Ops Talks Fall 2022

Covering all aspects of educational facilities and operations.

Talk

Fall 2022

EFMABC 2022 Conference recap

Two schools constructed on one lot in Sooke School District

Ralph Bell Elementary School re-opens in Kamloops

Reliable

Effective

Efficient

BC Interior’s Building Automation & Controls Leader

Featured Project

BX Elementary School

School District #22

Building Automation

Kimco installed Delta Controls’ DDC system at BX Elementary. The system manages building access with a fob reader at the front door, controls the building’s lighting, manages the school’s HVAC system, and much more!

About Kimco

Kimco serves BC’s Interior and Kootenay regions, integrating all building systems: automation, HVAC, and electrical. Our head office is located in Kelowna, with offices in Penticton & Cranbrook. Integration is a core strength, and with many of our crew being dual-trade certified, Kimco can recommend, install, and maintain your building’s equipment in a highly efficient manner.

Reduced Carbon Footprint

The building automation of a 13classroom addition to BX Elementary increased efficiencies, saved on energy costs, and reduced the school’s carbon footprint.

What would you like to achieve? Explore how Kimco can help: 250-491-2282 | kimcocontrols.ca

The new EX SERIES High Efficiency Condensing Boiler can help you do just that. Floor mounted with an intuitive touchscreen control, remote access, 97.9% thermal efficiency, multi-boiler communication, 10:1 turndown, BACnet enabled and unrivaled safety features. Your installation can’t get any easier.

Message from EFMA President 8 2022-2023 EFMA Executive Members 10

Happy Retirement 2021-2022 12

Message from the Minsiter of Education and Child Care ...........................14

EFMABC 2022 Conference in Review 17

EFMABC member profile – Tyson Sauser 20 EFMABC member profile – Romeo Mihailov 22

Successful washroom design 24

Double the learning – Two new schools constructed on one site in Sooke School District...................................................................... 26

School District No. 73 re-opens Ralph Bell School 28

Ally Emergency Management: Let us help you reach your goals 30

Risk management and your job 32

Safe, sanitized schools achievable with innovative technology 34

Meaningful work creates independence 38

New floors in a flash for Rogers Elementary School 39 Relationships – How are yours? 40

Prioritized Post-earthquake Response Program 42 Learning and support centre opens for refugee and immigrant students 43

Thoughts on: Willingness to learn 44 The Last Call 46 Index to advertisers

ON THE COVER

During COVID, there was a drive from many school districts to provide outdoor covered spaces. Configuration and sizes varied around the province, some offering large structures boasting close to 900 sq. ft. and others that were less elaborate but just as functional. School District 74 (Gold Trail) chose to supply these at all sites, and they get a lot of use. Photo courtesy of Chuck Morris (SD No. 74)

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF EFMA Archie Stogianos

Welcome back to another exciting start to our new school year. As I write this message, all of our summer projects are well underway.

I am sure most of us are finding a bottleneck with supply chains and trades. This is our opportunity to draw on our past relationships and keep an open line of communication with all stakeholders. Remember that things will improve and that we are in this together. I am optimistic that 2022/23 will be another fantastic year.

Before we look ahead to the next year, I would like to bring a few noteworthy events from 2022 to your attention.

1. This year’s EFMA conference was one of the most successful events ever. With over 170 delegates, 260 exhibitors, and 42 new members in attendance.

2. Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Children and Family Development are joining forces.

3. Record numbers of new members have joined our organization this year.

EFMA has always been great at supporting members and associates, but we can always do better. I am very interested in members thoughts, and I encourage you to reach out and share your ideas. To new members: we are always a phone call away for a lunch meeting, I never say no to lunch.

Over the last number of years, EFMA has become a big part of my life. Assuming the role

as President after one of my mentors (he may not know it), Chuck Morris, is a big honour. It would be impossible to count the ways he has helped me in my career, and I thank you for being a great mentor and guiding me on the right path. The friendships and connections we make in this industry last a lifetime. Consistent communication is key, grab a coffee with someone from a neighbouring district, pick up the phone and call one of the lonely managers from the northern areas and talk about the success in your district, ask about theirs.

Although we are not teachers in a classroom, what we do impacts students every day. Like some of us, I couldn’t wait to get out of high school and join the workforce. Never could I have imagined I would be “back” in schools at this capacity.

Undertaking essential school facilities maintenance helps ensure that school buildings are clean, orderly, safe, and cost effective. Have you had a chance to go for a walk through your old elementary school? It’s not as big as you remember and seeing all the little kiddos with their smiling faces reminds us of why we are here.

In October, we hosted an Operations Team Workshop and will continue with our Directors Workshop in March.

I would like to thank our Executive and Zone Chairs for their dedication and support. I wish you all the best for the upcoming school year! n

Sloan’s nationwide network of dedicated representatives provides you with a trusted local resource to find the right products that meet your project needs.

Our commitment to personalized service and hands-on local support helps you navigate Sloan’s integrated lineup of sensoroperated products as you upgrade to a hands-free restroom environment with maintenance that is virtually hands-off.

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2022-2023 EFMA EXECUTIVE MEMBERS

To reach the EFMABC executive:

PRESIDENT

ARCHIE STOGIANOS

VICE-PRESIDENT

TRAVIS ELWOOD

PAST PRESIDENT

CHUCK MORRIS

SECRETARY-TREASURER

HARRY KUMAR

DIRECTORS

info@efmabc.com

SD#22 Vernon

1401 – 15th Street, Vernon, BC V1T 8S8 Tel: 250 549 9210 Email: president@efmabc.com

SD#83 North Okanagan Shuswap

PO Box 129 5911 Auto Road SE, Salmon Arm, BC V1E 4N2 Tel: 250 832 9415 Email: vp@efmabc.com

SD#74 Gold Trail

P.O. Box 250, 400 Hollis Road, Ashcroft, BC V0K 1A0 Tel: 250 920 3401 Email: cmorris@sd74.bc.ca

SD#36 Surrey

6700 144 Street, Surrey, BC V3W 3R5 Tel: 604 572 0500 Email: kumar_h1@surreyschools.ca

