Sir Sandford Fleming seismic
Sir Sandford Fleming elementary school is to be seismically upgraded. The community will learn April 15 the VSB’s preferred approach for the upgrade. The three options are typically a retrofit, a partial or a total replacement. Staff from the VSB, Acton Ostry Architects and representatives from the city will attend to answer questions and receive feedback. The open house will run from 3 to 7 p.m. at Fleming, 1401 East 49th Ave.
Begbie seismic
The VSB endorsed plans to replace the seismically unsafe Begbie elementary April 7. Replacing the school near East First Avenue and Rupert is less expensive than a retrofit or partial replacement at $16.1 million. Student bathrooms at the three-storey school are in the basement and the school isn’t accessible to people with mobility challenges. The new school is to be built to accommodate 145 fewer students than the old school based on long-term enrolment projections for Begbie, the surrounding schools and the city’s area plan for Hastings-Sunrise, according to a VSB staff memo. An additional area of 15 per cent could be requested, for example to accommodate a new out-of-school care program. Students will remain in the old school until the new school opens. If the Ministry of Education approves funding this summer, the VSB would hope to start construction in fall 2015 and see the replacement completed in summer 2017.
Exceptional students
Two Vancouver secondary students have been chosen from more than 1,400 applicants to participate in an all-expenses paid Millennium Youth Camp at the University of Helsinki in June. Jasper Chapman-Black, who attends Eric Hamber’s Challenge Academy, and Chia-Jou Lee, who’s in the International Baccalaureate program at Winston Churchill, will be two of 60 high school students from around the world flying to Finland. Technology Academy Finland, an independent foundation, organizes the camp to encourage youth who are interested in math and sciences.
Catchment consultations
The Vancouver School Board is reviewing enrolment patterns and catchment areas for northeast Vancouver. Elementary schools that could be affected:
- Begbie
- Britannia
- Garibaldi
- Grandview
- Hastings
- A.R. Lord
- Macdonald
- Lord Nelson
- Laura Secord
- Queen Victoria
Secondary schools that could be affected:
- Britannia
- Templeton
The board says it aims to align school boundaries with the choices parents are already making. Any changes resulting from the review would not affect families with children already enrolled at a school.
Extracurricural cash
Parent advisory councils and district parent advisory councils have until June 30 to apply for community gaming grants to support kindergarten to Grade 12 students. For more information, see gaming.gov.bc.ca.
