Superintendent’s Message
2010-2011
Welcome to British Columbia’s School District No. 79 (Cowichan Valley). Thank you for visiting our website and for your interest in our school district. Whether you’re new to the Cowichan Valley or a long time resident, we invite you to learn more about what we offer our students, families and the communities we serve.
All of our schools aim to help every student be successful. Because students have different learning styles, we offer many ways for our students to succeed. We also work to provide an environment where all children and adults in our schools feel safe and welcome.
Our school district has much to celebrate. Our teachers and staff are top notch, parents are active and welcome partners and our students continue to amaze us with their achievements in and out of the classroom. Examples include the following:
each year approximately one million dollars in scholarships and bursaries are received by our students
many of our grads are sought after by multiple universities
two of our Cowichan Secondary School automotive students won first place in a national Ford Auto Skills competition
three of our students received BC Science Achievement Awards for their outstanding academic performance in science subjects at the senior level
a number of School District 79 students received medals in the BC Winter Games March 4th in Terrace, BC
a Bench Elementary School student won the National Award in the Royal Canadian Legion Junior Colour Poster contest, following wins at the local, regional and provincial levels
a Cowichan Secondary School student has been accepted for a Deeley Research Centre intern position at the BC Cancer Agency in Victoria for the summer
band students at one of our middle schools received a commendation from an established american composer for the quality of their performance of his work he discovered on the internet
a growing list of adult graduates as we expand enrolment in our adult education program
a growing international education program
highly successful athletic/fine arts programs
multiple pathways to success
a popular and growing K-12 French Immersion program.
Our school district works closely with the local Aboriginal communities to proudly celebrate the rich historical and cultural diversity of the Cowichan Valley. Now is the time for us to move forward together as we focus on meeting the learning needs of each of our students.
Community partnerships, local donations and hundreds of volunteers contribute to keeping our schools strong learning centers that focus on success for each student.
Our communities expect and deserve an excellent public school system – by working side by side, we can achieve the important goal of supporting our young people and growing together.
I encourage you to explore our renewed website to review our Strategic Plan, our Achievement Contract, the link to our International Program web site, and our Career Program opportunities. I invite you to join me in helping our children and youth to have healthy, satisfying and productive lives. Together, we will create a fresh breeze and set a clear course to success.
Sincerely,
Dan Boudreault
Superintendent of Schools