Students on language exchange
Over the summer a group of 20 students from China visited Powell River in a language exchange organized by the BC ministry of education in partnership with Westwind Learning Center. The students arrived for a nine-day adventure with various outdoor activities like horseback riding, hiking and canoeing. They lived with homestay families and attended language classes as well as cultural activities. The students went on to complete their program with five days in Toronto and Montreal.
One student from Brooks Secondary School travelled to China as part of the group of more than 50 Canadian students who were chosen from around the country to participate in the exchange.
Scholarships
Twenty-four Brooks students who graduated in June received provincial scholarships. The $1,000- and $2,000-scholarships are awarded to students who receive high scores on their provincial examinations.
Schools receive fresh paint
Over the summer break School District 47 painters were busy working on the district’s goal of having all schools repainted. Painters completed the outside of James Thomson Elementary School and at Kelly Creek Community School they finished painting the interior. The project will wrap up when the outside of Kelly Creek and parts of Henderson Elementary schools are finished.
Playground upgrades
School district maintenance crews finished painting the playground equipment at École Côte du Soleil, James Thomson and Edgehill elementary schools in time for the new school year. In June the provincial government gave the school district funding to repair and replace playground equipment at these schools. Principal Jasmin Marshman of James Thomson said the school will be making a decision about purchasing new playground equipment at the next Parent Advisory Council (PAC) meeting on Tuesday, October 2.
Haywire Bay Wilderness Camp
Although the road to Haywire Bay has been closed over the last few weeks, school district work crews have been travelling to the wilderness camp worksite by boat from Mowat Bay as the final touches are put on the project.
The wilderness camp will be ready for full use by the end of October. Steve Hopkins, secretary treasurer for the district, made a report at the September 18 Powell River Board of Education meeting and said that he hoped the wilderness camp could be open for limited use by mid-October. Construction on the main hall is almost complete as builders finish the bathrooms, flooring and window trims. Only the kitchen, landscaping and the last few cabins remain for project completion.