CERTIFICATION/EDUCATION DIRECTOR

LOUIE GIROTTO Douglas College

700 Royal Ave., New Westminster, BC V3M 5Z2 Tel: 604 777 6263 Email: girottol@douglascollege.ca

CONFERENCE DIRECTOR

MEGAN MACDONALD

CONFERENCE DIRECTOR

ALBERT KLADE

CONFERENCE DIRECTOR

CINTHA WINTERS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

GLENN MILLER

SECRETARY

MOLLY SHIPOWICH

SD#43 Coquitlam

1982 Kingsway Avenue, Coquitlam, BC V3C 1S5 Tel: 604 468 6868 Email: mmacdonald@sd43.bc.ca

SD#34 Abbotsford

31759 King Road, Abbotsford, BC V2T 5Z2 Tel: 604 852 9494, ext. 2316 Email: albert.klade@abbyschools.ca

SD#38 Richmond

5200 River Road, Richmond, BC V7C 1A4 Tel: 604 668 6000 Email: cwinters@sd38.bc.ca

Cell: 250 516 9596 Email: exec.dir@telus.net

PO Box 19032, 1153 – 56th Street,Delta, BC V4L 2P8

Tel: 604 943 3314 Email: society@telus.net

EXHIBITOR REPRESENTATIVES

ANDREW MCKAY

Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance

Cell: 604 365 7378 Email: amckay@tremco.ca

PAUL WILLIAMSON National Air Technologies Tel: 604 730 9300 Email: pwilliamson@natech.ca Cell: 604 828 1299

Jackson Mitch Van Aller Steve Woods Chris Young

Rick Delorme

Steve

As we settle into a new school year, it is an exciting time to be a part of British Columbia’s education sys tem. Students and staff are back into a routine, have reconnected with friends, and are well into tack ling the new academic year.

Our government cares deeply about the health and wellbeing of B.C.’s children and youth, and we understand that the classrooms and schools they walk into each day set them up for lifelong suc cess. It’s why we are making record investments to build and improve

MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE Jennifer Whiteside

schools across the province. In five years, we have invested more than $3 billion in major capital projects to improve and build classrooms that are safe, modern, and engag ing. While there’s still more work to do, students and families are seeing the results.

This fall, hundreds of students in Abbotsford are learning in new modern classrooms with the completion of Irene Kelleher Totí:ltawtxw. Built to LEED Gold standards for energy efficiency to help meet our CleanBC goals

of reducing carbon emissions, the 460 seat elementary school also incorporates outdoor spaces for student learning. We know that spending time in nature improves focus and increases cognitive abil ities, helping to boost confidence, social and physical skills, as well as knowledge and understanding.

Another exciting project is the new secondary school planned in West Kelowna. This 1,200 seat school will be built to en hance greenhouse gas reduction, achieved through high-efficiency

HVAC and lighting systems. And to achieve higher resiliency in the face of potential fire threats in the future, it is being designed to in corporate non combustible mate rials in construction.

These are just two examples of how our investments are creating modern schools across the prov ince. In the last five years, we have completed more than 25 projects to expand or build new schools, including the first new school to be built in Quesnel since 1997. And we have an additional 37 proj ects currently under construction. We have also funded more than 33,000 seismically safe seats with many more projects expected to receive funding soon.

We know that classroom safety is a priority of school communities, and we continue to invest in safe ty improvements to our schools. We are proud to have invested in the seismic upgrade and replace ment of two elementary schools in Vancouver. Both Bayview and Sir Matthew Begbie Elementary schools are expected to be ready to welcome students in the next few months. We’re excited that both were re built using mass timber, at a much higher amount than has ever been used before in a B.C. school. Compared to milling logs for lumber, mass timber can deliver up to seven times the eco nomic value for an in demand for est product that helps us meet our climate goals.

Over the last three years, we have also been working closely with school districts and indus try experts to improve indoor air quality in classrooms across B.C. Together, the province and

the federal government have in vested $178.4 million, leading to more than 250 major ventilation upgrades and improvement proj ects as well as hundreds of small er improvements in classrooms throughout the province. Keeping students, staff, and teachers safe in schools is our top priority and ventilation is an important layer of

protection in schools to help pro tect against COVID 19 and other communicable diseases.

To continue that momentum, we are committing an additional $3.1 billon for school capital projects over the next three years, support ing the development of new and expanded schools, seismic up grades, and other initiatives such

DESIGNING TO ENHANCE OUR ENVIRONMENT

New Building System Design

Seismic Upgrades

HVAC upgrades Building Renovations & Additions Energy Modelling Ventilation/Air Quality Upgrades Dust Collection System Upgrades DDC System Upgrades

High Efficiency Boiler Plant Retrofits

For information on all our professional services, visit us at www.rpeng.ca, or call us at any of our eight BC offices:

as our Bus Acquisition Program, which has helped school districts purchase 71 electric school buses

in the last two years, and our Play ground Equipment Program which has invested $30 million into pur

chasing 231 new and accessible playgrounds across B.C.

We want all students to learn in the best possible environment and it is local facility staff like you who are on the ground helping us reach that goal.

For that, and for everything you do, I want to send a sincere thank you from myself and the Govern ment of B.C. for your dedication to students and staff in our province.

I hope you all have a wonderful school year, and I look forward to seeing your work continue for the benefit of our students.

Thank you, Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Education and Child Care n

EFMA BC 2022 CONFERENCE IN REVIEW

BY GLENN MILLER, EFMABC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

If COVID 19 has taught us any thing, it has to be PATIENCE, and patient we were and continue to be.

Our 2022 EFMA BC conference was finally held in person once again in Penticton. The conference marked our 58th Anniversary of our Associations’ service, and this

year’s theme was “Pride & Excel lence – Raising the Bar”.

There are several reasons why this year’s conference was so im portant for EFMA to put together a program that finally permitted all of us to be together in person. I choose to believe this year’s con ference was NECESSARY.

Here’s Why!

We had 42 new members join our Association this year – 22 of them have never worked for a school district before, and 21 new members attended this year’s conference while taking part in the professional development pro gram.

Our membership has increased 21 per cent over the last two years. This alone is enough to say it was necessary!

It was very clear to our Execu tive and particularly the Confer ence Planning Committee early on that the importance of our Edu cation/Professional Development program in this year’s confer ence needed to be powerful and focused. The topics at this years professional development ses sions were: Communication Tool box The Justice Institute of British Columbia and Certificate of Rec ognition Internal Auditor Training

Facility Managers Association of B.C.

Tuesday evening was the Presi dents’ reception held once again in the Penticton Conference Cen

tre. President Chuck Morris wel comed a room full of enthusiastic and chatty people that showed us just how right it was to be together while knowing full well that the les sons we have learned over the last

few years regarding gatherings are still valid today and likely to continue indefinitely.

Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday morning kicked off the beginning of the next three days of lectures, courses, and presen tations as well as the opportunity for members to engage with 125 exhibitors and vendors that were presenting the products and ser vices we use in B.C. school district facilities.

The zone meetings and the elec tion of the zone reps were also held first thing Wednesday morn ing with excellent discussions and stories from the last two years that each member experienced within their zones. They also began plan ning the zone meeting schedules and presenters for the upcoming year. Thank you to all zone reps for all your time and effort in help ing to keep our zones relevant and your colleagues informed.

– WHS Consulting, B.C. Municipal Safety Association. Great job plan ning committee!

