Hi everyone
Here we are passed the halfway mark in September! I hope you all are settling into your courses, connecting with your teachers and getting into the routines of learning! Great to see so many new families joining us this year, as well as all those returning, I look forward to connecting with you and journeying with you with education!
This is the second newsletter for the school year, you can access all the announcements on in your homeroom on EBUS dashboard or at https://ebus.ca/category/10-12-homeroom/
Please note currently we have a higher than normal number of new students interested in EBUS this year and are doing our best to process new applications. I am prioritizing my time for bringing in new students and getting them into courses along with requesting any missing courses for current students, so I appreciate your patience as my days are filled with phone calls and course additions. Once school start up is complete and all fulltime students are in courses, I will email you each a credit check detailing your progress in the graduation program, starting with grade 12s, then 11s and 10s to ensure our students planning to graduate this school year are all set with required courses.
REQUESTING COURSE CHANGES
For full time students wanting to change courses, please use the “drop course” button on your dashboard and email me your new request. Be sure to put the full student name and the specific course you are requesting, like English New Media 10. Courses will only be added if the student is dropping one or is substantially complete in a current course. I appreciate your patience as I work through the new applications, phone calls and emails. At this busy time in the year it can take me up to 3 school days for me to respond.
PHONE APPOINTMENTS
For students and families looking to connect with me by phone we are using a booking system that is well received by our families. Please use https://tinyurl.com/yyrbnz7p to book, and select the appropriate amount of time you need. Discussing course changes and academic advising can usually use a 10 or 20 minute appointment.
COURSE REMINDERS
This year it is essential students get started in all the courses on your dashboard given the volume of new students we are welcoming this year. Note that students who have not submitted any work within 4 weeks of adding a course risk being withdrawn and not getting that course for an extended period of time. If you need help with something, reach out to teacher right away, or if you need to make a course change, let me know. We want to support as many learners as we can this year, so please make sure we know what we can do for you. As a guideline students working in 3-4 courses should be scheduling 25 hours each week for learning time.
GRAD PROGRAM CHANGE
In March 2022 the Ministry of Education announced a change to the 2018 graduation program. Any student graduating AFTER JUNE 2023 will be required to complete 1 Indigenous Focus 4 credit course. EBUS offers 2 courses that meet this requirement, BC First Peoples 12 (which can count as your Social Studies 11/12 grad requirement also) and English First Peoples 12 (which can count as your Language Arts 12 grad requirement too). For more information on this requirement check here
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES
- Sept 19 Stat holiday for Queen Elizabeth II funeral – EBUS staff unavailable, courses open to students
- Sept 23 District Planning Day – EBUS staff unavailable, courses open to students
- Sept 30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – EBUS staff unavailable, courses open to students
- Oct 10 Thanksgiving – EBUS closed, courses open
- Oct 13 Grades 10-12 assembly 11AM (link to come)
- Oct 21 Professional Development Day – EBUS staff unavailable, courses open
- Nov 10 Remembrance Day assembly 10:30M (link to come)
- Nov 10 end of Term 1 guarantee date
- Nov 11 Remembrance Day – EBUS closed, courses open to students
- Nov 25 Report cards available
- Nov 25 Pro D – teachers unavailable, courses open to students
You can find the full year school calendar at
PARENT ACCESS
Parents, you can access your student’s progress and report cards on the EBUS parent portal: https://ebus.ca/information-for-parents/ Students, you can access your report cards from your dashboard looking for the A+ icon in the upper righthand corner. Report cards are published 5 times a year; November, January, March, June and for summer session, September.
Have a great September, the next newsletter will be Friday Oct 7.