SD73 board chair says 2020 was successful, all things considered

Photo: SD73

Top row, from left: Meghan S. Wade, John O'Fee, Heather Grieve, Joe Small and Diane Jules. Bottom row, from left: Cara McKelvey, Rhonda Kershaw, Kathleen Karpuk and Shelley Sim.

The COVID-19 pandemic was hands down the biggest challenge for the Kamloops-Thompson School District, according to board chair Rhonda Kershaw.

But it was also SD73's biggest success, she tells Castanet.

"We rose to the challenge. It was a chaotic year but we still did a lot of really good things," Kershaw says, giving credit to the dedication and perseverance of the school community.

She recalls when B.C. closed down K-12 schools in mid-March at the start of the pandemic.

"Our staff and students had to pivot instantly, start to deliver remote learning online. ... We had teachers who maybe never turned on a computer, Zooming with students, and students that had never Zoomed before, participating in class," Kershaw says. "Then in June, we went back to part-time instruction and then we came back in September under all new guidelines with new safety protocols."

For grad ceremonies, staff and parents got creative, to ensure students had a proper send-off.

"We had video cameras that came into every school and every student was able to cross the stage and receive their diploma with their family watching, and those were then put together into videos for every student to have as a lasting memory."

In Barriere, they held a socially distanced parade.

Kershaw notes SD73 has had good attendance. In September, over 95 per cent of students across the district returned to classrooms. 

"That spoke to the level of comfort that parents and students felt coming back into the school," she says. "I think I would have to say it's been a successful year. We have had a very small number of exposures in our district and we've had no transmission within the district, which is very positive. The protocols are working."

There have been just three school exposure events in SD73; one was in early November at NorKam Senior Secondary, followed by another at Westsyde Secondary School (those have since ended). The most recent exposure was at Kamloops School of the Arts.

"We haven’t had extended absenteeism. There’s always a little bit of a bump in the absenteeism after a school exposure event, but kids are coming back, which tells us they’re feeling safe and they want to be there," Kershaw explains.

A highlight of 2020 has been seeing the $34.5 million Valleyview Secondary School expansion project "come to life." Kershaw says the 525-seat addition is on budget and on schedule to open in September 2022.

One thing SD73 is looking forward to in mid-2021 is welcoming a new superintendent. At the helm now is interim Supt. Terry Sullivan. Sullivan took over after Alison Sidow retired in August.