New member orientation was a very positive meeting that al lowed many of our past presidents and members of our Executive the chance to welcome the new mem bers to our Association. This was also the time to share information about what is expected of each EFMA member as it relates to our Standards and Practices and Code of Ethics. Each new member was also encouraged to seek out any active member of our Association, Executive, Past President or Life member over the next few days to answer any questions they may have regarding our Association and the role that we play.

The conference sessions wrapped up Friday afternoon with the Ministry update. We once again want to thank the Ministry of Education Capital Management Branch for continuing to provide our members with up to date information on Ministry Capital

planning initiatives and programs.

Our 2022 2023 planning committee is now working on the 2023 Conference to be held in sunny Penticton May 29 – June 2, 2023.

If you have any questions on becoming an active member of EFMA please contact myself or view our website for details.

Mark your calendars. See you all at the conference in 2023. n

Educational Facility Managers Association of B.C. |

Tyson Sauser School District No. 62, Sooke

A growing district leads to opportunity for growth; something Tyson Sauser, Manager of Facilities for Sooke School District No. 62, recognized early his ca reer and so he began planning.

Sauser worked with SD No. 62 on Vancouver Island for eight years as a grounds foreperson where he wit nessed the continuous expansion within the school dis trict. Increased staffing needs and student enrollment

combined with upcoming retirements, Sauser began preparing and updated his education so he would be ready when the need was presented. “Our district is a growing district, and I could tell that there would be opportunities coming available if I just put my best foot forward.”

Now, as the Manager of Facilities for one year, Sau ser says the extra time and effort he invested was well worth it. “The position is certainly challenging but it’s something I knew I wanted to do for a while,” he says. “In my nine years with Sooke School District, I’ve de veloped good relationships within the district including school admin teams, facilities staff, and various other departments, and it’s through those relationships that I knew this is somewhere I wanted to be and grow.”

As a 24 hour response position, a typical day doesn’t really exist for Sauser other than to expect the unex pected. “It’s a lot of response, a lot of communication, and a lot of connecting with district and outside groups to ensure that our schools are functioning safely and if or when issues arise, we are sending the proper staff and resources to address them.”

As a growing school district, Sauser says there is a lot of discussion around how that growth will look and how they can position themselves in the future to best support it. Sooke School District has approximately 12,000 students over 27 schools and serves the com munities of Sooke, Port Renfrew, Metchosin, Highlands, Langford, and Colwood. The school district is expected to grow by more than 300 students per year for the next 15 years.

Sauser enjoying island life with his family and dogs.

The district opened the newest of its schools, Pex sisen Elementary School in September, with Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School scheduled to open in November, and a third school currently in planning stages.

“One of our biggest challenges is that we’re growing quite rapidly and we’re trying to adapt to that while running daily operations,” says Sauser. “So, there’s a lot of responsibilities, not just for me, but for a lot of people from managers, facilities services staff, directors, and senior leadership trying to navigate this growth and put the right things in place to make sure everybody’s

A Leaky Roof Lets In More Than Just Rain

Working with the management team and the staff is proving to be a great experience for Sauser and he believes that the support they provide will only get better.

supported. It’s a lot of work on everybody’s plate but it is very rewarding.”

Outside of the district, Sauser spends time with his wife and two daughters, hiking, enjoying the outdoors, and attending the girls’ sports events. As an avid golfer, Sauser also likes to spend time on the golf course on the rare occasion when he has a few hours to spare.

Sauser is also looking forward to attending his first EFMABC conference in 2023 where he will have the opportunity to meet and talk with some of his counter parts from other districts and share their own profes sional experiences.

Working with the management team and the staff is proving to be a great experience for Sauser and he be lieves that the support they provide will only get bet ter. “We’re a great team,” he says. “We collaborate and support each other. It’s a great work environment with lots of room to learn and grow.” n

Educational Facility Managers Association of B.C. |

Romeo Mihailov School District No. 43, Coquitlam

A self motivated desire to learn, the joy of supporting others, and a positive attitude.

Romeo Mihailov, Manager of Maintenance, Electrical & Mechanical at the Port Coquitlam School District No. 43., thrives on the challenges that come with working in one of the largest school districts in B.C.

With approximately 32,000 students attending 70 schools throughout the district, SD No. 43 brings many daily challenges, but Mihailov sees it in a different light.

“There are no challenges here. Just excitement,” he says. “But I am motivated by challenges, and I thrive on finding solutions to problems.”

After immigrating to Canada from Romania with his family in 1989, Mihailov completed school, became a Red Seal Certified Electrician, and began his career as an electrician working in the construction industry. He then shifted into the hospitality industry where he spent 20 years managing facilities for hotels and resorts in Vancouver, as well as four years working as a project manager in France.

He went on to become a Red Seal Certified Electrical FSR Class A, 4th Class Power Engineering Technician and a Certified Facility Management Administrator. While working in the hospitality industry, Mihailov learned other trades including plumbing, carpentry, HVAC, and fire alarm systems that would help him better understand and perform in his facility management positions.

Prior to joining SD No. 43 in May 2021, he was the Facilities Manager at the City of New Westminister for three years, and the Trades Manager at UBC for two years.

In his current position as Manager of Maintenance, Electrical & Mechanical, Mihailov’s focus is to manage projects and operational duties, and he administers a

Mihailov hiking the Grouse Grind in 2017 with Henrik and Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks

team of electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, and fire technicians. He also oversees implementation and execution of the Annual Facility Grant projects.

“I have enjoyed every part of every job I have had, I learned so much from each trade, and I am very happy that I choose the path of leading others,” he says. “I love to work with people, I am passionate about making a difference, and I like helping my coworkers.”

He shares one of his favourite quotes from the book, Alive at Work: The Neuroscience of Helping Your People Love What They Do, by Daniel M. Cable: “Humble leadership works not by demanding perfection, but its opposite by showing that humans are never perfect and must explore, fail, and practice in order to learn and improve.”

Mihailov lives in Vancouver with his wife and two children, aged seven and 14. He enjoys playing tennis and skiing with his family and friends, he speaks three languages fluently – English, French, and Romanian,

and he is a fervent hiker and climbs the Grouse Grind in North Vancouver 30 to 40 times per year! In 2017, he had the opportunity to hike the Grind with members of the Vancouver Canucks.

“I always chase experience in my life,” says Mihailov. “I am learning every day and I try to share my skills, knowledge, and experience with others.” n

SHOWROOM?

NO, IT’S YOUR WASHROOM.

Successful washroom design

Whoever said the washroom (the most frequented room in any building) shouldn’t be as nice as the showroom? ASI just gave the washroom a makeover—you can too.

