Don't expect summer holidays to disappear anytime soon in Kootenay Lake School District No. 8
By Bruce Fuhr
Don’t expect sweeping changes anytime soon to the current Kootenay Lake School District No. 8 calendar.
Instead, Chair Mel Joy promises much discussion before the board shelves the current 10-month calendar following the provincial government’s recent Bill 36, the School Amendment Act 2012 announcement.
“We won’t be making any decisions without extensively talking to the community,” Joy told The Nelson Daily Tuesday when asked about the proposed amendment to the School Act.
The change garnering most of the attention is the proposed elimination to the standard school calendar.
This decision allows boards to consider going to a year-round term that would shelve the current 10-month calendar and a two-month summer break.
“At this time there hasn’t been any discussion on Bill 36, which seems to have gotten everybody talking,” Joy explained. “I believe it’s in first reading so we are still waiting on the details of the bill.”
Joy, a trustee representing Creston, said Kootenay Lake School District No. 8 is open to changing with the times as seen with the Wildflower program.
Wildflower, sporting a curriculum and environment encouraging self-esteem, self- confidence and joy of learning, runs four-days a week instead of the five used by most public schools in Kootenay Lake.
However, before the board even considers taking away summer holidays, Joys said there much public discussion.
“First general impression is (Bill 36) gives us the ability to make changes but those changes will not happen without a lot of consultation in the community,” Joy confessed.
“It really does depend on what the community wants on how we proceed,” Joy adds.
