Message from Kits
Principal in Kits E-bulletin April 23, 2007
Dear Parents and
Guardians:
Educational
Facilities
Review
Included below is
a letter
from Dr. Ken Denike, Chairperson, and Chris Kelly, Superintendent,
regarding
the Educational Facilities Review. More
detailed information about the review and an online feedback
questionnaire for
your input can be accessed by going to the main Educational Facilities
Review
website:
<http://www.vsb.bc.ca/districtinfo/educationalfacility/default.htm> (From this site, you can access the
questionnaire by selecting the sidebar button “Feedback Questionnaire”.)
Print copies of
the
questionnaire are available in the school office; however, you are
encouraged
to utilize the online questionnaire because it will expedite the
compilation
and analysis of feedback.
For those who are
not able
to access the website or who would like to discuss the process, I will
be
holding a meeting at the school in the Library, on Monday, April 30th
at 7:30
p.m. At this meeting, I will have
available print copies of the information on the website, as well as
the
questionnaire. At this time, I do not
have additional information about seismic upgrading and the potential
impact on
Kitsilano, although I expect that there will be much more information
on that
topic available in the near future, and your input will be important as
the
planning for that process gets underway.
April 16, 2007
Dear Colleagues,
Parents and
Students,
Re: Educational
Facilities
Review to seek public input I am writing to you today to let you know
about our
plans for public consultation on the Vancouver School Board's
Educational
Facilities Review. The Board of Trustees approved an overall review
process in
January 2005 and has been reviewing information and reports since then.
The purpose of
the
Educational Facilities Review is to develop a strategy for the
In our large,
urban, and
multicultural school district, we serve more than 56,000 students from
Kindergarten to Grade 12 and in adult education programs in addition to
thousands and thousands more through continuing education.
Inefficient use
of space
leads to inefficient use of funds. Hence, it is critical that we review
and
consider the best use of our physical assets so that we can continue to
deliver
the best possible educational opportunities for our very broad and
diverse
student population.
Here are some of
the factors
we need to consider during the Educational Facilities Review:
-educational
quality-whether
buildings contribute to high-quality learning experiences and options
that
increase opportunities for students -continuing to minimize costs of
operating
our facilities in order to maximize educational benefits -seismic
upgrading-which schools are designated high risk, which are low?
-our commitment
to the
concept of neighbourhood schools -the satisfactory placement of all
district
programs -childcare programs in our school buildings -the heritage
status of several
school buildings -the physical condition of facilities as identified in
the
facility audit -asset value of land and buildings -surplus sites and
buildings-what could/should we do with these?
Trustees and
district
management have been working to find ways to address these factors. The
process
began by reviewing French immersion programs (now completed), examining
the
district's capacity versus enrolment (excess space) and beginning the
BC
Seismic Mitigation Program (underway). Other reviews focused on adult
education, program options and career program delivery. All these
initiatives
provide the building blocks for a workable strategy.
It is now
essential to
engage school stakeholders and the public in the process. Beginning in
April,
public consultation will involve four progressive steps:
1. Schools,
communities and
public consultation April to June 2007 2. Recommended changes and
consultation
September to November 2007 3. Board decisions December 2007 4.
Implementation
of decisions January 2008
You will find
background
information about the Educational Facilities Review on the website at
vsb.bc.ca. There will also be an online survey that you can complete to
let
your views be known. We encourage you to attend school meetings
organized by
administrators and public forums sponsored jointly by the District
Parents
Advisory Council and our staff. Look for information about these
meetings in
the near future in school newsletters and community newspapers.
On behalf of the
Board of
School Trustees and District Management Team, we encourage you to
participate
in public consultations on the Educational Facilities Review and we
appreciate
your taking the time to understand the issues and challenges.
It's our job to
plan for the
sustainability and growth of services and programs in
Sincerely,
Ken Denike,
Chairperson
Chris Kelly,
Superintendent
of Schools