Visit americanspecialties.com/showroom to explore the new standard for basis of design in washrooms. Featured in this ad are our exclusive Velare™ and Piatto™ collection of washroom accessories, ASI Alpaco™ partitions, and ASI lockers.

The washroom, arguably one of the most difficult design challenges today, may be one often taken for granted and relegated as a menial design task.

With few exceptions, the washroom has emerged as a focal point in the journey back to normalcy. Lead ers in fields like business, medicine, education, and travel, who are anxious to put their organization back to work and bring customers back into their venues with confidence, recognize this. If architects or facil ity owners get the washroom wrong, workforce and customer distrust will spread like the virus itself, sow ing seeds of doubt about returning safely to these en terprises.

Dr. Greg Poland, professor of medicine and infec tious diseases at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minne sota, speaks plainly when describing the challenges ahead. Consider the washroom water faucet and door handles, for example. “We swabbed them and put pe tri dishes in the incubator. The handles were grossly infected with bacteria and viruses.”

Today’s best practices to prevent the spread of in fection may have come from ad hoc design patches developed to solve immediate problems in hospitals, emergency rooms, and other frontline washrooms since the outbreak began. So, what’s the best way to elevate these design patches into more long term, thoughtful, design driven solutions? It is a question that management at the ASI Group has given a lot of thought. The ASI Group is a respected manufacturer and global supplier of a wide variety of washroom ac cessories, sanitizer dispensers, toilet partitions, lock ers, and visual display products.

Their work has allowed them to engage with archi tects and management teams at top hospitals across the globe and their understanding of a hospital’s needs born from collaborating with the medical in dustry throughout the ordeal gives them a unique perspective and may offer highly informed, realworld insights available nowhere else. They share a few thoughts about lessons learned:

Collaborate

Our understanding of, and the demands placed on us by COVID 19 are constantly shifting. We advise designers to seek out suppliers that have a nimble mindset and manufacturing agility to respond quickly to nearly any design requirement. The ASI Group, for example, supplied and installed metal partitions for an emergency COVID-19 field hospital in Old West bury, a village on the north shore of Long Island, NY, in 72 hours.

Wide design freedom

Identify a supplier that presents you with a large design palette. Don’t limit yourself to a narrow range of material choices just because that’s all the supplier offers. For example, look for a source that represents metal, plastic, and phenolic partitions across a wide array of sizes and colours.

Think open source

Some soap and sanitizer companies offer propri etary products that may sound good upfront, but lock the owner into a costly long term contract. Don’t specify soap or sanitizer products that tie up your owner financially and leaves them at the mercy of an individual company’s supply chain. The recommenda tion is to use non proprietary dispensers that accept any qualified product which can increase availability and reduce costs.

One risking 100?

Don’t underestimate the washroom. It may repre sent less than one per cent of the building cost, but it puts 100 per cent of the occupants at odds or at ease with their employer’s return to work decision.

A well designed bathroom can be the deciding fac tor in elevating a building from good to great. Bath rooms, if given the requisite attention to detail, can make a much greater positive impact on the user expe rience of a building—thus influencing their opinion of the school, the town, the business, the building owner, and the architects who designed the building. n

SHOWROOM?

NO, IT’S YOUR WASHROOM.

Whoever said the washroom (the most frequented room in any building) shouldn’t be as nice as the showroom? ASI just gave the washroom a makeover—you can too. Visit americanspecialties.com/showroom to explore the new standard for basis of design in washrooms. Featured in this ad are our exclusive Velare™ and Piatto™ collection of washroom accessories, ASI Alpaco™ partitions, and ASI lockers.

Educational Facility Managers Association of B.C. |

School District 62 (Sooke) ac knowledge the traditional territo ries of the Coast Salish: T’Sou ke Nation and Sc’ianew Nation and Nuu chah nulth: Pacheedaht Na tion. We also recognize some of our schools reside on the tradition al territory of the Esquimalt Nation and Songhees Nation.

As an educator, my role has trans formed from a teacher to a principal in both elementary and secondary schools, to my current position as a District Principal, Capital Planning. My role includes providing leader ship for core education purposes in relation to the implementation of facilities related programs and initiatives. I work with principals, facilities, maintenance, and con tractors to manage the educational component of construction proj ects. My connection to the capital world includes supporting the Dis

Double the learning

Two new schools constructed on one site in Sooke School District

BY WINDY BEADALL, DISTRICT PRINCIPAL CAPITAL PLANNING SD NO. 62 (SOOKE)

trict’s Capital Plan with input and resources, planning for growth and long term projections, and utilizing spaces within our schools to ac commodate growth.

School District No. 62 (Sooke) opened an elementary school as of September 2022 and wel comed students into a middle school located on the same school grounds in the fall of this year. HCMA Architecture was instrumen tal in collaborating with the various consultation groups in SD No. 62, and the final product was these in novative and educational designs.

Pexsisen Elementary School

PUXX/SEE/SUNG – the opening of hands” or “to have one’s hands wide open” (gifted by the Song hees First Nation).

The facility will house 500 el ementary students over two floors of space, and it includes 21 class rooms, daycare centre, learning commons, multi purpose room, and gym.

Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School

LAY/LUM – the meaning of house and the idea of community, where we raise our chidlern (gifted by Sc’ianew First Nation).

The facility is comprised of three

Elementary grass field.

storeys and will support 700 stu dents with 25 classrooms, and spaces for a working shop, food/ textiles, music, science, and art. It also includes a gym, learning com mons, and multi purpose room.

Located at 3100 Constellation Avenue in Sooke, the two schools are situated on 16 acres of land with two athletic fields, playgrounds, and central green space.

Pexsisen Elementary and Centre Mountain Lellum Middle Schools were both designed using modern technologies and concepts that promote learning and flexibility.

Both school designs incorporate learning commons and multipur pose spaces to allow for spill out into corridors and act as additional learning spaces. Learning support rooms are located close to class rooms to reduce barriers and sup port the different ways students learn. Gender neutral bathrooms and accessibility have been incor porated in all design aspects.

Natural light is maximized

Exterior of Pexsisen Elementary School.

Sliding doors to allow for collaboration spaces.

throughout the buildings, and a modern lighting system is incorpo rated into classrooms with adjust able and dimmable colour temper ature to provide the best lighting conditions for different types of learning activities. Use of educa tion focused colour and material palette soft natural colour and materials in classrooms promote student comfort and concentra tion, and brighter colours are re served for active spaces.

The exterior play areas support a variety of activities, including play structures, ball court, natural play area (logs, rocks, sandbox), and rooftop play area. Covered areas and seating at the grass field allow for all weather play and gathering.

The installation of solar pan els are designed to generate ap proximately five per cent of the energy required on site annually, and ground source heating draws heating/cooling capacity from un der the school fields. The buildings and windows are oriented north south to reduce energy demand on the mechanical systems and are shaped into angled bay windows to preserve the east view. Every stu dent and staff space has amazing views to the outside.

