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The VSB To Lose Millions? BC Supreme Court Lowers Rent On Property Owned By The School Board
After a BC Supreme Court ruling that reduced lease payments for Kingsgate Mall, the Vancouver School Board is set to lose millions in annual rental income. The decision marks the latest development in a legal battle over the fair market valuation of the property, which has been ongoing since 2017.
EDITORIAL | “A WAKE-UP CALL”: MINOR EARTHQUAKE PROMPTS SEISMIC SAFETY CONVERSATION
Residents of the Pacific Northwest have been aware of the threat of a major earthquake — likely within the next century — for years. However, the unpredictable nature of this event has left citizens blindly preparing for a devastation that may never occur in their lifetime. Nevertheless, just after 1:30 PM on Feb. 21, a minor earthquake hit the Sunshine Coast, prompting discussion about BC’s earthquake preparedness and the effectiveness of new seismically safe schools, including Eric Hamber.
VSB Trades Program Connects High School Students to Paid Apprenticeships
Centered around facilitating the transition from the classroom to working in industry trades, the Youth Work in Trades (WRK) Program is jointly supported by the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care and SkilledTradesBC. This program is promoted by the Vancouver School Board (VSB), and connects high school students to paid apprenticeships that provide up to 16 high school credits — equivalent to four courses. Students who graduate from this program will accumulate up to 480 training hours. By finishing two types of industry training programs — the Red Seal and the BC Trades Program — SkilledTradesBC provides students with provincial-level trades credentials.
EDITORIAL | AEDs Save Lives. Why Won’t The VSB?
Tobias Zhang was in grade 9 at Point Grey Secondary when he witnessed the death of his close friend at basketball tryouts. He watched as other bystanders checked his friend’s pulse, and someone called 911. The operator instructed students to start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and to grab the nearest Automated External Defibrillator (AED). However, Vancouver schools aren't equipped with defibrillators.
Former Principal at Britannia Accused of Stealing Donations
The former principal of an elementary school in Vancouver is being sued for stealing more than $170,000 in school funds, much of which was intended to help students’ families in need.
Staff and Students Share Concerns Regarding Semester System
Many teachers and students are not in favour of the continuation of the semester system, instead favouring the linear system. The semester system is set to continue in all VSB secondary schools for the 2023-2024 school year.
The Top 10 VSB Earners of the 2021-2022 School Year
The Vancouver School Board (VSB) released their Statement of Financial Information for 2021/2022, detailing among other things, the individual remuneration of workers above $75,000. Most of the top earners made over $200,000.
BREAKING: Vancouver School Board Votes to Reinstate the SLO Program
The Vancouver School Board (VSB) voted 5-4 on Monday night to reinstate the School Liaison Officer (SLO) program, a year and a half after it was cancelled.
EDITORIAL: Bring Back the Honours Program
ABC Vancouver and its new trustees: Alfred Chien, Preeti Faridkot, Victoria Jung, Christopher Richardson, and Josh Zhang must stay true to one of their only campaign promises, and return honours programs to Vancouver schools.
BREAKING: VSB Trustees Vote to Close Queen Elizabeth Annex
The Vancouver School Board (‘VSB’) voted 6-3 on Tuesday night to close Queen Elizabeth Annex, a K-3 Early French Immersion school in Vancouver’s West Side.
“Parents Believe That This is Part of a Quid Pro Quo:” The Story of the Queen Elizabeth Annex Closure Consideration
An investigation into a school closure consideration tied to one of the largest issues across municipal and provincial politics, with significant ramifications for the 650,000 residents of British Columbia's largest city.
EDITORIAL | Thames Valley District School Board: A Case Study for the VSB
The Mayor of the Zorra Township put it well when he questioned who was in charge. Is it the people we elect to represent us, or is it the bureaucracy of the district management?
EDITORIAL| Time to Take Media Literacy Education Seriously
It’s time we take media literacy seriously, as neglecting it threatens the foundation of Canadian democracy and fails the guidance offered in the School Act.
EDITORIAL| Washrooms are a Necessity, Not to Mention a Human Right
Keeping washrooms in a perpetual inoperative state is a reactive, impractical long-term solution to callous vandalism that fails the proportionality test in the administration of fairness for all students.
Opinion | VSB, Please Do Better When it Comes to Surveys
The Vancouver School Board’s recent Multi Age Cluster Classes (“MACC”) and Budget surveys, for a lack of any better phraseology, are poorly worded.
Why Grade 8/9 Students Don’t Get Percentages
In the 2021-2022 school year, Grade 8 and 9 students have been assessed using a proficiency scale, and will be for the years to come.
EDITORIAL: Take Notes, Trustee Candidates
The Griffins’ Nest Editorial Board has compiled a list of items for trustees to take action on, in a non-partisan mandate letter from the almost 20,000 district secondary students, nearly 3,000 of whom will be eligible to vote in this year’s upcoming election.
Fact Check: When it Comes to MACC Disinformation, the Third Time Isn't the Charm. (It’s Still False).
Patterns of deceitful behaviour attempting to mislead both journalists and the public make clear that the VSB is no longer negligent in their casual relationship with the truth on the matter.
OPINION: The VSB’s revisioning of the MACC is, for lack of a better word, disastrous.
The school board’s “revisioning” of the MACC would essentially break down the program and establish a completely new one, which they plan to call Gifted Enrichment Centres (GECs).
EXCLUSIVE: Letter Sent to Hamber Families, DPAC Still Has Major Questions For Health & Education Officials
Hamber Administration sent a letter regarding who can return to school on January 4, while DPAC says they have many questions for the VSB and VCH.