The doors are open for year number two at the Discovery Centre for Balanced Education, and 36 elementary students are hunkering down to work.
Greeting them this year are a few new perks. Ten new laptops are on site, courtesy of the School District 73 @KOOL program, as well as a new SmartBoard that allows students in the classroom to work in real time with a teacher in Kamloops. And, to accommodate all the new bodies, new desks are in place as well.
The students continue to be taught by Jillian Schmalz, and @KOOL teacher Laurel Seafoot. New to the staff is Jen Mather, who volunteered extensively with the students last year, and has been hired to teach three days per week this year.
As for the Sun Peaks Education Society that operates the Discovery Centre, fundraising is still a top priority. Maria Cannon, chair of the Sun Peaks Education Society (SPES), explains that although the society had been hoping for additional funding support from the government, no extra funds are currently forthcoming. The Discovery Centre still receives its per student allocation from SD73, but the rest of the staffing and operating funds will be raised through fundraising.
Cannon emphasizes how appreciative the SPES is of the huge support they’ve received from the community, and how it looks forward to success with the Firefighters’ Gala on Nov. 19.
The Sun Peaks community has consistently stepped forward to support the learning centre. This summer, the Cahilty Creek Bar and Grill, Quilting in the Mountains, Nancy Greene’s Cahilty Lodge, and the Delta Sun Peaks have all donated proceeds from sales or events to support the school.
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