Dear Parents and Guardians:
Monday, September 26, is the first of two provincially mandated K-9 curriculum implementation days.
During periods of curricular change such as we are currently experiencing in our province, this time, which is devoted to adult professional learning, is of great importance to all instructional staff.
On Monday, staff involved in supporting students and designing the educational program will be engaged in workshops and planning sessions across the school district.
Thoughtful changes to our public education system that will benefit our students start with ensuring that instructional staff understand the change. As we move through this school year and gain experience working with the new curriculum, we also want to engage and involve parents in direct dialogue about the changes and the impact on students. We look forward to the conversation with parents in each of our school communities about the new curriculum during the 2016/17 school year.
One significant area of change in this redesigned provincial curriculum is the reduction in the number of prescribed learning outcomes. We hope to provide educators with time and flexibility in the school day to delve into topics in more depth – aligning the learning with the interests and passions of the students in the classroom. Educators in this school district believe in this change – and many have been leading the way in the province in terms of high-quality teaching practices that engage students.
It is an exciting time in education, a time when we can see a powerful combination of elements converging: improved curriculum, meaningful professional supports for our educators, and teacher/staff leadership to support the change process at the colleague-to-colleague level.
We know that we can improve the experience for all students by making changes in how we work, and we are actively engaged in this goal. The new curriculum puts emphasis on “personalized learning.” It aims to ensure that each student has a school experience that engages them thoroughly in the learning process and prepares him or her for an enriching life after public school.
We appreciate your support of our school district and hope to soon be engaging with you in a dialogue about the new curriculum at each of our schools.
Sincerely,
Sylvia Russell
Superintendent, Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows School District