News

<p class="editor-paragraph"><img src="/images/498d7e04-5040-4202-8c2b-d1d2ed5044ff?fingerprint=ppb20251217033838" alt="A bus driver checks in a student bus rider with their bus pass system Image courtesy of Tyler Technologies" width="inherit" height="inherit"></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">School buses in Central Okanagan Public Schools are now equipped with routing software that enhances student safety, increases fleet efficiency, and improves communication with parents, drivers, and schools. This modernization of the transportation system will improve the safety, comfort, and efficiency of students' commute, while providing additional peace of mind for parents.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The software is on a tablet mounted in school buses. Key features of the technology include:</span></p><ul class="editor-list-ul"><li value="1" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Telematics Systems: Telematics allow for real-time monitoring of each school bus and provide the bus driver with turn-by-turn route directions and bus stop placement. The system enhances student safety, efficient route planning, monitors vehicle health, optimizes maintenance schedules, and improves fuel efficiency.</span></li><li value="2" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Integrated bus pass system: Implementing RFID technology to monitor when students get on and off the school bus will both enhance student safety and provide bus drivers with a confirmed list of students who are riding on the school bus.</span></li><li value="3" class="editor-listitem"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Mobile Apps for Parents: The mobile app "My Ride" is scheduled to be introduced in the 2024-2025 school year and will allow parents to track and receive real-time updates regarding their child's school bus route.</span></li></ul><p class="editor-paragraph"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Each student registered on a school bus route gets a bus pass to scan when boarding and leaving the school bus. When a bus arrives at a scheduled stop, the assigned students will be identified on the tablet. If a student accidentally boards an incorrect bus, or disembarks at an unassigned stop, the system will alert the driver.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Transportation Services will distribute bus pass cards during May and inform parents and school staff about the new technology and what to expect with the changes.</span></p>

<p class="editor-paragraph"><img src="/images/82a8ae07-40b0-48fe-bab4-74d55597aa39?fingerprint=ppb20251217040322" alt="Students set their Lego robots up in the ring for a sumo style battle." width="inherit" height="inherit"></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">LEGO robots battled in the ring at Central Okanagan Public Schools 9th Annual District SumoBot Competition. This year, the event was held in The Commons at UBCO and it was an awesome venue for 80 different school teams to test their creations in friendly competition.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><img src="/images/29f95ca0-4339-4284-acd4-546251442368?fingerprint=ppb20251217033347" alt="Two students at a laptop inspecting the code for their robot and making adjustments between rounds" width="inherit" height="inherit"></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">To be successful in the SumoBot, student teams strategize, design, build, and program LEGO MINDSTORMS</span><sup style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span>®</span></sup><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> robots to autonomously seek out and either flip or push their competitor’s robot out of the ring. Through research, trial and error, and hands-on experience, students ages 9 – 14 learn to problem solve and grow their appreciation and interest in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><img src="/images/d18e5fd6-1391-4038-8ea4-5b73532d3dc6?fingerprint=ppb20251217060504" alt="An adult helps students as they check their robot code on a tablet" width="inherit" height="inherit"></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Thank you to all of the parent and teacher volunteers who make this event possible and thank you to our amazing hosts at UBC Okanagan!</span></p>

<p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Superintendent/CEO's Statement on Childcare Provider Appreciation Day</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Today we honour and show our gratitude for the early childhood educators and childcare professionals who show daily patience, compassion, and resilience for our children, allowing them to thrive and grow in a nurturing environment.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The creativity and enthusiasm shown by our childcare providers foster meaningful connections with the youngest learners and their families. Today, we have more childcare facilities than ever operating in our schools and connected to our schools through our community partners such as BGC Okanagan, YMCA Okanagan, and The Clubhouse. These facilities connect learners and their families to their neighbourhood school, fostering a sense of belonging to start their educational journey. They also offer opportunities for our K-12 learners to develop empathy and build the foundations of meaningful careers when they engage with the dedicated childcare providers and young learners.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Childcare providers continue to meet the diverse needs of our students. On behalf of the entire district, I extend my sincere appreciation for your invaluable contributions. Your dedication to shaping the future generation does not go unnoticed, and your impact will be felt for years to come.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Thank you for everything you do.</span></p>