Both schools are located on the

same site giving students the op portunity to transition from one school to the other in the proxim ity lending itself to a sense of com munity and belonging for students from kindergarten to Grade 8. Stu dents can take advantage of be coming mentors or have role mod els within a close distance. Transi

tioning from one level of schooling to the next will occur with ease as students are already familiar with the school, staff, and their peers. We look forward to the positive experiences that students will gain from learning and interacting within these buildings. n

Educational Facility Managers Association of B.C.

Kindergarten class with rolling whiteboards.

School District No. 73 re-opens Ralph Bell School

BY CATHERINE MATHESON, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, SD NO. 73 (KAMLOOPS-THOMPSON)

To say that facilities and maintenance crews have been hard at work in the Kamloops Thompson School District would be an understatement.

“The district’s facilities and maintenance department has done an incredible job with the modernization and renovation work to prepare Ralph Bell Elementary School for re opening,” says Heather Grieve, School District No. 73 Board Chair. “Often times, larger projects are contracted out, but this was the work of District employees and the successful school opening was a product of many moving parts and a vision that came to fruition.”

Beginning in early 2022, contractors and maintenance crews completely overhauled the 60 year old building. The extensive renovation list included the installation of new flooring, lockers, roll shutters, LED lighting, bathroom upgrades, all new appliances, doors and hardware, updates to the electrical system, and a new paint job to the interior of the building at a one time capital cost of $759,000.

“This was a rewarding project,” says Kyle Biggar, Facilities Department Project Manager. “Major changes could be seen week to week as our staff worked

diligently to have the building ready for September 2022.”

The 10 room, 26,330 square foot space also features new IT infrastructure including a fibre Internet connection that is faster and provides more bandwidth than any other district elementary school. A new state of the art Wi Fi system was installed to use this speed and bandwidth along with new server technology which will become the new standard for all district elementary schools moving forward.

“I am so thankful for our district staff who have been painting, re-flooring, building, and moving brand new educational resources into our school,” says Tiffany Hawkins, Principal of Ralph Bell. “A school reopening is about coming together to create a place of welcoming, care, and belonging.”

The exterior is freshly painted in gray and accented in Louisiana hot sauce red, and portions of the asphalt have been repaved. A brand new fully accessible playground, valued at $165,000, has also been installed based on universal design principles to ensure inclusivity for all elementary aged students regardless of ability. This playground is one of two in the district

SD73’s facilities and maintenance department completed a total overhaul of its 60-year-old Ralph Bell Elementary School in time for a September 2022 opening.

this year and one of 30 ministry funded playgrounds in 24 school districts throughout B.C.

For John Kerssens, the memories of Ralph Bell are particularly fond. Kerssens was the custodian at Ralph Bell when it shut down in 2010 due to declining enrolment, and this past summer, he was part of the grounds crew in charge of building the new play structure for incoming students.

“The Kamloops Thompson School District has experienced unparalleled student enrolment growth — the equivalent of one elementary school each year,” stated Dr. Rhonda Nixon, Superintendent. “The reopening of Ralph Bell Elementary alleviates the enrolment pressures of two neighborhood schools and is a welcome, vibrant school re opening for over 200 students and families." n

Educational Facility Managers Association of B.C.

The Grounds Crew installed a new fully accessible playground based on universal design principles to ensure inclusivity.

Ally Emergency Management:

Let us help you reach your goals

Goldilocks knew what she was doing. Too much work on emergency preparedness and it gets in the way of education; too little and it can be hard to sleep at night. Ally will help you achieve a stable balance between the two. We are an ally that brings expertise, support, and horsepower to your team.

The need for strong emergency preparedness in our schools is an objective on which we can all easily agree. Yet planning for emergencies often rests with individuals who have other primary responsibilities. They may have the vision, but pulling all the pieces together can present a real challenge.

This is where Ally Emergency Management can help. Whether you are a school district, a large student school, or a smaller education facility, Ally has the experience and flexibility to assist where you need it most. We can un dertake the heavy lifting or work to enhance and support your existing capabilities.

We’ll Give You Our Best So You Can Prepare for the Worst

Planning for emergencies is an ongoing, cy clical task. You may have a great plan in place, but without regular training, exercises, and re visions, the plan becomes outdated. The Ally team thrives in this planning environment, and we bring our extensive experience and exper tise to help our clients build and sustain robust emergency programs. Whether you need help training staff, planning emergency exercises, or developing a program from the ground up, we will help you achieve your objectives.

Participants engaged in an emergency exercise at the University of British Columbia. Photo credit: Greg Johnstone

An Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) – the hub of all coordination during an emergency incident. The EOC helps to support operations at the emergency incident site. Photo credit: John Perry

The Emergency Planning Cycle from the BC Ministry of Education’s Emergency Management Planning Guide for Schools, Districts, and Authorities (2015).

Our Allies in Education

We support numerous educational bodies in their ongoing quest to keep staff and students safe. Our clients range from large, highly com plex organizations (e.g. the University of Brit ish Columbia, Delta School District) through to smaller operations (e.g. St George’s School, Collingwood School in West Vancouver). n

More About Ally Emergency Management

Ally helps organizations prepare for a broad range of emergencies, ranging from localized events to catastrophic earthquakes. We can assist you with the challenge of balancing your full time job with the need to manage supplementary emergency preparedness planning.

We offer a full suite of emergency management services including:

• Emergency planning

• Advice for emergency programs

• Personnel training

• Drill/exercise planning and execution

• Post exercise and post incident reviews

• Crisis communications

Through expertise, dedication, and a relentless focus on execution we have proven to be a critical ally to many clients. Let’s talk about how we can be your ally in emergency management. Contact us at info@yourally.ca or visit www.yourally.ca

Educational Facility Managers Association of B.C.

RISK MANAGEMENT and YOUR JOB

BY CHUCK MORRIS

Standard of Care

The watchfulness, attention, caution, and prudence that a reasonable person in the circumstanc es would exercise. If a person’s ac tions do not meet this standard of care, then his/her acts fail to meet the duty of care which all people (supposedly) have toward others. Failure to meet the standard is negligence, and any damages re sulting therefrom may be claimed in a lawsuit by the injured party.

The problem is that the “standard” is often a subjective issue upon which reasonable people can differ.

Facilities operations and main tenance encompasses a broad spectrum of services, competen cies, processes, and tools required to assure the built environment will

perform the functions for which a facility was designed and con structed. (WIKI)

Duty of Care

The responsibility of a person or organization to take all reasonable measures necessary to prevent activities that could result in harm to other individuals and/or their property.

