URBAN FARMING
A quarter-acre landscaped market garden is in the works for Vancouver Technical secondary school at 2600 East Broadway.
The Vancouver School Board signed an agreement with an urban farming nonprofit organization called Fresh Roots to make it happen. It's the first agreement of its kind, according to the district. The garden will be designed with educational space for students to learn about agriculture and gardening through growing produce such as beets, carrots, garlic, salad greens and other vegetables. The garden will grow during the school year to create a fall and winter harvest. Fresh Roots already has a pilot garden project at Queen Alexandra elementary. A future market garden is envisioned for David Thompson secondary.
I wrote about Fresh Roots in a Courier story in January that can be found online, "Urban Farmers hope to grow in school district; Fresh Roots provides produce for school cafeterias."
OPEN HOUSE
An open house about Kitsilano secondary's seismic upgrade is scheduled between 3 and 7 p.m., June 27. The school has a main building and several additions. Like many other aging Vancouver schools, it's at high risk of damage in an earthquake. The upgrade will transform the school and grounds, but the 10th Avenue heritage façade will be preserved. Premier Christy Clark and education minister George Abbott appeared at the West Side site late last October to announce $57.8 million for the project.
Construction will meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold standards. Construction is expected to start in 2013. The open house is meant to give the local community a project update and outline what the key elements are in order to ensure the replacement building meets everyone's needs, according to school district spokesman Kurt Heinrich. The open house takes place in the school cafeteria. Kitsilano secondary school is at 2550 West 10th Ave. School board and city staff will be on hand. The project has a Twitter feed: @KitsilanoRenew.
MOVING ON
If you're wondering if your school is the only one with principal and/or vice principal administration changes happening in the next school year, it's not. There are more changes taking place than in past years, according to the VSB.
Four administrators are retiring, two are returning to teaching and 13 are going on leaves for various reasons. Board chair Patti Bacchus described staffing as a complicated chessboard, where one move can trigger several others. For example, the retirement of Vancouver Technical secondary principal resulted in administrative changes at four of the district's 18 high schools, according to a brief on the issue from deputy superintendent Jordan Tinney.
Five small elementary schools also had vice principals reporting to another school, but those schools had principal positions restored, meaning jobs had to be reposted. Administrators sometimes ask to be moved for personal or career reasons or the district feels they'd be a better fit elsewhere.
[email protected] Twitter: @Naoibh
