Welcome Back!!

What an exciting time of year. One of the things I miss most is the thrill and energy of students at the start of a new school year, so I was delighted to participate in a District school tour with our Board Chair and Assistant Superintendent last week.  Buildings were filled with wide eyes, smiles and happy feet! As I watched the energy of the children, I was reminded of the proverb, "From small beginnings come great things."

Our maintenance and custodial crews have done their usual sensational work in preparing our facilities.  Beyond the many visible projects completed, one less visible, yet mammoth project, needs mention here. Smithers Secondary had a massive boiler overhaul, resulting in a significant technical upgrade with environmental benefits through carbon reduction, while increasing cost efficiency.

Over the course of the day we had tour guides from Lake Kathlyn highlight aspects of their school, including their Code of Conduct.  Walnut Park showed off their new "Welcoming Blanket",

while Muheim was proud of their new asphalt playing surface.  Both Silverthorne and Twain Sullivan had significant staff changes and it was an excellent opportunity to meet them  Houston Secondary was pleased with their new video conferencing technology, allowing their students to enroll in Psychology through NWCC in Smithers, as well as opening many other education possibilities. Smithers Secondary has also made technological strides with a significant restructuring of their DL (Distributed Learning) program, under the guidance of District Principal, Matthew Monkman.

As we look ahead to the school year, many exciting opportunities exist for our students.  All levels of our organization have made this start-up an exciting success, and it is a reminder, perhaps now more than ever, that teamwork in education matters.