Programs News

Raised in Pakistan, Surayya Jan lost her mother to cancer when she was just nine years old. Two years later, she survived an awful earthquake that devastated parts of Pakistan and collapsed the apartment building her family was living in. Shortly after the quake, she moved  to Canada to live with her aunt, but continued to be haunted by the stress of the past. In her new home in Vancouver, Jan continued to struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Vancouver School Board is looking at joining forces with the federal government’s Sector Council to create a unique series of partnerships aimed at creating a wide range of enhanced programs and experiential learning opportunities that will develop skills, expand career awareness and facilitate informed decision-making for the district’s students.

Innovative research from Vancouver’s Miranda Wang and Jeanny Yao, Grade 12 students at Magee Secondary, may help solve the problem of dealing with household and industrial plastic waste. Their research won them first prize in the regional Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada competition. Their work identified soil bacteria from the Fraser River estuary that can naturally break down phthalates, a fossil fuel-based additive found in some plastics.

Eleven years ago, a group of at-risk teens were encouraged to chart a new path for themselves, inside the classroom, in the great outdoors and within their own lives. For these 22 students, roadblocks such as addiction, abuse, criminal activity and depression were obscuring their outlooks on life. But a new program called ‘Take A Hike’ aimed to provide both purpose and positive encouragement. Today, it continues to motivate dozens of at-risk students each year.

When Gary Xia and his team of U-Hill debaters walked into St. Georges School in December of last year for their second debate tournament of the season, they were taken aback by the posh interior of the school. Everyone was served cupcakes and juice and their opponents were decked out in spiffy matching team uniforms. It was an intimidating sight.

This year, General Gordon Elementary’s own “Tomato Heads” took first prize in the City Destination ImagiNation Championship. The team was composed of Grade 5 and 6 students including Sydney Young, Zaid Stuart-Khafaji, Saige MacKenzie, Mia Chapman, Savannah Sears, Micah Pavlidis and Roman Johnson. The Tomato Heads were awarded the number one spot ahead of 100 other teams from as far away as Whistler.

Over the past three months, artist Susanne McCallum has been paying regular visits to the classrooms of Champlain Heights Elementary as the school’s Artist-in-Residence. McCallum’s program “Brush Strokes with Susan” integrates First Nations storytelling and themes into artwork. The program also teaches students about First Nations-themed life-skills like cooking bannock and baking muffins and other goodies.

Staff from the VSB Planning and Facilities Department, the City of Vancouver and project architects will be at the Gym of l'Ecole Bilingue Elementary on Thursday March 29 from 3 to 7 PM to speak with the public about the school's seismic renewal process. 

As the rain patters down outside Windermere Secondary, one classroom is bursting with energy as its students meticulously work to craft small “sushi” candles. Every five minutes, a small cluster of teens will burst into spontaneous song. A sort of impromptu “whistle while you work” for some of the district’s more artistically driven students.