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Supplemental information for SD63 students circulates as strike appears close to end

Letters were sent to families of SD63 students late last week
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Career Centre Coordinator Cammie Watson (left), Custodian Danny Tang (centre), and Educational Assistant Helen Casey (right) participate in ongoing job action in SD63 on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019. (Sophie Heizer/News Staff)

The three-week-long strike in School District 63 is heading towards its end after SD63 and striking CUPE Local 441 reached a tentative agreement on Saturday. Union members will meet at noon on Sunday to vote on this latest offer. CUPE 441 President Dean Coates said he will recommend that members accept it.

On Friday, Nov. 15, School District 63 Superintendent Dave Eberwein said letters have been sent to the homes of senior students in the district through their school. The information, most pertinent to grade 11 and 12 students, aims to help “alleviate some of the angst” Eberwein acknowledges many people are feeling.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Tentative deal reached between SD63 and CUPE Local 441, classes to resume Monday

A general statement on the district’s website said schools and buses will be running on their normal schedules on Monday, Nov. 18. A Professional Development Day scheduled for Friday, Nov. 22 has been postponed to an undetermined date. The note from Eberwein also states that schools will confirm any changes to first-term completion dates, report cards, and semester change “some time in the next few days”.

The letter sent to Claremont Secondary families states the only provincial graduation assessment required for grade 12 students in 2019 is the Graduation Numeracy Assessment, which most grade 12 students completed in grade 11. For those who have not written the assessment or wish to re-write it, two more opportunities will be available in January and April 2020.

The letter also says Claremont will be organizing a Post Secondary Institutions British Columbia (PSBC) information night for SD63, the date and time of which is also still undetermined. Claremont will also be posting information some time between Nov. 18 to 22 about upcoming events in the area and specific recruitment contact information for some post-secondary institutions.

READ MORE: Union president ‘cautiously optimistic’ school strike could end over the weekend

Graduating students are reminded they’re responsible for checking application dates for post-secondary institutions they wish to apply to.

Graduating students are also directed to postsecondarybc.ca and educationplannerbc.ca for more information about post-secondary institutions. For the StudentTranscripts Service, visit gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/support/transcripts-and-certificates/about-studenttranscripts.

Recommendations for all students include: review previously-learned content, read ahead in novels and course content, and do practice assignments where possible. Additionally, school administrators wish to assure students and families everyone will have the opportunity to cover the necessary learning outcomes for each of their courses.

Finally, the source for up-to-date information regarding job action is the district’s website at sd63.bc.ca.

sophie.heizer@saanichnews.com


@yrlocaljourno
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