VOLUME 17 ISSUE 05 MAY 17 — JUNE 14, 2019
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Number of students grows, district and parents plan for future Permanent school a shared goal TWO PORTABLES ARE JOINED UNDER ONE ROOF TO CREATE CLASSROOMS, WORKSPACE FOR TEACHERS AND A LUNCH AREA. Photo SPIN
JEAN STRONG
THIS YEAR 103 STUDENTS ATTENDED THE PUBLIC SUN PEAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FROM KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE SEVEN AND ANOTHER 29 STUDENTS FILLED THE HIGH SCHOOL RUN BY THE SUN PEAKS EDUCATION SOCIETY (SPES). Next year 12 students have already been pre-registered for kindergarten and more are expected to arrive by September. This kind of growth isn’t unusual for the school. Since its inception in 2010, the school has seen more families move to the resort each year, many attracted to the idea of their children taking the magic carpet to class and spending hours skiing each year. In 2015, for example, around 30 new students enrolled. For Caroline Thompson and
her family the school was a bonus. “We moved here for a season and when we found out there was a school we were so surprised and so excited,” Caroline said. A few years later, with one child enrolled and another soon to be, Thompson sits on the board of directors for SPES, ran for trustee for School District 73 last year and is an outspoken advocate for students and the school. One of her focuses has been working to relieve the stress of crowded classrooms and upgrade other spaces and resources. Joining her are other parents like Yolanda Dye, elementary school PAC chair, and Maria Cannon, President of SPES. Last year the elementary school was placed fifth on the capital funding list in School District 73 (SD73). The list acts as a tool for the district to tell the province which projects
or schools in their area are priorities. This year’s list will be released mid-June. “Our capital list that we submit in June is a wishlist of projects we’d like to see funded but the ultimate decision comes down to the board of education,” said Kathleen Karpuk, chair of the SD73 board. “They pick the best ones.” Being placed on the list was a big step forward in the eyes of Cannon. “Since the beginning it’s been a step-by-step process,” she said. “It’s been partnerships, community building, strategic planning. It takes constant work and effort with all of the parts involved.” Dye said a presentation to the district last year focused on showing growth and expected enrollment in an effort to get the school on the list. “The steady incline for growth has been constant,” she said.
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LELILANI ORTNER WORKS IN HER CLASSROOM AT SUN PEAKS. Photo SPIN
BACKPACKS HANG IN A PORTABLE AT SUN PEAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Photo SPIN
VOL 17 ISSUE 5 MAY 17 — JUNE 14
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