Owl Post
October 14, 2024
Reflections from our Vernon Community Conversation
Vernon Community Conversations
This past Thursday, the Vernon Families of Black Students hosted a powerful Community Conversation, spearheaded by Marcus Colbert (parent member of the Families of Black Students Affinity Group and Vernon PTA Vice President) and Tina Bruce (teacher and longtime organizer of the Affinity Group). This event provided a platform for families, students, and staff to share concerns, ideas, and priorities for improvement.
Key areas of focus included:
Increasing staffing to support students' needs
Strengthening culturally responsive practices
Expanding restorative practices with an emphasis on support for families of color
Empowering students of color to feel supported, seen, and valued
Advocacy for the right to read and the importance of educational equity
Addressing behaviors in a more effective manner
A significant takeaway from the discussion was the community's call for better-coordinated efforts to secure the funding necessary to deliver the education all students deserve.
We extend heartfelt thanks to school board members Chair Eddie Wang, Vice Chair Michelle DePass, Directors Gary Hollands, and Herman Greene for their attendance and engagement. Special thanks to the community members, parents, staff, and, most importantly, our students whose voices illuminated critical areas of growth.
We look forward to sharing next steps as we continue building on this important work together.
Black History Month Celebration
BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION - 2/27/2025
February is Black History Month. This observance is a chance to understand Black histories, going beyond stories of racism and slavery to spotlight Black achievement. It’s also an opportunity to provide a fresh reminder to take stock of where systemic racism persists and give visibility to the people and organizations creating change.
Schools across the district are participating throughout the district, with gatherings, curriculum, decorations and other more.
Vernon will be celebrating with events throughout the month, as well as an evening event on Monday, 2/27/25. This is a collaborative event between Vernon educators, SUN School and our Families of Black Students affinity group. It is sure to be a great night! See below for Evening Event details, and below that, the plans for the whole month!
BLACK HISTORY CELEBRATION:
WHERE: Vernon School
WHEN: Thursday, February 27th details to come!
Community Budget Forum – Wednesday, February 5th | 6:00pm - 7:00pm
This virtual event is designed for families and community members to engage in the conversation, ask questions, and share feedback.
Invitation: Community Budget Forum Invitation - [For Principals to Share Out]
Official Event Flyer - English [Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Russian, Chinese]
Zoom Link
Budget Engagement Feedback Form
In addition to virtual engagements, we are holding two in-person listening sessions for school and district leaders.
Hello from the school nurse!
The Winter sick season has arrived! I have noticed an increase in illness at school and
wanted to give you all a few good reminders about staying healthy.
● Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often, rubbing for at least 20 seconds. Teach
the younger kids how long 20 seconds is, have them sing their ABCs one time, is about
20 seconds.
Be sure to keep your hands away from your face.
● Do not share food, drinks, or personal items.
● Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or by completely covering your nose and
mouth with the inside of your elbow, use that “cough pocket”! Be sure and wash those
hands after blowing your nose please.
● Stay up-to-date on all vaccines, including COVID-19 boosters and influenza.
● Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick.
● Disinfect high-touch surfaces daily.
● Check in with your students every day, if they are ill, please keep them home. If they
come to school ill, chances are pretty high, their illness will spread around and they’ll
end up getting sick again. Let’s stop to virus cycle.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there are any questions or concern.
In health~
Cindy Bakke BSN, RN, School Nurse
Vernon’s E-Bike Lending Library
The Vernon Bike Bus has been given an Aventon Abound cargo e-bike for our community to share. Glady's Bikes on Alberta generously built it for free. People in the Vernon community are invited to borrow the bike for up to one month, and then pass it along to the next interested person.
Please make sure you have a place to secure the bike and store it out of the elements.
Complete this form if you are interested in borrowing the bike, and share it with anyone else who may want to give it a try.