<p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Central Okanagan Public Schools congratulates Terry-Lee Beaudry on receiving the </span><a href="https://education.ok.ubc.ca/2024/04/12/terry-lee-beaudry-ubc-alumni-builder-award/#:~:text=The%20Alumni%20Builder%20Awards%20recognize,ambition%20for%20a%20better%20world" class="editor-link"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">UBC Alumni Builder Award</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. The award recognizes her dedication to students, her many contributions to transforming education, and her work with UBC and the Okanagan School of Education (OSE).</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Terry-Lee has held the positions of teacher, Vice-Principal, Principal, Director of Instruction, Assistant Superintendent, and is currently Deputy Superintendent.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">"I am deeply honoured to receive this award on behalf of my colleagues at the District and University level who have had a hand in strengthening our current Central Okanagan Public Schools/UBC partnership and who remain committed to building reconciliation practices in education for the betterment of all children and communities,” said Beaudry. "It continues to be an absolute privilege and pleasure to collaborate with exceptional teachers, support staff, educational leaders, community members, and university faculty to create equitable opportunities while transforming learning in schools."</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Over the years, Terry-Lee Beaudry's many accomplishments include organizing collaborative opportunities for new teachers and collaborating with the BC Principals and Vice-Principals Association to embed reconciliation practices within Foundations coursework for new administrators. She has also worked alongside UBC faculty and local Indigenous Knowledge Holders to re-imagine the OSE Teacher Education Program, became an Adjunct Professor for UBC, and received the ABCDE Education Advocate of the Year – Outstanding Service to BC Public Education award.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">"We congratulate Terry-Lee on receiving this award that recognizes her many accomplishments and her contributions as an educator and leader in our district for over four decades," said Kevin Kaardal, Superintendent of Schools/CEO. "Her work with UBC has impacted hundreds of educators in our journey towards truth and reconciliation. We are also grateful for her leadership of the District's Equity in Action for Truth and Reconciliation Agreement that is decolonizing our relationship with Indigenous communities."</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">"The Board of Education congratulates Deputy Superintendent Beaudry on this distinction," said Lee-Ann Tiede, Chair for the Board of Education. "Central Okanagan Public Schools is fortunate to have leaders like Terry-Lee creating opportunities for our students and staff to thrive."</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><br></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><img src="/images/5fd0c86c-cbd6-427d-a263-b513e3aa9453?fingerprint=ppb20251217034523" alt="UBC Alumni Builder Award" width="100%" height="inherit" style="width:100%;height:inherit;display:inline-block"></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><i><em class="editor-text-italic" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Terry-Lee Beaudry (left) Deputy Superintendent of Schools, and Margaret McIntyre Latta, Director of the UBC-Okanagan School of Education, at the ceremony for the UBC Alumni Builder Award.</em></i></p>

<h3 class="editor-heading-h3" dir="ltr"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Apply for School Bus Transportation Application for the 2024-2025 school year!</strong></b><br><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span></h3><h3 class="editor-heading-h3" dir="ltr"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">IMPORTANT:</strong></b></h3><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Although school bus transportation applications are accepted throughout the school year, priority seating for the 2024–2025 school year is given to those applicants who have applied before the end of day on May 31, 2024.</strong></b><br><br><a href="https://busconnect.sd23.bc.ca/application" class="editor-link"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">CLICK HERE</strong></b></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> to submit a school bus transportation application for the 2024-2025 school year.</span></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Students must be registered to ride on the school bus.</span><br><a href="http://www.sd23.bc.ca/ProgramsServices/transportation/Pages/default.aspx#/=" class="editor-link"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Click here for detailed information regarding student eligibility for transportation</strong></b></a></p><p class="editor-paragraph"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span><br><a href="http://www.sd23.bc.ca/Board/Policies/Section%204%20%20Students/470R.pdf" class="editor-link"><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">470R – Guiding Principles for Transportation in Central Okanagan Public Schools</strong></b></a></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp;</span><br><b><strong class="editor-text-bold" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Safety is everyone's responsibility. Motorists are required to stop for school buses when the red alternating lights and stop signs are activated. Please use extra caution near bus stops, crosswalks, and school zones.&nbsp;</strong></b></p><p class="editor-paragraph" dir="ltr"><img src="/images/a0144778-2660-4900-aa9f-a385ce9c9374?fingerprint=ppb20251217041834" alt="FOR FLASHING RED LIGHTS" width="inherit" height="inherit"></p>

<p>Central Okanagan Public Schools congratulates six local educators on winning the Premier’s Award for Excellence in Education.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="/documents/66f4d0a3-f0cf-45e4-9cfa-8d73af67ef40?fingerprint=ppb20251217034958">NR_PAEE_Winners2023.pdf</a></p><p><img src="/images/ebd61e4f-61ca-4e1e-a0cf-ac31e7fdf9f8?fingerprint=ppb20251217060846" alt="PAEE Group"><br>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>