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Education
School District 83 facing yet another budget shortfall with little left to cut
NORTH OKANAGAN - Deeper cuts are on the way in the North-Okanagan Shuswap School District. At a board meeting Mar. 10, secretary-treasurer Sterling Olsen said the district must find $1.8 million in savings to balance next year’s budget. “It is a very challenging financial picture and it looks like we have a number of years...
School board moves to public consultation on big changes for September 2015
NORTH OKANAGAN – There could be some big changes in School District 83 as early…
Threatening letter reaction, the line between thwarting a threat and mentioning a menace
PENTICTON - The only thing that appeared out of place at four schools named in last week’s threatening letter was the presence of police in parking lots Monday. Ty Carey and Nolan Aubie, grade 11 students at Princess Margaret Secondary School said they had attended an assembly Monday just prior to lunch. They said there...
Mar Jok Elementary School rings in Chinese New Year with grand opening
WEST KELOWNA - A new West Kelowna elementary school has held its grand opening and the opportunity to bring the Chinese New Year — year of the goat — into the celebration wasn't ignored. The event on Wednesday, Feb. 29 was attended by the family of Mar Jok, the new school's namesake. He immigrated to...
Vernon School District seeks feedback on busing changes
VERNON - The Vernon School District is reaching out to parents for input on contentious bussing changes implemented this year. In a recent survey, parents were asked for feedback on School District 22’s transportation policy, which now enforces a 2.4 km walk limit at all its schools. About 300 students living within the walk limit...
High demand for welding classes at Okanagan College
PENTICTON - In spite of falling oil prices, the demand for welders remains high - and Okanagan College in Penticton is helping to answer that need. South Okanagan-Similkameen Regional Dean Donna Lomas said the college has heard from employers from throughout the South Okanagan and beyond about the need for welders, so the college has...
Vernon, North Okanagan-Shuswap School Districts call students back to class
UPDATE: POWER BACK ON IN MOST SHUSWAP SCHOOLS, CLASSES A GO NORTH OKANAGAN - The North Okanagan-Shuswap and Vernon School Districts are welcoming students back to class Wednesday, Jan. 7. The green light from the ditricts comes after two snow days due to severe weather. School District 83 hadn’t called a snow day in decades....
Second snow day in a row for North Okanagan-Shuswap students
SCHOOL DISTRICTS 22 AND 83 CANCEL CLASS VERNON - Students in the Vernon and North Okanagan-Shuswap School Districts are getting a second snow day Tuesday, Jan. 6. School District 83 announced Monday evening it will be shutting down all schools due to the continued winter storm warning and Environment Canada’s prediction of freezing rain. District...
First snow day for North Okanagan-Shuswap students in decades
VERNON - It takes a lot for the North Okanagan-Shuswap School District to shut down schools and call for a snow day. Even on Monday with 35- 50 cm of snow accumulating around the region, the district remained hopeful school would carry on. It wasn’t until the eleventh hour — after other districts around the...
Schools keeping students indoors over recess, lunch break after shooting incident
KAMLOOPS – After an RCMP officer was shot in Batchelor Heights Wednesday morning, administrators at…
Penticton council would be completely different if students voted
PENTICTON - Penticton students took part in a province-wide program to choose who they thought should be on city council and the results are very different than the results of last week's civic election in Penticton. The vote was part of Student Vote Day 2014, a program offering students a chance to learn about the...
Local innovators create educational kids app
OKANAGAN - Local innovators are putting the Okanagan on the map by creating educational apps that will help kids develop reading skills. Technology expert Tarik Sayeed and veteran educator Brenda Larson have put their knowledge together to create five educational games for kids available on Android tablets. The games are based on a line of...
Three trustee spots secured, race continues for others
PENTICTON - Three school trustees already have their spots on the board secured, but the race continues for Penticton area candidates. There are three electoral areas for School District 67: Penticton (four seats), Summerland (two seats), and surrounding rural areas (one seat). Ginny Manning will hold her spot on the board since she has no...
Students across province prepare to vote
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Students across the province will get a chance to take part in the democratic process this November, from meeting candidates and hosting forums to reading about election issues and casting votes. In Kamloops Westsyde Secondary School students will once again be participating in Student Vote, a program aimed at getting young people involved...
School enrolment on upswing in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - For the first time in recent memory the Kamloops-Thompson School District may actually see a net positive count in student enrolment. Supt. Karl de Bruijn says while they are still verifying the final numbers it appears elementary schools saw an increase of more than 260 students while secondary schools saw a decline of...
New Pineview school a priority in five year plan
KAMLOOPS - Nearly $150 million in upgrades, additions and new builds are identified in the Kamloops-Thompson School District five year capital plan, including a brand new school in the Pineview Valley area. A new school is named as one of the top priorities for the school district in the five year capital plan, along with...
Mobile learning centre offers support to First Nations families
OKANAGAN - A strategy to offer First Nations families convenient access to early learning materials will soon hit the road in a mobile unit, travelling to Indian bands in the Southern Interior. The B.C. Early Years Centre will offer access to a range of early learning and health and family services to support families with...
Teachers upset over missing day of pay
KAMLOOPS - Kamloops teachers are among the minority in the province not getting paid for the day they spent preparing their classrooms for the first day of school. Kamloops Thompson Teachers Association President David Komljenovic says teachers showed good faith by showing up on the Friday before school was set to start, as well as...
Future of Stuart Wood landmark could include TRU
KAMLOOPS - Thompson Rivers University is interested in the historic Stuart Wood Elementary School in downtown Kamloops. The City and university have signed an agreement to look at the possible future uses of the school, which is set to be turned back over to the city in September 2016 after students and staff are head...
What does a school board trustee do?
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Most people have heard of a school board, and school trustees, but what exactly is the role of a trustee? Nominations have opened in advance of the municipal elections throughout the province on Nov. 15. Keep in mind that school districts are a huge employers with big, taxpayer-funded budgets, so even if you...
Have a seat, will you? Three trustees won’t run for re-election
PENTICTON - There's a big hole to fill on the Penticton school board with three trustees deciding not to run for re-election. Linda Beaven, Walter Huebert and Tracy St. Claire have all decided to throw in the towel. “I figure half a century is long enough,” says Huebert who was a teacher for 41 years...
Wine sensory lab officially open at Okanagan College
PENTICTON - Wine and viticulture courses at the Okanagan College are about to get a sensory overload with the official opening of the B.C. Wine Information Society Sensory Centre. The Centre is having its grand opening today thanks to a $300,000 donation form the B.C. Wine Information Society that made construction of the facility possible....
Teachers vote yes, school back in session next week
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The teachers vote is in and school will be back in session next week. A total of 75 per cent of teachers cast ballots Thursday with more than 27,000 voting to accept the agreement. The number of teachers voting was up significantly from ratification votes in 2006 and 2012 and on par with...
Districts planning for back to school
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - As teachers make their decision today whether to ratify a contract agreement with the province, school boards are busy making plans in the hopes that students will be back in school next week. Several districts have already reached out to parents to let them know the plan for next week and most are...