Towards the Future for Schools 2 October 2012

Enrollment Update:

As of the end of September, 2012, there were 15,874 students registered in all programs.  This includes K - 12 students, as well as individuals enrolled in Continuing Ed and alternate programs.  As predicted, enrollment is down from the same time last year, but not as much as anticipated.  The student population drops by approximately 300 students per year, as about 1,400 students graduate from Grade 12 while only 1,100 register in Kindergarten.  This trend will continue for a few more years, but then it is expected that enrollment will “flatten”.  This means that that the student population will be distributed more or less evenly, with approximately the same number of students in each grade.  This trend is already apparent as the K – Grade 7 population is flat.  The numbers in Grades 10 – 12 are higher, partly because this is where there is the heaviest concentration of International students.

District Priorities for 2012/13:

Superintendent John Lewis gave an overview of District priorities for 2012/13.

Follow this link to see details of the Enrollment Update and Superintendent Lewis' presentation.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Expansion:  Primary Years Program (PYP):

IB Background:

Assistant Superintendent Mark Jefferson provided some background on the history of the IB program in the District.  A study group in 2005/6 resulted in the implementation of the IB program at a few schools in the District.  The PYP program (K – 7) is at Capilano Elementary, while the Middle Years Program (MYP) (Grades 8 – 10) and the Diploma Program (Grades 11 and 12) are at Carson Graham.  The MYP was formerly housed at Balmoral, until that school’s closure and consolidation with Carson Graham.

Enrollment:

Greg Milner spoke about the enrollment and interest in the PYP at Capilano Elementary.  In 2007, Capilano Elementary had 257 students enrolled.  The following year, enrollment climbed to 275.  This was the year that a full-day, “user pay” Kindergarten was offered at Capilano Elementary, and was the year that IB discussions began.  Registration at Capilano has climbed steadily ever since.  The 2012 enrollment is 472, with three Kindergarten classes and 17 Grade 1 – 7 classes.

The majority of students attending Capilano live in the catchment; about 100 live “in the vicinity”, that is, in the catchment of schools such as Norgate and Westview, and others; a further 40 -50 live in other parts of the District.  A few Capilano students reside in other school districts – Burnaby, Coquitlam, West Vancouver and Vancouver.  There are, however, a number of students living in the catchment who do not attend Capilano.  Some attend programs (French Immersion) offered at other schools in the District, while others attend faith-based schools.

Interest:

For the 2012/13 school year, the District received 76 requests for Kindergarten placement at Capilano.  Of these, 53 were placed at Capilano; 41 live in the catchment and a further 12 have siblings already at Capilano.  The remainder of the students do not live in the catchment area, and could not be placed at Capilano.  At the grade 3/4 level, the District received 34 requests for placement at Capilano; 17 were placed at Capilano.  Five students living within the Capilano catchment could not be accommodated at Capilano.  For grades other than K and 3/4, 22 requests for transfers to Capilano were received from within the district.  From this group, only three students, all of whom live in the catchment, were placed at Capilano.  Capilano is at capacity, with all of its 20 classrooms filled.  Since requests for placement at Capilano now exceed its capacity, there is interest in the PYP, and hence a reason to consider expansion of the program.

PYP Theory, Curriculum and Practice:

Jennifer Wilson, Principal of Capilano Elementary, gave an overview of PYP theory, curriculum, and practice.  The aim of all IB programs is to encourage students to be (among other things), internationally-minded, lifelong learners with deep intercultural understanding.  Rather than attempt to replicate Ms Wilson’s presentation, readers are referred to the District's page about the IB Program.

PYP Working Group Recommendations

Mark Jefferson presented the PYP Working Group’s recommendations.  All of the schools which were considered in 2005/6, together with other schools with available space were considered as potential sites for an expanded PYP.  The MYP and DP at Carson Graham are evolving, and there is no need for expansion of these programs at the present time.

The PYP Working Group considered the following criteria, and ranked each of the schools being considered:

 - Geographic location

 - Site space and room for population growth

 - Continuum – students will likely proceed to MYP/DP once they complete PYP

 - Physical plant – condition, need for renovation

 - Public transportation – is the school well-served by public transit?  Access – What does the drop-off zone look like?

 -  Location in relation to Carson Graham.  (See Continuum, above)

Of the schools considered, the top three are:  #1. Queen Mary, #2. Norgate, # 3. Eastview.

The District will hold information sessions at Queen Mary for PAC, parents and staff in the near future.  The PYP Working Group will report to the School Board at its October 23, 2012 meeting.

Follow this link to view the IB Expansion presentation.