Education Forum: re Ministry initiated
changes to the Education Guarantee
June 20: Maureen Dockendorf (Superintendent for Reading,
Ministry of Education) will present on the new curriculum and
assessment framework.
June 22 (3:30 to 8 pm): Hudson Centennial: www.hudsoncentennial.com
June 22: Discovery Education Canada: Changing Minds in Changing
Times - the role of system leaders in creating change and system
redesign.
June 27: Senior staff are scheduled to present to City Council about
the Sectoral Review.
June 27: Kitsilano Secondary Open House re seismic project
June 29: Facilities tour of workshop, nursery and other sites.