A duty of care is the responsibility that a person or business has when doing business with, or otherwise interacting with, other people and businesses. Under tort law, duty of care is defined as the responsibility of a person or business to act as a reasonable person would act in a similar situation. A person who violates his duty of care by acting in a negligent or reckless matter

is then liable for any harm that another person suffers as a result of his behaviour. (WIKI)

Part of our job is to recognize and minimize or do away with risk whenever possible. Is it possible? In some instances, yes, it is. However, there will be a lot out of your control and that does require due diligence if you want to try to reduce the risk and any resulting legal actions that may be brought against the district.

When you walk into a school and you are glancing at what is before you, do you note broken wooden trim at child height, ceiling tiles not replaced, or any myriad of other things out of place? You should, and work orders issued to effect repairs. As soon as you know of something that is wrong, dangerous, or against the Fire Code etc., you own the risk and resulting actions if any are taken by others against the school district.

Ensure memos are kept and work orders are filled out correctly, not just what the staff member did to effect repairs but also the identification of the work letting the worker know the importance and that it is a danger to staff and students or an infraction of any of the CODEs and WorkSafeBC rules. If you have not done your due diligence and your staff did not fill out the work order with all the information required sitting in discovery can get uncomfortable. When sitting as a witness, you will

find it even more difficult to identify the shortcoming of your operation because you missed directing staff to repair or correct the problem.

Risk Management Branch (RMB) stated at their 2018 Risk Management Conference in the Lower Mainland that we had best be aware of the Standard of Care and the Duty of Care. If you lack staff resources, how do you overcome that impediment? The work does not go away. How much risk is your district comfortable with?

Part of your job is to identify the risk and advise your Secretary Treasurer or Risk Manager if you have one. Some identified risk you will experience is tied to human activity. What about a disheveled shop space that is harmful to the students? Warn the shop teacher and ensure the school admin team

are aware. You can shut the shop down. Holes in your playing fields create a hazard to anyone using the field. Students and other, including some animals, will dig holes. If not found and repaired, people could twist an ankle or break a leg.

How do you know what you don’t know? How do you know you are looking at the right risk or challenges? Use Strategic foresight as part of your risk assessment.

Strategic foresight is a practice rooted in future studies designed to help better understand, prepare for, and influence the future. Strategic foresight recognizes the future is not predetermined or predictable. Instead, the roots of multiple plausible futures exist today in the form of weak or early signals of potential change. Identifying and monitoring these signals can reduce

the likelihood of being unprepared for or surprised by emerging trends and changes as they arrive in the mainstream. It can also uncover points at which today’s decisions and actions can be leveraged to move toward desirable futures.

Strategic foresight is a complement to, and not a substitute for, strategic planning. Traditional strategic planning reviews evidence from the past and asks how we might do things better, faster, or more proficiently in the future. Conversely, strategic foresight looks ahead and asks what may be coming, how it might affect us, and what we can do today to start moving toward a preferred outcome. – Niosh Science Blog (CDC)

I daresay all of us have work to do. Where will you start? n

Motor

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B.C. |

Educational Facility Managers Association of

Safe, sanitized schools achievable with innovative technology

Schools provide a safe space for students and staff, and a positive learning environment for their mental, social, and physical health. Part of providing that safe space requires a clean and sanitized environment.

When education facilities are correctly cleaned, stu dents perform better, and their attendance and morale improve.

While education facilities are no strangers to innova tion, when it comes to technology in cleaning, many schools don’t always have the awareness or buy in.

When schools invest in the right technology, like sur face imaging and quality management software (QMS), they can better measure effectiveness to waste fewer chemicals and target high risk areas in less time. Tech nology like Optisolve® offers both surface imaging and QMS to work seamlessly for validated, evidence based cleaning in schools. An investment upfront translates into saving time and money in the long run. Most im portantly, it ensures precision cleaning that keeps stu dents, faculty, and staff healthy and safe. Let’s explore some of the key benefits of implementing this combi nation of technology in schools.

Surfaces last longer when they are properly cleaned and maintained

Having a centralized cleaning protocol stored within quality management software lets staff know precisely what kind of chemicals, applications, and equipment they should use in every room. Using the correct chem icals in accurate dilutions helps to keep materials look ing and performing like new. Soils left untreated can cause dirt to erode floor finishes and grease to back up pipes. Damage can also occur when staff apply undi luted chemicals to the wrong materials.

Avoid chemical waste

An efficient cleaning protocol can be developed by visually tracking and monitoring all surface areas. Cus todial teams can avoid cleaning and wasting products on already clean surfaces to focus on high risk areas instead. Surface imaging technology provides visual validation to see the contaminated regions, and sub sequently prove they have been appropriately cleaned and sanitized. Identifying soils and organic matter

helps tailor suitable chemical usage and dilution rates, so staff only use what they need.

Spend less time cleaning

Schools are busy places, and people often share these spaces for extended hours, sometimes 24/7, which poses challenges for janitorial staff to work around. Most facilities have staff shortages, and cleaners must cover more surface areas per shift. Optisolve® allows them to target high touch areas in less time through

evidence based imaging software. Easy to follow digi tal checklists stored in secure, centralized software, keep everyone accountable and on the same page.

Measure effectiveness

Defining your standard operating procedures, and definitions of quality results is the starting point. Shar ing this information centrally allows staff to train and support each other across different locations and cam puses. Employees, students, and regulatory agencies

will have peace of mind that the proper cleaning, dis infection, and sanitization processes are being met to provide a safe and healthy environment.

Sourcing innovative suppliers

Developed in Canada, Optisolve® has created an award-winning combination of Pathfinder’s surface imaging technology and SAVI’s quality management system. Cleaning teams can input their checklists and

upload images into the software (available offline when required) to be shared securely in the cloud for central ized access. Available through Swish, our experts can help provide insights into Optisolve’s evidence based practices that help foster healthy and safe educational spaces.

For more information, visit www.swish.ca/optisolve or call 1 855 467 9474. n

SUITE 300, 6 ROSLYN ROAD, WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA www.delcommunications.com

SCHOOL PROGRAM

Return-It School is the free beverage container recycling program offered by Return-It. Return-It is the not-for-profit product steward that makes recycling in BC easier for everyone. The ReturnIt System diverts used beverage containers from the landfill and makes sure they are properly recycled. You probably know us best through your local Return-It location.

By participating in BC’s FREE Return-It School program , you get access to our online Teacher’s Dashboard with exclusive educational resources and fundraising tips, our online activity book as well as free recycling bins for your school. Your school keeps all the deposit refunds from recycling, so you can use the program to supplement your school’s fundraising efforts. We want to help students learn how to do their part to help keep the planet green by recycling their beverage containers and more.

Free Program

Offered FREE to all schools in BC by Return-It, the not-for-profit product steward for beverage container recycling in British Columbia.

