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

1. Report to Board [May 22nd, 2012]
May 8: Met with Dr. Stan Kutcher and representatives with the BCMA re
the child and adolescent mental health issues.
http://psychiatry.medicine.dal.ca/people/faculty/kutcher.htm
http://www.iwk.nshealth.ca/index.cfm?objectid=6a9a3615-f349-00ec-b2f375747d066896
See story in Vancouver Sun:
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Mental+health+services+need+major+overhaul/65
76959/story.html
May 10: Kitsilano Secondary – Project Board meeting
May 10: Toured Kitchener with Randall Fielding and Principal
Rosemary Love. (Hard hats and boots)
School visits:
• Laurier Elementary
• Churchill Secondary
• Gladstone Secondary – exceptional visit to some amazing
programs – Robotics to active French to Broadway show to
biology dissection of squids to chef’s programs
May 10: VASSA year-end dinner
May 11: Seismic announcement at the Shaker table at UBC: Weir,
Kingsford Smith and Grenfell announced as part of a big seismic
announcement for 14 schools in 12 districts.
Friday May 11: UBC Education Alumni Celebration with several new
graduates and previous graduates being recognized.
May 15: Teacher Justin Borsato at Britannia Elementary was recognized
for his outstanding work as an exemplary graduate of the UBC teacher
education program: Both the school and Justin received an award of
$1000.
May 15: Sector review consultations – May 8, 9, 15
@ Hamber, Kitsilano, Britannia

2. May 17: attended the International Day Against Homophobia breakfast
along with Chairperson Patti Bacchus and other VSB staff. Some great
speakers including a humourous, but very moving story of an individual
as she experienced going through gender transformation.
May 18: Attended a meeting of the Fraser Valley and Metro Chapters of
the BCSSA – topics included implementation of the LIF, succession,
retention and recruitment issues across the lower mainland. Key to this
is a renewed focus on leadership development in every school district.
May 22: Joint meeting of the VSB and VPL senior staff – topics included
the sectoral review and the notion of co-locating services as part of our
asset sustainability considerations, potential for common but parallel
approaches to library services, shared visioning from the larger
community perspectives.
May 23: Aboriginal Focus school discussions
May 24: Val Overgaard nominated for the Women of Distinction award:
http://www.ywcawomenofdistinction.org/
May 24: Launch of the car sharing program- Kirthi Roberts and staff
May 25: Adult Education graduation ceremony:
Surayya Jan: $40K UBC scholarship
May 30: Joint VSAA retirement function where we honour retired and
retiring VSAA members.