School district 51 held its regular meeting of the board of education on April 12 in Midway at the Boundary Learning Centre. The meeting featured a presentation by a delegation of Greenwood Elementary School students, as well as the superintendent’s report.
Delegation
Erica Thorpe and Jennifer Nelson brought in their fourth and seventh graders to present their “Dragon’s Den” project. The project was conducted as part of project-based learning (PBL), a new strategy employed by Thorpe in the classroom.
“What drives PBL is a question, so for us it was how do we get our kids to ask questions and start that process of question building?”
The Christmas project saw students creating and pitching a product based on community need around the holidays.
Students were each given a $10 budget with which to create their products, after which they had to pitch to the Dragons (their teachers) and manufacture and sell the products after the elementary school Christmas concert.
“We had everything from cream to key chains to clothing to food. We had lots of food,” Thorpe said.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Kevin Argue delivered his monthly report, showcasing school visits and planning for the upcoming school year.
He also highlighted concerns he has received from parents, especially in the Grand Forks and Beaverdell areas, about highway speeds in school zones. After some discussion, the board passed a motion to write a letter to the municipalities and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure concerning enforcing speed limits and improving signage in school areas.
Meetings
Board representatives attended the B.C. School Trustees’ Association annual general meeting in Vancouver from April 14-17 and th B.C. Public School Employer’s Association meeting April 13 in Kelowna.