Free Recycling Bins

Get up to 3 free Return-It bins to help your school’s recycling program. Plus, discover the best collection & bottle drive methods for your school, from Return-It Express to pick-up services (where available).

$5,000 Grand Prize Story Contest

Share your school’s interesting, creative and impactful recycling story with us and you could win a Grand Prize of $5,000 (two Elementary School winners and two High School winners every year!)

Tools & Tips

Registered schools will have access to resources to help with recycling programs including fundraising and bottle drive tips.

Return-It School Video Presentation Kit

Teachers can request a free Presentation Kit via mail with a fun & educational video about recycling, lesson tips, and special goodies for their students.

NEW!

Return-It School Online Activity Book

Activity Book is now available online to the registered schools through the teacher’s dashboard with games about recycling, comics, fun recycling facts and many more.

Bottle Drives with Express

Return-It Express makes it easier for schools to hold their bottle drives. No sorting and easy drop offs!

Meaningful work creates independence

Today is a workday for Michael. He makes sure that he leaves himself plenty of time to get ready. Once he’s showered, shaved, and brushed his teeth, he gets dressed for work, making sure that he puts on his name badge and packs his own lunch. When he’s ready to go, he gives himself enough time to get to work so that he won’t be late. Today it’s a nice day, so he’ll walk to work. If it had been raining, his sis ter would give him a ride, something for which he is grateful.

Michael works in Custodial Services for the Ab botsford School District, cleaning spaces at Yale Secondary School. He loves his job.

In many ways, Michael was made for this job. His parents felt it was important for all their children to participate with chores in the home, so Michael learned to vacuum, clean floors and bathrooms, clear the table, and load the dishwasher. “I like it when things are spotless,” he says.

Michael has also gained work experience through the Community Living Program (CLP) Employment Services at Communitas. CLP Employment offers classes and coaching, giving people who live with diverse abilities the skills and experience they can use to help them find meaningful, paid employment. Through CLP Employment, Michael has had oppor tunities for work experience, cleaning at the Univer sity of the Fraser Valley. He’s been a paid employee at the school district since March 2022.

Ray Velestuk, the Secretary Treasurer for the Ab botsford School District, says that as one of the larg est employers in Abbotsford, they have an obliga tion to provide equitable employment opportunities for every member of the community. “People with

disabilities are integral members of society and, when provided with suitable job accommodations, they really can thrive,” he says. “Through partner ships with organizations like Communitas, we’ve been able to update our employment contracts to provide for their members to learn, work, and suc ceed with meaningful employment opportunities here at the Abbotsford School District.”

Dan Penner, Employment Specialist with Com munitas, believes that Michael’s attention to detail and willingness to learn make him a great employee. Having a secure work environment also makes a dif ference.

“I believe that his confidence has grown since he began his job with the school district,” he says. “He knows what is expected of him and always comes to work with a fantastic attitude. His coworkers ap preciate him and value the contributions he makes, which also makes a difference.”

Michael has his own custodian cart, which he uses when he’s cleaning at Yale Secondary. He has a va riety of tasks including vacuuming, sweeping floors, wiping tables in classrooms and the cafeteria, stack ing chairs, and more.

“My favourite task is dry mopping,” he says. “I like to make sure there is no dirt in a classroom. I know I’m successful when I can see no dirt anywhere and my co worker says I’ve done a good job.”

Having a paid job has given Michael another level of independence as well. He’s proud to be able to buy his own lunch supplies, a new pair of sneakers, and a birthday gift for his grandmother.

“I like being independent,” Michael says. “It makes me feel awesome.” n

New floors in a flash for Rogers Elementary School

BY JUSTIN TAYLOR, MANAGER, BUILDING MAINTENANCE, GREATER VICTORIA SCHOOL DISTRICT

Working with buildings never gets easy. In fact, due to the laws of na ture as our buildings age their care and maintenance requirements only increase. Climate change, se vere weather, and the trample of a herd of fourth graders are just some interesting factors that we strategize for every day.

However, you can never plan for everything and at Rogers Elemen tary School we had a water pipe burst due to unusually cold tem peratures this past winter resulting in a flooded gym. As you can imag ine, all the flooring buckled and warped leaving it unusable.

We reached out to the Schools Protection Program (SPP) for support, and they were fantastic. Within the week, we had an adjust er assisting us with the claim and formulating a plan for replacement of the floor. I want to recognize the

amazing work that we received by both Coast Claims Insurance Ser vices and ServiceMaster Restore. Both teams had amazing people working with us and were able to have the floor ready just in time for school start. I really feel blessed to have support groups such as SPP

in place to assist us when we need it most. They have amazing people working with them and always de liver whether its detailed informa tion on an issue you may be expe riencing with liability, best practice, or when disaster strikes. Thank you and keep up the amazing work! n

Educational Facility Managers Association of B.C. |

RELATIONSHIPS

How are yours?

BY CHUCK MORRIS

This concerns your work relation ships. Your other interests around relationships will wait for another day and authored by someone else.

By the way, how are your work re lationships? Do you build good working relationships and maintain

them? They do need to be main tained.

How do you build a good rela tionship? You need to be some one who does not shy away from conversation and building trust amongst your staff, showing empa

thy when it is required, and walking the talk.

Trust is built every day. The de meanor you display to your staff, the mood you walk around with, the way in which you carry out busi ness each day not only with staff but with senior management, part ner groups, and others is all part of building that trust. Show people you care about them and what they do for you and the operation.

Never demean anyone. Period. If you need to chat about a mistake or error in judgement with a staff member, put them at ease and then address the issue in a non confron tational stance. They are people too. If you are terminating a posi tion, you should carry on with what you have just read and still dismiss an individual if justified. There is no need for angry table banging and yelling rhetoric to get any message across. That can be done in simple, easy language without allowing

others to hear you and keeping a level of decorum which in some cases has made the delivery of bad news a little easier to take.

Appreciation and respect for ev eryone should be the norm. Speak well of your team members (and others). Never speak ill of anyone, especially in your work environ ment or out in public. You never know who is sitting in the booth behind you while you have lunch.

Glass half full or half empty? Try to turn things around so you dis play the genuine positive attitude/

together in tough times or during distressing situations. A clear and open mind will usually be the thing needed to lead your team into a better spot.

Show appreciation whenever you have the chance. We all like to be thanked for achieving a project con clusion or coming up with a new and better idea that may win everyone over. Once in a while present your team with a memento of apprecia tion such as a hand written note or motivational wall plaque to thank them. Always think about your staff. They are important people in their own right and your success de pends on them performing well.

Listen with the intent to listen. Don’t allow yourself to become dis tracted while listening to someone. Turn away from the computer. Do

not answer the phone unless you know an important call is coming in; tell the person speaking to you that if it comes in, you will need to take it. Call your team member back in once the call is complete to allow them to finish what they had to say.

