DM Bulletin – January 24, 2025 – Deputy Minister's Bulletin

Friday January 24, 2025

**Kaye Krishna**
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care

Happy Friday! I had the privilege to join Minister Beare and a number of ECC staff this week on building relationships and continuing dialogue with First Nations related to child care and K-12, as part of the BC Cabinet and First Nations Leadership Gathering, held in Vancouver Jan 21 and 22. Minister Beare, myself, Associate Deputy Minister Jennifer McCrea, Assistant Deputy Minister Patti Boyle, Executive Lead Emily Arthur, Superintendent of Indigenous Education Brad Baker, Associate Superintendent of Indigenous Education Leona Prince and additional ECC staff met with 42 First Nations, to discuss their unique needs and ideas around both child care and school-aged learning. Brad and Leona may be following up with you about items discussed in some of those meetings over the next few weeks.

This week’s Bulletin includes the forms and instructions you will need to prepare and submit your proposed district calendar for next year. You will also find a link to the new Informal Learning Updates Reporting Guide that has just been released, as well as information on Real Acts of Caring Week and international assessments (PIRLS and PISA) that some of your districts will be participating in this spring is also included below.

As always, I welcome your feedback on what information you find helpful and how we might improve our communications with you to do even better

Enjoy your weekend.

Kaye

For Action

2025/26 School Calendar Materials and Instructions Now Available

For Action

Published Friday January 24 2025

2025/26 School Calendar Materials and Instructions Now Available

The school calendar forms for the 2025/26 submission cycle are now ready.

There are two school calendar forms: the School Calendar Form – General and the School Calendar Form – Online Learning. In accordance with the School Act, boards must make their proposed calendars public by February 28, 2025, and submit their calendars to the ministry by March 31, 2025.

You can access the school calendar forms and instructions on how to complete them via the web-based portal, where school district staff are also able to upload their completed school calendar forms to the ministry.

To ensure your school district meets the March 31, 2025, submission deadline, please share this information with school district staff, including your district’s calendar coordinator.

As outlined in the School Calendar Regulation, boards are required to offer the following hours of instruction in the 2025-26 and subsequent school years: 853 hours for Kindergarten, 878 hours for Grades 1 to 7, and 952 hours for Grades 8 to 12. For your reference, the School Calendar Regulation is available on the BC Laws website.

For any questions about the school calendar submission process, please contact Tracie Carlson, Legislative Coordinator, at the Governance and Legislation Branch at (250) 387-8037 or educ.schoolcalendars@gov.bc.ca.

Principals & Vice Principals|Secretary-Treasurers
Analytics Engagement and Information Sharing Session

For Action

Published Friday January 24 2025

Analytics Engagement and Information Sharing Session

Please join us January 30 at 3:10 pm PST for the fourth Analytics Engagement and Information Sharing Session of the 2024/25 school year for an overview of the Mental Health Power BI report. See the poster for more information and the registration link. Please contact EDUC.ReportingUnit@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.

The recording for this session will be available on the BC K-12 Education Data Portal, under the Communications tab.

Directors of Human Resources|District SOGI Leads|Inclusive Education Leads|Indigenous Education Leads|Mental Health Leads

For Information

New Informal Learning Updates Reporting Guide

For Information

Published Friday January 24 2025

New Informal Learning Updates Reporting Guide

The Ministry has released a new Informal Learning Updates Reporting Guide to support the K-12 Student Reporting Policy. As part of the Student Reporting Policy, parents should receive at least two Informal Learning Updates during the school year. This guide provides additional clarification about the content and format of Informal Learning Updates and answers several frequently asked questions. Additional K-12 Student Reporting resources are also available on the Information for Educators and School Leaders web page.

Directors of Instruction|Online Learning Principals and Vice-Principals|Principals & Vice Principals
EDX 1701 Data Collection Functionality Available

For Information

Published Friday January 24 2025

EDX 1701 Data Collection Functionality Available

The new Student Level Data collection function (1701) is now available in the Education Data Exchange (EDX). The first collection through EDX starts February 7. Visit the EDX Info Hub for more information about training resources and key collection dates.

Principals & Vice Principals|Secretary-Treasurers
Real Acts of Caring Week – February 9-15

For Information

Published Friday January 24 2025

Real Acts of Caring Week – February 9-15

Real Acts of Caring (RAC) Week is February 9-15, 2025 – this year’s focus is Mental Health and the Environment. RAC is about doing something kind for others without expecting anything in return. RAC is celebrating 20 years of spreading kindness and caring and would like to invite you to consider joining this year’s efforts, with your students, in planning intentional acts of caring within your community. The hope is that by doing this during RAC week, it will become a regular part of students’ lives, resulting in positive mental health boosts through empathy and compassion. Please share your RAC Week on the RAC homepage under ‘Share RAC’ or by email at hchang@sd43.bc.ca.

Mental Health Leads
International Assessments in 2025

For Information

Published Friday January 24 2025

International Assessments in 2025

Students in BC will participate in two international assessments this school year: the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) Field Test, to be administered to Grade 4 students between March 10 and April 17, 2025 and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), to be administered to 15-year-old students between April 21 and May 30, 2025. Details regarding these assessments have been shared with the superintendents and principals of the selected schools. Please email NatIntQuestions@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.

Directors of Instruction|Principals & Vice Principals
Discipline Outcomes

For Information

Published Friday January 24 2025

Discipline Outcomes

Discipline outcomes are posted to enhance the transparency of the processes and decisions made with respect to complaints and reports about educators. Recently, outcomes were posted regarding Alexandra Clare McLean, whose certificate was suspended for two days, and Renee Dawn MacCormack, whose certificate was suspended for five days.

Directors of Human Resources|Principals & Vice Principals|Secretary-Treasurers

All school district reporting requirements are available in the online reporting calendar. The following reporting requirements are due to the ministry in the next few weeks:

February 28