At the Jan. 10 School District No. 46 board meeting, district principal of student support services David Galazka gave a report on special education, noting the designation of special education students has risen by 53 students this school year.
"The two areas that are highlighted in that, that we notice, is the increase in students with intensive behavioural needs or mental health needs," Galazka said.
The other area he's seen an increase in is the number of learning disability designations, but he notes that trend is in line with the provincial average.
"I think one of the things to note here is that for a small district the number of assessments that we do on students is far larger by proportion than most districts in the Lower Mainland," he said. "We actually saw a completion of more than 60 psycho-educational assessments for individual students, which is also the same rate as Delta school district, which is four and a half times the size in population."
Currently there are 576 designated special education students and 56 English as a second language students in SD46. Of that total, nine special education students are in kindergarten, 67 are in primary grades, 169 are in intermediate grades and 331 are secondary students.
Student achievement
Superintendent Patrick Bocking gave his report on student achievement, noting kindergarten and early learning programs got the nod of approval from the Minister of Education recently.
"He [Minister George Abbott] said that many districts should be emulating what we're doing and that if they were then there would be fewer difficulties in the province, which is quite a strong statement from the Minister," Bocking said.
Bocking said Grade 4 students are performing better across the board in numeracy, reading and writing, and Grade 7 Aboriginal students have improved in their reading performance as well.
Bocking also noted Grade 10 students are demonstrating a higher level of competency in English, and high school completion rates for Aboriginal students have also risen.
Counsellors
Sue Bailey, chair of the Counsellors' Local Specialist Association, gave a presentation to the board on the many things school counsellors do in Coast high schools.
Bailey said she wanted to do the presentation so that trustees could have a greater understanding of what the nine counsellors in SD46 do, as most of their work is "behind the scenes."
Counsellors offer a drop-in service for students who need to talk, do suicide risk assessments and behaviour tests, help students who are failing to get the support they need and help with course and timetable planning. All counsellors sit on the crisis response team as well.
Because counsellors are often the only constant through a student's high school years, they also tend to help with graduation preparations.
"The thing about high school counsellors is that it's an integrated model. So we work on the serious mental health things and that takes priority, that is the top priority, but we also are working on practical school issues with them," Bailey said.
She said there are counsellors servicing the elementary schools and Aboriginal students, and she hopes to return another time to share what is going on there.
Playground support
West Sechelt Elementary School playground enhancement committee member Allyson Fawcus presented the plans for a destination playground at the school and asked the board for its support.
The committee recently pushed a campaign to win an on-line competition with Aviva to fund the project, but was unsuccessful, causing them to look for other sources for financial support.
Fawcus made a case for the need for an updated, accessible playground in West Sechelt to serve the expected influx of children who will move into the nearby comprehensive development area number one as it is developed. The District of Sechelt expects up to 2,300 homes to be built within that 120-hectare area within the next 10 years.
Board chair Silas White said he would write a letter on behalf of the board in support of the plan.
PAC liaisons
White said trustees will be liaisons for two schools each this year.
"Vice-chair Baxter and I tried to base these assignments on one school in a trustee's electoral area and one outside," White reported, saying the idea is to get new trustees familiar with schools in the District.
"We suggest that trustees attend one PAC meeting a month, alternating between your two liaison schools."
The appointments are Betty Baxter as liaison for Elphinstone Secondary and Langdale Elementary, Lori Dixon for Chatelech Secondary and Cedar Grove Elementary, Dave Mewhort for Davis Bay Elementary and Madeira Park Elementary, Lori Pratt for Pender Harbour Secondary and the District Parents Advisory Council (DPAC), Greg Russell for Roberts Creek Elementary and the Sunshine Coast Alternative School, Silas White for Gibsons Elementary and Kinnikinnick Elementary and Christine Young-husband for Halfmoon Bay Elementary and West Sechelt Elementary.