Always be present when listening to people. Ask a question or two periodically to show them you are listening. Avoid interrupting them with your own experiences as they are explaining theirs.

Always be the grownup in the room. You will find over time that your team begins to emulate some of the traits you display. Be proud of that and recognize it only in your own mind. A gentle nod of the head may be all that is required to show them that you see improvement. n

Prioritized Post-earthquake Response Program

BY SHAUNA DEBODT, NLPS EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT COMMUNICATIONS AND ARLEN VALADE, NLPS SAFETY OFFICE

Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools (NLPS) is the first school district in the province to imple ment a new program to identify areas of concern in schools dur ing an earthquake. The Prioritized Post earthquake Response (PPR) preparedness program is a highly advanced earthquake prepared ness tool designed to assist build ing occupants in determining if it is safe to re enter a building after an earthquake.

NLPS has been working with engineers from Seismic Resil ience Innovation Corporation (SRI) to create a PPR prepared ness system that connects all NLPS schools and facilities. SRI is

a B.C. consulting firm comprised of several structural engineer ing member firms. The NLPS PPR system has been designed to as sist and to prioritize the immedi ate post earthquake response of school principals and district fa cilities staff.

The PPR system is comprised of three parts:

1. A registered seismic engineer from SRI Corporation assessed each building to determine the acceptable and unaccept able damage caused during an earthquake;

2. Ground motion sensors are installed in eight hub schools around the district and gener

ate the ground motion reading for the schools connected to them; and

3. Online software (Respond er) tells each school what the ground motion was from the hub school and determines the colour of the building’s map. The end product of the PPR system is a PPR rating for each school building.

The PPR system was piloted at Fairview Community School in 2020 and used district wide dur ing the 2021 Great B.C. ShakeOut.

This fall, for the Great B.C. ShakeOut, the engineers at SRI sent a virtual earthquake to the online system at every school in the district. Principals and safety committees were encouraged to log on to their school web site, read the percentage ground mo tion (level of shaking) and radio in the condition of their own schools to the DAC Emergency Opera tions Centre (EOC). The DAC EOC then recorded all school informa tion and conditions of the school blocks to determine a district wide level of damage.

Training websites are provided for review of the PPR system, and two more earthquake drills are planned for the 2022 2023 school year. n

Learning and support centre opens for refugee and immigrant students

The Greater Victoria School District opened a Welcome and Learning Centre to assist refugee and immi grant students seeking placement in a Greater Victoria school. The new space helps newcomers with registration and offers educational programming or additional sup port to ease their transition into a neighbourhood school.

Learning programs will be de signed around the individual needs of the student. Other resources available include counselling and language assessments.

“We want all newcomer students to feel supported as they transition into the public school system,” says Board Chair Ryan Painter. “We rec

ognize that each student will have their own lived experience that will shape their perspective or impact their learning. We want to provide wrap around supports so each stu dent feels comfortable, ready to engage in their learning, and has a positive experience in the class room.”

The school district will be work ing alongside community organiza tions such as The Intercultural As sociation, Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre, Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees, and the Ukrainian Cultural Centre Victoria.

“By creating a supportive and caring environment to help stu

dents adapt to a new culture, or in some instances a new language, we are aiming to reduce barriers in access to education,” says Super intendent Deb Whitten. “We know the importance of having youth in our schools learning and develop ing social connections. Our goal is to ensure that newcomer students feel welcomed and that we have the proper strategy and supports in place at the school level to set them up for success.”

The Welcome and Learning Cen tre officially opened its doors on September 12, 2022, at the Tolmie Board Office. n

English Language Learner (ELL) Teacher Jen Barber is ready to welcome students to the new space.

THOUGHTS ON:

Willingness to learn

BY CHUCK MORRIS

In our business managing and leading others should never stop your learning. If you think to yourself after hearing that, “heck, I don’t have time to keep learning or, why should I keep learning?” you have best think again!

Take a look at the past few years (even through CO

VID) and write down what you have learned through webinars, specific focused learning modules, class room learning through one of the many associations any number of us may belong to, or some other meth od. If you learn on a continuous cycle, good for you. Learning must never stop.

“A key characteristic for leaders to have is the willingness to learn and grow in their own professional development.” Why Leaders Should be Learners – Cornerstone University

I provide sessions for my team through EFMA and in house, as well as what I call PUSH WEDNESDAY. Push Wednesday is an email sent out first thing on Wednesday morning to all my exempt staff, contain ing motivational and learning videos on a wide vari ety of topics. These range from approximately a few minutes up to 15 minutes. This breaks up the week slightly and allows them to think about what they are watching or listening to. It is a valuable tool. I have used it to address minor issues that may have popped up during our course of business each day. These are valuable nuggets and worth the effort. If interested, I will offer to send to the reader the Word document that lists hundreds of url links. These are on just a few pages so is not a large document.

Do you or your manager(s) deal with mistakes as a teachable moment? Instead of placing fiery blame on a staff member, turn it around and go over how things need to be done or what someone needs to be aware of. That works far better than putting someone on the spot and under duress.

Hopefully you have mastered the core leadership practices such as: Be a Role Model | Make an Impact | Follow a Vision | Encourage Collaboration | Be and Remain Positive. From Science of People by Vanessa Van Edwards.

If you do not fit into these five core values, pick one and start. These are essential for you to succeed and to allow those under you to succeed if they want to be come a good manager (leader) as well. Then continue learning every day, week, month, and year. Informa tion and techniques on how to do something better is always a great start.

Look around you. If you see someone doing something that makes an impression on you, have a closer look. It is not wrong to follow what someone else does if it improves your knowledge or improves your relationships with others.

The key here is to continue learning. Learn the best techniques on how to be the best in your role and how to help your reports learn from you. This is your WILLINGNESS to LEARN! n

Educational Facility Managers Association of B.C. |

The Last Call

It is with a heavy heart that this message brings sad news. Robert Wesley Hardy, better known to all of us as Bob, our dear friend and longtime SPOA and EFMA member, passed peacefully on August 15, 2022. Bob was 84 years old.

Bob brightened all of our lives and was a hardworking man, certainly within our Association. He loved life and liked to have fun.

Bob Hardy, we will miss you very much. Rest in Peace, friend.

A celebration of Bob Hardy’s life was held on October 8, 2022 in Sorrento, B.C. Many members of Bob’s family and friends spent a few special hours sharing wonderful memories and stories of Bob throughout his years. A powerful on screen presentation clearly showed how Bob touched and enriched peoples lives both personally and professionally and how much he was loved by all.

A golden heart stopped beating Hard working hands at rest God broke our hearts to prove to us

He only takes the best.

Frances M. Coelho

PRINCE GEORGE