Summerland teacher Trevor Knowlton has been recognized with a prestigious national award.
He was one of 94 educators from across Canada to receive a Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence.
The awards, handed out last week, honour teachers who use technology to assist in the classroom and prepare students to succeed in today’s wired world.
Knowlton, who looks after work experience, trades and dual credit programs at Summerland Secondary School, helped create www.stopabully.ca, an online bully reporting system.
Knowlton was invited to Ottawa in the spring to speak about bullying to a Senate committee studying the issue.
There were two other winners in the Okanagan, at schools in Vernon and West Kelowna.
SCHOOL’S IN FOR SUMMER
Summer holidays were abbreviated for the 270 students who signed up for remedial education in July.
The Okanagan Skaha School District hosted a pair of two-week summer school sessions in July, one for elementary students and one for kids in middle and high school.
Principals for the respective school reported out to the school board at its Monday meeting.
A total of 173 elementary students attended from July 3-13 at Parkway Elementary, where the 13 courses on offer focused on math and reading, according to principal Kirsten Odian.
And 97 middle and high school students sat in on the July 9-20 session at KVR MIddle School, principal Jennifer Wingham reported. All middle school students in that program had to be referred by a teacher, while high school students were eligible if they received a grade of between 40 and 49 per cent in their regular course work.
LOCALS SCHOOLS GET EXTRA HELP
The Okanagan Skaha School District has divvied up $692,197 for extra classroom help in 18 schools.
B.C.’s Education Ministry is providing the cash through its Learning Improvement Fund, which was built up partly with money saved during last year’s teachers’ strike.
Queen’s Park Elementary in Penticton will receive the biggest cut, $46,700, to cover the cost of two certified education assistants working a total of 8.5 hours each day. Columbia Elementary, Giant’s Head Elementary, McNicoll Park Middle and Skaha Lake Middle Schools will each get two CEAs for a total of eight hours a day.
The allocations are based on special education needs at each school and feedback from teachers and administrators.
DISTRICT TRYING TO COOK UP GRANTS
Kitchens at local schools could be in line for upgrades through a provincial grant program.
The Okanagan Skaha School District has recommended a handful of projects receive funding through the School Community Connections program, which encourages increased community use of schools.
The recommended funding amounts are $8,000 for a kitchen renovation at Giant’s Head Elementary; $3,000 for fridges to support breakfast and lunch programs at other schools; plus $1,500 for shelving and security devices in the community kitchen at Naramata Elementary.
Each school district in B.C. is eligible for a maximum $12,500 in funding. A decision is expected by Nov. 16. The grant program was made possible by a one-time $10 million contribution from the B.C. government in 2005.