NOTES ON A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

by Henry MacDougall
(click images to enlarge)

With September on our doorstep, it is once again time for school to start back up. In this issue of The Dragon’s Pen, we’ll cover seismic safety concerns at KG, an update on the Vancouver Police Department’s (VPD) School Liaison Officer (SLO) program at KG, and the schedule for the early school year.

**VPD MEDIA OFFICER Constable Tania Visintin.** *(Courtesy of VPD)*

VPD LIASON OFFICER RETURNS

The new school year this September will mark the second year that the VPD’s SLOs will return to Vancouver schools.

Over the course of many months last year, I tried to get an interview with KG’s SLO, Constable Angela Stewart. However, because of complications surrounding VPD policy, I was referred to a VPD media spokesperson. This month, we’ve finally got some answers.

I reached out with the following questions:

What are the responsibilities of the SLO at KG?
If a student wishes to reach out to the SLO, how can they do this?
How will the learning experience in schools be affected by the changes that were made to the SLO Program upon its reintroduction last school year?
During a student meeting that our SLO attended, Officer Stewart acknowledged that some students may have had negative experiences with police in the past. She mentioned that she wished to improve student connections with police. Does the VPD provide specific tools for officers to achieve this, and if so, how?
In the last year, I very rarely saw our school’s SLO. Do the changes to the SLO Program include reduced presence in the school?
If you were a student, what would you find interesting about the SLO Program?

The VPD’s media officer, Constable Tania Visintin, provided the following response:

“We’re incredibly proud of our school liaison officers and we think they represent everything that is great about policing. They reflect the diversity within our schools and the character within our communities. We are thankful that the Vancouver School Board (VSB) invited us back into schools, and we’ve worked closely with the VSB and the wider community to incorporate significant changes to the SLO program.

“The School Liaison program offers students the ability to speak informally with School Liaison Officers regarding any safety concerns, thereby enabling preventative, proactive policing. Centred on relationship building and diversion from the criminal justice system as the guiding principles, these alternatives to traditional policing improve outreach and engagement with school communities, allowing increased communication, as well as streamlined access to service.

“Some of the specific functions of VPD’s SLOs included:

Delivering safety and crime prevention advice to students, staff, and parents;
Acting as a resource to students, administrators, and staff;
Supporting, guiding, and engaging with students;
Working to enhance the safety and security of the school;
Coaching teams, leading school clubs, and escorting students on field trips when requested;
Investigating criminal offences related to schools and the student population;
Serving as a liaison between the school and the criminal justice system.

“The world has gone through a lot of big moments in the past few years, and it’s important that we, as community leaders, reflect the changing values and expectations of the people we serve. That’s why we’ve incorporated a number of big changes into this new, School Liaison Officer program:

“Our officers will no longer deploy to schools in traditional police uniforms. Instead, they will wear polo shirts and have equipment, such as smaller firearms, that can be carried more discretely in schools. SLOs will be driving unmarked police cars, which they’ll now be able to park near schools without drawing unnecessary attention. And, we’ve taken a close look at our training to make sure we continue to use the most current and up-to-date methods of communicating with the entire student body, including people who have experienced trauma, people who come from diverse backgrounds, and people who may not have always had the best experiences with police.

“While there is always more work to do, we believe we’ve created a positive path forward by working with the community and the Vancouver School District to develop a new SLO program that meet everyone’s needs,” Constable Visintin concluded.

SLO’s are available to students Monday to Friday during school hours. All SLOs in VSB schools have an office provided by the administration. The office is the easiest way to get a hold of your local SLO. Each SLO is also available via email. Angela Stewart, KG’s SLO, can be reached at angela.stewart@vpd.ca.

For any emergencies please immediately contact 911 and an officer can assist, which will be a VPD patrol officer and not the SLO initially.

I’m happy that I’ve finally gotten to cover the SLO Program at our school with an interview. Although I would have preferred to hear directly from our school’s SLO, I still hope that this can help clear up the purpose of SLOs and changes to the program for anyone who may have been wondering.

SEISMIC SAFETY AT KING GEORGE

For at least 20 years, it’s been widely known that many Vancouver schools would not be safe places to be in the event of an earthquake. Schools all around the Vancouver area have received upgrades to better withstand seismic activity in recent years, but King George, built in the 1960s, is long due for an upgrade that will likely never come, as the school will instead be rebuilt as part of a large and expensive development in the more distant future.

**Our beloved, aging, and Seismically unsafe school**.

This is concerning, as Vancouver is long overdue for a major earthquake, commonly referred to as the ‘Big One’. And because of the unpredictable nature of earthquakes, it makes sense to make these seismic upgrades would happen as soon as possible. Although unlikely, there is still a chance that the infamous ‘Big One’ could occur before that redevelopment.

A recent article in the Vancouver Sun states that as much as 30 percent of the schools in Vancouver are considered to be at “high risk of severe damage or collapse during an earthquake,” and also states that King George is among the five highest priority schools for these upgrades in the near future, while also being a “high seismic risk.”

I hope that KG will be receive these crucial upgrades, but would still not be surprised if King George does not receive them until the larger redevelopment. Let’s see how much foot-dragging will follow!

DATES & SCHEDULING TO NOTE

Going into the 2024/25 school year, there are a few dates and scheduling points for September that are important to remember.

First of all, on September 3, the first day of school, there will be an orientation session for all Grade 8 students, meeting in the gymnasium at 10 a.m. This orientation will go on until noon, when the students will be released.

Parents of students entering Grade 8 are welcome to attend an information session in the cafeteria, also from 10 a.m. to noon.

If you’re a returning student, you’ll be meeting in your homeroom classroom (Semester 1 – Period 1 Class) for only an hour, from 1 to 2 p.m. This will be for students to get their lockers, more information on accessing schedules, and to receive paperwork and forms.

Later in September, there will be a Professional Development Day (Pro-D) on the 20th, and there will be no school September 30 for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Pro-D days are when teachers receive new teaching training, and students receive a day off.

**Fresh paint on the corner of Jervis and Nelson Street, indicating that parking is not allowed**.

WEST END ROAD SAFETY CHANGES

The crosswalk at Nelson and Jervis is receiving some changes to its curb layout to increase visibility and make crossing safer for pedestrians. This matters for KG students, as in the past this intersection has seen many collisions between cars and pedestrians. I live near this intersection, and I often see a lot of students walking to school in this area in the mornings. I’m glad that these changes are being made, hopefully this will make our community a safer place.

I also noticed a construction crew next to nearby Roberts Elementary School, with new, fresh asphalt and new paint on speed bumps.

**Rack those phones, and pay attention!**

ELECTRONIC DEVICES POLICY

In January of last year, the VSB policy on electronic devices during school hours was changed. These changes stated that students would not be allowed on their devices during instructional time. The change was subsequently manifested in KG classes, often in the form of “Phone Racks”, placed at the front of each classroom, which students are required to place their phones in at the start of class. As we enter the 2024/25 school year, these changes will again be in place.  

Early after the changes were put in place last school year, I noticed quite a lot of resistance from students, frequently requiring multiple requests to put their phones in their respective pockets on the “Phone Rack.” I am curious, going into the new school year, if students will be more accepting of the policy, or at least if they will have gotten used to it by now.

Thanks so much for reading, and have a wonderful school year, KG!

RELATED LINKS: