Notes from the desk of John Lewis, Superintendent of Schools
"Through the Looking Jar"—one of the 27 entries in our "Picture This: Outdoor School" contest
Voting is now open for you to choose your favourites in our “Picture This: Outdoor School” photo contest. The contest, which celebrates the beauty and uniqueness of our outdoor, experiential learning centre, is open for the week of February 17 – 24th. Take this link to admire all the entries we received, and let us know your favourites.
by Dawn Green
The new North Shore Credit Union Environmental Learning Centre, currently under construction at the North Vancouver Outdoor School (NVOS) inParadiseValley, has won a prestigious award of merit for sustainable design.
McFarland Marceau Architects Ltd., a Vancouver-based firm that specializes in sustainable design, won the award last month during the 2011 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence. The Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence have been running since 1968. In making their award selection, the jurors considered geographical and social context, and evaluated physical organization, materials and environmental features of the short-listed projects.
Slated to be completed by April this year, the $5.8 million Environmental Learning Centre reflects the environmental principles adopted by NVOS. The 840-square-metre building, with its raised floor and forest setting, follows a “tree house” concept and is situated above the floodplain, elevating visitors to the forest canopy. The facility, which will replace existing infrastructure at the school, features an exhibition space, dining hall, commercial kitchen, learning spaces and administrative offices.
According to architect John Hemsworth, the Environmental Learning Centre will use 65 per cent less energy and 30 per cent less water than a comparable-sized building. Employing strategies such as geothermal water heating, a stormwater harvesting system, and the recycling of heat generated by the kitchen, Hemsworth said the centre is a thoughtful addition to the delicate ecosystem of the area. Few trees were removed for the project, he noted, adding that a priority is to reduce the impact from construction activities and to recycle construction waste.
The centre is seeking to attain LEED Platinum status (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), explained Hemsworth, adding that the architectural award of merit is recognition of the amount of creativity and work that goes into these types of projects.
“We are inspired by North Vancouver Outdoor School in general — for projects like this we like to embrace what’s happening here and hopefully enhance it,” he said. “We didn’t have to look far for inspiration and we hope to bring the Outdoor School into the future with a sustainable nature and design.”
Victor Elderton, principal of NVOS, says that one of the best elements of the Environmental Learning Centre will lie in the manner in which it operates. Most of the environmentally-sustainable systems will be working in the background and people won’t necessarily recognize how effective they are, Elderton said. “For example, every time my heart beats or my lungs work, I don’t think about how marvellous they are and in some ways I think that is how the building will work.
“But I tell you when you are up in the air and you are looking out at waterfowl on the canoe pond, or looking into 200-year-old cedars from the learning classroom… and you are surrounded by reclaimed wood that is the ceiling… the whole building is going to speak to you about what its major purpose is.”
That purpose, he continued, “is in becoming a physical icon of not only a local, but a regional, national and international centre of environmental leadership and learning.”
http://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/whistler/architectural-excellence-awarded/Content?oid=2282066
Our very successful Digital Media Academy at Argyle School featured a day for our students at Electronic Arts Sports (EA Sports) at their Burnaby Campus on January 23. Through the leadership of teacher, Murray Bulger, and as a result of our partnership with EA Sports, our students were hosted for a day in the Motion Capture Lab. Garth Phillips reports on behalf of the class.
The Argyle Digital Media trip to EA Sports inBurnabywas one of the greatest experiences of all my school years. To start with, it’s an offer you don’t often get; EA Sports inviting in a group of high school students to use their motion capture facility for a day.
It was a greatly generous move on their part. The staff were helpful and informative while they showed us how to use the equipment, and provided assistance whenever we needed it. Even though we ran into some technical difficulties with the suit, solving the problem was a fun experience in and of itself.
The day was a success in all senses of the word, being that we got all the shots done that we needed and even had time for some extras, and we became quite familiar with the system. Even the food was great! This experience provided for us yet another taste of what the industry is actually like. It was a great day, and I look forward to getting the motion capture data we created for us in our video games and animations!
Digital Media Academy at the MoCap Lab in EA Sports
courtesy of Garth Phillips, DMA class member.
February 5-11 2012 is officially recognized in British Columbia and the Yukon as French Immersion Celebration Week.
In BC the French Immersion program has been offered for over 30 years and enrolment in the program has continued to grow each year. According to the 2011 Pan-Canadian Report on Official Languages in Education, BC experienced a 44% increase in French Immersion programs between 1998 and 2008; total numbers of French Immersion students rose from 29,432 to 42,464 in just 10 years. Today over 238, 000 students are enrolled in French Second Language programs, including Core French and French Immersion.
In the North Vancouver School District, French Immersion continues to be a very popular program of choice for families. There are currently close to 2400 students enrolled in French Immersion programs from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
During this week of celebration, I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the achievements and dedication of French Immersion students, teachers, and their parents, particularly the members of Canadian Parents for French (CPF), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing French language educational and socio-cultural initiatives and events. Bravo à tous!
Thanks to the efforts of educators and parents in our school district, students in our school district are able to participate in a number of enriching French language and cultural experiences, including the following upcoming events: Concours d’art oratoire (French Public Speaking Contest http://www.cpf.bc.ca/site3/index.php/events/concours-dart-oratoire April 5th at the LMCC; Le français pour l’avenir (French for the Future) http://www.francais-avenir.org/en/ April 24th at Simon Fraser University; and the school district’s Québec trip to Auberge du mont May 6-12, 2012.
For more information and a list of French Immersion Celebration Week activities please consult the CPF BC/Yukon website: http://www.cpf.bc.ca/site3/index.php/events/french-celebration-week
This Thursday February 9 is Canadian National “Sweater Day,” which is a fun way to raise awareness regarding climate change. We can do even the smallest of things like wearing a sweater and turning down the heat a degree or so to significantly reduce our impact on the environment.
North Vancouver School District has issued a CHALLENGE out to all staff and students to join in the fun. The schools with the highest percentage of participants will be eligible to win prizes.
PLEASE SEND YOUR CHILD(REN) TO SCHOOL WITH A WARM SWEATER this Thursday.
Learn more about this Canada wide event here: http://sweaterday.ca/ There are some fun videos to watch with your family!
The total number of North Vancouver School District students graduating with a Dogwood, School Completion ‘Evergreen’ Certificate and Adult Graduation Diploma reported by the Ministry of Education for 2010/2011 is 1471.
Of this total, 1440 students received their ‘Dogwoods’, while 27 students received School Completion Certificates, and 4 received an Adult Dogwood.
A total of 1242 students graduated through our secondary schools with another 229 achieving graduation through Continuing Education, Distributed Learning and Alternate Programs. Distributed Learning program experienced significant growth by recording 137 graduates.
In order for a student to achieve Honours Standing, the student must have a Grade Point Average (GPA) higher than 3.0 (a better than B average). Nearly 50% (49.6%) of our secondary students and 22.5% of our Continuing Education and Alternate Program students graduated with Honours Standing in 2010/2011.
Handsworth Secondary School students (281 Graduates) achieved the highest percentage of graduates with Honours Standing at 65.4%. (2010/2011 is 65.4%).
We are proud of each and every one of our 1471 Graduates for 2010/11!
Art by Sutherland students on display at the Lonsdale Quay
During the month of February, visitors to the Lonsdale Quay have an opportunity to see some of the artistic talents of students of Sutherland Secondary on display. The next time you’re down at the market, take a moment to stroll by this temporary gallery space and see what some very creative students have been up to this year!
Canyon Heights has created a school culture enriched by healthy living in which school spirit runs high. By taking advantage of the services offered by Action Schools! BC and the many organizations that support school health in the province, Canyon Heights Elementary is excelling at integrating healthy living into the fabric of their school community in unique and creative ways.
Congratulations to the Canyon Heights community!
The Windsor Hockey Skills Academy looked beyond their own needs and decided to contribute to the less fortunate families here on the North Shore. Prior to Christmas, each of the 75 players brought a non-perishable food item to the foyer of Canlan Ice Sports in North Vancouver before heading onto the ice for their scrimmage session.
A total of 180 kilos of food were dropped off for the Food Bank. Everyone was pleased with the efforts on the part of these student athletes. Not only are they dedicated hockey enthusiasts, they are good citizens, and that’s a combination that you just can’t beat!
courtesy of Cam Kerr
Windsor Hockey Skills Academy
Nature is complex but it may be more complex than we can even understand
Along the Cheakamus River where Outdoor School is located, the numbers of birds during the eagle count have been as high as 800. This year’s count was one tenth of that – 81. We know that Bald Eagles, a type of fish eagle, depend on late run Chum salmon for winter-feeding. In the past five years we also know that the numbers of large chum salmon have declined in the Cheakamus/Squamish rivershed as well as throughout coastal river systems from Alaska to Oregon. We also know in the last 5 years Russian and Japanese fishing fleets have targeted Chum in a lucrative salmon roe fishery. Combined with these larger outside influences there are recent local factors as well that have influenced Chum, the most significant being the 2003 flood and 2005 CN chemical spill. However in recent years other Cheakamus species have faired well; Coho were ten times more abundant in 2010 than the average and Pink Salmon numbers this year were close to 300 000, a dramatic increase from only a few thousand in the 1980s.
Obviously something is affecting Chum specifically and resulting in the reduction of wintering Bald Eagles on the Cheakamus and Squamish Rivers. Like the “canary in the mine shaft” Bald Eagles abundance is a clear indicator that something has recently changed. Bald Eagles are survivors, and will seek out winter salmon wherever that food can be found.
Bald Eagles, Chum salmon and human interaction is just one aspect of experiential environmental Outdoor School programming that will be further enhanced through the North Shore Credit Union – Environmental Learning Centre due to open this April. These new facilities along with enhanced programming, built on our Outdoor School successes over the past 40+ years will take full advantage of the school’s full potential as a centre for environmental leadership and learning.
report courtesy of Victor Elderton
