Dearest Parkview & Silver Creek students & parents:
I was fortunate to obtain a 3 day per week teacher-librarian job at Bastion Elementary in Salmon Arm, which is 10 mins from my home. I haven't been able to make this post to say my goodbyes until tonight. Thus, it is with very mixed feelings that I say goodbye to you all. Nevertheless, keep in touch with me and continue to contribute to our reading & learning culture through this blog, email, and twitter. And of course, if our paths cross, let's take a moment to say hello and catch up.
I soooo enjoyed my learning journey with you. Thank you for the risks you took with me in exercising our brain and having fun in a usually quiet library! We've already begun dancing to Ocoee Middle School's "Gotta Keep Reading" and soon to come will be the "Dewey Rap."
You are in fine hands with Ms. Reed at Parkview, and I believe Ms Killy at Silver Creek.
Dear parents I invite you to keep updated on educational trends, issues, changes, reductions, and successes. Our district is still in a declining enrollment situation and thus lower funding still plagues us, and yet costs continue to increase. In order to protect the classroom as much as possible, the trustees had to make very difficult reductions in various areas last year. Most of our elementary libraries were reduced by 43%. Three if not four schools in our district have their libraries OPEN JUST TWO DAYS PER MONTH! Other cost saving measures included reduced school supplies budgets, reduced principal/vice principal time, reduced secondary teachers, learning resource teachers, and education assistance, school clerical and lunch hour supervisors were reduced as well as speech and language pathologists, and the deaf/hard of hearing. The Family Life teaching position was eliminated, and counselling reduced. And sadly the list still goes on.
Next year our district is projected for more cuts.
We has a culture and societal group need to pause and do some deep thinking about "public" education. What do we want to change? What do we want to get rid off and what do we want to keep? We then have to demand from our politicians funding to support that vision. Together we can make a difference. Wishing you all the very best in life, Ms. Shannon Murrells-Allaway.
I was fortunate to obtain a 3 day per week teacher-librarian job at Bastion Elementary in Salmon Arm, which is 10 mins from my home. I haven't been able to make this post to say my goodbyes until tonight. Thus, it is with very mixed feelings that I say goodbye to you all. Nevertheless, keep in touch with me and continue to contribute to our reading & learning culture through this blog, email, and twitter. And of course, if our paths cross, let's take a moment to say hello and catch up.
I soooo enjoyed my learning journey with you. Thank you for the risks you took with me in exercising our brain and having fun in a usually quiet library! We've already begun dancing to Ocoee Middle School's "Gotta Keep Reading" and soon to come will be the "Dewey Rap."
Dear parents I invite you to keep updated on educational trends, issues, changes, reductions, and successes. Our district is still in a declining enrollment situation and thus lower funding still plagues us, and yet costs continue to increase. In order to protect the classroom as much as possible, the trustees had to make very difficult reductions in various areas last year. Most of our elementary libraries were reduced by 43%. Three if not four schools in our district have their libraries OPEN JUST TWO DAYS PER MONTH! Other cost saving measures included reduced school supplies budgets, reduced principal/vice principal time, reduced secondary teachers, learning resource teachers, and education assistance, school clerical and lunch hour supervisors were reduced as well as speech and language pathologists, and the deaf/hard of hearing. The Family Life teaching position was eliminated, and counselling reduced. And sadly the list still goes on.
Next year our district is projected for more cuts.
We has a culture and societal group need to pause and do some deep thinking about "public" education. What do we want to change? What do we want to get rid off and what do we want to keep? We then have to demand from our politicians funding to support that vision. Together we can make a difference. Wishing you all the very best in life, Ms. Shannon Murrells-Allaway.
