Students enrolled in G.P. Vanier Secondary will return to school on Wednesday, Sept. 5, one day after all other schools in Comox Valley School District (SD71) begin the new school year.
The one-day delay is to finalize construction work on the Vanier upgrade project and to ensure classrooms and learning spaces are sufficiently prepared to receive students and begin instructions.
Upon returning to their school, Vanier secondary students and staff will commence with a full day of instruction beginning at 9:05 a.m. The Vanier school bus will be in full operations in accordance with its regular scheduled route for 2018/19.
This final construction phase marks the end of a $33.8 million seismic upgrade project and building replacement project that began July 2016.
“Heatherbrae Builders and district staff have been heavily involved over the summer months in a final push to ensure the school is ready for operations. We are tremendously grateful for their hard work and dedication, particularly during those weeks this summer when we experienced record high temperatures in the Valley,” explained Ian Heselgrave, SD71 director of operations. “This delay is necessary and we are steadfast in our commitment to providing education facilities that are not only equipped for delivering 21st century learning but are completely safe for students and for staff.”
There will be no adjustment to make up for the lost day to the school year.
“Students will return to a full day of school as opposed to a half day of school had they been able to commence on Tuesday, Sept. 4,” said Mary Lee, communications & community engagement manager for SD 71. “ The first day mainly involves student orientation.”
Lee said a similar delay in the starting day in 2017 had no adverse effect to the instructional time students received.
“A school startup delay in fall 2017 was due to extenuating circumstances that required safety precautions be implemented. Students’ education was never impacted, as the first half day is set aside for general orientation.”