A recent PowerPoint presentation about School District No. 46's (SD46) budget process to date showed three spending areas stakeholders suggest cutting to deal with cost pressures in the 2013/2014 school year.
The presentation was made at the March 12 board meeting. Suggestions include a two-week spring break, changes to busing and the possible closure of Davis Bay Elementary School.
The presentation prepared by secretary treasurer Nicholas Weswick showed many cost pressures in the upcoming school year, including wage increases for teachers and support staff, hydro increases, the transition from HST to GST/PST and increases in employment insurance.
Budget discussions will continue on March 26 at the committee of the whole meeting before school-based budgets are crafted in April.
Staffing plans must be submitted by April 15 and then a public information session will be scheduled in early May.
By May 14 SD46 plans to have a budget bylaw ready to be presented to the public.
Garbology Day
Trustees heard a presentation about Garbology Day at Roberts Creek Elem-entary School, which was held on Monday, Feb. 25.
The school's garbage was stored over the weekend so students could sort through it on Monday and see what reusable, compostable and recyclable items were being discarded.
The waste audit began with an assembly and garbage weigh-in that showed students had thrown out eight bags of garbage weighing 22 kg.
By the end of the day-long garbage sort, complete with educational games, songs and slideshow, students were able to reduce their garbage output to just one bag.
The informative day was made possible with help from teachers, parents and members of Gibsons Recycling.
Garbology Day had a big impact on students, and the school is implementing some garbage reducing measures. They have reduced the size of garbage cans onsite and are installing composters and rinse stations. Parents are working toward zero-waste lunches and the Roberts Creek parents advisory committee is collecting e-waste to send in for proper disposal.
Presenters noted Madeira Park Elementary School plans to run their own Garbology Day in April and that the Roberts Creek group will put their Garbology schedule into an online format for other schools to use in the future.
New course
Elphinstone Secondary School principal John Brisebois presented a new course called volleyball 11: the complex athlete, to serve a niche at the school.
He said currently Elphi has two volleyball teams that just went to the provincials, as well as five club teams practising. A volleyball course geared towards those athletes is appealing to students, teachers and parents, Brisebois said.
"The beauty of this course is not only do they get to develop their skills, but also a true understanding of what an athlete is and the sacrifices that they go through, the pressures of athletes and being in sport, also the idea of becoming a coach, the kinesiology behind it, the science, so it's all encompassing," Brisebois said. "It's really two courses in one. One is on the court and the other one is off the court and I could see this evolving into kind of an eight-credit, two courses at once."
Trustees seemed interested in the idea and voted to allow the new course to be set up.
