A team of Central Okanagan Public Schools music teachers and community members have joined forces to organize a powerful music endeavour in support of the Ukraine relief effort.
On Sunday, June 26, at Prospera Place, noon to 2:30 p.m., music students from Rutland Middle, École Glenrosa Middle, Springvalley Middle, Okanagan Mission, École Kelowna Secondary, Mount Boucherie Secondary, Constable Neil Bruce Middle, George Elliot Secondary, Canyon Falls Middle and École Dr. Knox Middle will perform together as part of a mass band – more than 450 students.
The students will be performing a special piece of music called Kyiv, which was written by American composer Brian Balmages and was led by conductor Dennis Colpitts.
The piece is a tribute to the Ukrainian people and all proceeds from the sale of the music will go to the Canadian-Ukrainian Foundation.
To date, more than $50,000 has been raised and the piece has been performed in more than 200 different cities and five cities.
Admission is by donation and there will also be a vendor fair with local artisans, crafters, businesses and food trucks, all donating a portion of their proceeds to the fundraising effort. A variety of school bands and choirs will also be performing during the vendor fair.
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Congratulations were extended by the Central Okanagan Board of Education to two recent fundraising efforts by students and staff at two schools.
Okanagan Mission Secondary’s Relay for Life school-wide fundraiser brought in $34,500.
Nineteen teams and more than 130 students and staff participated in the relay.
The top individual fundraiser was Kate Alcantera, with $2,225, and the top team fundraiser was ‘Where There’s a Will There’s a Way’, with more than $4,000.
And École Dr. Knox Middle recently held its annual Bald Falcon Day, raising $20,227.08 in support of the BC Children’s Hospital.
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After the board of education heard about traffic issue concerns from three parents related to École Dorothea Walker Elementary and École Bellevue Creek Elementary at its Feb. 9 meeting, followed by a series of information meetings between parents and school officials, a number of steps have been adopted.
Actions taken will include bell schedules of Dorothea Walker and Bellevue Creek will be staggered to allow parents with students attending both schools to safely drop students off at both sites.
Dorothea Walker will have a start time of 8:25 a.m. with supervision on-site to begin at 8:10 a.m., and Bellevue Creek will have a start time of 8:35 a.m.
Safe drop-off lanes have also been established at each school to accommodate traffic flow, supervised by parent and staff volunteers.
Parent meetings will be scheduled later to review the effectiveness of the safety plans.
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The Parent Advisory Council for Watson Road Elementary has entered an enhancement agreement with the board of education to install an outdoor learning space.
The outdoor learning space would include seating areas, garden beds, a mud kitchen and a sandbox.
The project cost will be $29,421, accounted for by the Watson Road school PAC.
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For anyone interested in being a board of education trustee candidate in the Oct. 15 civic election, a candidate information session will be held Thursday, Aug. 11, 6:30 p.m., in the board room of the Central Okanagan Public Schools administration centre, 1040 Hollywood Rd. South in Kelowna.
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École Dr. Knox Middle Grade 9 students Ava Cudmore, Kaylie Gross and Libby Reis shared with the board of education their experiences in their Indigenous Studies and Leadership class.
The students came away with greater historical knowledge and insight about Indigenous culture, learning the importance of empathy and a greater understanding of what true leadership looks like. and how they interact. We cannot mimic exactly the same, but it helps give us something on how to assimilate it in our bodies and also how to transmit it to the audience. We’re more than just two humans on stage, we’re really trying to portray that insect.”
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