Brooks Secondary School is embarking on its biggest community consultation process in years as the school proposes to radically change its structure and timetable.
If Brooks decides to go ahead with the idea after its consultation process, blocks in students’ timetables will open up for more choice and flexibility in the school day, and allow the school to offer classes on subjects that otherwise would be unavailable because of low enrolment.
“It’s a transformational moment,” said Brooks teacher Lisa Gunn.
Gunn said the change could take two or three years for some teachers, students and parents to fully understand.
The proposed timetable structure is a new way of delivering the province-wide curriculum mandated by the BC Ministry of Education.
The first change to the curriculum will be in September for kindergarten to grade nine. The change will be made for grade 10 to 12 in September 2017.
The Brooks timetable is based on a model that other schools in the province have already implemented, according to Brooks principal Jamie Burt.
“It will help us better implement the new curriculum while offering a lot more flexibility and course choice for our students,” said Burt.
Brooks is still in consultation to develop the new timetable. To date, there have been discussions with School District 47, groups of parents and its students.
Brooks is preparing to broaden the scope of its presentation and feedback process by fully engaging the Powell River community, said Burt.
An information session, open to parents, students and anyone else interested in public education will be held at Max Cameron Theatre on Thursday, March 31 at 7 pm.
“It’s really been in the last two weeks that we’ve been blitzing the classes with more detailed information,” said Burt. “Some kids have a better understanding right now of what we’re proposing. There are still some gaps that some kids have as far as what it means.”
Brooks staff has been working on the restructuring since November and staff discussions on a new timetable go back seven or eight years.
Students were recently presented with the new structure and most were in favour.
“Everyone had a vote on it and it was a good idea for most people, so they made the right choice,” said grade nine student Mackenzie Guild.
Another grade nine student, Sydney Ford, agreed most students in her grade are positive about the proposed changes.
“Most people are liking the choices, like freedom,” said Ford. “I think you’re going to get more homework, myself, because you don’t have class time to do it.”
Guild said the proposed restructuring may allow some students to accelerate their studies.
“It’s opening up an opportunity to fill one of those blocks with an extra course,” said Guild, “so maybe graduating a year early is possible, like more of an achievement.”
For more information, go to sd47.bc.ca/school/brooks/Pages/default.aspx.
