The Nanaimo school district is looking to amend the 2014-15 school calendar.
The recent teachers’ strike led to the cancellation of the first two weeks of school and the school board is looking to postpone yesterday’s professional development day to Feb. 24 because it is too close to the Sept. 23 start of school and will lead to more class time in September.
It is also looking to move the end of the first semester for district high schools one week to Feb. 6 to account for an imbalance in the number days between the first and second semesters. Exams would take place the first week of February.
A 30-day consultation period will discuss the proposed amendments. Donna Reimer, school district spokeswoman, said the school board would be looking to give final approval at its October regular board meeting.
At a meeting earlier this month, the school board approved a measure that will reduce professional learning community time to 16 weeks. The board originally approved learning communities in January, whereby school would let out an hour early every Monday for 32 weeks, in order for educators to discuss student learning.
The May 5 Success for All Day will also be cancelled and changed to a regular school day.
“I don’t think we had any thought that we would be trying to make up lost instructional time or anything like that but just to respond to the concerns of parents and teachers while still keeping some professional learning community time to get that initiative underway,” said Reimer.
To participate in the 30-day consultation period, comments can be emailed to Cathy Kelt, school district executive assistant, at ckelt@sd68.bc.a or mailed to the secretary-treasurer’s office, 395 Wakesiah Avenue, Nanaimo, B.C., V9R 3K6.