September 1, 2017
Welcome Back to School!
This has been a summer to remember for many of us -- not only was the weather spectacular, but we were treated to a rare celestial event in August -- a solar eclipse. Our view here on the peninsula was one of the best in Canada with the moon covering a full 90% of the visible sun. If you were fortunate to view it safely it was pretty spectacular.
I feel a similar level of excitement as I begin my first year here in Saanich. As I settle into my new role as Superintendent, I am continuing to discover the incredibly rich variety of learning opportunities for our students. We have some of the most creative and engaging classes, courses, programs and academies anywhere in the province. I am extremely proud to be a part of such an innovative and welcoming school district.
This has been another busy summer for our staff. Support staff from our schools and district office have done their usual stellar job of ensuring that our schools are polished, renovated and ready to receive our students, teachers and administrators. I want to thank all of them for their outstanding work over the past couple of months.
As a result of the restoration of some collective agreement language you can anticipate a few additional changes this
year in our district, including:
• the transformation of a number of existing spaces in many of our schools into new classrooms. Our Facilities and
IT Departments have worked incredibly hard to provide both additional and modernized classrooms;
• the addition of new portables to North Saanich Middle, Claremont Secondary and Prospect Lake Elementary
schools; and,
• the hiring of new teachers which has resulted in more divisions in some of our elementary and middle schools,
and increased course sections in our secondary schools.
A top priority for me as I settle into my new role this year is ensuring that I find my way into our schools as often as possible to see the amazing work being done by our students, teachers, support staff and administrators. Working with our parent community, the W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations, and our many other community partners is an important part of our success in Saanich and one that I will put significant importance on as the year unfolds.
Welcome back everyone! It’s going to be a great year -- I can hardly wait to get started.
Dave Eberwein
Superintendent of Schools