School districts are reminded of two funding opportunities with application deadlines of February 1: Health Career Experiential Learning Opportunities for Grades 6-9 and the Work Experience Enhancement.
Friday January 26, 2024
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care
Hi everyone,
In addition to the Special DM Bulletin earlier today, below are several resources including updated and translated SOGI myth-busting materials; information on the Child Care Operating Funding Launch and Extended Hours for the Call Centre; and a request for your 2024-25 Enrolment Estimate Collection. Thanks also to everyone who attended the High Performing Systems of Tomorrow discussions. Some of these discussions will continue at the All Superintendents Meeting in February. I look forward to talking to everyone Monday morning about the technology in schools announcement in today’s Special DM Bulletin.
Have a great weekend,
Christina Zacharuk
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care
For Action
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Mental Health in Schools Action Plan Questionnaire – due Feb 2
School districts are required to complete the Mental Health in Schools Action Plan Questionnaire by February 2 as part of the Mental Health in School Grant funding. Please contact AWIS at support@awinfosys.com or 1-866-558-5339 if you’re having trouble accessing the questionnaire. Any other questions can be directed to the Mental Health and Substance Use Branch at EDUC.MentalHealth@gov.bc.ca.
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Annual Facility Maintenance Data – due Feb 5
School districts contacted by VFA Canada Corp to provide facility maintenance data are reminded they have until February 5 to submit it to VFA. This data will assist the ministry in maintaining accurate information about the condition and maintenance requirements of school district facility assets between physical building assessments. Please contact Nathan Whipp at capitalmanagementbranch@gov.bc.ca with any questions.
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Enrolment Estimate Collection – due Feb 15
School districts are required to enter their enrolment estimates for the 2024/25, 2025/26, and 2026/27 school years on this form and submit it to the ministry before February 15. Further information and instructions are provided in this Enrolment Estimates for 2024/25 document. Please contact Michael.Lebrun@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.
For Information
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Federal Government Announces Intake Cap on International Study Permits
On January 22, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced an intake cap on international student permit applications for a period of two years. K–12, graduate, and post-graduate study permits are excluded from the cap, and study permit renewals will also not be impacted. Ministry staff are working with partner ministries and federal government colleagues to support implementation and to promote timely communications with districts. More information will be shared as it becomes available.
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SOGI Non-Truths and Truths
There is a lot of misinformation and disinformation about SOGI-inclusive education. With that in mind, the ministry has created a new resource to help parents understand the non-truths and truths when it comes to SOGI in B.C. schools. Visit the Resources section of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) web page for a copy of this document, which is available in multiple languages.
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TRAX Data Submission Guide: French Immersion Program Reporting
A French Immersion Program Reporting Guide is now available to support school TRAX data submissions. Please review this guide to ensure French Immersion students seeking to earn both a B.C. Certificate of Graduation and a Diplôme de fin d’études secondaires en Colombie-Britannique are on track with their course enrolments.
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Child Care Operating Funding Launch and Extended Hours for Call Centre
All child care providers can now apply to renew their Child Care Operating Funding agreements for 2024/25 and can also opt in to the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative and Early Childhood Educator Wage Enhancement. Child care providers are encouraged to thoroughly review and familiarize themselves with the Funding Guidelines before applying, as there are important changes to the program that will come into effect on April 1, 2024. Before submitting a renewal application, child care providers should review their service details in Schedule A of the current 2023/24 Funding Agreement and advise the program of any changes to avoid application delays. In addition, the Contact Centre is now offering extended service hours every Thursday until 7:00 pm. New hours of operation are Monday-Wednesday, Friday 8:30 am-4:30 pm, and Thursday 8:30 am-7:00 pm. For further information, please visit the Child Care Operating Funding web page.
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Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education Course
Registration is open for the next free course offering for Reconciliation through Indigenous Education, a 6-week Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) offered by the University of British Columbia. The course begins on January 30, 2024. Register today to guarantee your spot.
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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, a summary of an outcome was posted about a teacher whose certificate was suspended for two weeks. The outcome has been anonymized to protect the identity of students who were harmed, abused, or exploited by the teacher.
