Building connections

Through School Community Connections grants, boards of education and their partners are opening up schools beyond regular hours, with programs that benefit not only students but the entire community.

Once the last child has banged the school door shut for the day, there’s a sudden, ringing silence up and down the hallways. A pervading sense of emptiness.

At least, that’s the traditional snapshot of a school at about 4 pm on a weekday. But now, with projects funded through BC’s School Community Connections program, the hallways and rooms of our neighbourhood schools fill with life again in a few hours, if not minutes.

Through SCC grants, administered by BCSTA and the Union of BC Municipalities on the Ministry of Education’s behalf, boards of education and their local partners are transforming school facilities into vital, lively hubs for activities and services that benefit both students and community well beyond school hours. There are many, many examples. Here are a few:

Opening the lines of communication in Peace River South

The Peace River School District needed a new school facility – “but the funding just wasn’t happening,” recalls Chair Richard Powell. “Then our facilities manager had the idea of getting together with the Pouce Coupe Municipal Library Board and the city of Pouce Coupe. With an SCC grant, they designed a community centre, kitchen and large library in a modern facility that meets the entire community’s needs.”

The gleaming new facility now stands on the Pouce Coupe Elementary grounds, next to the community soccer and softball fields, and the multi-purpose outdoor arena. Its modular format includes expansion of the school library for public use. “Both students and the community benefit from the enlarged library, which is managed by a public librarian,” says Richard.

The school uses the facility in daylight hours – and in the evening, the community comes in.

Any territorial issues that might have existed in the past melted away in this communal effort. “Working with the city created a good connection for both sides. It opened the lines of communication. Now we better understand what each of us does, what our roles and responsibilities are.”

Building a sense of belonging in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows

Like any picture, a spray-painted school wall or a shattered classroom window speaks a thousand words. And every one of them tells a story of a child who’s disengaged from any sort of constructive activity.

Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Chair Kathie Ward shares the stories of two SCC projects that forged a sense of community belonging and involvement.

In the first, a school in the east was experiencing a lot of vandalism, “The grades five-six classes decided to work against it,” Kathie relates. “They involved not only the entire school in taking ownership of the school, but neighbors as well. The feeling was, ‘Let’s bring the entire school community together and build a mural. Let’s start a community garden.’ When you work with all of the different agencies, you can really build a good project.”

Now a fulsome garden has sprung up at that school, as well as several others. Retirees and Kiwanis members are among those coming regularly to help. Through SCC, “we’ve managed to fan a sense of pride and caring for a school out to the neighborhood. We’re building a sense of belonging.”

In a second SCC project, partners recognized the need for a “hub,” or after-school club, at Eric Langton Elementary. “We knew that many latchkey kids are too old for daycare, and at loose ends because they have nothing to do after school. All of us recognized them as an entity that needs attention.

“So, partners came together at a central table to plan how to engage these kids. Now at Eric Langton, the kids get help with their homework. They’re involved in games.”

The roll call of those involved includes: SD #42; Parks and Leisure Services, which staffs the project; Community Services; Big Brothers and Big Sisters; Family Education and Support Centre; Pitt Meadows Child Development Centre; Fraser Valley Public Library; and Early Childhood Development Committee.

As with Peace River South, any traditional notions of territoriality faded right away. “In the case of Eric Langton, we all agreed to work with each other, having the best person, or best agency, to implement this or that, to take a lead and support a particular entity. It didn’t have to be District 42 that led the change. It wasn’t ever done in isolation. It was all of us, together. When you have a common goal, you’re more successful,” says Kathie.

Food for thought in Peace River North

The Romans were wise in matters of wellness: their saying mens sana in corpore sano survived even if their empire didn’t. Peace River North is also keenly aware of the importance of a healthy body to a healthy mind. Through its SCC grant, SD #60 provides 250 needy students with a hot-lunch program – and drop-in access to breakfast, as well.

Reports Peace River North Chair Gordon Anderson, “We hired a meals program coordinator to organize the program. The coordinator plans menus, purchases food supplies, and prepares and delivers lunches daily to participating schools. A community nutritionist ensures the program is aligned with healthy food guidelines.”

But that’s not all SCC has done for the district, Gordon says. “Another grant went to our Community Interventions Committee in educating our community on youth drug and alcohol abuse. We hosted the Headline Theatre production of Shattered, a play about substance abuse, and workshops by a psychiatrist and specialist in the effects of drugs and alcohol on the teenage brain.”

At the heart of education –

... our students. BCSTA Education Committee Chair Linda McPhail describes how her committee ensures that you have the best resources to serve them.

What does the Education Committee do to support trustees and the students they represent?

The Education Committee identifies and shares knowledge of educational issues of interest to boards of education and trustees. By providing opportunities for discussion, links to education partner groups, and relevant professional development opportunities, we support trustees in their advocacy, and in their key work of improving student achievement.

Among the Committee’s accomplishments, what are one or two things that you’re proudest of?

In 2007 the committee had a visioning session and developed a mission statement “Education, Communication, Support – leading the way to trustee development for student achievement.” With this as a guiding principle, the committee has worked diligently at aligning activities that support professional development for all trustees to the current and emerging local, regional and provincial education issues. This year we noted that the priorities established by the Committee in June 2009 are in alignment with the Board of Directors’ priorities, and that “strengthen government and public commitment to public education, is especially important right now.” We feel strongly that whenever possible we should be using local and Canadian information/presenters so that we have relevant and contextual information.  We have encouraged trustees and education partners to share their knowledge and experiences.

What are some of the challenges ahead in the Committee’s work – but what are also some of the positive things as you go about your work as a Committee?

The pace of change in public education is staggering, coupled with the current economic reality. I believe that Committee members are passionate about, and strong advocates for, public education in BC. They willingly share information, ideas and experiences, which allows for informed and synergistic conversations.  

It is a privilege to be a member of the Education Committee!

Your Education Committee members, 2009-10

• Linda McPhail, Metropolitan (chair)
• Linda Van Alphen, Okanagan (vice-chair)
• Silvia Dyck, Fraser Valley
• Rick Erickson, BC School Superintendents’ Association
• Eve Flynn, VISTA
• Mary James, South Coast
• Diana Mumford, BCSTA Board of Directors
• Sharel Warrington, Northern Interior