Jon Rever
Superintendent of Schools
May 1 is National Principals Appreciation Day
Dear Colleagues,
As we move into the month of May, I want to pause and recognize that May 1 is National Principals Appreciation Day — an important opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to the principals who serve and lead across Central Okanagan Public Schools.
The role of the principal is one of the most important and complex leadership roles in public education. Each day, principals hold responsibility for creating the conditions where students feel safe, known, included, challenged and supported. They lead learning, support staff, engage families, respond to community needs, and make hundreds of decisions, often quietly and behind the scenes, that shape the daily experience of students and staff.
In a rapidly changing world, the work of school leadership has never mattered more. Our principals are leading in a context of increasing diversity and complexity among learners, families and society. They are supporting students with a wide range of strengths, needs, identities, cultures, lived experiences and aspirations. They are helping staff respond with care, skill and professionalism. They are building school communities where belonging, wellbeing, equity and excellence are not separate priorities, but deeply connected commitments.
We know from research and from our own experience that effective school leadership has a significant influence on student learning. Principals improve learning not only through the decisions they make, but through the cultures they build: cultures of trust, collaboration, high expectations, professional learning and shared responsibility. Their leadership helps shape the life trajectories of students by ensuring that every learner has access to meaningful relationships, strong instruction, rich opportunities and a sense of hope for the future.
Principals also play a critical role in system-level change. The priorities we hold as a district; improving literacy and numeracy, strengthening equity and inclusion, advancing Truth and Reconciliation, supporting student voice and agency, deepening family and community partnerships, and sustaining healthy learning environments come to life through the daily leadership of principals in schools. They translate system direction into meaningful local action. They help staff make sense of change. They listen to students and families. They lead with both courage and compassion.
On behalf of Central Okanagan Public Schools, I want to extend heartfelt appreciation to every principal in our district. Thank you for the leadership you provide to your staff, your students and your communities. Thank you for the care you bring to difficult decisions, the hope you create for students, and the steady commitment you demonstrate to improving learning experiences for every child.
Our district is stronger because of your leadership, and our students’ futures are brighter because of the work you do each day.
Jon
For Your Action
Compassionate Systems - Working Together for Well-Being in BC Schools and Communities - June 29/30 in Kelowna
Bring a team to this two day session, offered by Compassionate Systems BC, which will introduce participants to the compassionate systems framework. Compassionate Systems, a pillar in BC Mental Health in Schools strategy, is an integrated framework to build personal well-being, strengthen relationships, and apply systems thinking tools to help us thrive in the complexity of today’s education system.
Compassionate Systems - Working Together for Well-Being in BC Schools and Communities
Red Dress Day - May 5, 2026 - For P/VP | Teachers
Tuesday, May 5th marks Red Dress Day, a time to honour and raise awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people. This day reflects a deeply painful and ongoing part of our country’s history and present. As leaders, advocates, and teachers, it is essential that we speak the truth about this injustice with our students, while ensuring that our approach remains age-appropriate and responsive to their understanding.
Human Resources Staffing Meetings - For Teachers
Meeting with all Priority 1, 2 and 3 teachers (Zoom)
Monday, April 27, 2026 - 3:45 pm to 5:15 pm
Meeting with interested TTOC's (Zoom)
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 - 3:45 pm to 5:15 pm
For Your Information
Ecole George Pringle Secondary School Parent Information/Consultation Sessions
Constable Neil Bruce Middle School
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 - 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Ecole Glenrosa Middle School
Thursday, May 7, 2026 - 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Kelowna Art Gallery - Art in Action - For All Staff
March 14 - June 21, 2026
Young artists in grades 9-12 from across the Central Okanagan School District were invited to participate in the 40th annual Art in Action student exhibition. This year the exhibition is inspired by the theme Kaleidoscope.
The word “kaleidoscope” can symbolize change, transformation, and perspective, representing how life’s experiences - both good and bad - can be reframed to create new patterns and meanings. A kaleidoscope represents creativity, diversity, beauty, inner complexity, and the interconnectedness of individual parts creating a whole. A small shift in one’s viewpoint can completely alter the overall picture.
Nearly 100 works of art exhibited here will create a kaleidoscope of perspectives for all to view.
(Kelowna Art Gallery website)
Ministry of Education and Child Care Reminders
Upcoming Board Events
April 29, 2026 - 5:00 pm | Finance and Planning Committee |
May 6, 2026 - 4:00 pm | General Affairs Committee |
May 13, 2026 - 4:00 pm | Finance and Planning Committee |
May 20, 2026 - 6:00 pm | Public Board Meeting |
May 27, 2026 - 4:00 pm | Policy Committee Meeting |
Important Dates in April/May
April 28, 2026 | National Day of Mourning |
May 2026 | National Allergy Awareness Month |
May 4 - 8, 2026 | TTOC Appreciation Week |
May 4 - 10, 2026 | Mental Health Awareness Week |
May 5, 2026 | National Day of Awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls |
Calendar Dates At A Glance for 2025/2026
DATE | EVENT |
|---|---|
May 18, 2026 | Victoria Day |
May 24, 2026 to May 30, 2026 | National AccessAbility Week |
June 2026 | Pride Month |
June 2026 | National Indigenous History Month |
June 21, 2026 | National Indigenous People's Day |
June 25, 2026 | Last day of school for students |
June 26, 2026 | Administrative Day |