Superintendent's Update to the Board on activities happening in the Vancouver School District.

1. Report to Board [October 1, 2012]
Chairperson Patti Bacchus and Superintendent Cardwell attended and
presented at the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Governance on
October 1st
.
School news:
Killarney students and staff are on a mission to collect old cell phones and
chargers in order to redistribute them to the rural poor in Africa.
Each morning students at Renfrew Elementary head out into the sun (or
clouds) for a quick guided Tai Chi session to relaxing music on a gravel field
next to the school. Teachers say the Tai Chi helps many focus during the
day and allowing students to be that much more engaged and productive.
A week and a half ago, McBride Elementary primary teachers made a pitch
for the five strands of the primary program and the power of play to the
school’s parent community. On the evening of Thursday, September 20th,
the teachers brought this message to their parent community as part of the
school’s Meet the Teacher Night. One parent let the teachers know that
their Meet the Teacher Night was the best she'd ever attended.
Point Grey Secondary Teacher Dean Long wanted a platform to show off
some of the amazing work created by his students. So he decided to create
the Point Grey Art Blog.
This year the Edith Cavell Elementary school community raised funds for
the Terry Fox Foundation. In return for their fundraising efforts and prior to
the annual run, students were given a very special treat. Great seats and
the opportunity to cut the hair of their favorite teachers with an electric
razor. Principal Mike McEwan and four teachers had their heads shaved by
the students after the student body raised $11,948 for the Terry Fox
foundation. The gym was packed with the entire school body to watch and
celebrate the shavings of the beloved staff.
JO centennial: alumni and students put on a grand musical show to

2. celebrate 100 years of Jo history. Drumlines, choirs, contemporary hip hop
dance was centre stage for a packed auditorium. Decade rooms were open
for the alumni to reminisce about past glories and stories. Mark Pearmain
got to see my grandfather on the wall who was Principal from1956-1961!
William Zhou is a Grade 12 student at Britannia with a deep and unabiding
love of particle physics. His greatest inspiration is Ernest Rutherford, a
nuclear scientist who in the early 20th
century, first probed the atom.
William’s commitment to science earned him a trip to the Deep River
Science Academy in Ontario, where he and other brilliant minds studied the
Chalk River nuclear reactor and conducted 6 weeks of experiments and
labs. I predict William will be going a very long way in the world of science.
Jilliane Vina is a Grade 12 student at Britannia Secondary with a
background in Brazilian Jujitsu and Mui Thai Kick Boxing. This summer,
Julliane made the transition to wrestling where she represented her school
at the BC Summer Games – a provincial level tournament. She placed third
overall, a fantastic achievement considering she just started wrestling last
year.
JC Ayque is a Grade 9 student at Britannia Secondary. JC has always been
strongly encouraged in his basketball by his father. JC and the rest of the
Britannia team took first place (gold) in this year’s BC Summer Games.